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I think that is the dress my SIL wore. I loved it!! It looked great with our BM dresses too- Bill levkoff #874

welcome! I live in durham, too. cancun/ riviera maya will be your cheapest flight. my wedding was just south of PDC.

wow, your pictures are stunning!

i found you through melissa you go to their profile & pick "add contact"

want to be my flickr friend? my user name is morganleigh03 i just joined this week. It seems pretty cool so far.

Quote: Originally Posted by aeroo We saved saved saved! We decided not to spend more than $XXX and stuck to it. In fact, ended up spending less than we had anticipated. I didn't have my dream dress (although I loooved the dress I bought) and didn't have that many flowers, but it was worth it to not be in any debt and not use up all our savings. We still had an amazing wedding and didn't feel like we deprived ourselves of anything. I think just the fact that you're having a DW makes it feel like a million dollar wedding because the beach backdrop is priceless. Surprisingly, there are many ways to save money here and there. For example, I bought a bridesmaid's dress in ivory, which cost $200. There's no way I could have bought a bridal dress for that amount! I was surprised at how many bridesmaid's dresses had trains too. Also got a second dress from ebay for $40. I got my invitations and thank you cards from Vistaprint (thank you cards ended up being free due to a promotion!). I got my shoes on sale for less than $30. Veil from ebay for $20. Ummm, what else....FI wore a suit he had just bought for work. I avoided buying anything (aside from dress) from a bridal or wedding store, where the markups are quite high. Ebay was my best friend. Instead of DJ we put our music on our laptop and hooked it up to the sound system. Oh yea, and we chose to get married in low season, when accomodation was the cheapest. I'm sure there were other areas as well, I can't think of, but it's definately possible to not break the bank while having an incredible (and debt free) wedding. Honeymoon fund sounds like a great idea too! If you're having trouble saving the money, the easiest thing to do is open an account just for your wedding and have a certain amount put in to it as soon as you get each paycheck. That way, you don't even see the money and can't spend it. ING has a pretty good interest rate and they do automatic withdrawals from your bank account. You may need to cut back in other areas of daily life, such as clothes, entertainment, coffees, etc (it's the little things that add up), but it is worth it to not go into debt! If you're motivated enough to stick to a plan, then anything is possible. Good luck!! very good tips. i also bought a white gown for $200. it wasn't a BM dress, but just a party dress at macy's. buying off the rack also saved a lot on alterations. bridal gowns are designed to need alterations so they can fit just about anyone. this dress only needed a $20 hem. veils are another great place to save $$. It's easy to get a $20 veil that will look just as great as the $200 ones at a bridal shop. Pick what matters to you & do that right. Then keep the rest cheap. my only real splurge was photography. I still feel like we had an amazing wedding. it was also great to not have the financial stress of a pricey wedding weighing on us.

i'm surprised out of all those vendors Lomas gets an A. we had a terrible experience with them. I also had similar communication issues with claudia about my video. I orginally had erick for photography. I kept thinking that I was so relieved it was just my video & not my pictures I was stressed about. the video was not near as important to me. I think they have gotten overbooked or something. I really was given the run around about getting my video. It used to be you got your pictures before you even left mexico. sorry you had so much stress surrounding your wedding!

I just got this email: Order E-Surface, Metallic, and True Digital Black & White on a single order!We are proud to announce that you no longer have to place separate orders to enjoy different paper types at Mpix. Now you can order prints and products on any of our three professional papers and have them shipped together on the same order. Previously you had to place seperate orders for each & pay seperate shipping.

maybe she was tired with all those activities. i personally don't like going to showers & I get out of them with any excuse I can use. I don't think it means I'm a bad friend or don't care about my friends. i just really don't enjoy showers. luckily I live out of state & can skip them all now.

Quote: Originally Posted by Oscar_Ernie Oh, Morgan, your $5000 budget...that was only for the wedding itself, right? That didn't include your hotel? everything. hotel, flight, wedding, dress... i put my budget on the budget thread.

I started with a wedding budget of $5,000. I already had that saved. But, i went over budget when I learned more about photography & realized I couldn't skrimp on that area. just do not borrow from a 401(k)

Cenotes of the Riviera Maya Home, Steve Gerrard Cavern, Cave, Technical Instructor read this before you go!

here is some info on protecting the cenotes that I dug up. i wish I would have researched this more before we went & made up a list for our guests. Do not touch! To the best of your ability, avoid touching the walls, floor, ceiling, and formations ...anything. from this website: Cenotes of the Riviera Maya Home, Steve Gerrard Cavern, Cave, Technical Instructor

Quote: Originally Posted by Kristie Ottinger i am def. not the most hip hop happening at sunrise! especially the morning after a wedding! also, its gets very bright FAST after sunrise unless its overcast! which results in squinty eyes and harsh shadows which without a large production for photog crew is not the easiest situation to work with in direct sunlight but a photog with some experience can deal. here are 3 pics in opposite lighting situations...the 2 with the 3 girls are early morning after in got real bright! (we didnt get exact sunrise light because after a wedding the night before, its hard to make it out to the beach that early haha!! i was there first and the one with morgan and mike is one of my faves to date and it was taken in complete darkness in the ocean, so really, good pics can be taken all day long...even in a hurricane, i'll add a sample of that too! yeah, we had intentions to get go early, but the girls had been dancing all night & were running late. we were all so tired too that we were taking our time eating breakfast. by the time we made it out to the beach it was bright. they had to tell me "1,2, 3 open your eyes" for some of them. still, we had a blast & I love the pictures. thanks again kristie for making it so much fun! Quote: Originally Posted by nathanielthompsonphoto First Matt, let me say that I love your work and your style. You and Sol are definitely at the forefront of the TTD sessions. Any bride would be fortunate to have hired you and Sol, as your work is beautiful and innovative - plus I'm sure you're really nice folks to be around. And, I'm sorry to hear that you've had so many emails to respond to. When I saw you posted on this topic, I was excited to read what you had to say. Especially about the Cenotes - as you certainly have the experience and expertise. And you're right about shooting at noon etc. Its actually quite manageable to use artificial light to overpower the harsh light with radio poppers or pocket wizards - and it creates a unique look. I just feel that you came across as condescending to other photographers with the "afraid" and "textbook" comments. You could just have pointed out the beautiful colors possible at midday with artificial lighting techniques - and shown those gorgeous photos and left it at - remember to just trust your photographer. I think ccarmany23 had a simple question, and it was simply answered - even more completely by you with pointing out the midday options. I don't think you were meaning to offend or come across as "we're so great and everyone else isn't" its just the first impression I got when I read your post. Again, you and Sol do amazing work and your success is so completely deserved. I wish you all the best - and I will try to think of the impact this forum has before I make a quick response. I will continue to admire what you and Sol do with your TTD sessions. Cheers! beautifully stated. it was the condescending attitute that made me want to respond.

Quote: Originally Posted by lambert13 the shot where the bride is standing on the bottom of the cenote is a big big big no-no. That stirs up sediment in the cenote which disrupts visibility as well as the ecosystem of the cenote. thanks jason! I really appreciate that you always chime in with envonmently friendly tips. the cenotes are truley amazing & need to be protected. We made sure to keep our pictures where we might stir up some sediment to areas that are pathways where people regularly walk.

Quote: Originally Posted by Matt Adcock easy there killer... i didnt mean to step on your toes... Just stating the facts to what it takes to make killer imagery consistently. Our clients expect that by the way, our ttd's start at $xxxxxx I was told that you quoted someone $17,000 for their wedding plus TTD. it wasn't just my toes. Plenty of people are annoyed by your bragging. I was just particualrt annoyed after your PMs to me asking me not to tell people where the cenotes are so you can "keep costs down." Then I learn you quote $17,000.

Quote: Originally Posted by Matt Adcock How does del Sol meet this challenge? Experience and equipment. We bring lighting and a crew to most of our sessions.... It may take masking off direct sunlight with reflectors or making light with flash, to compensate the bright sun. This stuff is way technical and most photogs don't have the capacity to do it.... sadly enough. Also, one major consideration with all this has to do with STYLE.... some photogs roll different than other photogs... sure you can make any lighting work with a full lighting crew, but not all of us are interested in spending $17,000 on photography. i'd rather just get up early.

Quote: Originally Posted by EricaG Morgan & Becks - I see the starfish was supposed to make it to others as well, did it ever get there? Or will I be bride number 3? I am sooo excited about the starfish, I totally didn't know about this thread until after I started my own about the starfish! This one started with me, then rebecca & now you. The starfish is probably excited to go somewhere new. we both got married in riviera maya. it's up to you who to send it to next. just keep it in the BDW family. and write something to put in the box so there is record of it's journey.

Quote: Originally Posted by nathanielthompsonphoto can't wait to see how it comes out! i'm checking your blog right now! I didn't get back to doing it. I spent all day taking a friend's engagement pictures. this weekend I'll write something with a light. maybe "nathaniel thompson photo."

tammy, those are amazing! I also had a busy photo weekend

Quote: Originally Posted by soon2bevalentine Hi Morgan, Thanks for the info. The more I look at the pictures, the more I like the Looky Bar (I think it is now called the Pure Chill Out bar) for the reception. I looked at the banquets information you posted, which gives me a good idea of prices. Do you think they'd be flexible in the menu? The idea of a beach BBQ really appeals to me. I love your photos and video. We might steal that Santana song you used - it's just perfect. I looked at Kristie's website but she's obviously out of the US. Did you fly her down for the wedding? Thanks again for keeping the information flowing, especially since it's after the wedding! Liana I didn't talk to them about the menu so i'm not sure if they are flexible. I never looked into having a private reception. that's weird that they changed the name. it really is a nice space. yes, kristie is out of AZ. she is a forum member. many of us on BDW have flown in our photographer. it will be fun to see future catalonia weddings on the forum!

I'm so excited!! hurry back to us

I worked at a women's only gym for 3 years. i was surprised how many women didn't want to lift heavy because they didn't want to bulk up. i'd try to explain how bulking up doesn't happy accidentally.

Quote: Originally Posted by Raeka $2?!!! What a steal of a deal! Too bad I already did mine... they were leftovers I bought from a friend so I got a great deal too.

SOLD I have 50 leftover thank you cards. They have a bride & groom on the front under a palm tree. I'll sell them for $2 plus the cost of shipping. I think shipping will be $5 or less. If you want them, post a message in this thread & then PM me your address.