ErinB

You looked so pretty! I think everyone had a great time! Congrats!

Welcome to the forum! This is the only site you will need!

We paid for the dresses and the GM shirts, only because they were paying to come to the wedding and I knew everyone's financial situation. The dresses were about $110 each. I bought beaded flip flops for $6 on clearance and jewelry for $40 and included both in their gift bags. The GM shirts worked out to be about $15 each because I got them on a super sale, had a coupon, and used my store credit card that I turned right around and paid. They were originally $65 each! I think it is a nice gesture if you can afford to do it. Because we had 3 on each side it was feasible for us. If you do ask them to pay for their own, then I wouldn't choose a $300 designer dress. If you let them choose their own, I would write a nice card explaining the prefered style - strapless, knee-length, etc. You should also include a fabric swatch (es) as there are so many different shades of aqua.

Great stuff! It is SOOOO easy to get carried away with OOt bag stuff and gift bags! I had to force myself to use the other Target entrance to avoid looking at the dollar bins!

Crafts, Etc! ® - True Touch Florals This is the link from the Hobby Lobby website. You can also look at the Natural Brillance Collection. Just wait for the 50% off sale for florals. It goes on at least once a month. I think you can also print coupons online.

That is pretty! I'm sure you could do it, it would just be time consuming. I'm also guessing it wouls be pretty expensive! It looks like they only use the large, outside petals and you would only get 8-12 per real-touch flower. At $5 each that will quickly add up.

I did not intentionally have a reception dress. LOL My dress was heavy and our wedding day was the hottest day of the trip1 It also had metal stays for shaping. During dinner I was having trouble breathing, not to mention eating because I couldn't bend at the waist, so I snuck out and slipped into my TTD! No one noticed because they are similar in style, so everyone was shocked when I jumped into the pool after dinner. **See me rockin' in the avatar pic** My advice would be to look for BM dresses that come in white. You can see mine in my blog and the model dress was white. It would be fun for you to still match your bridal party, but still look like the bride. The dresses were from Bridal and wedding dresses, prom gowns and bridesmaid dresses from Mori Lee The Affairs collection

In counting what was in that bouquet, I would guess that you would need about 8 peonies, 12 large roses, and maybe 20 of the miniature roses. I haven't posted a pic, but I had a fairly large bouquet that had a base of 7 peonies. I have heard that some of Angel's flowers are on the large size, so that might also make a difference. I bought all of mine at Hobby Lobby. If you can catch them on sale and especially if you have a coupon, it is cheaper. They have some wonderful real-touch stems that range from $2-$10 each regular price. I'll PM you when I get my flowers added to my blog.

Hi Lana, Most of these questions can be answered by searching or browsing OOT Bags (out-of-town). Lots of ladies have done them and most have posted pictures.

Tough choices, Jill! I guess that's a good problem to have!

Welcome! I wish my bridal party had been this involved! The forum is a wonderful resource! Please let us know how we can help.

Danielle your photos are amazing! You are right, I can only imagine how nice the wedding will be! Alyssa, I'm so glad you have such wonderful bridesmaids!

Welcome! My DH is from KC so we're there several times a year.

I use a sponge or brush. Lately I've been using the mineral makeup, so I use a big fluffy brush for most of my face then a smaller one for problem areas and around my eyes.

Don't worry Rebecca, I'm sure I have more wrinkles and gray hair than you do! I will even bet money I have more gray!

I can't believe I didn't post before! I even went thru to double check! Glenda, you looked absolutely beautiful! I am so happy that you and James are married! I know it was a hectic day, but you can't tell in the photos. Your friends are right, you need an award!

Try the Nu-bra? I think that it is what it's called. I used the stick on chicken cutlet bra thing and I was sweating my a$$ off! It is still sticky so I can wear it again. I don't remember the brand but I got it at the boutique when I got my dress for $20

My cleaning lady is $50. She comes whenever we need her to. Luckily this is a side job so we don't have to worry about staying on her schedule. She does basic cleaning - vacuuming, sweeping & mopping, cleaning the counters, bathroom, etc. I have a list of big things - wash baseboards, windows, ceiling fans, etc. (the big crappy jobs). She does one big thing on the list in addition to her basic stuff. When we could afford once a week it was fantastic!

Quote: Originally Posted by Christa 30! I can't imagine what my life would be like if I married the first guy that proposed way back in the late teens/early 20's....shudder!!! I know! I had a high school BF that wanted to get married right after graduation at 18! Then the guy I dated before DH proposed when I was 19 or 20. We used to joke that I could find everyone in the world to marry me, but no one to take me out to dinner & a movie.

I was 25 when we got engaged, but almost 21 when we started dating. I personally don't think anyone should get married before 25. No offense to our younger brides. I think your early twenties is a time to learn about life and yourself. You can't do this fully while taking care of a family, even if the family is only the two of you. I know lots of people who were married between 18 and 22 and a majority of them are divorced and even re-married. While DH and I have been together for over 6 years, I am not the same person I was when we started dating and I made different choices about my life because the two of us were together. I am not saying I have regrets, but I can certainly say my life would have been different had I been single in my early 20s. Before we got engaged, the lack of our own independant adult lives was an issue for us.

I think they look great! You can always add something Vegas-y. Maybe a gambling for dummies book, a deck of cards, dice, etc. I did ponytail holders and claw clips for the girls that were a big hit. You could also do a travel candle for the hotel room.

This is a great idea! I was going to suggest it, with all of our summer brides posting, but you gals were on top of it! Great job as usual!

WHy don't you post a draft first so we can help you out. Try and include as many details with names, dates, etc to back up your issues. We can help you edit anything out later.

I heard 3 months was a good time to plan on waiting. I'm trying to use this to get used to my new last name and practice my new signature! LOL Mike introduced me as his wife for the first time the other day and it sounded so funny coming out of his mouth!

Congrats and Welcome!