Pazoop

Beautiful photos! Thanks for sharing!! Hope everything turned out alright after your ER trip!!

I'll chime in too and say I agree -- I would fall over from shock if I found out that the host had paid for everything from my meal to my drinks! I even think my FI and his friend's might have a hard time allowing any of our friend's wives/FIs/girlfriends to pay for everything...so anything you offer one way or the other is icing on the cake and doesn't even orbit in the realm of cheap! Second - Don't let the parents get to you!!! I have to give myself this pep talk all the time because I'm not that great at following my own advice, but that doesn't mean it's not good advice! I'm like you and I try to please my FMIL, so I understand, but at the end of the day the people you really need to please are you and your DH! Besides, with all the thought and planning that you've put into this already, hopefully your in-law's will see the love behind it and that will silence their coulda, woulda, shouldas! So question, just throwing this out there -- would it even be an option in your mind to consider supplying longer open bar/bottle service (maybe even a round of champagne to toast, or something)...but having everyone else cover their meal? That way you maybe can spend a little more on the location and/or room? I totally understand if you want to take care everything, just trying to help brainstorm ideas and options - anything to make Tao maybe work within the budget!

You are gorgeous! What a beautiful smile!!! Add me to the list of people who can't wait to see more pictures!

Ha! All the Facebook addicts are confessing! I resisted for soooo long and now I am addicted...I just joined the group too!

What about Spice Market? I think it's sort of along the same lines of what you were going for with Tao...Great atmosphere and also serves Pan Asian tapas but is a little less expensive if I recall correctly I would try contacting them. I haven't eaten there in a while but I went for a friends birthday a few years ago and we had so much fun! Also, I second Asia de Cuba (really loved it and been there a few times!)...and I would give a personal thumbs down to Ruby Foo's for a special event. I have eaten at both locations more than once and have never been particularly impressed with my meal. Food's not bad, it's just not especially good and if you're going out and spending money on a birthday that's what you want. Can you give us a general idea of how much you want to ask people to pay for dinner? I know the bottle service fees (bottles being in the $100s) sound outrageous but they're not unheard of and I doubt Buddakan or Asia de Cuba will be much less. Which do you think is more important to your DH? The location or having a private area/bottle service? Because you could probably get a reservation for the group and have them all be responsible for buying their own drinks and still have a large group at the table, or you could find a slightly lesser known place that's not as expensive and take the whole place over (more of less). Personally I think either way you go it's win-win, just depends on the expectations your DH and your crowd have for the evening.

Wow!!! That is a crazy thought! Gwen is so beautiful Ann, and her cute little personality shines through in the pictures! Congratulations again!

My FI does lots of "guys only" trips, probably once every 2 months or so, and I'm fine with it...granted the majority of his friends are also in long term relationships, engaged, or married so I don't worry too much that he's going to be hanging around with a bunch of guys trying to pick up girls...I think for him it's about being able to bbq, drink beer, play poker, and "shoot the sh*t", as he puts it...I don't have too many girls weekends, but I have girls night almost every week and he's not invited and I love them and would hate it if he asked me not to go! We share so much of our lives together that it's nice to have a small piece left that just belongs to me...he knows all my friends anyway so it's nothing secretive, just independent. I think it's important for both of us to have this now, before we have kids...I wouldn't be so ready to say, "Sure honey, take off for two days to be with the guys while I take care of the baby again..." and I doubt he'd be pleased if I told him once I week that I was off for a night of dinner and drinks with the girls! :-) Is there something in particular though that worries you when he's off with his friends? Because I know this is a hard thing for a lot of people to sort out...

Ahh! I am a January 2009 bride (1.20.2009)! This thread is probably a good thing for me but it also stresses me out a little since I feel like I am falling far behind -- I just got a promotion and my FI is starting a new job (HURRAY!) so the wedding has been on the back-burner for both of us for the last 2.5 months! This is where i am at so far: Engaged: December 8, 2007 Feverish research and planning: January 2008-March 2008 --hours and hours and hours to decided on location, wedding date, number of people, duration of trip, etc. Location Scouting Trip: end of March 2008 - checked out the whole area around Puerto Vallarta, tried a bunch of restaurants and looked at different hotels, got to visit Las Caletas and meet Kelley -- now 100% we were meant to get married at LC!!! Ceremony location and date confirmed: Las Caletas, January 20, 2009 Resort Chosen: Dreams Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa Travel Agents: Yes, plural -- one for US guests and one for Canadian guests. Tammy, our BDW host, helped me get a great deal at the Dreams hotel in PV for the US guests and I'm working with Megan Crouse for Canada Photographer booked: Nathaniel Thompson!!! Very excited to have a member of the BDW community joining us! Website: I went with wedding window because I got a free promo code through a friend that works for Martha Stewart publications - I can't believe I am "googlable" now. http://www.juliaandjohn2009.com Save the Dates: 100 ordered from William Arthur and sent out in April. Dress and Veil: Romona Keveza gown ordered in NYC in February 2008...expected delivery mid-September. I am having a veil made but still working out the details.... Engagement party: June 7, 2008 which was a blast Engagement Photos: to be taken on the beach at my FI's family cottage at the end of this month by his sister who is a professional photographer Rehearsal dinner: looks like that will be booked by the end of this week -- still figuring out between two restaurants So now that I've written it all out it looks like a lot but here's what left:: 1. have to sit down and design and place order for invites (need to be sent by end of August and it takes up to 6 weeks for the order) 2. BRIDESMAID DRESSES -- I keep putting this off because my bridesmaids are in 4 different countries on 3 continents at the moment so it's not easy 3. FI's attire for wedding 4. groomsmen attire for wedding 5. Wedding rings (and we're planning to have them custom made because we want engraved patterns but again this keeps getting put off) 6. flowers, table top designs, ceremony decor, etc. 7. music -- and this is important...i've thought about it but no decisions have been made 8. welcome bags, bridal party gifts, deciding if I am going to do a newletter 9. day after brunch and welcome cocktail party 10. ceremony/vows (we're writing our own vows) 11. booking honeymoon stay -- i have a list of a few remote hotels in the general vicinity of PV and we want to so stay there for two or three nights before we come home but haven't organized that just yet! Sometimes it feels totally manageable and other times i remember just how much time and energy went into getting everything done so far and i think it'll never get done in time...!!! I hope this thread will help me stay a little organized now that i've written all this out, plus make me feel like i've at least accompolished quite a lot...

A-mazing! Such an incredible amount of work and it will be so beautiful! I can't wait to see what are certain to be Nathaniel's incredible photos of your wedding! Just a few more weeks now!

What a zany day you had! I love that your guests compared the wedding to Father of the Bride -- and it totally looks like it in the pictures! You looked beautiful! I love your hair and makeup, esp your eyes and bronzed skin! And those red shoes -- perfection! Congratulations!

Quote: Originally Posted by townie princess You can order Canadian stamps from Canada Post online. Although I don't know if they ship them to the US... I'm sending sent all my invitations down to a relative in the US once they're addressed and she'll take care of getting postage for the invites and the reply envelopes (I'll cover her costs of course). I'm just going to make sure that when I ship them they go registered post, and are really safely packaged...Like when they come shipped to me from the printer... It's actually about the same price overall as paying international postage for all the envelopes individually.

Thanks again and again for the positive feedback! Funny story though -- all my FI's friends keep telling us that they received our invitation...they don't understand the concept of STD! I think it didn't help that they had so much information and were a little on the formal side! Luckily their girlfriends, wives, significant others, etc. seemed to get the idea but I think they'll be confused when they get the actual invite! :-)

Quote: Originally Posted by JaimeLynne Ok, I just wanted to let you girls know that as of Tuesday this week (yesterday): I am *officially* an LC bride! Nicole was super cute and sent me a great congratulatory email. I am stoked and feel so blessed so have both Las Caletas and Elizabeth Medina booked!!! If she doesn't book any other weddings there between now and then I will be her first LC bride - how neat would that be! Yahooooooooooo!!!!!! P.S. Oh and I just checked on the LC calendar and we are on it! May 24th, 2009 Congrats Jaimelynne! Thats so exciting! I know what you mean too about time disappearing! I just looked at my wedding website this morning and it said 200 somethings days left to go....I really need to get on some details!!!

FI told me about this earlier tonight when he came home! Our friends live out in Etobicoke and they take their new lab puppy to High Park all the time! I work in the Parkdale/Rouncesvalle neighborhood all the time and I'll drive out to High Park after work now that it's warm to go running -- There are so, so, so many dogs out there it's ridiculous, and all bounding lease-free! It is (or I guess, now, rather was) so great for them! I think the most upsetting thing about this story is that this wasn't just some unstable person acting psychotically -- the whole thing with the posed racoon and the flowers let's you know they knew EXACTLY what they were doing and to some extent it was a twisted (f---'d up) joke! I'm glad you're dog is ok and that you're getting out of the city until they have a chance to comb through the park for the rest of the water/bread...what madness....

The one at Yorkdale is the only one I've heard of so far....I'm sure other locations you'll start popping up after that though...

Keep on eye on Crate and Barrel too...I'm in your exact situation (except it's my family that's in the US and FI's family in Canada)...I'm registered with Crate and Barrel in the States right now but they're scheduled to open in Canada this summer and they told me my registry would be transferable.

As another one here who has had lyme, let me say please go to doctor -- they can run some blood and let you know in no time!!! OK, that out of the way, even without finding the actual tick, the other thing that might show up is the "bulls eye" rash...a red rash with a white circle in the middle...when I got Lyme I found the tick and then kept watch until I saw the rash show up...but when my mom got Lyme she never found the tick, never saw the rash...and when my dad got Lyme he just knew b/c of the rash....Yup, no kidding! We've all had lyme at one point or another! There are so many deer ticks by our summer home and our dog treks them in constantly! The problem with Lyme is that it presents the exact same way as the flu so you can never tell -- except for knowing that you've got the addition risk factors such as possibility of exposure which you do... If you catch it early, it really can be more annoying (like the a bad cold with a fever that you just can't shake for a month or so -- you'll feel better for a week, then bad again for 2-3 days, then fine, etc.)...they put me on a low but constant dose of antibiotics (doxycycline i think) and i was on the mend in know time...

Quote: Originally Posted by becks Are you kidding?!? I LOVE it when people ask me this!! I tell them it's a size 6. (My other favorite is when they ask me if it's real.... I tell them that no, its imaginary.) I was just catching up with this thread while finishing a midmorning cup of coffee...that coffee is now sprayed all over my desk!!! Becks, you kill me!!! I am LMAO!!!! And, with permission, I am so stealing your line (with wide eyed innocence) next time someone asks me that!

I'm glad to hear I'm not alone in this either! And Jean-Marcus, your reaction to your friend is understandable...I would not be able to listen to someone talk that way either! I've often suspected that people think like that but never heard of anyone being quite that blunt! I've also had it given to me both ways...Many comments about how much FI must love me to have given me such a beautiful ring! And then occassionally comments from women (and their FI's too!!!) with over 2 carat rings about how amazing their rings are and how they are always finding people staring at them! I'm not joking! More often when I'm home in NYC, where I think the avg ring size is significantly larger, but sometimes in Toronto too. I've had people in both places tell me the carat weight, stats, exact cost, etc. on their stones, and I've had the FI who paid brag about how the ring THEY bought THEIR girl is uninsurable, irreplaceable, one of a kind...I had one FI do that to me one night in the same conversation that he tried to "guestimate" the price of my ring!!! (And he underestimated badly I might add)....I just sat and smiled, told him that was the price "give or take", and let all the other not so subtle innuedos slide.... I figured my ego is in tact and my sense of self is pretty solid which is why I have a great relationship and a great ring (by great I mean one that makes me feel warm and fuzzy and proud to be wearing it)...if all these people get is a two second cheap thrill by thinking they've made me feel envious, they haven't and I know it... I think the most important thing is that clearly there are men out there who are a good match for your friend in the way they think about money and love and material things, but the majority of people still have some perspective or even sense of self to know what really counts....

Welcome to the forum! I'm getting married at Las Caletas in PV but all my guests are staying at the Dreams -- my FI and I went to check out everything in March and when we looked around we found the Dreams to be our favorite AI hotel in town! The food and the beach were fabulous and it's really close to downtown! I'm sure you're going to love it!

Quote: Originally Posted by DougsGirl wow you and your family are so gorgeous! i LOVE the pic of you mom and sis looking so bright and colorful! Thank you so much! We didn't plan on it but as we were leaving the house for the party my FI and my dad pointed out that we were Red, White and Blue! My Canadian FI serenaded us all evening with the Star Spangled Banner!

Quote: Originally Posted by DanielleNDerek cute pics. I love the look of adoration pic, that's funny the person spotted that. I think that's my FI's favorite pick too...he thinks I'm looking at him like he's a rock star and I'm about to faint...I think the faintish look had something to do with the heat wave and the 100% humidity (and all the champagne!) Quote: Originally Posted by LC_Rachel Cute cute! Looks like you guys had fun- such huge smiles! Did you get lots of presents? We had soooo much fun (and sooooo much alcohol!) We were actually shocked at the number of presents we got, and some really creative ones too! A bunch of my FI's law school buddies got together on and gave us a weekend getaway to this great hotel/spa in a town nearby called Niagara-on-the-Lake... Quote: Originally Posted by Jacqueline So sweet! Looks like it was a gr8 time, and over 100 peole! Wow, sounds like a party to me! Love your dress btw. Where is it from? My dress is from this Toronto designer, Anne Hung. I actually got it the day before the party when I went into her store to look at some potential bridesmaids dresses. I want my BM dresses to be light, bright, and rewearable and her designs fit the bill! Then I saw this great cocktail dress and decided it was perfect for the party!

That's so sweet! Is that The Very Hungry Caterpillar I spy? I love that book! The pictures are so colorful! She looks even more beautiful in every photo Ann, if that's even possible! And Paul looks so sweet and tender reading to her! And because I've been absentee on here for a while I want to wish you both a belated HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSAY! Congratulations on having your marvelous little girl to celebrate with!

Last two.... The future brother and sister-in-law!!! we were the last two on the dance floor!!

oh, that first photo came out too large, i'l try to resize it... my dad decided to play it cool and dance with shades on all night... some of the wedding party someone snapped this picture where i am staring at his with this look of total adoration...