becks

Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! I'm sorry I'm late here... Happy birthday to you!

So cute!!!! I love them. And the ribbon is such a nice touch! And 8 hours? Seriously? Any chance you want to come help me with mine? Because I'm guessing its going to take me 8 days... or weeks...

Very elegant, and SO cute! And what a great price!

Well done, Glenda. I'm sure we're all guilty to some extent for not using the search, or starting a thread that could be tacked on somewhere (me, too). But this is a good reminder, and something that we should immediately make sticky - and have all newbies read as a matter of course; same as an inital post.

UPDATE ALERT! So, turns out we're famous... in an anonymous way. The B&B we stayed at asked if they could use our engagement story for a little PR. Its been posted on the web, and aparently Martha Stewart wants to do a follow up of some variety. Hysterical! Unique and Romantic B&B Experience: You Light Up My Life - Bed & Breakfast Blog B&B Industry News, Special Events, Packages

I've heard that the Royal Hideaway is spectacular. Everything that we've looked at has been open to kids, but the Secrets, the Royal, and the Royal Hideaway are supposed to be among the best.

HI Maura! At least you've got a plan B. I hope it all works out, and it sounds like you're warming to the idea of a morning mass, which I think sounds so lovely. I'm glad its all getting sorted. Tell Fr. Jack that we all love him!

Right - time for the Official BDW Rally Cry: Pics! Pics! Pics!

Congratulations, and welcome! There's tons of information here; I'm sure you'll find lots to help.

Congratulations, and welcome! There's tons of information here; I'm sure you'll find lots to help.

Congratulations, and welcome! There's tons of information here; I'm sure you'll find lots to help.

Congratulations, and welcome! There's tons of information here; I'm sure you'll find lots to help.

Congratulations, and welcome! There's tons of information here; I'm sure you'll find lots to help.

Congratulations, and welcome! There's tons of information here; I'm sure you'll find lots to help.

Congratulations, and welcome! There's tons of information here; I'm sure you'll find lots to help.

Congratulations, and welcome! There's tons of information here; I'm sure you'll find lots to help.

Congratulations, and welcome! There's tons of information here; I'm sure you'll find lots to help.

I'd say with the pale yellows, go with a pale blue, or a deeper muted blue. Seafoam green would be nice, too.

Gorgeous!!! GORE-JUSS!!! I can't wait to see pics of it on you. So beautiful!!!! And seriously? $99? LOVE that!

I LOOOOOOVE me some Target!!! I just wish there was one here in Manhattan! =( But, on the other hand, I get to involve my mom in my wedding stuff this way - I just wait for you guys to post the stuff you're buying, then mom goes shopping at Target (in Seattle) for me! 30 copies of the Spanish for Dummies books. Keep them coming ladies!!!

Hi Maura: I'm a bit of a frequent flier/points whore, so I'll share what I know. Basically, you've got two options... you can pay cash for your coach ticket and use points to upgrade to first, or you can use points and to get first class seats. If you use points to get your economy ticket, you won't be able to upgrade - period. You are at the bottom rung of their ticket codes and upgrades aren't allowed. Even when I had super-deluxe-platinum status, if I used points to get an econ ticket, I could never get an upgrade; not even when first was empty. Either way, your best bet is to call the airline's frequent flier number and work with them directly. If you don't like the answer you get, call back and talk to a different agent 15 minutes later. Not all of the customer service reps are great with the customer service, but the ones that are will bend over backward to get you what you need. Sometimes, there aren't seats available, but call back every few days and see what opens up. Good luck!!!

Love the shells! And so inexpensive - all that for $35 FANTASTIC! (Okay, excuse me while I climb up here on my soapbox... ahem... regarding the use of coral: Coral is a living animal. The rock-like substance that looks so pretty is actually its skeleton. Unlike seashells which are typically leftover from an animal that has died, most coral that is sold has been taken directly from a living reef. The taking of these corals for sale is one of the causes of the diminution of coral reefs all over the world. If you really, really want to use coral, the fishies and reefs all ask you to explore the use of artificial coral. You can google "artificial coral" and find some great options. Okay... climbing back down now.)

FI and I are totally minimizing our courthouse stuff. No lunch, no nothing (although FMIL is pushing for a bit of a family celebration but my family won't be there so WTF??!) If you want to save the specialness of your vows, then tell the judge (or whomever) the situation and to give you the stripped down version. Then prepare your own vows for your DW. That's where it will be special vs. the formality stuff at the courthouse.

I think that its a great idea, but only because it's a DW. For an at home wedding, it forces people to give up a weekend when they could have gone away, but for a DW - it gets them away. So, get your STDs out fast, and it will be great!!!

That sounds like a great idea! I love the shared sand, and I love the flower arrangement.