luckygirl

Thank you ladies! I'm very happy with these invites. A friend told me today that she loves them and her cousin wants her to save it so she can use the idea for whenever she gets married..LOL.

Thanks ladies. The pics really do suck. I wish I could show how nice they really are.

I used Crista of Dazzling Expressions from Etsy.com She was very patient and helped to create what I had envisioned for my invites. I had a vague idea and she made it happen. I have had so many guests reply that they love the invites. My cousin said she was going to save it because it was so beautiful. I am appreciating the feedback because there was a moment I was wondering why was I even bothering with details no one was going to notice. The pictures do not do them justice. Inspired by my wedding shoe, here they are! The envelope, the actual addressed label looks nice, it's in a dark purple font. The invite: Here's my inspirational pic of THE shoes: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t27028 Here are the std's that she also made for me: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...658#post550308 Did I mention I love Crista!?! Etsy :: dazzle0604 :: Dazzling Expressions Handcrafted Invitations

Congratulations! You don't look like you have a bump at all.

BTW, Eileen, I remember exchanging emails with you not too long ago. I thought you were very professional and helpful. I received your information from Ocean Key Resort because the size of my wedding party was on the smaller end (under 40) and not large enough for OKR. But I think we are actually going to hit the 40 mark! Good luck with your business and I appreciate the honesty and willingness to share information about the Key West area. It's really hard to find a forum with information about KW, and there are not too many KW brides here.

I guess that would depend on the type of wedding you are going to have. I am going for somewhat simple, so I'm not hiring an extra coordinator. Ava from the Hyatt will for the most part handle everything as far as setting everything up and taking things down. I based my decision from information from a bride who also had her wedding at the Hyatt. She had hired a d.o.c. because she was not having her ceremony at the Hyatt. She suggested to me that having someone pass out programs, looking over the guest book and bringing the cake and misc. items back to the room was helpful. She said that if I could have a friend do all of this (which I have a few who have offered - yay!) then I could save myself a grand. I have done a ton of research and decided to use reputable vendors to hopefully avoid issues. Of course I could have saved myself time and stress worrying about these issues and hired someone, but I have secretly enjoyed all the research. Plus I look like a star for doing all of this hard work..hehe So I guess it depends on how much of a production you want, how relaxing you want your day to be and how much time you are willing to spend researching your options. We wanted to use the d.o.c money towards our honeymoon...I can't wait. There is a KW wedding coordinator on this site, but when I get a chance I will send you info. from another one that Key West Cakes recommended. She has a great website too! Here's the info: The website: http://simplyyouweddings.com/ And here is a website where she talks about the company. http://keystv.com/dynamic/index.php?...=731&pageNum=1

Oh, forgot to mention. Ava said all I have to do is ship my diy stuff down to KW and show her how to do one of the tables and they would handle the rest. AWESOME! I'm thinking of doing small and large paper lanterns and the crew will put them up for me..whew whew!

That's awesome you were able to talk to Julie. She is so chill! I love her style and think she is going to be awesome. She referred me to Susan Hyde, I can't find her phone number, but her is her email [email protected]. She is super nice and Julie told me she likes working with her. Joey and Paulie were great when we had our cake tasting. I think I might have the colors worked out, just took a pic of the almost finished centerpiece and so far so good. I will look into the florist she recommended. Mama's florist gave us the best quote for our bamboo canopy. My inspiration is from this website New Page 1. Click on the Hyatt Key West wedding and check out the bamboo canopy at the beginning of the video. Also, I'm using Jim Cooper from Soundwaves for my dj, and Bongo D for my steel drummer for the reception and cocktail portion. Glad you like the colors. I'm still trying to figure the stuff out..arghhh. Oh, I am also going to use the Key West Colors book as my guest book. I saw that in the video link from above. Good luck gals!

I agree with Amanda. I am using Studio Julie because she is awesome. I have a friend who used Gregory Paul photography from the Miami area and the pictures are incredible, here's the link Gregory Paul Photography. I think both photographers are amazing so check them out! I'm using Marie-Pierre for hair and makeup. She's coming to my room because less stress is best. Even though I am a makeup artist and can do my own hair, I need to reduce my stress. May or June would be good for lower rates and it won't be hot as hell as it is in July. We were there in July. I'm used to humid heat in Maryland, but dang..it was hotter than hot! May and June will be warm, just know Key West has the highest mean temperature for the United States...meaning it's consistently warm. Memorial Day weekend is our wedding and we're running into minimum night requirements. So avoid that weekend (I've got the Hyatt on LOCKDOWN! LOL). I've done a ton of research (I over research everything) and have been there 4 times. So I still have a tourist perspective. I like nice things, but I also have a beer budget in this economy. Let me know if you have any other questions. Also, this is a place where you can have a wedding Weddings in Paradise :Old Town Manor Elegant Bed and Breakfast in the heart of Old Town, Key West, FLorida. Unfortunately, I don't have first hand knowledge of the place, but considered it for a moment. Other places we considered were Southernmost Hotel Resort and Audobon House.

Just an update to my previous post. I'm not using Peggy Russell as my officiant nor for anything else. I'm using Sue Hyde who has been very responsive and has sent over some great vows that I have to go through. Or maybe I will just do my own. Centerpieces are still a work in progress. After a quote from a florist I've decided to diy them. I'm definitely going to use a trio cylindrical vases on each table (picked up the trio for an awesome price). One vase will have key limes in water (I love me some key lime pie!), a green orchid stem submerged in water (probably a silk one because in the water it looks real!), and third one will have something else probably an orange or fuschia orchid submerged in water. All three vases will have floating ivory candles. I'll place votive candles around the vases and gems on the fuschia tablecloths. I'm thinking my cake will be chocolate buttercream frosting with 3 layers. two layers will have white cake and key lime mousse and one layer will have yellow cake and strawberries and cream. I will have lime green ribbon around the cake (I think) with white chocolate starfish. Still thinking about the chocolate part. Amanda, I have not seen that bouquet you're ref. to, but I've purchased a starfish bouquet jewel that I will insert in my bouquet. I have no idea what the bouquet will look like other than it will have orange amazon roses, some fuschia flowers and green orchids with the stems wrapped with ivory material and some baroque pearls. Are you using both John Hunter and Julie? Good luck all! It's getting close for some of us!

Just an update to my previous post. I'm not using Peggy Russell as my officiant nor for anything else. I'm using Sue Hyde who has been very responsive and has sent over some great vows that I have to go through. Or maybe I will just do my own. Centerpieces are still a work in progress. After a quote from a florist I've decided to diy them. I'm definitely going to use a trio cylindrical vases on each table (picked up the trio for an awesome price). One vase will have key limes in water (I love me some key lime pie!), a green orchid stem submerged in water (probably a silk one because in the water it looks real!), and third one will have something else probably an orange or fuschia orchid submerged in water. All three vases will have floating ivory candles. I'll place votive candles around the vases and gems on the fuschia tablecloths. That's it so far. Amanda, I have not seen that bouquet you're ref. to, but I've purchased a starfish bouquet jewel that I will insert in my bouquet. I have no idea what the bouquet will look like other than it will have orange amazon roses, some fuschia flowers and green orchids with the stems wrapped with ivory material and some baroque pearls. Are you using both John Hunter and Julie? Good luck all! It's getting close for some of us!

They look awesome. I admire crafty creative people.

Has anyone ever tried shipping their dress via FED-EX? I was wondering if I should do this.

The dress is gorgeous! How about a half up do? I don't like my hair in updos either so I'm going with half up. Good luck!

Just read this post and think it's such a great idea. I just ordered a starfish from the Bouquet jewels link listed in the initial post and saved 25% off my order. The 25% off code 25OFF is good until January 31, 2009. I can't wait to send in my story and pic and join the club!

Oh crap! My invites are being mailed to me so I will be mailing them out next week. I think I'm way behind based on everyone else. Good news is that 17 people have purchased flights and hotel rooms. So I am ASSuming that these people are considered good to go. I only need 30 for my minimum. I was going to get personalized postage stamps but I am now wondering if I should forgo the stamps and just send out the invites. Any thoughts? Here's an update on my finished list Got his ring...YAY! Got my dress and veil and hiding it in my daughter's closet..no one has a clue! BUT My freakin e-ring has produced an allergic reaction! I have a brown nasty looking scar on my ring finger. I have been wearing this ring for over a year and all of a sudden I have a reaction. This is a platinum band with diamonds and I should not be allergic to it. My ex-husband gave me a platinum band that was wayyyyyy less expensive than this ring and I did not have a single problem. I'm really bummed out because this ring mean so much to me. This is the best relationship ever and we are so in-love. WTF! My rash is clearing up only because I'm not wearing the band. Whenever I wear the ring my rash becomes inflamed. I feel naked without this band. I hope this isn't an omen. I picked up my dress from David's last week and when the seamstress was showing me how to bustle my dress her finger ran across a pin that had been left in by someone else and she got blood on the bottom of my dress. I felt bad for her that she hurt herself. But I also wonder WTF, is this an omen. My last marriage we had a freakin deer run across the road in front of our car on our way to the JOP. Maybe I'm just stressed because I feel nothing is done and my semester starts again this coming Saturday. My last final is on the 20th of May and I get on the plane the 21st for our 24th wedding. Our semester started much later than usual which completely threw a wrench in my plans. My FI's son is complaining about having to wear a fuschia tie and my daughter is complaining that we all will have to share a room. Which, I have not told her we are all sharing a room yet, because if I did my FI's son would complain. All small bs I know, but annoying none the less. Oh, and my aunt (who we were raised like sisters by my great-grandmother) and I got into a huge fight while in DC to celebrate the inauguration with my great grandmother. We are not talking now and she informed me that she is not coming to my wedding. She said so many nasty things to me that I never ever thought I would ever hear from someone I love. So, I guess right now I'm just a wee bit over dramatic and emotional. BIG breath now! Thanks for the rant.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! With the specifications you listed I would say that the Hyatt would satisfy not only your budget but your mother as well. We chose the Hyatt on Front St. for it's location, view of the gulf and the hotel's recent renovations. Prior to choosing our site, we had visited Key West four times but never with the intention of choosing a wedding site. I wanted to get married in Turks and Caicos, but I could sense the economy was going downhill fast, so we decided to choose our favorite place in Florida that reminded us of being in the caribbean but with "American" conveniences. We decided a site visit was necessary to scope out the venues and I was so glad that we did. Originally I was set on a different venue and was going to put down a deposit, but my FI decided we should visit KW prior to a decision. Ava and Liza, the Hyatt's coordinators, have been super awesome helping me with planning our wedding. We have friends who will stay at the Hyatt and have offered alternatives to those who want a more budget friendly option (which who really doesn't want that!). We are trying to keep the guest count at 30 and we would like to keep the budget a little bit less than yours. With your budget and number of guest you should be able to have a really nice wedding there. I know of some other brides that have chosen Westin and Southernmost Hotel Resort collection and have been very pleased with their weddings. You can pm me for more info if you would like.

Key West for me. There is so much for your guest to do. Key West is not known for beautiful beaches, but you can still have a great time.

Sounds like fun Islamoradabride. Going through everyone's post I feel like I'm going on mini journeys. The overwater bungalows look so sweet. We decided after consulting a travel guide and looking for awesome beaches and good food and not a lot of nightlife, to go with Anguilla. We will put our kids on a plane with my cousin to return home and spend our last night in Key West after the wedding before flying to St. Martin. From there we will take a ferry to Anguilla and stay there for 12 nights. We're going to break up the trip by spending six days at Ku which is on white sand and clear ocean water. Then we are treating ourselves to 6 nights at Cap Juluca which is consider more of a honeymooning resort. In between we're going to eat, eat and do more eating.

Those are awesome bags. Thanks for the information. I was looking for a towel website so this was perfect timing.

Very cute! Where are you getting your tray? I'm trying to find one that I do not have to paint since I'm not crafty.

Here's an update from the jeweler, sometimes moisture trapped under a piece of jewelry can cause irritation. Do you sleep on your right side or place a headpiece or phone on your right ear? Could it be infected from something like that? The jeweler told me to keep the jewelry off and use neosporin and/ or hydrocortisone.

I was just getting ready to post a similar issue. I have the same problem you do, so I always wear platinum posts, backings and rings. NOW my ring finger has a rash like contact dermatitis from my platinum ring that I have been wearing for a year. Just all of a sudden a rash. Sounds like the same thing you're going through. The only thing I can think of is that recently I had a rash from using Bounce w/ Frebreeze dryer sheets for almost 3 weeks. Once that rash went away this new issue popped up. I hope someone knows something so we can get over this!

Great list Amy! Thank you. I actually need this for my own packing needs

Has anyone ever tried the Ionithermie detox treatment? It's supposed to take off a few inches and remove toxins from the body to reduce cellulite? I know it sounds to good to be true but I was curious if this really works. I've booked an appointment for a single treatment and the appointment setter said I would lose 1"-20" in a single treatment..hmmm. If someone has had this trxmnt or knows of someone who has I would love some feedback. Otherwise, I'll post my results after my appointment. I've got a few inches to lose for my wedding dress so I booked my detox appt. 1 1/2 before I pick up my dress from my fitting.