petunia

He proposed to me on Aug. 5, 2007, and we'll be married Aug. 9, 2010, three years and 4 days of engagement. We are waiting for his two children to both be out of high school. He is a single father, renting a home in a better, school district than mine and he didn't want to take them out of school. I own my house and he/they will move in here when the kids no longer have to be concerned about the high school they attend. Hopefully they'll both be off to college and we can have a nice fresh start on our happily ever after.

Ooh...Bellagio. Very very nice, Brooke! I look forward to reading about your plans and arrangements as you make them.

Yikes! At this point I'm not even sure my FI would get invited! Very very amusing.

Yomie, Congratulations on making your decision. I'm curious to know if you considered the Ritz wedding coordinator. Several coordinators have been mentioned on this forum. One St. Thomas wedding coordinator, Sherri from Weddings the Island Way, has posted here several times. I actually saw one of her weddings last summer, and I was very impressed.

Thank you, Gail

I was planning to have both my adult son and my father walk with me, and I was really excited about it. But it now seems that Dad won't make it. He just entered hospice care and probably won't be with us for much longer. He would have been 90 for my wedding, and was really looking forward to it.

I am so not a shoe person, and usually when I see the shoe posts and the costs involved my eyes glaze over, but these......WOW!!!!!!

My life partner of 19 years went out Christmas shopping one morning and never returned. In a nutshell, he was seeing someone else and she found out about me, called me, and he was totally busted on all fronts. I never heard from him again until I got lawyers involved with the joint ownership of the house. My point is, I didn't tell anyone for the longest time. The only one who knew was my adult son (not his) who was living at home. Christmas came and went, and I said I was sick rather than go to family gatherings. I didn't tell friends. I completely shut myself off from the outside world until I came to grips with it myself. Would I take him back if he came back? How would I support myself when we lived a two-income lifestyle? I went through a gazillion different emotions: hurt, humiliation, anger, fear. It was all so new, so raw. My whole world, my future, was pulled out from under me. This is probably what your dad is experiencing a bit. If your mother found out, then he's probably working his way back into the real world. Take your cues from your father about reacting. He'll get over it and move on with life. Three years later I met the most wonderful man and plan to get married. Your dad is so fortunate to have such wonderful, caring, supportive daughters. And, froggie, I'm so so sorry to hear about your grandfather.

I've never stayed at the Wyndham Sugar Bay, but reports I've heard about it run similar to the above. The thing about St. Thomas, and why there are so few All-Inclusive resorts, is that the island has so much to offer. There are fantastic restaurants, beaches, night spots everywhere. Lots of daytime activities as well. Folks who go to an AI often limit themselves to what's offered at the resort, and on St. Thomas, that's not where it's happenin'. A rental car is advised as taxi rates are quite high and charges are per person. St. Thomas is not an island where you fear for your safety outside the resort as are some other islands.

The grassy area is next to the restaurant and bar, but it is a very quiet one. Very few people go there. The bar does not typically have anyone sitting around it at sunset, but is used to make drinks for the one or two tables that might have diners at that time. That end of the beach is not where any beachgoers sit. It will be very quiet, especially in October, which is low season. The pool is a distance away from the grassy wedding area, as are all resort rooms. The grassy wedding area is pretty, with lots of shady palms.

If you can get hold of a Mac laptop they have a program called Photo Booth. You sit in front of it and it takes your picture. There are even effects. Of course you would have to have a printer, too. You would have all the pictures in the computer, and, guest could print out their own pictures to keep. Now that I realize all involved the Polaroid station sounds so much easier....LOL.

darkblue, Bluebeard's Beach Club is a very small quiet timeshare resort, and I own a week there. I go every August and have seen several weddings both on the beach and on the "grassy knoll" overlooking the beach. What would you like to know about it?

I almost hate to comment here, because, you see, I'm that woman. And I was the recipient of the same attitude from my fiance's daughter who was married last summer. Your father's wife is now family. Would you exclude a sibling's spouse if you didn't like him/her? True, this is your wedding and you can do whatever you want. You have an opportunity to take the high road, be gracious and mature. Without going into the whole story, just be aware that you are causing a tremendous amount of hurt to your father's wife, and more importantly, to your father. A parent seeing his or her child marry is a very special moment. I hope you won't smear the memory of your wedding day as the time when you caused him a great deal of hurt. I don't know if my fiance will ever get over his daughter's mean-spirited spite. If he does, it might take a very long time.

Why can't these bridal salons have pictures of different style dresses on different body types/sizes in an album so brides can get an idea of how a style might look? There's no way to imagine how a dress will look if you can't close up the back or fit your boobs in. It's especially difficult for full figured brides who can't have it pinched to fit to give an idea. I mean, how many different styles are there altogether? The detailing doesn't matter. Surely enough larger sized brides have come through these salons who have bought gowns. I would really be impressed if a shop offered something like that. I'm short and fat and I know there's probably nothing that would fit well enough to give me an idea of how I would look.

Ashley, I'm glad you have made your decision. Lindqvist is lovely and I'm sure you will be very happy with it. I hope you'll stick around and show us pictures after you've returned. Sherri, is it possible for you to post some pictures of weddings you've done at different beaches? There are never any St. Thomas wedding pictures posted on these forums.

I'm responding here, again, as a mother. I'll be a 60 year old destination wedding bride in 2010, so I think I have some credentials. Please don't look to end your relationship over this before analyzing what was done and what can be done in the future to avoid this from happening again. All of the parties involved, you, your fiance and your mother, had a bit to play in the scenario. You don't say how his family reacted to your spending the day with your mother, so I can't comment on that. Your decision to see your mother on Christmas day was a good one. I'm sure it was as important to you as it was to her to be with family. However, was it as important to spend so much of the day with her, leaving you to get to your fiance's family at such a late hour? What did you and your mother do all day? You said she likes to entertain, so were there other guests? Did you and she spend the day alone? If so, how did you spend that time? Was it something special? Was it necessary to spend the entire day with her? In your original post you said the half day with each wouldn't work. Seventy five miles is not that far, and you were in fact able to get to his family after all. Did your mother insist that you spend the day with her? Drop hints? Make little grumbles? If so, she was being selfish. However, I somehow think that it was more about your needs than hers. As a mom, once our children are grown we know that things will change. Trust me, you train us well when your are teens, finding everything in the world more important than family. Since your mom is moving out of state I'm sure she's planning to adjust to being distanced from you. We old folks are not as sensitive as you think. Your fiance is overreacting in my opinion, but men can be total jerks a lot of the time (if not most of the time...LOL). He needs to calmly express himself. His concerns are genuine. Marriage is about a couple being a new "one," a new family. There has to be some distancing from the "growing up" family. He is concerned that you won't allow that to happen. It is a very real fear, but not one that can't be dealt with. He needs time to cool his heels and then approach you in a reasonable manner. Think of all the adult couples you know, those who've been married for a long time. Your aunts and uncles, coworkers, any others in your world. They've all gone through this and worked it out somehow. The two of you need to sit down and perhaps make a holiday plan, understanding that it will be a compromise that meets the needs of each of you. Again, the old folks will get it and be happy for whatever of your time they have. Oh, and by the way....all this changes when the babies come along. I am speaking in generalities, not knowing all the people, but my experience tells me that this is not something you cannot overcome, if reason, love and civility rule the communication you both desperately need. Apologies are needed on both sides, but I think yours will have to be first. Good luck to you. BajaBride, I just read your thread about a blended family. Your fiance has kids. I think that's one reason why it was so important for him to be with his family and have you by his side. That said, I can also see why maybe you just wanted to be with your mom, to touch base with your own family roots, since your life is probably consumed with his family right now. It'll be tough, but you can do it.

Ashley, If you weren't expecting a relatively large group I'd suggest going to St. John for some spectacular beaches. However, I think if I were you I'd go to either Lindqvist or the far left side (facing the water) of Magen's Bay. Here is a pretty good guide of the beaches on St. Thomas, including some pictures. If you read this you will have some idea of what your wc is suggesting. Let us know what you decide. St. Thomas Beach Guide

Ashley, Just so you know, the Tuesday party begins at noon and ends at 3 or so. It's not a HUGE party, either, especially in November, which is still low season. There's usually some steel pan music and a grill cooking back off the beach. Some people will be on the beach, but most hang around the pool and pool bar. I know this because I stay at the resort on Limetree Beach every August. Ask your coordinator about Lundqvist (Smith Bay Park) also. It's a beautiful stretch of beach that is not overly crowded. Brewer's Bay is nice, but right across the bay is the airport, and I'd be afraid of a jet taking off just as I was about to speak my vows. Your coordinator will know best. Where will you be staying on island? I'm not sure what we will be doing. Our wedding isn't until August, 2010, so a lot of it is up in the air. When I go back this August I'll probably have a better idea, make some contacts, etc. I'm not, at this point, using a planner. That may be the biggest mistake of my life, though. Sherri, don't go too far away. Sherri, as I mentioned, I'll be back in August. Looking forward to a bushwhacker with you, too. It would be nice to have a chat. Wedding reviews can be found on this thread: Wedding Reviews - Best Destination Wedding Forum I haven't checked to see if there are any St. Thomas reviews, though. Seasons Greetings to all as well.

Welcome to the St. Thomas brides group, Ashley. I think you meant to post 11/10/09. Have you been to St. Thomas before? What plans do you have for a reception? Will you have many guests? Keep us informed as you make your plans.

We bought them for my fiance's daughter and husband for their wedding. We used their wedding colors, fuschia and pale green. They were exactly like Tara's, with Jen & Joe instead, and their wedding date. We gave the M&Ms to them at their reception. They were in a beautiful glass dish that they kept on their table. They were a big hit.

Quote: Originally Posted by barbieblue We're planning on getting married on Magen's Bay and we are still trying to figure out which WC to use. Any suggestions are appreciated! Thank you! Barbieblue, I got to see a wedding that Sherri, who posts on this thread, coordinated on Magen's Bay when I was on St. Thomas last August. It was an amazingly beautiful ceremony. I couldn't see anything I would want differently, and the bride and guests all appeared to be very happy. You might want to send her a p/m to see what she can do for you.

Keep in mind, from someone probably the same age as most of your parents, that when your parents were newly married they had to go through the same adjustments. You might want to remind them that they probably upset one set of parents each holiday as well. It's nothing new. All new couples and families go through it.

If the invitation designer offered to try to make them right, fixing her mistake, then let her try. I don't believe you should have to pay anything to correct her error. She should have had her own proofreader check them before even presenting them to you. You paid for perfect invitations, and I personally think she is responsible for seeing that they are perfect. Sorry to be pissy about this, but shoddy service should not be accepted. I would think if she can't fix them then you should not pay for them and have correct ones made elsewhere. You deserve the best. Dominica is a completely different Caribbean island. The people of the Dominican Republic do not say Dominica. They say La Republica Dominicana.

They're back!!!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by samanthag **My question: Does anyone know how far in advance airlines -specifically Continental- will let us book our flights? ps I have to admit I breathe better seeing my new ticker! Whew! Samantha...I'm happy you're breathing better. Whew! I'm sure you'll now have time to have the wedding of your dreams. Typically, most airlines allow booking 330 days out from the travel dates. If you try to book exactly those 330 days you will only be able to book the departure trip. You will then have to wait until it is 330 days out from your return date. My suggestion is to wait until you can book both ends of your trip at one time. Happy planning!