Agape Gems

My hair: Option #1- loose curls Option #2- fancy up-do Option #3- tucked and twisted

Don't you just love it when things work out so smoothly! It must be all the good karma you put out on BDW Now you know we all want a pic!

I honestly think the dress looks really good on you!! I wouldn't lie to you. I think you just need to add a necklace that draws the eye downward, it will create a longer line and make you appear long and lean. I hate that my stomach isn't flat so I always take pics at a diagonal angle. I don't know if its really slimming or not, but it makes me feel like it looks better

Hey Yolanda, have a safe trip and try to relax when you get there! I'll be at the lobby bar on Wednesday afternoon for quite a while since our flight arrives at 10am and we can't check-in until 3ish, i think. If you're busy, I'l just try to catch you later during the week. What time is your ceremony Friday?

Alright Alex, I got the pics but now I think I want a different hair style! I LOVE this look. I knew I shouldn't have asked you to send me that file, now I'm confused again! Anyone have an opinion

Quote: Originally Posted by md_ocr no, i'm actually flying in my photographer from NY. I met her online and her work is great too! We are doing our TTD the day after the wedding so nobody will be around (hopefully) and we are going to try to "tame" down the sex appeal so we can show all of our family and friends. Maybe put a playful, (splashing water) type of spin on it instead of "sexual healing" feel.....but as always, you will be my guinea pig!! Yea, I think we are gonna go for more romance, less sex appeal. I can't wait to see your wedding photos, your plans all look so elegant.

Yep! All MAC. When you see the colors you're gonna think it's wrong cuz they look BRIGHT pink, but they go on almost sheer.

Quote: Originally Posted by md_ocr i know........she's fantastic!!!! I only HOPE that my photographer can bring it like that!! Your pics are going to be off da hooooookkkkk!!!!! :-) Everyone keeps asking if I'm nervous about getting married, and the only thing I'm nervous about at all is my mom seeing the TTD pics!!! I'm just hoping my guests aren't standing around while we do this. are you bringing someone from home?

Quote: Originally Posted by md_ocr 12piece........are you using him for photography also, or just videography? Just video. I'm using Robin Depaula for photos- which by the way, i love that photo of her's that you posted. I hadn't seen that one. VaVaVaVoom!

Quote: Originally Posted by md_ocr Everything looks fantastic! I love your picture frames. Pouring the sand in between the glass is going to be so lovely. What happend to the chocolate TTD dress? Did you change your mind........either way, they both are beautiful. btw: What color are you wearing on your lips? Well, several things happened... I decided it kinda defeated the purpose if the dress didn't look anything at all like a wedding dress, not that this one resembles my dress but it is white. then I was looking at the brown dress last night and noticed an issue with the way part of the stitching was done across the bust so that made me really want to take it back. I don't love this white one, but it'll do and I can really trash it when I'm done- 1 less thing to bring back! The lipstick: cork lip pencil, lollipop loving lipstick, and flashmode lustre glass.

MAC makeover: indoor lighting outdoor lighting Its not exactly what I'm going for, but I figured out what products I needed and one of my BMs was with me, taking notes so she can replicate it in Jamaica, and she surprised me by buying all the products that the MAC girl used!

So i've been busy again today, here is the the set-up for our sand ceremony. The frame in the center has 4 layers of glass and we are going to pour the sand inbetween the back two layers. Not sure if that makes sense or not... Also exchanged my TTD dress tonight, here is the new one: And went for a makeover at MAC counter, 1 of my BMs is going to try to replicate the look tomorrow:

i contacted Michael about using his videography services and you can split up the hours. I asked if I could book him for the ceremony from 11-12 and then later from 2-3 for the reception and he said yes- it would be $300 for the first hour then $90 for the additional hour.

Quote: Originally Posted by ButlerGirl08 Court, did you go to the MAC counter? Do you still need me to do a play by play for the makeup I'm going at 2pm today, so I'll let ya know tonight how confident I feel.

awesome, thank!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by ButlerGirl08 That dress is so beautiful...Court you gotta explain to me this TTD ceremony. What is the purpose and how do you avoid not ruining your dresses IMO, the purpose to get super sexy pics. But I'm telling fam that is represents the fact that you are not going to need the dress again- til death do us part... Everyone has said their dress was fine afterwards. Just needs to go to dry cleaners

Quote: Originally Posted by ButlerGirl08 Thank you hunny. Make sure you take lots of pics especially of Mamee Bay. Do you all have a jacuzzi suite If so, take pics of that too...lol. Take pics of stuff we haven't seen too...like the lobby or hallway, or the bonfire night...I'm also going to do our 1st dance and garter toss after the ceremony like you. Our wedding is at 1 pm though. What are you guys doing after Mamee We are going to the beach party... FI threw a wrench in all my wedding plans on Sunday! He has been all over me about the dang budget (which I'm way over-oops) and then out of no where he tells me he wants to have somewhere to dance after we eat and he doesn't want to dance to the steel drum band b/ he wants to dance to a song that means something to us. All fine and dandy but could you have told me this a month ago- like before I had postcards printed with day-of timeline that says nothing about a private reception! So I say all that to say, I don't know what our plans are anymore. I emailed Chandlyn yesterday to see if we can rent the disco from 2-4 but I haven't heard back from her. But I'm guessing since we are the first wedding that day no one will be in the disco at that time.

Quote: Originally Posted by bobbi-francis I love this!!! i was actually wondering if we could tell the minister what to say...from where did you reference this A friend of mine is a youth pastor and he helped me with all the formal aspects, I found the hand ceremony on here, and the sand ceremony I found online a long time ago just by googling sand ceremony. Feel free to use any of it! Quote: Originally Posted by BillysBride OK girl, I am so thankful right now that I just now saw your dress because I'd have had yet another change in plans if I'd seen it earlier! Oh, and don't forget YOUR SETTING LOTION AND SPRITZ!!!!! hahahhaa That was the 1st dress I saw and I knew I wanted it! And then when I got home that day I realized that I had cut a picture of the dress out of a magazine months earlier! Is your dress posted anywhere? Girl- you know Sally's beauty supply is on my list of errands for today! Just in case they don't have lotta body I'm taking my own! I hate crunchy hair, but I'm trying to get as crunchy as possible to avoid frizz Quote: Originally Posted by jenanmag Wow! Your pictures are great! You're dress is beautiful! Are you going to wear it to the disco that night? We are trying to rent the disco from 2:00-4:00 for a private reception, then do our TTD session from 4:00-5:30. I'm still debating about whether or not I will wear my real dress for TTD or the other dress I bought. I really want to wear my real dress, so if I do then I won't be able to wear that night. Here is the other dress I bought for TTD, but I'm having 2nd thoughts...

Thanks for all the well wishes ladies! I should totally be working right now, but who can work 2 days before they leave?!? Butlergirl- I'm just barely gonna miss you this time, but good luck with your interview and we will definitely get up when you and your hubby make your move!

Another great dress! You have the cutest figure that's me being jealous LOL I can't wait to see your pics.

Does anyone know if there are outlets to plug up an Ipod docking station at the lobby bar FI was up at 3am making a playlist for our welcome reception and then I realized the Bose docking station has to be plugged up

Quote: Originally Posted by MoWife Originally I agreed to send the MOH the $250.00. I figured that $200.00-$250.00 was about average for each girl to put in for the shower plus the gift. Then I realized on top of this we were buying alcohol and purchasing a gift for the hostess. I thought this is getting out of hand and that those gifts were thought up by the MOH and are extremely extravagant. So I sent an email saying so. The MOH got a bit annoyed with me because she said I already agreed to it and she already purchased some of the gifts. And another BM wrote me a nasty email saying that the bride put in that much money for her shower and she knows she put in over $200.00 for my shower and that the bride is her best friend and she thinks she deserves something nice. She also went on to say that the bride will eventually find out that her mother paid for the shower and want to know why we didn't put in more money!?!?! I sincerely hope that's not true. Ok, these girls are out of control. First of all, that amount of money may not be in every BMs budget and they are out of line to get an attitude about how much money someone is comfortable spending. 2nd, they have no business speaking for the bride. She may not care at all about who spent how much on what. Real friends don't operate tit-for-tat. Whatever the bride spent previously was her choice and I doubt she has the expectation that the exact same amount of money be returned in gifts to her. That's just insane.

Quote: Originally Posted by BeckyN Wow! Everything looks amazing... your dress is perfect! I also love your ceremony wording... thank you so much for sharing (and giving some ideas to those of us who are struggling w/ wording right now!). Hope you have a wonderful time and can't wait to hear all about it. The wording for the ceremony took forever, so I hope this helps some other people. If we finalize our vows before we leave I will post them. We are each saying something special to each other, then we will say our serious vows, followed by some funny light hearted vows (I vow to keep leaving my shoes in the middle of the floor, he vows to keep loving football,etc) Quote: Originally Posted by BarefootBride I plan to do the hand ceremony too! Let me know how that works out! I think I am going to have his dad and my aunt say it. This is a surprise for FI. I think he will like it. Actually no one knows we are doing this. thanks to Dougsgirl for this idea! i had never even heard of it until the forum. Quote: Originally Posted by Yari Everything looks wonderful!!! You are going to have a fantastic wedding. Thanks! Yari even though I don't "know" you in the real life, I think you have the sweetest spirit. You always have the most uplifting things to say to everyone. You are a blessing! And thanks to everyone for your kind words. Now I just got get FI inline for the last days. Many of you have heard about his lack of motivation to help with the plans... so it goes without surprise that even though we leave at 5am Wednesday, he still hasn't picked up his pants from the alterations place, hasn't gotten gifts for his GM, gotten a hair cut or even begun to think about packing. LOL, all I can do is laugh at this point. I must love him!

Attachments: photo scavenger hunt list that will be in the OOT bags, and tags for petal toss. Rose petals will be in organza bags with these tags at each seat for the ceremony. Sorry I don't have a pic, I'm not putting these together until i get there. Ceremony: Greeting & Opening prayer- Given by Minister Blessing of the hands Courtney, please face T.K. and hold his hands, palms up, so that you may see the gift that they are to you. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow and tears of joy. These are the hands that will comfort you in illness and hold you when fear or grief fills you. These are the hands that will give you support and celebrate with you in your accomplishments. T.K., take a look at the position of your hands with Courtney’s and know that this is the last time that you will have the “upper hand.†T.K., please hold Courtney’s hands, palms up, so that you may see the gift that they are to you. These are the hands of your best friend, smooth, young and carefree, as she promises to passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness. These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times. They are the hands that will comfort you when you are sick or console you when you are grieving. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness. These are the hands that will give you support as she encourages you to fulfill your dreams. Our prayer for you today is that both of you will use these hands to build a marriage where all your dreams come true. Declaration of Intent T.K. do you take this woman to be your wife, and do you pledge your faithfulness to her, in all love and honor, in all duty and service, in all faith and tenderness, to live with her, and cherish her, according to the ordinance of God, in the holy bond of marriage? Courtney, do you take this man to be your husband, and do you pledge your faithfulness to him, in all love and honor, in all duty and service, in all faith and tenderness, to live with him, and cherish him, according to the ordinance of God, in the holy bond of marriage? Asked to Congregation: Will you bless this couple, encouraging them in Christ’s love, in faithful prayer and loving service, according to the ordinance of God, as a family of believers celebrating and sharing in His grace and love? Exchange of Vows Bride and Groom will share personal vows they have written. Exchange of Rings- Repeat after minister I give you this ring as my pledge That I shall cherish you with all my heart and soul from this day forward in the name of the Father; and of the Son; and of the Holy Spirit. Engagement Ring The engagement ring is a symbol of promise and intention. Now the intention is realized and the promise fulfilled. TK, please place the engagement ring on Courtney’s finger over her wedding band to symbolize that the love that brought you together will always protect and sustain your marriage. Sand Ceremony "Today, this relationship is symbolized through the pouring of these two individual containers of sand one, representing you Courtney and all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be, and the other representing you, T.K., and all that you were and all that you are, and all that you will ever be. As these two containers of sand are poured into the third container, the individual containers of sand will no longer exist, but will be joined together as one. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so will your marriage be." Closing prayer/Benediction-Given by Minister Declaration of Marriage Having declared your love and commitment before God and these witnesses; having given each other rings symbolizing the purity and permanence of your commitment; by the authority vested in me as a minister of Jesus Christ, I declare Courtney and TK are now husband and wife according to the ordinance of God, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Whom God has joined together, let no man put asunder. Amen. Presentation of the couple Mr. and Mrs. T.K. Johnson Recessional ePhoto Scavenger Hunt e.doc petal toss.doc

Barefoot sandals for BMs My necklace and earrings: photo guestbook- started it at shower weeks ago. Each guest signs a card which goes in the envelop and then i'll attach their pic when we get back. toss bouquet: there's still a little more coming...