Kristy!

I had mine cut to a sweep train and I was so happy I did. It made the dress very light and didn't look out of place on the beach at all. I think a sweep train would work for your dress as well.

Rockity rock rockin! Congratulations!!!!

I put my MOH in charge of it. I gave her a list of all the guests (30) and told her to either have Kristi (our awesome photog) take the pictures or her with her digital camera. It worked out that Kristi was able to do it throughout the reception. I'm happy to report that my MOH didn't miss anyone! We did this as well as having people write us a postcard from their vacation. The photo guestbook worked out so much better. Love it!

As cute as using your colors would be, I think it's just one more thing to worry about. I say use all different.

I've seen quite a few questions about photo guestbooks, so I figured I'd post a super rough copy of mine. I'm still working on it, but hopefully it will help some people visualize how it could turn out. Oh, and there are many inside jokes that the whiteboard brings out! Here's the link: http://share.shutterfly.com/share/re...AcOWLhi4atGTlg

Very beautiful!

I ignore every e-mail, voicemail, Facebook friend request, etc. My ex has been trying to get in touch with me for 5 years. Sorry, he blew it.

That dress looks beautiful on you! And congrats onthe weight loss! This isn't meant to be discouraging, but don't be surprised if it becomes tougher to lose weight as your wedding approaches. All sensible eating went out the door for me because I was so focused on getting everything ready. Also, in a tropical climate, you won't want your dress to be super tight. I had my MOH loosen mine twice throughout the night because it felt like the dress was shrinking on me. Just a few things to think about.

I think you are talking about gifts for your wedding party, not from your guests, correct? I'm kind of mixed on this one. I like it when people do this for their favors at weddings, but I'm not sure that I would like it as a BM gift. For one, would you let each person choose their charity? One person my be super serious about animal rights while another isn't that big into it and would prefer something like the American Cancer Society. The gifts do not have to be something super traditional like a flask. DH took all of his GM on an ATV tour. I guess I would actually lean towards not doing the donation, at least as the whole gift. I think your friends would appreciate a more creative, personalized gift.

I definitely don't think it's too early. For our May 2009 wedding, we sent out invitations July 2008 and had people RSVP by September 2008. (I think we had everyone's answers before New Years except for one couple.) Let's be honest, people know if they're going or not, so why wait on it? And actually, we didn't have all the last minute changing of plans. Worked well for us!

Woo hoo! Congrats ladies!

I was 1 of 10 BMs in my best friend's wedding last weekend. Honestly, we all got along fine, but there were always so many of us around that I feel like I really missed out on really being involved. I realized the next day that I never even got to dance with her or get a picture of the two of us (other than the one formal shot). She had a big at home wedding, not a DW, so that makes a difference, but just coming from another angle.

Aw, that's super sweet!

Yay! So happy to hear it was great! Can't wait to see the pics!

Yay J-M! You totally deserve it! Congrats Mr. International Superstar!

Looks great! Love "the show!"

I organized a group session for BD pics in February that included a couple of BDWers. I'm sure some people noticed that none of us ever posted pics. I went to Julie Turner of Jewel Photo in Middletown, CT and it was not the best experience. The great thing was that the studio was located above a salon, so I could get hair, make-up, and lashes for $100 through a pre-arranged deal they had. I was very happy with the results of that. On to the photo session. There was no atmosphere in the studio, no music playing, and no real sense of comfort. There were a couple of different backdrops, but it was very limited. She was not very clear when giving direction and if something didn't look right, she didn't really have a tactful way of saying it. At one point she said to my friend (who asked me to be in the room) that she had to stop shooting because my friend would hate her pics because of her face. What?! She almost started crying. Another time, Julie told my friend to move on to the next outfit because this one wasn't working for her. I was nicknamed Grace all day because I had trouble balancing on this tiny bench. You need someone to build you up and make you feel good for BD pics, not make you more self-conscious. At the end of the day (a day she didn't plan enough time for, so two girls were really rushed), we were a bit upset walking out of there. Now the photos. Ugh. They weren't awful, but they weren't great. She asked me to chose 30 pics to edit. I kid you not when I tell you that smoothing out meant bluring the area. I didn't use any of the edited shots and I had to do some serious cropping to put a book together for DH. The book ended up being OK in the end, but nothing compared to some of the ones I've seen on here. With all this being said, she was less expensive than most photogs. For the group session, she let us do it for $150 a person plus $100 for hair and make-up. Her price now is $250 per session and I believe the hair and make-up is still $100. I understand that I got what I paid for. Was is worth it to save the money? No. I feel like I cheated myself out of a really cool experience. I will also say though that my friend found her originally on theKnot.com and her reviews were outstanding. I don't get it because I can guarantee that not one of the five of us would recommend her. I hope this was helpful. I don't like giving negative reviews, but I think it's only fair that I let others who are looking into BD pics know that my experience was not a positive one.

I ordered gifts for my BMs, moms, flowergirl, ringbearer, and of course me from Joy at smartypantsboutique.com The experience was wonderful from start to finish. Joy was super fast at responding to my e-mails (and believe me, we exchanged A LOT of them), and took so much time to make sure everything was just right. The girls were so happy with their gifts, which were a spa wrap, slippers, duffle bag, cosmetic bag, and custom made bikini bag. Everything was personalized and coordinated so well together! I am so happy that I chose to order everything through Joy. She gave me a great deal because of the amount I was ordering, so I actually ende dup UNDER budget for my gifts! Bonus! I can definitely give her a high recommendation! Here is her website for those who are interested: Smarty Pants Custom Embroidery Boutique

Many of you know that I won my photography from BDW. Here is my review of KLK Photography... I don't even know how to put into words just how wonderful Kristi Klemens is! She traveled to St. Lucia for our wedding and provided us with 4 days of beautiful pictures that we will always cherish. The quality of her work is exceptional and I have never seen wedding photos as beautiful as ours. I have friends who had gotten married before us that said they wished their wedding was after ours so they could've stolen our photographer! I feel bad because they liked their pictures until they saw ours! Kristi was always in the right spot at the right time. There were moments that I cannot believe she captured because they happened in a split second and the pictures were just stunning! Every emotion my husband and I felt, as well as our guests, was reflected in our pictures. On top of her phenomenal work, Kristi is just an awesome person. She blends into a group very easily, but always remains professional--a very tough line to walk. It was quite impressive! She is super sweet and so pleasant to work with. I highly highly highly recommend Kristi Klemens to anyone who is looking for a photographer. Whether it's for a wedding, engagement shots, pregnancy pictures, or any important event in your life. Her work is a step above the rest and I promise you will be super happy with your choice. Thank you for EVERYTHING Kristi! www.klkphotography.com

Many of you know that I won my videography from BDW. Here is my review of Blue Sky Videos... Paul Bennett is incredible! I am so honored that he flew to St. Lucia to not only video our wedding and trash the dress session, but to also take pictures during more casual events. He and his fiance Kristi (KLK Photography) are such a great team and we loved having them around for our 4 day celebration! I was so excited when he gave us three separate DVDs: 1)The long version (about 1 hour) with first dances, the full ceremony, toasts, etc. 2)The highlight version (about 15 minutes) that goes through the entire series of events while set to music 3)The trash the dress session. I just watch them over and over again because I love them so much! Paul is such a pleasure to work with. He is super nice and funny and fit in easily with our group, yet always remained professional. He captured every moment in a way that lets us relive it as if it was happening all over again. I know many people do not think a wedding video is necessary or that one shot by a friend would be fine. It's not! After our wedding was over, I could barely remember the day and could not wait for the video so I could see it all again. Paul brought back so many memories for me that I had forgotten in such a special way, and for that I am so grateful to him. I cannot recommend Paul Bennett highly enough for your special events! You will be so happy when you receive your DVDs from Blue Sky Videos. He will let you relive the happiest day of your life any day you want! www.blueskyvideos.com

Thanks everyone! You're all so sweet! I received the rest of my wedding pictures at the beginning of the week and they are so amazing! I'll post more when I get home to show you. I haven't gotten the TTD ones yet, but I will definietly let you know when I do. (And of course post them!)

Quote: Originally Posted by Erika J Ha ha ha!! too funny that Andi is driving there right now! Maybe when she gets back she can give some pointers!!! Are you kidding me? I feel like she and I are turning into the same person. Too funny! Thanks to everyone so far. Jack Stack is definitely on the list, just not sure which location at this point. I'm also hoping to hop over the border to Kansas at some point to add to the number of states I've been too! Keep em coming. Thank you!

DH and I are going to Kansas City Labor Day weekend and I'm not sure what to do for entertainment. We're going to a Royals game on Saturday night, but I need help figuring out where else to go. Neither one of us has ever been to the area. Thanks!

Thank you so much for the input Jennifer and Mo. Of course my job completely revolves around Christmas so it's insane at that time, but hey, we make time for the important stuff, right? I'm right in between two AAA offices in NY, so neither one is really commutable (I'm not willing to commute 2 hours each way to NYC anymore, it's exhausting). Maybe I can checkin Jersey or Connecticut. Hmmm. I've been stalking Liberty's website, so we'll see. I like the idea of "volunteer training". Thanks again!

What a great article. My photog (Kristi Klemens of KLK photography) made me a true believer of this. I've seen too many bad wedding pictures and mine are awesome because I got an experienced, awesome photographer. I could not be happier.