MarieSam

Quote: Originally Posted by ~*petals*~ Good luck, MarieSam!! I'm doing the travel-costs-only thing too and so far, it's been great working with my photog! Awww thanks so much ~ I totally remember seeing your engagement pics before and loving them! If ours end up being as nice as yours, I'll be thrilled!!!

I am such a softie, I can prolly bet money that I'll be boo-hooing at my wedding. Especially because we're writing our own vows, I can only imagine what a disaster my makeup up is gonna look like post-ceremony, lol. Nevertheless, I'm sure your FI will understand they are tears of joy ~ and catching that on film is a priceless moment you will appreciate years down the line. And hey a little touch up on the makeup and you'll be perfect once again!

I would definitely suggest Xcaret because there are so many things to do there. Unless all your guests are snorkelers and serious water enthusiast, Xel Ha would be money wasted because essentially all the activities they have revolve around the lagoon and fresh water river. Xcaret on the other hand, has so many things to see and do. Although Xcaret is more expensive, there's definitely a full day's worth of activity there. Your guests will love it, and definitely opt for the all-inclusive deal because food, drinks (including alcohol) and snacks are covered the entire day! And don't forget to stay for the night show, it's a wonderful display of culture and history and it's absolutely amazing!!!

Don't know if it comes in paperback, but it's an old book by Terry McMillan called "A Day and A Dollar Short" . The book was encyclopedia thick but I finished it in a couple days cause it was so good and had so many loops!

Making your own boarding pass invites is certainly a labor of love. It takes time to perfect it, just the way you like it, and lots of time cutting and putting it all together. That being said, it is so rewarding to see the final product and an even a better feeling hearing how much your guests loved receiving them! If you have the time and patience, I say go for it! Plus with the help of some wonderful templates provided here on the forum, the time spent on the creative process is already cut in half. I've included a price break down in my STD boarding pass thread below, including the places where I bought the items. I found making them myself to be extremely affordable. Hope this helps, and good luck!! Let us know what you decide http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t30531

This is a great idea! I'm gonna get an email out to my friends and family requesting their participation on this for the holiday season. Thank you so much!!

Yari, you gorgeous gal ~ your pics are fantastic!! Congrats to you both and lots of blessings for a happy and wonderful marriage

Quote: Originally Posted by BillysBride I hate sounding like one of those typically ridiculous women who are over concerned with weight and think they should be a fence post. BUT, here's what happened. I have a "friend"..I put that in quotes because I'm beginning to see that she has issues of her own and may not be the best person to listen to. Well, in my excitement yesterday, I sent the pics to her FIRST via email....you know what she told me? I mean..this is my VERY FIRST FEEDBACK about the wedding gown that I searched high and low for, and have been so thrilled about. She tells me...."Well, I think it will look great once you have the right UNDERGARMENTS ON."!!! Seriously. I spent about an hour trying to dissect that sentence and see if I was just not taking it in the right way, or being oversensitive. Then I spent a half hour looking at the pics and trying to figure out if I looked gross and just didn't know it. All because someone whose opinion I value(d) was basically a bitch to me. I talked to FH, and wise man that he is, he pointed out that this person never had a "real" wedding, that she tends to seek attention in inappropriate ways (yea, she's one of those...I'll go ahead and say it..HOOCHIE) AND that her marriage hasn't exactly been anything to write home about. She is constantly saying things like "Thats why I didn't have a wedding." or "This is the reason I'm glad we kept it simple" everytime I would mention a particular obstacle in regard to my planning. I finally just told her a few weeks ago "Well, everytime I complain or worry, I'm still loving it...thats what brides do. We bitch and moan because we can but under it all, it's the coolest experience in the world and I'll be sad when AHR is over because that means the end of all my planning!" She hasn't said much about it since. ANYway, I am usually the most body image accepting person I know...I honestly don't get upset over not being a size 2 and never have....she just knocked my confidence for a loop being Negative Nelly with me. So I really do thank you girls so much for helping me counteract her bullshit impact on my feelings about my dress. I can totally see why her comment got you thinking, I'da done the same thing while cursing her under my breathe and wishing evils thoughts on her, lol. But DO NOT for one second let her nonsense comment keep you from seeing how beautiful your dress is and how it suits you so perfectly! Your FI is gonna be so ridiculously excited when he sees you in that dress And your honey is right, her lack of a proper wedding celebration and her lackluster marriage is probably what fueled her inappropriate and unwarranted comment. Like all the other girls have said.....YOU LOOK FABULOUS IN THAT DRESS!!!! Now send that biatch over to So Cal so I can knock some sense into her

Thank you so much everyone for all the info and suggestions!! It is much appreciated as I come closer to booking my photographer. The photographer we're looking at actually has tons of wedding experience (her blog is updated constantly), and she has done destination weddings before both domestically and internationally ~ our locale just happens to be a place she'd love to visit and shoot! YAY for beautiful locations!! She and her husband are offering: - to shoot our engagement photos locally - 2 hours during our Welcome Dinner - 8 hours the day of the wedding - a TTD session the following day We will get all edited images on a high resolution DVD 6 to 8 weeks after the wedding ~ So I think we're getting a great deal! She is uber talents and I LOVE her work. We happened to get very lucky when another photog whose contest I participated in was unavailable for my date, and she recommended her -- a close friend and photog she often works with. The deal should get closed today and I will update for sure!!! Thanks again everyone, your insight was so helpful!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Lexico They look fabulous. I love the colours. Where did you get your metallic envelopes and paper? Cheers! Thank you The info on where I got the paper items is listed underneath the photographs In any case, some of it was purchased at paperandmore.com and the rest at envelopemall.com . Both sites have great paper/envelope options, but paperandmore has cheaper shipping! Hope this helps! Good luck

If you haven't already gotten a wedding planner, I would highly recommend my WC Jennifer Smith. She is also the owner of Turtle Bay Cafe restaurant and bakery in Akumal, so if you need a great, reasonably priced caterer she's also your gal! Everything they make is delish!!!! Page Title All her contact info is on their website! Good luck!

Awesome Carly, you're so talented! If I tried making a dress, it would probably look like a freaking bedsheet, lol. Before we know it, you'll be on the forum as a vendor selling your line So cool!!!

Beautiful, can't wait to see more!!! Congrats to you both

Ok so you're not gonna know 100% what your wedding weather is going to be like, but this source will hopefully give you some worthwhile insight! My wonderful WC provided me with this website that will give you info on what your day was like in years past, so you can draw some comparisons. AND if you're having a sunset wedding, you can see when the sun is likely to set ~ which I know is super important for lots of brides especially when it comes to photography. Of course take into consideration that weather conditions vary according to circumstance, so again it's not foolproof!! Here ya go ladies ~ hope this helps! Just enter your location and date and it'll give you a total rundown of what your day was like in the past... History : Weather Underground

It's gorgeous girl and why the hell are you worried about fat issues? Come here so I can smack you into reality, lol J/K tee hee ~ Your figure looks absolutely wonderful in that dress, and what a steal for something so intricately designed!!! You're gonna look amazing on your wedding day

Those are some beautiful pics, the lighting was magnificent! And what a gorgeous bride ~ I love her style, she was totally working the whole look

Great stuff Shelley! You've totally motivated me ~ I need to get on the ball with all my DIY projects

Wow, thank you so much for all this info! This will be such a great resource as I look into purchasing some pashminas

I wanted to know maybe from some brides who have done this or photographers who have offered this deal ~ What are the advantages and disadvantages of hiring a photographer for costs only (i.e. travel fees, accommodations, etc.)? For instance, because you are getting such a great deal, do you feel....hmmm...bad or hindered from asking for certain shots, or requesting certain things?

Yum, I'm sitting here at work at 1:30 a.m. and this thread has me craving fried turkey *sigh* FI's family has an oven-baked turkey as well as a fried turkey every year ~ we've had it injected with a variety of marinades.....teriyaki, garlic, and hickory/honey nut butter (my favorite)!!! Now I can't wait till Thanksgiving!!!

~WOW ~ you seem to have everything covered so beautifully! The details are really wonderful, and I love all the personalized touches. Your guests are going to LOVE everything you've done! Based on all your preparation and details, there's no doubt you will have an any amazing wedding event! Can't wait to see all your photographs when you return. Many blessings for a day full of sunshine, love and happiness. Safe travels and remember to savor every moment!!!

I've seen that most photogs/videographers require a meal if they work at least 4 hours. You might wanna look into that, perhaps your photographer works by the same guideline. If so, then you're home free!

Both are beautiful, but I favor dress #1. Are you doing a TTD session, if so, maybe you can keep both and use one for the wedding day and one for your TTD??

What a beautiful day! You guys looks wonderful, and I LOVE your palm decor ~ my ceremony decor will be similar, seeing your pics makes me even more excited Congrats to you both

Sherry these are beyond gorgeous!! I love your photographer's style, the pictures are so vivid and clear. Those sunset pics are so fabulous, makes me wish I was in Maui ~ he did such an amazing job, it's awesome ~ Congrats!!! You looked absolutely stunning by the way ~ your makeup, your skin, your hair, your dress.... it was all flawless! :