MarieSam

Wow!! $50 That's a steal for such a beautiful dress =) I'm a shopaholic so I get excited when people find such good deals....YAY!!! Can't wait to see your TTD pics

You're such a beautiful bride!!! Your day looked amazing. I absolutely love the pic of you clapping at the ceremony, you two looked so full of joy and so inlove. Congrats!!!!

You guys are an absolutely beautiful couple!!! Looks like you had a blast ~ congrats!!

Congrats to you both!! I loved your review ~ and you looked absolutely stunning, can't wait to see more pics. You two are a gorgeous couple!!!!

Wow Glenda seems like you had an eventful day, lol. But despite all the snafus along the way you seemed to take it all in with grace and a great attitude. What an unforgettable start to your union, but you're right in the end you and DH are married and of course that's all that really matters You looked absolutely gorgeous by the way, and I loved both your dresses especially the one for the reception celebration. You looked amazing!!! Congrats to you and your hubbie ~ and many blessings for lots of love and happiness in the future!!!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by can't wait! So jealous! Have fun! If you can, can u post a review of costco, samsclub etc etc. I'd like to know what I can count on buying over there for my OOT bag. Things like candy, snacks maybe even pool toys etc etc. Thanks! Ok I'm back <sigh> I hate coming back to reality especially when you esentially spent more than a week in paradise, lol. I will put up a more extensive review tomorrow with pics BUT to give you a quick synopsis on some of the local stores in Playa del Carmen area: Walmart - It's a supercenter so it has both the usual stuff and a full grocery store portion. Open until 11 p.m. which is great and they've got pretty much everything in there! You can find all kinds of snacks from chips, cookies, candy, etc. As far as pool toys, I didn't see much surprisingly but I'm not sure if it's because there's another location of stuff. When you first walk in there's a portion in the front of the store that has a bunch of beach stuff (snorkels, water gear, toys etc.) The stuff is basic, not too expensive but if there's anything specific you're looking for I'd bring it from home based off the small selection. Now if you're looking to buy water/beach toys for kids, strangely it was double the price anywhere in PDC. I guess because I've seen buckets of beach toys for about $2 to $4 at home, so seeing stuff priced from about $8 to $10 in Playa was surprising. Sam's Club - Again open until 11 p.m. so it's super convenient. The Sam's Club in Playa truly has everything just like back in the States. Ideal place for snacks in bulk and honestly everything seemed so cheap (food, water, drinks, etc.) Most surprisingly, the alcohol was SUPER cheap!! By far cheaper than buying it in the U.S. We are having an open bar at the welcome dinner and wedding reception but providing the alcohol so we really did a thorough check on alcohol prices to see how much it was gonna cost us. So ladies, if you are thinking of providing your own alcohol Sam's Club is the place to stock up. We've figured we can fully stock our welcome dinner, reception for roughly 100 guests, and vacation for about 2 weeks on about $1,500 of alcohol. Pretty damn good deal if you ask me =) On a side note, my FI's drink is Jack and coke and both Sam's Club and Walmart did not carry any Jack. So...that's one thing we're gonna have to bring from home. Hope that helps ladies!!! P.S. On a side note, which I will also include in my main review, bring insect repellant or buy some at the Sam's Club pharmacy!!!! The mosquitoes were freaking attacking me all week ~ apparently it's been a problem since the rainy season started. So at dusk and dawn they are out in swarms. The locals use "Autan" and it comes in both lotion and spray. Spells pretty good because it has aloe, but cover up!!!

Nikki you look gorgeous!! And your shoes are so much fun and your dress is fabulous ~ can't wait to see the rest of the pics!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by starchild MarieSam you are basically every man's dream - you're hot and you can talk sports with the best of them LOL Well said! I too am a baseball fan so that's my current obsession. And I'd like to see Team USA dominate the court this time around. We shall see!! Jamy, thank you for the compliments. You are too sweet You have no idea how many sports arguments I have gotten into with men, including my dad and FI, and how pissed off they become when I actually say something credible and irrefutable. hahhaha, I love it!! Let's hope team USA brings back the gold, freaking finally! And I've been meaning to check out the baseball post you started, but have been too caught up with basketball. So it's finally time to move to that, and I'm certainly looking forward to it!!!

June 2009 bride here and while I want to lose about 20 pounds before the big day, but I've been a lazy cow and need to get with the program!!! Congrats to all the ladies who have lost weight and are trying to lose weight, I am feeling like a total slacker compared to y'all and need someone to shove my big ass into shape! I'm like some of the other girls, no trying on dresses until I drop some of these pounds. Plus, if I'm gonna pay thousands of dollars for a photographer and videographer I better drop these lbs or I'ma have some expensive photos of some unwanted jiggle

Heidi, I looked at your slideshows yesterday afternoon and all I have to say is simply GORGEOUS!! Everything looks so amazing, you were a stunning bride, I can only hope I am glowing like you on my big day. Your TTD session looked like so much fun ~ your faces are so full of joy and love. It makes me excited for my day to finally come!!! And of course, del Sol once again has produced amazing work, but hey it helps when they've got a beautiful couple to photograph

Quote: Originally Posted by starchild A fellow Gemini product junkie, thanks, MarieSam! LOL I use the green/yellow Alba..I think it's Hawaiian botanicals? They have so many lines! I love Palmers but I do think there is something in there that shouldn't be...but olive butter just sounds good! And the cocoa butter I want to eat by the spoonful it smells so god. I'll look into them again. I do keep those little push-up sticks of 100% cocoa butter on hand always, definitely greasy but I put it on at night. They don't smell nearly as good as Palmer's though I must say, knowing that my obsession for products can be blamed on my an astrological thing definitely makes me feel better. hahaha! Do any fellow Geminis happen to also have a closet bursting with clothes that still have tags on them and a collection of shoes, many unworn, that would make Imelda Marcos do a double take Ooohh, I have lots of Alba's Hawaiian line too and I love it!! And I'm covering my ears on Palmer's containing something bad ~ I don't think I can part with it after all these years

I'm at work right now, but when get off at 6 a.m., then it's on to LAX with FI and my 12-year-old daughter for a week in Cancun/Riviera Maya to plan and set in stone our plans to get married in Akumal next summer. I am so incredibly excited!! While we've been in email correspondence with a wedding planner/caterer in the Akumal area and have seen pics of the ceremony location and reception venue, I'm one of those types of people who has to see it all in person before I make any major commitments. Plus we have to make sure the food is up to par, and of course my favorite cake/cupcake tastings!!! I'm truly hoping it is all as we hoped for, so I can finally begin preparing all my DIY projects inspired by all you talented ladies. Anyhow, this is also a much needed vacation for me and I can't wait to lay in the beautiful Carribean Sea all day long And last but not least, if any brides-to-be in the Tulum, Akumal or Playa del Carmen area, need anything, please do not hesitate to ask!!! I am planning on making several visits to Playa del Carmen to check out the shops, Costco, Sam's Club and Walmart to see what types of items they have available that can be used for the wedding. Again, please do not hesitate to ask if you need me to check anything out for you I can also take tons of pictures!!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Infinity22 I can't believe nobody has posted anything in this thread since last night. This place must be overrun by Laker fans!!! Hey now, I sent my thoughts even as the inevitable debacle happened...but no one took my offer for Walton and Vlad Rad for a pair of socks. lol. I meant to send my thoughts earlier today but I'm actually about 7 hours away from hopping on a plane for a site visit near Playa del Carmen. So as you can imagine, I've been frantically packing and now sitting at work as my much deserved vacation nears... Also, I thought it better to let my rage and disappointment subside at least for 24 hours or I'd have to lay down an obscenity laden post. hahah WARNING THIS IS LONNNNNGGGGGGGG!!!! Now on to the good stuff.....while I had high hopes that the Lakers would take the title this year, I think most L.A. fans could see from the first 3 games that it was going to be a tough task. Bottom line, it was a rough matchup ~ but honestly, the way the Celts played in the series, I think they coulda beatin any team in the league in the final round. They were absolutely phenomenal in every facet of the game. And while there were serious doubts after the first 3 games, even despite the Game 3 win, the Game 4 choke job pretty much laid the groundwork for the inevitable. I wasn't even convinced after Game 5, it was pride and the "not in our house" mentality that drove that win not necessarily what it should have been - let's make history and turn this series around. Bottom line, the Lakers got outplayed, outcoached and weren't willing to match Boston's intensity, especially on the defensive end. Having watched every one of the Lakers' games this season, a lack of consistency on defense has been their main problem. And, more than ever I echo Kobe's post game sentiments when he says the team needs to put more focus on defense next season. Halle-freaking-lujiah ~ finally these fools wake the #?*% up on that issue. Case in point, Gary Payton's exiting comments years back "we never practiced pick-and-roll defense the entire time I was there". Excuse me? WTF? How do you even coach a team without practicing defensive schemes, especially in reference to your achilles heel ~ guarding the pick and roll? Does the sports mantra "defense wins championships" ring a bell PJ? Anyhow, the Lakers also need to man up, grow some balls and are in desperate need of a small forward who can bang with the best of them. An Artest type, Posey is also a free agent next season. They need someone who's specialty is defense BUT one who can also score some points when needed. Because I'm sorry, Luke needs to reacquaint himself with the game that he had in season's past, and Vlad needs to get dropped off in the mountains to go snowboarding again without a return flight back to L.A. As for the Lamar, *sigh* the great tease, a walking mismatch against any team but a man who never plays to his true potential. I don't even know the answer, there are times where he leaves fans in awe but there are so many other games where you're left wondering WTF, is he even trying, does he even realize he's playing professional basketball? Gasol was a great pickup for the team, but he's obviously more of a finesse player that is outta position in the 5 spot. You can't rely on him to bang in the middle with power, it's just not his game. But when Bynum comes back next year, hopefully healthy, he will be more comfortable at the 4. But he does need to toughen up and not be so soft going to the rack, or Duncan, and Amare will continue to give him nightmares all season long. Now onto my favorite player in the league, Mr. Bean. He was so deserving of the MVP, I'm so glad it was his year. But I'm sure the ultra competitor that he is, wishes he could trade in that trophy for the gold ball the Celts hoisted Tuesday night. While he had a non-MVP like series, its amazing to me that everyone praises Pierce's production, and rightly so, but lambaste Kobe when he actually had a higher scoring average in the series. Granted, his shooting percentage dropped dramatically compared to the previous series, but given the fact he was always doubled, sometimes triple teamed, he still managed to produce. And HELLO, the dude does have a torn ligament on his finger that needs surgery - everyone just seems to forget that. Probably because he's done what no other player could probably do, ball his ass off despite needing surgery on their hand. Now, I'm sure it's not a series Kobe would like to remember, but the problem was that his teammates did not pick up the slack. Three or 4 guys on Kobe means that there are several open teammates, but they didn't make their shots. But also give props to the Celts help defense, because they rotated magically throughout each game. Anyhow, I think it's unfair to crucify Bryant completely, but he does deserve some blame because he is their floor leader. Right now he shouldn't be compared to MJ. But remember, MJ had similar problems against the Pistons in the playoffs for 2 consecutive years I believe, and then it happened - the dude rattled off championship after championship. Let's just say, Kobe and the Lakers on paper have a great future ahead of them, and I wouldn't be surprised if a Lakers Celts finals happens again next season. And lastly, a much deserve congrats to all the Celtic fans and the players and organization of course. My FI said it best when he said the Lakers have 1 player hungry for a championship, the Celtics have 3 players starving for one. The trio came through all year long, they created the biggest turnaround for a team in 2 consecutive seasons. Manhandled every challenge they faced and when it meant the most they produced one of the most dominating series clinching games in NBA history. It was a complete game on both ends, and it was a joy to see perennial all-stars and classy veterans like KG, Ray and Pierce finally get a ring, and let me not forget PJ Brown who's contributions were significant throughout the playoff run. I've loved KG throughout his career, Ray is one of the deadliest shooters in the league's history and Pierce proved to the world that he's more than just an all-star, he's one of the most premiere players in the league. Let me not forget, it was great seeing Doc get a ring also. Watching him on the sidelines and hearing him coach throughout the games is such a vast difference to the laisse faire attitude to which the Zen Master works. It was refreshing! Anyhow, that's my NBA Finals wrap up. Sorry for the long rant, there was lots to talk about. And damn, I already can't wait for next season!! Despite my harsh criticism of the Lakers, I will of course like every year be ready and excited to watch every single game like I have been since I was knee-high. This was def. a great NBA year and I think the league got a huge pick-me-up from the great play this season produced, despite the Donaghy allegations. So what's next Team USA basketball in the summer olympics and damn it, CP3 better be on the roster. And of course, there's the long stretch of summer MLB. Woo hoo ~ Angels fan here!!! And then, it's college football baby!!! And guess, what you've got a USC alum who's obsessed with the game ~ Fight on!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by starchild Okay I'm missing the offensive part, unless I'm so not easily offended that I can't even see it! Cute pics though, looks like fun I was thinkin the same thing, that title really got me curious! But ditto on the pics, looks like y'all had a blast!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by heidi&alex Thanks everyone for all your kind words! You’ll find these maracas everywhere. When you’re on your site visit you’ll probably want to check out 5th ave in Playa (the main shopping street) and you’ll see them in a ton of stores. I found the best prices and selection was in the bigger tourist stores on 5th – one is at the very end of 5th closer to Playacar area (very, very end when you can’t walk any further b/c this store is in the center). The other one (where I bought them from) is about half way up the fairly long walking street (right hand side of the street if you’re standing at the end I just explained and about to walk to the other end). These bigger stores have three sizes of maracas (I bought the medium sized) and they were just over a dollar each. They have deals if you buy a certain amount. I think we bought about 30 maracas for $35. Enjoy your site visit. You’ll love Playa del Carmen… I want to go back!!! Thank you so much for the tip, I am definitely planning to check out those maracas. I think it's so cool that you implemented them into your reception and what a great favor for guests to go home with!! I LOVE the wording on the labels attached to them too I was in PDC 2 years ago and am so excited to be going back. This time tomorrow I will be in the area - Akumal, YAY!!! PDC is such an amazing town, and I love walking up and down Avenue 5. Promise to have lots of fun for you, hehehe. Again, everything you used for your wedding was beautiful and so tastefully done. And I looked through your del Sol slideshow earlier today = absolutely stunning!!! You looked gorgeous on your wedding day and looked like the happiest girl in the world during your TTD ~ it's easy to see that you and DH love each other so much

Great prices ~ I'm def. gonna check it out!! Thanks =)

Quote: Originally Posted by pryzeless This is a great idea but i would be too worried what i got in the end. I am really worried about the cameras we are giving out and the ability to print those photos! Although I'm having a great photog at my wedding, I know she won't be able to be everywhere at once, so I'm def. gonna do the disposable camera thing too and hope for the best!! Maybe putting table numbers on the cameras will at least let you know who may have took the pics in case you get some "surprise pics". lol Quote: Originally Posted by Helen_S81 This reminds me of something, a friend of mine got married 4 years ago and she put disposable cameras on every table. One of the cameras contained only pictures of women's clevage. It was fun trying to figure out whose were whose Quote: Originally Posted by Hartyt509 I think its a good idea but for me a def no no - half of my guests are squaddies and i dread to think what they would do with them - I've been at parties where all they have done all night is take pics under girls skirts with their cameras lol you end up pointing them out for them after a while lmao that's hilarious! Luckily our guest list is tight with only very close family and friends (still 100 peeps, crazy huh?) And to be honest I can't think of anyone who would bless us with such "attractive" photos. LMAO. But then again, getting drunk at a wedding does strange things to people...hmmmmm... Quote: Originally Posted by Maura i think its such a cute idea - but knowing my FI's friends, i'd end up with quasi-porno videos. I would totally do this though for the actual ceremony and ask guests seated in different places to take video. If I only had some extra money now haha LMAO at the idea of wedding reception soft porn. That's a nice twist to the average wedding day video coverage. lol. =) But you're right, having them at the ceremony sounds like a great idea, that def. might be an option if I decide to try this out. =) And Maura, I totally feel you on the extra money issue. FI is constantly questioning the growing costs for all my DIY projects and inspiratins - the need to make OOT bags, ceremony program fans, etc., and when I brought up hanging name cards on starfish he looked at me like I was freaking nuts! <sigh>

Fellow Gemini here, and hahaha I've got so many products that FI calls my bathroom a convenience store. I too absolutely LOVE Alba products, especially their facial cremes. Do you use the line in the green bottles or the orange/green ones FYI - I just bought a Alba gift set at Costco on Monday, and it was only $18!! It had body and facial scrubs, body butter, a cleanser, body lotion, and chapstick from what I remember. I think there's more but I can't remember. Anywho, it was a really good deal I couldn't resist =) One thing I've been using faithfully for about a year now is Palmer's Olive Butter because it keeps my skin so hydrated and smooth. Don't know if it's chemical free, but it works great. Palmer's cocoa butter is also good to use too, smells great but sometimes feels too greasy for me.

Does anyone want Vlad and Walton for a pair of NBA logo socks? What stiffs!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by JennyK thats what Im thinking.. knowing my groomsmen.. they'll be taking video of their butts or something lol Hahaha, you ladies are right ~ I guess you kinda take the risk of leaving it in the hands of someone else and their "creative vision" hahaha . Either way, I would definitely still get a professional videographer, I just kinda thought it sounded like a cool idea that would capture another dimension of the wedding

Heidi, everything looks great!! And, I adore the maracas and the tags attached, I love this idea!!! Do you mind me asking, where in Mexico did you buy the maracas and how much were they?? I'm leaving for a site/planning visit near Playa del Carmen in two days and would love to be able to pick them up if they're in my budget!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Mylee84 thanks for the quick reply!! I am getting the aqua ones! I ordered some from macy's but they ended up being an old woman light blue color. ( I thought the girls would NOT like that!!) I just hope the color is good on these ones!! =) The aqua would be my choice too ~ hope the color ends up as pretty as it looks!!! Your girls will love them, I'm sure =)

Quote: Originally Posted by Mylee84 msam.... are you getting it from maggies destination line too or just the regular collection? Well...while I love so many Maggie dresses, I'm actually looking at one on the Maggie's Destination Line. This one in particular -- MaggieSottero.com - SD3009 - Dress Detail So I'm planning on finding it at a bridal shop, trying it for fit, figure out my size and then order it online. They actually have tons Maggie's on Bestbridalprices.com for so much cheaper than in the stores (I'm sure they've got yours), and I've read good reviews for them so I'm determined to save myself some money while still getting the dress I love!!! And with the savings, I might even buy another dress for a TTD session, hee hee

I think they match beautifully. And WOW a $22 bridesmaids dress? You can't beat that!!! And your dress is so pretty, I'm thinking of getting a Maggie too What color bridesmaids dresses are you getting ~ the aqua or pink? Both are great colors and will photograph well =)

Ok, so I saw this on the Knot of placing one-time use digital camcorders on each table at the reception ~ much like the disposable camera practice. Each camcorder holds about 20 minutes of footage, and after you've collected them you send them to the manufacturer and they send you an edited DVD. Sounds pretty cool, and surprisingly it's not too expensive $100 for 5 cameras! I am definitely getting a videographer to document our day, but I guess this a unique way to capture the guests' point of view and it seems like a great way to document guest reactions and personal well wishes during the reception. Have any brides or brides-to-be tried this out? And if so, how was the quality of the video? Do you think it's worth it? Here's the link for those who are curious Buy Wedding One Time Use Digital Camcorder - Wedding One Time Use Digital Camcorder Online - Discount Wedding One Time Use Digital Camcorder