MarieSam

Really beautiful ~ looks like your day was perfect!!

So sorry to hear about your aunt and what she and your family are going through. =( Sending lots of prayers and thoughts your way*

WOW ~ these are amazing!! I love how you put a twist on the boarding pass idea and came up with your own unique creation. They look great!!! Your guests are going to be so excited to see this in the mail ~ you've inspired me to get mine started ASAP ~ I'd love to get your template, I love it!! They look so professional.....WOW!!

Ok, so this somehow always happens just a few weeks before I'm about to go somewhere tropical where I know I will be doing a lot of swimming or snorkeling ~ either it's "Shark Week" on Animal Planet or the Discovery Channel so I watch every episode till I become overly paranoid OR there's a shark attack....... Here's a story my San Diego counterpart at work wrote today: SOLANA BEACH (CNS) - A 66-year-old man swimming with a group of fitness aficionados was attacked and killed by a shark off a North County beach today in the first fatal shark attack in the San Diego area in at least 14 years. Retired veterinarian David Martin of Solana Beach was about 150 yards offshore, just north of Fletcher Cove, when he was attacked -- apparently by a great white shark -- shortly after 7 a.m., according to city officials. Martin's friends heard him screaming for help and assisted him back to shore, lifeguard Capt. Craig Miller said. The victim, who had suffered extensive leg wounds, was pronounced dead at a nearby lifeguard station about an hour later. Authorities described the deadly attack as a highly unusual occurrence. ``This is something that is unheard of, especially in this area,'' Miller said. Martin and the eight people he was swimming with -- all of them members of a local triathlon club -- were wearing full wet suits, according to Solana Beach Deputy Fire Chief Dismas Abelman. Crisis counselors were called in to offer assistance to Martin's ``emotionally distraught'' companions, sheriff's Sgt. Randy Webb said. The fatality prompted authorities to close several North County beaches and issue a 72-hour water-safety advisory for shoreline areas from Torrey Pines to South Carlsbad State Beach. ``We are all shocked and dismayed at the event that happened here this morning,'' Solana Beach Mayor Joe Kellejian said during a midday briefing at Fletcher Cove. Kellejian urged beachgoers to heed authorities' warnings in the wake of the fatality. ``I want to implore everybody to please stay out of the water,'' he said. The animal that killed Martin almost certainly was a great white shark, one measuring from 12 to 17 feet in length, said Richard Rosenblatt, professor emeritus of marine biology at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. ``I was told the victim was pushed up out of the water in a violent attack,'' Rosenblatt told reporters. Such a method of attack is ``typical great-white behavior,'' Rosenblatt noted, adding that the victim's wounds were ``really quite clean and massive.'' The shark probably took the group of swimmers to be seals or other sea mammals, Rosenblatt said. ``We think it's mistaken identity,'' he said. The water where the attack occurred was about 25 feet deep, with a sandy bottom, officials said. The U.S. Coast Guard sent a helicopter to the area to aid in efforts to find the animal that attacked Martin. The oceanography professor, however, called the odds of finding it ``pretty slim.'' Though great whites do not live off the San Diego-area coast on a permanent basis, they do pass through the area on their regular migrations, Rosenblatt said. Local attacks on people, however, happen very infrequently, he added. The last shark fatality in the San Diego area may have occurred off the coast of Sunset Cliffs in April 1994, when a woman's badly disfigured body washed ashore. The county Medical Examiner's Office ruled that 25-year-old Michelle Von Emster died of a shark attack. Some experts believe, however, that she might have drowned before sharks found and fed on her body, Rosenblatt said. Prior to that incident, the most recent recorded shark death in San Diego County occurred in the La Jolla area in 1959, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History's Shark File.

Wow ~ this is an educated bunch!! Very cool

super cute! I will have check those out ~ thanks!!

and happy planning!!!

Ok to preface....I work in sports journalism..so please forgive how I look at things through the sports world. lol Quote: Originally Posted by Morgan Mike & I are both Aggies (Texas A&M). I'm now a grad student at Duke & he works at University of North Carolina. Ooooh Duke vs. NC ~ now that's a nice, juicy basketball rivalry ~ Quote: Originally Posted by amyh I'm a Bruin too! Quote: Originally Posted by ladygrey a Bruin as well... The FI would love you guys. We've agreed that I get to talk sh*t during football season and basketball season belongs to him!!! Quote: Originally Posted by Kryztan K.s.u Wildcats Baby!!!! Hmmm....all I can say is Michael Beasley ~ you guys killed my Trojans in March Madness... Quote: Originally Posted by michelle08 I'm a hornet..California State University Sacramento...nothing special here! I disagree ~ being a college graduate is important and special no matter where you went! =) Quote: Originally Posted by JamaicaBride062108 I'm a Cardinal through and through! Louisville, we won the Orange Bowl two years ago and then all kinda fell apart! That's where FI played football. He is from Kansas so he swears his allegiance to KU. I'm ok with that for basketball. Rock Chalk! The truth is football is the only sport I care about! Haha, I was actually glad the Jayhawks won the tourney, that was such a great final game ~ and yes football is king!!! I can't wait =) Quote: Originally Posted by Yari California State University of Fullerton...Go Titans Go! Local and not too far from me =) My brother is thinking of getting his second degree and looking at going to CSUF!! Quote: Originally Posted by Mel University of Arizona--I'm a Wildcat...graduating in less than 3 weeks!!!!!! Pac-10 baby ~ congrats, graduation is always so exciting!!!

Totally off the wedding topic, just curious to know, what type of college allegiances we have on the BDW forum...... SO WHAT COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY DID YOU GO TO, OR ARE CURRENTLY ATTENDING? I'm a USC Trojan baby!!! And I can't wait for college football to start up again And believe it or not the FI is a UCLA Bruin ~ how's that for chemistry, tee hee

Hang in there ~ I know what it's like to be bombarded with writing papers and everything you read and write is all starting to sound the same and go in circles. Been there, done that!! For me I remember the late nights up were a little easier if you put classical instrumental music on. I don't know what it is, I think it soothes the nerves and calms you - especially when you look out the window and realize the birds are starting to chirp and the sun is rising and you look and feel like crap!! Keep focused ~ because come Dec you will be the happiest person in the world!!!

Congrats!!! And welcome ~ this forum is so addicting, hehehe, but the wealth of information you gain and ideas you will collect are priceless!!!

I've looked at tons of dresses online and these two were def my favs =) Thanks ladies ~ I'm hoping they are just as impressive on me* let's hope! Quote: Originally Posted by nikkianddean Haven't seen either of them, but the dessy is a great idea for TTD! You should just go try them on. Seeing the dress on the internet is one thing and trying it on is something comepletely different. Unless you are someone who knows her body and what will definitively work or not work, i would not get your heart set on one or two dresses. So many people have told me what I like in pictures might not work on me. And what works/does not work on someone else might work differently for you - especially in wedding dresses. I say go out there Marie, and try on a million dresses (or a couple you love) You're right Nikki ~ million dresses it is =) Quote: Originally Posted by BeckyN Beautiful! I would call around to your local stores and see if anyone carries them. Also for the Maggie - have you tried searching for it on the Maggie Brides portion of the Maggie Website? I run a serach for mine periodically (Maggie Sottero Treasure) and there is usually a couple of real brides in the dress. it is reassuring to see it on so many shapes and people. Becky - I did see one girl with it on, but it the photo wasn't at an angle where I could really see how it looked on her. But she said she loved it, and I'm hoping I'll feel the same way when I eventualy try it on =) Quote: Originally Posted by LC_Rachel I haven't seen either, but that Maggie one is part of her destination line right? I tried to find another dress in this line and couldn't find it anywhere. I eventually gave up because I wasn't sure how it would look on me and I def needed to try it on. If you are super in love with it, I would suggest trying on similiar dresses. That way you know what it will look like. I ordered a Maggie dress sight unseen. I just tried on other similiar dresses and liked how they looked. It worked out in the end. Yep~ the Sotero destination line! I just haven't seen anything similar to it anywhere to try it on =( Quote: Originally Posted by BandE2008 I tried the Maggie on What I love about maggie is the tiw back - it means basically no alterations and its so smilling on the body. I loved the dress, but remember it is from the DW line, so it s a light material - beautiful material, you wontbe dissapointed, but light. I think there are pros to it in the heat of a DW, but some people might be looking for more "structure" like a traditional dress. So I wantedto mention it. Good luck! I am one to get irritable when I'm too hot, so light material is all good with me! And no alterations because of the corset back? YAY!!! Glad to hear you loved it when you tried it on ~ did you end up purchasing it??

These photos are amazing ~ so beautiful and the colors so vibrant!! ~ Wow ~

Congrats!!! and Welcome ~ you will learn so much on this forum, all these gals, occasional grooms and vendors are amazing!!!

Ok, so I've fallen inlove with two dresses online of course. Don't know what I'd do without the internet!!! So before I go out there and go on a manhunt for these two dresses -- one for the wedding and one possibly for a TTD session -- just wanted to know: Has anyone seen either of the two dresses in person or even tried them on? I'm trying to keep open the possibility that although they are amazing in photos (on a stunning, perfect model of course - boo!), they may be a disappointment up close and personal. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed =) The wedding dress by Maggie Sotero: LOVE the back even more!!! The possible TTD dress by Dessy:

Airfare is totally ridiculous right now and you ladies are right about the discrepancy with airfare to Cancun vs. Cabo. FI, my daughter and I are making a "plan the wedding" trip to the Riviera Maya in June and got tix from LAX to Cancun (direct flight) for $414 - which actually isn't too bad compared to what we paid before. But we got really lucky finding that one on hotwire. And then, we just booked tix for a family vacation in Cabo in July and those tix from LAX to SJD (direct flight) were $458. WTF? A direct flight to Cabo is only 2 hours from L.A. In the past we've paid $300 roundtrip. The plane fare price hike, is really killing the budget. I hope it gets better or my wedding in 2009 may have a poor turnout.

yummy ~ but so counterproductive to the bride diet

~ Welcome ~

Mel, Thank you so much for providing the template ~ I'm already trying to get started thanks to you. I was completely lost, but having your template helps TONS!!!!! You just help prevent me from another bride freak out ~ Thank you!!!!

Very cute ~ I love it!!

Wow ~ these are great!!! You did a fantastic job, they totally look professional =) Would it be too much to ask for you to provide your template on both I love how they turned out and have been thinking of doing the same, but I don't even know where to begin =(

Beautiful and amazing work ~ I love your photographs =) I visited Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo about 12 years ago for a week on a family vacation and we loved it there!! Great market for fresh fruit, veggies and seafood! Definitely not as modernized and "touristy" as other parts of Mexico, which we enjoyed. We stayed atop a beautiful hilltop timeshare/condo that would bring you down to the sand and beach by cable car ~ it was a great vacation and the ocean was lovely!!! Thanks for bringing back good memories, your photos reminded me what a nice time I had there =)

Quote: Originally Posted by baybride I'm not sure how that weird face got in there. that happened to me with the same face before, lol. you made me chuckle with that one! But anyhow, as much as I believe family input is important to the "big day", my fiance constantly has to remind me that this is "OUR big day". So that being said, you have to do things that will make you happy and what you think is best. These are your memories and if anyone's happiness is important on that day, it is that of the couple getting married. It sucks that the inlaws are not being supportive of your decision, esp. because this one of the most important days in their son's and your life. Do you know why they're so down on your location choice?? They've got to look at it as a wonderful wedding with an amazing vacation attached!

Quote: Originally Posted by heatherjones I think that is so interesting that your guests are staying in condos instead of a hotel. ~~ Well see, we're having a non-resort wedding in Akumal on the Riviera Maya. And will be renting the Villas Flamingo (4 units) on Half-Moon Bay, which accomodates 21 people total ~ this is going to be for close family on both mine and FI's side. Then we're advising our guest to rent out condos that are along the same beach on Half-Moon Bay and wirhin walking distance to ours because they are comfy, huge and range from $100 to $150 night for a 1-bedroom that sleeps at least 4 to 5 people, with other units (2 or 3 bedrooms) that are just a little more and sleep up to 8 to 10 people. Since our wedding is comprised mostly of family and close friends who all know each other we figure some will be sharing units, therefore saving more money!! And then of course for the couples or singles, there is a nearby hotel for rooms at about $75 to $90 per night. So there's my not so short explanation on the condos ~ hehehe =)

Ok, this is totally not a necessity but I was thinking since I'm giving away travel candles in the OOT bags, a set of matches would nice as well. Because unless you smoke, people don't generally carry lighters or matches with them. So I got an email from weddingchannelstore.com and they're having a sale only until Sunday for personalized, color of your choice matchbooks for $17.99for 100 ~ great deal I think!!! They're also having a great sale on a bunch of favors and disposable cameras ~ $2.99 for I believe a 27 exposure camera. I also saw some great favors and lots of bubbles, which I think are adorable. Best of all, they sent me a coupon code: 20WCAPR - which gives you 20% off your order of $100 or more. here's the direct link for the matches: Buy Wedding Personalized Matchbooks - Wedding Personalized Matchbooks Online - Discount Wedding Personalized Matchbooks and then of course the general website is: weddingchannelstore.com YAY!!! more deals ~ happy shopping =)