cougs

as of saturday ... wedding dress = CHECK! bridesmaid dresses = CHECK! i don't feel quite so behind now!

when i went shopping this past weekend, i had 4 bridesmaids and my mother with me. they made me try on all sorts of stuff that i would have NEVER tried on. to be honest, i probably wouldn't have selected the one i did except that it made everyone cry and they all insisted it was "the one." it took awhile for them to convince me because i originally wanted something much simpler in a beachy, flowy chiffon, and definitely not strapless. the dress i ended up with was heavy satin (i'm going to sweat to death), ornately beaded, and is strapless with a cathedral length train! it really is beautiful tho, and looked very flattering on (no pix of it on me yet, but i posted the dress here: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t85#post591015). after a million flowy dresses (that made me feel like i was wearing nightgowns), i really feel like a "bride" in this one! so first of all, i LOVE the dress you posted. i don't think your FMIL should have anything to do with what you pick. mine wasn't there for dress shopping ... just my own mother. and she's ridiculous about how her son should get a bride in white! if he doesn't care (and honestly he would know how "pure" you are, LOL), then why should anyone else? however, maybe having others there when you try dresses might help sway your opinion toward one dress over another? also i should add, what you like in pictures may not be what you like in person. i swear the dress i got was WAY more beautiful in person than in the pics ... i hardly recognize it! so don't be discouraged! definitely step outside the box and you'll find your perfect dress. when you FEEL beautiful in something, you WILL be beautiful in it!

my girls picked their dresses this weekend, and although i gave them the option of wearing short dresses, off the rack from some department store to save them $$$, they decided to go with long dresses, and ordered them from david's bridal. they are $135, which isn't awful i guess ... i just felt bad since they are spending so much to come. it was their decision to go this way tho, so my conscience is clear! i really like the dresses too ... and now that they're wearing long dresses, i don't have to worry about the killer wind at the dreams gazebo lifting their skirts, LOL! color is david's apple red:

i can't believe it's my turn to do this! i found my dress this weekend ... it is NOTHING AT ALL like what i thought i wanted (the two things i didn't want were satin & strapless), but i had to admit it really looked stunning on, and besides, it made 3 of the 5 people with me CRY, haha. (i wasn't allowed to take pics ... that will have to wait a few months i guess). mine is ivory with silver beading, not white like the pics. like many of you have said before, these pics just don't do it justice at all! so "blingy" in person! without further ado, here it is (allure 8531)!

Quote: Originally Posted by dancingdolphin Weather wasn't the best (had to postpone the wedding 1/2 hour for brief rain shower and it was EXTREMELY windy) but can't control that. Claudia was easy to work with once I got there. I switched my photographer without making prior arrangements and when we sat down, we extended the videographer. The video was AWESOME - I'd recommend extending it instead of the gazebo decor! He came to my room before hand, video'd FI, the ceremony, and most of our pictures. FI spent a good part of yesterday converting it to put on his facebook page. Not sure if you'll be able to see it without being his friend, but here's the link: Login | Facebook sorry you're not feeling well, but congratulations! everything looked beautiful and thank you SO much for posting the video as i've been dying to see one, especially one that was extended with "video studio by the beach" i've been wondering what exactly claudia meant by that LOL! can i just say HOLY WIND!!! i never imagined the wind getting quite THAT bad! first of all i see now why past brides said you kinda have to get the sound system for the ceremony ... i think without it, no one would have heard anything because that wind was so awful ... and this weekend while dress shopping, my family had just about convinced me to wear a veil, and now i really don't think so! maybe i'll just play it by ear that day? were your other days there that windy?

parade was awesome ... i'll try to post pics on monday from work! it was insane how many people filled the street following the parade!

i found and ordered my dress today (which is the total opposite of what i thought i would go for). anyway, i'm not worried about it fitting since they ordered 2 sizes up from what i tried on today (couldn't close the back). however, i will definitely still need to resolve some "back fat" and "gross flabby arm" issues LOL so count me in for the next hundred rounds of BL!

Quote: Originally Posted by syl1115 Did you ask her why she found it so funny? I thought it was very heartfelt. well, i definitely really meant it in a heartfelt, sincere way! my parents will be celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary in december of next year! my dad must've just been getting on her damn nerves that day, LOL! but honestly, that's what i find "inspiring" about them ... sure they get on each other's nerves, but 40 years later, they are still finding a way to make it work, ya know? and you definitely need to be able to laugh about it! anyway, i think 40 years is totally amazing ... most of my friends were married and divorced in under 2 years (scary, isn't it?)!

OMG those pics are INSANE! (and really good ... you didn't take them yourself, did you?) we're so excited for the phils and the city ... definitely going to the parade tomorrow! tom's parents live a few blocks from the stadium, and he works with a doc whose office is right on broad street. the doc offered for us to use the upstairs tomorrow and watch the whole parade from the huge windows! we managed to secure tickets to enjoy the festivities inside the linc too. we'll probably do a little of both. jacqueline, you're not lying if you call out ... it's phillies fever! yari i feel bad for your husband (does that still sound weird?) ... tom was stuck in roxborough last night so he watched the game from his uncle's, which meant i was watching at home in jersey, all alone. i was so bummed out i wanted to cry. instead, after the game i went and stood with thousands of idiots outside modell's for almost 2 hours in the freezing cold just to be one of the first to buy the championship merchandise. it was crazy there, with horns honking, everyone screaming, singing, chanting, etc. made me feel a little better! so what was the first thing i did today? i spilled coffee all over the shirt that i stood in line 2 hours to get! ... haha i'm a dork! the stain came out tho! whew! see you ladies at the parade! be safe!

definitely no reservations needed at any dreams or secrets resorts! that was actually one of the reasons we went with dreams over riu.

nice boobies! OMG i cracked up ... great costume! i feel totally lame now because i usually dress up and this year i've done absolutely nothing. then again, we aren't going anywhere to warrant a costume ... guess our friends are just as lame!

i'm with rach still looking for the "pouch" you speak of ... ? i think the white looks great on you!

good for you! you have people in your life who love you, and frankly that means there's no time for those who don't!

GO MORGAN!!!

danielle, i can't believe your wedding is so close! yay! i somehow managed to lose a measley tenth of a pound ... woofreakinhoo. i should be thankful i didn't gain, but i'm still up a little from where i was at 2 weeks ago, which is annoying. no one to blame but myself. gotta get back on track and regain the motivation i seem to have lost. congrats to all the losers!

Quote: Originally Posted by mandalaybay3071 I want to say THANK YOU to all you ladies who have responded to my nightmare shopping experience. I feel so much better knowing that other girls have had my same experience and also feel that bridal gown sizes are total BS! I'm going to continue working out and may just scope out other bridal salons in the area to see what their selection is like....do they offer multiple sizes in their gowns, etc. I really wish I had known about the runway samples....b/c it was actually a boutique that was having a casablanca trunk show and had I known that going in, well I wouldn't have felt so bad. It would have been nice if the lady had let me know in advance as well....I mean, I'm sure she could see by my shape that I might not fit into the sample size dress. My fiance tried to make me feel better but you know men don't really know what to do with a hysterical crying woman!! Poor love, he tried his best and told me that he loves me the way I am and he absolutely supports me working out so that I feel better about myself. I think he said he loved me the way I am 100 times! I will definately check out David's Bridal. If anyone lives in the Dallas area and knows of a great salon that has dresses in multiple sizes please let me know. I also like the suggestion of finding a style similar to the casablance one that I love and figuring out if that style looks good on me...that way I would know the dream dress would look great or if I should look at a different style of dress. great suggestion! My wedding isn't until July so I've got 8 months to go...I'm going to work out really hard for the next 2 months, hold my head up and know that I am beautiful inside and out!!! I can't thank you girls enough. The support I have recieved on this forum is amazing!!! Mandy best of luck to you! i only shopped once so far (back in september) and am just finally giving it another go this weekend ... called and made appointments at two places for saturday, and i am going to try my best to heed my own advice! LOL! size IS just a number!

that is WAY more than i'm thinking of spending on gifts. in fact, my OWN wedding-day jewelry probably won't cost that much. i agree with the other ladies that some people might appreciate getting the name brand gift but the fact is that it's only over-priced (albeit well-designed) sterling silver jewelry. i know people who will wear nothing else but tiffany, but personally i just don't get it, even tho i'm a silver/white gold wearer. i haven't really given it much thought yet, but i will probably buy their jewelry for the wedding as well as pay for an excursion or spa treatment.

Quote: Originally Posted by STACEY Just FYI it was SUPER windy, and it was kinda funny the girls at the last minute made the bottom layer of the dress into shorts by taping them together. I know that the gazebo is usually windy but the WC said it was extra windy that day, and tried to get me to move the ceremony inside, but I refused. LOL i was wondering how girls with short billowy dresses fared in that wind! i mentioned to my sister that it's really windy there and it might be an issue with the short dresses, and she said "well then i guess i'll just have to make sure i've got red underwear on too!" LMAO!

Quote: Originally Posted by Agape Gems if this is a YOUR pic of YOUR actual fan, the site that the OP bought their fans from (koyal wholesale) is STEALING your image! Handmade Raffia Fans BULK [Raffia Wedding Fans Bulk] : Wholesale Wedding Supplies, Discount Wedding Favors, Party Favors, and Bulk Event Supplies

love that ... very cute!

Quote: Originally Posted by neen but whatever :/ love of man can make people do crazy things ain't that the truth!

Quote: Originally Posted by STACEY i posted some of my pics yesterday, here is the link: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t31264 just took a look ... absolutely stunning, and looked like a BLAST! seeing pics like those gets me excited for my own wedding! loved your BM dresses, but couldn't tell if they were pink or red (they look different in some pics!)? i'm doing red myself ... if they were red can you tell me where you got them?

Quote: Originally Posted by zorlack76 But included in the email she sent me, she asked me to send her the date of my wedding again because she forgot it. She said she has so many weddings that she just cant keep track. OMG...if they gave my date to someone else Im gonna throw a shit fit!!! I talked to her on the phone a few weeks ago and she said she wrote it down in her calander so no one else can take my time slot. Hmm...now Im starting to get worried. just an idea, whenever i send them any kind of email, i always sign it with both of our full names, and "dreams cancun wedding, may 28, 2009." i think it helps them to sort out all the emails and know exactly with whom they are dealing.

Quote: Originally Posted by zorlack76 FYI, Gaby got back to me and told me it was fine that I was bringing my own photographer. She said she can give me the sound system for the ceremony in exchange for using their photographer. I sent her an email back requesting they give me the sound system as well as a day pass for my photographer. I guess that is kind of an even trade. WTF? why will gaby offer you the sound system for the ceremony (which is what i asked for) but claudia will only offer me the gazebo drapery? this is what i got in reply: Unfortunately I can't give a total credit for the photography because the Dreams ultimate is a package. The options are: Gazebo drapery or Video studio on the beach after ceremony.

funny how our "real" friends don't do crap, but the girls here on BDW who we don't even know go nuts for us with the well-wishes, posts on our wedding days, desire to hear all about it and see pics, compliments, support, etc.!