IslamoradaBride

I'm getting married at a beach house on May 16, 2009. I'm afraid that both of the date ranges you're looking at are pretty rainy, especially in the afternoons. Late November might be less rainy, but you can also get a cold snap. Can you do it earlier in the spring? That is considered their dry season.

Yeah I would definitely avoid hurricane season if you can help it. I am getting married in Islamorada (who knew!) so let me know if you have any questions!

Wow, those look great! I love all of the colors.

You look gorgeous, and the dress fits you like a glove!

Yeah, I think it might be a cultural thing. I've seen brides on other boards who booked a day-long wedding shoot, complete with hair, makeup, various dresses and scenery changes, way before the wedding. They had a book made up with the pictures.

I would second the Islander. They have two great pools and a wide beach area. All of their rooms have kitchenettes and the bigger ones are right on the ocean. They have free breakfast and a good restaurant, and there is a ton of stuff to do in the area. (Deep sea fishing, snorkeling, diving, sunset cruises, parasailing, jetsking, stuff like that.) Check out the Islamorada Chamber of Commercefor more info and recs.

I would also say yes-- it's a way to bond with his family and make them feel included. FI's mom is hosting a shower for us about 9 hours away from where we live, and my mom's friends are doing the same, just 9 hours in a different direction!

Just to answer the first question, we send out STD postcards from Vistaprint that have nothing to do with our colors or theme or anything like that. We used our e-pics (which were shot here in Georgia) but will be going for a pocket fold invite with a sand dollar motif that my mom is going to DIY. Both are saving us tons of $$ because of DIY-- I think the STDs with postage ended up being maybe $50 for 100 postcards and stamps. Haven't gotten the invite supplies yet but I priced them out for around $250 or so, and my mom has found some different supplies that are cheaper too. So yeah, DIY will save you $ but not time, if that makes sense.

Angel you look smokin' in that dress! I'm so glad it worked out for you.

Your dress is incredible-- and the sleeves add that extra oomph!

Your dress looks fantastic on you! Glad you found something that works. As for the BMs dresses, it really depends. Do you have any kind of color scheme or decor picked yet? That should help you decide, I think.

Simple, elegant and fits you like a glove! Great dress!

Awesome! Where did you get them? I am looking for something similar for FI.

Ooh that is exciting news! I have always told FI that if planning got too obnoxious, we could always "run away" to get married somewhere. He nixed it because he didn't want to be hearing about it from his family for the next 30 years. I'm totally jealous! Can't wait to see how it turns out.

We're not doing an AI wedding, but we've blocked rooms that range from $179 - $229 per night. I'd say that people will stay two nights at a minimum, and some will make a longer vacation out of it. Airfare is impossible to estimate since people will be coming from all over the country, and some will be driving (Florida guests). People can also choose to go in together on a vacation rental, or find a cheaper hotel. I'm still worried that the costs will keep too many of our dear friends away.

I love them! Do you know what material she used for the matting and the woven "ribbon"? I was thinking about doing something similar with my pocket folders.

I'd say whatever timing works best for you! There are no rules about it. FH's family is planning an AHR because they have a huge number of guests that won't be able to make it. I think they are tentatively planning for a month or so after our wedding, and it'll be a casual banquet in a hall in his hometown. I don't plan on wearing my dress again or doing any of the wedding stuff. If I do get a reception dress, I may wear it again.

I've never been to a wedding where this was done so yes, for me to do it would seem weird and tacky. But if it's the norm in your area/culture, then go for it!

I ran the STD postcards through the printer, and one of my mom's friends is going to do calligraphy on the invites. I don't think address labels are a big deal-- Martha Stewart has a cute template for them on her site.

We're keeping our fingers crossed that the rest of the hurricane season will be kind to the Middle Keys. All you can do is watch and wait, right?

I had never heard of this until I moved to the South. We did e-pics instead-- that's way more us.

It is just lovely on you!

You look fantastic! I love that dress and love it on you!

Welcome Martha! Happy planning!

Ooh, it's so pretty and floaty!