~*~Margie~*~

Quote: Originally Posted by jlizabethm I'm sooo sorry to hear that you have to change your plans. You're right though, your son is #1. I'm praying for everything to work out for you and your family. Gosh, I can't believe all of this. Quote: Originally Posted by kimmaranto Dear Reluctant, I have been on this thread and have watched you plan this wedding from the beginning. I just feel horrible for you and all the other brides out there that are in the same situation. Your son is your number one priority. Good luck with all the new decisions that face you and keep us posted on the new changes. I know whatever happens you will have a beautiful wedding and everything will work out for the best. You and all the other brides in this situation are in my thoughts and in my prayers. Thank you so much for all the support!!! It is difficult to imagine moving but I really do think it for it is for the best. I can't wait to see all the pics from the DPA brides because I am sure you will all have beautiful weddings. As for me, if all goes well today, I will still be a Dreams bride and we will be relocating to Dreams Palm Beach Punta Cana. The resort is beautiful and I think it is a wonderful "Plan B". Thank you to everyone that helped me along the way with planning at DPA and thankfully I'll be able to keep many of my plans the same.

My plans are back to being up in the air. As I wrote yesterday, I had talked to my TA on Monday night and decided to change locations and she said she would get to work on it and have choices for a new destination for me today. Well instead, she calls me and says that the travel company is still operating with the May 6th date for penalty fee relocations. I offered, a third time, to provide a note from my son's peditrician stating that he should not travel to Mexico due to his weak immune system and she thinks even that won't help, so her answer....wait a couple days to see if they extend the May 6th date!!! I don't want to wait. Even if we moved today that leaves me two weeks to replan everything, and now she wants me to wait. She is currently checking to see what the penalty will be. Stupid me didn't buy insurance when I made my final payment 2-3 weeks ago because I couldn't foresee anything that would keep me from my own wedding, boy was I wrong!

To all the girls that have been crying!! I have been crying on and off for two days and finally made the tough decision last night. I am voluntarily choosing to move my wedding. While I am sure much of what is being reported is sensationalized, I can't take any chances. I'm sure many of you are reading the other threads on the piggy flu and may have seen what I wrote, but I'll repeat. My son had a serious case of RSV and pneumonia at 1 month old and was hospitalized for 2 weeks. Because of that, even now at 4 years old, he has low immunity and is suceptible to everything and gets it much worse than others might. As a mother I just can't take that chance, I would hate myself if anything ever happened to him. The decision to move from the resort and location that I have dreamt about for such a long time was not an easy one but it had to be done. So as of today, I have no idea when and where I will be married. I will hopefully know more tomorrow.

Quote: Originally Posted by GinalynL Reluctant - Since you're up next (I think!) have you heard anything from Dreams or Jacy as to the recent news about the swine flu? Or is everything pretty much business as usual? I haven't received the official word yet but depending on what I hear tomorrow....I may no longer be a DPA bride. While some people think it might be an over reaction, I have 4 year old son who was extremely sick as an infant and is now susceptible to everything and gets it worse than others generally would, so while people are comparing this to the regular flu, the "regular" flu would mean hospital time for my son which is why we get him vaccinated. My son is my priority and its not worth the risk to me. While the chances are slim I can't take that chance cause I'd never forgive myself if something happened to him. So, don't know where I am going yet, but it most likely won't be DPA anymore. I am so sad because I feel in love with the resort the moment I saw pics and never even considered anywhere else.

I want to spend my day crying. Despite all the reassuring articles and the knowledge that much of this is sensationalized, FI and I sat down last night and had to make some hard decisions. We have a 4 year old, who we could not imagine getting married without him there. However, he was very sick as an infant with RSV and pneumonia and because of that he is very suseptible to EVERYTHING and when he gets sick he gets it worse than other people might. As much as I truly want my wedding to be in Mexico at the resort that I chose from day one, I would never forgive myself if something happened to my son. And even though there are positive articles and the chances are slim, we just can't do it as parents. So I spoke with my TA last night and she will be contacting me with new destinations for the same dates and I will be moving my wedding. With only 2 weeks to go I am soooo stressed, so sad over all the planning I have done, the personalized items, the little touchs of a mexican theme, that now seem meaningless. I know I am making the right decision but I still can't help but be so damn sad and mad over this whole thing. And FI, who rarely shares his emotions, just sent me a text that said "I feel so sad today baby." This sucks!

So has anyone actually called their doctor as preparation? I want to call my primary to ask about getting Tamiflu to have on hand since the CDC site says "treatment and/or prevention". I just don't want to come across as some overly paranoid crazy person. Think she'd look at me crazy if I asked for enough to put in OOT bags

Quote: Originally Posted by AlliMay Hi everyone...sorry that I have been MIA! Quick question, I know that a couple of you said that you were bringing your own speakers down rather than renting the resort audio system (RBB, I think you were one?). If you are doing this, what kind of speakers are your bringing? Like an iHome dock, or something different?? Just curious...trying to decide whether to rent or bring... Thanks!! YEP! Thats me, its an some kind of I-Home type dock, not sure the brand. It is about the size of a book and folds flat, then you can flip the speakers up and dock the i-pod. It looks small but it is powerful. My FI knows when I am cleaning the kitchen when he comes home and can hear my music down the street when he parks his car

When I first heard of this my mind set was "stay positive, no worries" but its like the more I hear the more I worry. I woke up today determined not to think about it but then I get to work and its all everyone is talking about. Another girl in the department next to me is scheduled to travel to Riviera Maya a week before me, she is due to leave this Monday and is mostly like going to reschedule or change destinations, but hers is just a vacation. People keep telling me to do the same thing but I'm like.."This is not just a vacation, its my wedding" My TA said that our travel company is allowing people to reschedule or switch with out penalty for travel through May 12. My group needs it to be for travel through atleast May 17, so if they extend the penalty free dates she wants to discuss relocation which I guess I would consider but everywhere else I have looked is more expensive and my programs, welcome letters, personalized water bottles, etc, all say Mexico and I hate having to redo all of them. I am so sick to my stomach over this and near tears and I just keep hearing "We'll figure it out" from FI and friends, easy for them to say when they haven't invested 9 months of planning. Sorry to be such a downer but just needed to vent to my fellow Mexico brides who would understand.

Well, no one is calling me yet, but my mom is being bombarded. Everytime the news reports a new case my aunt and uncle call her to say they are worried about her going. My great-aunt, who calls my mom daily, has already beat the drug wars topic to death and now this. My mom is a worrier, in the WORST way, so to get her all up in arms is the last thing I need. My son will be traveling with her since this is our honeymoon too, and now she is talking about rubber gloves and medical masks and not letting my son touch anything. To a degree I get where she is coming from because he had RSV as a baby and now almost anytime he gets sick he ends up in the hospital, most recently with pneumonia, but this is ridiculous, I leave in 16 days and as much as I am trying not to let it get to me and tell myself that its not bad where we're going, that nagging little voice in my head is starting to get louder.

Quote: Originally Posted by dbellie1414 That's a good site thanks so much!!! It says family (spouse or children) so he isn't my spouse - yet so I think he can bring $300 in and I can bring $300 in! I have been told by past brides and reading reviews that if you do get that red light they will ask you for receipts!!! check this one out: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t18621 Just an FYI... I remember reading a review that one lady and her significant other didn't have receipts and they took her in the back room threatening to take her stuff or she had to pay like a $500 tarriff but all the customs police were looking for was a handout so after they gave them like a $100 and making it a 2 hour process they let them pass. So I figured I rather be safe and get the reciepts! THATS IT!! Thats the thread I read where she made fake receipts!!! I knew I saw it somewhere but i read so many thread while I am bored at work that I forget where I see things and I am terrible with the search!

Okay, the receipts...this is what I have been told. If you push the button at customs and get the light to be checked (red light I believe) then they check your bags and you have to produce receipts for any merchandise you are bringing into the country. I have read on the forum, wish i could remember where, that some brides have "created" receipts on their computers for the stuff they are bringing, that way they can fudge the prices since I believe there is a limit of about $300 as stated earlier in this thread. I started to save receipts but at this point I don't remember where they are so I might be making some

I don't think I have even posted on this thread yet because reading what all you ladies have accomplished has overwhelmed me and made me feel so far behind but I think I am caught up!!!! I have most of my OOT bag stuff, just have to pick up travel mugs. I have my ceremony decorations and most of my table decor, I just have to sew the table runner. My fitting was this past Wednesday and it's almost perfect, she made the top just a tad too tight so 3 weeks to lose just a little more, too bad I can't chose where to lose it from, I need the back pudge to disappear. Still feel stress but haven't had too many of the dreams. The worst one was standing in the airport, in my dress realizing I didn't bring any decorations as I ran through the giftshop trying to find things to buy to decorate with.

Just like the drug wars, this seems to be isolated to certain areas; according to this article: Swine flu cases in US, mystery ailment in Mexico have experts scrambling - Yahoo! Canada News it is isolated to central Mexico with most cases being reported within Mexico City. I don't see any need to worry.

Quote: Originally Posted by mummergirl i *really* love your hair dark, but i "get" wanting to be blond for a sunny beachy wedding. you'll be beautiful either way! does FI have a favorite? do blonds *actually* have more fun? LOL THANK YOU!!! FI's favorite was when I had like a dark brown base and then had fire red and platinum blond highlights alternating through it, he likes "different" and lots of highlights. For the wedding I'm thinking a light golden brown with caramel and honey blond highlights, I like the look of lots of tones. LOL, I find a way to have fun no matter what color my hair is lol

Quote: Originally Posted by sunsetbride1 LOL.. I do the same thing with my hair!!! FI tells me it's like having a new woman every few months. And, I did the same thing as Yamille; complete double take compared to your profile picture; you look amazing with dark hair! My FI says the same thing..LOL! The nice comments have me reconsidering my dye job tomorrow night But I really want to be lighter for the wedding.

Quote: Originally Posted by Kristy621 So I have to say that I thought my pics came out awesome. But after seeing some of the pics on this post now I am not so sure! you girls look amazing... I am posting one of mine, one of my favs, very mysterious!!! I edited out my top so we can stay pg... LOL Kristy we're date twins!!! YAY, its so soon. Your pic is beautiful, I am sure they are all wonderful! I love the mask in this pic.

I change my hair with the seasons, by next week I will be some shade of blonde, I want to go light for the wedding. Well, thank you Shannon too then!!! This forum is the best.

Are you using bullet points, one for each question? I found that if I just wrote in paragraph form she either only answered the first question or didn't respond at all so I started bulleting each question and I get a reply usually within 2 days.

Quote: Originally Posted by yamille You look so different from your avatar pic- I had to do a dble take. Lol, that pic in my siggy is almost 5 years old, prebaby weight, which I why I chose it, all my recent pics of FI and I together I thought I looked huge.

THANK YOU so much for all the nice comments You all know how to make a girl feel good. I really do love them, its a shame their not really the kind of photos you can show off cause it is the first time I have ever truly liked pics of myself The heel in the thong was such a neat idea for a pose, and mummergirl, just so you know, I admit to needing a little help to get out of it But all in all, I am so happy I did this. Like the others have said, I am not in the shape I want to be in, just 3.5 months ago I was at my highest weight ever (aside from pregnancy), I was only 6 pounds away from being the same as I was at 9 months pregnant and I hated my body. But I have lost about half of what I want to lose and couldn't put off the shoot any longer and I am so glad I didn't. And Yamille, THANK YOU SO MUCH for starting this thread, because I never would have known about Kamila without it and would have ended up going to someone else who's portfolio couldn't even compare to Kamila's.

Quote: Originally Posted by RoryS I am having a blast helping my niece with her wedding. She told her sister she couldn't have done any of the planning without my help! My sister, her mom, is just not into it - I don't know why. I don't have any children, so I kind of adopted my sister's 3 kids. We've gone on lots of trips together and they know I'm always there when they need me. I told my sister I would kill to have a daugher and have her want me to help her plan her wedding. I know who I'm partying with in Mexico!! and it's not my sister. My mom has shown little to no insterest in helping me, for that matter, no one has shown an interest in helping me, I'm doing it all myself which is where my stress lies, so I sure wish I had an aunt like you to help me out, your niece is lucky to have you!

Okay, here are a few I am willing to post ladies These are just a few of my favs!

Hey girls, got my pics!!!!! I love them. I am not brave enough to post the link as Shannon and Yamille did but when I get a chance to at home, I know a way to post so I will do so with a few of my favs. Yamille and Shannon, you ladies look gorgeous!!!!!!

Well, I "registered" with David's back in January and the calls and emails began immediately. Men's Warehouse was the worst calling daily but I finally answered and told them we already had attire for the groom and then they stopped. The calls went strong thru February, tappered off in March and have stopped all together in April. The only remaining contact is MJS Photography who emails me once or twice a week, but the email don't bother me as much, its easy to hit the delete button.

I just got an email from Kamila that I will have all my pictures within the next 3 hours after they upload. She did say the same thing that appears on her blog, that if I need my album before May 10th, which I do cause I leave on the 12th, I have to have my picks to her before Monday. I am so excited now, I can't wait to see these!!!!