sdnative222

I recently attended a Dirty Thirty party and the very thoughtful husband created these themed t-shirts for the posse. The guys got T-shirts and the girls got tank tops. I asked how he was able to produce such a small amount with appropriate sizes. He said he used Iron-On transfer paper from Office Depot. Avery Personal Creations Light T Shirt Transfers Pack Of 18 by Office Depot I picked up one package and purchased plain shirts from Old Navy. They were a hit for the bridal party and groomsmen. I was able to make a special shirts for my FIL's and my niece.

I'm sorry that I found this so late, but I highly recommend my WP. Lisa with Enchanted Weddings or mauiweddingvows.com She was able to produce my wedding ceremony for under $600. However, I didn't utilize her camera skills. The ceremony would have been $1500 with photos included. Have a wonderful time in Maui. The weather is so amazing this time of the year.

I got married in November. I paid $30 beach license fee for 12 chairs (that no one sat on), my ring on love (flowers in lieu of alter) and primo location on Po'olenalena Beach (Makena/near Kihei). I didn't want anything too elaborate for my 15 min ceremony. There was a grassy knoll next to my reception (Five Palms Restaurant) that I later heard I could have had my ceremony on at no fee. In hindsight, that wouldn't have been too bad, as my wedding flip flops got lost in the chaos. I still have my wedding dress shoes, though.

I thought the check off list on martha stewart's wedding worked out well for me. We were able to click off a lot of things right away because we were having a destination wedding. I just moved everything up 6 weeks. We were engaged for 13 months and I still think it wasn't enough time, but I still had an amazing wedding. My Save the Dates went out 8 mos before...and we purchased our air tickets. My invites went out 12 weeks before...but I already knew everyone that was and was not attending. My RSVP was 6 weeks before. My last minute details letter went out 3 weeks before. Have fun planning!

I'm addicted to HGTV. They always suggest using lighter colored furniture to give the room more visual space. Try using some of your vertical space too. Try window coverings to create the illusion of height in the room. If you can draw your eyes up by creating visual interest, you create an illusion that the room is larger than it is.

Alrighty then....the hits: a plain brown paper giftbag with our wedding stamp mini famous amos chocolate chip cookies mini cheez-it bag from Costco advil packets hangover packets (both from minimus.biz) personalized water bottles (we relabled 3 cases of water...we used one case for the OOT bags, one case for the pool party, and the last case "chilled" for the guests sitting at the beach before the wedding) detailed map of ceremony site and reception directions laminated emergency phone numbers card misses: mini sunscreen packets sewing kits gummy bears (they were a little melted) local coffee/tea

My favorite color is purple. My compromise was purple and green for the wedding colors. My BM dresses came from Alfred Angelo in the jersey knit line. All the girls picked their own cut and all the dresses were made from the same color bolt of material. Jersey knit was so stretchy that no one needed to make any major alterations. My MOH chose to shorten her dress by 4 inches in the front. Alfred Angelo... Find the perfect Wedding Dress, Bridesmaid Dress, Prom Dress, Flower Girl Dress or Mother of the Bride Dress at Alfred Angelo. My first choice was an Adrienne Papel dress from Nordstrom, but they couldn't locate all the dresses in sized that I needed. Adrianna Papell Silk Halter Dress - Bridesmaids - Nordstrom

I'm sorry that I found this so late, but I wanted to tell you how pround and honored I am to have read this. You are an amazing, strong, and loving mother. You don't deserve to live in a household filled with fear or abuse. Knowing what to do in the best interest of you, your marriage and your children, should fill you with a deep sense of strength and security. Please know that you and your family will be in my prayers.

Taylor's food is just okay. World Famous is way better. http://www.worldfamous.signonsandiego.com/1.html Consider Jrdn @ Tower 23...the view is totally amazing. http://www.tower23hotel.com/ I went to another rehearsal dinner at Gringo's on Garnet and Mission. http://www.frommers.com/destinations...go/D54607.html The food is Spanish/Mexican and the wait staff really took great care of us.

I got married on Maui, so I'm a little prejudice. I also have a godmother that lives on Oahu. I was lucky enough to visit her every summer from 7th grade until I graduated high school. Truth be told, the geography of Hawaii lends itself to amazing pictures everywhere. As long as you have a real understanding of light, you can take amazing pics on any island.

Quote: Originally Posted by ddiinnyyeell Thanks for all the advice! The girls actually came to me and picked their own maid of honor based on who was responsible and available to do it. Saved me a lot of stress! The same situation happened to me. I have a group of gf's that I have known since junior high school. We have all been close and I asked 3 of them to be in my wedding. We planned the bachelorette weekend 2 mos before the wedding and the bridal shower 1 month before the wedding. After everyone wrote the dates in their calendar, they told me who the MOH was going to be. It was a huge weight off my shoulders. It made the other party planning so easy.

Welcome Home and CONGRATULATIONS!!!! It sounds as if you had a wedding/honeymoon/trip that is beyond memorable. In fact, you, your family, and your friends will likely be laughing about the boat excursion for years to come. As for the wedding day folly, take it in stride. We can never plan for every SINGLE dilemma. We can simply roll with the punches and learn from them. As for the wedding ceremony and reception, it seems as though you were glowing...with much grace and dignity. I cannot wait to see your wedding pics and hear your review!

I recently confirmed with my doctor that women that have become pregant and carried the live birth to term before the age of 30 are more likely to have a healthy pregnancy after the age of 35 because their bodies are familiar with the hormonal and physiological changes. After age 35, reproductive potential wanes rapidly, and by age 44, the chances of conceiving and bearing a child are slim. I'm 37 years old and I've been married for 3 months and 2 weeks. A little part of me is worried that I'm not knocked up yet. However, 37 is pretty far from 44. I know that I'm eating more folic acid and taking my pre-natal vitamins. I exercise 3 days a week and I sleep great. The only stress I have is in my head. Wish me luck, ladies.

Quote: Originally Posted by volley7878 I'm hoping to get a little guidance on the welcome letter. Did most of you sent out a prewedding letter and also include a welcome letter in the OOT bags? I felt like I needed to send something out in advance with an itinerary, travel information, shuttle information from the airport, etc. But I also think I need to also make a welcome letter with all of the maps, guest info, resort info etc. Just want to make sure it's not overkill. Thanks for any advice. You aren't overdoing it. In fact, you are being very thoughtful and considerate to your whole wedding party. It's always better for sharing more information than not enough. I, too, sent out a pre-wedding packet 3 weeks before departure which included the following: Countdown letter, pool party (in lieu of rehearsal dinner) invite, packing for paradise information, and contact information (bridal party & WP). In retrospect, I should have also included hotel numbers and more maps. Countdown letter read: It's time to start counting down the days until we are in (location), sitting by the ocean, soaking in the sund with a tropical drink in hand. We are glad you are joining us in (location) for the warm weather as we exchange vows and begin our lives together. In an effort to make your trip as easy as possible, we have included a "Packing for Paradise" brochure with useful travel information. We're so very excited to take this journey with all of you. See you in (location)! Love, Us Packing for Paradise information included: "Packing can be stressful. No one likes to realize they forgot something. Hopefully, this brochure will help you remember everything." Carry-on packing list Check-in luggage packing list Leave behind/to do before leaving checkoff list Regulations for carry-ons "3-1-1 Rule" & checked bag fees The welcome bags included the following: Welcome/thank you letter, The Big Day timeline, local maps and tourist info, personalized water bottles, snacks, and sunscreen with bug repellant

Quote: Originally Posted by gkashmira OK - here are mine (I just found this thread and literally read all 11 pages straight through!): 1. In the end was it worth all the money? 2. For those who are non-AI how much was your bar tab at the end of the night? 3. (For those people who bought expensive dresses) In the end was it worth it having your dream dress or would it have been just as good in a cheaper version (too late for me! but just curious) 4. What is the minimum # hours someone should hire a photographer? BTW, I wish I found BDW a year ago 1. Yes....and maxing out one credit card 2. I had an open-bar for both the cocktail hour and reception. For a party of 30, my bar tab came to ~$1000. 3. I had an ivory silk halter-dress custom made and including materials for $600. It was light, airy and perfect. 4. I got lucky that I had 3 professional photographers on my guestlist. Plan to schedule a photographer for: getting ready, ceremony, 1 hour after ceremony, and the first hour of the reception.

Quote: Originally Posted by Nrvsbride I'm really going to go bankrupt!! When you do the sand ceremony is that included in your WC price or do you have to pay extra for that stuff? I swear it's the little crap that drives me crazy. Like in traditional weddings that take place at home, people buy unity candles, and the knife for the cake. That is so annoying to me! Uggh who wants to be bothered with those minute details. -Glenda Well I have good news and bad news. Let's start with the bad: bottom line-you'll pay extra. The good: you can choose to have or have-not whatever you want including the sand ceremony. My officiant and wedding planner both offered the sand ceremony, but my FH and I decided that traveling with all that glass and sand was a lot of hassle. I spent a lot of time and energy picking out a beautiful porcelain cake cutting set. I shipped it a month in advance to Hawaii....only to have it get delayed in shipping. The set arrived the Monday after the Saturday wedding. On the day of, my reception site offered to borrow an even more gorgeous crystal cake cutting set (which pictured nicely). In the end, I really didn't care too much about the cake cutting set I spent so much time deciding on.

Quote: Originally Posted by syl1115 I got mine on Craigslist for $60.00. I lu-lu-love Craigslist! I got an ab-glide from there....I can really see a difference in my pooch-area.

My cocktail hour and reception were both situated on the outside patio deck of the Five Palms Restaurant. I coordinated a small sound system with microphone and Ipod hook-up through my WP. The system was set-up in the far corner of the "dancing area" on the patio. The cocktail hour consisted of hand-passed appetizers. Most of the guests found their seats during that time. This was followed by the wedding party announcement, then the first dance and the toasts. There was music playing from the bar area, but my wedding party couldn't hear it from the patio.

I can't believe I just found your review just now. You covered everything....except the Donkey Balls Coffee House...tee-hee. BTW, have I told you how amazingly glorious you look in all of your wedding photos.

Quote: Originally Posted by aimee Can I ask a question? For all the guests that were unable to attend did you send them anything after the wedding? Picture? Announcement card? Anything? I mailed out a photo announcement card for all the invited guests that were unable to attend the wedding. I personalized a different wedding photo for the thank you cards. In the end, it simply made my holiday card giving much easier.....as I could duplicate the mailing labels. It didn't make the card writing easier, though. My wrist still aches a little.

Um.....I wanted the Seawatch (Makena), but it wasn't avail for my date. I went to the Five Palms Grill (Kihei). It was amazing. They have a grassy knoll with the ocean within spittin distance which is available for the ceremony. The GM is Shawn (my hubby's namesake) and bended over backwards to accomodate. I'd be happy to refer my WP Lisa with Enchanted Weddings of Maui. Enchanted Weddings of Maui - Welcome! Good luck....and happy planning.

My MOH used it....with amazing results. I would highly suggest craigslist in your neighborhood or ebay. good luck!!!

Hi. I don't know if you could actually find the instrumental version on a cd because the music was done by the Andrew Oldham Orchestra for the Rolling Stones. There were legal issues with The Verve misusing the instrumental. But, here's a site where you can get a looped version of the music, just download it and burn it onto a cd. Scroll down until you see yellow links. You'll probably want the second download....it's longer. Sounds!

Quote: Originally Posted by LALA I'll start... In the end, was it all worth it? Was it worth leaving some people out to have a destination wedding? Do you ever wish you had a "traditional" wedding? No, my destination to the tropical island on Maui during the cold snap of winter was effin puurrrrfect. I would not have traded it for anything in the world. I am 6th of 8 gf's to marry since hs and I've been BM to church, vegas, winery, garden and by sea weddings.....Mine was the most amazing, memorable and cost-effective.

Congratulations and welcome to the forum. This is an amazing resource. You have plenty of time to plan, too. My next question is what did you have in mind for your ceremony and reception If you are looking to plan a lot on your own (flowers, venue)... then look for more planning near the airport or South Maui (Kihei/Makena). There are a lot of local vendors that won't gouge you. If money isn't an issue, then I would suggest Kaanapaali....as there are great timeshare and larger resorts you can lean on. Personally, my FH and I footed the bulk of the costs....so we leaned a lot on a WP and were very happy with a grand total of ~$6000 for 30 guests....that included the convertible car rental for 2 weeks....and airfare.