jennierin

Great thread! I am getting married in 9 months time and haven't even set foot into a bridal salon to try on dresses! In fact, I am in no hurry to do it either. Is this uncommon? I figure I'll start looking the end of February or early March which should give me enough time for the dress to come in and have alterations done. I think that you should start looking a wedding dresses as soon as you want to. However, I do know many brides who did it too far in advance and ended up being a multiple dress bride. But, as far as rules go...I don't think there are any. Happy dress shopping! Have fun doing it!

I agree 100% with Lauren. You have to choose between having your parents at your wedding or having a wedding away (possibly without them). My FI and I knew from the beginning of our relationship that if we were to be married that it would be a DW (we first met in the Carribean). That meant that we would be excluding some family members, possibly even our parents. It all worked out in the end, my parents and his mother are more than happy to attend. However, my FI's father will not be attending as he has prior commitments. The most important thing to think about is how much it would bother you if your parents were unable to be there.

need to go!: home

Great dresses! I really like the last one also!

Welcome! What a wonderful way to celebrate 35 years together. Happy planning!

We are having a private reception because that is what is included with the wedding package that we chose. I have been to other DW that were in the restaurants and that was fine too. We personally wanted a private venue but that is because we are not planning an AHR and this is going to be our only one!!! As far as extra cost, our package includes private dinner for 24 people and an extra $15 pp after that. The private bar will be $15pp/hour. Also, we are using our Ipod for music and renting the resorts speakers and microphone for $300. Our reception will only be two and a half hours. After that, we all plan on going to the disco at the resort for more festivities!!! Whatever you decide on, your wedding day in paradise will be awesome! Have fun planning!

No AHR here. One bonus of FI and I having a DW was to save $$$; and seeing as though the reception is usually what costs the most, it would be pointless to have one. We are planning on having a party back home at our house...more like a Christmas party but with the extra added bonus of having everyone celebrate our marriage. My MOH has already mentioned that she will be throwing us a Jack and Jill this summer...a pre-celebration! It's not to say that I wouldn't LOVE to have an AHR, but, it's just not in the budget!

My guests are paying $1428.00 pp (taxes included) to stay for one week at the Melia Caribe. Depending on which website you go to, it's a 4.5 to 5 star resort. Originally I wanted to go to one of the Paradisus resorts but the quotes were $1800.00 - $2000.00 pp. So we chose the Melia (owned by the same company) because of the lower cost for our family and friends. And like sunsetbride1, those who can't afford it, won't be coming.

May you have much sunshine and happiness on your wedding day! Have a wonderful time and we'll all be waiting to see lots of pictures! Congrats!

How horrible! Are you two okay? I really hope that you find your engagement ring! I agree with Andrea, start calling pawnshops on your own...it's sure to turn up at one of them. What a scary ordeal!

Welcome and happy planning! Have lots of fun!

Welcome! You'll find lots of goodies on here! Happy planning.

Congrats and happy planning!

My coordinator is Laura still. I think that may change the closer to the date we get and then it will change to Emy Rose. So far they have been pretty quick to respond to my questions. I was very overwhelmed when I started planning. Setting a wedding date, finding a good rate for travel, sending out informal invites with all travel info and such. The next thing for me to do is to find a wedding dress...I am waiting until I lose a few extra pounds. For now, I am reading over many of the posts from the forum for great ideas! I even found a photog on here! Good luck with everything!

Hello! Welcome from a fellow Melia Caribe Bride!

Congrats and happy planning!!

Beautiful! What a gorgeous spot for an intimate wedding. Thanks for sharing your pics!

Congratulations and happy planning! You'll find lots of information on this site...it is a God send!

Ah ha! The one that I was referring to is called Sanctuary Cap Cana Golf and Spa. Sanctuary Cap Cana Golf & Spa (Punta Cana, Dominican Republic) - Resort Reviews - TripAdvisor There is also Tortuga Bay but there are only 15 rooms there. However, the pictures of it are amazing... check it out! Tortuga Bay (Punta Cana, Dominican Republic) - Hotel Reviews - TripAdvisor

Have you looked into the Cap Cana area?? Donald Trump is building a resort there. There are a few boutique hotels there (I forget their names). There are a couple of golf courses there as well. Loved the area but it's way beyond our price range! Good luck!

I say you give what you can afford! I'm sure the bride and groom didn't invite their guests based on how much they would receive. I've known people who have not attended weddings of family because they were afraid that they couldn't afford the gift. For me, I cover the cost of the plate, and then give a little more on top of that. So it really depends on the wedding that I am attending. So it is basically anywhere from $100 - $400 on average.

We are using ewedding.com. It had the nicest background for the website. My FI wanted to do one himself (he is a programmer), but I figured this was the easiest way. I also found it to be pretty user friendly.

I'm partial to the Maggie Sottero "Libby"...it's one of the dresses that I am considering when I finally DO go out and start trying on dresses. Also, seeing as though it will be hot hot HOT in Cancun...I would go for a lighter weighted material like chiffon so that you will be comfortable. In the end though, it's what you look GREAT in...from what I've heard, you'll know THE ONE when you have it on. Happy shopping! Hope you have lots of luck with your search and let us know what you decide on!

We are getting married at the Melia Caribe Tropical in Punta Cana DR. It was a hard choice to be honest as there are so many resorts in that area. However, I went ahead and did some research and based my decision on the following reasons: 1) Kid friendly ~ I have a 9 year old daughter who will be walking me down the aisle. 2) Price friendly ~ We didn't want our guests paying a fortune for travel as we wanted everyone to come with us! 3) Good reviews from past brides which I found on various different forums 4) Price of wedding packages ~ we want a private reception and some of the resorts were quoting some astronomical prices!! 5) Familiarity of the area ~ we have been to PC before and LOVED it; even attended a DW there so we knew that they are great with weddings! 6) Golf course across the street and 4 games included with package ~ what can I say? I have a family of golfers! I figured it might sweeten the deal for everyone! 7) A shopping mall on the grounds ~ for those who don't know how (or won't) barter! The number of restaurants and bars ~ there are 14 restaurants and 8 bars. From experience at other resorts, we think that having a variety is the spice of life!!! 9) Activities for all ages ~ we have guests ranging in age from 9 to 65. 10) All inclusive ~ is there any other way Well, I suppose there is, but not for us! Well, that is my "short" list of reasons why we chose the Melia for our wedding day. However, I would have to say that the most important reason why I chose the resort was looking at amateur pics of people who have stayed there in the past. It makes a world of difference seeing the resort through pictures that haven't been photo-shopped too much! Hope this helps! Have fun planning!

Absolutely stunning. Nothing more needed for sure.