KarenM

Great review Di!! I'm sure tons of future brides/grooms will benefit from all of your details! And you guys were both gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!!!

Congratulations & welcome to the forum! You will find a ton of great information, ideas, DIY stuff, & a great group of people here!! Have a great time planning!

thanks, J. I know, I can't wait to see more too! awww, Lauren! Congratulations lady!! So exciting!

Quote: Originally Posted by svetayasofiya *Pregnant!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! Such exciting news!

Here's ours Prelude music: (16:36 minutes) Is This Love ~Bob Marley Con te partiro ~Andrea Bocelli Falling In Love At a Coffee Shop ~Landon Pigg Quando, Quando, Quando ~Michael Bublé (with Nelly Furtado) Processional: Bridesmaids: Lagrima (2:27)~Francesco Tárrega Flower girl/ring bearer then Bride: Somewhere Over The Rainbow 5:08 ~ Israel Kamakawiwo'ole Recessional: All You Need is Love (3:55)~Lynden David Hall Reception: Dinner Skin is, My ~Andrew Bird A La Vera ~Juan Luis Guerra The Way I Am ~Ingrid Michaelson A Kiss To Build A Dream On ~Louis Armstrong Is This Love ~Bob Marley The Girl From Ipanema ~Astrud Gilberto & The Stan Getz Quartet Time After Time ~Rod Stewart Flowers In The Window ~Travis Chocolate ~Snow Patrol You Are the Best Thing ~Ray LaMontagne Mais Que Nada ~Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 Starlight ~Muse For Once in My Life ~Stevie Wonder How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) ~Marvin Gaye One Love / People Get Ready ~Bob Marley & The Wailers New Slang ~The Shins At Last ~Etta James Rock With You ~Michael Jackson Such Great Heights ~The Postal Service Love ~The Sundays Just Like Heaven ~Katie Melua Cake Cutting: I’m Gonna Make You Love Me ~The Jayhawks Dancing: First dance: The One I Love ~David Gray Into the Mystic ~Van Morrison Let's Get It Started~Black Eyed Peas Just Dance ~Lady GaGa Hey Ya ~Outkast I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho) ~ Pitbull December, 1963 (Oh What A Night!) ~ Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons Volare~Gipsy Kings Can't Help Falling In Love ~Elvis Presley Dancing Queen ~Abba Billie Jean ~Michael Jackson Gold Digger (Feat. Jamie Foxx) ~Kanye West I Gotta Feeling ~Black Eyed Peas It Takes Two ~Rob Base Making Memories Of Us ~Keith Urban Rock Your Body ~Justin Timberlake drop it like its hot ~Snoop Dogg Canned Heat ~Jamiroquai 4 Minutes ~ Madonna/JT Galvanize (Feat. Q-Tip) ~The Chemical Brothers Have I Told You Lately ~Van Morrison One More Time ~Daft Punk Jerk It Out ~The Caesars Baby Got Back ~Sir Mix-A-Lot Faith ~George Michael L-O-V-E ~ Nat King Cole Bust A Move~Young MC I Get Around and Ro ~Tupac Shakur Ice Ice Baby ~Vanilla Ice Thriller ~Michael Jackson We gave the DJ all of the music burned to a CD & he played our dinner music perfectly, but he didn't play like any of our reception/dance songs. We spent so long making a play list, & the cd for him, & he didn't even use it! I was kind of annoyed by that, but whatever. He did a decent job with his own music, but I really wanted to hear some of those songs.

I posted earlier here before I had finished this project. We bought 20 different Talavera tiles from tilesandtiles.com (great customer service!). I painted the backs with terracotta paint & wrote names/table #'s on the backs with a silver calligraphy marker. For table numbers we used hacienda tiles. and at the wedding

Congratulations Stephanie!! Hope you have an amazing wedding day & honeymoon!

Jess, that is so cool! Congrats! Do you know if the article will be available online or do we need to buy the issue?

Congratulations! Wonderful story & so great you have pics of it!!

Barbo, we emailed the script to our wedding coordinator the week before we left & she forwarded it to the minister. We also printed out a copy on nice paper & gave it to the WC when we met with her to give to the minister.

Janine, I hope your day got better! And I really hope they find your invitations or at least get more out to you ASAP!! How frustrating! I agree with the other girls, the BD you can do any time (anniversaries, valentine's day, bday's, etc), but the TTD is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for both of you! But, if you really want to try to get both in I have a recommendation for BD in NY (in Queens). Jen at Jenerations (Beautiful and Affordable Photography) is absolutely amazing and not all that pricey. Lots of girls have used her on the forum and everyone has had an equally wonderful experience. I would contact her to find out if she has any marathons coming up. Good luck!

We each have 3 siblings, though my sister couldn't come. We had one of my brother's as a groomsman & the other did a reading. DH's brother was the best man & we included his 2 sisters by having one do a reading & the other read our sand ceremony.

We were just married at Dreams PV on 5.29. This is the ceremony script we used. We borrowed bits & pieces from lots of brides here so thanks to everyone who's posted theirs! Karen & Paul's Ceremony OFFICIANT: “Paul & Karen, Family & Friends, I would like to welcome you to Puerto Vallarta. Bienvenidos Todos. We are here today to participate in a most joyous occasion; to celebrate one of the greatest moments in life, by acknowledging the wedding of Karen & Paul. Paul & Karen would like to sincerely thank you all for sharing in this celebration of their commitment to each other. A special acknowledgment must also be made to those friends and family members who were unable to attend, or have passed on, but whose spirits remain alive and strong in all of our hearts. All of you have given Karen & Paul much love, warmth, and guidance through the various stages of their lives, and for this, they thank you. It is from all of you that they have learned the true meaning of love, friendship, and family. Marriage is an adventure in the most intimate of human relationships. It is the mutual commitment of two people sincerely in love who share the same dreams about life. But more than that, it is the intimate sharing of two lives; a sharing that does not diminish but enhances the individuality of each partner.†“Would Matthew please come forward?†Matt’s reading: Union by Robert Fulghum You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making promises and agreements in an informal way. All those conversations that were held riding in a car or over a meal or during long walks - all those sentences that began with “When we’re married†and continued with “I will and you will and we willâ€- those late night talks that included “someday†and “somehow†and “maybeâ€- and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding. The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “ You know all those things we’ve promised and hoped and dreamed- well, I meant it all, every word.†Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another- acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years. Now you shall say a few words that take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this- is my husband, this- is my wife. OFFICIANT: “Love is life’s highest emotion. It makes us less selfish, makes our personalities grow, and makes our lives more meaningful. It is caring about the welfare and happiness of your partner as your own. Love makes burdens lighter because you divide them. It makes joys more intense because you share them. And it makes you stronger so you can reach out and become involved with life in ways you dared not risk alone. A successful relationship takes more than just love. It takes trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. It takes dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And it takes faith to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both.†“Would Carolyn please come forward?†Carolyn’s reading: Love by Roy Croft I love you, Not only for what you are, But for what I am When I am with you. I love you, Not only for what You have made of yourself, But for what You are making of me. I love you For the part of me That you bring out; I love you For putting your hand Into my heaped-up heart And passing over All the foolish, weak things That you can't help Dimly seeing there, And for drawing out Into the light All the beautiful belongings That no one else had looked Quite far enough to find. I love you because you Are helping me to make Of the lumber of my life Not a tavern But a temple; Out of the works Of my every day Not a reproach But a song. I love you Because you have done More than any creed Could have done To make me good, And more than any fate To make me happy. You have done it Without a touch, Without a word, Without a sign. You have done it By being yourself. VOWS OFFICIANT: "Paul & Karen, today you join yourselves together for life, as friends and lovers; husband and wife. The vows you are about to exchange represent your pledge to each other. For it is not the words that bind you together as one, but it is the love and commitment each of you feel deep within your soul." (Vows written by P & K) RING CEREMONY OFFICIANT: “The wedding ring is a symbol of the unbroken circle of love as it has neither a beginning nor an end. It should always remind those who wear it of the sacredness of marriage and the love that sustains it. Karen & Paul, your rings are intimately associated with your intent to honor and treasure the vows you have made today. Believe and trust that the words you have spoken have the capacity to create the marriage, family and life of your dreams, and that the rings you exchange will have the power to return you to your vows. These rings mark the beginning of a long journey together, wear them proudly, as they are symbols which speak of the love that you have for each other.†“Paul as you place this ring on Karen’s finger please repeat after me: Karen, with this ring, I give you my heart. I have no greater gift to give. I will love you, honor you, and cherish you, in all times, in all places, and in all ways. I am forever yours.†“Karen as you place this ring on Paul’s finger, please repeat after me: Paul, with this ring, I give you my heart. I have no greater gift to give. I will love you, honor you, and cherish you, in all times, in all places, and in all ways. I am forever yours.†SAND CEREMONY OFFICIANT: “Will Jennifer please come forward?†Sand Ceremony read by Jen: Karen & Paul, today you join your lives together. These two separate bottles of sand symbolize your separate lives, separate families and separate sets of friends. Each grain of sand in their separate containers represents a unique moment, decision, feeling or event that helped you become who you are today. They represent all that you are as individuals and your lives before today. They can stand on their own and be whole, without need of anything else. However when these two are blended together they create an entirely new and extraordinarily more intricate entity. Each grain of sand brings to the mixture a lasting beauty that forever enriches the combination. Please pour the sand into this common container to symbolize the union of your two lives. (Begin pouring sand) Paul and Karen, just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so will your marriage be a melding of two individual personalities, bonded together forming one heart, one life, and one family. CLOSING COMMENTS OFFICIANT: “Paul & Karen, remember to treat each other with respect and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Give to one another new experiences of joy. Challenge one another so that you may continue to grow. May the love you hold for each other, now sealed in marriage, continue to mature with the passing years. May you never take each other for granted, but always experience the wonder of your union. Be slow to anger, quick to forgive, leaving no tracks of resentment behind. May your love be a sanctuary and a source from which you draw strength to live your lives with enthusiasm and imagination. With friends and family, along with the sun, the moon, and the sea, I have the pleasure of announcing you as husband and wife.â€

Not sure about grease make-up (?) but I just use face wash to clean mine, then blot water off w/ a towel & let them dry overnight.

We didn't have a ton in terms of decorations, but we were able to ship our 2 capiz shell curtains for the ceremony chuppah to the wedding coordinator before we left (they wouldn't fit in any of our bags). If at all possible it's really helpful to ask other people to bring some things. We gave 1 suitcase to DH's brother to take with. We don't live in the same city & he arrived 2 days after we did so we had to decide what to put in that one (clothes/shoes) that we wouldn't need right away and then gave the bag to him a few weeks before we left. Then we each had 2 checked bags. We put his suit in the garment bag with my dress & carried it on. This is what we brought: OOT bag stuff for 21 bags (you can see exactly what in my planning thread, but it all filled one medium sized suitcase) Votive holders. We packed a box of 12 and a 2nd box came with my sister-in-law. Shoes optional sign, stand, straw mat & brushes tile table #'s tile place cards BM gifts cake topper (I actually carried this on with me b/c it's pretty fragile) We bought tealights & our sand ceremony vase in PV when we got there and gave the groomsmen their gifts in advance. Hope that helps!

Fer Juaristi!!! Picking a photographer was really hard, but choosing Fer was the best decision we made about our entire wedding. I cannot say enough wonderful things about him. He is beyond talented & is one of the most genuine, enthusiastic, passionate & nice people I've ever met. Plus he works is ass off & will literally do anything to get a shot! here's his site Fer Juaristi | Rockstar Wedding Photographer and blog Mexico Wedding Photographer Fer Juaristi You can contact him for his packages/pricing, but let me know if you have any questions! Quote: Originally Posted by tlc9b I just joined this site and am getting married at Dreams, PV on May 21, 2011. I'm using Dazzling Details as my wedding coordinator and am trying to decide on a photographer. Does anyone have any suggestions? We don't necessarily need to keep it super cheap but don't want to spend an extraordinary amount either. Maybe somewhere in-between? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much! Tyler happy to help! Quote: Originally Posted by allyson779 Thank you so much Autumn and Karen... you guys are the best! This was exactly what I was looking for. thanks again =)

I started with trip advisor for reviews of hotels & once we found Dreams I kept stalking it for updated reviews. I did use expedia & travelocity a couple times to compare their rates with the ones our travel agent secured for us (she did much better than either site). For planning I only used this site.

OK, I got ya lovely flowers pbj! Quote: Originally Posted by pbjwed love yours! Ok I tried and there is a big x!!!

Autumn, you guys are hilarious! I love the blow-by-blow with jumping in pools, security showing up & you guys closing all the bars. Too funny. We had Lucie Aubert perform our ceremony. She is super sweet, her English is perfect & she did a wonderful job. We were both thrilled! I had emailed our ceremony script to Rebeca a couple weeks before we went and asked if it'd be OK for the officiant to use it & she said that was fine, but we didn't actually know who we were having until Tuesday when we met with Rebeca. They also have a couple stock ceremonies in case you don't want to write your own. Allyson, Rebeca asked if we wanted to do a rehearsal/run-through the day before, but we passed. We didn't think it was necessary and we figured it'd all work out fine. If you want one, though, Rebeca's happy to accommodate you. As far as our timeline, when we met with Rebeca we just gave her a general idea of what we wanted when and she took it from there. Although we knew we would be pressed for time, we were pretty laid back about it and everything worked out perfectly. Our ceremony was scheduled for 6. 5:45 - DJ started prelude music while guests got seated. 5:45ish - P & the groomsmen came out. 6:00, or maybe 5 after, the bridesmaids walked down, then our 3 flower children, then me & my parents. The ceremony lasted maybe 25-30 minutes & then we had everyone stay for a group photo. 6:30-6:45 - families & bridal party stayed for more pics while the rest of the guests went to the cocktail hour. We did pics for like 1/2 hr - 45 min & then around 7:15 we went to the end of the cocktail hour. 7:30-45 - dinner started. Sometime during dinner P's brother & 2 of my bridesmaids made speeches. 8:30ish - cake cutting, which Rebeca announced for us (totally recommend asking her to do this). 8:45ish - first dance (Rebeca let the DJ know to transition from the cake-cutting song to first dance song) After the 1st dance we sat down for a minute to eat some cake (delish!!), then the dancing started and we ended just after 10:30. Autumn's not joking - the DJ played the last song at like 10:30 and that was it. (we didn't do father-daughter / mother-son dances or bouquet/garter tosses) Afterward P & I went down to the beach & shared a cigar with a couple friends & then met everyone at the sports bar (which really is more of a dance club). A couple people had their ipods so we used the bar's hookup to play tons of different dance music and we were there til around 1:30.

Quote: Originally Posted by pbjwed why cant I post my pic?? HELP! You may want to upload your photos to photobucket.com. Then you can copy the image (IMG) code and paste it in your response to show the pics on the forum. Here's a pic of my bouquet and mine w/ the BM's The stems were wrapped in banana leafs & tied w/ raffia. I loved them!

Thanks Aut!! Cristina, we got married on the beach just over a week ago. Here are some non-pro pics. basic beach set-up (not totally finished - they finished tying the side panels to the chuppah poles and we had rose petals on the aisle runner) We brought aqua capiz shell curtains that Rebeca hung up for the ceremony. I left my shoes optional sign there with Rebeca for future brides & a couple brushes, though some were stolen, & I think the beach mat might've been taken too. And the city of Puerto Vallarta is really beautiful & so much fun! We went into town for the first 1/2 of our TTD session the next day & while I don't have pics back from that yet I'll post some I took while walking around earlier in the week. The Banderas News site also has a bunch of pics of town to scroll through. Photo Gallery - Pictures of Puerto Vallarta Mexico Hope that helps!

Hey Cristina. The 2 towns are in different states (NV is in Nayarit & PV is in Jalisco) & are about a 15 min car ride apart. When you come into the PVR airport, you head South to get to PV, about 15 min to downtown & 25 to Dreams PV. To get to NV you head North about 15 min. So they're really not walking distance from one another. This site has a map of the area including both Nuevo Vallarta & Puerto Vallarta just to give you a general idea. You could also google about both. Puerto Vallarta Map

Congratulations Magalie!! You were gorgeous!! So many great details (not the least of which is that stunning bouquet) - but I have to say the "more than bacon," "more than truffles" inscriptions are just awesome!! You guys are adorable.

Congratulations & welcome! Just got back from our wedding at Dreams & it was absolutely perfect! And we used Teresa as well - she was great! Definitely check out the Dreams thread if you haven't already. It's a little overwhelming w/ the amount of info there, but there's a ton of great stuff! http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...-thread-29192/ And feel free to ask any questions! Good luck & have a great time planning!

Just gorgeous Di! Can't wait to see the slideshow!