Karen Aucoin

Does the Dove self tanner have that "smell" that self tanners tend to have? I have used a couple of different types but can't stand the smell of myself, haha. Quote: Originally Posted by mnh1983 The key to sunblock is to REAPPLY OFTEN! I am really fair, and when I go out in the sun, I try to reapply ever hour or so. I usually get SPF 40 or 50. As far as sunless tanners, I'm using Dove Energy Glow right now, and it looks great. I've had several compliments recently about how great I look since I've "been in the sun." It builds up slowly, so you won't look orange. It should look make you look naturally sunkissed.

So here's my situation...we got married in Punta Cana but as many of you know, traveling with guests is not really a honeymoon:) We'd like to go somewhere but don't have a lot of money. We do however have Westjet buddy passes (so will be flying standby) and are looking for someplace to go. Is it dumb to go to Disney when you don't have kids and are in your 30's? We don't want to go somewhere where we'd have to plan everything out for the days and my husband doesn't really want to go back to a resort/beach trip. Any other suggestions or has anyone done Disney and thought it was fun even without kids? We're planning to go sometime this summer.

So awesome! I wanted to do one but we went overboard with some other stuff and something had to be cut

I got my "Real Touch" flowers from Enchanting Memories in Hamilton, Ontario. (Canada) They have a Facebook page or you can go to their website: Real Touch flowers Pat and Debbie were great to work with and everyone I know that used them were very, very happy. I got all of my flowers, including my hair flower, jewels for the bouquets and fans from them.

Welcome! I'm in Alberta as well, got married in Punta Cana in November. Let me know if you have any questions that I can try to help with. There's tons of info on here! Have fun planning.

I need some help with options for our wedding video. We didn't have a professional videographer tape our wedding as we were spending a large amount on our photographer. We received a video camera as a gift so had a friend tape our wedding. Now I'm home and don't know how to make it into a nice video...I have uploaded all the files, combined them together and there's about 35 minutes worth of footage. We had the volume turned up and so there's some background static that I don't know how to get rid of and I would like to turn this "home movie" into a more professional looking video. I know that Adobe sells a software package, Adobe Premiere Elements 8, but I had bought Adobe Elements 8 for creating digital scrapbooks and I haven't even begun to learn how to use it. I heard there is a steap learning curve and I'm not so savy with this type of stuff so I'm wondering if it's easier to hire someone. I just don't want to spend a lot of money as that's what we were trying to avoid in the first place. Any advice?

We used Pastor Rick for our ceremony in November and it was one of the best decisions I made. I was originally against doing our paperwork here and doing the symbolic ceremony but when I found him I changed my mind. We kept our legal wedding here as just "paperwork" as we were sitting at our kitchen table in our jeans drinking wine. There were no pictures to be taken, rings to be exchanged, just sign here...we had my sister there and our best man and his wife. We told some people but didn't make it public knowledge that we had done so. Our wedding was in the Dominican, symbolic or not. It was important for me not to just have the 5 min. "legal" ceremony as it tends to be and have the wedding coordinator do it or translate etc. He was great to work with and you won't regret your decision to use him. The ceremony was about 20 minutes which included the sand ceremony that we brought. Some had asked about inviting him for dinner, I invited him to join us but he had to be at another wedding later that day. Here's the email address that I have for him: [email protected]

I also have looked at a lot of pictures of casual dress for guys and I think having them all wear the same shoes helped a bit.

We did the khakis and a short sleeve dress shirt for the guys and my husband wore the same pants and then a long sleeve white shirt. We were at a wedding last year where the groom wore a suit and he was soaked from sweating! If you do go that route I would make sure each guy has an extra shirt to change into. I do think a lighter suit would have looked sharp but I know my husband and our groomsmen would have been uncomfortable and with getting married away, I was pretty relaxed about the whole thing. Good luck with your decision.

We ordered these and brought them in our carry-on to Dominican and had no problems. We passed them out at our reception and had everyone write on them... We set a few off but it was too windy so we brought them home and are going to release the rest this summer as we live on a lake. I have 7 left if anyone would like them, $15 plus shipping.

I'm a teacher and I have two major behaviour kids in my class of 25 and both were absent today!! Haha, it was so quiet!!! Happy Tuesday to me!

So cool Jess! It's almost the same as mine except mine doesn't have the twist part which is very cool...my husband loved how the diamonds when all the way underneath and not just on the sides, thought it was unique. You'll love how the band looks with it! Quote: Originally Posted by Jess3414 Here is my ring: It is a 3/4 carat on top and 1 1/4 carat in the band underneath. My wedding band is a carat in diamonds to match the engagement band.

Well, I can't think of what I would do with my wedding gown so I'm going to post it for sale. It's a size 8 Demtrios gown that has had a few minor alterations. I had it shortened as I'm 5'6 (but was wearing heels), I had bra cups sewn in and a 6 point bustle added. It has been professionally cleaned. Original cost was $1200 plus tax and $200 for the alterations. Asking $500. *I live in Central Alberta but go to Calgary almost weekly...

I bought 10, 14" white ones from Ikea. It cost me $100 and I used them twice and was then able to sell the 8 that made it back home for $25...my wedding group was 30 guests if that helps.

From what I've heard you probably won't be able to get your confirmation in regards to the judge until about one year from your date. I booked about a year in advance but then changed to a symbolic ceremony but was able to keep my same day and time. They do have some chair sashes to choose from but they're not great. (You could ask the wedding coordinator to send you some photos) Most brides bring their own. I brought satin chair sashes and table runners and some other decor. They have rose petals that they spread down the isle and some white material that they wrap around posts etc. but anything else you'll have to bring yourself. I did not use the resort photographer but I've heard good things about both Kiko and Kenny. There's also Photo Souvenir that is based out of Punta Cana and they're good. (Our friends used them last year) I used Photophil, a photographer from Ontario that does tons of Majestic weddings. Any other questions feel free to PM me. We just got married there in November. Another great spot for info is the Facebook Group for Majestic Colonial Brides. There are tons of discussions as well as many pictures where you can see samples of photographers work. Happy planning!

I love looking at everyone's rings!! They're all so different and beautiful! I was so happy with the ring my hubby picked out. He went completley on his own and spent weeks going from store to store until he found "the one". It's hard to tell from the picture but the diamond is considered a floating diamond and the smaller diamonds that are on the side continue underneath and the main diamond creates a bridge. That's what sold him and that it was different. His band is squared so it's super comfortable and for a guy that has never worn jewelery didn't take any time to get use to.

Thanks for all of your support and guidance ladies. I know that since we have had this discussion so many times before that maybe counseling is the way to go. Margie, I especially like how you have described how he needs to make me more of a priority and not just once we have kids but now, otherwise kids will never be an option. And LadyTrunck, that's great advice about talking about it when we are getting along etc. and not in the middle of an argument. I once joked on my facebook status as it was: "Hockey, Football, UFC, golf and me...I see where I stand." It was a joke at the time but also so serious! He laughed it off and that was that. But now, it's just everything is always taking priority over me and more importantly, us. I guess the way I've handled it lately is to try to do more stuff for me and while I know that's good for me and I like that we have our independence I just think he needs to realize that while we may have the rest of our lives together I want to do things together now. That's always his line, "What's the big deal, we have the rest of our lives together to hang out," etc.

Just to add a few points...it wasn't always like this. We were suppose to move about two years ago and he started spending more time with his friends who all live about 30 minutes away. I didn't really mind when he stayed in town occasionaly because the cab ride was so expensive and then I was the one who had to drive him into town the next day to get his truck. His reason for spending so much time with his friends was that we were going to be moving and he wouldn't get to hang out with them much. Well, we decided not to move and he continued to hang out with them just as often. His friend is married and he would love it if she and I were to be best friends so that we could go do our thing while they played poker etc. But...his wife and I, while we are friends, it's not like we go and hang out together on weekends. I'm 32 and my husband is 31. We talk about having kids, as does his best buddy/partner in crime, and he says things will be different and I do believe that but what if we don't have kids for a couple of years? I can't go through this. It's like he just has so many other things he'd rather do than spend time with me. We have tried to talk about it before but it somehow always gets turned around into something else.

Has anyone else gone through this? I need to vent and feel like I’m not crazy for wanting more. Let me start off by saying, yes, I was with my husband for eight years before we got married and I did know what I was getting myself into. The problem isn’t that I thought we would get married and everything would change but I didn’t expect things to get worse. Let me start with what took place while we were on our week long wedding trip. He acted like it was a guys’ trip which included going out every night until the wee hours of the morning. On the night of our wedding I was embarrassed when I was with friends and strangers would come up and congratulate me and ask, “Where’s the groom?†and I would have to say, “Oh, he’s at the discoâ€. When I got upset about it I got lectured by his uncle about how it was a week of spending time with our friends and family who have traveled a long ways, blah blah and I was so mad. I wasn’t asking for much, just maybe even one night where we would go back to the room at the same time and not have it be when he’s annihilated and been out until 4:30 in the morning. The night before our trash the dress session where we were to get up and have our photos at sunrise he showed up at 4:30am, had to be up at 6:00 and he had swollen eyelids, a swollen ankle from falling down some wet stairs, and at one point actually said to me as we were face- to- face in the ocean, “I think I might throw upâ€. Can you imagine?!?! Then his mother says (in regards to the 6am trash the dress session), “You should just be grateful that he showed upâ€. Well we’ve been home now and all I can say is the trend has continued. He works out of town primarily during the week and the odd days that he is home his evenings include watching hockey, UFC and football and being attached to his blackberry and laptop 24/7 (he owns his own business so some of blackberry/text/laptop I can understand). He goes out every weekend with the guys and since we live out of town, he stays at his friends place to avoid the $60 cab ride home. When he makes it home maybe by 1:00 in the afternoon, he lies around watching t.v. and being hung-over while I do housework, buy groceries, walk the dogs etc. After two and a half months of being married we went out to one movie two weekends ago and dinner consisted of the Wendy’s drive-thru and went to a friend’s house this past weekend for a birthday party (an hour and a half away) and he and my cousin, which was one of his groomsmen, took his truck and I took our dogs in my vehicle. His reasons: there’s not enough room in the truck and you won’t want to sit around while we sort out our work tools on Sunday. In the end he and my cousin went to their friends’ house on Sunday to watch football and came home at 9:00pm which is now clearly the reason for the two vehicles. I look at peoples pictures on Facebook of all the fun stuff they do with their significant others and I feel like where’s my fun? I’m so angry and mad at all this stuff that there is no connection between us what-so-ever and I can’t imagine how much longer I can go on feeling like this. When he is in town I come home from work and go straight to the bedroom and watch t.v. and he does his thing in the living room. It’s like a vicious cycle, he’s frustrated with our lack of intimacy and I’m angry and therefore not the least bit interested in being intimate. Has anyone else gone through this? Do I need to make more of an effort in order for him to put more into our relationship? I just feel like things are so far gone I don't even know where to start to make it better.

I'm glad I brought a tide pen and wish I would have brought my Ipod dock for our room. I thought the clockradio would have a dock as many resorts due and wish I had it for when I was just in the room getting ready for dinner etc.

Quote: Originally Posted by Mel4983 Karen, Was it the official Marriage Certificate that you needed for the symbolic ceremony? I know it takes a while to get the official one after the civil ceremony. Was the hand-written one that they give you right away enough for the resort or do they require the official one? We are trying to plan our civil ceremony now for before we leave but we're not sure how far in advance to do it. Any advice that you have would help! Thanks!! I was told by Maritee (our WC) that whatever paperwork I got from the JP would be fine. We did our "kitchen ceremony" as I like to call it, one week before we left and the JP ended up giving us what is called a "Civil Marriage Statement" (which is in a certificate form) from the "Director of Vital Statistics" and is hand-written at the time of marriage. This is what I brought to the meeting with the WC at the resort. She then said we can order a large or small size official marriage certificate from the province at any time. I ordered a small wallet size one once we were back just to have for when I needed proof to change my name for things like the bank etc. as it's easier than the larger one I got from her (8 1/2 by 11).

Quote: Originally Posted by elifrigo I agree with NSBRIDE2010! at dreams to get the comp. package you have to stay in a honeymoon suite room (or above) for 7 nights and that's it! At the majestic you need 15 rooms for a minimun stay of 7 days! I think it is a bit toooo muchhh to ask your guests to stay over 7 days (many of them might go just for five days or so), But it depends of your guests! We were at a wedding at the Dreams Resort and our friends got the free wedding package by staying in the honeymoon suite room and just chose to pay extra for a private dinner. It was very nice! We just got married at the Majestic and there were 27 of us. We did not qualify for the free wedding but it cost us $1850 US. Our $1850 included the symbolic ceremony package, a day pass for Pastor Rick York, and the reception area rental and sound system rental. They really nickel and dime you for everything...

I'm not sure if this is the case still or not but we just got married in November and they told us in order to qualify for the "free wedding" with 15 rooms booked that we would have had to have had our 15 rooms booked by Oct.08 for anything in the 2009 year. As we only got engaged in November '09 we obviously did not qualify. Seemed bizarre as travel rates weren't even out at that time and we were almost a year away from our wedding date when I inquired but that was the case. I know there were many girls on the Majestic Colonial Facebook group that had many reasons for wanting to have them make an "exception" if you will, and they would never budge on it. Quote: Originally Posted by trance_angelx0x Yeah I found out Tuesday that Maritée was no longer there, 2 weeks before the wedding. Claudia was very polite, sent an e-mail introducing herself and stating that she would look at my file and confirm everything with me again. I'm a bit peeved because we have 14 rooms booked and you need 15 to get a free wedding. I asked if they would consider a discount since we are 1 room short and that's not going to fly lol

I'm not sure if this is the case still or not but we just got married in November and they told us in order to qualify for the "free wedding" with 15 rooms booked that we would have had to have had our 15 rooms booked by Oct.08 for anything in the 2009 year. As we only got engaged in November '09 we obviously did not qualify. Seemed bizarre as travel rates weren't even out at that time and we were almost a year away from our wedding date when I inquired but that was the case. I know there were many girls on the Majestic Colonial Facebook group that had many reasons for wanting to have them make an "exception" if you will, and they would never budge on it.

So when we got back from our destination wedding in November one of my bridesmaids started the journey to a healthier lifestyle and has created a blog. It's called Fit B!tch and it's a funny read for those who need a laugh or some encouragement. She also has a Facebook group where she has posted many recipes. FitBitch