amybermuda

I am done Day 1! It was not too bad. I never think Sunday is - its always the 2nd day of low carb, but I am committed to do a good job and lose my 8 pounds I put on after the wedding Pam, how are you doing? Lisa? Anyone else?

Welcome Michelle! My 1st piece of advice is to get a good Travel Agent!!! One that specializes in DWs or group travel. Glad you found the forum; it will keep you sane Chong, There are a couple good threads on BDW where people have placed their song lists. Do a search. Do you have enough posts to download? My "last song" of the night was Take a Chance on Me by ABBA. Everyone loved it. Quote: Originally Posted by dstinationdrmr Ok Ladies, I'm finally caught up since I was gone. It took me 3 days!! Lol. In the past week FI and I have come to the decision that we will probably not have an AHR as we planned. I'm kinda bummed but kinda relieved at the same time. I feel like it was too much for me to plan and the fact that it was going to be Mardi Gras weekend, things were just really pricey. We would have spent the money we saved doing a DW on the AHR. Also, FI spent the week at home vitising his parents and they said that they thought it was too much to have to come to MX in Nov then have to turn around and come to N.O. in March. I kinda understand this, but at the same time I'm a little disappointed in this. FI and I have been living together for 3 years and not once have they been to visit. I think it's because his mom isn't keen on our pre-marital living arrangement but that's just specualtion. We could be living in a matchbox for all they know. I'm ok with not having a huge party. I was always fine with just having our wedding in MX and calling it a day. FI and his mom were the ones pushing to have an AHR because a lot of their family will not be there. Anyway, now I'm torn because we put it in everyone's heads that we were going to do something that weekend. We even paid a deposit on the venue. Now, some people that I wanted to be involved in some way aren't going to be involved at all, i.e. my grandmother and uncle. We still wanted to do something but if his parents and possibly his BM won't be there I think it's a little pointless. So, one of our thoughts is to just do something like a bbq or a random party but not necessarily have that be connected to our wedding. I feel that this would be a fun idea especially since it will be Mardi Gras weekend. Or we can have an AHR for our one year anniversary. Any thoughts? Anyone going thru something similar? Meredith, Who are you having your AHR for? If his parents are coming to Mexico, then the AHR is not for them, right? Are there guests who are not able to come to Mexico you really want to celebrate with? Can they come to NO? I really wanted my 90 year old grandpa to be there -- he was able to make an hour or so in Maryland -- so it was worth it to me. I have to be honest here, while I had a great time at my AHR, it was a bit anti-climatic. I don't regret having an AHR, I am just saying after my wedding was over I was a little relieved that it was over - and then I had to do the AHR stuff... The week of, I was really excited, but the weeks leading up to it was more of a chore.

Thanks Christie! I don't have many pictures from my AHR - I put down my camera and forgot to pick it back up until the end of the party. I love your venue - I remember your post when you found it. Have a great time!!! One thing I did, was put out a picture album for people to leaf through with pictures from Mexico - not just the wedding but the whole week of events - everyone liked looking at them.

Love the pictures Danie! They look awesome. I love the pink and white BM dresses and the pink and gray GM shirts. I did white pants on the guys too - they look so good!!! Congrats on being a Mrs.!! Too bad you could not stay longer at AS, but hey there is always your first anniversary or sooner!

Hi girls! I just updated the "what I would do again, what I wouldn't do" thread! This thread really helped me decide what was important to me, so I wanted to post the link so you girlies getting married can check it out. http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/thread/6691/what-i-would-and-wouldn-t-do-again

Things I would do again: Give out an OOT bag: 1) Including a “Who’s Who” with pictures detailing how we knew every guest in Mexico and 2) Bought bags that were bright colored from www.ewam.com so guest were easily identified around the resort carrying them had a core group of DW supporters who deflected a lot of the complaints from guests, family, and people not invited so I did not have to hear all of it - they tell me now and I don't care - but if I had known then, I would have been upset! Made my rule – no more than 2 people outside smoking at anytime during the reception – otherwise knowing my friends, the dance floor would have been empty Broke my budget using Claudia Rodriguez as my photographer. Her pictures were amazing! Organized a catamaran for everyone the day before the wedding and gave our thank you speech then. It gave us all time to hang together on the boat, so I did not feel stressed about having to spend a lot of time with everyone on the wedding day. Bought all Bobbi Brown make up before going to Mexico. It was expensive, but it looked flawless all day/night, even in the heat and after dancing. Things I wish I would have done differently: Known that the bride has all the power on her day & used it! For example, I should have told the DJ to change songs when he put on "I like big butts" at 9pm!!! Used a DW TA, and not a small, local TA to support small business; she was awful; I should have used a professional and should have shopped around for the best deals. We all paid rack rates, and she was rude to guests and really, really stupid. I would have gotten my dress steamed as soon as I got to the resort. I waited too long and they couldn’t do it in time for the wedding. I would have spent more time telling certain flaky members of my family exactly how the wedding would work ahead of time, so they would not ask me stupid questions the day of or go back to their room at exactly the time they should have been sitting down and miss us getting introduced and first dance! The schedule in the OOT bag was never read. Drink less. I wish I was not as drunk after the wedding reception and could have gone to the beach for the after party. Damned Tequila shots!

That parent deserves to be arrested for harassment and assault. You are not allowed to write things like that about a minor! What a horrible person!! I can only imagine how your daughter feels - 13 is such a hard age for girls as it is - without some trashy mother-daughter combo acting like that on an online forum. I would start with a concerned call to the mother, and if it does not stop, I would contact the police. Then again, people like that are unstable, and so ignoring it might be the best bet if it will go away thereafter.

Quote: Originally Posted by Bride Loving CJ I love the cute little rings in the top corner of the programs!!! Ha! Thank you. I got them at Michael's crafts. I thought I needed some "weight" to keep the programs from blowing away. My friend's weer all posing with them on after the wedding and pictures on facebook led to some pretty funny rumors

That's awesome Lisa! Go girl! How are you doing Pam? I am going to start this Sunday. I have gone out to eat the last 3 ngiths and gotten dessert each night. I am feeling a bit porked - and leave for my honeymoon Aug 28th so need to feel comfortable in a bathing suit

Oh Ames, sorry to hear that. Hope you are doing better!! Ha! Good comparison!!! Yay, congrats! Its amazing how many posts you can do in such a short amount of time! That's awesome Amy. Did they interview you or only your photog? I am still in awe of your pictures, the different locations and angles that Chris got. He is amazing, but you really wow'ed everyone with your personal touches and uniqueness. How did the dress shopping go? This is a good question w/ no real answer like Maggie said. I gave everyone 4 months before the wedding as their RSVP - but that was b/c AB was so small that they ended up selling out of rooms 3 1/2 months before my wedding date. I don't think AS would have that problem. You have to have spreadsheet finalized 30 days prior to leaving (although these can change even up to the week you are at AS - just make sure you underestimate - I have never heard of a bride getting $ back at the resort for lobbing off a guest or two). But depending on your personal touches, you might want to know ahead of time. For example, I bought everything for our OOT bags at least 3 months before our wedding date. If you are buying favors or pashminas, etc, you might want to know 2-3 months before you leave. Communication is key! I sent out a lot of group emails urging people to make the decision sooner rather than later!

I let all of mine choose dresses and they did ask over and over what I wanted them to get, etc.... If I had 1 like Wedny, I can see picking it, but I had 4 with VERY different bodies, so letting them pick made the most sense to me. I liked the $30 dress, I just wonder if the hips would be lost on a 13 year old girl. It looked a little structured. But if it fit well, and you like, then go for it! Unless you want a "beachy" theme, I would not worry about the dress not being beachy enough. I went with beachy, and everyone had flowy dresses, etc - as did I. And the guys all in linen. But if thats not what you are going for, I love the more formal fitted outfits in Mexico. It looks very classy!

Ohhh so now your FI wants the people paid to make comments to help him, huh!!?? j/k It was definitely cheaper to get married at home first - plus no blood tests - I was super scared I would bruise. Also, in my experience at AB, the ministers spoke very good english whereas the judges who do the legal ceremonies weren't as comfortable-sounding with english. I had a thread on this forum called "anyone getting legally hitched before mexico" or something like that. If you search for it and find it, there were like 100 girls giving their own pros and cons. I love love love your dress!!! AWESOME idea. And, you looked great with 9 months to go!

Hello! Mine was May 29th 2010 and fab as well! I loved the intimate Azul Beach for my guests and everyone to get to know each other. I have not written my review yet (getting my pro pics on CD the end of Aug and will write the review then). Here is my slideshow: http://claudiaphoto.com/slideshows/claudia/may10/amy_mark/

Oh yeah I was in a wedding last October - I was the Maid OH and there was a Matron OH too and then 5 BMs. The 2 MOHs wore champagne colored dresses and the other BMs wore chocolate brown. The pictures were awesome! Have different colors look great. One of my BMs told me last night (the pink dress one) that she was very apprehensive about me letting all the girls choose colors and fabrics and styles and textures for the BM dresses. But, after the wedding and esp after the pictures she thought it looked amazing. As long as you pick a dress that looks good on the different sizes & shapes of BMs, then it will all look awesome. At AS or AB, it all looks awesome anyways Oh yeah, a peacock feather theme/accent/inspiration was so cool!

Some one said they were using Alberto from Claudia Photos. I found this on his slideshows - I love the pictures he took - so good choice for sure! http://www.claudiaphoto.com/slideshows/alberto/june/ashley_jesse/

Quote: Originally Posted by chong I LOVE your pictures from Claudia. Where did you get the matching bracelet? I thought that was so cute How long did you have her for? Was it enough time to take all the pictures you needed? Thanks you My friend is a jewelry designer and she designed everyone's cuffs and earrings for me. She printed out their dresses (and mine) and had them mounted on a black board. Then she sketched her designs and had some ribbon, and some pieces of stones and the metal pieces so she could show me her vision. I ok'ed it all and she made it and delivered it to me the weekend before we left. I felt famous and my friends loved it all. I wear the earrings she made for me all the time. She is getting her website and facebook fan page up and running in the next month so I'll send you the link when its done. I just love how she knew what I wanted my wedding to be and made jewelry to fit it! Quote: Originally Posted by amandamarieb Ok Ladies so I need som help deciding on flowers. i thought that I send you photos of my "look" so you can have a good idea of what else is going on. They are also wearing matching vests and sage green ties Here are the bridesmaids dresses: They will be in sage green incase that didnt show up I am going to have 6 of these bouquets tied to chivalir chairs with gold bows. They will line the aisles as well: I want to have dried lilac running the aisles I was originally going to do all white and green flowers but now think that there needs to be some more color. What do you think? To go along with the ones I've shown you, which do you think would work best given my adversion to too much color and wanting everything to feel antiquey and romantic? Here's one option. I would change a couple of thinsg...no branches out of the top and a gold ribbon. Also more garden green filler instead of bright green. Let me know what you think.Thanks for the input ladies! Purple Summer Wedding Flowers Photo by Floral Verde LLC | WeddingWire Again, no random twigs sticking out if I go with these and also less bright green filler, more garden green. And a gold ribbon tying them all together. I love the gold ribbon! Everything is going to be gorgeous Amanda. I love your theme/feel of your wedding. Its going to be so romantic... Kind of like a MidSummer Nights Dream kind of feel. My sister had a wedding like that and it was amazing. Just thinking about it makes me feel all warm and lovey. I like the Wedding wire bouquet best. I think just a small hint of purple here and there as an accent will really bring out the green you have chosen. And honestly I don't think green and white needs much accent. Are you going to do seating cards (I forget their formal name)? I think gold calligraphy hand written names would look really nice and go with your theme. Quote: Originally Posted by amandamarieb Take my advice and look into every promotion the other girls on this thread mention getting. That's what I did and now I have saved myself well over 3k. That's wicked! They are offering so much better rates and packages and little deals than when I booked. You really made out like a bandit!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Mahalo79 Wow I just looked at your pictures!! They are amazing! I love the orange & pink flowers together and the colours of your bridesmaids are just gorgeous!! Makes me so excited to plan mine! Also is selling me on the idea of upgrding our photographer, the pics are gorgeous! Conratulations!! Quote: Originally Posted by cjb0arder13 Amybermuda....FANTASTIC pics! You are sooooo stunning! I hope I look half as beautiful as you did on your wedding day. And I'm so glad I picked Claudia too. She takes AMAZING photos! Quote: Originally Posted by Mahalo79 Um, i dont think i am down with the multi quote yet lol. I was looking at Amybermuda's pics, so nice!! Quote: Originally Posted by beaz2be Sorry to hear about the stress of it but so glad it all turned out to be fun in the end (despite the weather). It looked like everyone had a GREAT time! Congrats!! JUST GORGEOUS!! So happy for you. Thanks Ladies. I am really happy with how they turned out. There are so many other ones I cant wait to see when I get the CD and album. Claudia is actually going to hand deliver them to our honeymoon August 28th. I don't trust the mail to Bermuda. Then I can write my wedding review --- but I think you all know I give the whole week an A+++!

Quote: Originally Posted by thefuturemrslutz GORGEOUS!!!! You looked sooooooooooo happy!!!! You two make a great couple and your pictures are STUNNING!!! Thanks Lindz! Can't believe you only have 13 days! This is the countdown, seeing your to do list though looks like you have it all under control. When do you go on vacation from work?

Thanks! Man I am telling you, Azul makes it easy! I did not appreciate it that until I saw what it was like to do a local wedding/AHR - I am so much more appreciative of the DW now. I always thought it was a better choice, but now I am 100% sure. It's funny that you felt the same way, Wendy. And was it Amanda telling your Mom what to wear?? I told everyone what to wear. Sorry, that was my Bride-zilla and I do not regret it! I said solid colors - no patterns - look at my Mom and Dad both in yellow - I think they looked great! And My MIL in the bright pink/purple dress looked awesome with my fushia roses. If you want soft muted colors, then that is what they have to wear! Tell your Mom she can wear that bright dress to the welcome dinner or whatever else you are planning in Mexico, but you get the final say for wedding attire!!!!! If you look at my pics, the people in patterned dresses look busy. I guess I did not really tell everyone what to wear, just my immediate family

annnnnnnnnddddd my slideshow is up! I am obsessed!!! Amy & Mark | May 14th 2010 | Azul Beach Hotel, Puerto Morelos Mexico

Hi Ladies! Before I go back and read what's been going on, I wanted to write you to say I just had super fun AHR! It was record breaking heat and record breaking bay bridge traffic - so people were 1+ hours late getting there and we were outside in 100+ degree heat. Let me tell you... If that was my wedding I would have been a stress case. and you know what? THANK GOD I DID A DW!!! All the stress and stupid crap we encounter dealing with family and travel issues, Miami coordinators, Lomas, then going through the hotel staff - yes I know its hard - but my wedding in Mexico was stress free and carefree and awesome. Saturday solidified my destination wedding choice that much more. I mean, 1/2 my guests would have missed my ceremony had we been having a traditional wedding on Saturday. I only have a few pictures of the party - I'll do a review later once I get the better pix. Picasa Web Albums - Amy - Stateside Rec... The after party was a bit insane.... hehe Hope you all had a great weekend!!

Thanks Snack Attack - you look gorgeous in your siggy pic! I am going to snoop your pix - congrats to you too

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