amybermuda

Ok, so here's my $1,000,000 question: My wedding is May 29th and my AHR is July 24th. Can I have my shower AFTER my wedding and before the AHR? I really would rather do it over the third weekend in June. Its a holiday weekend and I am starting a new job Jan 1 so would feel bad taking days off in March or April when I am taking 2 weeks in May for my wedding. Is that BAD?

Lindz, yes I am lucky - my Dad gave Mark & I a pretty good budget for the AHR and he's even paying for part of the Mexico wedding. It helps that I am the second and last girl. My sister did all the hard work for me ahead of time. Now, all I had to do was get engaged and my dad said "this is how much your sister got, so you'll get the same thing..." I was at a wedding 2 weeks ago and they had the photo booth thingy there. It was so cool. Its supposed to be the rage right now. I loved taking the pix and you get 2 strips - one for the bride & grooms album and 1 to keep and take home. My step dad actually sat down on the bench not realizing it wasn't attached to the floor and feel out of the back of the machine. It was hilarious!

Quote: Originally Posted by KittenHeart Regarding the AHR - I am going to send pictures to everyone who isn't able to attend the weddiing that I invited with a note that they were in our hearts and we love them very much... something along those lines so they feel included. LOVE that idea! I still unfortunately have to have the party for his fam I guess I can hope for the gifts.

Good thread! How are you girls keeping the costs to $30-$40 per person?? I am having a party at my Dad's neighborhood center on the Bay and my costs are closer to $10,000 for 100 people. Are caterers THAT much more expensive than going to a restaurant?

Quote: Originally Posted by islandbride317 YUP -- three months later it will be for us, too! We are getting married in Jamaica on May 14, 2010.....and then having our AHR on August 14, 2010, and we didn't feel that waiting 3 months was too long at all! Actually, it will be nice to have a little bit of a break between the two, and then we'll also have a little bit more time to save that all-important money to pay for it all! Plus, I thought it was fate when we were looking at dates for the AHR (choosing between July & August) that one of the Saturday dates fell on the 14th, so 8/14/10 it is! Thats so funny! I am getting married in Mexico in May and having my Chesapeake Bay reception in July! I am waiting only 2 months. Really that decision was based on my guests who are coming to both. Its a lot to ask people to travel to Mexico then to Maryland the next week. My FI's parents live in SC. I suppose if your friends & family all live in one area it would not matter as much, but we have only maybe 30% of invites to the AHR from Maryland. Heres another question: can I have my wedding shower AFTER my wedding and before my AHR?!

Wow let us know what happens! $650 sounds outrageous. I used the sticky note list and found flowers that were in season in Mexico. I am using lillies and roses for my bouquet and lillies and daisies for my BMs. They were like $80 each. My beach decor are Gladiolas which were a great price - only $47 per vase! I thought they'd look good on the ground level b/c they are such tall flowers. My centerpieces were only $50 or so as well and are made of lillies, daisies, and roses. It sounds like someone made an error but if it is b/c they have to buy in bulk, I wonder if they can use the other flowers for your BM bouquets and centerpieces?

Lindz - its totally cool if you do not have an AHR. I invited a VERY limited # of ppl to my wedding and Mark's step-siblings and their families are not able to afford it (12 ppl) - we knew this going in. So we kinda had to have an AHR. Its going to be a party at my Dad's neighborhood center thingy and its $500 to rent. Prob about $10k in catering though. I think its OK not to have one. I would only worry about it if family cannot attend - and then you can always do a family get together and show pictures from the wedding. It might be cute to send out wedding announcements to everyone that say how happy you are and that you cant wait to see them and look forward to getting together soon?

Thanks Katie - your right. I cannot handle being hungry in the afternoon - hello snacks ! LOL

Quote: Originally Posted by Afrommert flowers... ok so I may go with the silk ones now seeing how unreasonable they are at as, But has anyone had an outside vendor like cancun florist deliver flowers to the resort? Amy F - I got very reasonable quotes on my flowers. I am using lillies and roses in my bouquet and lillies and daisies in my BMs. BM's are $80 each and mine is $50 b/c its larger than the free one I am supposed to get. I am using Orange and Pink Gladiolas for the beach decor and they are only $43/each vase (using 2) and then my centerpieces are $47 each and are described as - Square Glass vases filled with orange and fuchsia lilies, daisies and roses. Should be accented with yellow and lime green. At least it seems reasonable to me! I have heard of weddings where flower budgets are $1,000 and mine is around $650 for flowers - so I thought I was doing good! Also, yeah I think you just get the DJ they have on call. I am going to bring a song list just in case. I remember another bride saying she got a list of his songs and then did not bother putting together her own play list b/c his was really good. You should PM one of the former brides!

Ames - yum your breakfast sounds awesome. I'll have to try that, I dont really like milk so cutting out cereal and trying oatmeal is prob the way to go. I love egg whites too, but what, do you cook them and reheat them at work?

Congrats Vanessa! I am sure you'll have the wedding of your dreams at Azul!

Lindz, You are a star. I am going to print out your post and keep it at home in my kitchen. It will keep me inspired! I have been doing better the last 2 weeks - lost about 3 pounds so far. We all have problem areas for sure. I have the "saddle bags". They are awful! Even when I was skinny, I still had them, they were smaller - its just my body type. I am doing breakfast - bran flakes & skim milk - Lunch - Lean pocket (it feels like cheating) with a huge salad w/ tons of veggies and light Hidden Valley Ranch - which is so good it also feels like cheating. Dinner last week was chicken, whole wheat cous cous and broccoli. This week dinner is shrimp and snow peas with brown basmati rice. I find that 1/2 cup of starch at dinner really fills me up and keeps me from wanting a snack later. I love the drinks you mentioned. Vodka & water is actually not bad, so is vodka & club soda w/ lime. I love Bloody Marys too. They are so good for you except the salt content is very high. Have you ever had a bloody ceasar? Its a bloody mary w/ Clamato juice which is tomato & clam juice. Sounds gross, but even less calories and delish! The one thing that I try to do is go to bed a little hungry. In the past if I did that, I lost weight. If I go to bed full, I gain weight. I just read online a study where they fed mice a high fat diet and the mice with a lot of the food at dinner gained 42% more weight compared to the mice who's high fat meals were broken up evenly throughout the day. You girls are so supportive & I really appreciate it.

Quote: Originally Posted by KittenHeart FI and I did a day trip to Chitzen Itza and as awesome as it was, it was 3 hours away from Cancun! It was a 12 hour excursion and completely exhausting! So if you go, do a shorter one because we came back and totally crashed. I would have rather done a shorter trip and be able to do something that night. I've heard the Tulum ruins are good too and much closer. Just a little piece of advice! Oh thanks for that. I thought Tulum was much further away! Duh!

Amy, we are doing a catamaran cruise on the Friday before we get married. It's kind of like the rehearsal dinner, so his parents are paying for it. There are a couple companies I have been looking into. I think we'll want to do some snorkeling and then cruise around for a bit. cancucncatarmarans and Cata Maya Catamaran are the ones I have been looking at. I also want to do a day excursion to Chita Itza (sp?) earlier in the week with whomever wants to join. That one everyone would have to pay on their own. I think the next couple weeks I am going to send out the brochure and timeline and see what people want to do.

They are awesome!!!! Congrats. If I got something like that in the mail I would be super psyched for the wedding!!!

Let ,me know if this is a go ahead. I think I could get in shape by February or March....

Welcome Lauren! And congrats on getting engaged I started by wanting my family to fly direct where ever we got married, so I went to the BWI website and checked out all the destinations where the airlines flew direct from Baltimore. I was going to do Bahamas but then found the Riviera Maya - south of Cancun in Mexico. Then you only need to pick the resort! We picked the Azul Beach b/c there was a cocktail hour where they bring in a donkey with barrels full of beer. LOL We both HAD TO HAVE A DONKEY AT OUR WEDDING and the decision was made! Happy hunting!!!!

I think my FI would find a BD book weird. I really want to do it, but I am sure hes never even heard of one and would think its strange to take racy pics and publish them. And what happens if your kids start snooping and find it! OMG I would die if I found one of my mom when I was little - LOL. I want to exchange nice watches as neither of us have a really good one. And have the backs engraved.

I was able to open one but cant anymore either - I think you have to get out of noob status first! Start posting ! lol

Thanks Amy! MrsVtoBe - I have asthma too. Its quite easy to manage if you take the steroid inhalers every day. I put mine next to my toothbrush and take it every morning & night before I brush. I am glad you found out what was wrong. That must have been very frustrating. Feel better girl!

I love it Lindz! Another unproductive day for me

Amy KH - yeah - good idea!! I will be sure to take a pic of me in my costume!!! I am actually using my maid of honor dress that I wore 10-10 to my BF's wedding.

Wow - Bye Nicole! Have fun! I am sure itll be the best wedding EVER!!!!! Glad you got some meds. Stay off the booze for a day or 2 also and you should be A-OK. Have a good partying weekend Lindz. And thanks so much for the website ideas. I will peek at them today or over the weekend. I am off to get the rest of my greek goddess costume

Or you could look at something in St Marys Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay. I dont have any specifics but my friend got engaged at a B&B out there - very romantic!

Triple Amys at the Azul! Love it. Amy/Afrommert - I bet you can tell your maid of honor that she is a control freak, right? But you probably cannot tell your mother in law... So I would tell your maid of honor that you really want them to work together but that there might be a personality clash. You could also warn your mother in law that your maid of honor can be somewhat of a control freak but that she means well and just wants to make your day so special, blah blah blah. I am sure they will play nicely for you if you bring it up to them individually. Plus there is so much to do for a shower that they should have their hands full. Decorations, location, food, drinks, games. Thats really a lot for just one person to do!