*kellis*

We got a great deal on a boxed invitation set at Michaels(Brides was the brand). We just messed around with the template you get off of their website and made up a menu and printed them out on a printer. We had to do them 5 at a time since it was on cardstock and we had to make 50 but it saved a TON of time and money and they looked incredible. Sure we didnt need the RSVP cards or envelopes since we weren't using them but we have extra pretty notecards and envelopes now lol.

Quote: Originally Posted by carolina24 my confession is that although i'm beyond excited about getting married in Cancun, i'm still kinda sad that i don't get the traditional church and cinderella ballgown wedding that i dreamed about when i was little... I know the feeling. I wanted the beach wedding and got a resort chapel. It was hard seeing the weddings in Maui while we were there for the honeymoon.

I thought that it might be hard for me after the wedding when I didn't have anything to do anymore. But it's not, I'm glad to have the stress lifted and to actually be married, it's a wonderful feeling, even if we do have to go back to work and "real life" now. However my confession is that the wedding did not go how it was supposed to. The ceremony was incredible and everyone had a great time and says it was a beautiful wedding but all I can think of is what didn't go right and the way that some people acted, including my "best friends" and even my mom not being there as much as I hoped she would. Plus for some reason it's like you get married and everyone disappears, trying to give you that "newlywed time". I didn't really expect to start my married life feeling deserted by friends. I love my husband and am so incredibly happy to be married, but I still need friends you know? I figured if anyone, you ladies would know what that's like.

Quote: Originally Posted by dc22173 It is great to see that so many brides are benefiting from the starfish! This is awesome and it brings a smile to my face I can not believe how many places it has been to already!!! Does anyone know if the journal is still floating around? Yep the journal is with the starfish still

My confession is that I'm about ready to write off almost every one of the girls (minus my sister)that were my bridesmaids at our wedding. Major drama happened the night of the wedding(thankfully I wasn't anywhere close and didn't have to know about it until the next day) and this may just be the last straw for me. My other confession kinda is related, we chose our wedding party a year ago when we first got engaged and the truth is that if we were to have chosen it a month or two ago it would have looked a lot different.

Quote: Originally Posted by breeze616 Ya, I hear that! The current holder of the starfish is on her honeymoon. We can ask her when she returns. I sure hope its fixable! I'm back! I'm taking it over to Michael's today to see if I can find something to attach it to otherwise I will just glue the stick back on and it may have to be reattached sometime in the future if it falls off again. At least my bouquet was big and packed enough that I could just tuck him in between two peonies so you could just see it peeking out. Can't wait to see the pictures Either way it will be sent out via UPS tomorrow.

Quote: Originally Posted by breeze616 It doesn't surprise me that the pin isn't attached anymore, I dont think these things were designed for the kinda mileage they are getting!! We need one of those little jewelery welders like on the infomercial... That's too bad the bride hasn't contacted you. Have you tried emailing or PMing her? Or even the next bride on the list? bahiabride? You can send me your info whenever you like! Just PM it to me. She just PMd me back, she wants to be skipped so I will hold on to it and send it on to the next bride on the list when I get back. It is still beautiful, I just set it into my bouquet on a peony and it stayed there all day.

Quote: Originally Posted by breeze616 dc22173's CLEAR starfish line-up: 1 ) future mrs. kt ellis - June 5 - Scottsdale, AZ 2 ) *kerin28* - June 19 - Worcester, MA 3 ) Bahiabride2010 - July 3 - Punta Cana 4 ) jackie_c - traveling 8/12 - 8/21 – Cancun 5 ) Lovely TLC - Nov 16-26th Punta Cana, DR 6 ) breeze616 – December 6 – 16th Iberostar Rose Hall, Montego Bay 7) kateandbri - January 8th-15th 8 ) diva - 3/14/2011 (traveling 11-20) - Punta Cana 9 ) StephyD - March 27-April 10 2011 - Riviera Maya 10) susanna.hanson - June 17, 2011, Cabo San Luca Thanks! I just used the little guy in my bouquet yesterday! It was beautiful and the photographer got a great picture of it. The pick that it was attached to was not attached when I got it and it looks like it's been glued on a couple times but I'm going to try to find some sort of pin to attach it to tomorrow(now that I have allll the time in the world:p) Only problem is that I have not heard from the next bride on the list. I leave for Maui on Tuesday(June 8th) so I guess I'll just hope to hear from her by then or have someone send it out for me and hope it gets there in time.

Just got the clear starfish in the mail yesterday. It's so cute! And the little journal it came with was an awesome idea as well, I got goosebumps reading about all your beautiful weddings, it really made me feel even more like I was part of something here. I'll have to look for the latest list or whoever is next can PM me their info and I'll make sure it goes out the Monday after my wedding:)

I can't believe I'm sharing this but I woke up this morning(8 days before the wedding) with a swollen lip I get these fever blisters on my lip sometimes when I'm sick or tired or stressed and I was scared something like this would happen. Usually I just wait it out because I don't have the time or money to try different otc remedies that might not work. But my wedding is in a week and I CAN'T have this nasty split lip thing, I don't know what to do! Has anyone had this problem before and what did you use to get rid of it FAST?

Wow thank you so much Karen! You have no idea how much that helped me. I liked what I saw on Zappos.com and found these ones, I just ordered them.Annie Alba at Zappos.com They got great reviews so I'm really hoping I like them when I get them in the mail. If not then I'm no worse off and I can just go find some ivory ballet flats or something. And I think you got me hooked on Zappos:)

I just got my bridesmaid's bouquets yesterday. I love them! They were made by etsy seller hairbowswonderworld hairbowswonderworld on Etsy She was so sweet and made all 4 bouquets custom in 5 weeks so we'd have them in time. I can't wait to show them to my girls. My veil by BellaBridalVeils I got the ivory waterfall wedding bridal veils scattered Swarovski crystals. I was wary of ordering a veil online but I really like it. It's just light enough but still looks very finished. You would never tell it's a $40 veil not the $150 ones they sold at the bridal shop. And lastly a little surprise for FI, not showing him til the reception:) by Crystal Creations By Jen Crystal Creations By Jen by crystalcreationsbyj on Etsy Crystal Creations By Jen by crystalcreationsbyj on Etsy I'm so addicted to Etsy! I'm trying to keep from buying this comb but I really haven't found anything like it in a store. CLARE Bridal vintage brooch bridal hair comb by Croska on Etsy

Our wedding is in exactly 2 weeks and I still don't have shoes! I don't know what to do, I've been to countless shoe stores and searched online(not sure I even have time to order now and if I do what if it doesn't fit?). Mom, fmil and I even braved the mall on a Saturday and no luck What doesn't help anything is that I need ivory or olive(or emerald)green shoes with a 1-1 1/2 in. heel. That REALLY narrows my options. Help! I never thought shoes would be the thing driving me crazy at the last minute. I love shoes, why is this so hard?

Quote: Originally Posted by butterfly4kathy2 SO EXCITING! Your wedding is so close!!! Then you pass it on to ldeavila and then she gives it to me! YAY!!! And then I get it! Let me know when you need my address. I don't want to give it to you too soon or it might get lost in the shuffle:)

Etsy :: Reserved for ktcupcake - FAIRY TALE Bridesmaid Bouquet with dupioni silk rolled rosette , lace, pearls and vintage jewels. Vintage inspired . MADE TO ORDER My bridesmaid's bouquets, I love them! She's making them now, I can't wait to see them, each one is going to be original:)

Quote: Originally Posted by beachbunni307 I'm on the fence about tattoos for me. On one hand...i've seen some really cool ones (I love the foot tattoos)....and I know of two that I would want...but i'm such a wuss. My Fiancee has a few and really wants me to get some too....but i don't know if I will be able to handle the pain. I have my belly button pierced...but thats like just a pinch for a second. If I did....I would want a tiger cub for one because tigers have always been my favorite animal...and the other one either my favorite flower (tiger lily....and not because of the name) or hawaiian flowers because Hawaii is my favorite place to be. I'm a total wuss when it comes to pain too. Needles and waxing, I'm a complete baby. But honestly I have two tattoos and neither of them hurt as much as piercing my belly button. So if you already have that, you'll be fine. It's pain but it's a different kind of pain then you're expecting. Just do yourself a favor and don't get like a huge side piece for your first tattoo and you'll be fine.

Quote: Originally Posted by peterpanpixiedust Soooo adorable! I am praying for a cancellation of that other girl's wedding so you can have this photog! It's a shame not to be able to. This is a perfect fit! I know, I feel bad for it but that thought completely crossed my mind. Then I realized I was getting a little Bride Wars and decided to cool it

So in the process of planning this wedding, I have had the hardest time finding a photographer. Being a bit of a picture snob, I haven't been able to find someone whose work I was in love with that just wowed me who would also be within our photography budget. I stumbled upon Kara of Illuminated Moments at a bridal show we went to a few weeks ago and was so psyched that she fit all the things I wanted in a photographer. I was so bummed to find out a couple days later that she was already booked for our wedding date. We decided to go ahead and do engagement pictures with her since we're only 4 months out and we don't have a photographer yet. We had so much fun and they turned out AMAZING! It just so happens that the bizarre weather this year made it rainy on the day we did the picture. It was not typical Arizona winter weather AT ALL. But I got to wear my cute jackets that I use only a few times a year and it was perfect weather, it only sprinkled a couple times, right on cue it seems. Well, here they are, these are our preview. I can't wait to order prints and to get our canvas wrap guestbook done! Sorry some of these are so big, I've been trying to make them smaller but photobucket changed everything around on me.

Okay so update...Sorry it has taken me so long, FI and I moved 2 days before Christmas and things have been crazy since. And we still don't have internet. I've been going crazy trying to plan this wedding without being able to be on the internet everyday. My BlackBerry has been a lifesaver in letting me check my e-mail and facebook. The contract has been signed and deposit paid, finally. And thankfully everything that needs to be decided with the resort FI and I get to handle ourselves since my dad is in another state and can't make it to the menu tastings etc. I have been so stressed out the last few weeks because we're running out of time and I'm getting tired of finding great vendors who tell me they aren't available on our date(most notably photographers). My mom and I went to a bridal show last weekend and that helped a ton in giving me more options for vendors and discounts. And I also won a prize at their fashion show, a candy buffet for up to 50 people, worth $450! I think we'll probably use that for my shower to help out my MOH (who is in another state and who knows how much planning she'll be able to do.) But it made the planning fun again. This month I've gotten a bunch done and I'm proud of myself for that. I got my wedding dress ordered! The place was great, they even paid for a rush on it(otherwise I would be getting the dress in with less than a month before the wedding to get it altered.) We found a place for our rehearsal dinner, AND we have engagement pictures planned this Tuesday, the 19th by an awesome photographer(who unfortunately is booked on our wedding date but who has been really helping me out by referring me to some great people). Slowly but surely I'm getting things done and trying so hard not to stress about the money thing. Thanks for all the good vibes.

The zipline in Kapaluea is definitely worth it. We had so much fun. Only problem is if you have "bigger" guests since the weight limit is 230 I believe. Molokini Snorkeling is amazing too. We went in March and there were so many whales we saw on the boatride out to it and the fish were incredible. If you have a chance to go do a helicopter tour, do it. That would be really hard to organize as a group activity obviously but you and FI should definitely try it.

I did a search and couldn't find any threads about this so if I missed it, sorry. But I was wondering what everyone does for holidays? There seems to be too many family groups that want us there which is great but how do you divide everything so it's fair? I've read articles about this but most seem to only deal with just your family and your in-laws. What do you do when you have divorced and remarried families that you've always had to split holidays between, times 2? Last year FI and I ended up not being together for the Christmas and I didn't want to do that this year but we don't want to be exhausted trying to do two family holidays in one day. It seems you can't help but offend someone. It doesn't help that my father's family is in California so it requires a few day trip to be worth the expense which we just can't fit in this year. I love the holidays and was loving the Christmas "spirit" until all the family politics crap showed up again. It's enough to just make me want to stay home alone with FI for the next 2 weeks. Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

It just depends on what you two are into. Do you picture you two spending all your days either in bed or on the beach? Would you like to have room service available for you if you don't feel like going out? Or are you more comfortable having a kitchen to yourselves so you can make food together and eat in rather then going to a different restaurant every night. A lot of vacation rentals have community pools, or would you like laying by the pool and being able to order drinks and food there? Obviously the plus of a cottage is you have a ton more privacy. The plus of the resort is having someone there to take care of stuff for you like booking outings and reservations. Personally I've never been to Kauai but have been to Maui many times and loved having our own place to spread out and get comfortable in. Plus you have to do a little more exploring to go grocery shopping or find restaurants and I loved that because the locals are so friendly. Just some things to think about.

You know, right about now I wish we were. Even if it meant a backyard wedding with a white dress from Target(which is not a dig on anyone, I seriously love Target). But the way my family works, to deny them a part in the wedding would be really offensive.

So here we are, a month later....And I'm sorry but it's time for another vent/rant. Contract is still not signed. All this time my loving, doting, father(I say that with as much sarcasm as I can muster) has been "negotiating" the contract with the WC at the resort. All the while assuring me that our date is safe and that he has things under control, knows what he's doing because he throws events for his company all the time and is contact with the WC. Then last week the woman e-mails both of us saying that someone else was interested in the date so to get back to her in the next 48 hours with the contract signed or the date would go back into the system. I of course completely lose it(which my amazing FI had to witness and attempt to calm me down so I could communicate in a more constructive way than saying I'm gonna kill him! over and over, bridezilla moment much?) All I have to say is that it is probably a good thing that my dad lives in another state or I would have really caused some family drama. So the next day my dad calls me and says he is coming to town for some business meetings and has set up a meeting with the resort for us on Tuesday(tomorrow). Um, thanks for not consulting me on this but ok. I call my work and ask for the day off, no problem, my manager gives me the day off(even though I really need all the hours I can get right now). I get my work schedule, everything seems okay. Then I finally get a hold of dad again after 3 days of him not answering my phone calls or texts. He informs me that he had to switch the meeting to Wednesday...the day I absolutely cannot take off of work. At first he doesn't see a problem with the fact that neither I, FI, or my mother could make it to the meeting with him. By the end of the call he says he'll see what he can do. Tonight I talk to him and he asks, you said Wednesday worked better for you right? I can't believe this. I've heard of FMIL and even mothers of the bride being momzillas but seriously, I have no clue what is going on in his head right now. Even FI who is usually a really laid back guy is getting upset with him and that's really not how I want their relationship to start. So as it stands, I will have to get off work and drive across town to go to a meeting that will have been set for a half an hour(at least) before I can get there. Last I talked to him I asked him to come to dinner with FI and I, and my mom and stepdad tomorrow night to talk things out and finally once and for all(after 6 months of beating around the bush) hash out the expectations and the budget. At this point, I have to honestly say that I don't even expect him to show. I fully expect for him to call me a half hour before and tell me that a meeting(aka taking a client out for drinks) ran late and he has to take care of that. And I don't know how I'm going to handle that. By the way, I am just now realizing that I have less than 6 months to completely plan our wedding considering the only things I've been able to get done is find the place and find(not even order yet) my wedding dress. I'm starting to really get uneasy. Not to mention my MOH is in Oregon and was supposed to come back here to visit family and help me with wedding stuff(not to mention take me out and help me regain my sanity) and I just found out she isn't planning on coming back until spring because her family isn't planning anything for Christmas so she "didn't see any reason to make the trip yet". I'm trying not to feel hurt but it's hard. And the icing on the cake is that I'm unexpectedly moving between next week and Christmas. Lovely. Phew, thank you ladies again for listening to my,oh so interesting, family politics and myself letting the stress get to me. I feel a ton better.

Quote: Originally Posted by latoya1908 OK...it sounds like I missed YET ANOTHER opportunity to order...LOL!! When's the next one? I had to back out this time because, surprise, I have to move in a week and my bank account is all tied up in that. I'll be looking into ordering some in the next couple months for myself so if your wedding isn't anytime soon maybe we can go in on an order together. PM me if you are interested. That goes for anyone that didn't get in on this order. Not looking at doing anything this big but hey if a few of us get some we'll still be saving money.