vlynnw

Budget - we're doing a 3 - 3.5k budget for this and 3k will be provided by my FFIL for the AHR It's going to be somewhat informal we're doing it on a Saturday afternoon to keep costs down a bit. It's at a wonderful beautiful location and will be a hor'dourve and cocktail reception. It's mostly mingling we are not going to be re-doing dances or anything like that...but we will have cake! The AHR is scheduled for 7 weeks after our wedding. This is because I should have all our pics back 6 weeks after and they will serve as majority of our decor. I'm going to place a large picture that I will have printed on thick boarding on an eisel when guests first enter our venue neck to the gift table. There will then be a vintage style designed sign with different arrows directing guests to the photobooth, cocktails, etc. We plan on wearing different clothes I'm wearing a white long dress from Nordstrom so I'm still somewhat bride looking. We are going to put on our wedding attire right before the event begins to have pictures taken with grandparents and my sister who won't be at the wedding. The photographers that did our e-pics will be there for our AHR. I'm doing a vintage theme for the AHR so I designed invites that are playbill style. We're also doing a DIY photobooth with fabric and making it vintage looking as well, and my cake is going to have edible vintage buttons on it. I'm using real touch bouquets and centerpieces at the wedding so I will re-use these for the AHR. Since we are doing a cocktail reception we will only have 4 tables and 4 high-top tables set up. I'm going to rent tablecloths in our colors which are green and orange. Hope this helps a little.

LaLastMinute - thanks that is currently where we have requested our cocktail hour so I may just keep it. Our reception in at the Dolphin Pool so I'm still a little torn on the beach idea. I'll be looking forward to what you think about splitting it up when you get back.

I ordered my paper lanterns from the paperlanternstore.com and they are perfect! I chose not to do the battery powered one because you can just do the throwies for them and save a bunch that way. As for your dress ask if they can hang it for you and if not unfortunately you'll just have to fold it and put it in the overhead. Currently I'm trying to make the decision on changing our cocktail hour from one of the lobby areas to the beach. Part of me thinks it might be nice to keep it on the beach so I can watch over the reception set-up, but not sure if the brief air conditioning would be the best option.

Heather yay for getting things checked off! Question where did you buy the luggage tags? I'm trying to determine the best ones to get and if I get self laminating or not. Our sand ceremony kit also came from the same seller!

Sara I know I've seen some set-ups of the relax pool that seemed pretty nice. Are you taking lanterns with you? If so I know they can string them up in that area and I think they have a couple of large lights they can set up in the area as well. Ask aurora what type of lighting they can provide for that area, maybe there are spot lights or something to set-up around the area.

They look great! I'm getting ready to order from cards and pockets for our AHR invites.

Just want to give back by sharing my ceremony script. I've pieced everything together from past brides so thank you to everyone who has posted their ceremony! ceremony script.docx

We're taking all of our decor items on the place with us. Things will be split between me, Fi, my mom, FMIL, FBIL, and one of my BM's. My FBIL is traveling alone and since he's a guy and I've spent a few weeks at the beach with him he literally only wears one thing all week, I told him he will be taking a second checked bag full of wedding stuff, lol. Cherazi - the brochures do look professional, they come on a glossy finish paper very much like what you would find in businesses

They turned out great!

We're packing everything in suit cases. We're going to carry on the dress/suit, bouquets, centerpieces, and some other favor things which are going to be divided between me my FI, FBIL, FMIL, and my mom and BM. My FBIL is also traveling alone so I'm making him carry an extra carry-on to with most of our decor in it. I thought about shipping things but I don't want to deal with the hassle in case it doesn't get through customs and then I have to pay even more to ship it back to me. I would try to see what all you have and how many people you have that can help transport things. I told everyone to leave room in their luggage for me, lol.

We're going to try and order FI another suit. Fingers crossed this time it will actually fit. Just took his measurements again and they are all the same as they were the first time with the suit that didn't fit so I added an inch to everything...might add a couple more just in case. The company had told me we could let everything out up to 3 inches to we took it to a tailor and when she got to looking at it they use a yellow mark line that does not come off which made it impossible to let out at all without yellow lines all over the place. Hopefully this time it fits!

I'll take the aloe vera bottles. PM'ing you now.

You look amazing!

Thank you for all the dress love girls!

Alright ladies I had my dress fitting and I'm officially all set....minus the fact that my groom still needs his suit. haha Here's a few pics from today.

For other May brides getting married in Tulum.....I have 100 business cards made up for luggage tags that say May 2011, Tulum Mexico if any of you are interested in them please let me know I got them off zazzle and I'm only using 20 so if you're interested tell me how many you need and just pay the shipping.

This is the song I'm using too! I love it, it's so perfect.

Awesome, congratulations!!! We narrowed down our cakes to 10 now....ugh so daunting! I have a dress fitting today and FMIL is coming to take pics so I will post those later!

Have an amazing time, can't wait to hear about it! Sara - thanks, I'm a little worried about the resort videographer since I requested a link and they don't have any samples for me to see, what was the quality like? I asked them a bunch of specific questions about how they record and deliver and the responses I got raised a lot of red flags for me so I'm thinking of going ahead and getting Mike Cantrell to do the video for us because he will also get our first dance, cake cutting, and do well wishes on the video from our guests. Plus he's going to assist me in making a live video feed of the ceremony for grandparents and my sister that are unable to be there. He makes me feel a lot more comfortable. I may have the resort videographer come to the rehearsal dinner instead then since we'll be doing parent speeches and stuff and I'm planning on having the resort photographer come then too. That way I don't lose what I have. barbiegirl - that sounds like so much fun, I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that something like that is happening on our night too now

Love the shoes Maggie, those are super cute!

we are going for a cake tasting on Saturday for our AHR cake...so I have from now until then to pick the design we want...here are my inspirations maybe this will also benefit one of you. We started with these 20 and we just eliminated 5 so a lot more to go still.

For any past brides....do you have a link to your wedding video you can share? I contacted the videographer for a sample video she said they only have one and the link she sent me doesn't exist....her response was oh sorry. Wow thanks that helps a lot, lol. Just trying to see what it's like we are thinking about hiring Mike Cantrell instead for our video also so we can have more than just our ceremony and possibly do a live video feed for our family that are unable to attend.

Maggie I like that ring, glad he picked something out! We picked up FI's ring last night he was soo cute, he actually wore it around the mall and for a couple of hours at home because he "wanted to know what it feels like". Not going to lie I loved seeing it on his finger! I also found the band that I want to upgrade to eventually. I've never liked my wedding band we got it a couple weeks after he proposed almost 2 years ago and it's very thin but it's what matched my e-ring and our jeweler was going to stop carrying Tacori so we weren't sure who would pick them up at the time. Well the place where we got FI's ring which is tungsten carbide now carries Tacori so I was looking at some other bands and fell in love with one that is a lot thicker. Someday but we don't have any extra cash for right now for that so we're thinking an upgrade for our 5 year anni. Our ceremony is at 4:30 I was going to have it at 5 but decided to go with the whole superstition about having the hands going up instead of down while we say our vows. Then we'll have cocktail at 5:30, we're doing champagne toasts and a few group pictures right after the ceremony on the beach before our guests go to cocktail hour and we take more pictures...then dinner starts at 6:30. Right now my dilemma is finding a videographer that isn't outrageously expensive. Our resort videographer doesn't have a sample for me to see and that's bothering me big time. I'm now trying to do some shopping for cute dresses for our 2 weeks in Mexico! I just signed up for pole dancing with one of my friends and a boot camp class so I'm pumped.

Leslie you looked beautiful! Did you feel like the make-up lasted really well through all the sweat, tears, and humidity?

Hey ladies! Nan - your wedding is going to be amazing! Rosie and everyone else I'm so sorry to hear about all your stress that is piling on right now. I'm right there with the rest of you. I just finished my masters and am trying to prepare myself to pass my last board exam which I take Monday....while trying to finish planning the wedding that only our wedding party and my parents and his mom area actually booked for, and trying to get everything set-up for my practice to get off the ground as soon as I get those test results. FMIL's bff that is sharing a room with her at our wedding got diagnosed with cancer a few weeks ago....she just had surgery and we're keeping our fingers crossed she will still be able to make it they had to remove a lot of muscle from her leg. Everyone who plans a DW goes through these things dealing with people backing out and not showing up....been there done that. In the end and the closer our wedding day approached I remind myself that even if it's just us and those that are booked that's all that matters because I'll be marrying my best friend and my parents and my bff will be there to share that day with me. If people really truly want to be there for YOU on YOUR wedding day they will be, and if they aren't there....don't sweat it you're still beautiful and experiencing one of the many amazing days to come with your future husband!