shortnsweet7675

I think first you need to figure out where you want to have the wedding and the size of wedding you would like to have, then find out if your potential locations have the dates available that you would like to book. Everything else should follow that. Search some of the "planning threads" on this forum. That should help get you started. Good luck with all of your planning. You will be very busy!

Quote: Originally Posted by echo2_62 Are you planning to have a welcome dinner for absolutely everyone that makes it to the resort with you, or just with family and the wedding party on the night before your wedding? I just wanted to be clear I guess... but I think either way if you are sending out an invite my email or otherwise you could just include a line that says something like "Drinks and Appetizers will be provided by ___________ (the Wedding Party, the bride & groom etc)" and maybe a comment that "a full menu/bar menu will also be available at your own expense should you wish for something extra". That way your guests will know that you're happy to take provide something, but it's not meant to be a full meal. Ooh, either that or refer to it as a Cocktail Gathering as I think most people assume that there would not be a full meal for that. Taken from an idea from another bride (bad memory so i can't remember who!), I think we're going to do our full-group welcome at breakfast the first morning we're all there, but then do a parents & family only dinner the evening before the wedding. We're at an all-inclusive though so we won't have to pay extra for any of that - just get a little help organizing breakfast for 40ppl!! I'm having a cruise wedding, so the welcome dinner would not be included in the weddding package. I was planning to have the welcome dinner for all of the wedding guests since my cruise wedding reception will only be an hour long. So, I won't get much time to spend with the non-sailing guests unless I have a welcome dinner. I like your idea of having the invites say "drinks and appetizers will be provided by bride/groom". I think I may use this idea. Thanks.

Quote: Originally Posted by SuzyQ76 What's even worse then trying to figure out meet & greet crap is since February I've been dreaming of drinking tequila on the beach and all this planning stress has caused me a stomach ulcer! (well that's what I'm blaming it on anyway!) Any sip of alcohol creates immense pain so now I have to get this cleared up ASAP just so I can drink my face off!! lol Priorities right! But hey, I don't get out much especially with a kid and no family to babysit!! So not only do I have to get toned I have to heal my insides too!!! Which is even causing me MORE stress!! lol Suzy, you need to take care of yourself. Glad you are going to see the doc though. I have stomach issues too, but it's never gotten to the point of having an ulcer. I take Prilosec daily. I hope you get better soon. Put the exercising to the side for now and let yourself heal. Quote: Originally Posted by doblauvelt I am having a welcome dinner with all my guests the night before the wedding. This will be an optional event and will be treated as a meet and greet for the attendees, although most will already know each other. On our RSVP postcards we'll have people check off if they'll be participating, that way I'll know in advanced how many people to book a reservation for at a restaurant we choose down there. For all of you having a "welcome dinner" the evening before the wedding, are you footing the bill or are you having the guests pay for their own meal? I was thinking of having a welcome dinner/meet-n-greet at a restaurant near the hotel the night before the wedding and just picking up the bill for appetizers and non-alcoholic drinks. Is that the wrong this to do?

I have a similar issue... I have a 3rd degree burn on my chest and my dress is strapless. The best I have found so far is Dermablend (the cover cream vs. leg and body magic is better for scars). It doesn't smudge as easily as some of the other concealing makeups do. I have also tried Covermark, but could not find a good color match for my skin. To get the best smudge resistance, you have to apply the setting power and let it set for a few minutes before brushing it. I also apply a barrier spray (after the setting powder) made by ColorTration. This helps set the makeup even further. I would recommend you try the makeup before your wedding day to make sure you get the application right. I also tested the makeup a few times and wore a white shirt to make sure I didn't get a lot of smudging. I've seen several threads on this forum about tatoo cover-ups. Try searching this forum using the word "tattoo" and you should be able to get to those threads. Hope this helps!

Everything looks great! Thanks for sharing. I love the uniqueness of your e-ring. I know your guests will love your wedding venue also; it's beautiful. Have a wonderful wedding celebration and please share pics when you get back!

Welcome to the forum! You'll definitely find lots of great information on this forum, I know I have.

I've shopped at several bridal shops in the Atlanta area that had dresses under $1,000. In fact, mine only cost around $700 brand new (Maggie Soterro - Carrie). The Maggie Soterro line has several designs less than $1,000. Mori Lee is also a reaonably priced line. It really depends on which designer you choose and if you are shopping at a high-end bridal shop. Try this website http://weddings.theknot.com/weddingd...spx?gowntype=1 I found recommended bridal shops in my area using the "local resources" search on www.theknot.com.

Congrats and welcome to the forum. I am also a cruise bride... April 25th, 2010 on the Carnival Glory out of Miami.

Quote: Originally Posted by caribbeanLover So this is what I was thinking. Most of us will be meeting each other in April. And I still can't figure out most of your names. So I thought maybe we can post our names and where we are from (tho I know most know where most is from and their names, but for those who don't this will be super helpful) So, I thought I would get this list going again since we’ve had several new April 2010 brides join the thread. I think this is the most updated list. If you are not already on the list below, please add your wedding date/location, name, and where you are from to the list. This will help us learn each other’s names (maybe) April 9 - (kimmyg) Kimmy from Cincinnati - RPRM April 9 - (Chicken764) Martine from Casselman - Grand Palladium-Punta Cana April 10 - (jerseykitten) Michele from Jersey (Central Jersey by Six Flags) - Jamaica April 10 - (Shan13) Shannon from little rock, arkansas (originally from St.Louis) - Las Vegas April 13 - (caribbeanlover) Tracy from Montreal - Punta Cana April 16 - (echo2_62) Meghan from Calgary - Dreams Puerto Aventuras, Mexico April 16 - (doblauvelt) Tonya from Northern NJ - Moon Palace, Mexico April 17 - (Sarah310) Sarah from Philly - Occidental Grand Xcaret, Mexico April 22 - (Jcooper79) Jaime from MN - Gran Porto Real, Riveria Maya April 24 - (jerzygirl85) Joanna from Jersey City - Dreams Tulum, Mexico April 24 - (GregsBride) Christina from Washington, DC - Jamaica April 24 - (vgirl17) Veronica from Vacaville, CA - Moon Palace, Cancun, Mexico April 25 - (shortnsweet7675) Natasha from Atlanta, GA - Miami, FL (Carnival Glory Eastern Caribbean cruise) April 27 - (Tonir) Toni from Ann Arbor, MI - St. Thomas, USVI April 28 - (ebredhawk) Erin from Cincinnati - Dreams Punta Cana April 28 - (Melidell) Mel from NWT - Melia Las Dunas, Cuba April 29 - (SuzyQ76) Suzanne from Calgary, Grand Riviera Princess, Mexico

Quote: Originally Posted by KPETT10 Hi girls! I am getting married on April 10, 2010 as well! Welcome to the thread! Quote: Originally Posted by sarah310 so just realized i had pages and pages of this thread to catch up on. Congrats and welcome to all the new april brides! and to all of you worried about guests not booking yet, there is still plenty of time! i just got off the phone with my TA and she said she could still book people 2 weeks in advance. airfare might be more expensive, but there will still be hotel rooms. the advantages of getting married in April! Things i've realized I'm behind...1) bridesmaids dresses - anyone know how long it takes to get them in? 2)i ordered my wedding dress back in may. i was told it be in in september and i still haven't heard anything. should i be worried? have most of you seen your actual dresses? this is my 150th post! can't wait to go check out all the attachments Congrats on getting to 150 posts! I would definitely give the bridal shop a call to see why your dress has not come in yet, but they should have called you if there was an unexpected delay. I’ve heard from various bridal shops that bridesmaids’ dresses could take 8-12 weeks to come in, unless you buy them off the rack or from a department store. I have not ordered my bridesmaids dresses yet either. My sister and I plan to go shopping for them in a couple of weeks. Like Suzy mentioned, I also have a couple of designs picked out online that could be shipped pretty quickly as a backup.

Congrats. I know that is a huge relief!

I ordered mine from wedideas.com (3 bouquets, 4 boutonnieres, 3 corsages, and a cake topper - toss bouquet was free). Their prices are pretty reasonable. I received my quote within 3-4 days. I should receive photos of the flowers in the middle of next month. So, I cannot make a recommendation yet. But, they were recommended by someone on the Cruise Critic message board. I will post pictures on this site when I receive the photos.

Quote: Originally Posted by SuzyQ76 Here's my philosophy which I've posted before: "Dresses are like men: there are many styles, shapes and colors but you just have to believe in your choice and stick with it..." ;o) That's so funny... I heard this on the show "Say Yes to the Dress" the other day. I think that philosophy is so true. My single friend (my MOH) could not believe I didn't have that "this is the one" feeling with my dress. Again, that's why I'm so glad to have this forum to turn to.

I hadn't come across this site yet. Thanks for sharing.

Quote: Originally Posted by vnue978 "very helpful" thanks so much. I think this is one of the most stressful parts of planning a Destination Cruise Wedding =( Im planning an on shore wedding at the 1st port of call Cozumel Mexico. Space is very limited in certain locations for the reception so Im not quite sure where exactly the reception will be until we get a good idea on how many guest are going. I totally agree. You may have to pick a place just using an estimate of the max number of people you think may come. I guarantee you will have people that will wait until the last minute to RSVP (if at all).

Quote: Originally Posted by merocket59 What about putting it in a holiday card? You could say something like, "The holidays are hectic and time will fly by, just a friendly reminder that you can make your deposits now before prices go up" That way people will think they are saving money if they book now and it might motivate them a little. Hmmm... That's a pretty good idea! Especially if you're going to send out holiday cards anyway (saves on postage). I'm gonna check to see if my TA can extend the initial deposit date a week or two (since my deposit deadline is 11/26) and I just may use this idea. I love this forum!

They look fabulous!

Quote: Originally Posted by KimmyG Speaking of Invitations... I'm thinking of sending out invitations early January, and asking for an RSVP by Feb 1. I don't want to send them out too early and have noone respect the RSVP date. Is this too late? I also plan to send my formal invites out in January (after the holidays). I’ve already sent out the STD’s with all of the cruise booking information, etc. This way, people have sufficient time to budget and plan for the wedding. I don’t think January is too late if you’ve already given your potential guests a heads up on your wedding plans. By the way, no matter when you send out your invites, there will always be people that do not respect your RSVP date. Quote: Originally Posted by caribbeanLover Thanks guys for the postcard comments!! shortnsweet7675 LOL I was going to say, sure I am totaly pc friendly and know how to make postcards.To make me look smart, But I decided to tell you the real truth (lol) I got them from vistaprint.ca they were free, I just had to pay for shipping!! they even have vistaprint for USA. (www.vistaprint.com) They are currently still free, check it out! I still think they look great… you had to put some effort into finding the design and ordering them right? Gotta give yourself the credit you deserve (lol). Quote: Originally Posted by staceyg Haha..I know exactly what you mean about the "improvement" that the formal dress gives! I totally agree! The “destination†type wedding dresses I tried on did not hold me in enough. They hugged all of my lumps and bumps (in all the wrong places). So, I went with a more formal design. Another thing… I always heard that when you find “the dressâ€, you will KNOW it. Well, I didn’t get that feeling. It was more of a process of elimination for me. When I thought I had it narrowed down to “the dressâ€, I went to the bridal shop to try on a few other dresses to make sure. I tried on the other dresses first, then “the dress†last. The dress I chose was the one that I thought would look best on me and best in pictures, but I did not have that overwhelming feeling like it was the dress I had to have. I’ve talked to a few other brides who felt the same way. Has anyone else on this thread felt that way?

Also, this is the wording we have on our website regarding deposits... We have set-aside a small group of cabins/staterooms for those who wish to cruise with us. Pricing for these rooms is listed below. All reservations/deposits for the group bookings should be made through our travel agent. Note: These rooms are only being held until November 26, 2009. After this date, you will be responsible for securing your own rates and reservations for this cruise.

This is what I drafted up for our reminder postcards, although I may reword it later. I think I may have seen some other ideas for wording on this website, but unfortunately I did not bookmark the threads. Hope this helps... FRIENDLY REMINDER!!! YOUR RSVP FOR KENNETH & NATASHA’S WEDDING CELEBRATION IS DUE NOVEMBER 6, 2009 An RSVP postcard (with postage) was included in the mailing that we sent out in September; please fill it out and drop it in the mail. You can also RSVP on our wedding website Kenneth & Natasha - wedding website by mywedding.com. We need to know your plans (whether or not you plan to attend) for planning purposes. Note: This is a “preliminary†RSVP for planning purposes, formal invitations and final RSVPs (to confirm your attendance) will be mailed out in early 2010. Also, if you are planning to cruise with us and will be using our travel agent, your initial deposits are due to our travel agent by 11/26/2009. Wedding details can be found on our wedding website listed above. If you have questions, feel free to contact us. Your response would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Kenneth and Natasha

Meghan, Sorry to hear about the light fiasco. Hopefully, the quality will be worth the money spent. Erin, have fun at the wedding! Shannon, loved your e-pics. Looked like your FI had so much fun striking a pose by himself. Those were too funny. Suzy, I have a cousin named Martez, but I don’t think the name was chosen for any particular meaning. I think his Mom just liked that name. Quote: Originally Posted by tim-juleswed Well hello April 2010 brides! I am very new to BDW and so far I'm loving it. I only got engaged just over 3 weeks ago. Since then we have booked the resort in Jamaica and the wedding is set for April 1, 2010! April Fools day has always been "our" day so we thought is was fitting. Today was the first day people were able to contact the TA and apparently we have had almost 18 people book so far. Yay! We are expecting about 40 people or so. The STD's went out and through an E-vite with the TA info and so far so good. I am 5 1/2 months away, no dress or shoes or anything but I'm not stressing oddly enough. LOL I think I'll wait for all of that until the new year. Right now once we have final numbers from the TA I will start the DIY invitations. There was some pretty good ideas on other forums here that I have made note of so I'm pretty excited. After the invitations go out in mid to late November I will breath easy. Booking the place was the hard part. But so far everything is coming together! Welcome to the thread! Wow, 18 booked in less than one month… You are on a roll! Quote: Originally Posted by caribbeanLover I got my post cards (invite) for our AHR but I should have thought to use it at our DW The postcards are very nice. I really like the design.

I think it looks good. I also used mywedding.com for my website. Are you planning to add an RSVP section?

Cute! I may have to order these for my bridemaids' gift bags. Thanks for sharing.

Quote: Originally Posted by jerseykitten And can I just say I love you guys - having other April brides has just made me feel so much better about things - knowing that other girls getting married at the same time are having the same issues.... It helps a lot! I am thankful for this thread too. It is so nice to know others are going through the same things and that I am not crazy (like having so many wedding thoughts going through my head that I can't sleep at night). I have mostly single friends and they don't really understand and are tired of hearing my wedding planning complaints. Quote: Originally Posted by dallasbride I'm still deciding on a resort but I'd like to have our wedding in April. Everyone on here is sending out STDs already! Am I too behind to pull off an April wedding I don't have the dress, resort or any details planned yet... I don't think it is too late, but I think you need to get a lot of the details ironed out within the next month, like finding your dress and bridesmaids dresses. Some bridal shops can put a rush on the dress, but not all of them can. You definitely need to get the wedding venue booked ASAP before everything is booked up. Hope you get to have the April wedding that you want.

Quote: Originally Posted by Melidell I think we're going to spend the night together the night before the wedding. I like the tradition of sleeping separately but we've been living together for so long now that neither of us sleep that well without the other and I want us to get lots of rest for the big day. I really don't want him to see me in my dress or anything until I get down the aisle, though! He hasn't seen my dress, either, not even a pic so it'll be a nice surprise. I sleep so much better when the FI is with me too, but I want to attempt to do the traditional thing. We'll see if I stick to it! Quote: Originally Posted by SuzyQ76 I am sooooooo kicking his butt out of our room the night before nuptials! and mostly not because of tradition, although I'm looking forward to the anticipation of not seeing him until the ceremony...because we ALWAYS see eachother lol It's mostly because I can't bloody wait to have a King Size bed all to myself!! My FI's a crowder, roller, sleep talking hugger and I'm a need space and need to be able to breath sleeper - So the night before my wedding may just be the best nights sleep I'll ever get for the rest of my life, lol!! Oh yeah - getting rid of the kid for the night too, gotta love Grandparents!! lol OH I can't wait for a little slice of HEAVEN!!! A king size bed! Wish I had one of those. I'm still rockin' the queen size bed. We'll have to upgrade after the wedding. Well, gotta go to bed now. I think I've gotten enough wedding thoughts out of my mind for now so I can get some sleep (in my queen size bed).