echo2_62

Okay first - how in the world do you have taxes done already!?!?! I don't even have all the documents I need from work! WOW! Second - maybe you could ask her for a "show of good faith" gesture. Mention that you understand she has other things on the go but if she could appease your bridal anxiety by at least purchasing her dress you would feel a whole lot better about giving her more time regarding her flights? Otherwise could you suggest that you have deadlines with the resort and if she's not booked then you can't count her in? It might not be the full truth but might help her realize these are necessarily deadlines that come from you but someone else?? i don't blame you at all for being frustrated by this - I think we'd all feel the same way too! We're here if you need to vent some more!

Hey Tara, I'm really sorry to hear that you're having troubles with your MOH so far down the road! Is there any way that you can have a talk with her and give her some (immediate) deadlines to work with as far as booking and buying her dress? Let her know that if she can't take care of these things on her own, and won't let you help her with it, that you might be forced to make some difficult decisions as to whether or not she can even still be involved as your MOH? It's not fair at all for you to have someone that seems to be so totally uncommitted. In my case, my sister is my MOH and she only booked her trip yesterday but I never had any doubt that she would book it when she was able to. So unless you have the same certainty I think you need to seriously consider what other options you have, even though I hate to say that!! Otherwise, would she be accepting if you told her that if she wasn't able to take care of at least part of that list (such as her dress) then you were going to go ahead on her behalf and she would owe you the money? I'm just thinking that if money is the issue and she doesn't want to admit it, then knowing that she might be in debt to you could get her to actually say something. I think basically you just need to be upfront with her that you have the feeling she is NOT able to handle it like she keeps saying, and that with only two months left she needs to step up or admit that she can't. Good luck and I hope you get it sorted out!!

Ugh I am not having a good 24hrs right now!! Or at least very unsuccessful ones, they're not altogether bad. And sorry - this is going to be long!!! Yesterday I wrote up a quick To-Do list (yellow post-it and everything!) of the things that were in the top of my head that I really need to do this week. That included ordering my mugs, the guys pants, wedding party sandals, MY ring (picked out but not purchased - two week delivery though!)... stuff that isn't difficult but are kind of big items to cross off. So yesterday I figured out what I wanted for my mugs and decided to wait until the evening so I could run the actual mug colours by FI. I had two picked out that I wanted his okay on, otherwise I would've just placed the order from my office. Well wouldn't you know it that I go to show him the mug colours last night - and one isn't available anymore! It sounds like I might have to wait another month for them to come in too! So I'm going to call today and see what they can tell me. After that, I figured well since I can't order my mugs I had better get off my bum and order the guys pants to give them extra time in case alterations need to be done. So I start putting through *that* order only to find out that one of my two colours of linen wasn't available online. I submitted a query through their support desk to find out they are out of stock for that too!! I'm waiting to hear back about when they might have more in again and if I would have enough time or if I'll have to just pick another colour. So all in all, completely not a productive evening last night. My sister, my niece and I are going to order all the sandals for the wedding party tonight and then on the way to the bus this morning (50feet from my car) I slipped on some ice and fell and landed on a really weird spot on the side/back of my leg and have this huge bruise already which sucks mostly because I sit at my desk all day and it puts pressure on the bruise! I seriously need some alcohol in my coffee this morning!! But now for the GREAT news of the day.... I am lucky enough that one of my oldest childhood friends makes her own jewelry and she was willing to suffer through my horrible ability of describing what I wanted to make my hair piece for me. In the end she made me TWO pieces because I just couldn't decide which style I liked better. I can't use photobucket at work so I'm trying another method so please let me know if it works for any of you!!! I'm not quite sure how I'm doing my hair yet which was part of the problem deciding. I'm SO excited for her to mail them. She had a few things on Etsy that have sold now so I'm trying to get her to post other pictures but you can see some more of her work at: Meister Artisan Jewelry. This first one is really long and is meant to be wrapped around for that kind of Grecian look. Either that or it can be worn as a choker necklace. It's really lightweight wire that she use with some simple beads. The second is also really light weight and super flexible. I find that my head really doesn't fit standard headbands too well so I needed something that I could adjust and form-fit however I wanted. The length is shorter than a headband and it has the loops on the end to pin in wherever I need to. So that was my good news this morning and I'm going to run with it Hope you all are having a great morning!!

LOL and wouldn't you know it - I decided yesterday to cave and use discountmugs via my friend in Florida (its one way to avoid brokerage!) and when I pulled up the website to ask FI which colours he liked - of the three or four that I wanted of course - they didn't have them displayed anymore!! They were most definitely on the page during the day and gone by the evening. And it sounds like they won't have them back in for about another month which might make it tough to get them on time :S So now I'm not quite sure what to do but I think I'm going to have to wait this one out.

We're just getting the pants sorry - but I'll definitely be able to comment on the Irish Linen once we get them!

Megan - my dad is attending but will Not be walking me down the aisle. He gets really uncomfortable in front of groups and that was the last thing I wanted to ask him, even if it is my wedding day!! I'm either going to have my sister walk with me, or suck it up and go alone - even though that idea kind of terrifies me since I'm not good in front of people either (even if it is friends!). If I could tell EVERYONE to look away until I'm at the front then I'd totally be good Just do whatever you're comfortable with. If that means walking on your own or having a close friend walk with you then go with it! It works out especially well if you've got uneven numbers in your wedding party like me!

oh yes sorry, Manitoba = MB

Ooh, and that reminds me! I have a CAUTION to post, more just to make everyone aware when passing on the swatches... Here's the story.... Both myself and fellow BDW'er SuzyQ76 had been lucky enough to have two other BDW'ers willing to send their swatches to us so that we could order our suits. Originally Suzy had it all set up so we sat patiently waiting on the regular post for them to arrive and sadly no such day came. We just assumed that they had been lost in the mail. So as a backup option, I knew of another bride who could send them to us, but again no arrival day came Finally Suzy and I ordered our swatches directly from Studio Suits and they arrived within a few days which was AWESOME! When I received them, the swatches were in a plain white envelope, inside another mailing envelope and then inside the FedEx envelope - and both the inner two envelopes had been opened up for the contents to be inspected. This seemed to confirm my suspicion that there must be some reason that the swatches were being "tagged" at the border between Canada and the US, since both the girls who were sending Suzy and I the swatches were in the US (we're both here in Alberta). So my caution is this - for anyone who is kind enough to happily pass on the swatches for other brides to use, it may be worthwhile to send them with a tracking number or, sadly, keep them in the US if they're already there and keep them in Canada if they're already here :S With shipping costs of the swatches being a little higher than we'd all normally like to pay, I'm hoping this will save a few headaches and a few dollars for all of us! I don't want this to deter anyone from ordering from the site though as any interaction I've had with the company itself has been excellent.

I know there was a swatch pass-it-on going around so you might be able to find someone who has put in their order and could pass them on to you?

Hehe yah the first trip I took back to MB I was wearing my snowpants half the time and it was only a bit strange since it really wasn't cold according to their standards. I've been known to wear my snowpants to work and it's not completely uncommon. I can only imagine that it would be normal for you though - you'd have to be crazy NOT to wear lots of gear!

Quote: Originally Posted by Megan24 Thank you. It must have been having some issues last night because when I went on the suits tab was not there. Another question what is the difference between Irish linen and plain linen?? Does one not wrinkle as bad? I'm not sure what the "official" difference is between the Irish Linen and the Pure Linen but from the samples I can at least add that the fabric weaves are different between the two. The Irish linen seems to have a slightly smaller weave to the fabric - but that's not to say the Pure Linen doesn't have a nice weave either! From what I've heard, Irish linen is supposed to be a little better quality overall but that's just what I've read online and isn't specific to these linens. Haha I'm not sure if I answered your question too well sorry! We mostly just went by the colour selection and wound up liking the Irish Linen best so that's what we'll be ordering when I get it put through in the next day or two.

Ahahaha! Well I can't blame your FI for not wanting to live close to the inlaws - I'm trying to avoid that too! My FI has often said that he wants to move back to Manitoba where he grew up - although those comments are becoming less frequent thank goodness! I told him the only way i would be moving there is if I get my land with two horses!! It started off as one horse but then I realized that one would be lonely and needed a friend - so I upped the anti to TWO horses! I have no shame in bribing him to make me move to a place that has LONG stretches of -48 degree weather. Hehehe, and the list of requirements doesn't end there actually. Other items included were... attached garage, heated car seats, indoor parking at job.... all items aimed at me having minimal exposure outside during the winters there. Hehehe and I want to open a boarding kennel/groomers but since we'll have 'all that land' for me, my horses and my dogs then I can just have the kennel at home anyways so that's as far as I'd need to go for work! Woohoo!! LOL, all these plans and ZERO intention of ever moving to Manitoba!

LOL - I should pass on the advice I was given for my first trip to Mexico. Don't measure time in minutes, measure it in how many drinks you can finish before you get there! We stayed just a couple minutes north of Playa that first trip and I was told the ride from the airport was "two beers" and that was about right at a regular drinking pace (also considering it was 5:30am!!). So for a trip south of Playa it will depend on the time of day of course, plus at least one beer long than my last trip. I'm betting that for a mid day transfer, you could get in four delicious beers before getting to the resort!!! LOL! I love Mexico!!!

Boo - The typical response that I got for ordering my dress was 4-6 months for delivery and 4-6 weeks for alterations. Granted that every store and every dress will be different but that was the automated reply from just about every staff member at every store I went to. Since you've got the time to try dresses on at your own pace I would recommend taking advantage of that! I was engaged barely eight months before we knew we wanted the wedding so dress shopping was a priority. Before I finally ordered mine in early September I was getting super stressed out because if you took the maximum order and alteration time (6mo + 6wks) it would basically have me at the airport on my departure date! Thankfully I had a great girl at the store who made sure I would get it on time. Also, my girlfriend who is getting married this august had been shopping with me just for kicks at that point and while she didn't order for a month or two afterwards, she was really glad that she'd started looking (and narrowing down) early on.

Haha Mel I can so relate to the dogs taking up all the space. Our boxer isn't even 60 pounds and it amazes me how small a space she can fit herself into (yes, she can manage to curl up small enough to fit on my lap in a camping chair!!) and yet when it comes to bed time she manages to use up every inch of space, specifically those inches right in between FI and I, without budging at all! Plus, IMO boxers tend to lean and snuggle in a LOT more than other breeds so the second you move or try to flip over in bed, your space is goooone! But I wouldn't trade it for the world. HAHAHA and one funny addition to the baby convo... I would totally sacrifice having kids if I could have like five or seven boxers running around the house! LOL! Mind you that would definitely mean living more in the country where they'd have lots and lots of space to run around in but I am totally good with that. It goes along with my life long dream of having two horses as well Don't you love dreams...

Ooooohhh! Mel!! I totally love that dress! I've seen it, at least in pictures, before and always thought it was so pretty So awesome that you got the dress you've been wanting for a while - you must feel so happy about that!

Quote: Originally Posted by acwedding what made you pick Dreams Puerto Aventuras? were still trying to pick our location we thought we settled on barcelo tropical, but now i am having second thoughts any suggestions help pictures, posts on trip advisor, 3.5 star rating, and 2006 story turned me off barcelo we like a good/big/interesting pool with bar, clean, great beach, good food, i like grand, my fiance does not like big buildings and concrete, he likes trees thanks I'd also been looking at the Barcelo Tropical for our wedding - I think it was one of my final three? I think prices were a factor against Barcelo because we had three departure locations to consider (three different provinces) and there was a lot of variation depending where guests would be coming from. DPA seemed to have less of a spread in cost overall. I agree with Dee that one of my reasons for DPA was that it wasn't a huge resort so with any luck it wouldn't feel too overwhelming due to a large number of people. We weren't anticipating more than a couple of kids (and we actually will have none) but all the reviews were good for that just in case. FI wanted to make sure that we had a good selection of a la carte restaurants to choose from and also night entertainment/nightclub that we could party at since the majority of our guests are friends our age. Another requirement was to be close enough to Playa del Carmen that we can go whenever we want and not worry about spending too much on taxis back and forth. And I've got to admit that seeing pictures of the wedding gazebo here kind of did me in. It was between a beach front gazebo or a super lush jungle-type setting which proved to be a bit harder to figure out. I just saw the resort promo pics (and I think Ginalyn's pushed me over the edge!) and knew that was where I wanted to be!

Quote: Originally Posted by Jules Hi ladies, We ordered mugs from discountmugs as well and we didn't see the "brokerage fee" anywhere. Can someone enlighten me on what this is? We have already paid for the mugs and shipping. Are you saying there is going to be another charge once they are delivered? Thanks for your help! Yes unfortunately there is a chance of still having to pay duty taxes or customs charges on top of the shipping that you've already paid. The fee is actually a brokerage fee that UPS or whoever charges in order to be allowed to bring your items in to the country from the US. It happens with a lot of purchases from the US actually. The additional fee is determined at the border I think, so most often the companies that are shipping your product are not able to quote you any price for this fee. I don't know the specifics of how it works unfortunately, but that's why you wouldn't have seen anything on your receipt/invoice for the brokerage fee directly from discountmugs. How many mugs did you order by the way? And what was the total cost that you'd paid because I know that has an effect on how much you might have to pay in brokerage fees. Let us know once they get here!

oh yes and the baby conversation! We haven't officially decided on any timing but I have a feeling it won't be tons after the wedding. And neither of us can see having a single child so we'll probably plan for two at least. I'm not sure if I could do more than that but I won't rule it out either. Both FI and I have twins in our family so there's a chance we could also end up with twins. And if we had twins the first time, I don't think we'd go for anymore... or if we had a single the first time we'd have to be prepared for three (one plus twins) if we wanted to try again. So I guess it all just depends on what pops out the first time LOL! I've said for years that I'd be excited to have twins right away and I'd totally be done after that - it just became more realistic with Fi knowing his mom is a twin as well. He already says that I talk about babies too much... but really it's because we can't agree on boys names and so anytime I hear or think of one that I like then I try to tell him. And yes, we already know what girls name we want if you can believe it! So I guess in the end while we're not rushing into it at all, we probably won't be waiting too many years before getting started. Oh and FI is also two years younger than me (almost) so it's enough for him right now to accept that he's going to be married pretty soon, nevermind get into the idea of having kids not far down the road too!

sorry dbl post

Kimmy - your cake topper is so cute! I like that you've got your dog on there and I thought 'hey I'd do that" but then realized that FI would be upset if I had the dog and neither of the two cats on there... it would end up being more pets than people! LOL but that's our life so it would make sense too. Thanks for the support about FI's bachelor party. My sister and I decided that it'll be best to just keep pretending that I don't know anything for two reasons. First, I can be smug that I know even though everyone will think they're so smart keeping their secret. Second - I get to ruin THEIR fun because now when they try to tease me about it and rub it in that they aren't going to tell me - I can pretend like it doesn't bother me at all and that it's okay if they don't tell me - which in the end will TOTALLY ruin all the fun they were having Yes it's a little childish but it does make me feel better knowing I can get back at them just a little bit. I just hope this is the end of it because I'm worried about building up more of a grudge if they continue taunting me about the situation the next few weeks. We'll just wait and see I guess!

Quote: Originally Posted by 2010wedding http://media.TheKnot.com/ImageStage/...arge_image.jpg I am thinking of doing this with orchids. Echo, you posted this idea awhile ago!! Its awesome!! LOL, I don't even remember posting this but it does look really pretty! Shows how quickly I forget even my own ideas without working on them right away! Quote: Originally Posted by Oscar_Ernie I'm so excited to announce that I'm officially (finally!) a DPA bride-to-be. We are booked, deposited, and flying to Mexico November 1st! Hooray for booking at DPA!! We can all relate to how exciting it is to have finally chosen, and booked, your resort. And since you've been on the site for a while I'm sure that you've got lots on the go or already done too so you're probably ahead of the game! Quote: Originally Posted by mwcfarms And on a totally seperate note I just have to share with someone I have reached my target weight. 2 weeks earlier than I had hoped. 35 pounds down. YAY. Dee!! How amazing do you feel right now! That's so awesome to be able to say that you reached your goal (a hard enough struggle)) and managed to do it two weeks early as well. i'm sure you'll be a great inspiration to lots of other girls here trying to lose some weight before their weddings. Quote: Originally Posted by mwcfarms Dreams in los cabos put together a bonfire on the beach the night before the wedding with smores and beer. Which is an awesome idea and I am going to email jacy about that. Its not too bad here. I have to come into Calgary this week to try on Bridesmaid dresses and am looking for a shop other than ethos or bridal centre. Let me know of any that are easy to get too. I get lost downtown hehe. Talk soon. I've seen bonfire pics on other reviews too and thought it would be lots of fun to have something like that, even if it isn't exclusive to our wedding group. If you hear anything back from Jacy I'd love to know!! As for bridesmaid dresses, have you tried Beautiful Bride (on macleod trail - immediately south of glenmore on the east side in the same building with Spence Diamonds) or Cameo & Cufflinks?? I'm not sure on options at each but they'd both avoid the downtown/ 17th ave area?? Either that or there ae a couple places on 11th ave SW (S2 and House of Brides) or Mena's Bridal on Centre street just south of 16th ave NW (I got my dress at Mena's and they were really great to work with). And now that I said all that I realized that you will need dresses right away! So maybe check out Smart Set, RW & Co., Dynamite, BCBG - any of those usually have really nice dresses and I actually wanted to buy some for my girls from there! All of those stores are up in Cross Iron Mills so at least you could make a single stop to check them all out.

My mom doesn't work and she lives too far away to help with every day stuff so she's just been DYING! Because I made my own aloe bottles but didn't know the prices or places to buy, I got her on it since that's something she can do regardless of where she is pretty much. I think what helps is that she knows that even if she were closer, I'd probably still be doing things the same way and also that we're really not making a big deal of everything so it works out in the end. I would LOVE for FI to feel secure enough for me to take some time off work. Granted that I'm not the kind of person who could do it for long, but I'd love to have a job that had more variable hours than just being in an office all day. He even thinks that pretty much as soon as I've had a baby I'll be heading back to work (not even using up the one year maternity!!!) and that's that. And nevermind that a lot of day cares won't even take infants under 12months or more these days because of liability. I sure hope he changes that tune down the road!

If that's the way your bm is making you feel, then I'd have a talk with her instead of just asking if she wants out. Tell her that you understand she wants to enjoy some of the surprises along the way, but because you need her help and because she accepted your request to be your bridesmaid then there are certain things that you're going to expect from her and she's just going to have to go along with. And then you could add on to the end that if she's really finding herself uncomfortable with how much involvement you need etc then she needs to be the one to tell you that, and otherwise you're just going to continue doing what it is you need doing to be ready for this wedding! I just think that if you ask her straight out if she'd rather not be a bridesmaid then she might just assume that is what you want and have already decided on. Better to put it all in her hands for making any new decisions. Just be prepared in case she says that she'd rather not do it!

haha don't feel bad for thinking that your bridesmaids should be helping you out!!! Honestly my girls keep asking me what they should be doing or what I've still got left to do and I just keep telling them they don't have ANYthing to do! I guess in my mind of there are extra people involved then there's too much chance for ideas and things to spiral too far which isn't what Fi and I want. So maybe it goes to show how much of a control freak I am if I want to do it all myself?!?! LOL! Maybe you could just come up with a few things that are for the one girl specifically to help with and just tell her that you've got other things that will remain a surprise for her. That way she knows that not everything will be spoiled?? I think if you do feel like you need help then definitely ask for it and just make sure they know you want it to be a fun time for everyone involved and that it will help reduce your stress as you get closer to the wedding. No one wants to deal with a stressed out bride!!