IrishgirlinNY

Hi Rachel Congratulations and good luck with all your planning. Shannon

Hi Aga Congratulations and good luck with all your planning. Shannon

Sounds like its split. We are planning to visit a local one just to check out possibilities. Thanks again everyone for all your input!

Thanks for all the input and advice. We aren't planning on having an AHR so it would be very ackward to have a shower since all my extended family would notbe invited to anything. Thanks again!

Congratulations and good luck with all your planning.

Hi Congratulations on your engagement. I actually spent a week at the Riu Montego Bay last September. It was really nice. I went about three weeks after it first opened. The only problem was the sports bar that was 24 hours was not up and going yet so there was nothing to do after the disco closed. We ended up just going in the pool or back to the room. That should be good now. Going there is actually the reason I picked the Riu in Ocho Rios to get married at myself. Good luck with all your planning.

Hi Nicole Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. Don't forget to post some pictures when you are back. Shannon

Hi Nicole Congratulations on yor upcoming wedding. Don't forget to post some pictures when you are back. Shannon

Hi Arna Congratulations on your wedding. It's so close! Good luck with the rest of your planning. Shannon

Hi Welcome to the site. What a great friend helping to get information. Good luck with all the planning.

Hi Zhenia Congratulations and good luck with all your planning. Shannon

Hi Nancy Congratulations and good luck with all your planning. Shannon

Hi Janice Congratulations and good luck with all your planning. Shannon

Hi Chrissy Congratulations and good luck with all your planning. Shannon

Congratulations and good luck with all your planning.

Hi Raveyn Congratulations and good luck with all your planning, Shannon

Paul and I have been going out about 2 1/2 years when we got engaged, knowing each other for 4 years. It will be about 4 1/2 years when we get married.

Congratulations. I did a ton of research before deciding on a resort. Good luck with all your planning.

Hi Laura Congratulations on your engagement and good luck with all your planninng. Shannon

Congratulations on your renewal. It all sounds amazing. I have been to Jamaica twice and absolutely loved it...guess that is why we are getting married there. Good luck with all your planning.

Hi Suzanne Congratulations and good luck with all your planning. You will find a ton of information here. Shannon

Hi Erin Congratulations on your engagement. My fiance really wanted that date, too, but there are too many wedding between family and friends already in 2010 so we are going with May 2011. Good luck with all your planning Shannon

Hi Michelle Congratulations on your engagement. I am a fellow Riu Ocho Rios wedding hopeful for May 2011. Good luck with all your planning. I don't know anything about a church there, sorry. Shannon

Everyone in my family and his has questioned why we are having it in Jamaica. "Why can't you have a wedding like your brother?" That is everybodys response. My brother and his wife had a huge wedding in our area. My sister in laws parents paid for the whole reception (200 people) and my parents paid for all the extras. We do not have that luxury and are paying for the whole thing ourselves and our main focus is to get a house. To spend a fortune on a wedding here in NYC would be crazy since we want a house within a year of the wedding. We are sticking by our guns. The close friends and family we want there, will be there. Most of his family isn't coming because of the location. It doesn't seem to bother my fiance. Just stick with the wedding that you and your hubby to be want and focus on that. All the other people that don't like the idea can always look at pictures!

I will tell you my situation and what my family has been through this year. My mother has been sick on and off for the past 8 years. This past Feb 24 she was rushed down to the ER of the hospital (she is an RN at a local hospital) since she didn't feel well. She was diagnosed with pneumonia on the 24th. Still in the hospital, on the 26th I get a phone call from my dad to come to the hospital now. My fiance and I head to the hospital as well as my sister and brother and his wife. We all get there and head up to the room. As we walk up, her room is packed with drs and nurses and all her co-workers (its the hospital she works in). Her heart had stopped and the were resusitating her. This was the worst I had ever seen her. They got her heart starting again. She was put into CICU. The drs told us they were giving her a pacemaker. We actually questioned if she should also get a defibulator. The drs told us that the pacemaker on its own would "do the job" if her heart were to stop again. She actually was in the hospital for about 3 weeks. She had never felt better in years than she did when she got out of the hospital in March of this year. My mothers went into cardiac arrest on August 30 this year and passed away. This is the mose devastating thing in life to go through. We questioned how she died of cardiac arrest with a pacemaker. How is this possible They told us that the hear t can slowly slow down to where the pacemaker doesn't even realize it is stopping. If I could go back to Feb 26 I would have them put the defibulator in as well. I have no idea if this would have made any difference, but anything that I could do to change the end result, I would do in a heartbeat. As for work vs time with your mother. It's such a hard situation to be in. I look back and only wish that I saw her even more than I did. I live about 20 minutes away from my parents, but always was busy. Usually saw them 2 times a week or so. I actually broke my shoulder 2 weeks before she passed away so it made it even harder to see her since I can't drive. I would definitely look at the defibulator as well as pacemaker. I would say even if you can't get there to see her, make sure you talk to her constantly. You can't talk to your parents, or the people you love, enough. I have learned so much from my mom passing away. I speak to my dad everyday and make sure that Paul and I get down to see him at least 3 times a week. I really hope everything works out for you and I hope your mothers stay at the hospital is short. I know how hard it is to see her in that bed. Good luck with everything Shannon