murphysmom

Happy Birthday! My 30th birthday is on February 19! How did it feel? I'm a little nervous about it. I've enjoyed my late 20s so much!!

Fake flowers. They looked very tacky! Also, at one wedding I attended the groom got really drunk before the ceremony. He and the groomsmen actually drank from the alcohol reserved for the reception! I'm going to ask my fiance to keep drinking to a minimum until after ceremony and photos are finished.

Usually you mention a general dress code such as "cocktail attire" or "semi-formal," etc. I think I would put something generic on the invitation, then go into more specifics on the web site or somewhere else. From what I've heard, you should keep your invitation fairly simple.

I agree with one of the posts above - it is not always about how much you have spent (monetarily) but the thought you put into a gift. I think you have spent plenty of money and a good part of your budget in making them feel like a part of the wedding. If you are going to make any more effort, I would say an inexpensive piece of jewelry to go with their dresses - one that they will like, but also benefits you (and your wedding) too because it is part of their "outfit" and the overall look of the day. Another thing you could do a few weeks after the wedding is write and nice personal note to each girl, along with a framed picture of that person (maybe solo or with you) in a frame. That's a nice token of appreciation and one that I have received myself from a bride. I still have the note and the picture! A nice big hug and "thank you" are also nice on the wedding day as well! It sounds cheesy, but I remember each bride that has said personally to me "thank you for being here with me today." It really goes a long way!

Hmmmm....this is a tough one and I admit I haven't yet reached this part of the planning. I am stress because I recently learned you are technically supposed to pay for their hotel accommodations!! How in the world am I supposed to afford this when my budget is increasing by the day??!! It's sometimes difficult to balance etiquette and budget. In your case, I think the deposit's and the pashmina's were very thoughtful gifts. I personally would think this is okay. However, the only other thing I would suggest is a piece of jewelry that is not too expensive? Something that goes with the dresses and that they will wear again. I received a very lovely heart-shaped necklace from a bride last year when I was a bridesmaid and I love it and wear it all the time. Another idea is perhaps seeing if the hotel will give you a group discount for mani/pedi's. Or maybe just pedi's. I would imagine this depends on the price of your hotel but this would also be another good idea...just a little something extra they can benefit from on the actual day itself. As for groomsmen...I'm leaving this up to my fiance so I haven't even given this a second thought! We're having our wedding in Cabo, so knowing my fiance he will give them cuban cigars and a bottle of nice scotch or something. Good luck!

Welcome to the forum! We have the same problem because we are getting married in Cabo June 2011. Luckily we are working with a wedding coordinator there. She agreed that this can be a problem when estimating costs. However, she estimated cost (for every vendor and site fee, etc) based on the increases from previous years...i.e. just a guess, but an educated guess. If you're working with a wedding planner, I suggest asking them what their experience with annual cost increases have been. If not, I would imagine there is a wedding coordinator or someone else at the hotel who you can ask. Sometimes I've found they are afraid to commit to a number, but if you just let them know you are simply looking for an estimate and will not hold them to anything. Just be sure to let your guests know that these rates are not guaranteed into the next year. Good luck!

Jananaz - due to my very supportive fiance, he is no help at all. He has his opinions for sure, but he said he would be happy in either place. Very sweet, but not much help! haha. All of the guests have different opinions. The consensus is that our "A-List" people will come to either location as long as they have ample notice to plan and save. Everyone has their preference, but say it's up to me. This doesn't help me at all! Maybe it will come down to cost for us as well. I can only justify spending so much on our wedding (and asking people to do the same). This must be why Mexico is so popular!

Thanks for all of the support everyone! BeachBride10, your question is a good one because not very many people would be able to attend Hawaii due to the cost I'm afraid. Everything tends to be more expensive there. It's too bad because I think this would be ideal, but I'm not sure I can justify the cost either. After all, I don't want to break the bank getting married! I have been to both places and love them equally for different reasons. It's really hard to compare them isn't it? I wonder though, although it's more expensive in Hawaii maybe it would be easier for people? No passport, most people have been there before, etc... Listen to me go on about "other people." I should just think about what I want (and wish to spend) and know that everyone I really care about will be there. Thanks again everyone!

#3 is my favorite! But it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. You have to wear the dress! I received some advice recently that when you have found "the one" a) you will just know and/or you won't want to take it off! Having only tried on one awful dress so far myself, I'm not sure if this is accurate or not. I would imagine it's not a cut and dry as that, but choose whichever one makes you feel the most pretty! And perhaps something timeless? I would love to know what 80's brides think of their dresses now!

Thanks for all of the suggestions everyone! Google is my best friend so far, but hopefully I'll find lots of info on here as well! I'm happy I found the forum. I'll let you all know what I decide.

Hi All - I'm new on here and just learning how it all works. I have been engaged two months and am having trouble deciding between Hawaii and Cabo San Lucas. Any suggestions on how I can make a final decision? I wish I could afford to visit both locations, but I don't and time is running out. I'm hoping for a June wedding in Cabo or a September wedding in Hawaii. Thanks!