TLC4Rock

Eating more healthy! I started a meal program Diet-to-go...best part it's fresh food. Quality far exceeds Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig. I need to up my exercise routine more...and Diet-to-go has a partnership with Team Fitness America and in home personal trainers. Both programs are not too bad as far as cost. I'm on a tight budget and been able to work them both in. Only hurts when I can't spend on what I want instead of what I need. :-)

Welcome and congratulations. Happy planning to you and we love pictures here! :-)

Quote: Originally Posted by azulskies Yes! I live in Norfolk! Where were you from?? azulskies - I live in Ashburn, VA originally from Hampton and my FI is in Portsmouth....the lovely seven cities. Anyway, I'm back and forth planning the wedding so just wanted to touch bases and ask if you would share any information you find and vice versa! :-) If you have not found a dress yet, I found a really lovely bridal shop in Warrenton, VA. I am planning on traveling to Norfolk to look there. Any recommendations for bridal shops? Also are you planning a AHR? If so what location(s) are you considering?

Quote: Originally Posted by azulskies Hey ladies...does anyone in the Hampton Roads or even Richmond area know of any good photographers they can recommend for BD shoots? I am from that area, I will check with friends still in the area and get back with you. OR PM me if I don't respond fast enough! "-)

Hello DMV Ladies! I just found this thread and decided to introduce myself. I'm glad I found you all and looking forward to sharing information. I am getting married in Punta Cana - July 30, 2010!

Congratulations and best wishes to you and Mike

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and ideas! I just love this group!! :-) Quote: Originally Posted by Island Bride I would suggest meeting halfway at a nice restaurant! Every valentines day me and my FI go to this really fancy restaurant for dinner. Its a nice, relaxing time that is well deserved! ps. Im SO jealous you live somewhere that it SNOWS! Everything worked out...we did what you suggested. We met halfway and had a WONDERFUL weekend. Monday was a holiday for us so we also stayed over Sunday night. It was a weekend long overdue. Because for the past 4 months we were so busy work, personal things and on and on....

Happy Tuesday All! Here are some pictures of the resort that the Wedding Coordinator sent. It's really hard planning at this resort since I didn't find many former brides on BDW. The good news is that the few couples I found had positive wedding experiences...so that worry is gone! TERRACE VIEW http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/y..._Imagen003.jpg http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/y...d/_DSC0707.jpg BEACH VIEW http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/y...monia_boda.jpg

I love the idea of the peacock tie, but I think I will need to see pictures of how to put that together with the men attire. If your girlfriend used the tie then please post pictures of the attire. I also love the wine bottle labels. Although, the clutch bags are absolutely beautiful they are out of my price range with all the other gifts I have for the BMs. Thanks for all your information.

You may want to re-post on the Dominican excursion thread. Maybe someone there may have an answer. I would love to learn more about the wedding boat.

Quote: Originally Posted by L&C In Love I can say that I have been there about 3 years ago and just loved it. The people there were one of the reasons why we had such a good time, really open to having a fun time! We didn't have a problem with the language barrier, we didn't expect much from the staff as English is not their first language. Also I wouldn't say the location is overly large, we have been to bigger and didn't find the occidental exhausing to walk around or anything like that. We saw 2 weddings when we were there but they were very very small, just bride and groom, and it seemed like they had it in a very public place with not much privacy. We also liked the food and never really had a complaint, it had its busy moments and was frustrating when some people from other countries would cut in line with no disregard to you, but what do you do, your on vacation. Some flaws but despite that we had a great time at this location! Good luck with everything! Its so hard to make a decision! Thanks for your feedback!!

I hereby swear to never serve boxed wine!! yikkess

Quote: Originally Posted by carly VOLUME XIII - 9 Q: What is the meaning of peacock feathers? A: The peacock feathers are considered by the poets and mystics as a symbol (sign) of beauty, and a sign of vanity. And they are included in all the kingly grandeurs. And the peacock is the bird upon which rode the goddess of music and literature, Saraswati. Also the peacock feathers are used at the tombs of the Sufis, by the guardians of the tomb. Also by the healers, what by the pass of the peacock feathers, which is the pass of harmony and beauty, the bad influences may be taken away. Also in India they use peacock feathers in the necklace of a child, and that is a little psychological trick. A child who is susceptible to evil eye is saved from its severe influence, because it is natural that the first glance of a person, instead of falling upon the child, will fall upon the peacock feathers, because it attracts the curiosity of everyone. In that way the first severe glance is, so to speak, shielded by the peacock feathers. And the same thing is done by the lion's nails which are put in the necklace of a little child. The Feathers Site - everything about feather magic Peacock Feathers were thought to be very unlucky, because they resemble an eye. The eye shape represented the evil eye which people were afraid of. Today the beauty and natural strength of the peacock feathers are again recognized. They are specially valued for their multicolored eyes. Peacock In Asia, the feathers of the peacock are considered auspicious and protective. However in the European tradition, it used to be considered very bad luck to keep them in the home. (and it goes on) The Meanings Behind the Symbols: Family Crests, Blazons, Coat of Arms, Personalized Crests Peacock Feather Beauty, power, and knowledge Hahahaa, guess I found time. It's nice when the boss isn't around ;-) The last site says Beauty, power, and knowledge.That confirms that the Peacock is just right for me! Thanks!! I want to find away to incorporate that wording.

Quote: Originally Posted by midnight24 bridesmaids bouquet is green hydragenas, hand tie, with blue/teal satin ribbon with a feather attached bride bouquet is white hydragenas, white roses and another white flower i forget the name of, with ivory satin ribbon, hand tie, with a peacock feather attached Please share pictures of the bridesmaid bouquet, sounds beautiful.

I love the idea of vacuum sealing the items.

Forgive me if this thread was started, or I placed this with the wrong group. I did a search and did not find anything that focused on the peacock themed wedding. I thought I would start this thread to share ideas, pictures and resources. Brides that are using this theme or considering this theme please post ideas/suggestions and resources! I would love to share resources. I am excited about the theme because I love the colors! Blue and Platinum were my original colors, but I felt like they did not pop enough for a destination wedding. So I started searching color palettes. Bridesmaid Dresses: My MOH came up with the idea to have each bridesmaid where a different color in the palette. I have not decided on a dress but I have been leaning towards the convertible wrap dresses. I was thinking this would make for a very colorful wedding party. Groomsmen: Any suggestions on attire for the men - that won't make them scream with the colors. I did find Peacock boutonnieres on Estsy. They are beautiful - peacock BOUTONNIERE groom by MeadowbelleMarket on Etsy If you are looking for a good deal on Peacock feathers...my favorite!! Oriental Trading $7.95 for 24 pieces 24 Pretty Peacock Feathers Decor I have not decided on decorations other than splashing the colors any and every 'tactful' way possible but I will be sure to update you as I plan. I did find these beautiful Peacock wreaths that wold make beautiful centerpieces for $19. Peacock Feather Wreath I just don't know how many to order because I have not had all my guest to confirm. Anyway, if someone gets the opportunity to try this vendor and product before me then please let me know how your exp.

Welcome and congratulations!! I will be in DR in July also..yay!

Congratulations! Two days before my birthday!!! I'm sure you will have a beautiful wedding. Happy planning and keep us updated with the planning.

Quote: Originally Posted by TA Dina I have not seen their wedding set up, but the resort IMO is ok. It's moderate. Nothing fancy. It's large and spread out. It tends to cater to a more european clientele as we saw with the food/entertainment and intereacting with the other guests (which was limited b/c noone spoke english). Pretty quiet after the nightly show each night. People just tend to hang around in the lobby playing cards etc. Prices well but for a reason. And it doesn't really compare to the Paradisus which you'll see. In two different leagues. Thanks for the feedback, but this is disappointing since I'm already booked. I did hear from another bride that mentioned if you wanted small and quaint this would be a good place. I also understand they just went renovations. I loved Paradisus but did think it would be a challenge for my guest. Which is more important when on a budget. But the biggest question I have is you said they were reasonably priced for a reason. from your comment do you mean because the limited English or the limited entertainment. Please expand.

Thanks for all the suggestions and ideas land...MOST IMPORTANT! Thanks for starting this thread. I still have not decided on what I am going to do with my hair. I thought of a weave also (no glue) but a nice weave is expensive. I love the idea of the tree braids, I am going to research that more. However, I am dealing with hair loss in the front and think braids may damage the already fragile hair. :-( When I vacation to the carribean, I normally do the wet and wavy but I don't want that for my wedding. I will not be able to get the ideal style I want. In that I'll be in DR, I thought I may be able to get a Dominican blow out...but what am I going to do when I enjoy the water activities....wew!! Just stressed thinking about what I'm going to do. Anyway, my wedding is in July so I need to start trying new style like NOW. Also, any Jamaican brides in Negril area, I have a friend and her husband is Jamaican. She went to a local shop for her wedding day...so if you need a referral I can try to get you one.

Great bags, and I love the towels.

Quote: Originally Posted by teresayax I have recently returned from the Occidental resort for our wedding. It was amazing! They only have 1 wedding per day. I couldnt have asked for anything more. The WC was great...the flowers, cake , decorations...everything was perfect. I have a shutterfly account with most of our guests pictures as well that you can visit if you'd like "http://puntacanamay20091.shutterfly.com/" password: wedding. We went with the private reception in the beach house, it was everything we could imagine. If you have a little extra in your budget, I highly recommend doing the private reception. We are very happy that we spent the extra money on it. Also, my aunt brought down a laptop and a memory card reader (it reads all different types of memory cards from all digital cameras), the last day she grabbed most of our guests memory cards and was able to download everyones photos and put them all onto a memory stick and cd for us. I highly recommend this. It saved us a lot of time and energy trying to get everyones photos once we returned. Feel free to PM me with any questions! Good Luck with the planning Thanks for the pictures, BEAUTIFUL! I agree the WC is very slow. For any new brides that plan to marry after 7.30.2010. I will be sure to post my review. I have started a blog and will update with any information I get.

Hello, I wanted to revisit this post, because I also requested feedback on Occidental Grand in Punta Cana. So please let me know if you choose them or any other information you may have to share.

Quote: Originally Posted by soontobemrsdow I also went there for a vacation about 3 years ago. It was a nice resort, it's not huge but not small either so you kind of got the best of both worlds. The staff are really friendly and most speak decent english so the language barrier isn't bad if you don't know too much spanish. While we were there they were renovating the restaurants and the ones we went to that hadn't been renovated yet were fine so I'm sure there really nice now. The beach is beautiful!!! I don't remeber ever seeing seaweed buildup and we never had to get up early to reserve chairs either. I'm sure you'll love this resort! Any other questions feel free to ask!! Thanks for the feedback! I love the idea of it small! One the reasons I wanted a destination wedding is because I wanted an intimate wedding.

I'm a bit confused with the different Occidentals in Punta Cana. I was told that they changed the name several time. Anyway, I'm using Occidental Grand - Punta Cana, DR. I have friends of friends that went there for their honeymoon last year and said the resort was great. My TA says that her experience with Occidentals have been great.