mrs*j*2011

Are they crafty? Can they make anything for you...favors, decorations? Maybe one of them can be the point-of-contact person for all things travel, if you're not using a TA. Have you sent invitations yet? All RSVP's can be sent to your mom to handle for you. Better yet, involve them in the creation process for the invites. I guess I'm not much help. We're not having a lot of guests and are trying to keep costs down so I don't really have much to do besides pack my suitcase and get on the plane. My future in-laws and my parents live 90 minutes in opposite directions of us so I'm just trying to keep the moms in the loop with all my ideas and plans. I think they just appreciate knowing what I'm thinking as far as colors, flowers, timeline, etc.

I feel the same way! I cannot, for the life of me, get motivated to work out after I get home from work. I just want to do my nightly "chores" and relax. I really need to get into a routine but I'm having such a hard time. We need tips from all you motivated exercisers!

When we started planning our DW, we had a very limited timeframe to work with due to my FI's schedule. Ideally, I would have preferred to get married on a Saturday but it didn't work out so we settled for Sunday. We are all arriving in Jamaica on Friday and half of our guests will fly home the day after the wedding and the other half are staying a few extra days. FI and I are honeymooning until Saturday. The one thing I didn't want was to have to be at the resort for 3+ days before the wedding. Like Leigh said, many resorts/countries have "residency" requirements and require you to be there for so many days prior to the wedding. It varies and I believe some places are more willing than others to work with you and be flexible on this. We are only able to spend a maximum of 8 days away from home and didn't want to spend half of that waiting to get married. Sandals is allowing us to arrive 2 days before the wedding, which sealed the deal for us. Plus, we're transferring to Couples after the wedding and didn't want to delay getting to our preferred resort. My TA said it's generally better to avoid flying on Fridays, if possible. The rates are higher and flights are busier so that may be something you would want to take into consideration.

Aw that's so cute! Definitely a story to share with your grandkids!

Hello ladies! I haven't seen a January 2011 thread so I figured I'd start one (if there is one, please point me in the right direction!) I'm getting married on Jan 2 at Sandals Royal Caribbean in Montego Bay Jamaica. I had hoped for a New Years Day ceremony (for sentimental reasons, not necessarily for the 1/1/11 date) but they don't perform ceremonies on holidays. Luckily they do on Sundays so that's how we settled on the 2nd. We'll be transferring to Couples Negril for the honeymoon the following day. Am I one of the first brides of the new year? Is anyone going to beat me down the sand aisle??

knitgirl - there was a thick elastic band that went around the middle and hooked in the back like a bra and that is what made me feel so constricted. There's probably a way to get rid of it and still have the dress fit well. Thinking back, I didn't even stop to consider the idea. So don't give up on it yet! It's such a flattering dress.

Quote: Originally Posted by JanineA Hi ladies a while back I found out I couldn't be part of the starfish thread because my date was already taken. I have since purchased my own starfish (its blue) and was wondering if I could start passing it on this thread as well? I am going to try pming dc22173 and itsfinallyhere since I think they are the ones that started/organized this thread. If thats wrong please correct me. Thanks !! Janine - I'd love to "borrow" your starfish if you decide to start passing it! I've been hoping someone would start a new one because my dates don't fit into any of the existing ones. Please let me know! (My travel dates are 12/31/10 - 1/8/11 and our wedding is 1/2/11 in Montego Bay.) Thanks

I love your screen name!

That dress is beautiful...but I agree that it does look like it would be hot. Have you tried it on yet? I'm getting married in Montego Bay Jamaica in January (the average temp is said to be around 80 degrees). I tried on a lot of dresses that were heavy and full of tulle and I was sweating just standing in the stores so I decided I had to go with chiffon. Here's mine:

My second favorite dress was an Alfred Angelo, style # 2100. I loved how it looked on but it was constricting and hot so I just couldn't commit to it. But I totally would have chosen it if we were having a traditional wedding at home.

I found a BM dress I really liked but I just didn't feel bride-y enough. Maybe it was because the dress I tried on was red and it was throwing me off. I ended up choosing a chiffon bridal gown by Mori Lee (Wedding dresses Blue collection from Mori Lee Style 4511 - Delicate Chiffon with Crystal Beading). The material is really light so I'm not too worried about how hot I'll be. But there were definitely some dresses I tried on that I was sweating in the store so I couldn't imagine being on the beach in Jamaica! I say, go with what you're most comfortable in. You'll look beautiful no matter what!

Josie - I knew someone else commented on that thread! I also saw the information on the Facebook Weddingmoons page. Leslie over there clarified it is for the remainder of 2010, the only stipulation is the package must be booked and paid in full by the end of June. I also had my TA speak with my WC at Sandals to see if they would allow the promo to be extended for me (what's 2 measly days?) but she was denied. MrsDillner - The 2010 package includes (for $1300): 10x10 or 12x12 digital photo album 8x8 digital photo album 40 photo thank you cards 2 photo magnets 2 photo calendars CD of 210 digital negatives My TA was told yesterday the package for 2011 will not include the magnets and calendars and will be $1500. But in the same conversation, the WC said the 2011 photo packages were not out yet. So who knows what to believe? I'm getting very frustrated with my so-called "wedding coordinator". It's like pulling teeth to get a straight answer out of her sometimes. But all you 2010 Sandals brides should jump on this package if you're not bringing your own photographer! The 210 digital negatives is what makes this package so great. It's something like $6 per picture, which is a heck of a deal!

There was a thread started by a banned member about a special on photography at Sandals - I'm not sure where the thread went or if I'm breaking any rules by addressing the topic again (please someone tell me if I am!)...? It appears Sandals is offering a bunch of packages containing varying amounts of digital negatives along with some extra stuff. It has been reported to only be good for 2010 ceremonies and must be booked and paid in full by the end of June. I am getting married on Jan 2 and have been told Sandals will not honor the rate for me because it will be 2011. This is the answer I got after numerous emails between my WC and I, and finally getting my TA involved. I should note I never got a direct confirmation of the package I was referring to (which contained 210 digital pics and other extras for $1300). She informed me the special was just 50 pics plus extras for $980. And after many questions, the WC said the package for 2011 would include less extras but cost $200 more. VERY confusing. Just wondering if any other brides have been informed about these specials? It seems like there is a huge difference in what some brides are being told compared to others. Maybe it's just because I'm technically a 2011 bride and they're just focusing on 2010 right now? (Sorry, I'm kind of just venting a little bit. This is so frustrating!)

Gorgeous! The photos are such a natural part of your decor.

Personally I would do smaller pictures, especially if you're going to be sending a lot of them. I think you can go to the photo machines at Walmart or Target and get full sheets of any size you want. Larger envelopes would work too but sometimes they cost more to mail so you do that, take a sample one to the post office and make they don't require extra postage.

I read an update that TA Jennifer posted about 6 months ago that Sandals would be launching a new website with photographer information, including their portfolios, and we would soon be able to choose our photographer. Does anyone have any information on this? I'm worried about my photography. I don't have the budget to fly a photographer with us so I have to rely on the resort and my guests. I'd really like to see some of the portfolios from Sandals Royal Caribbean.

I made my decision very quickly, without doing much research. I'm working backwards - I'm reading any and all reviews I can find. (I don't recommend doing this! I'm starting to regret some of my choices. ) I constantly check Trip Advisor and once I decided on the honeymoon resort, I've been obsessed with the Couples message boards too. Which resorts are currently on your list?

How many guests are you having? That might help you decide what to do and what to eliminate. We are only having 8 guests so we don't need to have a formal welcome dinner. Also, we're all arriving on New Years Eve so we kind of have an "event" already planned for us at the resort! We also decided to forgo the rehearsal dinner, as everyone who would normally take part is essentially all of our guests. I felt like it would be kind of of redundant to essentially have the wedding the day before. We're not planning any formal activities and just letting everyone fly by the seat of their pants. If we had more time before the actual wedding, I would have liked to arrange a private dinner cruise or something like that.

Thank you - I'm so glad I don't have to starve while we are in transit! Abbie - I love your examples! (and I wouldn't hold it against you if you WERE a know it all!!)

Please forgive me if this is a stupid question but I haven't traveled in years and never internationally. I'm allergic to wheat and it's very difficult to eat out. While I know Sandals & Couples will not have a problem accomodating me, I'm not sure what I can bring with me through security at the airport. I want to bring some snacks to have on both flights because it's not easy to find stuff I can eat at the airport (and certainly not on the plane). We'll be traveling anywhere from 7-10 hours on each leg of the trip so I'll probably get hungry! Are there any restrictions on bringing food through security? I know you can't bring drinks through, right?

We haven't gotten his yet but I will be paying for it. Like frannkie said, it's way cheaper than mine!

Welcome June! I'm getting married the day after you - yay for New Years brides!

I received a little bit of information from my Miami WC coordinator today. She was vague but I figured I'd share anyway. I questioned what is available for a la carte options and asked for a photo listing with prices. Amy (aka Tabia) said we can choose anything that is shown on the website in each package and request a specific quote for what we want to upgrade to. The only thing she gave me a price on was the Vision in White arch for the ceremony...$600!!! She also sent me a picture of it. In my opinion, the quality doesn't appear to be worth that kind of money, especially if I'll only be using it for 15-20 minutes. I didn't even ask about upgrading flowers but I've read upgraded bouquets are running upwards of $300. Keep in mind this is specific for Sandals Royal Caribbean. I'm not sure if the prices will be different at any of the other resorts. At this point, I'm planning on not upgrading anything and relying on the natural setting to be decoration enough. If there is something I want when I get there, great. If not, that's fine too. Sorry ladies, I know it's not much info! I was hoping for more but I'm learning to not expect much until I arrive in Jamaica.

Our colors are purple and orange. My MOH will be wearing dark purple (lapis from David's Bridal to be exact) and our main flowers are going to be orange calla lillies.

welcome! be careful though, this place is addicting!