clgriffi7

Ladies - I attended a local wedding on Saturday and I discovered yet another benefit of a destination wedding. At the wedding, the bride and groom were not able to sit and eat a meal because they had to float anround and visit all of the tables. My fiance turned to me and asked if we were going to be able to eat our reception meal (as he is a male who does not like to miss a meal!). When I thought of it, the answer was yes - we are going to be able to eat! 1. We will have fewer guests, so fewer tables to visit. 2. We will have already spent 1-3 days with our guests at the resort prior to the wedding day, so we will have already greeted everyone. Instead you can just join them all on the dance floor and have fun! I would also like to make a confession to you ladies: I was secretly happy that the wedding this past Saturday wasn't as fancy/impressive as I had expected. There will be 4 couples from that wedding that will be traveling to our wedding in Mexico in 5 months and I was inwardly worried about comparisons between the two weddings. Granted, the weddings will be so different due simply to location - but I didn't want anyone thinking that my wedding is lacking in any way.

I am so happy for you!!!! Wishing you the wedding of your dreams....

Now that is a wedding dress!!! You looked beautiful and so happy. Congratulations!

Since this a lull in the planning for a lot of us (when we have booked the resort, photographers, etc. but we are waiting to know how many guests we have before we finish planning) I thought it could be fun to share all of the fun wedding detail items that we are buying. I have bought: - dress hanger that is wood with a metal cross bar that is bent to say "Mrs Chang" http://www.etsy.com/listing/62804655/personalized-custom-brides-wedding-dress - blue panites that are embroidered with "Mrs Chang" for my something blue from etsy http://www.etsy.com/listing/51334389/bride-to-be-panties - garter with rival university logos http://www.funweddingthings.com/item_786/TEAM-RIVALRY-Bridal-Wedding-Garter--Pick-Your-Two-Sports-Teams-or-Schools.htm - parasol painted with "Chang" (an etsy seller that normally writes "Thank You" or "Just Married" is customizing for me) http://www.etsy.com/listing/56986944/large-brockscript-thank-you-handpainted - personalized koozies to go in the OOT bag and to give out at our At Home Party (200 for $122 including S/H) http://www.discountfavors.com/custom-koozies+economy-collapsible-coolies.html - (what I am most excited about) a custom cake topper that will look a lot like us and even have our dog. The artist in China is working on it now, based on pictures I sent him, and has sent back some proofs to make sure I like it each step of the way. This will be a surprise for my FI as he is bummed that our dog can't go to mexico with us. Here is a link to his ebay posting: http://cgi.ebay.com/personalizd-Custom-wedding-Cake-Topper-figurine-gift-/170489624914?_trksid=p3286.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D3%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D9098263052822027342 Let me just say that my planning thread is going to be a beast to read. I have been on this forum since I got engaged last June and have just loved all of the planning threads. So, to make things easier on myself, I have been compiling my planning thread as I go. So every time I buy something or create something the first thing I do is add it to my planning thread. I think I might be an addict.

Happy 30th Birthday sxcT! 02Nov crystalz Grand Bahia Principe Akumal 04Nov kelnces Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun 05Nov jenniketchup TBD 05Nov clgriffi7 Dreams Cancun 05Nov alysam4785 Beach Palace 10Nov carribe258 Dreams Tulum 10Nov jen83rn Now Jade Riviera 11Nov angi111111 El Dorado Royale 11Nov karielk TBD 11Nov CaitlinBlane2011 IB Tucan 11Nov Vanessa C Gran Caribe 11Nov nadennec Gran Caribe 11Nov Pucca Coral Baja 11Nov AshleyNicole84 Kool Beach Club 11Nov mrsgreene2011 Iberostar Rose Hall Suites 11Nov rpage06 Excellence Riviera Cancun 11Nov danitha Playacar Palace 11Nov Mich1111 Dreams Los Cabos 12Nov jlarruda Majestic Elegance 12Nov hollybee Cabo Surf Hotel 12Nov 82turtles Now Sapphire 17Nov JoanneIreland Barcelo Maya Palace 18Nov Bacchetta2Be Iberostar Grand Rose Hall 18Nov SarahBen2011 Dreams PV 18Nov sxcT Aventura Palace 19Nov dfranklin Gran Bahia Principe Akumal 24Nov JLMS Sandos Playacar 30Nov MJlovesJvN Gran Bahia Principe Akumal

We will be celebrating the symbolic destination wedding date. My fiance kept wanting the legal date as our anniversary, but I argued that the day we stand up in front of our friends and family is the day we should celebrate. He eventually gave in because he didn't care enough to agrue with me :-)

All of the communication was through my travel agent, so I didn't actually many any particular request as an exchange. However, I do plan on going to the meeting with the assumption that my exchange includes pretty much anything I want for gazebo decor. Definitely the flowers on the front two pillars, and I would want those long wodden sticks that come out of the floral bouquet, and even the drapery if I were to want it (at this point I don't think I do though). So for I think it would be worth somewhere in the $250-$450 range. I think I remember when I joined this thread late summer of last year that a trade in the $300 range is typical when trading out the photographer. Oh - another thing about shipping anything to the resorts: things can get held up in customs so unless you ship them early, they may not have even gotten to the resort by the time you arrive.

I think the WC's discourage shipping boxes to the resort just because it becomes a very large hassle for them - imagine if every bride did it! Past brides to Mexico have all made the same suggestion: take your receipts with you as you travel through the airport. That way you can tell them it is for a wedding, you will be carrying a big white dress, and you will have receipts for all of the items. Those past brides have said that as soon as they pull out the pile of receipts customs just waves them on... Depending on how much I end up taking for OOT bags, I am thinking of trying to put all of the items that can't be damaged into a checked duffle bag. That way I can pay the extra baggage fee on the way down and then flatten it and carry it back for free in another suitcase.

I will be bringing my own photographer and have already let Claudia know. My travel agent is TA Jill from this site who was married at Dreams Cancun. She said that because I am bringing my photographer from home and I am paying for him to stay at the resort, then the resort is still making money so they won't have a problem. I believe it would be a different matter if you were to hire a local Mexican photographer that would only be at the resort on a day pass. Claudia offered gazebo decor in exchange for the photographer.

When is your wedding in November? I am on Saturday Nov 5th.

Best of luck NurseM and emeraldy82!!! I hope everything is perfect and we all can't wait to see pictures and read reviews...

Although I love the idea of seeing your fiance for the first time as you walk down the aisle, I think it is more important to make sure the event flows for your guests so they don't have to kill hours. I wouldn't want to have my wedding in the middle of the afternoon and then have my guests have to entertain themselves for a couple of hours (while dressed up) and then come back for cocktail hour and reception. It is especially an issue for those brides that are having their weddings in the "winter" months where the sun sets earlier but you don't want the night to end too early. For my wedding in November, the sun will set just after 5pm. Thus, to have pictures after the ceremony would mean having the ceremony 3-3:30 so we could get pictures from 3:30-5pm. But we wouldn't want to have the cocktail hour until 6-7pm so the reception could run from 7pm-10pm. That would mean guests would have to find something to do for 2.5 hours. Instead my plan is for pictures from 2:30-4:15 (then back to the room to freshen up), sunset ceremony from 5-5:30, pictures with entire group 5:30-6:00, cocktail hour 6:00-7:00, reception from 7:00-10:00. That will keep everyone together and celebrating, but it will also give guests an extra 2 hours of the day in the afternoon to enjoy their vacation at the pool or beach. One other point - the photographer will be able to do a MUCH better job of capturing your fiance's reaction in a controlled first look environment. Obviously, there is no wrong answer to this question - only personal preference.

Vanessa - I actually do feel like I am doing quite a bit of planning/stressing, but none of it is for the destination wedding! My fiance and I are getting legally married back home before we leave for Mexico. Originally I had envisioned the two of us with our parents at the courthouse and then a simple dinner out afterwards. However my fiance really wants the dog to be there (since he obviously can't come to Mexico), and after everything that I am getting my way on with the wedding it is only fair that he gets to have this. So now we have to get legally married outdoors which means finding a park, finding an officiant for a weekend (likely a Sunday), so now siblings want to come, possibly having our photographer there, getting a nicer dress, and a bigger dinner event. I am letting the Mexico wedding float for the time being since so much is coordinated by the resort while I try to get a handle on planning this second ceremony. The cool thing is that I now get to have 2 wedding ceremonies, 2-3 receptions (dinner after legal, reception in Mexico, At Home Party when we return), and 2 honeymoons (we are staying in Mexico a few extra days and then we just booked a Mediterranean cruise for September of next year as a honeymoon/1 year anniversary trip). Yeah for destination weddings!!!

No problem. I think it will be nice as November gets closer for us all to know whose wedding is coming up when. For me it is less than 6 months for my Mexican wedding and I am working on planning the legal ceremony now - which will likely be in about 5 months. People keep asking if I am getting excited yet and I say "no", it still seems so far away. I think it will really hit in August when I should know which guests are coming....

02Nov crystalz Grand Bahia Principe Akumal 04Nov kelnces Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun 05Nov jenniketchup TBD 05Nov clgriffi7 Dreams Cancun 05Nov alysam4785 Beach Palace 10Nov carribe258 Dreams Tulum 10Nov jen83rn Now Jade Riviera 11Nov angi111111 El Dorado Royale 11Nov karielk TBD 11Nov CaitlinBlane2011 IB Tucan 11Nov Vanessa C Gran Caribe 11Nov nadennec Gran Caribe 11Nov Pucca Coral Baja 11Nov AshleyNicole84 Kool Beach Club 11Nov mrsgreene2011 Iberostar Rose Hall Suites 11Nov rpage06 Excellence Riviera Cancun 11Nov danitha Playacar Palace 11Nov Mich1111 Dreams Los Cabos 12Nov jlarruda Majestic Elegance 12Nov hollybee Cabo Surf Hotel 12Nov 82turtles Now Sapphire 17Nov JoanneIreland Barcelo Maya Palace 18Nov Bacchetta2Be Iberostar Grand Rose Hall 18Nov SarahBen2011 Dreams PV 19Nov dfranklin Gran Bahia Principe Akumal 24Nov JLMS Sandos Playacar 30Nov MJlovesJvN Gran Bahia Principe Akumal

I last saw them on www.bouquetjewelry.com where they came in at least clear and blue, but I think also in a 3rd color. That website is blocked at my work so I can't check to be sure.

My goal is going to be to have everything designed (like programs, tags for OOT bags, etc..) in the next couple of months and then in Sept/Oct I will print/assemble them all. As for OOT bags, I would scout out stores and websites so that when you have a guest count you are ready to purchase and don't have to go looking for things.

02Nov crystalz Grand Bahia Principe Akumal 04Nov kelnces Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun 05Nov jenniketchup TBD 05Nov clgriffi7 Dreams Cancun 05Nov alysam4785 Beach Palace 10Nov carribe258 Dreams Tulum 10Nov jen83rn Now Jade Riviera 11Nov angi111111 El Dorado Royale 11Nov karielk TBD 11Nov CaitlinBlane2011 IB Tucan 11Nov Vanessa C Gran Caribe 11Nov nadennec Gran Caribe 11Nov Pucca Coral Baja 11Nov AshleyNicole84 Kool Beach Club 11Nov mrsgreene2011 Iberostar Rose Hall Suites 11Nov rpage06 Excellence Riviera Cancun 11Nov danitha Playacar Palace 11Nov Mich1111 Dreams Los Cabos 12Nov jlarruda Majestic Elegance 12Nov hollybee Cabo Surf Hotel 17Nov JoanneIreland Barcelo Maya Palace 18Nov Bacchetta2Be Iberostar Grand Rose Hall 18Nov SarahBen2011 Dreams PV 19Nov dfranklin Gran Bahia Principe Akumal 24Nov JLMS Sandos Playacar 30Nov MJlovesJvN Gran Bahia Principe Akumal

You must be so excited!!!! I wish you the best of luck with having your dream wedding.. And just so you know, I am super jealous...I just passed the 6-month mark.

So ladies I am starting to get a bit more excited about the wedding because I am finally less than 6 months away!!! I got engaged last June, so it seems as if it has taken forever to get this far. For an update, all of the attire for everyone (including both sets of parents) is in our possession. I am sure there are a lot of alterations that need to be made, but at least we have the garments. We sent out our invitations at the end of last week, so now there isn't a whole lot I can physically do for the wedding until I know a guest count. However between now and when I know that number (hopefully end of August/early September) I will try and design everything (like programs, OOT bag tags, etc.) and find everything online (like chair bows and table runners) so I can just print and order when the time comes. Oh - one very exciting thing from tonight...my fiance and I booked our honeymoon/1-year anniversary cruise tonight! We decided that since we will already be in Mexico and with vacation days at work at a premium, that we would stay a few extra days after the wedding and have our official honeymoon in 2012. So we just booked a 12-day Mediterranean cruise for September 2012. I am super excited!!! I am such a planner that part of me wants to start planning that trip now. But I am going to try and make myself hold off so I have something to look forward to after the wedding. I bet I will be one of those people that will be a bit depressed after the wedding and AHR, so this should keep me occupied.

From what I have read previously, if you bring chair sashes, table runners, and/or napkins they will put them out for free. You would just give them to the wedding coordinator at your meeting a couple of days prior to the wedding.

If you are able to sneak pictures of you in the dresses, I would highly recommend that you print out copies of the ones that you are seriously considering. It really really helped me to have the pictures side by side.

The main thing is that once you choose a dress you have to fully commit to it. Don't try on any other dresses and don't second guess your choice. I am sorry to hear that your family hasn't been much help. I guess it is hard for people to put aside their personal opinions. I tried on about 15 dresses. The first 6 to 8 dresses were at David's Bridal and were all of different shapes. That is when I realized that sheath and A-lines were not flattering to my figure. The next store I tried on another 5 or so dresses and there I realized that mermaid dresses were right for me. I tried on 3 mermainds at that store and then another 3 or 4 mermaids at a final 3rd shop. I did limit myself to only certain stores due to price ranges offered at those stores - I didn't even want to go in stores with dresses out of my price range!

I was not one of those brides that started crying when I found the one. I knew when I had found the right shape (mermaid) because I couldn't stop smiling - I finally felt beautiful in a dress. I had it narrowed down between two dresses that were very similar in description (mermaid, ruffle bottom, banded torso) but that looked rather different in reality. Luckily I was able to print out pictures and compare them sided by side. I chose the dress that was more simple and that I thought would photograph better and stand the test of time. But if I were you, these are the questions I would ask myself to help pick the one: 1. Are all of them in your price range? If you like 3 such that you are having a hard time choosing, no reason to pay way too much. 2. When you look in the mirror with the each dress on, do you feel beautiful/sexy? You need to feel confident when you walk down the aisle knowing that you look great. 3. Which dress do you think will photograph best? For this you need a mixture of simplicity and drama. 4. Which dress will stand the test of time? Think about Princess Diana's dress....I bet it was thought to be beautiful at the time but to me it looks so terribly 1980's. For me, simple is best is a good rule of thumb for this one as well. I wouldn't rely on anyone else to tell you which is best - unless they are judging your reaction to the dresses. When you take someone shopping with you, they can normally tell in your facial and body expressions which one you react to most. On this forum I see some dresses that brides are in love with that I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole. But that is why they make such varied dresses, because brides have such a wide range of tastes. Best of luck!!!! Just stay positive - you have found 3 dresses you love...

02Nov crystalz Grand Bahia Principe Akumal 04Nov kelnces Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun 05Nov jenniketchup TBD 05Nov clgriffi7 Dreams Cancun 05Nov alysam4785 Beach Palace 10Nov carribe258 Dreams Tulum 10Nov jen83rn Now Jade Riviera 11Nov angi111111 El Dorado Royale 11Nov karielk TBD 11Nov CaitlinBlane2011 IB Tucan 11Nov Vanessa C Gran Caribe 11Nov nadennec Gran Caribe 11Nov Pucca Coral Baja 11Nov AshleyNicole84 Kool Beach Club 11Nov mrsgreene2011 Iberostar Rose Hall Suites 11Nov rpage06 Excellence Riviera Cancun 11Nov danitha Playacar Palace 11Nov Mich1111 Dreams Los Cabos 12Nov jlarruda Majestic Elegance 12Nov hollybee Cabo Surf Hotel 17Nov JoanneIreland Barcelo Maya Palace 18Nov Bacchetta2Be Iberostar Grand Rose Hall 19Nov dfranklin Gran Bahia Principe Akumal 24Nov JLMS Sandos Playacar 30Nov MJlovesJvN Gran Bahia Principe Akumal