jszy10

Hey girls!! I just wanted to share my DIY Sand Ceremony Frame with you in case any of you are loving the frame idea for your sand ceremony but don't want to spend $60+ to get one!!! This was the issue I had. I knew I wanted a frame for my sand ceremony, but I couldn't find any under $50-60, and I just couldn't bare to spend that much for it. Sooo I decided to go to AC Moore and see what I could find to try and make my own. I found a black wooden 8 x 8" shadow box frame for less than $10 and thought it would be perfect! I brought it home and immediately had FI drill a hole in the top, because that was the part I worried the most about. Once that worked out, he caulked the glass to the frame from the inside to seal it tight. I then took a glue stick, covered the edges of the picture all the way around and glued it directly to the glass. Once the picture glue dried, I put the cardboard box (originally for the shadow box look) back in, followed by a flat cardboard back, and FI caulked around the box to seal the back as well. We will be using a small funnel to ensure the sand goes in evenly and I will be taking a small bottle of glue with me to seal the hole before we head home. As far as the vases are concerned, I believe I purchased them at Michael's for less than $2 a piece. All in all, I spent less than $15 to make this frame, and I think it will end up looking just as great once its all said and done!! As far as the sand is concerned, we are using orange sand purchased from AC Moore and actual natural sand from Mexico so that we can bring back a part of where we were when we were married! I hope this helps encourage those of you who are thinking about making a sand ceremony frame to actually try it out!! If you have any questions PLEASE don't hesitate to ask!!! and finally....the picture! (and I do have to apologize for the quality, its just a cell phone pic and has a bit of a glare :oP)

Yay!!!! They turned out great hun!!! Congrats on getting them finished and sent out!! What a great feeling )

Yay!!!!!!! ) Thank you so much!! Hmm... haha... my head has been spinning lately, feeling like I'm going to forget something. I would definitely suggest a few weeks out to start making your packing list. I did mine in Word and just added to it everytime I thought of something. Now that I am so close, Wilma is emailing me responses within 24 hours, sometimes less! So she has been great. It helped me to sort of go through my wedding day and other days and think about everything I'm going to need. I almost forgot all about the little things, like my garter and my cake serving set and the sand for my sand ceremony lol. Right now I am just finishing up my welcome books, I already have two carry-ons packed with decorations, OOT bag stuff and gifts and I'll start packing everything else this weekend. I'm lucky to have a craft room that has sort of become my wedding central, so I can almost guarantee everything I need is somewhere in that room.. I also have a folder of paperwork that I'm taking with me on my carry on that includes all conversations/promises from Wilma, Yesenia and other people from the resort -- just to cover myself, a printout of the confirmation #'s for our spa treatments that I'll check as soon as we get there and all travel documents. I'm so excited to get on the plane!!!

Hey Sam!!! Congrats on your upcoming wedding!! As far as the outside vendors go, I really do think they are attempting to become more strict with their policies. The contracts we sign state that we aren't permitted to have any, and we have all been sort of stretching with the photogs. I do not think you can bring in any DJ you want, but I'm not 100% sure because I'm not using one. I feel like I have heard a previous bride say that there becomes an issue with insurance and use of electricity and everything else?? But there are ladies on here that would be able to tell you better than me! I ok'd my outside photographer with Yesenia and will have to pay a guest pass, so I would definitely go that route first before you lock someone down for sure. I am using Octavio Montes because he is very easy on the budget, but Del Sol and La Luna's pictures are out of this world! You may have trouble booking so close to your date though, so if you want to use someone definitely act fast. Juan Navarro is good as well. I am doing the complimentary wedding package and just bringing my own chair sashes. I'm a "the stunning view is enough deco for me" kind of girl, so not having included decorations doesn't bother me at all. I also made my own bouquets and bouts so they are giving me an alter flower display in place of the included bouquet/bout in the complimentary package. Hope that helps!! I leave in 5 days, so I'll be sure to post pics and a review when I return so you know more of what to expect! There is also a bride returning that just got married on June 11 that should have some current info for you as well!

Ahh thanks Amanda!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! Safe travels Steph! Have an amazing time!!!!!

I would definitely go with the Lean Program.

Ahhh, I promised myself I wouldn't look at the weather again and I just did :oP . What I can say is that is has forcasted rain/t-storms every day and I doubt it has been like that. I feel like it is probably a lot like Florida, where it forcasts a t-storm every day during the summer but may rain for 5 minutes. Quote: Originally Posted by Blue&StarfishBride How is the weather down in Cancun? Anyone down there now? Forecast for next week doesn't look amazing- a bit worried!

Thanks! Anytime! Good luck in your journey! Stop and let us know how things are going!!! I'll probably start the program again in July! Oh, I also didn't follow the meal plan...and I didn't do recovery drinks either. (although I heard chocolate milk works great as a recovery drink without having to buy the shakes!!) I just watched my overall calorie intake and ate several times throughout the day. You definitely do have to make sure you are eating enough protein and good carbs, so that your body has enough to feed from. I remember in week 3, I finished yoga up and thought I was going to pass out. I ran to wawa and got a protein bar, and halfway to being done I felt 100 times better. Going from not working out barely at all to working out hard for 6 1/2 hours a week really does catch up wtih you!!

http://www.p90xworkoutsschedule.com/ Here you go!!!! When I started the program I wasn't really so much concerned with weight either, I just wanted to tone up that "wiggle/jiggle" you talk about haha. All in all I lost only 5 lbs, but lost 2 inches all around in my waist and belly, an inch and 1/2 in my hips and moved from a size 6 down to a 2/4. After 30 days I lost an inch and that was enough to keep me motivated. Make sure to do measurements so that you can really track your loss! Its so much more than weight. I took pics too and can definitely tell a difference.

Oh yeah, after doing some Insanity I know going back to P90X will feel SO slow haha. But honestly, I like it better that way. I don't really care for the crazy fastness (not a word lol) of Insanity. I have no doubt that working out with that kind of intensity can work wonders, but I saw the results I wanted and loved from the slower workouts in P90X and I enjoyed working out with that much more.

Ahh so exciting Steph!! I leave next Wednesday -- I'm the last of us! I think it finally hit me yesterday that we are leaving in 9 days...so I started sorting everything out that needs to go with us and finished packing two carry ons full of OOT bag stuff, gifts and decorations. My bach was absolutely fabulous!!! The girls got me a hotel right in center city and we went to dinner and ran the town all night ) They had me doing some crazy list of bachelorette stuff lol Some guy had to draw a picture of my butt on my arm, some guy had to walk me down the aisle of the bar...I had to find an older guy in the bar and dance with him, and he creeped on me all night LOL. It was definitely a blast )

Hey!! Welcome to the forum!! I feel like I'm the only one left!? I do have a link where you can get the entire program for around $55, but I will have to look it up at home (i'm at work now). I actually finished P90X quite a few weeks ago and have been playing around with the Insanity discs off and on since then. I can honestly say, especially if you are a beginning or not someone who works out regularly, I would definitely recommend P90X over Insanity. I absolutely loved P90X. Obviously after 8-10 weeks in you will definitely start feeling like an hour every single day gets harder and harder to stick with, but I was nothing but happy with my results, and I honestly did enjoy the workouts. Insanity is seriously named that way for a reason -- its nuts!!! I did my first Insanity workout after finishing 13 weeks of P90X and I still wanted to die lol. I really don't think that program is meant for a beginner and definitely think it is best placed AFTER P90X to switch up your workouts and keep burning fat. It is an intense cardio prorgam...and 5 minutes into the warm up I feel like my chest is going to beat right out of my body lol. I'm still doing Ab Ripper X from P90X and some cardio from Insanity every once in awhile, but am thinking I'll probably start back up P90X after I get back from my wedding. I hope this helps!? What are your goals for the program!?!

We have some brides getting married today!!!!!!!!!!!!! ) Congrats to the June 11th brides...enjoy your day! I'm off to my bachelorette party tonight so I'm sure I'll be drinking plenty in celebration for everyone here hahaha. I'm rounding out the June brides and leaving in 11 days!

I have one of these that I am using in early July! When would you need it? How much are you looking to spend?

Well that would be nice...all I have are a few lanterns to hang from the pandero terrace on thursday for my cocktail party, and a few chair sashes for my wedding day! I can't even imagine paying $65 for both of those things!? Maybe she'll give once we're there...if not, I'm sure my mother or one of my girls will help me out.

Ahh Amanda..I missed your departure! ) Have an amazing time!! I can't wait to hear about everything when you come home!

Oh ok..thanks erika..I'm not exactly sure if I'm going to send my dress out...I just feel like through travel it may need some TLC? What did you do? I'll have to ask the shop their opinion at my last fitting.

ooook...just got the "$65 setup fee" comment for Wilma -- I asked her about if I should bring the string to hang my lanterns or if they had stuff to hang them...and she told me I should bring the string and that there is a $65 setup fee. ugghh... she also told me that if I want my dress steamed that they take it to cancun and it takes 2 business days....really!?! :oP

Congrats Amanda!!!! SO exciting )

Wow J-Me...that's gorgeous..is that a maggie? I knew as soon as I saw maggie's dresses that that was it for me! I HAD to have a maggie! )

Amber, that dress is gorgeous!! perfect for a beach wedding ) I really don't know anything about Christine, but I can tell you that when I was 6 months out, sometimes it did take like 2 weeks :oP hang in there!! anything we can help you with?

I love it!!!! ) Congrats!!

...and honestly, even with my invites going out 10 months in advance, I still only got like 6 actual RSVPs sent back to me -- but I knew who booked when because of my TA, so it wasn't a big deal. To me, sending out invites 3 months out didn't make any sense.

I actually just sent out real generic "hey we're getting married in Mexico on this date" STDs when we first decided on a DW, and then sent out my invites super early (approx. 10 months before the wedding) -- when most people send out their STDs. I definitely don't think there's anything wrong with doing away with STDs. That is what's nice about DWs!!

Oooo yay!!! Pics? Details? )