Mkandola

Congrats! I am sure you will find lots of useful information here!

Congratulations! Welcome to the forum!

They look fantastic! Nice and bright!

Congrats! Welcome to the forum!

Congratulations!! Happy Planning!

At first I thought that I needed to wear heels, but after having been to a destination wedding in Punta Cana, I think that comfort is much more important! You are running around so much that you want to make sure your feet are not blistered and ruined by th end of the night. Whatever you are comfortable in though!

Ethics Smethics!! If you are buying a dress from a regular retailer, chances are that it is made in China anyway! Why do you think it takes 3-6 months to have it shipped in? I think people are being naive if they think that they are paying more for a dress to be 'creatively designed and sewn by a well-paid seamstress in the USA or Canada' The wedding industry is a lucrative business and supplies outsource their labour all the time to make the most bang for their buck! So, in my opinion ... if you can get a 'knock off' dress that you like online ... DO IT! My girlfriend actually ended up ordering a Maggie Sottero from a retailer in China or Hong Kong. The dress was regularly $1800 CND and she got it for about $200 (alterations included) ... that is bargain shopping!

My family is really big and nobody wants to miss a 'party' opportunity, so they all decided to come! 50 and counting!

Definitely hand them out at the ceremony

I love the idea ... but do you think it is a little bit forward to give these to guests? Assuming that they are going to have tears of joy at your wedding?

You run the risk of it not arriving to people that you want it to get to. It is also a nice "Welcome" Gift when your guests arrive. Especially if they aren't expecting it

Bottle openers are useful for everyone ... and wine bottle stoppers are perfect for everyone too! Thanks

I think that thought Welcome bags are definitely optional, it is definitely at nice gesture for your guests. It is one of those things that you need to make room for in your budget, because we are asking a lot of our family and friends to be there! If you think that your guests wont use the items that you are purchasing for the bags, then don't put them in the bags! I am only choosing items that I know will be useful for my guests. In terms of personalizing the bags, I won't be making them different from one another, but I will attach a separate thank you card addressed to each individual. But in the end, it is up to you, and what you think works best for your family

Fantastic! So neat and tidy!

Fantastic ideas ... how did you get the 'free' stuff?

Thanks for sharing

Holy Crappoli! That is an amazing Idea! I am stealing it! Thanks for sharing

For my wedding, I have generally stated to my friends and family that a gift is not necessary since they are already coming to my wedding. As far as I am concerned, their gift to me is their presence at the wedding. I will be having a bridal shower for the people who cant make it to the wedding ... and I will register for that.

OOoOo Fantastic Idea! Super cheap in Thailand too!

I feel like I have so much to do and plan .... thanks for sharing!

Good Call on Ebay!!!

Did anyone have any difficulty bringing food through customs?

I am so jealous! I actually feel a little bit anxious about the lack of things I have for my OOT bags now. Did you wrap the kids on your own? You did a FANTASTIC JOB!

Excellent .... I was looking for maracas too

I am also intrigued about this "Free" business!