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I just ordered my mugs from discountmugs.com and I wanted to share a coupon code I found for 20% off! You'll have to hurry because it expires 12/12/10, but every other coupon code was only for 10%, so this seems like the best deal you're going to find. Also, for a limited time they're doing free shipping on all mugs. Even though we don't have everyone's RSVP's yet, I figured with the minimum order number I'll have everyone covered, and maybe even have some extras. The discount code is "lastcall" Enjoy!

Hey Lisa, your excitement on ordering your sand ceremony vases makes me want to share too! The umbra ether frame (layered frame) is available on the Linen's and Things (www.lnt.com) website and they're having a sitewide sale of 20% off plus free shipping (code HOLIDAY2010)! Also, if anyone is buying their sand separately, it looks like Blick Art Supplies (www.dickblick.com) sells colored sand in 2lb bags for under $3. I'll probably go to the local store to save on shipping and get some inspiration for other projects...

Tris, that video made it look super easy. I think I'll have to head to the beauty supply store and get supplies. I'm sure the salon at the resort will know how to put them in for me (although I watched a video on how to put them in as well) Just have to decide now if I'm going to be changing my hair color between now and April. Thanks again!

Hi Jenny, I totally understand your stress. My wedding is in the DR in April and I too went through a bunch of travel agents that all said they could match any price, but then when it came down to it, no one could match the prices I was finding on my own. Although your group is larger than mine, I would recommend doing a wedding website (there are a ton of free ones out there) and just post all the wedding information on there including where to book (what website) prices you're seeing, and all the other info you've found. Some of my guests even had me book for them just to make it easier. My guests are coming from around the country, so I'm continually searching out deals from three different origins, but if that's what it takes to get my guests the best deal, so be it. Good luck!

Hey ladies, you've all offered such great advice on so many topics, I thought I'd throw a question in. Are any of you thinking of getting extensions for your hair before your wedding? If so, do you think they'll hold through swimming and everything before the wedding? My FI and I are leaving for Punta Cana 5 days before the wedding, so I'm concerned about them staying and looking good. I was also thinking about doing a hair and make-up trial at home and bringing photos to the island for the stylists there. I've been told by many past brides at my resort that the hair and make-up people at my resort are great, but I'm concerned about not being sure abut how I want to look until the day of. Your thoughts? Thanks!!

Hey Teira, I don't know if I'm too late in responding to the sand ceremony frame question, but I actually researched this a while back on some of the other forums and a lot of people do the umbra ether frame (in either wood or metal). Try doing a search in the forum and you'll find out how people are doing it and it's a lot cheaper than buying specifically a "sand ceremony frame." Here's a link to it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Umbra-8-Inch-9-5-Inch-Picture-Nickel/dp/B000FHHAU6/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1 Basically you put sand in between two of the layers and then put a picture in the front section, and you can change out the picture anytime you want. I haven't ordered mine yet, but that's the direction I'm going to go. My FI and I actually checked something new off the list...while we were in Hawaii this last week he picked out a ring he liked for his wedding band! He's been totally dragging his feet about it, not being able to decide what he likes and then we saw this one, and he said that was the one! http://www.hawaiiantitaniumrings.com/titanium-ring-with-curly-koa-wood-inlay-p-457.html How long do alterations typically take if I'm just shortening the dress? I've been going back and forth on whether I'm going to wear shoes or not during the ceremony on the beach, but I'm sure I'll have to make the decision soon so I can get the dress altered. Thankfully it's a corset top, so I don't have to worry about altering anything else. Congrats ladies on all your accomplishments!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Thanks for the tip about Men's Warehouse, my FI has been dragging his feet about buying his clothes, even though I've had my dress since August (which he even paid for). I've been buying a few things here and there, found an awesome flower for my hair on eBay, bought my chair sashes, got reed diffusers for the OOT bags, got my shoes...but while you all are having trouble with brothers, I'm having trouble with sisters. My FSIL is definitely not coming now and neither is one of my sisters. I know that my FI and I said we would be happy if at least our parents came, and both sets are coming, but it'll be weird without our sisters. Both of them live in Vegas, so maybe we'll just have to do our AHR there. We'll see. We've got two more booked, my FI's cousin and his wife, bringing us to 13. I'm hoping that my friends that are waiting until after the new year are able to find deals because the resort's 25% off ends November 30th. On another note, my friend who is a destination wedding photographer and will be shooting my wedding has asked me to email her what I want and I have some ideas, but I'm thinking I'm missing something. I know I want her to get me getting ready, some make-up shots, some hair shots, my dress and other items photojournalistic style, some shots of my FI getting ready (and his reaction when she give his the BD book), then the ceremony, some shots on the beach during cocktails with us and family (and probably everyone since it'll be such a small group), our first dance, any toasts, cake cutting, and some details of food and such at the ceremony, and then the trash the dress the next day. Is there something I'm missing? I'm actually a wedding videographer here, but I'm not sure if all the moments I shoot on video corresponds with what the photographers shoot. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. 152 days till our wedding!!

By the way, if either of you are still looking for a photographer, one my longtime friends attending the wedding is actually a destination wedding photographer and as sweet as can be. She said she'd be interested in shooting for another bride (or two) while she is there. Her website is www.jessicaconroy.com Let me know if you're interested in working with her.

My wedding is April 25th, the day after Easter. I too totally stressed when I found this out too, (after my parents and some others had already booked) but after much research, it really looks like only motorized water sports are effected. Most excursions should still be running up through Saturday, but probably not Sunday. A lot of the resorts get really crowded over the Holy Week, so that may be the only inconvenience. I would contact the excursion operators directly to make sure. There is supposedly so much to do anyway, that your guests shouldn't notice much difference. What resort are you staying at? I would possibly do a search on Trip Adviser with the name of your hotel and "Holy Week" to see if anyone mentions it. Hope that's helpful.

I did two colors and just ordered twenty of each and I figured it I only have twenty or less, I'll put two colors together on the chair like some other bride on here did. If I have more than twenty, I'll alternate colors from chair to chair. I know I won't have more than forty, so I'm covered there. It really is a good deal and if you re-sell them afterward on this site, even better. I was told that at my resort they charge $2.00 per sash and this way I paid less than a dollar each with tax and shipping. Definitely check out the sash sharing/freecycle forum on here first and see if anyone is selling the colors you want.

Just ordered 20 Royal Blue satin sashes and 20 Turquoise satin sashes for my wedding in April in Punta Cana. I'll be at the Excellence first, then we're headed to the Majestic Elegance for our honeymoon, if anyone wants to avoid shipping fees. Otherwise, I'll be selling them when I return. Let me know!

Hey Lisa, I checked them out and they definitely have great prices. You actually have to create an account before using the discount code, or it will be invalid. Thanks for the site, I just ordered my sashes!

I saw your post and I'm getting married at the Excellence at 5:30PM that Monday. I thought 5:30 was late, but I went on a website that tells you when sunset will be based on the latitude and longitude of Punta Cana: http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/grad/solcalc/ And it looks like sunset on that day will be just before 7PM. So if you're planning on doing pictures after the ceremony, you may want to move up the ceremony a bit. We will actually be honeymooning at the Majestic Elegance during your wedding. How long are you staying at the resort?

As wedding expenses are mounting up, it's time to sell this beautiful dress that has been professionally dry cleaned and heirloomed since 2002. Although the marriage did not last, this dress certainly will. It was purchased for me by my Italian FIL as a present in Italy from a couture designer by the name of Teresa Michelio. There is hand beading on the corset and the skirt as well as on the veil itself, all matching. You can see pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/fortuityproductions/WeddingDress?authkey=Gv1sRgCNmLitqG7eWo1gE# I would put the street size at a 4-6 (the back is a halter style). Although I'm 5'2", I wore 6" heels and it went all the way to the ground. Included are the arm length gloves and the extremely long veil (the Italian way is for the veil to be longer than the train). The dress is actually two pieces and VERY comfortable and not that heavy. Feel free to PM me with any questions. The original price was 6 million lira (3,000USD). I am asking $1,500 OBO. It really is an absolutely beautiful dress. I would love to see someone else get some use out of it.

@ mdb, THANK YOU so much for answering all of our questions. You've been IMMENSELY helpful. It's interesting that you had the Judge do your wedding as Griselda told me that the Judge wouldn't be available to do our ceremony and would just show up whenever he showed up to sign our paperwork. I was under the impression (I don't know why) that were was only one legal Judge in all of Punta Cana and he would never be able to perform all of the legal ceremonies with so many resorts in the area. At this point, we are leaning more towards doing the legal paperwork before we leave, as much as I wanted to have the moment of saying "I do" be THE moment. But since the Judge wouldn't even be doing it, I'm not sure how different it really will be. Griselda said he might even show up before our ceremony to just sign papers, which I found slightly odd. Who knows, we've gone back and forth on the issue so many times, but with expenses mounting up and the fact that my FI wasn't born in this country and I was actually married before, it seems like it would cost us significantly more than most to do all the translating, legalizing, etc. On a side note, I thought the fact that I lived a mile from the nearest Dominican Consulate would be cost effective...unfortunately the California consulate charges more than Wedo and was the only place that wanted my birth certificate to be stamped with an apostle from my home state, not to mention what they wanted me to do with my FI's birth certificate. Anyway, just thought I'd share my most recent thoughts. We're now at 164 days...getting very excited!!

@mdb, I was thinking of blinging the shoes out a little bit with a glue gun and some rhinestones. I'm going to have to walk around in them a little bit more, make sure they're comfortable first though. Otherwise, I'll just have to go with the blinged out flip flop wedges. Thanks for the input though, much appreciated. On another note, how did you handle tipping at the resort? Other than the servers and bartenders, on the actual wedding day did you tip out the WC/photographer/etc? I'm just trying to work out my budget before getting all excited about OOT bags. Thanks so much!

Hey Brandy, Sorry you had such a bad experience at David's Bridal, seems to be the trend for a lot of people. Had you searched it on Yelp before you went, you probably wouldn't have walked in the door. I actually didn't have too bad an experience, and I'm surprised they didn't have more to offer you. I guess I lucked out with the girl who helped me. My dress is actually from there and without the underskirt doesn't seem like it'll be too hard avoid the sweat factor. After picking it, I did a search online and found it used for less than half the price AND the girl had already put in the bustle (David's may charge a lot less for their dresses, but they'll kill you when it comes to alterations)

This is actually a second marriage for me, and the first time, since he was from another country and he had to get the green card paperwork started, we did a courthouse marriage about five months before our actual wedding. I have to say that the wedding was fun and all, but it lacked that "specialness" of "oooh, I'm getting married today" flair. Of course, we had already been living together as husband and wife for all those months, I had already changed me name, etc. But still, I just looked forward to it as a party that I got to share with everyone, and there were no butterflies. This time, however, I have been absolutely certain with my FI (in more ways than one, of course) that I want to get married the moment we say "I do." The benefit of being a second marriage is that we can do whatever kind of wedding we want, hence the DW. So we're pulling out all the stops and making it completely personal to us. Since the judge in Punta Cana doesn't perform all the legal ceremonies (my WC said he would just show up to sign paperwork), a friend of ours is performing the ceremony, we're writing our own vows, and we're going to incorporate as many or as few wedding traditions as we want. We also felt like we would be cheating our guests as well. We also like the fact that we're going to have a Spanish and English marriage license (in addition to the Kattubah in Hebrew).

I've seen a couple places that have a drawstring type backpack that happens to be insulated, but the minimum order is like 100! I'm expecting maybe 20-30 people, and mostly 1 OOT bag per couple so....looks like I may have to give up on the idea If anyone knows of a place with reasonable prices and no crazy minimums, let me know. Thanks!

Hey ladies, haven't been around for a while, but I wanted to ask the brides who have already been at Excellence how tipping worked there. I know that the website where I booked says that "tips are included" but I noticed elsewhere on the site that people mentioned tipping and recommended it for better service. Is that the case at Excellence? Also, did you tip the wedding coordinator as well, and if so, how much is appropriate. As I'm finalizing some purchases, I'm trying to somewhat finalize my budget (of course I have to wait for the OOT bags as it looks like a lot of my friends are going to wait until after the new year to book). On another note, I was wondering what you ladies thought of these shoes. I got them in white, but could only find an online pic in brown. I know that I want to wear some sort of heel and figured a wedge was the best way not to sink into the sand

I was wondering if anyone has used an insulated bag for their OOT bags. I was thinking that since people are going to be spending a lot of time down on the beach or at the pool, maybe they'll find it useful to keep their drinks cold in something? And then they can use the bags for lunch bags when they get home. I was just brainstorming and wondering if anyone else thought that may be a good idea?

Here's a question on another note, have any of you noticed that you've lost weight in your fingers too? When I first went ring shopping with my FI they sized me at a 4, but then when he proposed 6 months later with a loner ring (they had to special order the one we wanted) it was too big. So we got it in a 3.75, but now that is feeling too big too! I'm not complaining about the weight loss, don't get me wrong, I'd just rather lose it in my gut than my fingers, they weren't fat to begin with! And to answer the other question: Weight Now: 125 Target Weight: 112 Wedding Date: 4/25/11 Evil Foods: This is a hard one, cause I go from craving salty to sweet and back again. I've started baking a TON and using all natural ingredients and have to give a lot away so I don't end up eating it all. I wish I didn't find such comfort in baking, I enjoy it too much. Problems: Consistency. I've been doing the Jillian 30 Day Shred, but that gets boring sometimes, so I switch it up with her No More Trouble Zones and Boost Your Metabolism. And then some days, since I mostly work from home, I just get into work for hours straight and run out of time. What I Am Doing Now: I'm counting calories with the Livestrong app on my iPhone (again, consistency is a bit of a problem, some days I lag on that) and I've cut calories down to the amount it suggests if I want to lost 2lbs per week (which I don't see happening, but it's a good way to limit my intake). And as I said above, I'm working out with DVDs almost every day and when the weather gets nicer again, the pup and I will be going for hikes. What Am I Doing This Week: Since the FI is out of town, I'm using the extra time to myself to work out consistently with DVDs. I have a coupon for a free 3 day gym membership, I may try that out just to change things up. Keep up the great work ladies, you're all an inspiration!

It's late and I should be sleeping, but a couple questions crossed my mind... For the ladies who've been to Excellence...how did you get to the resort? Did you book transport through your travel agent or a separate transport service, or just take a taxi? Also, for the Excellence brides...did you get to try any of the food before choosing your menu? My FI is really big on serving good food and wants to make sure our guests enjoy themselves. Alright, time for sleep...zzzzzz

So, we decided to "email" an invitation through our wedding website. We really want to keep our costs down everyone we're inviting is internet savvy anyway. I composed a cute little poem, worded it exactly like an invitation, gave a definitive deadline of mid-January (but also mentioned that rates are discounted by 25% through the end of November) added a photo of the Excellence beach wedding setting and now we've got four more booked! So, we're now at 11 booked plus bride and groom. Thanks for the advice everyone.

Hi Kimberly, I know you posted a while ago, but it seems like you didn't get any responses I live in SoCal and a friend of mine got married at Zuma Beach without any issues. It wasn't anything formal, but I'm assuming with 50-100 people, you're will be more formal. I would get in touch with the City of Los Angeles Parks and Recreation, see if they can help. Otherwise, I would look into a hotel that sits on the beach (perhaps in Santa Monica or further south in Orange County). I work as a wedding videographer part time and have shot beach weddings. The couple usually has their ceremony on the beach and then the reception at the hotel. The guests either walk between the two or are transported by golf carts. I hope this helps! My FI and I wanted a beach wedding as well and my parents couldn't understand why we didn't want to get married here in Cali. We definitely have some beautiful beaches. If I can help with anything else, let me know. BTW, a good friend of mine is a wedding photographer that has done a ton of beach weddings and she lives in Ventura.