Jessie

I am thinking about a song called "She's On Her Way" by a country singer named Phil Vassar. Love love LOVE it! I tear up everytime I hear it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abLav7aqYrw

My take on this is that your guests are paying a lot of money to attend your wedding, so they should be able to choose. That's not to say that I'm not a little annoyed when some of my guests start talking about staying other places, but I told them that they could do whatever they wanted. I didn't want people to feel like they had to stay at our resort or not come at all. I just tried to tell my guests that it will be fun to be at our resort because everyone else will be there and also let them know about the daily pass fee. So far nobody has booked at a different place. But if they do, I'm just going to let it go because honestly? I'm going to have my hands full enough with all the folks that will be at our resort the whole time. As for the perks, I definitely wouldn't mention any of that to your guests. You don't want them to feel like they are being used so that you can meet a quota and get a free stay or whatever other perks there are. Remember that they are putting out significant money to attend your wedding. And Princess J with the BM trying to convince the other BMs and guests to stay at a different place? That's just rude!! She can do whatever she wants, but she should NOT be going behind your back trying to convince everyone to stay at a different place or going around talking about how much cheaper different options are. No.

Like Jessica above said, just follow your heart. I've felt a few times that I'm putting some people between a rock and a hard place by having a destination wedding. On the one hand, if you have a DW, you have to be ok with the fact that some (probably a lot) people won't be able to make it for whatever reason. But the ones I feel bad about are the ones that I know REALLY want to be there for my wedding and just can't. I don't want anyone feeling guilty that they can't come to my wedding. I think if you really want her there and know that she really wants to be there but truly can't afford it, then go ahead and help her out. It is nobody else's business that you helped one of your guests - they won't even know. And it is your money anyway, so you can choose to use it however you wish. Good luck with the decision!

One of the first things I had to get over when I started planning our DW was trying to accommodate everyone and make everyone happy. It is just impossible. We did everything we could to make it easy for our guests(set a date a year away and tried to make the location relatively easy to travel to and fairly economical), but at some point you have to make a plan and go with it. However, if you haven't actually booked the date or haven't gotten far in the planning, it is probably at least worth talking to the brother and finding out why he can't come. If he is being a PITA just to, then there is nothing you can do. Some people you just can't please. But if you can set another date that will allow him to come, it is definitely worth considering. The people who truly want to be there will do whatever they have to do to be there. People find a way to do what they want to do. Good luck!

Ha.....I wish!! But I don't think it is a bad idea. Guys really have no idea what goes into planning a wedding. But as long as you are putting the money away and not missing it, I think he will be glad you did so.

Wow! It's slightly weird to plan that far in advance, but definitely sweet! She's just excited about you getting married and throwing you a shower!

Mine will definitely be uneven, but I'm not even going to worry about it. I don't care if it looks silly....I have no intention of cutting someone I really want just for the sake of it being even, and I'm not going to make FI come up with more random people. Don't worry about it, it will be great no matter what! The most important thing is having the people the people you want beside you.

Wow....I've only read about half of this thread and already I am crying! These are beautiful! I will definitely be referring back to this thread when it is time to write the ceremony! Thanks!

Mine will definitely be uneven. I'm not sure how we'll handle walking down the aisle yet, but I kind of like the idea of the GM being in front with the groom and the BMs walking in in pairs.

I am definitely going to revisit this post when I can download attachments!! I need some help in the organization area! Thanks!

I did hear about that. Very scary! But sounds like it was a freak accident. I have to admit, I was relieved to hear it was a natural gas explosion as opposed to drug cartel violence (something I've been worried about). Have fun on your trip!

Thank you Francesca, that definitely helps!! I'm gonna have to spend some time playing around with it once our wedding gets closer and our guest list finalized!

Those are very pretty....love the colors!

LOVE your bouquet!! Gorgeous!

Those are very pretty!!

Those are very pretty!!

Pretty!

Those look great!

These pictures are great! I'm still trying to decide what I want mine to look like, so I love seeing more pictures!

I love the bright tropical ones!!

There are some really good-looking cakes on this thread! It's making me hungry!!

That is GORGEOUS!!!

At AS, you can have a semi-private area in one of the restaurants, and you don't have to pay extra for it. That is for a party of up to 40, I believe. But if you want a separate reception (with a more private area, dance floor, dj or other music source, etc.), then you have to pay for it. Don't necessarily have to pay for the space, but you have to pay a per person fee for the dinner/drinks. They have a number of menu choices that you can choose from, and you can do whatever you want with the decorations and anything else you want. But all of it you pay for separately. Here is a link to AS's banquet options: http://www.karismahotels.com/sites/default/files/WeddingBanquetKit_0.pdf I can't remember much about the packages. They do cover some things, but not very much. It kind of depends on how many guests you think you'll have. You can probably find those packages on their website....I couldn't manage to find a link for them from the emails I've gotten from my WC. If you have other questions, don't hesitate to ask.....I guarantee someone on this site has the answer!

Gorgeous photos!!!

Great thread! I definitely need to get better at planning meals. I love to cook but I'm terrible about planning. I'll post a few recipes when I get a chance!