kellygrrrl

I've patterned mine after the Evite reminder that basically says: [Name] wanted to remind you that the [event] is coming up on [date] at [time]. Your current reply: [Yes/No] View this invitation [link]. so ours reads: Reminder: [Name] and [name] are getting married on 05/05/2012 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico and would love for you to join them. Your current reply: Not yet responded Please RSVP by March 1, 2012 by visiting http://[url]. There you will find event details and registry information. I realize that a lot of people will argue, "They didn't respond to the first invitation, why send another?" for me, it's less about the cost (the postcards are practically free on vistaprint) and more about reminding people that we are having a wedding and it's proper etiquette to reply. the non-response thing really bugs me (as it does many people on here), and even if it's rather pedantic, I want to alert people to the fact that they're being negligent for something that's really important to me.

Sara - congrats!! we've booked la luna for our wedding, so I've heard a lot about you. excited to have you on here as a bride. will you be hosting a destination wedding as well? in the US perhaps?? ; ) -kelly

those pics are GORGEOUS, I am SO happy to hear that you liked it and can't wait to have our reception there. did you get to talk with Linda in person??

you might try the recovery week video while you're not feeling up to it. that one is pretty low-key - I think you could take out the small jumps on it and be fine. at least that way you'd stay in it.

I have Ana as well, and lately it hasn't been as bad with 'no' as it has with the extra costs. want a custom cake with different flavors on each tier? that's another $100 ($300 total for the cake). want a certain bouquet that looks like one that's $170? nope she says it's $220. honestly, I'm keeping the majority of my plans secret becuase I don't want to get locked into something before I'm working with the on-site coordinator. I know that certain decisions need to be made up-front so things can be ordered, but we haven't discussed details like my external photographer or my plans for hair and makeup (and flowers). I think the on-site coordinators will be more flexible and accomodating whereas the off-site ones are tied more closely to the rule book. at least, that's what I'm hoping. ; )

oooh, I like it. do you have any pictures of you in it? I would love to see it on. : )

brides earlier on this thread have suggested waiting. the further down you go on 5th Ave, they cheaper they get. try searching the thread for 'maracas'.

hey brenners! thanks for the update. how does the starfish look? last I'd heard, he was missing a few stones and the post was broken, but I think a few people offered to fix it. any luck? also, have you heard anything from jbmarch? just want to make sure she's still available and active on here so he can sucessfully retire. thanks again! -kelly

I was at David's bridal earlier and thought the Vera Wang ballerina flat had a similar look to the butterfly one with the squared-off toe. it just depends if you want the peep toe effect or not (the VW shoe doesn't have it): http://www.davidsbridal.com/Product_Grosgrain-and-Crystal-Ballerina-Flat-VW370004_Accessories-Shoes-Closed-Toe

for me, sending out the save the dates ASAP didn't make a difference. and my invites went out in august for a may wedding, so I'm afraid most people have forgotten about it entirely by this point. we have been planning and waiting and planning and waiting and planning some more for what seems like FOREVER. I'm sure I'll look back and relish this time, but I really wish we'd done it within 9 months of our engagement. I made decisions a year ago and can't remember why and now am re-hashing everything. I think it's primarily important to choose a resort you like, but you also need to consider other things like the cost and ease of traveling there if you want to be accomodating. don't be scared to just go with what you want, but do be prepared that not everyone will follow you. cancun/cozumel are probably most accessible due to the airport location, followed by the riviera maya and playa, and then it's down to tulum (maybe there's a tulum airport? two hours would be far to travel from cancun, but I know someone who had a larger 65-person wedding there). you may want to do a website first. looking back, I think that would've been the easiest and most cost-effective way to let people know what we were planning up front. that way they can check out your resort, bookmark it, etc. (ours is here: http://jdandkellyswedding.weebly.com/index.html - weebly is totally free and super easy to use. I wasn't a fan of the cookie-cutter wedding sites.) finally, look at the resort reviews on here. it's where most brides start when they're considering where to go, and take a peek inside the different hotel forums and trip advisor review to make sure it sounds like the place for you. that should help you narrow the selection. best of luck, and congratulations!!

that's right - there's something called Xtabentun: The honey-anisette liqueur based on the ancient ceremonial drink produced by Maya beekeepers is more of a novelty. Made in the Yucatán, it is becoming more popular in other parts of the country. sounds awesome - I've never heard of it before. you can read more about it (and other souvenier ideas) in the article here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/10/06/mexico_mix_souvenir_shopping.DTL&ao=all and regarding the Pelicanos beach, I know what you're saying, I hate that pier, but I've seen many groups do pics on it that look great. also, I'm not sure which ferry runs there, but it's definitely not as often as the one that goes to the main ferry pier, which operates every half hour or 45 mins or something like that. I only remember seeing a few groups come in on the Pelicanos ferry, and those were during the day. honestly, I have seen THOUSANDS of wedding pics at the Royal, and while I don't remember anything at Pelicanos specifically, I can almost swear you won't see the pier. especially if you let your photographer know you don't want to see it. also, depending on the time of your reception, the sun will be going down, and without lights on the thing, you really won't see it, not even if it is in the background. the curtains are a good idea, but just make sure you get something really, really light so you're not fighting the wind all evening. I'd think tulle would work with maybe some fishing weights tied to it. depends on how your photog lighting is, but I think it's going to be ok. see if you can check in with your photog and their response. my hunch is they'll have no problem making it disappear entirely.

elissae - what a great story!! and I totally hear ya - dad wasn't saying to get those shoes specifically but he was reminding you he was there helping you out. ; ) honestly, I think you could make a pair that's even cuter. just get some regular ballet flats that you like (peep toe or not) and then look online for two butterfly brooches and voila! I think they'd even look cute with a butterfly pendant attached (use ribbon and make bows). I bet you could find someone on Etsy to make them for you if you weren't sure about it. here are a couple ideas for butterflies - congrats on picking a shoe that you can interpret in so many ways!! finally, you may try watching ebay (.co.uk perhaps) to see if any pairs show up there. good luck, and I'd love to see what you make if you decide to go that route. http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/monet-brooch-gold-tone-butterfly-pin?ID=609581&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results http://www.amazon.com/Swarovski-Crystal-Butterfly-Brooch-Silver/dp/B002UBF6KG http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0029X7UU4/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B002UBF6KG&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0SH19RZG262BR7BM7SMC

oh no, sorry, those came from Zappos. the 4" heel is a killer, but if you're used to the height, it will be just fine. the shoe is really well constructed and just as cute and beautiful in person as it looks online. I'm going to cheat and use those for pics before returning them. ; ) they were $99, which isn't horrible - the bigger obstacle for me would be standing in them all night. here's the link and another for my much lower, more wearable David's shoes: http://www.zappos.com/product/7804711/color/422 http://www.davidsbridal.com/Product_Satin-Peep-Toe-Platform-High-Heel-with-Bow-Maribelle_Accessories-Shoes-All-Shoes

oh ya, those items are all readily available. you may even want to throw in a cute shell necklace or bracelet. specifically, there's a tequila store on 5th Avenue (Casa Tequila), but from what I remember the small bottles were a bit pricey ($5 - $7?). I ended up winning a full-size bottle of tequila at the Royal because I played blackjack (one of the pool activities) - it turned out awesome! you should have seen my FI and I unpacking and repacking the suitcase at the airport to ensure our suitcase was under-weight. ; ) the only thing I'm not 100% sure on is the chocolate, but cooking vanilla is kind of a big deal down there, so that's a fun substitute. I just ran out of mine this Christmas - good thing we're going back! ; ) the only items mentioned often on this forum were maracas. apparently, the further down 5th Ave you go, the better deal you get. I'm planning to include an internationally stamped postcard so that guests can mail one while they're in Playa without having to hunt down a store. some places that sell postcards will also sell int'l stamps. finally, one bride included US-stamped postcards so that guests could send it back to her and the groom after the wedding with their favorite memory. I thought that was a cool idea. here's a pic of the tequila store. it's one of the more prominent non-restaurant venues on 5th Ave.

umm, I volunteer to register for those of you lucky enough to have showers if you'll ship me all the gifts you get. or even just the ones that you don't want. : )

ahahaa, bedding - I am COMPLETLY IGNORING anywhere in the house that isn't public (i.e. not the living/dining room). and I'm a pretty ivory/beige/taupe girl, so the only color I sometimes allow is the ice/light blue. that keeps things pretty simple. ; )

elissae - I hear ya on the high heels. I don't want to be in pain all night, and all the good shoes are 4"!! check these out (below). sunshine - I bought a pair of David's shoes that are lower than the shoes pictured below, and I think I'm going to just use these for (indoor) pics and then send them back. there's no harm in pretending, right?? : ) and zappos has 365 day returns... just sayin. ; ) I love all three of your choices. I'm slightly partial to the ones with the heart, but all three are fab.

thanks so much for posting. your pics was amazing - I'm so glad I went with del Sol for photography (technically La Luna, but I think it's all the same now). and I LOVED those bridesmaid dresses. where did you find them??

thanks! hee, my fiance says we're 'reverse moving' because I keep bringing home boxes of stuff. I figured that since we're going to need it, we might as well buy it now (and I found a great but huge chandelier on Cragislist ; ).

just go to Bed Bath and Beyond and get their price gun. it's super fun. : ) I wish I was having a shower. most of my friends are out of town and/or not going, so no gifts for us. : (

GG - my photographer suggested an evening ceremony because that is the best light for pictures. I'm not sure how much you've invested in your photos, but it's something to consider. I was originally going to opt for the 10am time slot (believe it or not) and hit up the breakfast buffet at Spice, but our photog felt strongly about sunset. if you're held to the 1pm time, you may see if they can offer any flexibility on the schedule. like if you did the ceremony at 2pm and cocktail hour from 2:30 - 3:30pm you could have dinner start at 4pm. otherwise, if you have a choice, the gazebo really is great. it's protected from the general public on the beach, and there are a lot of advantages like you being elevated when you're married, giving your guests a great view. you can always take pics on the beach afterward.

omg, us too! we just signed the paperwork in November, and the house is starting construction in a few weeks. it will be finished 4 - 6 weeks after the wedding!! aaahhhh! : )