kellygrrrl

actually, after reading this thread, I would love to buy another clear starfish - and because I'm not getting married until 05/05/2012, it will have plenty of travel time before my date. hockymom, I am amazed at the coincidence between us both wanting to purchase a starfish and our dates. is there any way I could convince you to be the first to carry the new starfish? I can order it from the vendor today and have it shipped directly to you so it would still be something borrowed. please let me know. karla (or past brides), what did the original notebook look like? I want to choose one that's similar to it. thank you.

I think you look amazing and not bottom-heavy at all. maybe your mom or friends could take a bunch of pics of you from different angles so you can see how great it looks (and how wonderfully it will photograph)! I think once you have new views and all the perfect accessories, you'll feel as beautiful as you imagined. : )

choleann - there are a number of previous postings that answer this question and provide LOTS of helpful information about the royal. it's recommended you spend a few evenings with a glass of wine reading through the previous 200 - 400 posts. it's sort of a BDW rite-of-passage. ; ) congrats on booking your date, and welcome!

really? 1:30 in the afternoon? I would have never know. thanks for the info! : )

oh yay - great idea! you may also want to post in the OOT bag threads. I'm sure the girls there would like to know as well. way to go!! : ) this one is a bit of a long shot, but if you can collect used printer cartridges (any kind, personal or business), Staples has a recycling program. they'll give you $2 in store credit for every cartridge you recycle. AND they sell the individually bundled packs of advil, tylenol, etc. my FI gets the cartridges from work, we recycle them together and have $40 to spend at a time. fantastic. : )

that's odd - not sure why my previous message was blank. for diamax21 and JoZee - there is a local flower store called Floweria Iris on 30th Ave and Constituyentes (about a 10 minute walk from the Royal). according to one bride, $40 was enough for flowers to make three small bouquets, three boutonnieres and three wrist corsages, but they assembled everything themselves. real touch or DIY bouquets from michael's are another affordable option. also, I think the royal offers a single rose (or flower) tied with a ribbon for $15 ea (that may be a prior year's pricing).

ooohhh, can't wait to see pics! that one is gorgeous - I love the simplicity with the little details. : )

good suggestion! I've never heard of La Femme before, but I really liked some of their bridal gowns as well (the one-shoulder with the unique back).

several people asked this in the shoe forum, and someone recommended getting the bustle measured to the appropriate reception length. so if the dress needs to be longer for the reception, make the bustle a little lower than you would have. not sure if that would work in reverse or not (instead of long for ceremony and short for reception), but it's an idea! : ) Quote: Originally Posted by Janet1480 Hi Ladies! I am going for my measurements on Thursday ....i cant wait! question.... I am going to be barefoot (well wearing barefoot sandals) for the ceremony and then getting some heels or wedges for the reception....should i get the length measured for the heels or wedges? I dont want to fall on my face for the ceremony by tripping on my dress if its too long lol but then i dont want it to look stupid if its too short for the reception thoughts?

I think the fee is more about logistics -- the restaurants simply aren't designed to accomodate a group of 30 all entering, sitting and ordering at once (the latter I'm assuming is why they use a set menu for all private events). maybe you could instead do welcome cocktails together at the lobby (I think someone else suggested this)? or I was thinking of telling everyone to meet in the lobby at a certain time each day if they wanted to go to dinner as a group. you could simply split up (based on where people want to eat that night) if more than 15 people show up.

The only way to avoid additional charges for a dinner is if you have fewer than 15 people dining - then it's no problem for a restaurant to move the tables together for you. As far as I'm aware, there is no welcome party, but many brides have either had people meet in a location, or they've hosted a cocktail hour (at the per person rate from the package rate sheets). They really don't do rehearsals, and I think it's largely up to you where you stand (e.g. under the gazebo, outside the gazebo, on the steps of the gazebo, etc), but I imagine your coordinator will direct on the day of. If you (or your bridesmaids, groomsmen, etc.) aren't staying at the Royal, I don't think they'll allow you to enter until 30 minutes prior to ceremony time.

If you have less than 15 guests, this isn't an issue, but more will require doing the semi-private reception that ChicagoBride mentions above. they may hold you to the event being at the gran porto/real, since royal guests can go to the gran porto/real but not the other way around (except during the cermony).

There's a whole forum on OOT bags, what worked, what didn't, etc. - really helpful stuff. The room keys are the size of credit cards.

hee hee, it looks like my wedding dress! but more fitted and purple. maybe I should try that one instead. ; ) compared to other brides, I think my dress is WAY casual and could easily substitute for a BM/MOB dress. http://www.davidsbridal.com/Product_Soft-Chiffon-A-line-with-Flower-Detail-on-Strap-WG9888

hillarious : )

I liked #3, the other Allure gown. I think it shows your figure the best, and the skirt is my fav of the three. : )

There's also a shoe forum under Wedding Attire - the girls there may be able to suggest something similar if you can post a photo of your previous choice.

Thanks so much for the help and compliments, Sharon99 and sxcT. I'll definitely check our local Michael's for the I do stickers. Quote: Originally Posted by Sharon99 Those shoes you fell in love with are so cute! I am also trying to figure out about the I DOs. I just googled i do rhinestone & a few links came here. Here is one that is only $5.00 http://commerce.idmi.net/ecommerce/catalog_detail.asp?cid=121&pi=35653 Or maybe you could do it yourself? Buy the stones at any craft store & write the words out in pencil & put the stones on top. I am not crafty enough for this but just an idea if you cant find any... As for the dress, maybe when you bustle the dress up you can have that measured to your flip flops?

In the past, the Royal has recommended no more than 7 (ideal) to 8 (maximum) guests per table at the round tables.

yes, it seems very odd, especially since they'll be sending you a contract with that information outlined. I also booked for May 2012 just this past weekend and was able to reserve both the gazebo for the wedding and the beach for the reception. I initially thought it may be a reference to their a la carte website not yet being updated for 2012, but the sole location it shows online as available is the beach. definitely something to investigate. please let us know how it turns out.

wow, I'm surprised how many moms are so fashion forward - shopping at BCBG, Nordstroms and Neimans! my mom hasn't yet started looking (our wedding is 1+ yrs away), but she agonized over what to wear to my brother's wedding a few years back. she wouldn't do sleveless, but maybe she would with a pashmina? and I absolutely LOVE the self-confessed bridezilla who had everyone wear taupe and white - what a fab idea. I've also seen great pics with everyone in ocean colors. good luck ladies, and for those who have already decided, please keep the pics coming.

hi jen - I'm not sure what the coordinator rules are regarding basecamp - whether or not all coordinators use it or more it's there if they choose to. I really like it because it tracks all the conversations. there is just a loooooooong message thread with the discussions ana and I have had, important documents, etc. it also reminds you of critical milestones (when payments are due, for example). depeding on who you're working with, they may not use it. I'd think as long as your communication was solid and you had signed contracts and important deadlines all in order, you're fine. I don't know how much I'll divulge to my off-site coordinator because it seems like the on-site ones are much more lenient with the rules and outside vendor fees. that being said, I don't think anyone has had issues using a vendor for whom they booked a room. if they're a royal guest, they're a royal guest, period. good ideas on the table decorations! in the past the royal would let brides ship items to their on-site wedding coordinators, but I'm betting it got too hectic and so they simply did away with that option. you could always have someone close to you carry an extra bag with your ceremony items - just as long as they packed it themselves. ; ) I thought of putting lighted ice cubes (or something similar) in the flower vases on the reception tables for some additional lighting, but that may compete with the candles in your setup. there has been talk of the royal providing some type of table lighting, though I don't know what it is exactly. some brides didn't feel their tables were as illuminated as others they had seen in photos. initially I had wanted to the legal ceremony at home first (due to blood tests, etc) and my fiance is divorced, so that complicates things a bit. but I've found that we only need to carry (not translate) the appropriate documentation, and I'm pretty encouraged by it going smoothly thus far. I kinda want the beach wedding to be the one and only true ceremony, but I certainly understand why people would get married ahead of time. for example, if something is off with the blood test, they'll cancel the entire ceremony. that's enough to make me want to do seperate tests here before we leave just to make 100% certain that everything will be fine in mexico. best of luck with your continued planning! I can't wait to hear how everything turns out. : )

Does anyone know where ashley1316 and/or FutureMrsTO found the 'I DO' rhinestones with the diamond ring as the O? I searched etsy and didn't come up with anything other than the script 'I Do'. Also fell in love with these shoes last night: http://www.myglassslipper.com/wedding-shoes/paris-hilton/destiny-5756 Finally, does anyone know how to reconcile the height difference and dress hem if you're wearing 3 - 4" heels during one part of the night and flip flops for the other? I just don't want the dress dragging around getting dirty when I'm in flip flops. Thank you!!

oh hey, last one, if you want to have a private reception, you do not need to have 20 guests in attendance. the only condition is that you must PAY for 20 guests, regardless of the number that attend. I have my fingers crossed that we'll make it to 20! (but not more than 30 because that's where it starts to get expensive ; )