kellygrrrl

personally, I don't think it will make a difference to people. if it keeps a drink cold, that's all they'll need. I had never heard of bubba kegs before this forum and was lucky enough to find some last season on sale for $3 each. I don't know if I would have done them otherwise, but insulated mugs were definitely appreciated by our wedding party and frequently commented on by other resort guests during our stay.

either a) they don't have a floral smell or customs doesn't search everybody/everything.

we packed a large box (the max luggage size allowed) with bubbas, bags, freeze-dried rose petals and larger items like bulky shoes. the cost was $30 for the extra suitcase, but it worked out just fine. we also fit in the mini bottles of aloe and after sun lotion, as well as ceremony essentials like straw fans and programs. I had a lot of stuff for my small wedding party of 12, but everything fit! : )

unfortunately, it's just not how things go. we had TONS of non-responders to our wedding invites, and I'm now going through the same thing with our AHR. I sent a polite email last night asking people to get their response in regarding the AHR within 24 hours. so far, it's working, and many have apologized for not responding sooner. to me, no response is equivalent to not only 'no,' but also, 'I don't care that I was invited enough to say thank you.' the vast majority of non-responders to our wedding weren't invited to our AHR. no matter the circumstances, I think your true friends will reach out to you in some way to tell you they either can or can't make it. I'd just cut ties with the rest and move forward with your plans.

I like the first one, too. you may not have that 'moment' - my mom even cried at the wrong dress because that's the one they put the veil on first with. but we both knew there was something special about the dress I ultimately picked. I couldn't stop thinking about it that night. actually, the obsession started before I tried it on. I saw pictures online and figured it wouldn't look right, but it ended up being the one I couldn't get out of my head! : ) keep trying different dresses, even those you thought you'd hate until you find something that makes you smiiiiiiiiile. then you'll know.

search on here for ceremony scripts - there's a 'share your ceremony script' forum with a really great one that is pretty common for symbolic weddings. it's what we used. I would have been lost trying to create one from scratch. on the offsite WCs, harrass away. keep emailing/calling until you get the answers you need. you'll never meet them in person (they work out of a Cancun office), so no worries. ; )

ha, the minister I saw was almost certainly not hotel personnel (she even had the right outfit! ; ), but as I said earlier, she was hard to understand. if she did work there, they did a good job hiding her, because I didn't see her in the 9 days we were there (outside of the ceremony she performed ; ). I know the master suite was more expensive than our ocean view room, but I have to now wonder if it's comparable to the new minister fee. heck, for the same price, you could even bring someone with you with two nights' reservation at the grand porto, provided you could convince them to spring for airfare. ; )

to elaborate more, that $600 is absolutely unreal. and I thought $400 was bad. I heard one of their ministers, and honestly, I think people might have trouble understanding through their accent. you know that the Royal is paying them $50 - $100 and pocketing the rest as pure profit. it's absurd, especially when (unlike the photographer), there's no outside work. just show up, read for 20 mins max and go. if ministers were actually getting most of that $600, I'd quit my job and go marry all of y'all down there myself. ; )

have the best man do it. ; )

they'll set up a whole sound operation with two speakers and a guy with a mixer board. we ran the music off the iPad and just told them what to play and when. worked like a charm. here are the songs we used: Seating - Marry Me by Train Maid of Honor Processional - Use Somebody by Tyrone Wells Bride Processional - Hallelujah by Kate Vogele (I ripped this from a You Tube video because I wanted the acoustic guitar ; ) Recessional - Praan by Gary Schymann (this too was from You Tube - Where the Hell is Matt) we were going to dance to David Gray's This Year's Love, but we took photos through the cocktail hour and left the resort for Wicky's immediately after. I wish we'd experienced even just 10 mins of it, even if that meant fewer pics. our song choices were non-traditional, but they really fit us. there's a forum on here with lots of ideas.

hey ladies - wanted to share a pic showing how one of my friends honored her husband's mom who had passed away shortly before the ceremony. I love this idea. she attached some type of photo charm to her (bride's) bouquet of red roses.

We bought 120 cups of these freeze-dried petals from Flyboy Naturals for a friend's wedding, and it was too windy to use them. To give you an idea of complementary colors, they also selected satin fuschia chair sashes. I think lots of shades would look great with them, including yellow and purple. The petals would be amazing on a white (or light-colored) aisle runner. They will last for months and months, so no worries if your ceremony isn't immediately upcoming. You just leave them in a cool, dark place and they'll be great. New cost was close to $200. Asking $100 OBO, plus actual shipping costs to your destination (the box is very light, so it shouldn't be too much). Please inquire for rates to Canada. I'm happy to ship internationally.

that's exactly how I felt. all in all, I had probably 30 non-responders. I was really happy with the small group we had, though. : )

I got the same response from my reminder email as I did to the invite - none. I don't think it's being pushy. if I were a guest, it's something I would have appreciated, but I think the people interested in going would have already let you know their intention. it's just rude to not respond to anything, although I think people assume that's better than telling you no. rude, rude, rude.

it's possible that what you're feeling may be temporary. I'd recommend taking some time away from it all for awhile. just try to rise above everything that's going on as best you can and when you feel yourself being pulled in, try to step back. you can't help feeling the way you do, but just keep in mind that it may not last forever. they are your family, after all. for better or worse. ; )

hey jen - wow, no doubt you're really upset. if I'm understanding correctly, you're beyond fed up with your SIL because she disrespected and castigated you in her own wedding, she kept her wedding photos from you, and lately, to make matters worse, she has completely ignored your engagement and has ultimately claimed not to have remembered your birthday when everyone else in her family did. that's a really tough spot to be in, and my heart goes out to you. there is no doubt you care very much about her and want her to treat you with the same thoughtfulness and consideration that you have shown to her. it's frustrating at best not to get that in return. in dealing with difficult family issues, I've often found it's best to simply disengage after a certain point - otherwise you'll end up with hollow victories (like the Target gift card). if you can, try to take the past events at face value without going over them again and again. it doesn't excuse how she's treated you, but it frees you from allowing her negative actions to drag you down. if she's angry with you for posting a picture on facebook, apologize, take it down, and let that be the end of it (even if she brings it up again, continue to be civil or politely remove yourself from the conversation). it sounds like that's the name of the game at this point. be as polite as you can (meaning civil, not pandering) to those around you and use your time and energy to plan all the amazing things that will make your wedding truly unique. focus on your relationship with your FI - after all, that's what it's all about, right? let your SIL be herself, try not to worry about her actions. and if all the drama is truly inescapable, why not elope? while it may be hard for your family in the short-term, it will enable you and FI to think about yourselves in all of this. just my $0.02. please keep us updated with how everything is going. best of luck to you during such a challenging time. -kelly

ours was included, we did the a-la-carte option and paid $10 per real resort guest for hot and cold apps as well as open bar.

hey jen - libby is right about the entree selection. you can have guests choose one of two (fish or beef, perhaps?), but you have to signify that to the waitstaff using a visual element like a sticker on a placecard. depending on which menu you have, I think the beef filet tourneado (sp?) was a top pick, along with the snapper. don't worry about it being peak wedding season, harass away. the off-site coordinators are located in CANCUN, meaning that YOU WILL NEVER MEET THEM. I'm not saying to abuse them, just realize that they will in no way, shape, or form be handling your wedding on-site. and all they do is iterate the Royal's policies, so you can't bribe them either. email, call, do whatever you have to in order to get the information you need. and don't feel bad about it for a second. if you have access to an iPad (or laptop), I'd put the slideshow on there. that way, it's portable and can be passed around at dinner. however, there will probably be so much going on that people won't have time to look at it. maybe you could keep it with you throughout your stay, but I don't know that it will be the focal point unless you're in the ballroom. if I remember correctly, there isn't a fee for the iPod/speakers, but they will charge you $100 if you'd like one of their staff members to run it for you. I think the girls who have done this have concluded money well spent. also per libby, there's a charge for the light up dance floor. although it's small, it looks pretty awesome. it was hefty, though ($900?), but I think it's well worth it if you're going all out. however, I think I'd first opt for the DJ. we saw a couple beach receptions, and they were having so much fun (both had the DJ and the lighted dance floor). speaking of money well spent, my wedding was a la carte (no package), and I got a cocktail hour with both hot and cold appetizers for only $10 per Royal guest. you should've seen the spread they set up for a mere $100 - incredible!! and everyone loved the apps - meatballs, etc. unfortunately, FI and I were too busy taking pictures and missed the entire thing, but our guests raved about it. the only downside is that they weren't hungry for dinner, but that allowed me to skip the apps there and go straight to soup/salad and then entree. libby - we didn't end up doing a first look. I was rushed even just getting to the ceremony on time, and when I'd asked Del Sol about a first look previously, they were sort of like, "huh...? what do you mean 'see each other before the ceremony.' " because they have two photogs there, they capture both your look and his as you're going down the aisle, so they don't see much need for it. if we had done it, I would've used one of the nice hallways or the atrium areas towards the main pool where you sometimes check in (there are desks). probably would've been a lighting nightmare due to the shade. at any rate, I'm sure all the Del Sol photogs have shot numerous weddings at the Royal and could recommend some spots. if you're getting married on the beach, I'd use the gazebo, and possibly vice versa (although the privacy thing would be an issue on the beach). we chose Jonathan, the crazy Italian, who has shot more than 700 weddings. we were even asking him what to do like, 'do I take off my engagement ring and then he puts on the band?' (the answer is yes). Juan was the second shooter - both were great!! I can't remember what he said, but at one point Jonathan made me laugh so hard that he had to stop shooting. he has a very quiet, wry sense of humor. subtle but hillarious. ; ) ok, I gotta get to bed tonight at some point. goodnight all you planning ladies!

thanks brenners - that's really sweet of you : ) I got the starfish just in time (it was overnighted!!), and it was soooo great to read everyone's kind messages on the plane to Mexico. : )

shay - I'd say to go for it and just do what you can off the videos (forget pausing, just let them run) until you can actually do the whole thing, provided you have a heart rate monitor, otherwise it could be dangerous. both times I started Insanity, I felt like I was going to die because I'd gone from nothing to supo-extreme workout. if it really is too much, you might try jilian's 30 day shred. comparatively, it is quite easy, but at least it will sort of ramp up your muscle and cardio. let us know how it goes!