kellygrrrl

ladies - this dress is PERFECT for a reception dress. it has a one-shoulder design, antique gold beading, lace along one side, ruching and 'sex and the city' styling. I originally bought it in a 4 (which is really more like a size between 4 and 6) and lost enough weight doing Insanity that the alterations are going to cost more than the dress itself. to give you an idea of the true size, my measurements when I got it were waist 26.5", chest 32" (clothes are always big on me there ; ), and hips 38". I'd say you could safely go an inch or two up from there and be ok in it (e.g. waist 27 - 28", chest 34 - 36" and hips 39" - there's the least room in the hips). I'm happy to send it out to you to try if you'll pay shipping to/from. the new price was close to $200 from Macy's ($178 + tax). it's part of the Shelli Segal Laundry by Design (LBD) line. the dress is taffeta-like with a sheer silky lining. the ruching helps camouflage any bumps or wrinkles. it is sooooo super-cute. I'm hoping to sell for $75 OBO. please reply or PM if interested. thank you!

we're dress twins!! : ) I bought that one almost a year ago and thought I got a killer deal at $349.99. just watch out for the alterations cost. the skirt has three layers (e.g. THREE HEMS), but it's a whole new look once it's shorter. it really brings out the front pleating detail (I just came from alterations - can you tell?! ; ) try to shop around. the first place quoted me $180, David's said anywhere from $90 - $120, and I went to an independent woman and finally settled with her at $125. I wanted to keep the train so convinced her to hem just the front of the dress, even though she didn't like the 'points' created by not hemming the train proportionally. that's actually an important issue for all brides who are currently dress shopping. be sure to think of the potential alteration cost when you're choosing your dress. $250 - $500 is not unheard of, regardless of the price of the dress. and if it has lace/beading detail, the price only goes up. like the ring, the dress is the first piece of a very elaborate puzzle including veil, shoes, undergarments, hairpieces, belts, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, ALTERATIONS, etc. if your max budget is $1,500, you may want to drop the dress cost to $1,000 to make room for everything else. just something I wish I'd been aware of earlier on in the process. happy shopping, and great choice, oneill!! ; )

oh hellz yayeah! I recommend ripping it ASAP - I saw another site like this via Pinterest, and it was shut down pretty quickly. thanks for posting!! my FI and I do the same thing in our apt gym. there are these cubbies where you walk in, and we set the laptop in them and run the video off the DVD player. works like a charm and gives us more room to move.

you may already be able to book for 2013 regardless of what the website displays. I'd try calling them to see. the royal has restrictions on the number of guests they'll seat together in a restaurant, regardless of time of day and/or occupancy. I think it's 8 - 10, so if you're expecting a larger group, they won't be able to accomodate you without doing a semi-private event (e.g. banquet menu). maybe you can do the buffet for your welcome dinner to get more variety than the wedding menu?

the clear starfish is retiring with me on may 5 of this year, so it's another possibility depending on which color you'd like.

hey jamie - things here are great! I'm on week four of Insanity, but I'm doing an Insanity/P90X hybrid so it looks like this: Mon - Insanity per calendar Tues - P90X legs and back (includes lots of pullups in the P90X routine, can switch with Sat) Wed - Insanity per calendar Thurs - light (either P90X Yoga or the Insanity Thurs plan) Fri - Insanity (can switch with Sat) Sat - P90X arms and shoulders (can switch with Fri or Tues) as luck would have it, the routine sticks closely to the lean P90X plan, and I throw in the Insanity Abs here and there. I love it because it's focused on strength-building as well as fat-shredding cardio (last time I thought my muscles plateaued on an entirely Insanity plan). FI has started to join with me, and we even bought the results and recovery formula (mmm... tastes like an orange push-up pop!) and the P90X protein bars. I feel like a walking Beach Body advertisement, but I'm really happy with both programs in combination. also, I'm going to skip the recovery week (it killed my momentum last time) and just go straight into Insanity month 2. I don't know how I feel about 40 mins of cardio following that CRAZY warmup and stretch, but I figured I'd give it a shot and go back to month one if it was too much. I've already lost an inch or two around my waist, and all my work pants are loose : ) yay!! it's working!! : )

I'm taking my chances with the spa. in reading the forum, I found mixed reviews, but it seems like almost no matter what you do (spa, 5th Ave salon, etc), there's a chance you'll have to redo it. the hairstyle I'm envisioning is pretty simple, and if I need to change it to something from their book, that's ok. I'm planning to bring several of my own makeup components for them to apply (foundation, powder, brow color, blush, eyelash curler, lipstick - wow, ok, that's pretty much everything ; ). I also plan to visit the bobbi brown counter before I go to get a wedding makeup tutorial in the event I need to DIY. all in all, I think as long as you're prepared to either work with them or fix it yourself, you'll be good in the worst-case scenario. in the best-case, you'll love everything. I'll try to provide a review on the whole experience after I get back, which will give you 4 or so weeks to decide. for me, the cost of bringing in someone from outside and then paying the vendor fee was simply too much to consider. fingers crossed that it will turn out well. : ) one final note, my brother's wife got married locally, and I watched her do her makeup entirely herself. she had sort of an Avril Lavigne mantra, where she figured she knew what looked best on her so why ask someone else to do it? best of luck with your decision. -kelly

I'd definitely hem it to your heels and then you can get a pair of platform flip flops or wedges so it doesn't drag in the sand. or, with your free hand, just pick up a part of it when you're in the sand. : ) I'm headed to the seamstress today and am hemming to the heels.

definitely white. with you dress having all that texture, I think a little more plain is better (not that the white ones are, just the color of the red detracts a bit from the dress).

for those worried about their veils blowing in the wind, they do sell veil weights: http://www.savetheveil.com/ I going to try to make my own with 3/4" round magnets I found at Hobby Lobby. unless a couple of girls want to go in on purchasing a set of the weights together and we can just recycle them? PM me! they're $65 for a set of 6. -kelly

I have only the hand sanitizers available, which are $2 + $2.50 shipping (US domestic). please let me know if you're interested. thanks!

on their website, but the other coupon code sites usually pick them up.

not sure how long they'll last, but jami is really responsive if you email/call. I think it's best to keep it to "several months" at a maximum. I bought two lots of 60 petals of the bright blends, which were on sale for $59.99 per 60 cups. then I used the 30% off code.

try searching all forums - you may find a more examples.

there are a million activities at the resort, and they have a desk where you can book excursions that depart from the resort. the most popular thing people on the forum have done is booked a catamaran cruise that includes unlimited alcohol and dinner. because of playa's location, you really can do anything, from snorkeling to ziplining to swimming in cenotes to ATVs and horseback riding. you name it, they've got it. however, if your guests are only around 3 - 4 days, they may not want to leave the resort because that's just enough time to relax. also, the royal is centrally located both on the beach and within two blocks of 5th avenue (playa's main commercial street), so there's plenty of shopping and nightlife within walking distance. the resort has around 500 rooms, I believe. I like it because it's smaller than those mega-resorts on the mayan riviera. the staff really get to know you, and you have a lot of interaction with them. at the resort there's yoga, pilates, bike tours, kayaking, aerobics, etc etc. and they have entertainment poolside nearly the entire day. the resort will probably be full (e.g. all the chairs around the pool filled) but not overly-packed (e.g. no waiting or making reservations for dinner). like the other ladies have said, look around both on here and on trip advisor. do searches. try to find out as much as you can, and read back through this forum to see what kinds of questions others have asked (a majority are wedding-specific, so google/tripadvisor will have more on excursions). good luck! -kelly

hey ladies - I realize there are several threads on freeze-dried rose petals, but I wanted to let everyone know about a HUGE sale they're having on one of the supplier's websites, http://www.flyboynaturals.com. they're offering 30% off orders above $50 with code fbtake30off (see:http://www.flyboynaturals.com/buy-30-cups-get-30-free.html). AND the Bright Blends petals are on sale for half off (about $1 per cup), meaning you can create something like the image below on the cheap! 120 cups cost me just under $100 including shipping. that's less than half of the regular price!! as far as other brides have reported, there are have been no customs issues in Mexico and Jamaica as long as the petals are in their original packaging. now my only issue is getting two 14" x 10" x 10" boxes to Mexico. ; ) oh, and you can easily order months in advance of your wedding. the petals just have to stay in a dry, dark place until you're ready to use them. happy shopping!!

yes, there are threads where people post their bags. just look in this same category 'wedding registry, wedding gift bags and OOT bags'.

yes, 15 guests are included in the price, so with you (bride and groom), the pricing is for 17 people. you don't start paying until you have more than that. that was the package I chose before switching my reception to Wicky's. one catch on the private reception deal - I think there's a 20 person minimum, so regardless how many people you have, you have to pay the upcharge for 20. I think it worked out to something like $300.