kellygrrrl

sure! and now that I think about it, it's probably more relevant for the girls than the guys. we ordered a couple of the kids' glow watches for Christmas, and they were great! they came with a spare battery, too. just be sure to order pretty far in advance. they're shipped from overseas and will take about a month to arrive.

you know, one of my friends had a 65-person wedding at the GP Real with ZERO centerpieces. I almost couldn't believe it because I doubt money would have been an issue. I'd say the rules are off. no centerpieces are fine. maybe the Royal can offer the white marble candleholders as deniden suggests. Quote: Originally Posted by hilly1gh Added me below! Does the resort have a standard table centerpiece that's no additional charge? I was thinking of just getting vases and having one of my bridesmaid's bouquets on each table, with my bouquet by us. Any ideas on if that would look ok? I'm at my max budget and trying not to spend more! The girls will be carrying yellow gerber daisies. I'm using Marvin for the flowers.

ooh, the date list - fun! shortening to only future dates and adding myself - who else is upcoming? DeniDen - April 20, 2012 kellygrrrl - May 5, 2012 queenoftheu- May 19, 2012 Kate112 - June 5, 2012 rsosadpt - July 7, 2012

PS - such a BUMMER about the yacht situation. I would have been tempted to reschedule the whole thing. I'm glad to hear it worked out ok for you guys but am really sorry for everything that you had to go through.

hey ladies - ok, so I essentially started the Insanity meal plan a few days ago (e.g. low to no sugars and zero white breads), and although it's only been three days of eating SUPER healthy, I've been good at nearly every meal and snack. I feel so much better already!! I can't believe what a difference just eating better has made so quickly. I'm not sure what I'll do long-term, but I figured if I could at least eat a healthy breakfast each morning (egg whites, protein smoothie, steel cut oatmeal, etc), it would be a great start. even better if I can find a healthy lunch and snacks. my work cafeteria is pretty awesome and has select fitness entrees (low carb), along with great soups. I think I'll start Insanity again any day now because I now have the energy to want to get in shape. for those who are curious, here's what I've had so far: Day 1 Breakfast: steel cut oatmeal from Jamba Juice with apples and cinnamon (supposed to be a great combo, the apples and cinnamon) Snack: tomatoes and whole grain crackers with hummus Lunch: turkey and ham wrap on whole grain tortilla with veggies and red wine vinegar and just a touch of olive oil Snack: pop chips Dinner: flounder and green beans Snack: pumpkin bites (egg whites, pumpkin, wheat bran, cinnamon - that and other clean recipes here: http://lightenupwithneda.com/clean-recipes/) Day 2 Breakfast: smoothie with berries, skim milk, protein, 1/2 banana and vanilla extract Snack: cottage cheese with plum preserves Lunch: turkey bacon BLT on slice of Sara Lee whole-grain bread (I think this one tastes better than other brands) Snack: almonds, carrots and hummus Dinner: pulled pork on whole grain (cheated a bit here due to the sugars in the sauce and the meat being fatty) Day 3 Breakfast: three egg whites in a whole-grain tortilla with salsa Lunch: rustic pizza on whole-grain crust with tomato base and lots of veggies Snack: cottage cheese with fruit I can't say it's the most delicious array I've ever eaten, but it's a really good way to tell if you're hungry or just craving. if you want some big chocolate bar, that's likely a craving, whereas if you're so hungry you would actually enjoy eating vegetables, that's true hunger. I'd love any other food-related tips/pointers if you have them. PM me if it's off-topic. best of luck to everyone out there. is anyone starting soon? we could pair up! -kelly

ya, it's definitely easy to lose perspective in the throws of all the planning. until I was explaining it to someone the other night, I forgot how you couldn't find reception venues here for under $7,500 (not including photography and flowers). I think you can do what you're able to on price, but ultimately you just need to pick something you WANT. that seems to get lost occasionally, too.

you could always just get these: http://thesolemates.com/ I can try out the grass for you in May, but not in my white wedding shoes!! ; )

I first thought it was excessive but then realized that while my FI and I are down on the beach taking pictures, no one will have anything to do. I didn't want people to scatter - I'd rather provide a bar and hors d'ouevres for them to stand around and chat about the ceremony or watch photos. that being said, we only have 11 people total, so it was a question of $100. given more people, I'm not sure I would have made the same decision. I probably would have nominated my mom or MOH to lead them to the lobby bar instead.

hi jayne - wanted to take a shot at some of your questions: * re centerpieces, I'd estimate about $75 per table for a lower-end real floral centerpiece (assuming 7 - 8 guests per table). there is a centerpiece forum on here where everyone shares their ideas. some girls are bringing glass vases and decorations with them, others are going through outside florists. there is a complete array of choices. * on the reception extra hour, I thought it was a flat fee I'm not certain, but I'm assuming that it's $10pp for the extra hour, and an additional $10pp for the open bar, so the total would be $20pp. I thought there was a flat fee (like $350 - $400), but maybe that was only in the past. * the cake cost is $5/resort guest for cake AND champagne. if you choose to get the couture cake, I'm thinking you'll also have to pay the champagne fee (it's likely it would still be $5pp - the Royal doesn't credit back anything you change). depending on the package you select. the couture cakes are around $200, and you'll pay an extra $50 if you want different flavors (I just found out about this one myself - sneaky sneaky). the concensus on here is the cake is largely ignored, and it's really not worth the additional fees, especially if you're planning a small wedding (I'd think that would be the only way the free wedding would be worthwhile). please let us know what other questions you have. I'm hoping the brides on here can provide some additional clarification. -kelly Quote: Originally Posted by jayne3383 Hi girls! I am having my wedding on December 8th, and I am getting into the throws of planning. I am really glad to have this form. Thanks for all the great information! I had a few questions for you girls to help plan my budget... What are your girls thinking about or have done for center pieces for cocktail hour? I want to add an hour to my reception. I noticed the price is $10/person for an additional hour, but one document I received also lists $10/person for extra hour of open bar. So is the extra hour of reception or $10 or $20/person? I am confused on how much the standard cake cost. Is it per person or for the entire cake? I am probably going with the "free wedding," and on the checklist on received, it looks like the standard cake is $5/person. It might be cheaper to get a couture cake since I am expecting approx 40-50 guest. I really appreciate some input!

yes, I was provided a contract, and our date was not secured until it was signed. it happend almost immediately. call them and keep calling until you get a coordinator on the phone who can help you. if all else fails, ask for Ana Perez. she's awesome. : )

I think if you have the welcome bags, you don't need to give favors. I've even been to regular weddings where there were no favors. no worries about skipping those - I doubt anyone will even think of it!!

this is an old thread, but I wanted to put in my two cents. I agree with the more recent posters: a marriage is between a man and a woman. my FI has two children (who are 12 and 10), and we've known each other for about 2.5 years. at their age, weddings are what they see on TV. it's not about the union of their dad and new wife as much as it is eating and dancing. I had to ferret that one out of them when one almost collapsed in tears about not going to our wedding. we had previously been watching TLC's Four Weddings, and it was a few weeks after they'd attended a local wedding (which was a lavish, 300-person affair). the reason my FI's son wanted to go to our wedding was so he could dance, and I explained that there would be no dancing at our wedding, just a few boring grownups sitting at a table talking (which, of course, he hates). my FI's kids are at the age where they want to brag to their friends at school about how their dad took them to Mexico, but I think they're too young to really be able to appreciate it - I mean, when was the first time you got a passport and traveled out of the country?! not to mention that my FI would be constantly running across the street to our hotel's sister resort (our resort is 16+) to visit his kids instead of spending time with the people who traveled such a long way to be with us (and get to know him, essentially). I didn't want his/our attention divided, nor did I want to spend another several thousand dollars on top of an already elaborate amount. besides all of that, his kids and I aren't really that close. we have been living together for over a year (he has 50/50 visitation), but it often takes stepfamilies a REALLY long time to bond (~6 years isn't uncommon). I discuss these doubts and insecurities with my FI, who is very patient and explained just the other night, "the kids know that you are here for me, and that's completely fine." I feel compelled to also say that the kids are treated well and respected - I'm not some evil, wicked stepmonster. I'm just someone who never envisioned having children, and I met a man who did, so rather than walk away I figured I'd work with the situation. also, please know that the kids will not be excluded entirely. we are planning a nice, formal dinner with them and my grandparents (who are too elderly to travel), and we'll do a sand ceremony there with the man who is marrying us in Mexico. we'll all wear our wedding clothes and make it a really special occasion that includes them. at the end of the day, I think that's all that needs to be done.

at this point, I'd advise totaling what you've spent this far and compare that against how much you were either planning to spend (or what you think is "reasonable" per person) and then decide on the beach towels. our bags will look empty, but each one has a HUGE value worth of stuff in it. and they'll get filled when guests use them to transport towels from the resort. honestly, tissue paper is a good filler, too. I'm a bit on the side of your FI here - just try to finish them up and if you get more time (or $$$) later, you can go back to it.

ps - here's a pic. I'll agree that they look a little plain, but just imagine if they had a ribbon or scarf in your wedding colors (or raffia). you could even fill the top section with colored tissue paper. I actually think these are slightly better than the ones with the earth logo because they can be personalized for your wedding.

just wanted to update this thread that they still have plain jute bags that are 100% biodegradable. these are pretty large (you could fit a towel or yoga mat in it easily), but I thought they'd be good for the beach. they're $2.99 if you get 12 and less in larger quantities. even without the planet logo, I still LOVE these bags. : ) http://www.onebagatatime.com/shop/bags/jute-bag.html

I had the same thing happen. she often reminds me that she is very busy, so communication is a bit scattered at times, but she does pull it off (even at 10pm - ha! I've had some of those calls). there is no question that Linda goes above and beyond in her level of service, but I was disappointed that some of the vendors she recommended were priced completely beyond what we were looking for (e.g. a florist with $1,500 centerpieces and a $250 setup fee or a $300 cake - we have *11* people!!) I wish she filtered the choices better, but in the end, she is sort of volunteering her help with details that are out of her scope (we're just having dinner in the VIP room). I imagine the vendors she works with for weddings are priced more affordably. on that note, I've also been working with Paula from the Blue Parrot (kindof by accident when I emailed about our group coming for the fire show after Wicky's). she is a DREAM and seems to have the inside track on vendors and pricing and DETAILS, omg SUCH a lifesaver. like paula, she has nothing really to gain from helping me (unless the vendors are giving her some type of referral fee, but I'm such small stakes with this teeny wedding, I couldn't imagine it'd even be worth her time). anyhow, Paula is ALWAYS available, emails me almost daily, got me a florist quote (the best I've seen yet) within hours (it took two weeks via Paula, whose vendors are also 'extremely busy'). Paula does it for the sheer love of wedding planning, and I wish I could return the favor to her somehow. please let us know about your experience, jessi. it will be good to have a compare. marilili, I'm not sure what you're considering, but I found prices to generally be above what our all-inclusive is charging (e.g. for the cake and flowers). I didn't check anywhere else for dinner/drinks, but it seems pretty fair based on US standards. they're less than you'd pay here for an upscale restaurant like Truluck's. oh, at Wicky's, you won't get slammed with outside vendor fees or bogus sunset fees or sky lantern fees, so it would be $1,000 cheaper to move our wedding there based on those alone. -kelly

ya, the metal bands are really dull next to channel diamonds. because your ring is already both tall and wide, why not get a matching all-channel set band for your right hand? I'm thinking about the right-hand band myself for similar reasons (I have the Tiffany Novo ring). even just a single or double-set channel band would look awesome, I'd just wear it on a different hand. best of luck (and with your FI wearing a ring, too! ; )

LOVE that first shot of you both - where'd you get the boat??

bawahhahaaahahaa - just make sure it's tattooed backwards so he can read it when he looks at himself in the mirror!! all kidding aside, I do agree. there is no such thing as, "I am not a jewelry person." *I* am not a jewelry person, but when it was time for us to get engaged, you better believe that I marched straight into Tiffany's like a seasoned champ to pick out my first and only piece of real, legitimate jewelry. not wearing a ring is just ASKING for trouble, welcome or not. it's just too universally accepted in our society. whether you're out drinking with friends at bars or chatting with coworkers, people need to know. TAKEN.

omg, I remember that!! one of my friends said to me, "you don't want to have a long engagement because then people think you can't afford your wedding." and my response was, "EXACTLY!!" it wasn't the only reason, but it was one of several - including allowing our guests to save money in that time (none did, but at least this way, I have no regrets). and now everything will be paid in cash, so we won. ; )

that chapel does look beautiful. I'm curious if you can use it if you stay at any of the Real properties? the most important distinction will be the resorts allowing guests under 16. both the Royal Cancun and the Royal Playa del Carmen are 16+, whereas kids are welcome at the Gran Porto Real in Playa and the Gran Caribe Real in Cancun. the chapel is important but you'll also want think about where you're staying during your time in Mexico. also, I think there's a nice chapel in Playa del Carmen. I don't think it's oceanfront (certainly not to the level of the Real Resort chapel), but it's an idea. best of luck to you - keep reading reviews and searching on here so you can plan your trip this fall. -kelly

lindsay - either pay the fee or spend some legitimate time on here participating in discussions. these meaningless posts are nothing we haven't seen before and recognize as you trying to get your count up.

just use their website. we have a small group of 11 so are ordering off the regular menus. linda is very responsive and can provide buffet info (if it's not on their site).