X-Chan

I agree, white table cloths with aqua accents is the way to go. I find it much more elegant

I'm just not telling FI anything about my dress and saying it's a surprise.. if he doesn't like it.. TOO BAD!

I hear you..! I was hyperthyroid too and eating whatever I want and underweight. Then the doctors put me on radioactive treatment that turned me hypo and I put on 30 lbs in 3 weeks!

This is beautiful... wow. So romantic. Here is what the decorator I'm talking to in Cuba sent me as her setup. It's not a chuppah, but something different for anyone interested. ^^

I'd say be very careful.. and do your research! I am engaged to a Cuban guy but we met in Canada. We travel to Cuba a lot though and I some of the people we encounter.. A lot of men and women will do just about anything to secure that visa out and they find all sorts of reasons to justify their actions. I don't think there's a sure way to know if the partner is genuine or not. For some couples it's a bit more obvious than others, like if there's a noticeably large age difference, but the scammer will target anyone and if he/she lands a young and attractive foreigner then that's a bonus. It can happen to anyone.. I'd say just keep your eyes open to red flags. Are they asking you for gifts? Are they pushing marriage on the 2nd or 3rd trip? Try to spend have an extended trip in their country to see how they live and get to know them better that way. 2 weeks in paradise is just that and it's really hard to see past the vacation romance in such a short time. I'd maybe even suggest to them to get married and live in THEIR country and see how they feel about that. I think there's a forum called dr1.com where a lot of people share their experiences being in relationships with Dominicans? I'm not sure. I know for Cuba there is a forum called cubaamor.org and I am a poster there. There is tons of useful information to anyone who is interested in pursuing a relationship with a Cuban and if the dr1 forums is the same.. I'd suggest doing a lot of reading there.

finding a TA

Ahh I had another question. How much did it cost you to get all your hair done for you and the girls?

Wow!!! 20 hours that's all? These look aaaa-mazing.

Any updates? How did it go?

We set the date for Jan 14th so it'll be right when the prices go down hopefully. I checked right now and am getting prices of 1075 on tripcentral out of toronto. The solymar is 1065 so they're really close in price. Last minute prices for the two resorts vary a lot more though.. like 795 for solymar this month and 1300+ for blau >.<. I'm sure it's just because Blau is probably more booked. I did a site visit at the Solymar last month and it was pretty empty, whereas Blau always seems full.

I just did the same thing. I also didn't need it soon but just sooo excited.. in the end I just paid for the slow. I know a lot of people that will get it within a week or two so I do believe they don't wait for it to go into production. The shipping might depend a bit on how far you live from the factory though. I just checked and the US one is in Massachusetts so it might take a few extra days to get to California?

Oh...my...god..... That is such a terrible situation to have to be in. Have his parents said anything about this? You are playing it very classy and I think you should keep it that way. It just makes her come off even more crazy. I too believe when you marry someone, you marry their family, but the problems here are pretty extreme I might consider cutting off any relationships with her. (For you.. not your husband, I don't think it would be right to ban someone from their sister)

They're amazing! Very elegant.

Yep I just checked Blau is just a $10 price difference than the solymar for the date I want right now. I am worried about the food at the resorts and that's also why I kind of wanted the Solymar because there are so many great restaurants just a few minutes walk away. Sounds like the food at Blau is pretty good in terms of Cuban standards though! I've heard the same from another friend. One of FI's good friends is a lifeguard at blau so he'll probably be all for this idea. He doesn't like resorts and wasn't intending on spending too much time there during the wedding week.. but I don't want him to be MIA all week other than the wedding. This might work out to help keep him there a bit more since he'll have someone to hang out with. Did you use a TA? Can I ask what kind of prices you were able to secure for your guests?

Can someone share their experiences on booking prices to Cuba? I've been telling my friends that I'm hoping to keep it under 1200 and I thought I was being generous there but now looking at the prices everyone is posting maybe I was wrong? Is it much different in price between Cuba and Mexico? I've been looking at prices through tripcentral for the resorts I'm considering and the prices were never more than 1100 tax in out of Toronto for the latest month they were showing prices for (dec last I checked). We're planning on a Jan 2012 wedding..

Thanks for the review Fireweed! I've heard lots of great things about Blau Varadero from seasoned Cuba travellers.. and looking at these pics, wow they were right! Everything looks great. I'm happy to hear that you and all your guests had such an amazing time. Now I'm second guessing my pick of Barcelo Solymar.. heh. I chose it because it's more central and people can just take walk to places if they want instead of bussing or cabbing. But, I heard the Blau was much nicer.. I just can't decide between location vs quality. ack >.< Did you find that anyone got bored on the resort for the week?

Thanks! I had the website at the bottom first but then I found out we need the bottom clear for mailing.. I moved it sideways but was worried some of my relatives might miss it completely so I put in the arrow and hoped it would be enough. Thanks everyone else too!

Here are my save the date postcards! I just sent them into vistaprint to print. It was 100 free, plus free glossy and free upload so I only had to pay $9 for the shipping. I'll post update pics when they arrive! FI's face is grumpy on the front because although he's the happiest guy I've ever known, he always makes this grumpy face in photos and it's become kind of a joke with our friends and family. I got a lot of ideas for the wording from other posts on this thread.. it was soo helpful! The design at the back was a lot different at first but stupid me forgot to check postcard design specifications before I made it. I ended up having to clear out some areas where the barcode needs to go and had to squish down the text.. I hope it won't be too small for some guests to read!! I tried to shorten it as much as I could but still include everything I wanted to say. Here is the text: Dear Friends & Family We are getting married! The ceremony and reception will be at the beach in Varadero, Cuba on Saturday, January 14 2012, followed by a lobster party on the 16th in Felix' hometown of Matanzas. We realize that due to distance and cost, some of you may not be able to attend. While we would be delighted to have you all come celebrate with us and our Cuban family, we understand and respect your decisions if you cannot make it. Visit our wedding website for more information and to leave a tentative RSVP if you are interested in attending. This will be very helpful in our planning. We are extremely excited and we look forward to sharing our special day with you! Now to finish the wedding website before these come in the mail...

Same boat here. I've always dreamed of a beach wedding, and now FI happnes to be a Cuban native so of course we have to do it there since his family can't travel out of the country. I also agree with all the other reasons listed here. I don't like the large un-intimate weddings full of the couple's parents acquaintances, and I never liked the idea of spending extravagant amounts of money for one night when it could go towards something else like a downpayment for a house. So now I get my affordable destination wedding and don't have to defend my reasons to anyone since for half our guests it's not even a destination wedding at all. Quote: Originally Posted by magikstarrynite7 Because my future hubby is a Cancun local, so it just seemed like second nature... Besides, who DOESN'T want to get married in paradise!

Wow, I'd never heard this before... that's really sad.

Just got back from Cuba. Here's some pics of my rings.. I took the second one at the beaches. It's a yellow sapphire with diamonds. I love it!

Rewording it a bit sounds like a great idea, I love everyone's suggestions. Cubans make a general salary of 20 cuc a month, maybe if your mom knew that she would be a little more understanding? That said, Dmitry is right. Workers in the tourist industry are amongst the most well off in Cuba, most even more so than doctors. It is a little backwards..

OMG!! I am freezing just looking at your pictures! You guys are brave. They turned out great.

Just found a spanish/english version of Jason Mraz' lucky.

Here's another one, more upbeat. ^^ DJ Flex Ft. Belinda - Te Quiero This song was pretty popular last time I was down for last Chrismas.