MJKH

I love the jcrew dress...my friend has bought a similiar dress from them for our wedding and we were all really impressed with the quality and finishing of it.

Sorry, I go back and forth between calling them oots/welcome bags/wedding survival kits...I lump all of the elements of the bag together at this point! I know...I think we could go back and forth on the merits of both...especially when space is a concern travelling down...AND, other than my FI and the girls on BDW, nobody knows about our welcome bags...which is another decision i'm waffling on. Today I was thinking "ummm, are we crazy to think that between our arrival at the resort and suppertime, my FI and I can get all of the bags put together and distributed????" Maybe I need to get my BF on board too. Is it just me or is everyone agonizing over decisions like these??? I'm driving myself crazy...123 days to go!

This was my quote for 40: 40 individual maracas (20 Pairs) (2 colors and one color as base color and 1 design and 2 lines of text = $214.00

I like the list of dates! That's totally how I visualize things too : ) Honestly, I wouldn't hesitate to have it one of the first two weekends of November, as the holiday season (early Dec to early Jan) is often super crazy for people. Plus, if you live in a climate like ours, and have people travelling from out of town, my preference was that they not have to drive when its -30 out. November 11th is a stat holiday here in Canada, which would mean for a lot of people they'd have a three day weekend that weekend...maybe you'd have more out??? But I'm not sure where you live...

Thanks janette34! I was going to order some and take the "don't ask don't tell" approach, but I'd rather know and not get anyone into trouble.

I definitely wouldn't take a chance on anything with nuts, or any soft, gummy or licorice type items. But I bet if you bought things like plain m&ms, smarties, aero bars, coffee crisp, etc. you'd be ok. There is lots of advice online...you can google your question and read a bunch of opinions on the subject.

Ok, so just indulge me for one more minute...IF we decide to distribute the oot items at home ahead of time, what do people think about keeping everything in its packaging, putting all of the items out in big pretty baskets, giving everyone a bag and having them take items that they think they will actually use (i.e., the tylenol over the ibuprofen)...rather than putting them in baggies and having folks get things they wouldn't ever use???

Has anyone ever asked the WCs at the GS about sky lanterns at the resort during their reception? We'll be out at the palapa...wondering if it's an option...

So I just finishing catching up on thefuturemrstgunn's thread, and now am leaning towards doing a wedding survival kit rather than a welcome kit and handing them out when we have our friends and family (those attending the wedding) over for an open house before Christmas. Ohhhhh...THIS is a tough one! Have you all now finally made a decision? If it saves people time and money by giving it to them ahead of time (perhaps along with a packing list), great! But, I'm just worried most of it would be forgotten over the next 6 weeks and perhaps just left at home. I guess we could do the survival kit for everyone before we leave, but maybe have some snacks/treat bags delivered to each room too. Nuts, bar snacks, chocolate bars, treats of any kind are just not around the resort...not that there will be a shortage of food or anything...hmmmm...HELP!!!

Me too...and if you're an airmiles collector, go thru the airmiles website first, enter your collector number, then go to the apple store in their shops.

Ummm...I can't even imagine what my brain is going to be like with three weeks to go! As it is, the next month is just going to be nutty for us...buy a car, meetings with the ring designer, FI's birthday, engagement photos, first bridal shower...I haven't been to Michaels in a couple of months I think! So can I ask a favour...if any of you are there and see the narrow ribbon with cute wedding words/sayings printed on in, would you let me know? I would sooooo appreciate it!

Hi there DBs!!! So, just trying to work my way thru the updates on this site since we've been away...you've certainly all been busy!!! I had 2 X 2 gigs added to my iMac while we were away and wow-wee...it sure makes these pages load faster. Holidays were great but it's nice to be back and into a normal routine again...and now we move on with more wedding plans ; ) I decided to "try out" some of the items I had picked up for the welcome bags on our own holiday...in my humble opinion, here's how things went: - those $1 collapsible water bags with the carabiner attached actually worked out really great...filled easily from a water fountain, no spills...and when it's 35 degrees out and you're drinking water like crazy, you take advantage of a public fountain anywhere you can. I do think it will be different though in Mexico where drinking water from taps and fountains, even at resorts with filtration systems, is not recommended. - I forgot a little bottle of isogel/hand sanitizer and what a mistake that was! We flew thru the Kleenex wet wipes and small packs of kleenex we had brought as a result. - sunscreen...while getting ready in the morning, I'd apply from our larger bottle and use the travel bottle during the day while we were out. Worked very well. - ear plugs...thank god we remembered to pack a set each in our carryons...during our overnight flight to Frankfurt, my entertainment system didn't work and the two little kiddies across the aisle screamed/cried/jumped/sang/fought all night long!!!! I'm thinking now we may put some in each welcome bag...we also used ours a few nights to help getting to sleep with strange noises, etc. - remember those little shower sponges from Dollarama ($1/pack of 3)...I took one and LOVED IT!!! But I'm a shower gel girl and nowhere in Europe did we have faceclothes either... - flip flops...a big YES...I don't care how fancy the hotel/resort is, it's just nice to schlep around the room with something on your feet. So now I'm debating on putting them in the welcome bags (so the ladies can use them all week long) or putting them out at the reception (which was the original plan). - we used up every last drop of hand laundry soap we had brought and even went out to buy more - those Colgate Wisp thing-ies...neutral on these. I found them awkward to use as they were so small, thin and stiff. BUT, if you don't have access to a toothbrush, one of those would still be better than nothing. - bug spray...I don't normally have any issues but my FI gets bit a lot and usually develops huge welts...we were feasted upon one night while asleep in Venice, and I woke up with three bites on my foreheads and a trail of bites across my shoulder and down my arm...GROSS. Not to sound vain, but if I woke up on my wedding day covered in bites like that, I'd...not be happy!!! - blotting powder sheets for shiny faces...used these a lot and might pick some up for my girlfriends bags... - taking a bottle of nailpolish along that matches your manicure...YES...but now for the second time, my bottle of OPI exploded/leaked on a flight home. ALWAYS put the polish in a little ziploc! - nailpolish remover sheets/pads in the little tear-away packs...SUPER good! - I hate the way my feet feel after a few days in the sand...ground in dirt and dry heels...LOVED the little bamboo heel scrubbers I bought from Minimus. - ibuprofen (or your preferred pain reliever)...we apparently had a lot of aches and pains on this trip...'cause we ran out about 3/4 of the way thru the trip. - remember our wet bikini bags from La Vie? I saw very similar ones all over on our trip and they were asking between 7 - 10 EUROS for one! That was a super great deal for $1 each that we got!!! Ok, that's all I can think of for now. Hope you're all doing well!

I don't think that's the case with our resort...we've been there before and never heard of any issues...and any comments, blogs, etc. I've ever read about our resort say that tipping is not necessary but it's certainly appreciated.

If the WC can make my day run as smoothly as I hope it will...including having the decor look exactly how I picture it in my head...I will be more than happy to tip + give her the biggest hug ever! I would rather give her cash with a pretty "thank you" card than take along extra trinkets, Canadiana souvenirs, etc. Our photogs will be staying at the resort the night of the wedding...we thought we would do a modified welcome bag for them as we know they're on the road a lot....but probably don't want a whole bunch of stuff with our names on it!

Ohhhhh yes...I love Helmet Head!!! It leaves terrible sticky residue on my bathroom walls that's impossible to get off, but it's the best finishing/holding product I've ever found for my fine hair. If you watch for it, sometimes it pops up at Winners/Homesense (I see you're from Canada too)...and when the travel-sizes show up, I totally stock up for my vacations!

We've been to the Mayan Riviera twice before...I haven't had any issues with bugs myself (other than a couple of little bites on my foot the last trip), but my FI has ended up with some really HUGE ugly welts from whatever bit him there. We will be taking spray and using it, with the hope that we will both be welt-free in our wedding photos!

Hmmm...I would never "help myself" to anything or any part of the wedding decor (other than the individual favors of course)...and I would hope that anyone who had the urge to do so would approach you, your mother, your moh, SOMEONE...and ask first. Personally, I wouldn't put a note on the table. If something meant that much to me and I was worried someone might walk off with it, I wouldn't use it. We picked up a large, very pretty painted wooden shadow box (with a glass lid) that we will be displaying some of our precious wedding items in at our AHR.

I was in a similar situation, and one of the brides on here used something called "google goggles" to help me find the original designer of a dress. I have no idea how it works, but I think it took her no time to find out something that I had spent HOURS searching for!

I agree with all the other ladies! I would cut costs in other areas WAAAAAY before I would ask my guests to pay for their own meal at my wedding. I have never heard of a guest attending a wedding and having to pay for their meal...sorry, just doesn't seem right to me.

Isn't it weird though? At one point I asked her what the relationship was between Roots and Aveeno...she didn't know, but she thought she recalled seeing the product in some of their advertising for travel bags.

Sooooo, let me tell you about my OOT find today! : ) I was drooling over the purses and wallets at the Roots store in the mall...the girl and I were chatting, and I happened to see a box of travel-size Aveeno lotions (which I LOOOOVE and use all the time) next to the till with a sign saying "free samples". I said, "are these really FREE?"...and she said, "yes, take as many as you want!". I made some kind of comment about "you may be sorry you offered..." and explained about our DW and the OOT bags. She said, "just a second, we have tons of them" and went to the back and brought me a whole box...EEEEEP! I could hardly contain myself. Anyway, if you happen to be at a Roots store this week, take a snoop around...it never hurts to ask!

They are stunning...if I didn't already have mine I'd be snatching some up!!!

There are bigger ones ; ) http://www.wholesaleflowersandsupplies.com/store/Search.aspx?SearchTerms=mirrored

These guys sell similar if not identical vases...very reasonable price per unit, and ship to Canada. But, I'm still looking... http://www.wholesaleflowersandsupplies.com/store/c/840-Ceramic-Containers.html

In Saskatoon...there's one in Regina too! ; )