MJKH

Here's something else to throw out which I haven't yet found and answer to on this site. At the reception in Mexico, we're putting out flip flops and pashminas for the ladies but don't have a clue what, if anything to do yet for the men. Think $5 - $10 pp and small/lightweight/easy to take...alcohol is plentiful at our all-inclusive, no need to give that. Our adult male guests range from 20-something to 70-something. They don't play poker, smoke, wear cufflinks...they wouldn't use a fancy shaving kit or barware, they don't play golf...ughhh...I'm stuck!

Ok, so it's great to have a plan come together...this was the inspiration photo I showed my FI this morning. I told him we were on our way out to look for turquoise vessels of some sort to use for airy arrangements of pink and white flowers at the reception (it's amazing what he'll do when you promise to get him a sausage mcmuffin first!). We went to a few places...Homesense, Winners...then to Pier One where he found these: They're mouth blown glass, etched...large and chunky drinking glasses (almost 6 inches tall)...on sale came to around $10 a piece. I think they'll be perfect.

Oh, that's so disappointing. We've eaten there a couple of times and the food has been amazing. But, I agree about the communication. Last January I had e-mailed a request to have them do a birthday cake for my FI and didn't hear anything back EVER.

That is a Barijay dress!

Love this mercury glass one...but it's $60...eeep! I feel a DIY project coming on. Has anyone ever painted or tinted a glass vase?

Well, I just found this: The flowers are paper, but I can actually picture a turquoise glass vase with pink flowers...hmmm. But I'd have to find some cheap turquoise vases...

I love this one too...and I think you're right about the all pink bouquet ladies...thanks for the feedback. The corsages and bouts will be something along this line (stems wrapped in sinamay), with the moms and dad all getting white-ish flowers and FI pink...maybe...if he's up for that. I'm hoping to get palomasnest to do some tiny tiles to stitch/tie onto their flowers as well. Ok, last dilemma. For the reception/dance party, I'm changing into this dress by Barijay (the colour looks kinda weird here, but it's a beautiful turquoise): And the little girls will change into these: I'm looking into maracas for place holders/party favours...but am wondering what I should do at this point for decor colour. Everything up to this point will be pink. Should I just leave all the flowers/centerpieces/maracas as pink...or try to mix some turquoise in by say, doing 1/2 maracas fuschia and 1/2 turquoise? Ughhh...I'm so confused.

omg...am I ever glad we only have children in our bridal party...I bought their clothes and that's what they're wearing. The witnesses (we're still not sure who we'll ask) will be called up when the time comes to sign the certificate. How frustrating for you!!!

No, sorry...it was in the spring of this year that I found them. But what size do you need? I have a girls 14 that I'm about to return...I bought a 14 and a 16 for my niece from Manitoba and she ended up needing the 16. It probably wouldn't hurt to look at the Bay...sometimes things can hang around there for a long time...and if you found them at this point, they should be super cheap. The brand name is penelope mack. So here's my dilemma with this flower girl dress...you've seen the floral pattern, and you've seen what my FI's daughter is wearing...I'm having trouble deciding on a bouquet. I would love something really bright, but I pretty much have to stick to greens and pinks at this point. I guess I'm feeling kinda stuck trying to be complimentary to the pattern in the flower girl dress. Thoughts on these? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Here is my dress...and you've seen the bouquet handle wrap...my biggest question is, ONLY pink flowers, or should I ask for some white flowers in the bouquet as well?

These flower girl baskets may get axed in favour of these sinamay baskets, if I can get them large enough to hold their rose petals: Our programs and sandlewood fans are going on each seat for the ceremony in a sinamay envelope like this: My bouquet handle will be wrapped in ribbon first, then a sinamay overlay, with this charm from Etsy seller palomasnest (I am CRAZY about their stuff!):

Flower girl dresses and accessories...DONE! Dresses from the Bay (were also sold at Winners), earrings from Winners, necklaces from Monograms Online (with this weeks Dealfind...I'll let you know how they turn out), shoes from Payless and rose petal baskets from Winners.

FI's 17 year-old daughter's outfit is now complete...Barijay dress, shoes from Sterling (she's also got a little pair of flat silver sandals when she's done with heels), earrings from Etsy seller RomancingTheBling.

I found my rehearsal dinner dress at Winners today...$34.99...can't beat that! I've never bought a maxi dress before and I love it : ) Finished the FI's TTD outfit today with the purchase of a Tommy Bahama shirt from the Bay (on clearance for $40)...shown here with the linen pants from Old Navy (which were around $12 after discounts).

Oh sorry, forgot to address the presentation thing. We were certainly offered a "limited time" opportunity to meet with one of their representatives (with some incentives for meeting with them, such as a spa certificate)...and they also offered to (all expenses paid) send us out to one of their "adults only" resorts in the Mayan for a day. But when you're only there a week, and have lots of excursions you want to do, it wasn't a priority for us. Just as a side note, we loved the incense they used there, and asked the front desk clerk if we could buy some. He said he didn't think so but would look into it for us. Next thing we knew, a bellman was at our door with a whole package of them, compliments of the resort. They were very good at timely repairs (replacing burnt out lightbulbs, etc). You'll love it!

We were in the building right next to the Seaside Grill, third floor facing the gardens with a "peek" of the ocean. It was beautiful. Had a separate seating area...we were right next to one of the honeymoon suites. I think it was a junior suite that we upgraded to. If you step out on the balcony and look to the right, this was the view...of the pool and further out, the ocean. The infamous "tequila tasting" with the wedding planner rushing past in the back. The chapel is just behind him to the left ; ) Quote: Originally Posted by amjohnson What type of room did you upgrade to? I know we upgraded but can't remember to what...lol...I do know it isn't an Ocean view as a lot of people said they could barely see the ocean...I know it is a larger room. We are hoping to get an upgrade when we check it...they usually do this for couples getting married there. Did you get asked to sit through a 90 min presentation, like a time share thing? My dad just went to Dreams Puertos Aventuras for his honeymoon and they sat through it but got three free nights for any Dreams Resort, so they may use it for our wedding. So we are planning to sit through it if they do that at DT so we can get more free nights toward our first anniversary. We get two free nights for our anniversary if we stay 5 days or longer, because we had our wedding at a Dreams Resort.

I just know that if my mom was standing waiting to go into the church and saw the "toast" that the entertainment guy made with this large phallic-shaped tequila bottle every time we took a shot, she would have died. That's all I'm sayin'... But I think you told me already that you were getting married on the beach...next to the Seaside Grill, right? Our room was amazing...we paid a little extra to upgrade...$30 US per night for the two of us...but it was sooooo worth it.

Holy smokes...I hope to look as fab in my dress as you did! ; ) Thanks for the feedback!

We were at Dreams Tulum in January...it was heavenly! : ) I've got loads of pics of the resort if anyone is looking...or has any questions. I mentioned this in one other post...if you're planning on using the chapel, I would put a request in to the WP that a tequila tasting NOT take place at the same time in the bar adjacent to the courtyard where you and your wedding party will be lining up!

Just a heads up...any time I've used a credit or promotional code at Old Navy, they use some magical formula to spread the discount over ALL of the items in your cart, and don't just take it off at the end. What that means is, when you return some of the items, you forfeit the discount that they applied to those items.

FI just tried his linen pants on from Old Navy...he likes them a lot. We bought the gray drawstring style and the black and flax button-ups. He'll wear a pair for the TTD session and the others to the a la cartes I'm thinking, as we already bought him the Tommy Bahama linen pants from the Bay for the wedding.

At Homesense, I would look in two places for sure...the area where they have candles and potpourri I've often seen bags of driftwood and shells...but they're often scented. The other area is the place where they have dried grasses/fake silk greens and arrangements, etc...I've seen sometimes they have bags of shells, balls covered in shells or other nature-y treatments (to put on display in a bowl?) in metal tubs in that area. Any other ideas?

It's a stunning dress...did you try on both white and ivory, etc. dresses? I didn't have the slightest idea which I would lean more towards, but having tried a few shades on, I knew white was best for me.

Gee, I'm wishing I would have asked this a couple of months ago, as you guys are such a knowledgeable and helpful bunch! Does anyone know anything about this dress? Who makes it, what it's called, if it's still available???

Sorry, posted this in the wrong thread...

Yes, the suggestion was that to make it look even more "bridal", I order it in an extra long length (I'm only 5-5) and, when they hem it, it would be shorter in the front and longer in the back, so that it had the appearance of a train. I'm just not sure though about dragging it thru the sand all day...I never thought though if that scarf that hangs at the back may look funny with a train. OR, perhaps if you order it extra long, that scarf will also be extra long and could be cut to the length of the hem at the back?