Peach

Here is a picture of the bracelet I ordered. The guy who own the shop is great. He gave me an awesome deal for ordering 5 at one time (bridal party + moms + me!). Hopefully I love them when I get them!

Oooh, this was the first thing I started on and I am going to keep on until the big day... which is still about a year and 1/2 away! I have a bm and moh. My mom and FIs mom are also getting similar gifts. At Walmart at the end of the summer I picked up large beach-style purses. They were 75% off. I made them barefoot jewelry, and have also been filling each with soaps and journals and lipgloss and compact mirrors and little picture frames.... all that kind of thing. I love the dollar bins at Michaels. Everything is beach themed, and I always try to get two slightly different things. I am making them each a tank top (with their 'title' ironed on), and I just received notice that personalized bracelets I ordered from etsy are on their way! Yay! I am still going to get them little cotton clutches from etsy I have my eye on. They are really inexpensive, and very small, but cute. I am thinking for holding room key and tip money. We are also going to buy their dresses, and I think I am going to get each one a pink flask (one pink leather, one sparkly). I still want to get them each a necklace, but not until we figure out what dresses they will be wearing (I am torn between starfish and pearls... though I now have found ones that are pearled starfish!) They will also be getting bubbas like the rest of our guests, but theirs will be engraved. I am probably going to keep adding items to the bags, but probably not too many more. Probably personalized flip- flops too. The biggest thing is that I am doing involves my stagette. I know the basic plan.... we are all going on a 6-hr road trip to this famous spa none of us have been to before for a weekend. It is all flapper-themed. Anyway, there is a spa package for a large group of girls to get pedicures and massages. I will be booking and paying for that as a surprise to them. Maybe try to do something to spend some time with them? I only have two standing up with me (FI only has one) so we are keeping our wedding party very small. Therefore, we want to spoil them a little! My BM is a very good friend of mine and FI's, and my moh is my little sister who will be graduating from high school a month before we get married. They are awesome, and we want to go all out for them. Hope that helps!

Hold on, I am confused.... you said it was an easy return.... but I thought there were no returns? Did I miss something?

Very nice! And congrats on getting your dress. I think I am going to continue to show FI pics online, then, when I go shopping, take copies of styles we both like as a starting point. I have also decided to narrow my searches to short or tea-length dresses, because I really do want to look nice for him. But I will still try on a longer style, just so I can say I did. Everything else with the wedding planning so far (granted, it is a way away, but most decisions are done) I have been able to just decide. But I feel a little pressured about the dress. Everyone has an idea of what I SHOULD wear. I am the first one in mine or FIs family to get married, and everyone wants to come along with me. I really do not want to waste anyone's time.... including mine.... having to organize several get-together days. (because of the travel time, it will be whole-day events). So I just want to have my search focused and organized that day. And I know that if I do not start out preferring a short dress, my mom and bm won't even support me trying one on. (FI's mom and my moh are all for short, coincidentally). Anyway, this thread has helped a lot in showing me gorgeous pictures of dresses... I know that I can still feel 'bridal' and wear a short style!

Yes, I wish I could do this. Unfortunately, I have to travel to try on ANY dresses (as does anyone who wants to come along.) We all live in different small towns, minimum of 2 hours from a bridal shop. So I really cannot be planning too many trips! That is why I am trying to get my ideas in place first. I also do not plan on showing my FI the dress ahead of time (though he wants me to). We are looking together online, but once I have it, I have it. So he won't know if he loves it or not until the day. I guess I figure that I am basically dictating what he wears... maybe he should at least get a basic say in what I wear?

Depends on what your priorities are. Jan or Feb seem to be awesome times to go, because of the weather. A lot of brides seem to choose those months. For us, it is not feasible. We are traveling in off season to save a ton of money, and because I get summers off anyway. Also, I know that my family will not like to travel while trying to pay off Christmas. Not sure if that would be a concern for you or not. That being said, Jan and Feb have amazing weather, plus you would get on-season perks (everything is open, for example). So, it is whatever works best for you, in other words. We picked our resort by choosing a chain we have heard great reviews about (FIs parents went to a different resort in the chain too), but we wanted to go somewhere we had never been before. We have gone to all-inclusives before in Mexico, and decided that we would be most likely to continue Mexico in the future, so we should take this opportunity to try something different. We decided on Dominican. We then narrowed it down to a couple options. So, start broad, then decide the type of experience you want. We are completely content to lie on a beach making use of all-inclusive food and drink for as long as possible, so we decided on a resort where we can indulge in just that. Then we found a resort where there was a huge plus... it is on its own island! After seeing pictures, we were in love. That is how we decided. If we wanted to go on lots of excursions and go shopping, this would not be a good resort to pick. But we want seclusion and complete relaxation in paradise. So this makes sense. Some things to consider... do you want to go somewhere you have never been before? all-inclusive or no? adults only or kid-friendly? how kid-friendly if you go that route? what kind of nightlife? excursions? are you there more for the wedding experience or vacation experience? etc., etc.,etc.

I'm stuck. FI reaaaallllllllllyyyyy thinks I should be in a shorter dress, which is fine, now, seeing all these fabulous ideas! Should I even try on long ones? What do you think?

This is gorgeous! Where is it from?

Love! Baking?

I wish I liked it. It is so festive! Maybe I need to try it more often to develop a taste for it. Christmas lights?

Live Tyler - That Thing You Do!

I have heard of this being done, and think it would be very nice. HOWEVER, I personally have heard way too many stories of things being shipped going missing. I would rather keep things with me as much as possible. With my luck, something would go wrong for sure. Of course, that could just be the control freak in me.

Congratulations! That would be gorgeous!

I have talked to my grandmother about it. She basically raised me until I was about 12. She says she wants us to do what we want to (of course she says that), but that she is very, very sad to miss it. They are not raising a fuss about it; my parents are in speaking up for them. I can tell that my grandmother is very heartbroken about missing it, but she is trying very hard to be okay. None of my grandparents have access to Internet or anything. They are extremely technologically-challenged. That is a good idea, though.

Hmmm, something to think about.... We probably will not be handing them out ahead of time.... No one lives in this town with us! Most people - with the exception of 2 couples, I think - will probably be traveling out of the same airport as us, so we could do it then. I really like the idea of giving them to people as they arrive, or, since we will basically all be arriving together in our case, at a casual welcome dinner (all meeting at the lobby bar, for example). We are not doing full OOT bags, but we will have a welcome booklet (passport style) and bubbas filled with things. Gosh, now I am not sure... hmmm.....

I really like this idea. FI has always said that he wants to come shopping, and I have been trying to put the brakes on this idea. He actually is quite opinionated, especially about women's clothing. And, while he might not know every term, he has a pretty good handle on things. Example: when I was a bm, he was at my fitting, and no one could believe some of the stuff he said... something like: "I really like how it tapers at your waist. It accentuates you there. And the colour is great. A v-neck is a good option for you, or maybe a sweetheart? Anyway, I like the shape of it. A-line I think? Maybe you should bring it up an inch or so at the bottom. That length is actually making you look slightly shorter. Yes, that's better." I have to make a trip out of dress shopping, since I do not live near stores. And, since he is so opinionated, I worry about falling in love with a dress, and him being "it's okay", since I won't be all done up. My solution is to show him LOTS of online pictures, and only print off the ones we both like to take with me. Also, I am pretty sure that his mom (who I want to come) and my sister (who is my moh) will be his voice there. Which will be interesting.... my other bm (who also wants to come) does not really like his style... (He is really, really voting short dress, and almost has me totally convinced.) So, in short, I am trying to involve him and still have that moment walking down the aisle.

We have not booked anything for it yet, but I think we have decided to do a simple legal here (grandparents and parents only, maybe my siblings - he's an only child) in a church first. Then the DW. Then the AHR. We did think about doing the AHR and legal together, and still may, but we wanted the AHR in my hometown for ease of access for extended family... and we really do not want our legal there, or it will be impossible to keep small. So that is what we are thinking of doing for right now. Probably. I am sure there is some kind of drama with everyone, right? Grrrrr!

I posted about this in the etsy thread, but thought I would mention it here too. I just ordered part of my bm and moms gifts. I have beach bags for them and have been adding stuff to them all the time. This is my first etsy purchase, but I have tons 'bookmarked'. Uhoh! Does anyone know how to make the pictures smaller? Anyway, I am getting each lady's first initial stamped on it... and, of course, I ordered one for me too!

Awesome information! No, the ring was not purchased from a big chain; I know there is nothing covering it. I have been wearing it for almost 6 months, and I do know it is not very high quality, so that makes sense. I also (almost) never take it off. I will definitely try taking it in. Thank you!

All this talk about rings has me curious.... We are on a very tight budget, and I told FI before he proposed that I did not want an expensive ring. Anyway, I LOVE my ring... It is simple and sweet and very me. I believe it is white gold, or maybe has a white gold coating? Anyway, the colour has started to change, and I was wondering if that treatment you guys were talking about would work to help with that? It is getting pretty dark on part of the band where my other fingers hit it. I would like it fixed, but it is not a big deal. When FI saw that he got a little upset, but I love my ring even with the discoloration! Anyway, wondering if that will help. What do you think?

Just purchased my first items on etsy! I love the items in this shop, and purchased stamped bracelets for my bm, moh, mom, fmil, and, of course, myself! Ha! The shop is called xxyz, and so far the owner has been great. He is doing a custom order for me, with 10% off and free shipping. Awesome! Let's hope my good luck with this continues! http://www.etsy.com/listing/81920176/initial-hand-stamped-personalized Hmm, not sure how to make the picture smaller, but at least you get the idea. The stone is a little turqouise, and our colours are more blue, but close enough, and I really like it. Hope I still do when they come in!

Oh dislike for sure! (Sorry all you iPad lovers!) Online shopping?

Dreams Punta Cana was the first place we looked at... Still our back up plan if for some reason we cannot book Cayo Levantado for July. It looks so gorgeous at Dreams! Congrats!

Are they on sale now?

Gorgeous, mrsbruff2b! Love it!