Peach

Thanks for this thread - getting some ideas!

I don't know much about Jamaica, but I do know that off-season for tourists is the summer months here - June to September. We have gone to Mexico twice in the summer, and got WAY WAY WAY more "bang for your buck" - most recently, two weeks for less than half of one during tourist season! So we will be getting married during the summer in the Dominican. I am sure it is the same in Jamaica. A word of warning: summer may be cheaper at all of these places, but it is REALLY hot. I know it is always hot in those tropical places, but this is when the year highs are, and the temperature really does not drop that much during the evening. Also, it is rainy season, but it is probably not going to rain all day every day anyway. On our recent Mexico trip (maybe Jamaica is different?) it rained at night, and only once during the day during the two weeks. So anyway, we have found that is a good way to save some money.

We ordered some old navy linen pants earlier this summer for our trip to Mexico for him to wear to the a la cartes. He had been before and was stuck wearing regular dress pants, and says the linen old navy ones are SO much better. He really liked them and looked great! I think this is definitely the way to go if you are after the linen look. Super comfortable, they look great, and you cannot beat the price. We will be doing this for the wedding for sure!

Okay, thanks - I thought it might be rude to send a Save the Date and not an invite, since the STD will probably say "invite to follow", but we are doing an AHR, so they might just get an invite to that... not the message in the bottles though!

Okay, so I have been reading everyone else's stories and am so excited to get to add my own finally! Hopefully I am posting this in the right place,,, Brandon and I met first day of the first year of university, fall 2003. He stood out as this super tall, shy guy, and I was really shy (and short), but thankfully we became friends, then best friends, then (no shock to anyone) fell for each other, and now (yay!) we're engaged! We have been talking about getting married for a long time, but always as a "one day" kind of thing. He went back to school, so we kind of assumed it wouldn't be until that was done. We had been talking about destination weddings recently, and even looked online a bit. I thought maybe he would ask soon anyway, since I was usually whining about it, but I really didn't know for sure, since I had thought that in the past. Well anyway, we went on vacation earlier this summer; two weeks in Riviera Nyarit. (Gorgeous place - Palladium Vallarta - loved it!). We were there for a few days, and he kept mentioning walking on the beach at sunset, so I would think, THIS IS IT, but then, nothing. One day we even walked up this little hill overlooking the ocean one sunset, and he looked around and was like, Well, we should come back here sometime to take some pictures. So, I thought, oh well, never mind, I guess it is not going to happen this time. We were half-way through our trip (a total of 2 weeks). We had gone out for supper, and then for cappuccinos, and then took a couple pictures - in front of our building, the scenery, that kind of thing. We figured it was going to be a nice sunset, so he ran up to the room to get our video camera. Then we wandered along the beach, checking out hermit crabs, then walked back up the hill, him filming the whole way. (which is the only reason I can remember so well). About halfway up the hill, he started saying he had a rock or sand in his sandal; YES - I actually fell for that! So at the top of the hill, he hands me the camera, so he can fix his sandal, and I actually turned around so I could film a panoramic of the view (how perfect!); well, I am filming, and as I bring the camera around to face him, there he is (close to eye level, actually), down on one knee, holding a ring box! I started giggling, and promptly dropped the camera (thank goodness for the wrist strap!). He asked me to marry him, and of course I said yes, and then kept asking if he was serious... haha. On the video, you just see the ground, the sky, the trees, but you hear us, which is so awesome! I love that I have a record of it! After, we took some quick pictures (he knew I would want them later), and then headed down the hill. The resort offers champagne at sunset every night, so we each had a glass on the day beds, to watch the rest of the sunset. Then we ran off to the internet centre to email our families to tell them the news! The best part? We got to enjoy a whole week on our own engaged separate from everyone else! Woohoo! So happy, and loved it all! Okay, I have never pasted pics in here before, but let's give it a shot! The rest of the sunset A close up of my ring - it is perfect, exactly what I would have picked - I wanted a single diamond with a funky band - perfect!

Sorry, I was out of town and just saw this! I think my bridesmaids will be wearing blue, as it seems I am having trouble finding dresses in the right colour of coral. I may luck out yet though - I have a long time left to go! I have actually seen jade and blue and coral all together, and it looks lovely - maybe have blue and jade as main colours with touches of coral for pop? I actually considered that - the jade and blue look like sea glass!

LOL the reason I love that name, is that it is mine too and I have NEVER met anyone with the exact same spelling; people always seem confused with it! Hahaha! Thanks for clearing it up! Yay!

Oh my gosh so cute!

Such great ideas! Thanks for sharing!

Wow this is awesome!

It is a great idea - I originally ignored message in a bottle invites just because of the cost of shipping and such, but I really like them, so I think I will just hand-deliver to most people; and we will only be making them for the people sound like they will probably make it; we will be sending out save the dates to more people and direct them to our website - if they are pretty sure they will not come, they won't get an invite, and maybe that will cut down on costs. I will also be doing it all DIY. Or is that rude?

Oh my goodness, this is gorgeous!!! I LOVE it all!

Someone asked a bit ago about songs for the wedding party and parents to walk down. I think I want one song for the wedding party (2 bm, parents) and one for me, but FI thinks the songs are too long. We saw a DW while on vacation this year. She had 4 BM plus herself walk to Marry Me, and it was PLENTY of time. What do you think? Are two songs too many?

I don't want to bug you, but is your first name Krysta, spelled like that? I have never met anyone else with that name and that spelling, and I love it!

Could you dance to Marry Me and walk in to Better Together?

Exactly! We saw a wedding while in Mexico earlier this summer, and she walked down the aisle to this song... it was lovely!

Yeah, I am a teacher too and LOVE this idea... maybe a project for back to school procrastination? I would definitely go the huge, bright, colourful flower route.

Thanks for all the advice, ladies! I am making cute little cards (with a poem in it of course). We aren't getting married until summer 2013, but I know my sister will be my maid of honour, so I am asking her later this month, and giving her some coconut bath stuff at the same time. Then I will mail the other card to my friend (who will be my BM) in the fall. As for how to ask the GM in a cute way, I am not so sure... I am leaving it up to him how he asks his GM. I am sure it will be casually mentioned a year or so from now, probably over drinks. Haha. Otherwise, maybe get him (them?) something like a flask, and say it is for toasting you two at the wedding??? Not sure though.

I haven't heard anything about receptions there... does anyone have any information? We are very interested in getting married there...

Hi! I am not sure if this helps, but if you go back through this thread, I am pretty sure other brides have said that the deposit doesn't get taken off for a long time. Someone even said that it didn't until almost right before they left for the wedding. I am not sure now who said it or how far back in the thread it was, but it does seem like a common concern. Hope it helps ease your aggravation to know you are not the only one with that same issue!

I think I am going to go with the same dress for TTD.... not that I have one, or am even looking yet, but I know my style... super simple and flowy. Which apparently also seems to translate into inexpensive, Woohoo! I think part of the fun is going to be wearing the same dress. Plus, I don't want to pay for a second. And I have read on here that a lot of brides found the ocean actually cleaned their dress very well. So, win, win win!

That is such a great idea! I am now thinking of bringing along a picture of my grandparents wedding day for my bouquet. I do not think they will be coming, in fact my grandpa might not be around then anymore. But as of today, they have been married 63 years, and counting! I am very close with them, so even though the frame or bouquet is not really old, the picture is. Maybe it will be good luck? I was planning on bringing something of my grandpa anyway, if he is not around (we are two years away from the day, and he is pretty sick now...). I am just trying to figure out what I can this far in advance!

Great job! Looks awesome!

Thanks for the lists! This is sure helpful with ideas!

By the way, Congratulations! I am glad to hear that you had such a wonderful day!