Branya2012

My mom is Native American and my dad is Croatian. My fiancee is french-Canadian.

My biggest stressor has been our families as well. From my dad completely refusing to come (even though he is an avid traveller to Mexico and will be going a mere 3 months after our wedding - his disappointment is that he wants to throw a huge Croatian wedding where I grew up and invite a whole bunch of people that I don't even know and that don't speak the same language as us) to my fiancee's brother making a fuss about not being able to afford it (ummm, when we got engaged, the wedding date was 18 months away!) and refusing to accept help from us financially and then changing his argument to say that he won't take his kids to Mexico or leave them behind and that we're being insensitive because he has a family now, to my future inlaws making drama over the fact that his brother and grandma and other family members won't be there, it's been extremely difficult!

Family, I tell ya!! Even though we know that it only matters that two people show up (myself and my future husband) hearing crap from everyone sucks. I feel ya, stluciabound!! I am happy that you got an apology and wish the best for you and yours and your families.
 

Originally Posted by stluciabound 

His family has been a nightmare. They have done nothing but guilt trip us for 9 months about our "selfish" decision to have a DW. So far they have refused to come,which has made it very difficult for my FI to get truly excited. I finally went over the other night to confront them about how they are treating him/me/us. I actually got an apology! Here is to hoping they come around and cut their crap... ugh, yes that part has been stressful!

Great to know they still have them! I was just about to ask...
 

Originally Posted by Laurelyn 

Wow so happy to have found this and even more happy to see that they still have them!  Only thing is I wish they came in different colors.

Here's our logo - It is nice and simple and exactly what we wanted!! It was perfect for making stickers for the back of envelopes on the save the dates. We also had help from a friend that is a graphic designer.

My fiancee and I met almost three years ago at a wedding in Mexico. Neither one of us knew the bride or groom (I think I had met them once before) and we had gotten free trips from the people we went with. I was offered the trip by my mom, who is friends with the mother of the bride, and my fiancee went with a friend whose dad couldn't make the trip. We tease that we were freeloading wedding crashers.

So, seeing that we met and fell in love in Mexico, there was never any doubt in our minds that we would return to Puerto Vallarta to get married ourselves!!

Thanks ladies, for the support! Here's the pic...it is showing up kind of big, so it's a nice close-up of my foot!  This picture was taken the day after the tattoo was done, so it's still a little red.

Originally Posted by JayKay 

What a great way to remember your friend!

 

 

Originally Posted by Pucca 

I love sunflowers so I'm envisioning this tattoo and thinking it's beautiful. I'm sorry to hear about your friend and her boyfriend. I can't imagine how hard it must be. Your tattoo I think is a beautiful way to honor her memory and your friendship. She'll be there in spirit I'm sure, and the tattoo is a good representation of that. I feel like I'm reading about those stories I see on LA Ink. Very touching. When you get a chance, it would be nice to see the pic. Congratulations on your engagement and good luck on the rest of your planning for the big day!

 

Pressed enter before I was done...

And before we got engaged I told him that my only stipulation for when we got married was that it doesn't happen when he is 29 and I am 30.
 

Originally Posted by Branya2012 

I am 27 and my fiancee is 26. Every year for almost 2 months, I am 2 years older than him, by the numbers. When we get married, I will be 28 and he will be 27.

I am 27 and my fiancee is 26. Every year for almost 2 months, I am 2 years older than him, by the numbers. When we get married, I will be 28 and he will be 27.

And for my own confession:

I do not want my future brother-in-law and his wife and kids to come to our wedding. This is no surprise to my fiancee because we both think his brother is a terrible person, but it's his brother so he wants him there. (The brother has put up a big fuss about money and now about never taking his kids to Mexico so I don't think they're going to make it anyways, but I still have my fingers crossed!)

And another confession, for good measure...I really want to tell all of the people who have been negative and selfish about our DW to go screw themselves, right to their faces!! It's our dream wedding and there's nothing anyone can do to change our minds!! (Especially now that the deposit has been paid.)

You could ask her what she is going to wear to the wedding. If she says something about a bridesmaid dress, then just say something about how you know that, silly, but ask her what she thinks about your colour and whether she is okay with wearing the same style as the other bridesmaids or does she think it'll look nice for each girl to pick their own style (of course, that will only work if you are laid back about the bridesmaid dresses...I personally think it's nice when a bridal party has the same colour/fabric dresses, all done in different styles...but even if you aren't easy going about it, you are the bride and always reserve the right to change your mind!). If she says she hasn't picked out an outfit yet, then you know you never asked her! There's only a slim chance she'll think you forgot...but that is the case, so would it be that bad??

Hopefully that helps, or you've figured it out on your own!! You could also get your fiancee to ask her...I'm assuming he's a dude, so he wouldn't necessarily remember if she was a bridesmaid or not.
 

Originally Posted by atalanta 

I confess. I can't remember if I asked one of my girlfriends to be my bridesmaid. If I haven't already, I'd rather not. But, how do I find out? If I ask her whether I asked her or not, she'll either think she's being asked or realize that she was considered and then rejected.

They're not, good call!! Apparently 14 months away is more realistic. Good to know!
 

Originally Posted by Sllefebvr 

Maybe the prices aren't out for Dec. 2012 yet!!
 

 

We are not getting married on a resort and we are sending save the dates with the dates we are going to be in Mexico for, and then we will have resort information on the formal invitations. So maybe our circumstances are a little different as we already have the venue booked.  We don't even have a resort narrowed down yet because the TA we are using thought we wanted this December, and was giving us prices, and then she realized we want December 2012, and we haven't heard from her again in almost 2 weeks. Comforting, right?? Lol. Luckily there's still a lot of time, so we will be looking at other TA options very soon.
 

Originally Posted by Peach 

Oh I would really love to send out the STDs earlier than a year.... can you book your resort that early? It seems that most book closer to a year in advance.... hmmm...

We are planning on sending our STDs out as soon as possible. The wedding is booked for December 5, 2012, and we are hoping to have the STDs out some time in September of this year. It seems like really far in advance, but I say the sooner the better for people to start saving! Especially when people that we assumed would be coming say that they cannot save the money in time (and we are still 16 months out!!). I think we then plan to get started on the invitations in January 2012, and have them out within a couple of months. It's your wedding, do what you want!!  I don't think it's rude or offensive to send them out early, so why not send them! Just make sure and say "Formal Invitation to Follow."

Great to know we can easily pick up a Marriage License at London Drugs!! Thanks for sharing all the info, ladies! Nice to know that there are many other DW brides from the Vancouver/Lower Mainland area that are getting legally married here before heading off for the wedding! Best to us all!

Haha...embarrassing. I had tried to reply to one of the other blogs and managed to put this on here. Oops! But thanks for the support! I'll try to move it...
 

Originally Posted by stluciabound 

Amen Branya2012!!! We have been going through the same nightmare with family members... well, his family to be exact. They are currently boycotting us having a destination wedding and refusing to come. They only want to come if we have an at home "traditional"wedding. That's a funny request coming from people with an enormous family and who are refusing to help contribute at all. They have spared no words trying to convince us how selfish WE are being. So ironic. Anyway, good for you for standing up to whomever is giving you trouble!! It IS definitely only about you two and it is your day. It is amazing how quickly people tend to forget that. Just keep standing your ground. Hopefully they will come around, but if not, it will defintely be their loss. Good luck to you and happy planning!!!

 

PS There are several blogs on here dedicated to this which I have found to be very therapeutic whether you want to vent or just hear other brides stories to make you feel not so alone

 

Speaking as someone that is currently in the middle of all of the emotions, THANK YOU all for your words of wisdom!!  It's so comforting to hear that you ladies are going through some of the same things that I am going through right now and I especially am grateful for what you said below, ~Nicole~.

It's so hard as we go along planning our DWs, it's only naturally to want to please everyone. But the truth is that even if you were to try to stay at home, at the end of the day you can't please everyone. People so easily forget what a wedding is all about and become so selfish. I've told myself over and over, that all that matters is that my fiancee and I are there and that we get our dream wedding on the beach. We are going to have a fabulous wedding and it might be difficult at times when planning, but I know I won't regret having a small DW for a second.
 

Originally Posted by ~Nicole~ 

This was my situation exactly.  The usual - everyone is all on board and they will 100% be there.  I had even put deposits down for ppl and they ended up bailing.  It ended up being 9 of us in total, and that included a 6 month old baby lol.  The only family that ended up coming were my brother and sister.  My mom, who I'm very close with, or was very close with, didn't come which I thought would bother me.  I know that I can't take away any of the emotions that you're going through because I think those are inevitable, but let me assure you that your wedding will be amazing.  I had some important ppl not come, and to be perfectly honest, I didn't miss them one bit.  Sorry Mom, but I didn't think of you all day!!  And that's completely true.  We all get so caught up in trying to PLAN the perfect day.  But truth be told, its the purpose of the day that makes it so special and perfect.  After going through the roller coaster of emotions through my planning process, I wouldn't change the fact that I did a DW.  The only thing I would do differently is to not worry about all those things that I lost sleep over and cried about.  So you're not alone!  I wish you the best wedding day ever!

We are in talks with a travel agent, but haven't decided the resort where we are staying yet. It is very exciting that it is now official!!

We are currently going through battles with unhappy family members more than we are planning. Actually, I guess we are just dealing with the unhappy family members because there is no way we are changing our minds about where we are getting married! People so easily forget that this day is about me and my fiancee, not about anyone else.

How are your plans coming along? Did you always know you wanted a destination wedding? Are you planning a honeymoon after the wedding?
 

Originally Posted by asiamarie1 

I have always wanted to go to Puerto Vallarta...I am sure it is absolutely beautiful there as well....That's awesome that your date is now official.  Our's is too and it makes you feel som much better when it's set!!!! How are the rest of your plans coming along?

 

 

I didn't even have to click the link to see what my birthday means!! We have the same birthday!! Such a wonderful day. And a great idea for a thread!!

Originally Posted by Sandra E. 

Since it's my birthday today, I decided to look it up and post it here, some things I agree with others not so much.
What does yours say about you?
Here's the link:
Blogthings - What Does Your Birth Date Mean?


Your Birthdate: June 5
You have many talents, and you are great at sharing those talents with others. Most people would be jealous of your clever intellect, but you're just too likeable to elicit jealousy. Progressive and original, you're usually thinking up cutting edge ideas. Quick witted and fast thinking, you have difficulty finding new challenges.

Your strength: Your superhuman brainpower

Your weakness: Your susceptibility to boredom

Your power color: Tangerine

Your power symbol: Ace

Your power month: May

I recently got a tattoo on my right foot, along the outside and across the top, right in front of my toes (do not have a pic as I am at work. I am clearly working very hard!!).

Last fall, my very best girlfriend disappeared when hiking. There has been no trace of her or her boyfriend, who were out in the mountains together. We have been BFFs for 13 years and it has been hard wedding planning and everything, knowing that the one person I want to stand up for me at our wedding cannot be there. We got engaged after she disappeared, but I know that she would be thrilled for us and would be at our DW in a heart beat (as long as her medical residency would have allowed).

I have been thinking about getting a tattoo for awhile, and finally it hit me that I should get a sunflower as those are her favourites. I got the artist to create a tattoo of a sunflower with some vines coming off of it and in the vines it spells out her nickname. I LOVE it!! I have no regrets! It hurt, but thinking of her helped me through it for sure. The pain was definitely worth it, even if I hadn't done it for such personal reasons! IT was kind of short bursts of pain, and was especially tender over the tendons in my foot. If you're sure, do it! You only live once!

Hello ladies!

I just wanted to say hi and share the wonderful news that my fiancee and I sent our deposit off on Saturday...we are getting married at Las Caletas on December 5, 2012!!

These threads are awesome, thanks for all the info!! Looking forward to really digging into all your wonderful advice as the days are counted down!

Very nice! We aren't actually going to the DR, although it may be in consideration for the honeymoon! We met in Puerto Vallarta and are going back there for our wedding. We actually just sent the deposit off on Saturday, so it's officially our date!!
 

Originally Posted by asiamarie1 

Branya2012,

 

We picked the date because we liked it. Our Actually day we met is July 15 and we didn't want to travel to the DR in the summer...We wanted to wait until it was colder here!  So where are you having your wedding/honeymoon etc? How long are you going to be staying in the DR. We are actually staying from the 6th-21st.
 

 

Thanks, happy planning to you too! You're the first I've heard that is also December 2012!! Is there a date in December that is special to you and yours, or do you just like the date?? We picked December 5 because it's the date we consider our anniversary of when we met.
 

Originally Posted by asiamarie1 

Branya2012,

 

I am also a December 2012 Brider and we will be getting married in Punta Cana, DR.. Congrats on your engagement and happy planning!!
 

 

These are amazing!! Such an inspiration!

Hi!!

I am relatively newly engaged (June 11, 2011) and have been stalking the forums for a few weeks now. Just wanted to share that we are planning on getting married in December 2012, at Las Caletas, Puerto Vallarta. SO EXCITING!!! Even though it's still far away.

I received an email confirming that our date is available today, so the next step is to put down the deposit!! Yay!!! All of you ladies are awesome, thanks in advance for all the help!! Don't know what I would do without this forum.

My name is Anya, my fiancee's name is Brad. Hence, we are Branya2012. Here's a little story of how we met, got engaged and plan on getting married. The Out of Country Triple Threat!

Out of Country Meeting:

Brad and I met when we were both guests at a DW in Puerto Vallarta. Neither of us really knew the bride or groom (I had met them once) but I tagged along on a free trip with my mom and Brad was there on a free trip with a friend. We tease that we were free-loading wedding crashers at the time! We were even living in different cities at the time...leave it to me to go all the way to Mexico and find someone that was currently living in my home town!

Out of Country Proposal:

We are living near Vancouver, BC, Canada, and for my birthday this year, I suggested to Brad that we take a weekend away in Seattle, and catch the Vancouver Whitecaps soccer match there. As soon as I brought that up, Brad said he knew that he wanted to propose while we were out of the country and got the ball rolling. That Saturday night, after the Whitecaps game, we returned to our hotel room. Brad went into the washroom and called out to me, asking me to bring his shaving kit. I took it over and he asked me to open it...and the ring box was inside!! I was completely shocked and absolutely thrilled! We have talked about getting married for a long time, but I didn't think the engagement would happen for a while yet!

Out of Country Wedding:

We are planning a wedding in Las Caletas, Puerto Vallarta for December 2012 (date still yet to be confirmed with the venue, though I have emailed them!). I never really imagined my wedding all that much before I met Brad, and I have only ever imagined returning to Puerto Vallarta to get married to him when the time comes. We know that it's not everyone's ideal wedding, and some people have already expressed disappointment about it, but it is our dream wedding and we are not going to change that for anyone. YAY!!! So excited!!