lolo411

Thanks for the suggestions. I have been struggling on what to wear and these posts have helped! Will have to try some of these places out.

The taxis are expensive so I would also suggest renting a car and driving around. We rented a car with the wheel on the right side and it made for an interesting trip. We kept turning on the windshield wipers when we meant to turn on the turn signal. Ha ha! We rented from Grace Bay Rentals and I think it was maybe $50 for a four door sedan and they dropped it off at our resort and picked it up. Please check out the rest of Grace Bay. The stretch along Beaches was my least favorite because there seemed to be more seaweed and it was just so crowded. There is so much more of the island to see! We liked shopping at Regent Village the best. Dive Provo has some nice quality t-shirts, hats, bags, sweatshirts and Flavors of Turks and Caicos had some great rum and rum cake.

We have stayed at The Sands and loved it. It was nice and quiet with few children and nice quiet beach. But I think most of the Grace Bay was quiet and relaxing with the exception of Beaches which was beyond crowded and the only place I would never stay in T&C because all though it was all-inclusive it didn't look relaxing at all. We also ate many meals at Hemingways because it was good, had a nice atmosphere and the prices were reasonable compared to a lot of other restaurants. Lots of palapas, umbrellas, and chairs for beach bumming and they had some hobie cats, kayaks, windsurfing equipment, snorkel gear, and bikes that are complimentary. The food at Bay Bistro was excellent. I think they can set up a tent on the beach for private parties.

Congrats to all you who are getting married in T&C! Grace Bay is absolutely gorgeous. I got engaged there last May and the beach is more beautiful in person than any pictures I saw.

FYI - The food from Bay Bistro is amazing. It was the best meal we had on the island. They can also set up a tent on the beach for your rehearsal dinner. And it is on a great stretch of the beach that is close to some empty lots so you'll have more privacy. Another nice place for a rehearsal dinner is Mango Reef. They have seating out on a patio deck with live music and tarps overhead. Sorry, I don't have any suggestions for a wedding venue. The island is very humid. It rained for short periods of time every day we were there (which was actually a relief since it was so warm so it would cool down the island). I think an updo will hold better than wearing your hair down and it going limp. I like the location of Seven Stars more than the Gansevoort. I found Seven Stars closer to shopping, casino and restaurants. We stayed at the sands, which we loved because there we few kids, and since there are empty lots on either side of The Sands the beach was much more private and less crowded unlike Beaches, which was a zoo. The Sands also has a nice restaurant with a nice deck overlooking the ocean. I saw a couple of rehearsal dinners there during our week long stay.

You looked beautiful!

I can understand that maybe you should ask her, but I also think if he wants her in it, then he should ask her to stand on his side. Such a tough decision! I am somewhat close with Fi's sisters, but only asked my sister since we aren't really having a wedding party. She is it since we are only inviting immediate family. I felt a little bad, but also thought it may be weird having 3 of our 12 guests be my BMs and no GMs. And I didn't want to demote my sister since she was my MOH at my 1st wedding. Good luck with whatever you decide!

I agree that it would be ok for an afternoon shower. Maybe you can wear a cardigan over it and take it off as the day goes. I think if you just dress it up with some nice accessories it will be fine. But I would take the advice of whoever is planning it since they know what the atmosphere will be like.

Oops. I forgot to answer the first question. I am not sure. We'll have to get chair and table rentals, food, and alcohol. We don't plan on having a DJ or anything like that. We'll just play music from the ipod. It won't be very big so I am thinking we can keep it under $1k.

1. Budget. What amount are you looking to spend since you will have just spent quite a bit of money on your DW? Did you include this in your overall wedding budget? 2. Type. What kind of AHR are you planning? Is it formal or informal? How long will it last? Will you also have a dance after the reception? I plan for it so be semi-formal and last anywhere from 3-5 hours. We will be having it at in the backyard of FI's dad's house. 3. When. How long after your DW are you planning the AHR? No more than a month later. 4. Food. Are you having a buffet or a formal sit down dinner? Buffet (thinking luau) 5. Clothes. What are you wearing to your AHR? Your wedding day attire or something else entirely? I plan on wearing my dress for a bit and then changing into a party dress. 6. Invitations. Formal or informal invitations? I plan on buying some from Michael's to send. 7. Photographer. Are you hiring a professional photographer for the day? Not sure yet. We have a friend who is trying to get into the business so we may hire him. 8. Cake. Are you having a traditional wedding cake for the AHR? No. I want to have a dessert table. 9. Decorations. What kinds of decorations are you having for your AHR? Simple. Lanterns and white lights. 10. DW Photos. Are you going to have these on display and if so, how? Didn't think about this before, but this is a great idea. Maybe we'll put them on the dessert table.

I plan on wearing my at the beginning of the night to greet everyone, but then plan on changing to a party dress later.

I voted for a moscato (light and sweet for those who don't really drink wine), pinot grigio (for those who want a white, but not something sweet so it can be eaten with a meal), and the cab (because as a red wine drinker the others are a little too light and cabs are just bolder and I think tastier for a red wine lover).

I would wait until you have a date set. Just start spreading the word that you plan on having a destination wedding and maybe the season so people have an idea. I think you should send the STDs at the very least 6 months in advance and the invites at the 3 month range. A lot of people prepare a wedding website so they can add info to that may not be on the invite for travel info. You can include the website on your STD. Or you could also send a pre-travel brochure with your invites or just before. Good luck!

Cute!

That's awesome! Thanks.

I am doing boarding passes too and bought #10 (size 4 1/8 x 9 1/2) as the big envelope and 4 bar (size 3 5/8 x 5 1/8) for the RSVP enelope. I perforated my passes and had to perforate the RSVP on the left side of the barcode to get it to fit in the small envelope. Good luck!

Great stuff!

Angela - You can use cardstock and cut to size to make the top labels. I think many people have also bought standard size post cards from Vistaprint and folded them. Also you can use zip lock baggies for the bags. I bought clear treat bags from Michael's for mine. They were in the gift bag/box section.

I think going barefoot when you are getting married in the sand just makes the most sense.

I have a hard time walking in the sand with any type of shoe without it kicking back up. I would suggest going completely barefoot or adding the jewelry that was posted.

So cute! Love the one of you guys jumping off the pier.

These turned out really cute!

They turned out great!

A welcome letter is such a great idea! Love it. Thanks for sharing!

Love your colors. They turned out great!