jolene028

Looks like you ladies had fun... I on the other hand sat in the basement in the dark watching TV, I am not really a fan, and my dogs would go crazy every time the door bell went so we passed this year.

We sent everyone luggage tags... I wanted to do something more but the fact that we have 50 people coming is a little overwhelming when it comes to getting them all something! Congrats on picking the resort that was one of the hardest things for me!

We leave on November 11 @ 9:30am, I know I cannot believe that a year has gone by so quick... it is really starting to be real now, all of our guests are super excited and people cant stop talking about it, it is going to be so, so much fun! I am not 100% sure I know I am ready I have everything that I need and I am organized, just have to pack! But as soon as I sleep I am having nightmares that everything that can go wrong does... even things that I know will be fine, and seriously it is what it is I am not worried at all, but my subconscious apparently cant stop worrying about it so hence the no sleep or very, very little! I am done work a week tomorrow and then Friday am scheduled to run around getting poked and waxed and then Sunday there is a group of about 10 of us girls that are going in for a kind of nail party so that will be a lot of fun!!!!!! Don't worry I will make sure that I am back to post pictures and have advice and tell you girls all about it, I know why people have babies after they get married I am not sure what I am going to do with all of my free time! LOL

I'm good, ladies I think that I am officially ready... I have everything and done everything, if there is something that I haven't done or forgotten well it isn't gong to happen! I can't sleep but I figure that I will sleep after the wedding LOL

Quote: Originally Posted by TealMarie I'm not very good at negotiating. It goes something like this, "It'd be wonderful if we could have an extra piece of luggage since we're the bride and groom and have helped book all these guests on Air Transat flights." Travel agent "I'll see how much first class will cost you." Me in a small voice, "nevermind...." Nice that you got your guests free seat selection! We didn't have nearly as many guests, so we didn't get anything additional unfortunately. Option plus sounds good though. I don't think they'll care that much at the airport that we're on our way to our wedding because I imagine there will be 7 other couples on our same flight that are as well. I do however think they will help me out with my dress. I've heard they have a special bride closet on the planes, but even if they don't I've shoved it in a pretty small overhead bin already with not much of a problem. I'm getting a spray tan and then using tanning lotion to extend that until the wedding. I promised my Mom a long time ago to stop going to tanning beds. Depending on how soon your wedding is after you leave, a spray tan could look really phenomenal! I'm doing my trial tan in two days to make sure it's not orange. I had some major issues when I originally booked so me it wasn't so much negotiating but yelling until they have me something... I have read on their website that wedding dresses are no problem for carry on, but they don't have a closet so you will have to lay it flat in the overhead... my dress is huge once I put it in no one will be able to get anything else in there! LOL I am going tanning, I know that it isn't good for you, but a) I spent all summer in the shade to make sure that I didn't have stupid tan lines, and I figure a base tan before I go is better than a burn when I get there, because no matter what if I don't have at least a base I always burn... and I think that burning is worse then a few minutes in a tanning bed, or at least that is what I am telling myself...

Quote: Originally Posted by Jenn963 i've never been to Punta Cana...but from what I've heard, it rains for 5-10 min and then it stops. I just hope that doesn't happen every half hour...cuz that would suck. ESPECIALLY for our pics. I want blue skies and bright sun....no clouds! I'm gonna keep my fingers and toes crossed. I am sure we will make the best of whatever kind of weather we get, but i hope, i really really HOPE it's like how you say it was in Mexico!! :S thanks! When we were in PC the forecast was exactly what it is now... rain every day, but it turned out that it was an evening shower lasting about 10 minutes... the first day we ran for cover, then we realized that it was a warm rain and was actually nice and refreshing! I am sure that it will be fine (not that it makes it any less stressful but rain on your wedding day is supposed good luck)

I seriously have been fine during awake hours because I have been planning for a year and I know that I am ready and honestly what is the worst that can happen... BUT tell that to my brain because at night I am having wedding nightmares and everything that can go wrong does, and the worst part is that they will wake me up, and then when I fall back asleep I just go back to where I left off, seriously I am going to be pretty tired on the wedding day if this doesn't stop LOL seriously not sleeping, there really isn't anything left to do I have everything I just need to pack and really that is fine... oh well I guess I will sleep in 2 weeks and 3 days (day after the wedding)!!! I am not 100% sure about the card box, one of my bridesmaids has one from her wedding, so if she remembers to pack it then we will have one, otherwise I am not too worried about it!

I know there are a few things that would make everything a little easier if you could just do it there... But I have been doing a little pre tanning and I think that is the best solution! I really, really don't want bad tan lines for the wedding, I spent a lot of time in the shade this summer to make sure that I wouldn't get them I really don't want them in the pictures it looks horrible!

Quote: Originally Posted by Jenn963 SEVEN days and we are out!! Gosh...I cannot be any more excited...and I'm sure this week will just flyyyy by!! Wow that is awesome!!!! I am two weeks today I bet this week will just fly by and before you know it you will be on vacation!

I haven't gotten a spray tan before but my friend did it before she got married, and it looked pretty good, but it did wear out quickly after they went on their honeymoon so I guess it would depend on how soon you were getting married once you got there!

My MOH made one for me, she bought that material and then watched a you tube video, it turned out awesome I just got it last night! I don't think that we will do a garter toss either I mostly wanted it for pictures and my something blue! LOL

Quote: Originally Posted by Lydia1120 They will for sure! I keep thinking the same thing...people are going to talk about it for a long time and hopefully we will encourage more people to have destination weddings, lol I just received some excellent news. A friend of ours who has been battling cancer for 3 years and is scheduled to start chemo again, has been told by her Dr. to go ahead to our wedding in Cuba and they will start the chemo upon her return. This is the first and probably the only vacation she will ever experience. I am super thrilled that she is coming that I cried and now I can't stop smiling! NO ONE deserves a vacation more than she and her husband do! That is the best news ever!!!!! My uncle has some health issues something with his liver, and he wont be able to come to Cuba with us it is very sad because this would probably have been his last trip as well... so I can imagine how happy you must be for her, and how happy she must be!

I had tissue balls for my shower they were so easy and pretty what a great idea because really you could do that when you get there and then you wouldn't have to worry about them at all getting there! I am good I am really, really excited about going just to be on vacation in the sun with all my friends and family it is going to be the trip of a lifetime, and then we are getting married as well also awesome! I hope that people are talking about this for years to come, and that maybe with some of the people we could do this way more often I love group travel it is so much fun!!!!

Kay that is a great idea... although I love the bridezilla idea as well, I am actually wondering if that will happen to me in real life LOL it hasn't yet and I am not sure that it will but I guess you never know I just feel relaxed and laid back about it for the most part... there are some things that I am a little stressed over but hey if it happens it happens and if it doesn't it doesn't and I figure the booze will be free so that is plan B!

Wow that is awesome... good for you girls I am not good at Halloween actually I am not really a fan at all, so when or if we go out I always just wear some cat ears or something, but I love that people get right into it, and I cannot believe that you did that yourself way to go its great!

Kay, those pictures are fantastic... I think that I will have to put something together for our photographer, or maybe we will wing it! LOL

Quote: Originally Posted by Lydia1120 Hi Ladies, I actually have different templates for the Timeline, if you are interested: here are a couple 1. for the guests 2. for the girls and guys All three of these are posted in the powerpoint file above, I also have a different style in Word: I went with the smaller ones, made them into Rack size cards and that way I could add them to my Welcome Kit. This is awesome thanks so much! YAY 21 days until we leave and 23 until we are married!!!!!! Wedding day timeline.ppt Girls Timeline - OURS.doc Guys Timeline - OURS.doc

Quote: Originally Posted by csho Hi ladies! So I got my girls beach bags, Havaiana flip flops, and some lipsyl with SPF in it. Do you think thats enough of a gift? I also made them MOH/BM tanks and hangers but I feel like those are more for me then them since I want them to be used for wedding day getting ready photos. I also paid for their dresses and will be paying for their hair - again I don't think this stuff really counts towards a gift but am wondering if you guys think thats enough or if I should get something else? I think that it is more than enough! The girls will be really happy that you thought of them!

24 days until we leave... I am so excited I keep checking Trip Advisor and Air Transat's websites LOL I cant help myself! My Stagette is tomorrow night it should be a really good time!

Nope it is 10/pp and I am bring the email for back up LOL Yeah I just think to myself if you got married in your city would you then have a party 2 weeks later for the people that couldn't make it... probably not so why should I have a party just because there are people that couldn't come! Like I said I get why people do it but it just isn't for me! Kay vent away, this is the best place to do it!

Quote: Originally Posted by Kay6356 We are planning on doing the party on the beach for two hours, what we aren't for sure on is the gala set up. We are having our dinner in at the Cuban restaurant, and with it ending at 8:30 I don't want that to be too much of a break until the disco opens. The entertainment at the resort is fantastic, but I kind of wanted a different wedding-ish feel that evening. Because we are doing an AHR (Andrew wants one, I don't) I really don't want to spend the money on the gala set up or the private party. Being that the gala will be $675 and the private party $900 for 45 people. That's a lot of money when were going to be doing an AHR too.. Im a little torn at the moment as to what we will for sure be doing! As for finalizing things; we are booked for the Cuban on our wedding day. And other than that I know Giselle will handle everything once we are down there. My FI Andrew & I are arguing a bit (which we rarely do). Mainly about the AHR and his and his groomsmen attire!!!! ... Is anyone else having little arguments? Kay, So Troy wanted to have an AHR but here is my argument... we went to a DW about 4 years ago, and we spent a lot of money to go, it was about $4200 for both of us the wedding was in February, then in June they had the AHR and honestly being there it felt like a wedding reception, and when talking to the people that went to Cuba for the wedding, they all kind of felt the way I did which was hey I am glad I spent so much money to go to Cuba for the wedding when they had the reception here... seriously I was insulted, so for me I said to Troy I don't want to insult the people that paid the money to celebrate the day with us, it is a slap in the face... believe it or not when I put it like that he totally agreed with me, I just want it to be something special that we did with the people that chose to be there for us! If we were to do something I would do something totally casual, like have a party BBQ or something BYOB and just have pictures of the wedding up on a screen or something but I wouldn't wear my dress or have Troy wear his suit! But that is just my opinion, I totally understand why people have them and to be honest Troy's mom cancelled on us 4 days before final payment, and we still aren't having one! But hey that's just me! I hope you guys can work something out that is for both of you! Other than that, Troy and I argue about the small things all the time... not blow up in your face sort of stuff but a little bickering here and there, I think right now because we are both so desperate for a vacation there is nothing to argue about! LOL mostly I have made all the decisions and he has gone along with them, I thought that this would make me mad, but honestly it has been good our only wedding fight was at the beginning when the TA was screwing us around with our prices Troy thought that there should be more that I could do I told him to plan the F***ing wedding and we have been good since LOL WOW we are only being charged $10 per person for our private party on the beach...

Quote: Originally Posted by csho I am making menus... we're having our dinner at the palapas. There are two menus I think that you can choose from there and I am doing what you're doing and just choosing one of them for all of our guests. So I just like the look of having a menu on the plate when you arrive at the table and that way people will know what they are getting I am just going to print it off on white paper and back it with coral card stock and add the die cut starfish I bought to the top. They will be simple but cute and I think it will be nice to add some colour to the table since I am not having table runners. We are doing our ceremony on the terrace at 3pm, then going to have an informal cocktail hour at the lobby bar (basically just going to tell everyone to meet there from 5:15pm til 6:15pm and then have everyone head over to the palapas all together for 6:30pm. (I will probably just get my mom to tip the bartenders and hope that the lobby bar won't be too busy and that everyone will be able to get served) That way we don't have to incur an extra expense for that part. Then we'll do dinner at the palapas and we're renting the disco from 9-11pm for a private party! I've already done up the timeline for the day and it is going to be jam packed! Trying to fit everything in like speeches and dances and cake cutting etc. I feel like we're rushing through everything but I am guessing it won't feel like that once we're there. It just makes me sad to think that the day will go by so quickly! Oh do you have a template that you used for the Timeline?? Is this something that you are giving to all your guests?? I would love to see it use it, I have been going back and forth trying to make up my mind on this! Let me know. thanks

Those flights aren't so bad, we leave at 9:30am to go to Varadero and then we are home at 10:30pm I am not 100% sure what time we leave there, some time in the afternoon I'm sure! You know I was thinking about it today I have a few small things left to do but at this point anything that I don't do or don't get wont be a deal breaker I have all the important stuff in my possession so we are ready to leave right now if we needed too, but we have to wait 26 more days..... so close I can taste it!

That is so cool, it will really make him stand out as the groom for sure... I cannot wait to see pictures!