JessiTaylor

Well i've found my dress! It needs alterations though as was designed for a woman with a bigger gust i think! Last photo you can see it gaping a bit! Debating short versus long veils at the moment . i got a bit nervous with all the people watching me - shop owner, sales assistants, my sister, FSIL and FMIL. this doesnt bode well for my wedding really, does it?! Must somehow avoid having a tanned neck and arms (well tanned in relation to rest of body not other people!) and a whiter strapline!

Oh my goodness...if im crying at a strangers wedding video, how much am i going to cry at my own wedding?!

I was a little bit concerned about my fiance and the groomsmen - bridesmaids and i will all be getting ready together and we're not going to have more than a glass or two of prosecco at the most, but i know my fiance and his friends will be in holiday mode and they hit all inclusives hard! Im not all that worried about them drinking the night before, i just want everybody sober for ceremony and photos! After photos they can do what they want at the reception, the photographer isnt staying for the entire night (only so many dancing photos you can get!)

Well i did a quick site visit at sandos last tuesday and loved it!! Ive decided its definitely going to be the hotel that all the guest stay in (my catholic ceremony and reception are at xcaret). Im debating whether to have the legal ceremony at the hotel ( i live in mexico so doing it back home in england isnt really an option) or trying to squeeze in a legal ceremony before dinner at xcaret withotu cutting into reception time one thing that worries me is that one person has to take responsibility for group bookings in terms of payments etc. i know its not all upfront, but still...if people flake out of me or are late paying i dont want to be financially responsible for the rooms!!

So last Tuesday I went to Xcaret for my food tasting and to get a rough idea of things like decoration etc. ok food wise this is what we tasted: salads: 1) Endives, palm hearts, asparagus, artichoke, cherry tomatoes,yellow peppers, and goat cheese medallions, dressed with a delicate fruit vinaigrette. 2) Blackened tuna salad with endives and honey chipotle dressing Soups: 1)Asparagus cappuccino 2) Cream of tree spinach in black mushroom bread crust. Mains: 1)Tuna pavé, wrapped in a crust of cilantro seeds with Passion Fruit sauce. 2)Surf & Turf; combination of shrimp in curry and coconut sauce with beef filet medallions, bathed in a tamarind sauce. Desserts: 1)Chocolate fondant with Bailey's cream 2) Chocolate extravaganza The photos are taken of the actual sized dishes that they put on the table so we could see how big they were. Before I say anything specific about the dishes – they were all beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. I think you pretty much can’t go wrong whatever you pick! Im not sure my photos do the food justice and to be honest we still can't decide what we want to choose! So that photo was the tuna salad. i dont know what they put on the outside of the tuna but the seasoning was delicious. my sister compared the food overall to that found in top london restaurants (and she should know, she does out a lot!) I think i prefer this to the other salad. the next pic is the goats cheese salad - the goats cheese was to die for, really creamy and smooth. i had a bit of confusion as to what was what (wasnt sure what a palm heart or endvie was). this felt more filling than the other salad. Next on the list is the asparagus cappucino. i have to be honest, when i first saw the menu i was completely bemused why some options were cappucinos and others simply soups, but once it arrived it was obvious that the whipped cream (not sweet cream obviously) and the presentation gave it the name. soup was rich and creamy, and is quite an unusual way to present a starter! the other soup, (the tree spinach) comes presented in a little bread bowl. its equally rich and creamy, and whilst i know the name "tree spinach" makes it sound a little odd, its just a lovely vegetable soup the portions are just right - the soups are so creamy that any more would be bordering on too much, both in terms of the portions and the flavours. next is the tuna pave - served with a little canoe filled with vegetables and some sweet potato puree on top. lovely contrast between savoury and sweet Then the surf and turf served with potato gratin and a portabello mushroom and pepper gratin. I loved the tamarind sauce, it was sweet but not overpowering (as tamarind can be pretty strong), i was slightly less enthusiastic about the curry sauce with the prawns - mainly because i have a lot of guests who have never tried curry so i wasnt sure how well it would go down with them. it was quite subtle though and finally - the best part! dessert!both were lovely but the fondant was definitely better. warm and melty at the top, and the baileys cream went perfectlt with it. if i had tried the extravganza alone i would have loved it...but after the fondant it just didnt compare! that was the fondant - next and final photo is the extravaganza!

Youre welcome! im going for the food tasting next tuesday - im so excited! will post details of how everything was when i come back

was it a legal ceremony in mexico? with 4 witnesses, blood tests etc? If so then she is already married in the states...simply has to hand in a certified vesion of the marriage certificate. In this case you could have a symbolic "wedding" without applying for a marriage license and needing a legal officiant If it was a symbolic ceremony then it isnt legally valid and theres no reason why she cant apply for a marriage license in the states. Some people get annoyed by what they consider "re-do" weddings so may not take it seriously/may make snarky comments if thye consider her already married. hopefully your friends and family wont do that though!

I think its absolutely lovely and looks great on you! do you think you might get it? are you just looking to make sure you know all your options or did it just not feel right? its great they allowed you to take photos though, mine didnt! by the tenth dress id completely forgotten how the first 5 or so looked

i went to the next (mexican) state for my dress, but it was only an hour or so to drive if it hadnt found it there or in the city i live, i was planning to drive to macallen or somewhere in texas to look. at a push, i would have flown to houston as there are often discounted air tickets there. i was very determined but luckily it wasnt necessary to go far i dont think i would have considered buying online though.for one thing most sites are from the US or china and getting stuff delivered to mexico is a hassle. then its a hassle to return it if necessary (and if allowed) and until youve tried on dresses, it can be hard to know the perfect style for you. saying that its worked out well for lots of people!

oh my gosh id never seen/heard of the "just married" bikinis and i LOVE them im getting completely overexcited about wedding stuff today!

im also a massive fan of beading, i love how it twinkles in the light! its a great dress =) im dying to go for my first fitting, cant wait to have an excuse to put the dress on again!!

thats crazy! is the husband not invited then, or he cant make it? if you can't trust your husband/wife then who can you trust?!

i found my perfect dress! it is quite puffy in real life with all the crinoline at the bottom and i love it! it still needs a few adjustments, and as im not 6 foot tall like the model it will be a little bit more on the floor. i just love the beading and details on it =)

You've said exactly what i've been thinking for absolutely ages! i also use Yahoo Answers, and if anyone on the wedding section dares to mention that they want a TTD session they get lambasted as selfish, extravagant etc etc and with comments like "how can you ruin an expensive dress, you should save it for your daughter/give it to brides with cancer/sell it etc" you can't point out it's basically just taking pictures in unusual/different situations, and yes some people do trash the dress (burn it etc) but it doesnt *have* to happen. but even if the dress does end up ruined - im a firm believer that its the brides choice and nobody gets to say what she does with it (as in saying she should donate it etc).if she does, thats amazing,but nobody goes around saying "why have a dinner reception when you could give the money to starving people" "why have flowers when you could give the money to the homeless" so why should the dress be any different. keep it, donate it, sell it, burn it, dye it multi-coloured and pretend to be a hippy - brides choice! saying that, my dress is precious and beautiful and i dont want anything bad to ever happen to it haha

I love reading these stories too =) unfortunately im english so im not eligible for the competition, but at least i can still see other peoples stories/pics! All the best competitions are for US/Canadias booooo!

you also have to look for hidden costs. for example a free/set wedding package may include a cake - but if you watn decoration (like fresh flowers) it could well cost extra or they offer you a gazebo and chairs with bows...then suggest lovely extras that arent included (flower petals, extra arrangements etc). depends on the hotel of course but make sure you know exactly what is included and whether it fits in with your wedding day "vision" or if you need extras.also when you make a budget factor in a certain amount of contingency/emergency money for unexpected expenses. its better to have some left over, than to realise you want something or forget something and your budget is completely used up good luck!

The worst thing for me, is i think they got her hopes up. Obviously they encouraged her to ask...so it was them who got her excited that it might happen, so theyre responsible now for her disappointment (and im sure she is) i completely get that you cant pick and choose which nieces/nephews to pay for. And that he had the audicity to call yoru FMIL to complain about it - seriously? was FMIL just trying to keep the peace, or does she agree with him (either way itd annoy me that she asked) i swear weddings bring out the crazy in people i must admit im dying to know how the easter dinner goes...id like to hope that they wouldnt bring it up, but im fast learning not to expect the best in people

actually today he seems *so* much happier. hes suddenly running around the house, and has even lined up his toys at my feet in the hope ill take him out to play! still not loving the applying ointment to open wound though! im dying to take him out properly when hes better though

thankyou! to be honest, animal care is one of the few things i dont like about mexico. my fiance thinks im crazily attentive of my dog!! even though he has been worried about him too it seems english people think of dogs as almost substitute children (well if you dont have any) and mexicans are so much more casual about it in the UK (and i imagine US) if you encounter a vicious dog....then you call animal control. here, they are literally only for strays who you suspect of rabies. and plenty of people dont see the need to exercise dogs (for example big dalmatians in a tiny fenced off area) or dont think anything of going on holiday for a week and just leaving the dogs with no care but a bunch of food and water. and everyone thinks im silly for loving my dog so much. i cried at the vets office and people looked at me like i was a lunatic! and i know, its not for a foreigner to go abroad and judge how they do things, but still!!

I have the sweetest, loveliest schnauzer in the world. hes just a genuinely nice dog. He got horribly attacked by an unleashed dog that literally tried to rip his throat out. and now, aside from just seeming completely depressed, we have to take him to the vet every 2 days to check his progress/change his bandages etc...and now he just shakes like a leaf from the moment he sees the entrance of the vet's office. She told us that the medicine they inject burns a little and i can understand he hates having ointment (i think is antibiotic or antiseptic or something) applied to an open wound - but theres no way to explain to a dog that we arent trying to torture him, we just want him to get better it just breaks my heart to see him miserable =( he has made incredible progress in the last week, i mean for the first time he was scratching at the door asking to go out (he cant right now, they removed the bandage for some open air healing and the risk of infection is too great) the other thing...i dont want him to be afraid of dogs in the future, and now i find when i walk past big breed dogs i get nervous. i need to somehow stop thinking like this, as if he sees me afraid then he'll get afraid too its just a horrible horrible situation. thanks for letting me vent!!

photography - im talking to sascha gluck who has fantastic reviews by brides on here. prices (2013) hour rate -395 dollars trash the dress - 800 rehearsal dinner - 800 cenoteTTD 1500 includes all travelling within cancun and tulum, shipping and taxes, him + assistant. 40 edited pictures per hour and the rest on usb he seems very nice, im just waited for my fiance to have a spare minute to check out his website and agree! WWW.CancunPhotos.Net [email protected] i havent yet looked into videographers but ill post if i find one =) good luck

sorry, there was a typo!! [email protected] (i missed out the a) phone can be tricky, you have to get them to transfer you to the right section and often you speak to people who dont speak spanish

sure, her name is graciela carmona, email is [email protected] she normally replies very quickly to emails!

Thats ridiculous!! while planning a wedding is time consuming plenty of women manage to do it whilst still fulfilling all the professional obligations/tasks they managed before. what an idiot!!

out of all of the places i looked at it was the most expensive - frankly its not cheaper than having a wedding back in london (and i imagine in the US too), but i LOVED it!! everywhere else looked second rate after id seen it! you have the option of having only the ceremony there, ceremony and cocktail or ceremony and reception. you hire each location individually, then food and drink are seperate. food and drink have service charge 15%, everything has extra 11% tax the ceremony locations are all pretty much 1,500 dollars...chapels, archealogical areas and beach areas restaurant rental (no food and drink) la isla - 4253 dollars, hacienda patio (actually thats one of the pictures i took where i didnt know the name) 4300 dollars, dos playas restaurant (up to 70 people) 3780 dollars, laguna restaurant 3780 dollars (up to 150 ppl), la caleta restaurant 3780 dollars (up to 150 people), la cocina restaurnat 3780 dollars (100 people max) i can send you the pdf package info in either english or spanish (pesos prices work out marginally cheaper) as theres a lot of info! food wise starters are 8.50-9.50, main courses are around 30-38 dollars, desserts are all 9.50 domestic open bar - 29 dollars per person for 3 hours, 9 dollars per person per extra hour. this bar includes spirits (j&b whisky, rum, smirnoff vodka etc...all the main ones) cocktails (pina coladas, fruit margaritas and daquiriis) soft drinks - sodas, juices, waters. theres a fancier bar option but not really worth it in my opinion or...corkage 22 dollars per personfor 5 hours. so dont think youd save money? xcaret dont provide flowers and a few things so im investigating vendors now...my wedding is march 9th 2013! if you want the pdf you can pm me with your email. and if you choose it as your venue i can keep you updated with my progess so you know how to handle the aspects they dont deal with! ooh also if you want to know about other private venues i visited a few (actually i have a thread somewhere "my big fat site visit" - wickys beach club, isla pasion etc) so you can ask me about them too! happy planning =)