jordanb

Here are my STDs (Does anyone else giggle when they type that abbreviation?) . I got them on VistaPrint for under $100. Again, saving because they were postcards so no envelopes. As I mentioned above my invites were totally affordable too, and a hit! They were from Etsy:

What's your budget? Mine were only about $175 for 75 invites with extra envelopes (printed with return address). I got them on Etsy and LOVE. (Will post in a following post.) I was able to cut down the cost because instead of RSVP inserts and seperate envelopes, mine were perforated tear-off postcards from my invite itself. They were totally casual and cute, but with a destination wedding, that was the vibe I was going for anyway! I got tons of compliments!

You're sweet, thanks!

Neither was super hard (although I fancy myself an advanced crafter haha). They were time consuming, but fun I thought!

That seems high for mariachis - I am getting married at the Royal in PDC and it's only $550 for a mariachi trio for 45 minutes, which is still expensive but way better than at yours! The biggest place I'd recommend saving $ is with flowers if your resort is like mine. Their flowers are more than double what I found at a reputable shop in town, which also delivers for free, and if I meet them right out front of the resort, I avoid the outside vendor fee. Also, I skipped floral centerpieces and am doing lanterns as it gets dark in Mexico so early in January (when I am getting married), so no one would see them anyway, and am doing starfish boutonnieres instead of flowers which will die quickly in the heat. I also did DIY starfish and raffia chair/aisle decor instead of flowers, but you can buy them on etsy for cheap too. I imagine I have saved more than $2000 by using an outside florist for bouquets and aisle petals, and by skipping flowers elsewhere. Besides, in paradise, you don't need them so much - the decor is built in for you! You can also save on your invitations by skipping all the inserts/gazillion envelopes, etc. I got mine on Etsy, LOVED them, and they were about $175 for 75 plus extra envelopes all in. The RSVP was a postcard that was perforated from the invite, so it eliminated an insert and an RSVP envelope. I have seen so many that are $4+ an invite with everything. I think for a destination wedding, you can so get a way from some of the formalities that can drive up the price, and at the same time, achieve a fun vibe! Finally, if you're not super religious and just doing a symbolic ceremony, you can look into having a friend certified to do your ceremony. I have read that is it's someone in your party, you usually don't have to pay an outside vendor fee, and at my resort, that would equal $600 in savings on an officient. Hope that helps a little - good luck!

Also - instead of springing for the resort's $30+ a pop boutonnieres, I made these with raffia and starfish: My FI is such a good sport (I made him model)

Hi ladies! I have a new one (and then I must insist ya'll start sharing some pictures of your projects too!). I made these chair hangers to decorate the aisle chairs - waaaay cheaper than flowers, and I like how beachy they are:

I just got my invitations from Etsy and LOVE! They are really fun for a laid back destination wedding, super affordable and I have gotten tons of compliments on how unique they are. The seller was great to work with as well, and did a decent amount of customization for me. Here is the listing: http://www.etsy.com/listing/89611051/destination-wedding-invitation and here are how mine tuned out:

Sorry I missed this earlier! Here was the listing: http://www.etsy.com/listing/85196917/sterling-silver-special-sayings-necklace. I had her do round, hammered silver small charms instead of the hearts, and put a custom spanish saying on the big ones. I had one made for me too, and she aked if I wanted her to put a little blue crystal charm on mine (free of charge) for the "something blue" which I thought was very sweet!

gorgeous!

I have been corresponding with Flores Riviera Maya as well and they have been very responsive, and they are super affordable. $35 for a Stargazer Lily bridesmaid bouquet, and they will deliver to outside the hotel. Another bride earlier in this chain said she used them and they were great, and the pictures of her flowers looked awesome!

I think it will be fun! I have some other crafts I have been meaning to post - stay tuned!

They sat addressed and ready to go on my table for a week, until the nerves wore off

They sat addressed and ready to go on my table for a week, until the nerves wore off

And on that note, ladies, if you want linen and are getting married before next spring/summer, move fast! Everyone has their linen on sale and no one is restocking sizes for the season!!!

And on that note, ladies, if you want linen and are getting married before next spring/summer, move fast! Everyone has their linen on sale and no one is restocking sizes for the season!!!

And we also hit a killer end of season sale!

So funny- my FI is wearing the exact same suit (also sans vest because they were out everywhere) and GMs are doing different khaki linen pants and white shirts! You have good taste