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I love the idea of tiny starfish instead of flower petals, but has anyone done this successfully barefoot? Part of me thinks it seems obvious that it's a bad idea for barefoot brides, but they has some teeny ones, like 1/2 inch or less, and it seems like those would squish into the sand enough to not be a problem.

Thanks guys! I'm just waiting on one more thing to arrive in the mail so we can get started! I can't wait to see how the first one turns out. I will definitely post pics!

I think baked beans sound like a nice addition! Maybe skip the rice?

Thank you! I think the personal touch will be nice.

Well ladies, I had something specific in mind for beach bags and couldn't find what I wanted, so...my dear friend and I will be sewing them ourselves! Pretty sure we are insane, but we made a mock one with cheap fabric over the weekend and it turned out just fine. All the materials should arrive this week and I'll be sure to post pictures when we get one done! I have this really old mesh beach bag, and it's so great for keeping sand out that I wanted those for guests. Couldn't find anything similar. I ordered a massive roll of navy blue pet screen (which we've already cut to size because it was the first thing to come in). I bought grosgrain fabric trim for stripes, and will use cotton rope for handles. Forunately, we have plenty of time, so if we get tired of them we can take a few weeks off. Wish us luck!

We're inviting about 125 and expecting somewhere from 60-75. Most of my friends have been married for several years and already have kids, so I'm already prepped for the fact that at least one of my good friends will probably be pregnant and unable to come - or other similar situations. If we can keep it at 75 or below I'll be very happy! It's shocking how fast it all adds up, even when you try to be reasonable!

I just went back through everything Juliette has sent me, and somehow I don't have the name of either florist she mentioned! I guess she told me their names on phone calls and I didn't put them down anywhere. And I guess what I said earlier wasn't totally accurate - the prices her florists quoted me were slightly more (like maybe $20-$30 total), but close enough for me. When I get their name I'll update you. I'm so with you - flowers are gorgeous but when you're on a budget, it seems like an easy thing to cut. They die right away!

I had the same thing happen, and I think I'm going to go with a florist recommended by the coordinator instead. She said she had heard of Flower Dell but never worked w them. On one hand, I'm sure they all pat each others' backs and give each other business, which I don't love. But on the other, the florists that my coordinator recommended were able to match the prices Flower Dell quoted, so I don't mind. She said she has no problem having them take the bouquets apart and redo them on the morning of if it's not what we envisioned, and knowing that they have that kind of working relationship makes me feel ok about going with her favorites.

I think I lucked out with Juliette from Save the Date, because I have yet to wait longer than an hour for a response from her. In fact, I'm trying to wait until I have several questions to email her, because I feel badly bothering her when I know she will get back with me so quickly!

Hi ladies, Has anyone out there had or seen a coconut bar for cocktail hour? My coordinator was telling me that they sometimes rent a bamboo bar, and hire a local coconut vendor, who brings in fresh coconuts and serves drinks in them (the fresh coconut water + optional rum). I think it sounds like a really cute idea, but haven't been able to find any pictures of something similar, and my FI is skeptical (go figure). Ever the practical brain, he says they seem "awkward to hold". Ha.

Oh how fun - I love that we're both using Juliette and have wedding dates close together! I really did love her from the first time I spoke with her. Can't wait to hear how your trip goes and what venue you choose! And yes - after talking with Juliette yesterday and sealing the deal, I'm not worried about flowers anymore. She said she will often have the florist take the bouquets apart and re-do them if she doesn't think they're up to par. Makes me feel much better.

Um, oops - make that peace of mind!

Thank you! I've actually finally gotten things figured out and we have deposits down for June 22nd - yay! I really appreciate your response. Celebrations is just not in my budget - I think I'm going to go with Juliette from Save the Date, as we really clicked and she put me at ease. I'm definitely not hands off, so I already feel like I'll be paying for more than I need, but I'd rather have the piece of mind. Were you happy with Flower Dell? They seem to have more reasonable prices than others.

Oh my - these are soooo beautiful!

Ok thank you! I needed to hear that. I prefer email communication as well, but got antsy and called when I didn't hear back. I'll try to relax and wait for them to come back to me.

Sorry for blowing this thread up with all my questions, but for those of you who are farther along in this process and/or have experience with Luca: I contacted Caribbean Club and LUCA Friday (via email or their online form, can't remember which). I called CC and spoke with Danielle on Saturday. She was helpful and very nice and said someone would be in touch with me from Celebrations and Luca. I ended up reaching out to both separately on Monday. I know weekends are probably really busy, but I'm trying to nail down my date and venue, and I can't do that until I have pricing details. Celebrations has been really proactive, but Luca not so much. I called twice yesterday and was told I'd be contacted soon, then got an email at 8pm last night saying that Laura had been out of town for 2 days and would be in touch with me today (Tuesday). It's 7:30 pm and still nothing! So my question is, am I just being crazy and impatient? Are they always slower to respond, or are my expectations way off in terms of response time with destination wedding planning? If it's going to be like this the whole time, I'm not surethis type A can take it! Anyone out there want to reassure me that they will be responsive overall, or go ahead and tell me that I'm being obnoxious? Haha.

Thank you so very much! That's really reasonable.

Forgive me if it's not ok to ask this - just tell me! - but do you mind sharing a price range for Craig from One World? I've been trying to make a loose budget without having my date set (deciding between 2 weekends and still waiting on some pricing from LUCA). Thank you! And congratulations!

Thank you so much! People seem to be really happy with CC and LUCA on the whole, so as long as all the estimates come back looking okay I think I'm going to book it. Appreciate your thoughts very much! You looked beautiful!

Hi everyone! I've loved going through this thread - pictures are gorgeous, tips are fantastic! I've FINALLY narrowed my options down for a destination and we're thinking Caribbean Club/Luca late June 2013. Hopefully we'll be able to book something in the next few weeks. For CC brides who have hosted a welcome BBQ - can you give me an idea of the per person cost? Would love to do that, but already worried about budget. Thank you!