Sehausle

This is my dress, allure 8800...In Ivory/Cafe. I am so in love with it. These are also the shoes I will be wearing found on Etsy

I am fairly small (size 6) but my dress is allure 8800 very lacy and fits tightly so I decided to go the shapewear route to smooth out. I ironically bought both Jill Zarins Skweez and Betheny Frankels Skinny girl shapewear bottoms and will bring them both to my fitting to decide which one works best. My dress goes super low in the back so I will have cups sewn in. I plan on ditching the shapewear after ceremony and photos if it isn't comfy and also bought lingerie post wedding events : ) Anyone try either of these shapewear brands?

Eyebrow threading is where they use a piece of thread and pull the hairs out by crossing the thread together to pluck it out by the roots. It sound painfully slow but they do it pretty quickly and it does a nice job of creating shaped brows. I will be honest though I find waxing less painful, and it has left some mild cuts on my skin, however I still think it is less damaging to your skin then the heat of the wax. It is definitely painful, however it isn't something you can't tolerate.

A few ways I was able to cut budget costs...I mean no offense to any other bride, this is just my humble opinion : ) 1) Buy a Suit Vs. Rent a tux...not a fan of the linen look on men. Suits are always on sale (Men's Warehouse had a 40% off sale this month) so this saved us big time. 2) Buy "Off the Rack" or plan to sell back - I bought my dress way in advance and asked for the off-the-rack price. They didn't want to lose their only sample so they gave me the off-the-rack price but I am getting a brand new dress which saved me $200-300 dollars. I also did a ton of shopping around until I spotted the best price (know your style number). I am also selling my dress afterward , I did some research and found that it's a fairly popular style and I have a color-size that have been sold before for about $1,000 (lots of pre owned wedding dress sites to compare)...my dress was over 1300 originally, I paid about 1100 if I get a buyer that means I paid $100 for my dress- not bad! 3) Vistaprint- Use retailmenot.com to get awesome deals - we bought 70 invitations, stickers for our favors, and address labels for $60! 4) Be creative in your favors- Remember those stickers? They were actually the envelop seals but I changed it to say Welcome to Mexico 2013 (with our names and date) , I will add them to small white cake boxes ($6 from Amazon.com) and use them for people to take their cake back with them to the hotel room as our package comes with both dessert and cake. Another idea, writing a nice personalized letter to each guest...it takes time but it's free and is a beautiful keepsake on nice stationary. Who wants trinket or a koozie with someones name on them...my junk drawer is full of them. We did also opt for a small wine stopper favor, but you could get away with these two things and no one would be the wiser. 5) Think Less is More. Is that neon orange or turquoise table runner going to stand the test of time? A lot of people use all these silly props but they look a little cheap and tacky (in my opinion). Keep it simple, classic, chic and elegant. Plus, who wants to carry all that stuff with them? You're in a beautiful location, let that stand out. A paper lantern doesn't come close to matching the natural beauty of your surroundings skip it and save. 6) Skip the Photographer. We opted for a really nice engagement session with a local photographer we knew ($200 for over 300 beautiful artsy photos). We will have our resort photographer focus on pictures of us and family. We have some good photographer guests so we are going to ask them to take lots of photos of things like my wedding shoes, cake, and table decor that really do not have to be professional. Think about it, when is the last time you looked at your parents wedding photos - did you even notice the table decor? Nope, just the couple shot...This was a tough decision for me, but in the end it will save us thousands. 7) While your at it skip programs- Unless they double as fans and your wedding is in July at the height of heat-misery...otherwise, they will blow away or be thrown away. I promise. 8) OOT bags with food or drinks for an all inclusive are just silly (again just my opinion). Guests have a plethora of water, your personalized bottle is only cute to you and maybe your maid of honor. Food is literally everywhere (snacks included), plus no one has room for all that stuff in their luggage unless they check bags. Were doing a small weekend welcome baggy with some essentials (tums, advil etc.) things people might actually use and is just a small token of thanks for coming, but really even that's not necessary. 9) Use a good Travel Agent. Ours (Apple) allowed us to pay for the trip portion up until 2 mos prior...doing it a little at a time is much easier than one lump sum. Just keep it simple, keep it organized (excel is awesome), and stick to a budget. Set aside a little each month, and do not touch that fund if possible. Your new marriage does not need the stress of debt, and your wedding will be absolutely amazing because your with the ones you love. Good luck : )

Thanks everyone - we decided to just do wine stoppers instead, simple, useful, inexpensive and most importantly small! Were only arriving Thursday marrying Saturday so I want to eliminate as much of the pre-wedding work as possible even shopping at WalMart haha.

I would tell your mother in law that her guests are more than welcome to come on the trip with her but for the wedding portion you are unable to afford that budget-wise (though of course you would love to!) and then say you're more than welcome to cover the cost of the guests to be at the wedding itself which is $130 per person (she might not realize how much it is..and change her mind). That way she can still bring her friends on the trip but the cost will not fall on you. For your friend if she is traveling alone she should really be allowed to bring one guest, as who wants to travel out of the country alone? If she is getting greedy and bringing more friends than one allow her to bring her friend on the trip part if she really wants to (unless you're covering their room and board too) but again budget constraints make it so you're unable to cover the cost of additional guests at the wedding portion and she should understand.

Agree with a lot of these comments...I will say I paid off-the-rack price for my dress though it was not off-the rack (it's worth shopping around and comparing - it cant hurt to ask). I splurged a bit and bought a nicer dress but am planning on selling it afterward (not sentimental about that kind of thing) I went way in advance and they didn't want to lose their off-the-rack version so that saved me 2-300 right there. Then I found shoes I loved on Etsy and basically found the base shoe (touch-ups are used a lot as a base on etsy) and bought that and had another etsy seller recreate the shoe clip so $160 shoes for $70....My fiance is buying a very nice black suit (places run suit deals all of the time) , which is way cheaper than renting a tux...not a fan of the linen look for men personally. I was really losing sleep on the photographer but we had a local photographer who we know (and gave us an amazing deal) do a big engagement shoot for us, so I think the 50 resort photos are going to be just fine. Were telling them to focus more on us and family photos and we will do a few group shots plus guests take pictures of the cake etc...and do you really need professional versions of a close-up of your shoes/table decor etc.? Also, remember the slogan less is more. In 20 years is that bright orange table runner going to stand the test of time?...Is it really a good spend of your money? Keep it simple, chic and elegant. I think some people get carried away and it tends to look cheesy (in my opinion- but to each is own) You're in a beautiful exotic location which will be half of the decor. Don't get carried away with taking too much with you, you want to be able to sit back, relax, and enjoy your day. Vista Print is a really inexpensive place to get menus, cards, invites, etc. Just make sure you visit retailmenot.com first and get a coupon code. We paid $60 for 70 invites, envelopes stickers (to attach to cake boxes so guests can bring their cake with them since dessert is part of our package), and address labels. The excel idea is great...another thing I hear of recently is doing hand-written thank you notes in lieu of favors. A heartfelt note can mean more than a trinket with your name on it (be honest...who needs another koozie?) Were doing cute wine stoppers, which are light, inexpensive, and useful. Shop-around and get deals. Were also doing that cake-box idea which can double as a favor too - I think I spent a total of $6 on everything for it. Were not doing oot bags but just a little goodie bag with some advil, tums etc. and were handing them out ourselves at a little get-together were having the first night at a bar (free of charge) - this was much cheaper than huge canvas bags of things people really don't need. A little token is appreciated but certainly not expected. Set a budget and contribute a small amount weekly.... Also, we used Apple vacations which allowed us to pay off the trip portion a little at a time and up until 2 months before the wedding. That really helped. Don't stress, just set small goals and cross them off your list. Above all try to keep it simple (guests appreciate that) and you will too!

Your pictures look very nice! Were only using the resort photographer, which makes me extremely nervous but we had a really nice engagement session so that eased my fears and one of our guests is a great photographer. Were doing our reception in the convention center so I think we will be ok with the menu situation. I was just going to buy the dinner flower/candle centerpieces and am not bringing anything else besides menus, wine stoppers, and name cards....those are definitely really small so I hope the flower centerpieces are a little bigger for $60 a piece! Were also doing the ultimate package but wedding in chapel, cocktail hour in lobby terrace, and reception in ballroom. We were thinking of having an outside vendor do the music for the chapel and the trio come for the reception and just not do any music on the lobby terrace....because its outside and we will hear the sounds around us....hoping that works out ok. What was the after-party music like? (was thinking we would move locations after the reception) Did they have bars that were open, and any beach parties?

well it made me a little nervous since I already planned my wedding and cannot decide to not have my wedding there but I will just focus on staying positive at this point : ) ...If they lose my veil I will be floored considering it's cathedral length so I think I'm ok there. I feel terrible for you though since I know how much time/thought/energy/expense goes into picking out what you wear the day of. I am nervous about the menu part though because I spent a lot of money on them....and food is a big deal for me. We had bad food the last time we stayed at an all inclusive (grand palladium) so we chose this place because it was an American owned resort and hoped the food might be a little better....ugh... oh well. We are planning on keeping the reception no-frills...classy, simple, and elegant. Were the dinner centerpieces nice? They are not cheap so I was hoping they could stand-alone and look ok. Also, we are debating about attending our own cocktail hour so there would be an hour wait before it started while were getting our pictures done. My best friend convinced me I should do this since she said were in mexico people can grab a free drink and wait a little bit, not a big deal. Any thoughts?

$ 75-569 w/the majority in the 170 range, I've attached the price list. Price list 2013.pdf

Also which Caro Montes is she- there are a ton?

Awesome thanks! My guitarist never answered my latest email and I don't feel comfortable not having a contract so I may contact her as well. Not really looking for singing though just instrumental. If any bride in the past has a guitar contact I would be most appreciative (the resort musician is ridiculously priced at over $500 for a half hour ceremony.

To be honest cake isn't at the top of my list, but I think simple is better...I think the cakes don't look as nicely executed when they do something out of the box. I think a simple 3 tier cake just decorated with some flowers on top is both simple and elegant. I'm not a fan of the ribbon and what not some people use. I know you're a cake decorator, but you said it yourself that most people don't even eat the cake...and I didn't even see the cake at the last wedding I attended. We bought to-go boxes in white and as well as some pretty personalized labels from vista print and will give our guests the option of taking the cake with them since our package also includes dessert (something to keep in mind). What about if you did a rehearsal dinner cake? That way most people see it, you can get very imaginative with a cake and find one at a local bakers, and you can avoid the vendor fee. I for-one would just spend the money elsewhere.

I decided not to do the beach because I was concerned of the sand/food thing too. Who are you using as your outside guitarist?

Yes they are included, I thought you meant getting an extra musician : ) We needed one for the ceremony too.

The musicians are VERY expenive (+$500) range. I am bringing in a vendor for 275 but then the resort is also charging me a $120 fee.

I'm October 19th! Yes, I agree the price per extra person is outrageous, but I've added up all the things I want individually and it just doesn't seem worth it to pay that way. Were up to 27 guests and we also choose the Ultimate Package. I don't think any of the places come with a dance floor however depending on where you have your reception (inside for example) you should be fine dancing without one. If you had a beach reception you would need one because that can be tough on ankles. We decided on an outside guitarist for the ceremony music- I have to admit I am a little nervous because it seems to be a verbal agreement. Thanks for the cake pointer! We bought white boxes (only 24) with labels from vistaprint so that guests could take their cake up to the room if they want to since we already are serving dessert. I was wondering if I needed to buy more but I will just stick with the 24 as not everyone is going to take a box most likely. We decided to keep it fairly relaxed in terms of events before the wedding (this is their vacation too) so were setting up a cocktail meet-up the night before and will be handing out a little welcome favor in lieu of a oot bag. Otherwise were posting some events (on our website) that were doing and said if people are interested in making it a group outing to let us know. I am planning on inviting all the ladies to the spa (if they would like) as well the day of the wedding but the groom will most likely not have official plans- he is pretty laid back so will most likely just plan something day before/day of to do together.

Were thinking of doing cocktail shakers and margarita mix for favors however carrying 30 of them on a plane seems a little crazy. I know we can mail them out for the resort to hold. Has anyone done this, are they pretty reliable in terms of them still being there intact?

I am new to this site and not sure how to PM- did you end up using him? I'm considering hiring him...

I'm getting married October 19, 2013 at Dreams Tulum and have a few questions for everyone (this has been an awesome resource by the way- thank you!) 1) Did you find it to be too dark on the beach without lights ? I'm not sure I want paper lanterns but I want the guests to be able to see what they are eating. Also, did you find your paper products (menu, placecards etc. blew away? I really want a small/intimate space but I refuse to pay for another extra (aka the wine vault room) and I feel like the banquet is way too big for a group of 20. Also, would you be able to hear the ipod music on the beach if we went that route (were not renting a dance floor - more of a dinner setting)? 2) Anyone hear the romantic trio? Would that be suitable for the ceremony? 3) Anyone have a decently priced photographer willing to do a one hour shoot? We don't have it in the budget for two photographers and Dreams Tulum will nto let me opt out of using theirs. I have already contacted Del Sol, Sascha Gluck , and a few others - none of which are willing to do a one hour shoot (just the ceremony and a first look shoot for the bride/groom. (Dreams Tulum would shoot the rest). Thanks, Shauna