MrsCtoB

I would say it depends on the fabric and how many layers etc. I would either wear your ceremony dress or a back up that you purchase. I wouldn't wear a dress from a previous marriage but I am superstitious.

Planning on having an unplugged ceremony but not putting any restriction on the reception. Two totally different atmospheres, in my opinion so I think its fair to ask my guests to be in the moment with me and FI at the ceremony without distraction and then post whatever they would like when its party time. I have really enjoyed the unplugged ceremonies that I have been to. I don't think we realize how distracting trying to get the perfect picture is.

@@Lia33 good luck with the TA. Hope it goes smoothly for you! As far as RLS/DJ Party Rod, I am not sure if they are on site all the time or just for weddings. On my last visit in October, I did notice that the DJ seemed better than our first visit in 2012 and I liked the music selection and we had a great time every night!! Just not sure if the nightly DJ and wedding DJ are the same company. I did decide to go with them for the wedding! WC stated they have been doing VIM weddings for about 2 years now and she gave me a timeline and request sheet. Seems like I will have a lot of control over what will be played (and not played haha) and how I would like the reception timeline to go.

@@Sabes44 if you really don't care either way and someone wants to throw you a shower, I would say go for it! If your not asking someone to go out of their way and someone is offering I think that's great and nothing wrong with you graciously accepting!

used mywedding.com easy to use and access!

I think website may be the best venue to do it, liking that idea. Not so fond of word of mouth as we have family and friends scattered all over the US so not so sure how well the word would travel. I feel like seeing it in writing (website, invite, etc.) firms it up for people and emphasizes that that's what WE really want. Will of course, graciously accept any gift that makes its way to Mexico but hopefully everyone will understand. I guess having generous family and friends is not the worst problem to have @@calgarybride2015 ! That honeymoon deal is awesome.

@@beckys98 I totally agree! It just didn't feel right to us and not what we wanted. Like you said, I would so much rather them spend an extra night with us or book a fun excursion they will enjoy but some people get really insulted about it! We are planning on doing a small insert along with the invitation that includes details about the area, activities, itinerary, etc. so if I did include it, it would be there not on the actual invitation itself. I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

My FI and I have discussed for several months now that we don't want wedding gifts. We understand the commitment that it takes to attend a DW so we feel that our wedding gift is the presence of our guests. We recently shared this idea with some members of my family and it wasn't received well. They feel that its not right to deprive our guests of giving a gift if they want to. I had planned on adding the no gift policy to our invitations but now I am wondering if that is the right thing to do. Has anyone else considered/done this?

I picked the designer, color, and fabric and then allowed the BMs to pick the dress they liked. I also created a "showroom" on a wedding website with my favorite picks (I picked about 20 dresses) and had the girls let me know which was their 1st and 2nd choices. Worked out very well and each picked their own style with no fuss!

We sent our save the dates out about 11 months before the wedding and we began to receive deposits shortly after that. At this point, I am sending out the invitations in about a month but already have a pretty good idea of who is actually going based on the rooming list, so just using the RSVP on our website.

dating for 5 1/2 years when we got engaged, will be married right before the 7 year mark

I asked before RSVP's but we knew we were having a destination wedding soon after we got engaged and spread the word. Luckily, all the BMs that I asked expressed interest from the beginning, before knowing they would be in the bridal party. I made it very clear to all that there would be no hard feelings if they couldn't attend. Eventually, deposits for rooms are due anyway so you will ultimately know who is definitely going at that point.

Yes I felt awkward about a bridal shower and told my MOH and mother that we didn't want one. We have lived together for almost 6 years now so I would rather our friends and family dedicate their time and funds into coming to the actual wedding if they can.

@@MJTK If you are comparing everything apples to apples, I would say that's a pretty steep difference in price. I haven't done any research on this topic so I cant speak to the quality of work etc but unless one companies work is drastically better I would try to negotiate the lower price or go with company who is already priced lower, depending on your preference. You will LOVE the airbrushing btw! Its great, especially for tropical locations! Good luck!

@@MJTK I definitely agree that it is okay to ask for a negotiated rate, especially considering the outside vendor fee. On location hair and makeup for bridal and special occasions is actually what I do for a living and I don't think its insulting/wrong/rude to ask if there is any way the price can come down a bit. $200 dollars is a pretty big difference! Are the services being offered by both companies similar? (i.e. comparing airbrush vs airbrush)

@@LisaAnthonyPoppy no need to thank me! Glad you asked and can feel better about the whole thing!

@LisaAnthonyPoppy We plan on having all the wedding party, parents, minister, and wedding coordinator present. Anyone who will be walking down the aisle/anyone who will have a special role in the ceremony we plan to include. Our resort offers a rehearsal as part of most packages so we decided we definitely want to take advantage. We are getting married on the beach in the evening so the WC has told me that we will meet the day before the wedding at the same time the wedding is set to take place. We will run through the order of the wedding party and who will go down the aisle when. We will test the music to make sure she knows when we would like the music to begin and end. The minister will do a brief run through and show us where to stand, when to exchange rings, etc. It is very hard when you are planning a destination wedding so far away from the actual location but if its something that you feel would make you more comfortable its worth looking into/asking about.

Yes, having a rehearsal. Want to make sure everyone has a good idea where they should be and when the music should start etc. Think its always a good idea to always have at least one run through.

I have 4: my sister, his sister, the best mans wife (his cousins), and a friend of mine from cosmetology school. I asked them with personalized cards from Etsy and Kate Spade bangle bracelets with engraved sayings about friendship. FI has 6 groomsmen, but a larger family so I am comfortable with not being even. Its a dw so trying not to worry so much about traditional ideas/customs.

@@Lia33 Yes we are using a TA. We didn't want to originally, especially my FI, but ultimately we decided that with everything else we have going on it would be best to have some help. She negotiated a pretty good price for our group so I would say its definitely worth looking into. Guests will still ask you ALL the questions in the world but it is nice to have an outlet to refer them to and someone who will set deadlines and follow up with your guests for you. As far as vendors, I believe for the most part we are sticking with what the VIM offers. I did look into some other photographers in the area but on top of expensive packages, the outside vendor fee is pretty steep so it really comes down to your preference. Blue lens has a facebook page that I found really helpful in making our decision. You can find several VIM weddings there, along with other weddings at resorts in that area. Ultimately we feel comfortable with using the on site photography services because the quality of their work is good and they are shooting VIM weddings day in and day out so they are familiar with the resort and have the experience to know which locations photograph best. A friend of mine was also married at the VIM a few years ago, and she used Blue Lens. Her photos helped us in our decision too! They came out amazing! I definitely agree with you, with all the costs we have to take into consideration, keeping the outside vendor costs to a minimum is important.

@@Lia33 Yes! We actually got engaged there in October. I began dealing with the wedding department right after we got engaged and they are always timely with their responses and always so willing to help and answer my 1000 questions! Happy planning!

March 14th! @ the Valentin Imperial Maya! Happy planning ladies!

For the first initial shopping trip I brought just my sister, my MOH. Its pretty overwhelming if you have never been dress shopping and I really wanted to focus on what I liked and wanted. I found my dress during that first shopping trip but didn't order it until I returned with my mother and mother in law. Everyone felt like their role was important and it worked out perfectly! Good luck!!

Exactly what I am worried about! I think I might consider doing it and bringing a back up garment bag. Glad I am not the only one who had never heard of it!

After expressing how stressful it seems to travel with a wedding gown, one of the consultants at the bridal shop offered an interesting alternative. She stated that there is an option to vacuum package my dress and that would make it small enough to put in a carry on bag. She said they layer protective tissue first, then vacuum package the dress and it ends up being about the size of a watermelon, just more cylinder like in shape. Upon arrival, the dress would need steaming as most dresses do. Has anyone had experience with this/heard of it?