CAKnight

Another DW bride referred me to this thread in order to show me the bags she was looking for...I'm glad that she sent it to me! It gave me some awesome ideas!

These are fantastic! I was contemplating not during envelope seals....but, now I have been inspired to give them a try! I think they will create the pop that my invitations will need especially since I think colored envelopes are too expensive considering most people will just throw them away! Off to go look for that punch tomorrow at Michaels with my coupon in tow!

I completely agree with you! I have SO many things bookmarked! ...and I literally just started a DIY list of things I wanted to create bc of all of the FANTASTIC ideas that I'm getting off this site!!!

Thanks for providing the list of supplies needed! It was extremely helpful for when I was asking a Michaels employee for some assistance while searching for all the necessary items! The only problem is that I'm having issues with the corner punch! So, off to Michaels with another coupon (of course) to go buy another one!

I don't know if I have seen those bags before. On a side notes, thanks for a link to that DW bride's thread! Looks like I can get some awesome ideas off of her!

Thank you for being so detailed about everything! I think I will made a revised packing list based on your template! Thanks!

This is an awesome question! I'm planning to get married in Grand Cayman; I think I might have to go to the courthouse too. Obviously it might be different from country to country. But, it's still nice to know what another brides may have done! OH and I LOVE the sugar scrub idea! Now, I have to think of some special occasion to have an excuse to make it!

Hi Luesee! If you decided that you want to get married aboard a cruise, the only option you have is to marry in one of the ports. If you would like family and friends to be there and they don't want to sail with you, then you should always get married on the ship before it leaves to start the cruise. So essentially, you can get married in the port of call on the cruise ship or in the actual port itself. HOWEVER, if you would like to get married at sea, Princess Cruise Line is one of the few cruise lines that will allow you to get married at sea. (Sorry I can't remember the others of the top of my head!) BTW, if you get married in Mexico, I believe they require a blood test for you and your FI to get married. They may also require both of you to translate your required wedding information into Spanish. You might want to research these two topics! As far as getting discount, from what I have read, 8 or more staterooms qualify for a discount. 3rd and 4th cruisers to a room also qualify for a cheaper rate than the 1st 2 cruisers. Hope this helps! If you have any additional questions, feel free to ask!

Hi Shaelei! From what I have read, if you book more than 8 staterooms then you are eligible for a discount. So, the more people you have above that minimum should equate to a higher discount. However, you would need a booking number in order to link all of the accounts together (otherwise, how would they know who is a part of the group?) Personally, I would use a TA. From what I've seen, they can get special discount and other "bonuses" that you can not get from booking online or directly through the cruise line. I've seen deals through a TA where you can have no deposit, on-board cruise cash, free upgraded room, etc. Plus I think you (and your guests) are better able to have a payment plan (and deposit extensions) from what I've seen. When you have more than 2 people in a room, the 3rd and 4th cruisers in the room are a reduced cost per person. I know one of the cruise lines has (or recently had) a promotion where children sailed for $99. As far as activities go, from my experience aboard the RCCL, they normally have a children's section and a teen's section aboard the boat. (I included a link below that can give you some awesome info about this topic) In regards to passports, since the ship is leaving a US port and returning to a US port, you do not need a passport to sail. However, it is strongly suggested that everyone has a passport while sailing for several reasons. One in the event of extraordinary circumstances and you have to return to the US for whatever reason, you must have a passport to return to the US. If you do not have a passport, then I believe you must possess a certified birth certificate whenever you go through any of the foreign country's customs and US customs (it seems like a lot of hassle, if you ask me). I believe that children might also have to have a certified letter stating they can leave the country if they are not travelling with both parents. In essence that hassle and time saved by applying and possessing a passport will be worth its wait in less stress. If you go to the FAQ on the Carnival website, one of the most popular questions is "What is the required travel documentation for all ports?" It provides additional info should you wish to share it with your guests. Here is a video that should answer more of your questions, along with some of the questions you asked above (and a great video to put on a wedding website): Hope this helps you and others! Let me know if you have any additional questions!

As DominiqueAmber said, there is a master list of items for the OOT bags. However, I think that OOT bags for cruisers is going to be different than the traditional DW. Imho, it's in its own category of DW...the awesome DW category. lol I have taken some suggestions from the master list. But, I am still trying to tweak it to fit the needs of my cruising guests!

As far as the OOT bags go, you should have a problem as long as all of the liquids are 3 oz, per TSA requirements (if you are flying to the port). Cruise lines don't have strict rules like airlines do. Depending on whether you live in relation to the port and the number of guests attending, you could always pre assemble your bags and put them in a suitcase. Or you could just get check in early and assemble them in your room. (The first option sounds more appealing to me personally! I know that I'll be in vacation mode and ready to eat, drink and be merry! lol)

So many awesome ideas! Thank you, thank you!!! Now I have to figure out which ideas I want to put my own creative spin on!

This is such an awesome idea! I'm glad I found this post! My only problem will be how many of these should I make to put in my hair! But, that's an awesome problem to have! lol

I think that the additional of the information on the top is great! I will have to borrow it! Thank you

What type of totes are you looking for? Colors? Sizes? Do you have an estimate of how many you need?

Hello ladies! This is such a fantastic post...It's awesome that it is still going after all of these years!!! There are so many amazing tips on here that I can't even pinpoint the best ones! There are too many to choose from! Here are some tips that I have utilized that have saved me tons of money already: When shopping at Michaels/JoAnn's, remember that you can use coupons for that specific store as well as the competitor's store. For example, JoAnn's had a 50% coupon off of any one regular priced item!!! I used it at Michaels to buy several items that I needed for my DIY boarding pass invitations! So be on the lookout for those 50% coupons, they are the extra cherry on top seeing as how Michaels as 40% off almost every week. Depending on the cashier working that day, I will use multiple coupons at Michaels during the same visit. Sometimes you can use a Michaels coupon AND a competitor's coupon in the same transaction!!! If I need to buy several items because I have a really awesome coupon (ie JoAnn's 50% off coupon), then I will do separate transactions! When using coupons at Michaels/JoAnn's, try to use the mobile coupons! Why? When you redeem a paper coupon, you have to give up the coupon to the cashier. They will accept a coupon off of a smartphone, tablet, etc. and you can still use the coupon later that week. This allows you to go to multiple Michaels/JoAnn's to buy everything you need quicker instead of just buying one item/week! Dollar tree now accepts manufacturer's coupons! You can buy toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, candy, granola bars, etc! Perfect and (MORE) inexpensive items for OOT bags! Just be warned that most cashier will have problems figuring out how to take a coupon off because it's still a relatively new policy! But, you should be able to get your discount! For the purposes of my budget, if I go to a store to buy a couple of things for the invitations and some items for the OOT bags, I will do separate transactions. It might be a bit excessive, but it is a lot easier to keep track of my finances in each category! Hope this helps all of you other DW brides out there!

Here is the link on Dollar Tree: http://www.dollartree.com/seasonal/Luau-Apparel/Luau-Hibiscus-Flower-Tote-Bags/638c881c881p327738/index.pro#details

Hello ladies! I am planning on taking the Carnival Legend out of the port of Tampa the week of April 6, 2014. I have cruised before, but both of my previous cruises were aboard the RCCL out of Port Canaveral. With all of the latest incidents with Carnival, I was wondering if anyone could share their impression of Carnival and their opinion of Carnival vs RCCL. My FI and I haven't announced that we will be having our cruise aboard a Carnival ship so I know I'm probably going to need some info about the ship in order to sell it to some people! Thanks in advance!

I'm taking the Carnival Legend in April 2014. Could you please share whatever knowledge you have about Carnival's option for a reception? My FI and I were discussing doing the steakhouse in lieu of a reception. Thanks for giving me a heads up that you can't book the reservation ahead of time. That's such a disappointment!!!!

Haha. I typed 2011 instead of 2014!! Must have been think of April 11, the day we are getting married and the year at the same time.

Hello ladies, I was casually walking through Dollar Tree. I was excited when I spotted some Hawaiian totes...however, they only had green ones left! I asked the woman if they had anymore at her store and she said, "No, they are very popular. We should get some more in soon. They will be with the rest of the summer/luau section." I went to 2 more Dollar Tree and I found them in pink, yellow and orange (my wedding colors), along with green and blue!!!!! Here is a picture of what pink, yellow and orange totes look like (sorry I don't have pictures of the green and blue): They are 14" long by 10" wide (19" with the handles). They are AWESOME for the price! NOTE: If you some interested in getting be sure to look at the area where the handle is sewed to the bag, the stitching can be crazy on some! Also make sure the bags don't have any white stuff on them...I noticed it on a fair number of bags!

I am planning on taking the Carnival Legend the week of April 6, 2011. My FI and I plan to get married in Grand Cayman (on the beach) on Friday, April 11. Do any of you ladies have any suggestions and/or recommendations on how to handle non-cruise line related wedding coordinators? Thanks in advance.

Hello ladies, I am planning on getting married on April 11, 2014 in Grand Cayman as a port of call aboard the Carnival Legend. I would love to get married on the beach there. Any suggestions on locations that are budget friendly (less than $1500)? What are the details involved in coordinating a wedding between the US and GC?

Hi UCFJennifer First of all, GO KNIGHTS! Woohoo! (sorry couldn't help myself...I'm a proud UCF alumna! What can I say? lol) Which Carnival cruise are you taking? I would think the time that you leave each port could affect which option you pick. Do you have people coming from different states/time zones? Does your group consist of a decent proportion of children? With a little more info, I think it would be easier to offer some constructive advice.