jackshayne0123

We got married at the Blau Varadero and we LOVED it!!! I highly recommend it! Great resort, the WC is amazing, wedding package was just what we wanted and inexpensive too! All of the vendors were amazing, photos, videographer, salon, our whole week was perfection! Keep us posted on your choice, or if you have any q's!!

Those are AWESOME gifts!! Can I be one of your bridesmaids? haha

@@tpete199 Good luck!! It's so exciting! And stressful at the same time! It's so weird to not be in control, I think that's what I'm struggling with right now. We've had control of everything else, our relationship, we got engaged when we wanted, married when and where we wanted, take vacations when we want...the list goes on. But when it comes to having a baby, it's not up to us!! And it's so difficult to let that go and leave it up to fate! How does that song go, que sera, sera?

Thank you! That garter was SO tight on my leg I wanted it off ASAP!

We did TTD and it was AWESOME!!! I has reluctant at first because I didn't want to get my beautiful precious dress wet or ruin it, but my hubby was on board and he convinced me. I spoke with other brides who did it, and after dry cleaning their dresses it came out as good as new, so I decided why not? We only get married once. I am so happy we did it, it was so much fun, we got some amazing photos, they all turned out so well! We did the shoot the second week we were in Cuba on our honeymoon, and it was only a 2 hour shoot, it didn't take up our whole day, and by doing it on our honeymoon we didn't take time away from our guests after the wedding. We were only going to pick a few photos from the photographer, but he did such an amazing job, they all were awesome, we decided to take all 700 photos for $350. Can't beat that!!! I had my dress dry cleaned when we got home and it's as good as new!! You can't even tell. I wore it to our AHR and you'd never know that we did TTD. I am so happy we did it!! Ladies you should reconsider, it's only water! As long as the sand isn't too muddy, and you don't go all out with paint or splashing daquiri's like some TTD sessions, a little water won't hurt it I promise Have fun!!!

@@EmmaBrown OMG Work B* was my go to workout tune too!!!! LOVE that one. I'm not sure what your musical taste is, but here's a few things that are on my workout playlist: Skrillex Usher - Yeah is a personal fave Pitbull Justin Timberlake 20/20 Experience album Sweet Nothing Calvin Harris feat. Florence Welch Blurred Lines Robin Thicke Downtown Lady Antbebellum Avici album Black Eyed Peas Lady GaGa A little bit of everythig that's for sure!

Cool, I'm sure it will be great to be pampered all day!

Hello and congratulations! How long have you been married? May I ask, how come your resort coordinator can't take over this role on the day of? Isn't that what they are there for?

Oh I hear ya, we were engaged for less than a year as well. Things happened quick but in the end it was good, I didn't have time to drag out decision making LOL. Sounds like you're on a roll, things are coming together! It is fun! Yeah there is one at the Blackfoot, I might be there actually, helping my personal trainer with her fitness booth Once I know more details I'll let you know, if you stop by it would be so nice to meet in person! Where are you getting married?

@@EmmaBrown don't be afraid of the gym! Of course it can be scary and intimidating, but once you familiarize yourself with the surroundings and the equipment you'll get in your own groove. If you join a gym ask for a tour! Maybe check out an all women's gym, or one that at least has a women's only area? I know for me all the gym rat muscle head men are really intimidating and it's so awkward to have them there, and feel them stare. I am much more comfortable in the women's area. Which brings me to my next point - it's so easy to feel self conscious and like everyone is watching and criticizing your every move, but that's furthest from the truth! Everyone is so wrapped up in their own world and watching themselves pump iron they could care less about what you're doing. BE CONFIDENT!!! Put on a brave face, plug in your own music and tune into your workout and get in the zone. One thing my trainer always says, is just get moving! It doesn't matter how much time you have, 5, 10, 15, 60 minutes, do something and get moving! Every little bit counts, and next time, aim higher. Just think, you are working out, you made it to the gym, you are doing what you need to do to feel healthy and get fit, and that's amazing!!!

You're absolutely right! Stand up for what you want, it's YOUR wedding! It does help you grow a thicker skin and you have to stand your ground and don't give in to what others want! It's not about them, now THAT'S being selfish.

There are some great points here, and everything is true! Picking your date is stressful, and it's upsetting when people try and tell you what to do and complain about the dates you want. We went through the same thing, my MIL sent us her vacation calendar and all the trips she was taking for the next 18 months, the very first week we got engaged! We had to plan our wedding around her vacations!! That was a hard pill to swallow. Of course we wanted her there, how could she not be? But telling us we had to work around HER????? I was so mad. It still kinda stings, to be honest. I really wanted to get married on a few dates, Valentine's Day being one of them, I fell in love with the idea of getting married on Valentine's Day, but b/c of her we couldn't. Anyway....it all worked out in the end. But yes, it sucks and it's hurtful when people try and take over. The ladies are right, your day will be amazing and beautiful and you'll be so overwhelmed with love and support from the people who are attending, the others who can't join you will be in your heart, and everything will be lovely My very best friend in the whole wide world and my MOH couldn't attend my wedding b/c she had a baby, and it was devastating but of course I understood, he was too young to take to Cuba and much too young for her to leave him with Daddy and come by herself. (it's a good thing he's cute!) It just happened that she and I had two major life events happening at the same time, and she couldn't be there on my special day. But I made the best of it, we had a little cardboard cut out of her face and we took pictures with her, we took video for her, and she sent me an amazing gift for my "something borrowed" so she certainly wasn't forgotten about. It's hard when you want everyone to be there, but sometimes it just doesn't work out. It will be your special day no matter what, and you'll be so focused on getting married, you'll be so in love and giddy, in that moment, nothing matters but the two of you

I'm in Calgary but just got married in January! Hello! How's your planning going so far? Have you been to any of the wedding fairs recently? There's another one coming up at the Blackfoot Inn March 22

Yup @@diadiamond totally ok not to send STD! There are no rules! We didn't send STD, just invite once people started to book. We planned the wedding in 9 months, so we were short on time and our invite went out right away. If we had been engaged longer then I probably would have sent STD, but no point in doing both, they would have been sent back to back and would have been redundant anyway.

Good idea! Keep it quiet, because you will only hear feedback and opinions from others that you may not want to hear! It's none of their business what you decide. Waiting for the marriage cert is kind of a pain, but oh well, I'm in no rush to change my name. I'll always be a Clark in my heart anyway

@@megthomson I'm with ya, what I said was very toned down and not really what I was thinking in my head at all LOL. There were a few curse words too...but I tried to be respectful..I noticed that too, it's their one and only post...odd. Hopefully the last? Anyhow.... @@diadiamond I think that's very nice of you to offer for your wedding party! I'm sure your party will be appreciative. Don't let anyone make you second guess what you want to do for them, it's all about what you feel and what your budget allows. People don't attend weddings thinking "I wonder what they'll get me", gifts are not expected, it's a nice gesture and whatever you chose will be great! They are attending, and standing up for you because they love you and want to support you, and that's all

Woa @@Pookie20 that's a bit harsh. If the bride and groom can afford to pay for everyone's travel expenses, bridal attire, etc, then that is amazing and it's a truly wonderful gift and those couples are very fortunate to be in a position to do so. However not everyone is in a position like that, it's not feasible for everyone and not realistic. Appreciation needs to be shown to your wedding party and guests, of course, but paying for everything certainly shouldn't be expected.

Here's my pic!

WOW! That is unreal I'm sorry you've had to deal with this! First of all, don't be a part of those forums, they will only tear you down. If strangers are telling you it's selfish, it's easy to ignore those comments and not take them to heart. They don't know you and you don't know them so it's no sweat off your back! If a DW is what's best for you and your guests, that's all that matters. If your nearest and dearest are supportive and on board, that's what counts right? Those nay-sayers can go........away. haha What forums have you been on, for curiosity sake? If you don't want to say, PM me, I'm curious! I personally didn't encounter this while planning our wedding, but I was nervous about it! I would stand your ground and say exactly how you feel - a DW is what's best for you, you and your FI chose it, it's about the two of YOU and you're happy and excited. That's all they need to know

Hello! OMG this thread is perfect! I had a personal trainer for my wedding and she was AMAZING!!!! She is starting to focus on brides specifically, and is being featured right now on the Calgary Bridal Association website, and she shared a success story, which is ME! Link attached: http://calgarybridalassociation.com/category/real-cba-weddings/ (not to toot my own horn or anything) She also can do Skype sessions, this is how we do most of our check ins, which is so convenient! If anyone would like more info about Sonja let me know! I am so glad I hired a personal trainer for so many reasons. I had one at the gym but I was paired with a guy, and I just wasn't comfortable with him. He was nice and knew what he was doing but he was kind of too close to my personal bubble, was very touchy, and I just didn't like it. Measuring, weigh ins, stretching was awkward and a girl should never feel awkard when it comes to personal training and fitness. You need to be comfortable with your trainer, and also be honest, and if you're not comfortable and honest, it won't work. I agree with what @@csho has said, training shouldn't hurt, yes it will be uncomfortable and you will push yourself and your muscles will be sore, but you should never be in pain, that's your body's way of saying too much! And a trainer should be nothing but understanding, positive and supportive. If they are not, kick em to the curb! My work outs could be done at home, minimal equipment was required, but I found going to the gym was more motivating for me, because then my couch wasn't calling my name. And my husband and I were going together, which was great for motivation and accountability. But if you don't have a gym membership, at home workouts are no problem! Have a backyard, or a quiet neighborhood? Do your workout outside, or do your cardio around the block! Trainers can be expensive, shop around, but I think they are worth it, because you can't put a price tag on your health, and how you will feel on your wedding day when you reach your goals!

I agree, a year to 18 months in advance is fine, any earlier and people will misplace it or forget! OR heaven forbid, your plans change, what if you have to move the date, switch resorts, decide not to do destination, etc. Not to be negative, but details change and if STD is sent too early you may have to re-do anyway.

Hello, congratulations! I echo what the other ladies have said, wait and see when the flight schedules and pricing comes out, and then compare travel agents and prices. It's better to wait, in your case it's only a few months anyway at this point, right? I also think it's a good idea to ask about a price adjustment should your trip become cheaper after you book. Ours went down, and we were able to grab that price for all of our guests, it saved everyone $300 per person, quite significant! I think we booked our travel and wedding date with the resort at the same time, or within days of each other, once we knew our travel dates things just fell into place! Good luck!

I'm now over 150 (wooo!) and these are absolutely gorgeous!!!!

Thanks @@csho! I had a different song picked out, and then I saw on here someone else chose Kiss the Girl and I freaked out! It was a total lightbulb moment. I LOVED it, it set a light, fun, romantic tone. And my girls loved walking to it too!

Hello! My bridesmaids walked down the aisle to Kiss the Girl from The Little Mermaid, I was supposed to walk to Somewhere over the Rainbow by Israel K, but the DJ kept playing Kiss the Girl. Oh well no biggie. Then he did play Somwhere over the Rainbow for the recessional when ceremony was done. Our first dance was At Last by Etta James, and I danced with my Dad to The Way You Look Tonight by Michael Buble. We were very happy with all our choices Good luck, there are so many beautiful songs out there to choose from, I had the hardest time!