BeckaThomas

Thanks ladies. I was already thinking of the pretty, flowing, empire-waist gowns that will look so elegant at a beach wedding... And hide the bits n pieces I can't work off in 8 months. Lol. It's concerning bc now we're budgeting differently and I feel like I'm changing my mind on everything from my colors to the food and length of our trip. I think I'm going to take a small step back from planning the wedding for a few months.

I've resigned myself to the idea that not everyone will make it. While it makes me sad, I won't dwell or ruin my time w the people who do come.

Lmao!! That's a good rant. I've gotten it from family & only one friend so far. My sister has been trying to talk me out of Cabo since we announced a DW... And it was her stinkin idea to do a DW!! I guess she just didn't expect me to choose Cabo. In all reality tho, it's only going to cost ppl around $2,000 per couple to spend 4 days there at an all inclusive freaking resort. For most of our guests, it's going to be a once in a lifetime trip.

Holy wow! I went from being a single mom, to planning a destination wedding, but now there's a small hiccup in the planning. We're 3 months pregnant, with 3 little girls btwn us already. Also, we just relocated from New York to West Tennessee. I admit, I'm excited but becoming overwhelmed. I don't want to change our plans for date or venue. Has anyone else juggled pregnancy and wedding planning? New baby and dress shopping? Toddlers and international travel? I would love any advice or anecdotes, but please keep pessimism out of this thread. I'm looking for ways other ladies have handled similar situations. Thanks so much!!

I know most people don't have access to the prices on Canal Street in NYC, but if you can get to craft fairs and festivals, most of the vendors there should have pashminas for around $5 each. Also, some dollar stores that sell clothing have them for that price. I've got about 20 that I've bought for myself over the last 2 years and I didn't pay over $7 for any of them. :-)

This thread is so helpful, ladies! Thank you all. I've been trying to think of how to save money but still get the pics I want. This all sounds wonderful.

Hi Alyssa, I've been working with Wright Travel to set up our wedding plans. We are still trying to decide between Riu Palace and Dreams, but I've gotten a ton of information from the resorts and from the TA. I'm not sure if the TA charges for room booking, but I know they will book your flights at no charge. It's nice to let someone else handle those things while you're stressing over every other little detail. lol. Seriously, though, the things that are making me sway toward Dreams are the packages they're willing to give. Riu does require a minimum of 80% of your guests to stay there and there's a much lower per person charge when you go over their 40 person package. They're located 2 minutes drive from downtown Cabo San Lucas, where Dreams is about 20 minutes. Riu also seems like a better price point for our single or childless guests, but we have 3 children and many of our guests do as well. Dreams is offering their "kids stay free" deal during November of next year. I literally sat and did all the calculations based on both resorts quotes and package incentives.They come very close, leaving the difference of around $200 per room for the same number and category of rooms (Riu offers a level lower, though). Dreams then offers adults a $100 resort credit, so I kind of feel like it comes out about even. The resorts are crazy busy with weddings right now, though, so using a TA is probably the best way to get answers. Check web pages, too, as they offer a lot of info online and these forums are amazing at giving details. You could also search trip advisor for some info on other resorts in the area. Hope this helps a little. If I can help more, feel free to respond or PM me.

It'll be a bit before I get started, but I will most definitely post pics of all my DIY undertakings. I have a feeling there will be a lot of them.

I'm very impressed (no pun intended) with the letterpress concept. We're in the middle of a cross-country move, but as soon as we're settled in the new house, I'm going to buy a letterpress machine and get cracking on my designs. There's a bride on here, Sarah Wu, who did her own letterpress work. It's absolutely stunning. That's where I got the info on the machine. If you're looking to do it on a budget, I'd follow her lead... in fact, I plan to. I'm new to the posting thing so I don't know how to link, but if you search DIY Letterpress on the BDW search bar, hers will come up near the top. Good Luck!!

Oh my goodness, these are so beautiful! Congratulations on your wedding!! I'm hoping and praying I can pull off my own letterpress ideas when the time comes.

Excellent advice! I've opened my big mouth about a November 2014 wedding in Cabo since we got engaged 2 months ago. That's a year n a half!! If anyone can't manage to get their butts in gear to share your special day on that kind of time frame... Well, maybe they're not the people you should be worried about having by your side. We've been courteous in giving AMPLE notice. The rest is up to them.

That's so crappy!! I'm dealing with a similar situation and when I got bummed, I was ready to call it all off. Then I just got sadder n sadder til FI came home from work and told me we would make my dream wedding a reality. I know how it feels to be set n excited for the "perfect" venue. Maybe talk w FI n get his take on things? It can mean a lot to know he's behind you. Mine even called the resort on 2 separate occasions and told them it was critical to his safety that they get in touch with me. Lol.

Just a quick FYI, if someone were so inclined to marry their cousin, they wouldn't necessarily have to elope to Mexico. Tennessee state law forbids marriage of a step parent to a step child, or an Aunt to a Nephew, but they're all for first cousins getting married. We're about to move to Tennessee and we're getting married in Cabo. I researched both areas' marriage laws to see which is the better option for a legal ceremony, and I swear my jaw dropped!!

Congratulations on choosing the resort! If I can ask... what made you decide on Riu? I'm torn between Riu and Dreams...