calgarybride2015

I'd have to email the resort to see if they do it - their price list at the Spa is very extensive, heck you can get your highlights done there if you'd like....but for make up all it says is 'makeup' and 'makeup test' Make up is $85 CDN which seems steep to me, or am I just cheap? haha!

Also my fear of having someone do 'normal' makeup on me! ha! I may go to MAC and get a consult there and go that route. Atleast then I have some product to keep using! Not sure yet!

How long are you giving them overall? Honestly, I think a shorter time to put down your deposit the better. Give people enough time to book holidays at work, make arrangements for kids, etc. but it gets them moving and going on it - not humming and hawing, you know? What I think is important is the time you give them overall before your wedding/final payment deadline so they can save, etc. We send invites mid May and final payment is due mid October, noone complained at all. 5 months to pay the payment, 8 months to our wedding.

My guests got 2.5 months, and even then they knew for a longer period of time it was going to happen (ie telling people it's in Mexico in January but before invites went out). That said, most people booked in the last week. My dad the last day. Was so annoying. My deadline was 2 weeks earlier than the TRUE deadline though - TA said July 18, but Air Canada said Aug 1 or something, so that was sneaky on her part! We had one person book after July 18 but of course was ok because they didn't know the wiser. Send the reminders so people know it's coming to an end for the pricing/holding a spot. Most of our guests were very thankful we reminded them.

@@TinkerSofi ... a party hotel with no one they know to party with! I have never been on a vacation with 40 people I know, we will be the freaking party! Don't need a party hotel for that.

We had it on our website but about 2 weeks before the deadline we email/texted/called everyone as a reminder. Then a week before we did it again! Thankfully everyone booked in time.

I thought nay too! Some ladies on here put them in baggies and gave a list of what they were. Obviously some are pretty self explanatory! Most people I know would just take a pill from me that I say is Tylenol if they asked, but since it's a gift I totally get it. Shut up! I was just on Staples website and didn't see anything (I am sure I was - god I have been on a lot of websites lately) Did you see one in Calgary who sells them? cause I will drive across the city if I have too lol. ETA: I went back to Staples and looked and yes they sell it, but it's all household type packing, nothing sample/individual size

I told my fiance that since we are using wedpics and everyone has a camera or iphone I think it is pretty useless but he wants them! We shall see who wins. I would rather spend that $50 on cameras on the hangover kits he know wants to do. I was not going to do the OOT, but now I have cups and will just fill those with some items. Yes or even Walmart would do them. I would have to assume so as you can still buy them! lol! To be honest I haven't checked but feel confident they would. Side question - I saw some brides on here buy large bottles of meds and divy them up in the small baggies. Yay or nay? I am not sure I want to do it, but it would sure help with cost and the ability to find things! Canada sucks for those sample sized things. Since I am putting the things in my cups, I thought - advil, hand sani, tums, pepto (maybe), gum, bandaids, and a treat. (haha assuming this will all fit in a tumbler) On my wedding website (and probably in my newsletter as well) I listed for people to make sure to bring pepto, immodium, rx, etc.

My fiance wants disposable cameras on the tables at the reception too!

If you were in Canada I would buy those wedges in a heartbeat! Although I may not be able to walk in them lol! I also love the dress. Your wedding is coming quick, congrats!

Good for you! I think sizing is pricey, no? I am actually scared to wear my ring around the resort during our trip, but also scared to leave it in the safe! If I wasn't getting married I would just leave it at home. I never bring valuables with me! Well except my ipad lol. I gave my little wish list, even though I had NO idea whatsoever he was going to propose. I was shocked. My list - princess cut, white gold, and no clusters. To be honest my first ring was 19k. When I changed it in you either get a straight exchange or you pay out. You don't get a refund. Since my ring was a lot less gold I would have lost $300 if I went with 19k and that made my fiance sick, so we got the platinum as a straight exchange.

LOL.... you got diamonds, I got platinum! I had my original one made smaller, but this one I ordered in the same size and it feels bigger. They said it was probably because there is a lot less band and a higher sitting diamond. Wish they would have said something, but with the band it feels good so I don't plan to re size it as the .5 size smaller has a hard time getting over my knuckle! Will have them sauttered (sp?) though. At the end of the day I think Spence is a great company, so friendly there and not pushy! My fiance's is from Ben Moss but only could find that design at the Cross Iron location. It was $375 I think! He wanted something noone else had and I think he delivered.

Thankfully my fiance doesn't. This guy we found has openings in September so we lucked out. I want the pictures by October for our pre-travel letter I am mailing out around Halloween. I am debating early or late September at this point. This is who we chose www.gathcityphotography.com His work looks nice, and again, price point was huge! so it's this or nothing! lol!

On my invites I put 'for all information and to RSVP please visit our website at -----' On my website I had all booking information, all pricing details, all the deadline, little tips/hints for travelling, and then our story, pictures, etc. The RSVP page had them list allergies, number of children, etc. I guess for me, while I know it's the TA job, I would rather my guests get the info from our website and only contact the TA if they are going to book. Numerous people said 'what's the price again? what's the dates again?' I couldn't have imagined them calling my TA each time they asked me that, so it was nice to refer them back to the wedding website. ETA: I also did my RSVP date the same as the booking deposit deadline.

Exactly, I totally agree!!! My gym friend is a fabulous photographer but her deal to me was $675. ummm no, just can't justify it. This guy said he does family and engagement photos - so I asked him if he would do what I wanted. He said he charges for his time not the type of shots and was really open to it. I actually asked a few who were as well. I generally wouldn't do it, but like I said originally we have no good shots of us. Won't happen again hehehehe

As the others have said, it really can be as inexpensive or expensive as you want it. It can be as basic or as formal as you want. It can be as small or as big as you want. If you are looking for something basic and nothing over the top you may find the smallest wedding packages offered by the resorts are enough for you - heck some resorts (like mine) offer them free depending on how many people you bring. Mine is free if you get 10 double rooms for 7 nights. The basic package at my resort includes some of the essentials, but only offers dinner/cake in the Ala Carte restaurant and no reception... so this idea would work for you based on what you wrote above. While mine is cheaper because I only have 42 guests, it is still costing us around $15,000. In Canada we would have had a lot more people and it would have cost a lot more money. So still a savings. I think you should seek out your destination, research resorts and their wedding packages and find one that best suits what YOU want for your wedding. Then go from there. Do whatever you want to do. Every lady on this board has a different idea in her mind of her ideal wedding. Sounds like you want something less formal and you will find it -- just start looking All will fall into place as you go! Happy planning!

hehe I have to be honest and say I don't know what you mean by airbrushing? I get my nails done and they use an airbrush there for some things, is this similiar? What is the difference between regular application and airbrush at the end of the day? my photographer is the resort chosen one and we didn't have to put down a deposit either. Makes me a little nervous but that's their policy!

I posted a pic of mine under 'show me your dress' second last page. Mine was $500 then tax. The beading on the middle part goes around the back and down the train. The picture I have does it no justice and I hope the photographer can make it show it's true beauty! @@travelgal78 the more I see your reception dress the more I kind of want to cut off my train. It seems it has a small one maybe?

@@TinkerSofi I am really late replying. I was really torn on this as I just looked at it as an added expense. In the end we decided to do it for a couple reasons - we have no good photos of us together (just iphone shots when out with friends, etc.). I want to include our photo on our pre-travel letters and at our wedding so I know we need some good ones. What I decided to do was this - do more of a family shoot. We will have some couples shots, some kids shots, and some family shots. Because we will get some of the kids, we plan to not get their school photos done which are way overpriced anyways! I went on Kijiji and sought out the cheaper alternatives and then picked from there. The guy we plan to book with charges $199 for 90 mins and gives you the edited pics on disc within 2 weeks. Since we are doing a lot of shots I don't mind going over the 90 mins. I think I can get what I want under $400 so I am happy. Must now go back and read all the responses to see what you chose to do hehe!

Calgary brides -- I got my Michaels email this morning and they have a new store opening in Airdrie with some 50% off one regular priced item. Airdrie is only a hop, skip, and a jump for me, so I don't mind driving there! If you don't get emails but want it, I can email it to you!

I am staying at the Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya which is about 25 mins from PDC and it has a chapel on the resort. Not sure if it is oceanview as I am not using it, but the pics are beautiful. Good luck!

I bought a garter for my 'something blue' but I want to keep it! Was thinking if I should buy two then? but the more I think about it, I only have 2 single friends going (both girls) so I will have fiance take it off (will be funny to watch/be apart of) but I will not toss it. Is that lame?

Glad they are coming in quick! I agree, they agreed to be in your wedding party and you aren't asking too much!!! Women hehe

No experience, I am just using my resort. But if they are apples vs apples and both get good reviews I would probably pick the cheaper one as well!

I just can't believe you are getting attitude, wow! I would have probably changed my BP by now because I hold grudges! I ordered my dresses in July and they won't come in until November, do you know how long theirs are going to take?