081114OVCUBA

@krystalxoxo I replied to your post in other forum Hey Everyone, Husband and I just got back from our DW at the OV, it was AMAZING!!! Review to come soon, hopefully - waiting to find out how to add resort to review section. Any questions about this resort please let me know and I would be happy to share any info/knowledge/photos I have

@@krystalxoxo My Husband and I just got back from our DW at the OV, it was AMAZING. The day was perfect, I couldn't have imagined it any better. I am so happy with the resort overall - for a all around great vacation, nice room, nice property layout, friendly service, good food, and the main reason for our trip - a great wedding experience! I just posed a forum thread to find out how to add a resort for review (since OV isn't listed yet), as soon as I can post a full review I definitely will! Do you have any specific questions I can help you out with until I can post a review?

Hey Everyone, I just got back from my amazing DW in Varadero, Cuba at the Ocean Varadero El Patriarca Resort. I'd like to post a review on my experiences - to praise some of the amazing staff who went above and beyond, add a couple tidd bits of advice (the wish I would have known...), and maybe a word of caution or two. When I went to the 'Resort Reviews' tab there were only 2 resorts listed in Cuba, neither the one where I was wed. How do I add a new resort? Is this even possible? Thanks

I know this is an old thread, too, but here is our script in case anyone is currently looking, its a combination of several found on here and online: Sand Ceremony (After vows and rings but before the pronunciation of Husband/wife and kiss) _____(Groom) & _______(Bride), As you stand beside the ocean, may your love always be as constant as the tide; waves flowing endlessly from the depths of the sea. Just as water is the eternal force of life, so is love. Love is the force that allows us to face fear and uncertainty with courage. You have just sealed your relationship by the giving and receiving of rings. But although you will be sharing one life, never forget that you are two separate people. Cherish and affirm your differences. Love each other. Keep your commitment primary. Together you will laugh and cry, be sick and well, be happy and angry, share and grow. We now celebrate _____(Groom) and _____(Bride)'s union with a symbolic sand ceremony. (Sand Ceremony Table brought over by ________) First, we will ask the Bride’s and Groom’s parents (B&G parents come up) to pour sand from this beautiful beach where _____(Groom) and _____(Bride) stand today as they commit their lives to each other, representing the strong foundation of their relationship. (B&G parents pour sand) This foundation includes their families, their upbringing, and all the important steps on their journeys that led them to be who they are today. This foundation will support them in their love as they grow and change together. (B&G parents be seated) _____(Groom) and _____(Bride), today you are making a lasting commitment to share the rest of your lives with each other. This commitment is symbolized through the pouring and combining of these of these individual containers of sand. Each container represents the separate journeys you once were on. (B&G take turns pouring/layering sand) Each of you comes to this relationship with unique strengths, vulnerabilities, and histories. As individuals, you are beautiful people all on your own. Yet when the two of you are blended together, you form something even more beautiful. Those strengths can blossom and those vulnerabilities cared for. They also represent your own sets of friends and families, which until today were apart from each other. Each one holds its own unique beauty, strength, and character. They can stand on their own and be whole, without need of anything else. However when these two are blended together they create and entirely new and extraordinarily more intricate entity, as symbolized by the new blended colour. (Both B&G pour sand together) As the sand has blended together, your lives too are joined. Your once solitary journeys have become one of companionship, as you now set forth on a single path together into your future. Your friends and family are as one as well. You will now share those who are a part of your lives as you walk hand-in-hand. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual vases, so will the love and bond between the two of you render you inseparable.

I know this is an old thread but still applicable for anyone else looking for ideas, I think. We are having our Notary Public do the reading and in the background we are playing Spencer Durham's Sand Ceremony Song. Available here: http://www.sandceremonysongs.com/shop

@@Lilian84 I think we have a lot in common! I ordered a custom dress online, from eBay, direct from a factory in China. I was really nervous at first but it turned out AMAZING. It was just under $150 with shipping and had $55 bill from seamstress for a couple of minor alterations (adding a train pick up/bustle, steaming, minor tweaks here and there)! I most definitely was NOT going to spend more on shoes than I did on my dress, just couldn't do it LOL. (love that shoe site though - if you knew EXACTLY what you wanted and couldn't find it, what better then to have it made -so long as you are ok with the price tag lol) I kept searching for the right shoes and figured I'd just end up going barefoot (but then decided the sand might be way too *&%%^$^% hot at 2pm). Then a couple weeks ago, not looking for shoes at all... I was in Walmart and found the PERFECT pair! They are silvery metallic, flip flop style top with rhinestone jewels on the straps, and have a bit of a wedge heel! They are not full wedges, but they are soo cute! For $20 I think I got a steal of a deal! I just snapped a quick pic of them - attached. I also bought these cute flip flops for after the ceremony that leave 'just married' imprinted in the sand: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Just-Married-White-Bride-Flip-Flops-Something-Blue-Wedding-Bridal-Shower-Gift-/400408844478?pt=US_Women_s_Shoes&var=&hash=item5d3a3a18be

Whoops LOL It was listed under new content (I guess because it had your post Lilian84), I didn't even think to check... Extra post... Doubt I'll ever make it to 150 at this rate, certainly not before the wedding anyway, trying!

@@KJT1985 We were in the same boat and were not sure how to handle this either! What we ended up deciding was we were going to cover the cost for anyone staying off resort and coming to our wedding. It is only $65US/pass at the resort we are staying at and we figured most would stay at the same resort. Our guest list ended up not being that big anyway (30) so it wouldn't have been as big of an extra cost for us as a larger wedding group. This may have changed our minds too! We encouraged everyone to stay at the same resort, and provided lots of information about it and what it had to offer. We did not let anyone know there would be the extra fee or advertise that we would pay it. The only reason anyone would stay at another place would be the cost, since we chose a fairly expensive resort. We decided that we completely would support anyone's decision to stay at a less expensive option (especially if it meant they could come vs not come) and since it was quite the expense already we would just pay for it. I agree with the other responses, you should make it as easy as possible for your family to join you - for sure for your cousin I would pick up the cost regardless of what you choose for the rest of the guests. Hope this helps!

@@MJTK Sorry, I can't see your uploads since I'm still a noob (working on getting to 150 posts lol); But, I did take a look at the site, wow they have a HUGE selection! I didn't look at all of them on Print Canada but some seem to have a drop down menu with different colour options for the same style.This heart print on fabric style comes in Oasis and Aqua Blue as well as pink (but no orange though): https://www.printcanadastore.com/products/contemporary-hearts-fan Totally understand the paper vs fabric stance. If you want them to last a bit longer and hold up to the humidity of a DW, the fabric might be a safer option. It would for sure travel better and not be prone to ripping etc like the paper ones might. I looked on tonnes of sites trying to figure out our favors and I don't remember seeing much in orange. Our colours are Dark Blue (close to Navy) and Fushia, with a hint of orange. It's been tough to incorporate the orange! I've ended up making labels with our logo/date and sticking those on items that I liked and homemade items which didn't have the colour scheme we were going for. I think it has turned out ok. If you went to pink or simply to a traditional white, it would be really easy to find them, and cheap... Unfortunately you may be stuck paying for what you really want... It will be beautiful, either way!

Hey Everyone We got ours at Michaels with a 25% off everything coupon, usually the 40% off coupon is only good for one item/person/day. I downloaded their app on my cell phone and checked thr coupon page regularly, as soon as there was the 25% off everything one I went and bought everything I needed (sand, garters, glow sticks, etc). The bracelets come in packs of 12 and they are regular price $1.50/pack. They always have lots of these ones. They also have different sizes for necklaces etc, reasonable prices (but better with a coupon!) I bought the Michaels bracelet glow sticks before, for a Girl Guide camp, and they lasted ALL night.

@@simplequestion How devastating and painful this must be for the bride. I can't imagine going through that alone never mind at what is supposed to be such a happy and magical time. Just thinking about her grief is heat wrenching. Were you her MOH? If you are one of her closest friends I would say her friendship and supporting her should be the biggest priority(IMHO). It might be good for her to get away from everything and take the trip too, or it might be way to soon, I'd go with what ever she is doing - she needs her friends now than ever. If you weren't the MOH or one of her very close friends and she will have lots of people there already around her to support her, I would just go! You can reach out to those around her and talk about this, they might be able to let you know what others are doing etc. If you have trip cancelation insurance, you might have it on a credit card and not even know about it, you should be able to rebook for another time or get a full refund due to these extenuating circumstances.

@@MJTK I ordered some custom shot glasses from Print Canada, but they sell all sorts of other wedding favors too - including fans! They have really good prices (IMHO), offer qty/volume discounts, and also have incredibly reasonable shipping rates. They were really nice to work with, friendly and quick responses, and best of all shipping is from within Canada so no extra customs/duties charges. Check them out here: https://www.printcanadastore.com/products/wedding-bridal/wedding-fan-favors I hope you find what you are looking for!

I never thought of this! I would have got extras intentionally! We ended up using all but one which I am going to scrap book, same with @@LauraM we had some last minute add ins. If anyone does get a reply/surprise guest - Please, please, please share pictures

@@Lilian84 Thank you and Congratulations on your engagement as well! I wish I would have found this site earlier on in my planning (resort and date selected in December 2013) there are great people on here and really good information. I'm so lucky to have a FI who is flexible and very open to new ideas, he comes from a more traditional and religious background but to my surprise he is not set in any specific ways. (other then it wasn't cool for him to be walked down the aisle by both his parents lol) It has been a really awesome experience planning the wedding, even after 6 years together he can still surprise me with little things and keep me smiling. I love your signature, I feel blessed this way too. Yes, 9 days until the wedding, 5 days until we fly out of here, so.... 4 days left to finish packing! Its Tetris time Thank goodness we are each aloud 2 suitcases - I completed filled two with wedding stuff alone, hehe.