Wafflesmom

Update So our final payments were due yesterday and our final guest count is 23 guests, including Der and I. The last two weeks have been really stressful waiting for all the payments and trying to see if we still qualified for the wedding perks. We were basically at the cusp of whether we qualified for unlimited private events or not. One of our guests waited till the very end to decide if she was going or not and she was the deciding factor regarding our perks. If she went, we would be at 77 room nights (yay) but if she cancelled, well then we would be at 70 (below the 75 and up night requirement to qualify). So preparing for the worst, Der and I did a cost analysis to figure out which would be the most cost efficient, extending our stay to reach the required room nights, or pay for the private events (at 70 nights we were still eligible for one 2-hour private event or one cocktail hour). I priced it out and both came up to almost the same price, except extending our stay was in Canadian funds while the other was in US funds. So Der and I discussed our options and we thought that if it came down to it, extending our stay would be the best option. Not only would it be the cheaper option, we would also be able to benefit from it and have a mini-moon. So yesterday I get the dreaded email from my friend, she's cancelling. So yup, Der and I are now extending our trip. At first I was a little bummed that we had to do it but by the end of the day, I got excited. Why was I feeling bad, Der and I get to enjoy the beach and sunshine longer! Not a bad option if you ask me. Since private events at Palace resorts have a minimum 25 guest requirement, as per the sound advice of @ I contacted our WC, Yanet right away to make sure that we were still ok. I said that we were willing to pay the extra plates to make it to 25. Our WC (who is awesome by the way) immediately sent me a message that we were still good to have our private events Now that we have our numbers, I can work finalize our place cards, OOT bags and table arrangements. At 64 days till our wedding, I'm gonna be a busy woman. Stand by for lots of updates in the lead up to our wedding P.S. Our TA has since gotten a lot better. Thanks @@vancouverpetunia and @@maddjax for reassuring me that it would all be ok

@@calgarybride2015 I'm so glad I chose to follow the instructor and not get cocky about weights. I would have died lol! You have such a hectic schedule so don't be hard on yourself. Stay strong though and keep Cuba in the back of your head when you have cravings for bad food And congrats on 11lbs, that's awesome! Snug jeans are so uncomfortable so yay to weight-loss

So this week has been a good week for me in terms of workouts and diet. My bridal party and I completed our first barre class last Sunday and OMG it was awesome! The first 15 minutes were all about arms using light weights (2lb and 3lbs). At first I laughed at the weights but I am so glad I didn't get anything heavier. The instructor basically had us keep our arms up doing various arm exercises the whole time. There would be times we'd do bicep curls (and pulse for 8 counts), then on to triceps, and it kept going for 15 minutes. After that, we did 30 minutes of leg work. I had to close my eyes a few times to get through the pain. My calves were super sore until yesterday! After we did 10 minutes of abs (yay) and 5 to stretch. Would I do it again? YUP So we all had so much fun that my bridal party and I are now doing a weekly (Sunday) workout class together (different ones) to get fit for the wedding. It's a great way to get in shape while counting down to the wedding. This Sunday we're doing interval training at one of the community centres and then I think we're doing yoga the week after. On top of that, I've maintained my meal prep which has been so good for me, both health-wise and financially. I continued with my normal workout routine of bootcamp (Monday and yesterday), and pilates today. I opted out of pilates on Tuesday as my calves were in so much pain. Thought a rest day would be good, especially since I wanted to make sure I could make it out for bootcamp the following day. As for wedding-related accomplishments, we picked up Der's suit. It's ready to go, pressed and altered Our final payments are due today and it's been such a big cause of stress for me. For those who follow my thread, my TA has gotten significantly better and I'm much happier with him now. So goals for the upcoming week: - continue to meal prep - continue normal workout routine (2x bootcamp and 2x pilates) - add an additional workout routine with the bridal party - finalize guest count so as to finalize all vendor POs - make final payment on Moon Palace PO - make final payment for the trip - with finalized guest count, finish OOT bags That should keep me busy! LOL How are you all doing?

Oh I'm so sorry to hear you've had a rough weekend, hugs and positivity coming your way from Vancouver. Good for you for putting your foot down and confronting that annoying groomsman. Ugggh, I was so annoyed while reading your post. He's got some nerve demanding things. Just shut up and go with the flow buddy. No one's gonna care what label he's wearing anyways, he does know that he's not the focus of the wedding right? And I'm sorry to hear about the complications with Sean's dad. That's so frustrating that it would just come up now. I hope it all works out and he can still make it Good call on the wine!

Thanks for all the support ladies! Apparently this travel agency has had quite the shake up, three of us on this forum have been affected. I'm just hoping he doesn't screw up anymore. I have three days left till final payments are done, I can't wait till it's done!!!!!

Hi Jess! I've booked LatinAsia to do the decor for our ceremony and reception. I have their catalogue with pics and prices on my laptop at home. I will send them to you tonight. Let me know if you need other brochures too like Djs, hair and makeup, etc And don't worry about trip pricing. We booked over a year in advance and our quoted price is still better than what I'm seeing online. And we're less than 3 months from the wedding date

I know you'll do well @@vancouverpetunia, and do you know why I'm so certain? It's because your consciously planning healthy alternatives to your trips and already making a conscious effort to stay on track. Most, including me would just consider it a freebie and that trips are a good excuse to cheat. The fact that you are planning says a lot. You are so motivated and I'm here to support you On a personal note, I'm just in the hospital now and I've just finished with my colonoscopy. Everything looks great, woohoo!

@@maddjax I'm with Liz Moore Destination Weddings. Are you?

Thanks @@deecol I was shocked when my brother told me his wife was charged without her consent. I've sent off a scathing email to the company saying that I went with their company to alleviate wedding planning stress, not to add to it.

Just pm'd you @@vancouverpetunia, we have/had the same TA

Omg I'm starting to get stressed out! So my TA suddenly left the travel company I was dealing with and I found out just this Monday. So obviously not ideal that I'm dealing with someone new so close to final payments (due Nov 19) but I rolled with the punches. Well the new TA has started charging people's cards without authorization and I'm now getting all these calls from guests

Welcome back!!! How are you and Mike doing in your new home? I love your bridesmaid's dress. I wore satin to a destination wedding (I was part of the bridal party) and wasn't hot in it at all. Mind you, that was in April. I hope it's not as pinky as it looks In the pic by it's gorgeous P.S. You still have plenty of time to plan so don't freak out

@@deecol you're doing so well with the workouts! And thank you for that honest review. My brother and his wife did the military diet before their wedding. They did it longer than3 days so maybe they weren't as strict? I did think they were crazy but I guess we all do crazy things before our weddings lol @ vancouverpetunia im sure you've gained muscle mass after all the workouts. You've been doing so well, so proud of you and your motivation! @@calgarybride2015 you're gonna look hot in Cuba!! As for me, I'm so sorry for the lack of updates. I've been doing well with meal planning (@@yycbride2016 my wallet does thank me for this) and I've been keeping up with my workouts. Our bootcamp sessions have been so hard lately, I love it! I did miss a few workouts last week because of work but made up for it by eating better. Yesterday, I treated myself to a cheat meal, all you can eat sushi. I thought it was the perfect time to indulge since I have my colonoscopy tomorrow (sorry in advance, this is TMI). So today is prep day when I basically don't eat all day, just drink clear liquids and set up camp in the washroom lol. My dad and grandfather died of colon cancer so we all have to be tested every 5 years. So at least I'm expecting weight loss from this lol. I'm gonna be out of commission for the next few days but am planning to get back on track after. My bridal party and I are all trying a barre workout on Sunday so I'll let you know how that goes. On top of that I'm also going to keep ,y regular schedule of 2 bootcamp sessions and 2 Pilates. I'm at less than three months and have to keep at it!

I love your dress, it's gorgeous! It looks like you've successfully crossed off a lot on your list, yay!!! As for your mom, I really do hope it all goes well for her. I agree with your decision for now in that traveling may not be best for her. Her health is so important and at least she'll get to see you legally get married. Plus, she can always watch your wedding online. She's your mom, she'll always be with you

I love your teaser pics!!! I didn't know Karla Delarosa was his assistant? I love her pics too Your review (or start of it) is so helpful, thank you for taking the time to write it. I'm definitely not Looking forward to the airport. I'm claustrophobic so the number of people scares me!

I'm so sorry I've missed so much on your board. Your rings look beautiful together and you got such a fpgreat price for them. I also love your legal wedding outfit idea. I'm such a sucker for tulle right now! As for cancellations and undecided guests, unfortunately it's a common theme among destination brides. I'm going through this now as our final payments are due exactly a week from today. People you think would be there, or even those who have placed deposits all of a sudden cancel, it gets a little disheartening after awhile I'm with Air Transat and our perks were pretty good. I think @@calgarybride2015 flew with air Canada, she would know the perks

I think Sean looks great in both but prefer the darker grey one. The light one looks almost beige though it may just be the photo. I can see what you mean about it kinda washing him out but it still looks good on him. At least either option looks good, one less thing to stress about

@@Sam1214 yes, we went through a travel agent. Actually our TA is a destination wedding specialist and helped us get quotes from all the airlines (Sunwing, Transat, Westjet and Air Canada), and she also liaised with Palace to secure our wedding contract. She's been wonderful with answering our guest's questions and has been sending out reminders for final payments. She made everything so seamless! I highly recommend going through a TA (I think almost every bride here shares that sentiment).

@@Danielle1 I'm actually gonna be happier when our guests' final payments are made. I've been so stressed out with people canceling or backing out last minute. @@maddjax we're staying at the Sunrise section. You? Our big day is Jan 23. Yiu and I just miss our big days, we leave on the 26th we'll have a celebratory toast in between though

Wow, you both look so happy, congratulations to the both of you!. And you look stunning in your dress

Hi @@Sam1214 I'm a Moon Palace Bride! I've never actually been there but the size of the resort and the number and variety of activities offered is what sold us on booking there. I'd be happy to share my experiences with you, though at this point it would be more regarding the planning aspect. Our wedding is on January 23, 2016 so I can share a more detailed review after. @ is also a fellow Palace bride (Beach Palace) but has been to Moon and has been such a great help with my wedding planning

We're all here to support you in any way we can Hoping the thoughts and prayers across Canada will help! As for the stress, I'm sure Sean understands that you don't mean to take it out on him. You're so organized and I'm certain you both will be able to tackle your list in no time! And I'm glad spa appointments and shopping is planned for your bachelorette. You deserve some R&R

Oh hun, I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. Big hugs to you. I hope for the very best for her and am also hoping for a speedy recovery so she can make it to Mexico. It's so nice that you're going to make your Legal ceremony a little more than you were planning so she can partake in it. Your numbers are great, I'm so jealous! As for your WC, that's so frustrating! I hope she gets back to you soon And your bachelorette sounds so fun! Can't wait to hear the shenanigans that will happen in Niagara lol

@@Danielle1 I got it on the 23rd. Yanet sent it to me exactly 3 months from our wedding date to celebrate the countdown. She's so sweet, and really quick to respond to changes. It only took a week to get everything right, and really only minor revisions

@@krystalball thank you so much! I highly recommend trying on veils. I honestly didn't think a veil would look good since I tried one initially and hated it. Make sure you bring all your jewellery too so you know exactly what it will look like together. The moment she put that veil on me, I felt even more bridal. I didn't even think I was missing anything, yet I completed the whole look @ maddjax thank you so much. When are you going to be there again? We should definitely meet up for drinks!