vancouverpetunia

Well, the new TA seems alright. She's been responsive to my emails and just emailed to our group about the final payment deadline in early December (well, I know at least 3 of us have received them). So that's a relief and hopefully everything goes smoothly. We had dinner last night with Jeff's family. It was his dad's birthday and his parents' 40th anniversary. 5 of the 6 of us are going to Mexico (his brother-in-law will stay home with their kids - unfortunately the whole family can't afford to come). It was fun to talk about the trip and listen to them discuss the things they want to do and the research they've done on the area. They are excited! I picked up our rings today. Whoo-hoo! I know I already posted pix, but those weren't the real deal, so I'm posting again Oh, and we booked our honeymoon resorts. I've already mentioned we are flying from Cancun to Costa Rica. The first three days will be at Tulemar, a resort with a private beach, on the Pacific side of the country near Manuel Antonio National Park. The second three days will be at Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Hotel & Spa, in the interior, up in the hills. Our last night will be near the airport (not booked yet). We're really excited about the trip! Maybe even more excited than about the wedding?!?

I agree with @@calgarybride2015. The hardest part of our wedding so far was picking the resort, so you are not alone. And, yes, if you can, try another TA, and make sure they specialize in DWs. I'm sure there's a few ladies here who would recommend someone in the Toronto area. @@deecol, @@snswedding2016, @, @@veryvalentine, @@acw271011, @@Meandhim, @@JoannaBanana (Not sure if all of you ladies had TAs and whether you would recommend them - but there's got to be at least one out of this group who has/had a good TA.) Also, to keep it simple, you may want to stick with all-inclusive packages (if that wasn't already your plan). I think, other than Mexico & Cuba, you are most likely to find good options for that in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. Although I hear Jamaica is more expensive. Good luck!

Hi ladies, It's been a while since I checked in. I've been working out like a maniac last week and this week. Despite that, I gained a pound last week. But it's just a pound and maybe it's muscle! LOL. I am away for work again next week, so I will be struggling to eat well and workout. Trying to get a jumpstart on it now. I will take workout gear and do my best, though. Hoping my hotel rooms have a little fridge so I can just buy some yogurt & fruit for breakfast, rather than eat at the restaurant. Not much else to report... hope you are all doing well! Erin

I've been to Italy once, but only to the Tuscany area, so I'm not that familiar with travel times to the other locations you mentioned. It does sound like a lot for 2 weeks, in my opinion, but everyone has their own preference. I can vouch for Siena and Florence - both wonderful. Siena you only really need a day. Florence could definitely be a few days. I highly recommend the Uffizi and Accademia (Michelangelo) galleries. And the Duomo (church) is amazing. There are lovely hilltop towns all through Tuscany that are worth exploring (and drinking wine!). San Gimignano is probably the most famous and is gorgeous. We actually stayed there and took day trips around the area. I wouldn't recommend Pisa. The leaning tower is cool, but the city is kind of a dump. Happy planning!

@@JamieDonna - Where are you and the majority of your guests flying from? Toronto? That will have an impact on cost. Getting from the West Coast to the Caribbean can be pretty pricey, so hopefully you are East Coast. Unfortunately I don't really have anything to suggest, as I've only been to Mexico myself. Other than Curacao, which is beautiful. Also, are you working with a travel agent? A TA should be able to help you find a few resorts that fit your needs and your budget, which would narrow down your choices.

Wow you are really knocking things off the list. Good for you! Sorry to hear that you don't have a solid update on your mom yet. It does sound like it might be better to be safe than sorry, given medical insurance, etc. Which sucks, but like you said her health is most important. Hang in there!

I stayed at the fairmont a number of years ago for a work conference. The resort is beautiful and the staff went above and beyond for our event. But I don't recall much in terms of nightlife. We hung out at a bar one night and that's about all I remember. It seemed very quiet at night. Then again, we had lots of planned evening events to attend, so maybe I was just occupied with those and didn't notice other stuff going on around the resort. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@@snswedding2016 Sorry to hear about your mom. I hope you get some good news from the doctor. My fingers are crossed that she can go to Mexico. You are so organized and your list is really thorough. It will all come together, even if there are some tears... To be expected, especially with the added stress of your mom's health. Sending you big hugs!!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@@ashhtayy Sounds like you are super busy! I haven't been on the site much myself. Life gets in the way! [emoji4] The dress is beautiful. Love the back. Can you get a swatch of the fabric in blush or can you find a blush dress at another store? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ack! Just got an email that my TA is on an immediate leave of absence for personal reasons and someone else is taking over. Final payments are due in exactly one month. Hope this transition goes smoothly!

@@nkavanaugh - Two jobs?!? I can't keep up and I only have one job Hope everything is going well for you, despite the craziness!

Congratulations! Can't wait to see pix [emoji4] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@@calgarybride2015 Sorry to hear about your week, Kim. That's a lot of change and stress all at once. I hope things calm down soon. Glad you are doing your best to stay on track with nutrition and exercise where possible. Keep it up! @@maybeoneday Welcome home and congratulations!!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@@Nichole0878 Great tips. I wish you a wonderful wedding day in paradise!

Wow you have made a ton of progress. Good work! The table settings look beautiful. I"m sure your WC will do a good job of interpreting - it seems most of them do. Sorry, can't help with the videographers. I would suggest having a professional photographer though. I'm sure your uncle takes nice shots, but if he's not professional, I'm not sure he will have the experience to capture those unexpected moments (rather than just lining up the obligatory shots of the wedding party, etc.). At least that's what I think

I walked past this and thought of you ladies when I was in Toronto about 2 weeks ago... Crap... don't know why it's sideways...

Hope you had an amazing day! Looking forward to hearing all about it when you get back

@@acw271011 You look beautiful! So glad everything came together for you. But sucks about the job Glad you have a positive outlook though.

Wow! It's been a month since I last posted an update. I've managed to knock quite a few things off the list in the last month, even though it doesn't really feel like it. Invitations and reminder email sent. We've only had one update in terms of attendees since sending the invitations. Someone confirming that they will not attend (they were a maybe). Otherwise, no change so far. I don't expect much to change though. Our payment deadline is early December which should solidify most guests. I was in Toronto for work, so stayed the weekend to visit with my sister & her kids. While I was there, my sister and I went to David's to try on different styles, etc. so she can find what she wants to order from Azazie.com. We were both surprised that she liked and looked best in some strapless dresses, so trying to find something similar on Azazie. My other BM ordered her dress this week (same as the one above). We're almost ready to book honeymoon resorts. Last weekend, Jeff and I both took 3 days to chill out and get some wedding stuff done. We usually only have 1 day together over the weekend, so 3 days felt like a week! We spent Saturday picking out our wedding bands - which was quite easy, actually. Then we went to the Bay and registered. And then we had a really nice dinner at the Keg (using gift certificates!). It was a really nice day Here are photos of our rings (the sample rings at Spence). Jeff's is pretty simple. My engagement ring is probably actually an anniversary ring. It doesn't have a "feature" diamond, really. I love it for it's simplicity and because it's low profile. But I wanted to some more bling, so I got channel set diamonds to add to the sparkle BTW, I'm really behind on reading other threads and responding to things. Work has been crazy and it feels like I have no time for anything lately!

@@deecol I'm really sorry to hear about your Nonno. Something like that certainly disrupts your schedule. But you will get back on track. Hope you are starting to feel better. I'm so sorry for your loss. @@yycbride2016 So there's no flour or anything in the pancake? Just the protein powder? Interesting... I will have to give it a shot! I haven't been on track this week, but no good excuses. We took a long weekend together, so I didn't work out over the weekend and then I have an appt Friday morning, so not able to hit the gym then. I will probably be a few workouts short this week. Which is unfortunate because I need to combat what I ate yesterday! I had an all-day meeting and I was soooo good to start. Didn't have any of the pastries, even had my veggies as a snack and ate my own lunch. And then the desserts and Halloween candy showed up LOL. I really pigged out. And then we went out for dinner with friends where we had sangria, wine and lots of Spanish tapas, which are anything but low fat. Oh well. Sh*t happens.

@@jes0912 Yay another Vancouver bride! Congrats on finalizing your resort. Now the fun begins [emoji4] Your mood boards look amazing. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I haven't read a review of our resort since we signed the paperwork. Ignorance is bliss lol. I'm sure everything will be fine (and even amazing). Reviews are a bit like figure skating scores. Always throw out the top and the bottom scores to get closer to reality [emoji6] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@@acw271011 Glad to hear you had a wonderful day. Congrats on your anniversary. [emoji4] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@@yycbride2016 Your dress looks beautiful and I love the jewelry [emoji4] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Safe travels and happy wedding day Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk