AlexisinJamaica's Secrets St. James 4.27.13 Planning Journal

We are leaving in 10 days (ack!) and I wanted a place to gather all of my projects and info to hopefully help out other brides. This site has been SO AMAZINGLY HELPFUL to me in my planning (I know everyone says that but it’s true) so now I just want to pay it forward! Like so many brides before me, I want to say a HUGE THANKS to Tammy for creating this amazing site!! Hope you all enjoy reading through this.

How We Met:

We met the way every girl imagines she’ll meet her future husband: at a bar on Valentine’s Day. (what? that's not actually a thing? oh well.) We’d both been dragged out to a bar by our friends and as luck would have it, when my girlfriend and I walked in the only available seats were next to Joe and his friends.  We struck up a conversation and the rest is history!

The Proposal:

I’m just going to paste what I wrote on our wedding website here.

As many of you know, Joe and Alexis met at a bar (shout out to Bigfoot West!) on Valentine's Day 2010. Years from now when they tell their children this story, "a bar" willl be changed to "church." Just go with it, please.

But back to our story...two years after that fateful meeting Joe and Alexis had plans to go to an anniversary dinner. Joe had made reservations at the Ritz Carlton in Marina del Rey and the couple arrived for their 7:30pm reservation right on time. When they were seated, they noticed that the menu was a prix fixe Valentine's Day menu with few options.  Alexis, being the picky eater that she is, glanced at the menu and didn't find anything that sounded good.  Joe apologized for not checking before making the reservation, but Alexis shrugged it off and assured him it was no big deal. (note from Alexis: Joe was getting really ruffled by this wrench in plans and I didn't understand why he was so upset, until a few hours later.) Joe asked the waiter if there was a way to order off of the regular menu instead. They were told no and decided to leave. Because no one tells Joe and Alexis they can only eat a steak or chicken, asparagus and a pot de creme!

Now they were in a bit of predicament. It was nearly 8 o'clock on Valentine's Day, they were starving and reservationless. But don't worry -- they didn't go home hungry. The siren call of what can only be described as a culinary miracle (what would you call a place with a 32-page menu?) beckoned and they found themselves just down the street at The Cheesecake Factory. They had a lovely dinner for 4 (only 2 meals but you've seen their portions, right?) and then Joe asked if Alexis would like to take a walk on the beach. Please keep in mind it was February. Alexis said "No. It's cold, I'm wearing heels and I'll have to take them off if we walk on the sand and I'm tired. Let's go home."  (note from Joe: you're killing me, woman.) Eventually Joe convinced Alexis to venture out on the beach for a short stroll, even though she stopped several yards in proclaiming they'd gone far enough. It was at that moment that Joe got down on one knee and said all sorts of lovely things that Alexis doesn't remember because she was too busy saying "what!? are you serious?  Get up! What are you doing?!"  Once the initial shock wore off, Alexis said yes. 

Although they met on Valentine's Day and got engaged on Valentine's Day, Joe and Alexis agreed they would not be getting married on Valentine's Day. This is not a romantic comedy, people! Also a movie called 'Valentine's Day' already came out, and it wasn't about Joe and Alexis.

Engagement photo

The Resort:

We will be married at Secrets St. James. We’ve never been to Jamaica but we’d heard fantastic things about the Secrets resorts. Secrets St. James/Wild Orchid is a relatively new addition to the Secrets family (only a few years old) so everything is fresh and modern. We also wanted something that was adults only. Secrets checked all the boxes so this was an easy decision!

Travel Agent:

We've been working with BDW's travel agency, Wright Travel, and our TA Barbara has been amazing to work with! She is super helpful and on top of things and is great about responding in a timely manner. It's really taken a lot of the stress of planning off of me since I don't have to field questions from guests about travel!

Rings:

Kind of hard to tell in the pic, but Joe's is a black tungsten band. Very simple but it's what he wanted!

Save the Dates:

I wanted to do something fun and different for our save the dates. I’d seen two examples of scratch-off STDs but never received one, plus I thought the idea of a scratch-off and coins could be fun for a destination wedding since we could remind guests to “save their pennies” in order to join us. Here is a link to my earlier post/tutorial on how to make these:

http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/81056/semi-diy-scratch-off-std-tutorial Pics are below!

Invitations:

I did not have the time or patience to create my own passport invitations like so many other BDW brides have done, and done beautifully. Instead I searched for some affordable passport options and came across a site (Beach Wedlock Invitations http://www.beachwedlockinvitations.com/beach-wedding-invitations-beach-invitations-passport-invitations-bonus-rsvpbr18790-p-1183.html?osCsid=812017e4408eb9619a8b1a4c94026d80) that made realistic looking passport invites for a very reasonable price. We got 100 invites + tear-off RSVP cards, pre-addressed return RSVP envelopes and gold-lined mailing envelopes + shipping for $295. They came with everything you see pictured. I just had to fold these up, loop on the gold cord (arrived pre-tied) and stuff them in the gold-lined envelopes. You can customize these with any colors you like and can use a color photo, I just happened to like this black and white photo of us so I used it. They also offer other cute passport covers that are more beachy-themed, but I liked the idea of these looking like real passports. The seller worked with me on several revisions until we had it just right and they were super fast. I'd recommend! http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/79993/post-pictures-of-your-invitations/50#post_1824752

Wedding Attire:

My dress (Jim Hjelm, sash from Etsy) Please excuse these pics-- they are pre-alterations/ironing!!

Jewelry (both Nadri, from Bloomingdale's)

Shoes. (DSW. Link to shoes: http://www.dsw.com/shoe/coconuts+holdenborn+sandal?prodId=265319&activeCats=dsw12cat1740004,dsw12cat1970014,dsw12cat750002) I'm normally in heels, or "stilts" as Joe likes to call them since I like 'em high, but we're doing the ceremony, cocktails and dinner/dancing on the beach so I opted for sparkly flats.

Joe's suit. So Joe decided last week he wanted to get an entirely different suit from the one he'd originally purchased. He ordered the suit and tie below from J. Crew. It hasn't arrived, so no pics of him in it. And no, I'm not freaking out that it's not here yet at all! (totally am.) He'll wear this with a white shirt and all-white vans.

Maid of Honor dress (David's Bridal) This looks more purple in person. I feel like it reads almost blue in the pics...

and I got her these matching barefoot sandals:

Colors and inspiration pics:

We're doing shades of purple with fuchsia for a pop of color and a bit of silver. Here's the inspiration board I've been using:

Logo I created for OOT bags, welcome letter, etc.:

Ceremony inspiration pic:

We're planning on having a cupcake tower like this (I even found those exact cupcake wrappers on Amazon) and a small cake so we have something to cut.

Gifts:

Groom gift for Joe

I got him a customized print from an Etsy seller that has our important dates: the day we met, our first date, the day we got engaged and our wedding date. OK this gift is partly for me cause now he'll never forget our anniversary! Haha. Here's the Etsy shop where I got it: http://www.etsy.com/listing/96369337/special-dates-near-and-dear-custom

I also got him a nice watch:

Maid of Honor:

This cute shirt from Wedding Chicks:

and:
- a bottle of her favorite wine
- necklace with her initial and birthstone
- a gift certificate for a mani/pedi at our favorite nail place
- we also paid for her dress that she'll be wearing at the wedding

Parents

customized hankies from Etsy

Still to come:

DIY projects

OOT bags

Etsy purchases

Hair and makeup

We are leaving in 10 days (ack!) and I wanted a place to gather all of my projects and info to hopefully help out other brides. This site has been SO AMAZINGLY HELPFUL to me in my planning (I know everyone says that but it’s true) so now I just want to pay it forward! Like so many brides before me, I want to say a HUGE THANKS to Tammy for creating this amazing site!! Hope you all enjoy reading through this.

How We Met:

We met the way every girl imagines she’ll meet her future husband: at a bar on Valentine’s Day. (what? that's not actually a thing? oh well.) We’d both been dragged out to a bar by our friends and as luck would have it, when my girlfriend and I walked in the only available seats were next to Joe and his friends.  We struck up a conversation and the rest is history!

The Proposal:

I’m just going to paste what I wrote on our wedding website here.

As many of you know, Joe and Alexis met at a bar (shout out to Bigfoot West!) on Valentine's Day 2010. Years from now when they tell their children this story, "a bar" willl be changed to "church." Just go with it, please.

But back to our story...two years after that fateful meeting Joe and Alexis had plans to go to an anniversary dinner. Joe had made reservations at the Ritz Carlton in Marina del Rey and the couple arrived for their 7:30pm reservation right on time. When they were seated, they noticed that the menu was a prix fixe Valentine's Day menu with few options.  Alexis, being the picky eater that she is, glanced at the menu and didn't find anything that sounded good.  Joe apologized for not checking before making the reservation, but Alexis shrugged it off and assured him it was no big deal. (note from Alexis: Joe was getting really ruffled by this wrench in plans and I didn't understand why he was so upset, until a few hours later.) Joe asked the waiter if there was a way to order off of the regular menu instead. They were told no and decided to leave. Because no one tells Joe and Alexis they can only eat a steak or chicken, asparagus and a pot de creme!

Now they were in a bit of predicament. It was nearly 8 o'clock on Valentine's Day, they were starving and reservationless. But don't worry -- they didn't go home hungry. The siren call of what can only be described as a culinary miracle (what would you call a place with a 32-page menu?) beckoned and they found themselves just down the street at The Cheesecake Factory. They had a lovely dinner for 4 (only 2 meals but you've seen their portions, right?) and then Joe asked if Alexis would like to take a walk on the beach. Please keep in mind it was February. Alexis said "No. It's cold, I'm wearing heels and I'll have to take them off if we walk on the sand and I'm tired. Let's go home."  (note from Joe: you're killing me, woman.) Eventually Joe convinced Alexis to venture out on the beach for a short stroll, even though she stopped several yards in proclaiming they'd gone far enough. It was at that moment that Joe got down on one knee and said all sorts of lovely things that Alexis doesn't remember because she was too busy saying "what!? are you serious?  Get up! What are you doing?!"  Once the initial shock wore off, Alexis said yes. 

Although they met on Valentine's Day and got engaged on Valentine's Day, Joe and Alexis agreed they would not be getting married on Valentine's Day. This is not a romantic comedy, people! Also a movie called 'Valentine's Day' already came out, and it wasn't about Joe and Alexis.

Engagement photo

The Resort:

We will be married at Secrets St. James. We’ve never been to Jamaica but we’d heard fantastic things about the Secrets resorts. Secrets St. James/Wild Orchid is a relatively new addition to the Secrets family (only a few years old) so everything is fresh and modern. We also wanted something that was adults only. Secrets checked all the boxes so this was an easy decision!

Travel Agent:

We've been working with BDW's travel agency, Wright Travel, and our TA Barbara has been amazing to work with! She is super helpful and on top of things and is great about responding in a timely manner. It's really taken a lot of the stress of planning off of me since I don't have to field questions from guests about travel!

Rings:

Kind of hard to tell in the pic, but Joe's is a black tungsten band. Very simple but it's what he wanted!

Save the Dates:

I wanted to do something fun and different for our save the dates. I’d seen two examples of scratch-off STDs but never received one, plus I thought the idea of a scratch-off and coins could be fun for a destination wedding since we could remind guests to “save their pennies” in order to join us. Here is a link to my earlier post/tutorial on how to make these:

http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/81056/semi-diy-scratch-off-std-tutorial Pics are below!

Invitations:

I did not have the time or patience to create my own passport invitations like so many other BDW brides have done, and done beautifully. Instead I searched for some affordable passport options and came across a site (Beach Wedlock Invitations http://www.beachwedlockinvitations.com/beach-wedding-invitations-beach-invitations-passport-invitations-bonus-rsvpbr18790-p-1183.html?osCsid=812017e4408eb9619a8b1a4c94026d80) that made realistic looking passport invites for a very reasonable price. We got 100 invites + tear-off RSVP cards, pre-addressed return RSVP envelopes and gold-lined mailing envelopes + shipping for $295. They came with everything you see pictured. I just had to fold these up, loop on the gold cord (arrived pre-tied) and stuff them in the gold-lined envelopes. You can customize these with any colors you like and can use a color photo, I just happened to like this black and white photo of us so I used it. They also offer other cute passport covers that are more beachy-themed, but I liked the idea of these looking like real passports. The seller worked with me on several revisions until we had it just right and they were super fast. I'd recommend! http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/79993/post-pictures-of-your-invitations/50#post_1824752

Wedding Attire:

My dress (Jim Hjelm, sash from Etsy) Please excuse these pics-- they are pre-alterations/ironing!!

Jewelry (both Nadri, from Bloomingdale's)

Shoes. (DSW. Link to shoes: http://www.dsw.com/shoe/coconuts+holdenborn+sandal?prodId=265319&activeCats=dsw12cat1740004,dsw12cat1970014,dsw12cat750002) I'm normally in heels, or "stilts" as Joe likes to call them since I like 'em high, but we're doing the ceremony, cocktails and dinner/dancing on the beach so I opted for sparkly flats.

Joe's suit. So Joe decided last week he wanted to get an entirely different suit from the one he'd originally purchased. He ordered the suit and tie below from J. Crew. It hasn't arrived, so no pics of him in it. And no, I'm not freaking out that it's not here yet at all! (totally am.) He'll wear this with a white shirt and all-white vans.

Maid of Honor dress (David's Bridal) This looks more purple in person. I feel like it reads almost blue in the pics...

and I got her these matching barefoot sandals:

Colors and inspiration pics:

We're doing shades of purple with fuchsia for a pop of color and a bit of silver. Here's the inspiration board I've been using:

Logo I created for OOT bags, welcome letter, etc.:

Ceremony inspiration pic:

We're planning on having a cupcake tower like this (I even found those exact cupcake wrappers on Amazon) and a small cake so we have something to cut.

Gifts:

Groom gift for Joe

I got him a customized print from an Etsy seller that has our important dates: the day we met, our first date, the day we got engaged and our wedding date. OK this gift is partly for me cause now he'll never forget our anniversary! Haha. Here's the Etsy shop where I got it: http://www.etsy.com/listing/96369337/special-dates-near-and-dear-custom

I also got him a nice watch:

Maid of Honor:

This cute shirt from Wedding Chicks:

and:
- a bottle of her favorite wine
- necklace with her initial and birthstone
- a gift certificate for a mani/pedi at our favorite nail place
- we also paid for her dress that she'll be wearing at the wedding

Parents

customized hankies from Etsy

Still to come:

DIY projects

OOT bags

Etsy purchases

Hair and makeup

Alexis - your story of your engagement cracked me up! I can't wait to see how everything comes together. The resort looks amazing, and your inspiration pics are fab. 

Alexis - your story of your engagement cracked me up! I can't wait to see how everything comes together. The resort looks amazing, and your inspiration pics are fab. 

Alexis....great planning thread!!! I am so excited for you.Can't wait to see your pictures...

Alexis....great planning thread!!! I am so excited for you.Can't wait to see your pictures...

alexis, amazing job putting this all together!!

alexis, amazing job putting this all together!!

You rock Alexis! Great detail thus far, I'm in panic mode and I still have 2 months to go. 

You rock Alexis! Great detail thus far, I'm in panic mode and I still have 2 months to go.