Megan's June 2013 Azul Sensatori Planning Journal - LONG with LOTS of DIY and PICS

Well, like most every bride says- It's MY turn! I literally almost can't believe it. I am so excited to share with you ladies all the fun projects and planning I have done for my June 28, 2013 wedding at Azul Sensatori in the Riviera Maya, MX. 

Of course, I must first start by saying THANK YOU to all the wonderful ladies here on this forum. Without you all and this forum planning my destination wedding would have been nearly impossible!

Alright, I have LOTS to share, so let's get down to it....

Our Story and Engagement:

Boy and Girl Meet:

Dan and I met in chiropractic school in Marietta, Ga in 2006. He says the first day he saw me he knew he wanted to be with me, but it wasn’t in the cards for us until 4 years later in 2010. 

For four years we grew a strong friendship with each other and many others that we went to school with. We had every class together, and enjoyed studying together for quizzes, tests, and national board exams. Romantically we had other people in our lives, but we continued to build a friendship. In the fall of 2009 we started to become even closer and at this point we were both single.

Boy and Girl Fall in Love:

By early 2010 we began dating. We took the relationship very slow, and just enjoyed each other’s company. Dan would come visit me at work, come over to my house and watch movies with me, take me out to lunch, and all kinds of fun things. 

From the very beginning the thing I loved so much about Dan was how genuine he is. Even throughout our friendship this is a quality that I admired about him. He is the sweetest man and has always been very good at expressing his feelings for me. 

In June of 2010 we graduated from chiropractic school together. Whoooo! Finally doctors after all that hard work! The week leading up to graduation is where our relationship really took off. We spent every single day together and with our other friends. We went to one last Braves game, we hung out at the pool all day, we played games, we went tubing down the good ol’ Chattahoochee River, we went to our awards ceremony...all kinds of fun things. It was during this week that I truly began to love Dan. 

That Saturday, June 18th, 2010 we graduated together. The next morning I packed up a truck and moved to New Jersey. We didn’t really know where we would go from here or if anything would ever work out for us in the long term. I didn’t even know when I would see him again.

That summer Dan was in a wedding of a close friend of ours, Brian. The wedding was in Ohio, and Dan had some interviews in Pennsylvania ranging from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia. We talked every day and began to realize that we missed each other and wanted to see each other. Dan planned to come pick me up in NJ and spend a few days with me. 

On June 29th, he picked me up at my sister, Desiree’s, house in Titusville and we headed for the shore! We spent the whole day at the beach and then headed into NYC to meet up with our friends Matt and Alex. Matt had just graduated with us and moved back to the city. We had a really nice night in the city and that was the day we decided to make our relationship “official.†

That summer took us all over the place! We spent time at my parent's house in Newton, NJ. We spent time in NYC with Matt and Alex. We went to the shore a few times. We spent time at Desiree’s house, and we even traveled all the way back down south to spend time with Dan's parents and family in North Carolina. We had a LOT of fun.

I had a job lined up in Brooklyn, NY for months, but it fell through at the last minute. Dan was looking for jobs in Pennsylvania and NYC and we got to the point where we started realizing how badly we wanted to be together. We had fallen in love, and finding jobs near each other suddenly became more important than anything else. 

We were in luck! I found a job as an associate chiropractor in West Chester, PA and Dan found a job as an associate chiropractor in Trappe, PA which is about 40 minutes from West Chester. It was settled. We decided to move to PA and accept the jobs! We began working before we had a place to live in PA, so we commuted from my sister, Desiree’s, and Dan's Uncle Jamie and Aunt Donna’s houses. They were nice enough to let us stay with them while we looked for a place to live. We searched and searched and finally found a quaint apartment in West Chester in The Gateway. We were SO excited. 

On August 14th, 2010 we moved into our new apartment. Dan's parents came up from North Carolina to help us move in, and that evening we all headed out to Delaware for Dan's cousin’s wedding.

The next few weeks were so exciting for us. We spent every minute that we weren’t working trying to furnish and decorate our new home. We finally got all settled in and began our life in West Chester. 

Just a few short months later on November 29, 2010 we got a little surprise... we found out we would soon be parents! We were thrilled beyond belief and could not wait to meet our baby.

Fast forward to July 21, 2011 and we finally got to meet our little bundle of joy! Our lives haven't been the same since! Becoming parents together has been the most amazing experience and falling in love with our little boy has only made our love for each other multiply as well.

Boy and Girl Get Engaged:

First let me start with this: it was a complete surprise! I almost don't know how he did it because our lives are so intertwined, but he managed to pull it off and the surprise factor is one of my favorite parts of our engagement story. We live together, work together, have only one vehicle, and I manage our bank accounts and never saw a debit so I literally do not know how he did it. Props to you, baby!

Ok, so on to the actual story. We had decided the week before Valentine's Day that we would celebrate on the day before Valentine's Day for a few reasons, but the biggest reason being that we didn't want to try to bring a baby out on such a "couples" night and risk ruining other people's romantic evening. We decided on one of favorite little BYO spots in the borough.

We arrived at the restaurant to find that we were the only people there which I was thrilled about. It is such a quaint little place and when I say little I mean little! We were pleased to have the place to ourselves. Immediately after we sat down and got situated, I suggested exchanging gifts. Dan suggested waiting until dessert which I thought was odd, but I went along with it. We exchanged cards instead and started to order. A few times throughout the meal like after we exchanged cards and when we toasted our wine we tried to kiss across the table and I thought it was so odd that Dan was fidgety and acting like he kind of couldn't reach. Dan is so affectionate so I was like "What's up with you, what do you mean you can't lean any further across the table..?!" It struck me as odd, and knowing what I know now, I think he was fidgeting with the ring in his pocket or something. Who knows...Dan still denies this entire part of the story.

Once we finished our meal (ahh-mazing, by the way) and ordered dessert, we finally exchanged gifts. I gave Dan his first, and then as I was opening the first part of my gift, Dan starts going into this deep spiel about how much he loves me and how committed he is to me and Sylas, etc. I'm shaking my head and agreeing that I love him more than anything and saying "Yeah, I know babe, let's eat this cheesecake!" when he gets on one knee and the realization comes to me that he is trying to propose!

By this time about 3 other tables had arrived and all heads turned as I say rather loudly "Oh my gosh!" Dan is on his knee and I'm standing for some unknown reason and everyone in the restaurant is ooo-ing and ahh-ing. I hear one girl say to her friends "can we clap?" at which point I was completely shocked and overwhelmed and say "Yes, we have a baby... but we're not married!" Ok, I have no idea why that came out of my mouth, but it did and we all laughed. Poor Dan is still on his knee at this point awaiting an official answer when I realize and say "Yes, yes, of course!" We hugged and kissed (and cried) and sat back down to marvel at my new ring and the fact that he had completely pulled off the best surprise of my life!

The owner of the restaurant came out to personally congratulate us with complimentary champagne presented on a beautiful tray with rose petals. The whole thing was perfect and the best surprise I could have asked for.

To make a good story even better, Dan later informed me that he did ask my dad for his blessing which I thought was incredibly romantic and thoughtful. My dad really appreciated the gesture. Also, the diamond from my beautiful ring is a family heirloom. It belonged to Dan's grandmother which I think is so special. 

Resort/TA/WC:

Dan and I knew we wanted to have a Destination Wedding before we even got engaged. Our family and friends are so spread out that we knew there would be a lot of traveling involved regardless, and we are HUGE beach lovers, so for us it was just an easy and obvious decision. We had no idea how to plan a DW, so I googled it and found DestinationWeddings.com. Through them, I was assigned a TA, Marcia, who has been a gem. She helped us decide on a location and had us do a webinar on Karisma resorts within a week. We immediately felt like Azul Sensatori was the place for us, so we set the date and booked a room block right away. 

Once we booked our room block, Marcia put me in contact with our off-site WC, Erika. She has also been a gem and has helped me plan my wedding just the way I want it!

Getting Organized:

Once I was well on my way into planning I decided I HAD to get organized. I am a huge organizer, list maker, etc. I found this awesome website with all kinds of FREE printables and made my own Wedding Planning Journal.

I organized my main tabs along the side into:

Budget/Timeline/Calendars

Guests

Attire

Welcome & Rehearsal Dinners

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour & Reception

Photography

Travel & Accommodations

The, along the top I sub-divided each category as needed.

This was my first wedding project and I love this silly little binder to this day! I love that since it's all in one place, it's something I will hold on to forever and always be able to go back and look at to remember the year I planned my wedding.

Here is a link to the printables:

http://www.russellandhazel.com/PDF/WeddingTemplate.pdf

Even if you are not an overly organized person, I highly recommend checking out the printables bc you might find even just 2 or 3 that simplify your life.

STD and Passport Invitations:

Long before I even got engaged, adorable STD's were something I dreamed about sending out to announce our wedding! That is one dream that didn't come to fruition. Because of the way we booked our room block, we had 30 days to get people to book or WE had to foot the bill to hold all those rooms. At $200/room, to hold 20 rooms added up to $4,000. You better bet your bottom dollar I sent an EMAIL STD instead!! I didn't have time to design, print, and mail regular ones, but in the end it was WORTH it!!! Within that 30 days, we had 17 out of 20 rooms booked and this made planning the rest of my wedding SO easy! To give you a time frame, we got engaged Feb 13, 2012 and sent the Email STD March 31, 2012. By April 29 we had 17 rooms booked and our wedding isn't until June 28, 2013! We decided to pay to reserve the extra 3 rooms in case any more people wanted to book later on they would definitely be part of our room block and get the discounted rate. It is now May 2013 and those 3 rooms have been booked, so we were refunded the $600 we paid to reserve them.

Especially since I didn't send out the STD that I had dreamed about, I wanted to make my Invite extra nice. I searched and searched and found a template for a Passport Invite that I didn't really end up using, but it gave me an idea of how to format mine which was nice.

I designed the whole thing and my father-in-law had them printed for me through his printer in NY (through his job). For the envelope, I bought brown Kraft Paper envelopes and lined the inside with a map of Mexico that I found printed and cut by hand (with a paper cuter) for each envelope! 

For my RSVP, I designed a postcard and had it printed through VistaPrint.

OOT Bag with Survival Kit:

Since I had a fairly good idea of how many people were coming more than a year before my wedding, I started these pretty early because I wanted to get them out of the way!

For the actual bag (which I don't have a picture of... sorry) I just chose simple brown gift bags that match the envelopes from my Invites. I found them at Hobby Lobby for very cheap. I hung a cute tag from each bag and wrote "Welcome! Love, Meg & Dan" in Spanish on the tag.

Each bag contains:

1. Koozie- one/person - I uploaded my own design and ordered from totallyweddingkoozies.com

2. Gum

3. Spanish Phrases - I designed these and printed with VistaPrint

4. Door Hanger - I designed these and printed with VistaPrint

5. Key/Tip Money Holder - I designed these and printed with VistaPrint see my thread here: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/84975/my-diy-key-tip-money-holder-with-pics

6. Postcards from Paradise - I also designed these and printed with VistaPrint

7. Survival Kit- I designed the label and printed at home - see my thread here: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/84976/my-diy-survival-kit-label-for-oot-bag-with-pics-and-list-of-items-with-price-breakdown

The Survival Kit contains:

1. DIY Personalized Chapstick - BulkApothecary.com - .14 cents/each (my DIY thread is here: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/84966/my-diy-chapstick-labels-for-oot-bag-with-pics-and-template)

2. Easy Mending Kit (thread, needle, safety pin) - Minimus.com- .27 cents/each

3. Shout Wipes - Minimus.com- .43 cents/each

4. Nail Polish Remover Pads - Minimus.com - .07 cents/each

5. Nail File - Dollar Store- bought a pack and it came to .03 cents/each

6. Cocoa Butter - Wal-Mart - .87 cents/each

7. Sunscreen - Wal-Mart - .97 cents/each

8. Wet Wipes - Dollar Store- .33 cents/each

9. Emergen-C - Minimus.com - .43 cents/each

10.Razors - Wal-Mart- .17 cents/each

Survival Kit:

Chapstick:

Door Hangers:

Postcards from Paradise:

Here is a close up of the letter:

Here is the front of the postcard:

And the back:

This is the front of the Spanish Phrases card:

and the back:

Key & Tip Money Holder:

Koozies:

Each bag will also have a Welcome Letter, an updated Itinerary, a Map of Azul with info about the restaurants/bars, and possibly a "Who's Who in this Wedding Crew"

Pre- Wedding Mailer:

I just posted the thread for my pre-wedding mailer yesterday, so check out all the info here: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/86105/pre-travel-mailers-diy-and-lots-of-pics

But here are a few pics in very random order:

Back of the envelope:

Front of the envelope:

front of note card with travel info:

 Front of CD case:

Back of CD case:

DIY luggage tags: thread here: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/84974/my-diy-luggage-tags-with-pics

CD:

Attire & Jewelry:

My parents and I went dress shopping in October 2012 and it was such a special day! I don't live near my parents so for them to fly me up to NJ and take me shopping for my dress was so nice. My aunt was also able to come, but none of my girls (MOH. etc) could make it bc they live in different states. I found a dress that I LOVE at the first place I went. It was about the 4th dress I tried on and we bought it that day! I am not showing my FI my dress and therefore do not want to post it on the internet for the world to see either. Once we are married I will update with a picture!

I have two Maids of Honor and they are both wearing short plum colored dresses- sorry no pics yet-it's a surprise! The flower girl's dress is the same color as mine.

I found out about Studio Suits (studiosuits.com) here on this forum and we are SO pleased with the quality of the suits! My FI will be wearing pants, vest and jacket in the Glen Check Grey color and is Best Man will wear solid grey pants and vest. Our ring bearer, our son, will wear pants and vest that match FI.

We chose to order the custom suit so I had to do all FI's measurements, but it was worth it. The suit is so nice and fits perfectly!

Here is an OK pic of the suit jacket and vest underneath:

For my jewelry, I will wear diamond stud earings that my FI got me for Christmas, with a pearl necklace and bracelet that I found on Etsy.

The bracelet looks exactly the same. This is the seller: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HMbySemraAscioglu?ref=seller_info

I bought my 2 MOH's and Flower Girl matching necklaces and bracelets from another Etsy Seller that I absolutely love and totally recommend!

I made the card to hold the necklace and bracelet. The bracelet even has a pearl and a gem in our wedding color. This was totally customized and even suggested by the seller. She did all customizations and extra pearl, etc for free! 

Here is her shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BohemienneBelle?ref=seller_info

Our ceremony is on the beach so my girls will wear these barefoot sandals that I made for them and then wear real shoes for pictures. I also made a pair for myself in white for pictures of all of us in the sandals:

Here is a link to the thread I made explaining how I made these and there are more pics as well: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/84982/my-diy-beaded-barefoot-sandals-jewelry

As for me, I got my shoes on Ebay. I LOVE them!! They are Mischka Badgley.

The guys will wear Toms or something similar.

Gifts:

I went a tad overboard with gifts, but we only had a few people to buy for, so we kind of had that luxury. 

For our parents, we bought personalized hankys from an Etsy seller: https://www.etsy.com/listing/102051422/set-of-6-wedding-personalized-custom?ref=usr_faveitems

There is also one for my FI and one for our Flower Girl. The Etsy seller that I linked to above was a pleasure to work with! The one I originally ordered from, however, was NOT. Buyer beware- EmbroideryByMelissa on Etsy did not follow through. I'll leave it at that....

We also got t-shirts for the parents, BM, and ring bearer. I designed these and then had them printed through VistaPrint.

I can't find the picture I had of them before I rolled them... Sorry! Instead, here is the file for a couple of the shirts to give you an idea:

In addition to his shirt, the BM is also getting a pair of Armani Sunglasses and the rest of his gift is TBD.

The girls gifts are complete, though and here is where I might have gone a tad overboard

For a complete list and more pics see the thread I made here: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/86020/my-bridesmaids-and-flower-girl-gifts-lots-of-pictures-some-diy-things

Necklace and Bracelet:

Barefoot Sandals:

Like I said, here is a link to the thread where I have a complete list: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/86020/my-bridesmaids-and-flower-girl-gifts-lots-of-pictures-some-diy-things

Here is a link to my thread for the DIY bathing suits and tank tops: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/85447/my-diy-bride-and-bridesmaid-rhinestone-bathing-suits-and-tanks

Link to my barefoot sandals thread: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/84982/my-diy-beaded-barefoot-sandals-jewelry

For my Flower Girl, I got similar things:

Also, I forgot to mention that since my FG is one of the only kids, she and her brother (my niece and nephew) will get special OOT bags! I don't have a picture of my nephews bag, but here is my nieces OOT/Welcome Bag:

For my FI, I got him a personalized hanky, I plan to do a boudoir shoot (maybe!), and possibly get him a watch he has been wanting.

Also, for Thank You notes, I made my own. These DIY Thank You's were fun and easy to make and wayyyyy cheaper than the ones I saw on etsy. I am a HUGE Thank You note writer, so I made a card for just about everyone. This pic only shows a few and is a crappy pic...sorry!

I think that about covers gifts!

Flowers:

I decided to make all my own bouquets, etc. I ordered all my stems from afloral.com and went to work! I never made anything like these before, so I have to say I'm pretty happy with the outcome.

Bouquets, Corsages, and Bouts:

The purple one is mine and the charm hanging from the center is for a pic of 2 of my brothers that have passed on.

I chose not to have any other flowers, even for center pieces. I'll show you what my centerpieces will be when I post about the reception in a few more posts.

Ceremony:

Our ceremony is on the beach under the gazebo. I think it will be so beautiful! Here is an inspiration pic of how I will have the gazebo decorated:

I am bringing my own organza sheers with me in our wedding colors (plum and peuter). I was able to buy the sheers on Amazon for WAY cheaper than the resort wanted to charge me to rent them. I found starfish at TJ Maxx.

Here is a pic from Amazon:

Like I said, I also bought a bolt of peuter color.

The chairs will all have plum colored organza sashes tied to them which I was able to score off the Buy/Sell/Trade thread on BDW form a former bride!

Each chair that lines the aisle will have this starfish raffia decoration which I made:

Here is a link to the thread where I explain how to make them: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/84990/my-diy-starfish-raffia-ceremony-aisle-decor

When the guests walk up to the ceremony location, they will see this sign:

There will be a place for them to leave their shoes, and then after the ceremony they will see a cute little bucket with paintbrushes to "Brush the Sand from their Feet." Sorry I don't have pictures of those items. The paintbrushes are cheap-o's and I tied ribbon through the hole to make them look cute. The sign I designed and ordered from VistaPrint. It's a "small yard sign" and comes with the metal legs to stick in the sand.

Before guests take their seat, they will see a table with our programs, fans, and tissues.

Tears of Joy Tissues:

Here is a link to my thread for the tissues: 

Raffia Fans: (check out my little boy's hand in the corner of the pic! hahaha my little helper!)

I got the fans from Oriental Trading and then hot glued ribbon in our wedding colors to the handle. I still have one more thing to attach to these before they are complete, though. Our "theme" is the starfish which has a pretty cool meaning. I am going to print up a card with the meaning of the starfish, attach a starfish charm, and then attach the card to each fan. 

Program:

I designed the program, printed, cut them and then put a piece of peuter cardstock between the front and back. 

Here is a pic of the file so you can read it better:

 and the back:

When the flower girl walks down the aisle, she will hold this Nautilus Shell that I adorned with ribbon instead of a basket. It will be filled with flower petals, of course:

here is the thread where I go into more detail about the shell: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/84973/my-diy-nautilus-shell-flower-girl-basket-with-pics

Our little boy, the ring bearer, will hold this sign that I made:

Here is the thread where I explain how I made this: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/84972/my-diy-ring-bearer-sign-instead-of-pillow-with-pics

And finally, here is our Ceremony Script which I wrote with help from the forum and all over the web. We are incorporating a stone ceremony as well as a hand ceremony and even a "legal" ceremony earlier in the day so that our anniversary will be the same date.

Symbolic Ceremony

BRIDE: Megan King

GROOM: Daniel Wilson

WEDDING DATE: Friday, June 28, 2013

WEDDING TIME: 5:30

WEDDING LOCATION: Beach Gazebo

Music playing

Guests are taking seats

Processional: (different music)

Seating of the Parents:

Gary and Kathi walk down aisle

As Dan walks my mom down the aisle, the BM and Minister take their places entering from the right and then Dan takes his place on right next to Mabry

Bridal Processional: (diff music)

Reyna walks down aisle

Laura walks down aisle

Caley walks down aisle

Sylas walks down aisle

Wedding march begins- dad walks me down aisle- mom stands to signal all guests to stand

Giving Away of Bride:

Minster- "Dually blessed is the couple which comes to the marriage altar with the approval and blessings of their families and friends. Who has the honor of presenting this woman to be married to this man?"

Dad- "Her mother and I do.â€

Kiss dad, he hands me off to Dan. Dan and Dad shake hands/hug and Dad sits down.

Opening Remarks and Welcome:

Minister- “We are gathered here in the sight of God and these witnesses to unite Megan and Daniel in Holy Matrimony. On behalf of Megan and Daniel, it is my honor to welcome you and thank you all for traveling such a great distance to be here today as it is a testament to the amazing amount of love and support they have in each of you. Many of you have given them much happiness, unconditional love, encouragement, and guidance through the various stages of their lives. They would like to sincerely thank you all for being here to celebrate their big day. A special and respectful acknowledgement must also be made to those friends and family members who were unable to attend, or have passed on, but whose spirit remains alive and strong in all our hearts.â€

Opening Prayer:

Minister- "Let us pray- Our Father, love has been your richest and greatest gift to the world. Love between a man and woman which matures into marriage is one of your most beautiful types of loves. Today we celebrate that love. May your blessing be on this wedding service, protect, guide, and bless Megan and Daniel in their marriage. Surround them and us with your love now and always. In your son's name, Amen."

"You may be seated."

The Charge to Bride and Groom and Pledge:

Minister- “Megan and Daniel- This marriage ceremony does not mark the beginning of a new relationship. Rather, it is an acknowledgement and celebration of a relationship that has been thriving since you met. Marriage is the mutual commitment of two people sincerely in love who share the same dreams about life.â€

“More than that, it is the intimate sharing of two lives. It is a sharing that does not diminish, but enhances the individuality of each partner. The institution of marriage is not to be entered into lightly as it symbolizes commitment on every level. Together you will continue to meet the challenges and obstacles of life head on with honesty, integrity, and loyalty.â€

“This beautiful setting should remind us that, like the ocean, human life is an ebb and flow- spirit and emotions move in cycles. To be in a relationship does not guarantee an eternal summer. To make a sincere and honest commitment does not promise an end to all struggles. What a good relationship does offer, much like this ocean, is the opportunity for renewal. A successful relationship recognizes that after every fall and winter, spring and summer will come again. A flourishing relationship takes more than just love. It takes trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. It takes dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so... and it takes faith, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both.â€

Reading:            

Minister- "I now invite Kathi, Mother of the Groom, to read a passage from the book of Corinthians.

Kathi- “If I speak with human tongues and angelic as well, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong, a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and, with full knowledge, comprehend all mysteries, if I have faith great enough to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give everything I have to feed the poor and hand over my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.â€

“Love is patient, love is kind. Love is not jealous, it does not put on airs, it is not snobbish. Love is never rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not prone to anger; neither does it brood over injuries. Love does not rejoice in what is wrong but rejoices with the truth. There is no limit to love’s forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure.â€

“Love never fails. Prophecies will cease, tongues will be silent, knowledge will pass away…There are in the end three things that last: faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8; 13â€

Vows:

Minister- “Thank you, Kathi.â€

“Megan and Daniel, as you prepare to take these vows, give careful thought and prayer, for as you make them you are making an exclusive commitment one to the other for as long as you both shall live. Your love for each other should never be diminished by difficult circumstances, and it is to endure until death parts you.â€

“As God's children, your marriage is strengthened by your obedience to your Heavenly Father and His Word. As you let God be in control of your marriage, He will cause your home to be a place of joy and a testimony to the world."

“Daniel do you accept Megan as your beloved and wedded wife, to love and honor her, stand by her side, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?â€

Dan responds: “I doâ€

“Dan, please repeat after me: 

Megan, from this day forward I promise you these things….

I will laugh with you in times of joy…

And comfort you in times of sorrow…

I will share in your dreams…

And always support and encourage you…

I promise to love you in good times and bad…

I will help you when you need it…

And step aside when you don’t…

You are my best friend…

And I will love and respect you always!â€

Minister- “Megan, do you accept Daniel as your beloved and wedded husband, to love and honor him, stand by his side, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?â€

Megan responds: “I do†         

 â€œMegan please repeat after me:

Dan, I do not need you, I choose you!

I choose you today in witness of all the people who love us,

I choose you tomorrow in the privacy of our hearts.

I choose you in strength and weakness.

I choose you in health and dis-ease.

I choose you in joy and in sorrow.

I will choose you, over all others…

Every day-for all the days of my life.†    

Minister- “Will everyone please rise?â€

“Will you, the cherished family and friends of Megan and Daniel, witnessing these vows, do all in your power to support them in their marriage, love them, and encourage their love for one another from now until forever?

Guests- “We willâ€

Hand Ceremony:

Minister- “Thank you. Please remain standing.â€

“Megan and Daniel, 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.â€

“You have just sealed your relationship with the exchanging of vows to each other as well as a blessing from your family and friends. 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 happy and angry, share and grow- sometimes together, sometimes separately.â€

“Before the two of you met, your lives were on separate roads ... each going in different directions and seemingly leading to different destinations. But somewhere along the way (through some twist of fate) you did meet, and you fell in love. Today, you find yourselves standing here together at the threshold of a new path, and have promised to forever join your once separate journeys into one.â€

“To symbolize this union and the importance of the individuals within the marriage, each of your family members and friends here today has been given a small polished stone that represents their unique individuality, the roles they played in your individual paths, and their presence at your wedding today.â€

“You also each have a stone of your own that symbolizes your previous separate lives, separate sets of friends, separate families and the different life’s journeys that you once traveled. I ask that everyone please hold the stone that you have been given. Fill your stone with hope, love, positivity, a prayer, or a blessing for happiness and good will for Megan and Daniel for the future of their marriage.â€

“Now, please come forward and add your stone to this vase, which Megan and Daniel will display in their home to be reminded daily of the love and support they find in each of you as well as your presence on this special day.â€

(Guests come up and place stones in vase- possibly play a song.)

Minister- “The union of these stones has now symbolically joined your once separate lives. Through you, just as the stones have been combined, so now are your friends and family joined. Your once solitary life’s paths are also now one, and all that was once separate is now shared. In this sharing you both will find new strength and joy as together you forge a new life path.â€

“Stones stand the test of time. Over time they can even become stronger and more beautiful. Let these stones be a reminder and a memorial of the love, blessings and support that your family members and friends have provided you here today.  And what God has joined together, let no man separate.â€

Exchanging of the Rings:

Minister- “The vows which have been exchanged are but words that are fleeting and the sound of them is soon gone. The wedding ring is a symbol of eternity and the promises which have been made. It is an outward sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two hearts in endless love.â€

“Daniel and Megan please join hands.â€

“These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever. These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other. These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and tears of joy. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.â€

“Our prayer for you today is that both of you will use these hands to build a marriage where all your dreams come true.â€
 

“And now as a token of your love and of your deep desire to be forever united in heart and soul I ask you, Dan, to repeat after me:â€

“Megan, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows; and with all that I am, and all that I have- I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, with this ring, I thee wed.â€

Minister- “Now, Megan, please repeat after meâ€

“Dan, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows; and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, with this ring, I thee wed."

Pronouncement:

Minister- “I now pronounce you husband and wife!â€

Kiss:

Minister- "Dan, you may now kiss your Bride!"

Presentation of Bride and Groom:

Minister- "It is now my privilege to present to you for the first time, Drs. Daniel and Megan Wilson!"

Recessional: (music plays)

Gary and Kathi exit

Mom and Dad exit

Wedding party exits:

Caley and Sylas

Laura, Reyna and Mabry

Bride and Groom

Group Picture and Toast

Cocktail Hour & Reception:

Our cocktail hour will be informal since it's an all-inclusive resort I didn't see the need to pay for a private event for an hour. While FI and I (and wedding party) are finishing up pics, the guests will enjoy cocktails wherever they want or even go back to the room and freshen up.

The reception will be a private event held at Plaza Zavas which is a poolside Gazebo. The Gazebo will be decorated with paper lanterns and stringed lights around the columns.

The tables will have white table cloths that come with my package and then I order table "overlays" in silver and runners in plum for each table as well from tableclothsfactory.com.

There will be a pinata! and each chair will have the same plum sash as they did at the ceremony.

I created my own unique table numbers- instead of "numbers" each table is a city that has meaning to us with an explanation of the city. Here is a link to that thread: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/84991/diy-table-number-alternative

I found these fabulous picture holders at Kohls that will hold the table "numbers" as well as a picture of FI and I, and also serve as the centerpiece with some tealights all around. Simple!

To find their seat, guests will find the maraca with their name on it:

I bought the maracas on Amols.com and then I designed and printed the name tags myself.

Here is a picture of the cake that the resort will replicate (hopefully!):

Also, I forgot to share earlier that we did create a wedding website, as well: megananddan13.ourwedding.com

Believe it or not, there are a few more things but I don't have pictures of them at this time- just simple things like reserved signs I made for the parents seats at the ceremony and "Senor" and "Senora" signs for our chairs at the reception.

DJ:

We hired DJ Doremixx and I have read nothing but great reviews, so I hope he is awesome! We have him for 4 hours.

Photographer:

We hired Samuel Luna, and I have to say, photography is SO important to me!! This is where I splurged in the budget the most! It is the most important thing to me, though. Sam takes amazing photojournalism style pictures and I have faith that he will capture my wedding day in an amazing way! We hired him for 8 hours plus a TTD session.

For the most part, this completes my planning thread!!! I still need to work on timelines, a few song selections, etc.

Planning this wedding has been the most fun year and I hope that this thread helps even just one of you out there that are lost and don't know where to begin! 

Happy Planning, ladies!!!

XO, MK