April 2010 Brides

[echo2_62]

I've been a little quiet the last day or two but it's practically been Christmas at my house this week!! I received four different orders of things in the mail and even my trainer was laughing at me for all my excitement about it the other day. I received the guys pants (custom from Studio Suits - but haven't even tried them on yet!), our mugs (yep, they messed up my image but FI convinced me it still looks good and I shouldn't worry - pics to come later!), my sample OOT bags (still having issues deciding!), and the carabiners to attach our keycards to the mugs (haha they are too small but I had assumed that already and figured out how to get around it!).

 

My dress also came in this week so I am taking a day off work tomorrow, grabbing my niece out of school for half a day and heading in for my fitting! I don't *technically* have my shoes yet but since I'm only wearing flip flops I think I will just put on a really small pair of heels (about 1/2" -1" tall at most) just so that I have a little something on my feet to figure out any hemming. Hey here's a question for you - for any of you that needed cups sewn into the bust, did you have to supply your own or did the alterations place have them for you? I was thinking that if they're going to the work of adding cups, I might get them to add the cutlet style ones and give my girls a nice boost for the day!! At least then I can pretend for a day that I've got some cleavage

 

Aside from that, I asked my other friend to officially be in the wedding party and she was super excited. Now the hard part will be trying to make sure that I can get her most of the same gifts that I've already bought the other girls! I've had some things since back before Christmas so it might be a little tricky but I think I will pull it off. Thank goodness I'd bought locally for most of it!

 

Hmm, oh yes - have any of you also bought or made something special for your parents?? I've made something for my mom, Fi's mom and the gramma's but honestly right now I have nothing for the dad's or grampa's and I'm a little stumped on what to get. I've kind of already ruled out flasks or cigars & cutters etc since at least my dad won't ever really use those things. Fi's suggestions (his only one EVER) was to get them a nice picture frame to add our wedding picture, but to me that's not really an I LOVE YOU DAD kind of gift you know?

[amcarter]

You guys are going to laugh at this. Well not really. It's not funny but I can't do anything but laugh when my wedding is exactly 44 days away. I love that my wedding planner is calling to check in on me. I am thankful that we decided to spend the money on a wedding planner. She reminds me that I need to be firm and keep up with my to do list. Here's the story:

 

I sent out a mass email to EVERYONE we invited that's 44 familis to Costa Rica. This email was sent out at the 100 day mark for the wedding. Everyone rec'd their invitations in the mail in September. People knew about the wedding in May. Do you think this is enough time to reserve your trip?!! Guess not!

 

I actually called airline companies to get group discounts for people. Sadly no one used them, but at least the discounts were there. I suggested that guests use Bill Me Later with Continental. I did so much for these guests. I'm trying to group people together so they can save money on the shuttle from the airport to the resort. I arranged discount rates for exursions for anyone interested.

 

Out of all of the people who we sent invitations to, guess who has not purchased flight and hotel for the wedding....... Get ready for this.....

 

THE BEST MAN

 

Yep you heard right. WTF. How are you going to stand in the wedding and you don't have anything to wear, you and your fiance don't have a flight, you and your fiance don't have a place to stay. You haven't don't ANYTHING to contribute to the wedding. My poor fiance will likely not have a bachelor party b/c the best man is a joke. I feel so bad for him. So now what. The prices of the plane tickets are sky high now. Even if he goes, he's not staying at the resort and will have a fit when he finds out the cost to taxi back and forth to the resort for all of the events. OMG. This is just too much.

 

I thought I would show my new accomplished list so I can feel like something is going right.

 

Accomplished:

• Ordered and mailed invitations
• Ordered wedding dress
• purchased piece for my hair (no veil)
• created wedding website
• created wedding registry
• selected wedding party
• selected main location
• purchased airline tickets
• paid deposit for wedding coordinator
• paid deposit for photographer
• colors selected (orange and green)
• engagement photos
• grooms suit
• grooms shoes (I think he ordered these)
• Update wedding website with new lodging info
• menu selection
• band selection
• flower selection
• decor selection
• mother of the bride dress
• bachelorette party date/location
• wedding shower date/location
• wedding hairstyle
• made call to illmannered guests telling them that proper etiquette says to RSVP, I'm calling you b/c the deadline was Feb 1st

TTD: (things to do)

• wedding shoes
• bridesmaid dress and shoes
• groomsmen attire
• dj
• music list
• ceremony
• programs
• menu cards
• seating chart (how do I do this if folks haven't turned in RSVPs)
• email to all guests letting them know time is running out and RSVP cards should be mailed considering I've already paid for the stamps
• 2nd hotel for honeymoon - this is making me nervous
• mother of the groom attire
• sign in book (we're putting our engagement photos in a book and leaving white space around all of them for signatures. Haven't ordered the book or selected pictures eventhough my fiance is a professional photographer - you would think we would have squared this away first)
• welcome dinner decision and selection
• OOT bags - might not be any!
• wedding party gifts
• drop pounds to fit into dress
• wedding make
• make up artist

I was up calling people late last night. My wedding planner asked me for my spreadsheet two days ago with the names of every single guest that will be attending the wedding, hotel name and room number so she can make sure everyone makes it to the welcome dinner and wedding on time. I looked at the list (it's divided by his guests and my guests); I have 16 solid RSVP filled out with flight arrival dates/times along with hotel info. His list only had two names on it. WTF! I got on the phone last night calling people. One of his aunts told me she didn't think she needed to turn in her RSVP. I asked her if she planned to walk to the ceremony on the beach or if she planned on getting in the van with her pretty dress on. She agreed to give me the info over the phone along with a few other guests that she had airline/hotel info for.

 

So now I have 10 confirmed on his side. Still no best man. Still no one from his dad's side of the family. His grandmother on the dads side said she still doesn't have a passport. Well you knew you had to get that in Sept. Unless you need a special security clearance and have a long record for the govt to reconsider giving you one, it shouldn't take that long. I just wish people would say they're not going or they do not have the money. I wish people would be honest and not agree to stand in the wedding when they have no intention of partipating. I can hurt the best man right now. It took everything for me not to call him last night to tell him off. In light of my frustration last night my fiance said the sweetest thing:

 

"Wife to be, you've done more than enough; you've been more than accomodating; more than considerate; these people are adults, not children; they have had more than enough notice to make arrangements. Do what you can for the people that turned in the RSVPs; tell the wedding planner to make plated dinners for the RSVPs; order chairs for the RSVPs. Don't worry about the 11 people that are undecided or still getting their tickets. If they show up, they will have to make arrangements on their own to get to the ceremony and welcome party. If they don't make it - oh well. If they're late - oh well; and if any of my family or friends yell at you or ask you why, tell them I told you to proceed b/c they've been on notice since last summer and the RSVP deadline was Feb 1st."

 

This was music to my ears. I feel so bad for my wedding planner because the number was 40 at first then 50 and now it's probably going to be more like 30. Less people = less money. I hope the rest do not show up b/c they've made a small wedding more stressful than it needed to be. How annoying!

 

Anyway - I should stop venting now and make my way to work.

 

 

***Oh and if anyone knows where I can get some unfinished huge maracas (or if you know how to make some from scratch) please let me know. I thought I was going to be able to get some from Costa Rica but the price of them are not acceptable***

[echo2_62]

Holy smokes Alex!! That's quite the post you've got there! It completely sucks that the best man hasn't booked a single thing yet and maybe its time for FI to have a talk with him (over beers of course, to make it a manly talk!) and tell this guy's he's either got to be in or out at this point. And in means booking ASAP and not putting things off any longer.

 

I definitely had the same kind of issues with guests not bothering to RSVP, and yes a good number of those were from FI's side as well! I think you've got a smart guy there, telling you that there comes a time where you just have to accept that people are not going to respond and you should carry on making your plans for those guests who DID already RSVP and book. We set RSVP dates for a reason and if anyone comes back to you causing grief then it's their own fault! Nowhere does it say that as brides we need to be accommodating to guests who think they can respond last minute and still get all the same treatment! And don't worry about what your wedding coordinator thinks about your numbers fluxuating - I can almost guarantee you are not the first person to have that happen and she's probably prepared to roll with these changes anyways.

 

I think you've done a great job checking lots off your to-do list so far and I can only think of a couple suggestions to help you keep going while you figure out where you stand with the non-RSVP guests. If you're doing any DIY projects for the place cards and seating charts, start up your templates and add in the names you have or get those completed early so that if you do have stragglers that you need to add, it's just a matter of printing them off. Another idea for your seating chart is make a small card with each guests name on it (like a 1x1 square), put a little piece of velcro or two sided tape that lets you move the paper around a bunch - and start making up your seating arrangement using the people squares to place everyone. That way if you end up needing to add guests in, you don't have to scribble out names or reprint anything... it's all right there and completely movable!! It's just an idea but might help your brain be flexible and still let you feel like you're accomplishing something

 

You're right that some of these small weddings can end up being much more hassle than we originally thought, but I guess it's just something that none of us can really completely escape from. Keep on chugging through though and just remember to stay focused on the people who have already made the effort to be a part of your day!

 

P.S. I have been laughing about your "ill-mannered call" the entire time - good for you girl!

[Melidell]

I feel your pain, Alex! I've had a few guests who never did bother to RSVP even though the envelope had our address and a friggin' stamp on it! GRRRR. I did something similar what you're doing- just wrote them off and assumed they weren't coming and went ahead with my plans. I ordered a few extra favours just in case but basically if I didn't have your name a few weeks after my deadline it's not my fault! My TA lets me know if anyone has booked so I doubt I'll have any surprises at this point anyway. Your FI is right- there comes a point when you just have to let go and continue with your planning. Funny how some people think the world waits on them, though!

[ebredhawk]

there are other accountants on here?!?!?!? i had no idea!!! i'm stuck at my lovely Big 4 job wishing busy season would just be over already so i could have a life again!!

 

kim, i had NO CLUE that bar existed! maybe we'll change our plans up so we can go there too! i wonder if you can reserve tables like you can at some of those places? also, let me know if you want to meet us for dinner too. we're going to brio (did i already say that?) probably around 8 or so and my MOH is going to be making reservations soon! way to go on all of your other stuff too.. get those OOT bags done!

 

i love reading what everyone else has done.. it's nice to know we're all in good company and if we haven't done something yet, someone else has and can help us!!

 

good luck with your dress fitting meghan! post pictures of course!!

 

speaking of pictures, i've had my OOT bags done for forever and i've never posted pictures.. mainly because i'm lazy! they are on my phone which means i'd need to sync it to my laptop at home with bluetooth and then go through all that mess. i'll do it eventually.. no worries!

[echo2_62]

ugh pictures, pictures... I never look good in my pictures LOL! At least not usually when I know they're being taken Since this is my first fitting, the dress will likely be half falling off since the largest measurement I had was my hips so everything above that will be completely out of wack! Honestly I think I would need Dolly Parton sizes to fill the empty space left in this dress

[ebredhawk]

hah!! meghan, now that's a picture i'd like to see

 

i forgot to tell you too how awesome it is that you got all of those packages! i think that's one of the things i'll miss most about planning.. all of the fun things you get in the mail!

 

i've been stalking our registries lately too since my shower is next weekend. there are 30 people coming and only like 2 or 3 have bought anything off the registry. this makes me very nervous! we did this thing for a reason, people!!

[caribbeanLover]

Well, I've been having problems loading this page, there is def no catching up.

Sorry to hear about your BM issue.Your not alone, My MOH and BM still haven't booked either, and my WC is asking for all the reservation #!!! I am still waitinbg fr another 6-8 people to book, and I refuse to spend more money on any of the OOT bag stuff. So if they do end up coming, I am stuck ordering and making them real last min.

By the sounds of it you have a great FI.

My FI has only his parents and sister coming on his side, the rest of the people are my friends (now mutual, but not the same)

 

I don't know why, but i keep getting kicked off the list

 

April 2010 Brides

April 3 - (hoyt75) Jenna from Fort Worth - Valentin Imperial Maya

April 9 - (kimmyg) Kimmy from Cincinnati - RPRM

April 9 - (Chicken764) Martine from Casselman - Grand Palladium-Punta Cana

April 10 - (jerseykitten) Michele from Jersey (Central Jersey by Six Flags) – Jamaica

April 10 - (taratoons) Tara from Ottawa ONT - Dreams Punta Cana

April 12 - (bridej9) - ______ from MI - Dreams Puerto Aventuras

April 13 - (CaribbeanLover) From Montreal, Grand Palladium in Punta Cana

April 16 - (echo2_62) Meghan from Calgary - Dreams Puerto Aventuras, Mexico

April 17 - (taylorwd) Wendy from Austin - Azul Beach, Mexico

April 17 - (amcarter) Alex from Houston - Reserva Conchal - Costa Rica

April 17 - (NegrilLB) Lisa from Atlanta - Iberostar Rose Hall Suites - Jamaica

April 19 - (Sasse75) Jill from Hamilton, ONT - Grand Sunset Princess

April 22 - (taraappl) Tara from Coon Rapids MN - Isla Mujeres, MX

April 24 - (jess3414) Jessica from Phoenix, AZ - Dreams Cabo San Lucas

April 24 - (katie424) Katie?! from Denver, CO - Beaches Negril

April 25 - (shortnsweet7675) Natasha from Atlanta, GA - Miami, FL (Carnival Glory Eastern Caribbean cruise)

April 28 - (ebredhawk) Erin from Cincinnati - Dreams Punta Cana

April 28 - (Melidell) Mel from NWT - Melia Las Dunas, Cuba

April 29 - (SuzyQ76) Suzanne from Calgary, Grand Riviera Princess, Mexico

 

Erin, I'm accounting clerk, so A/R A/P tax's and all that, so I know exactly what your going throuh, especially most company's have their year end in April . (Another reason I can't find a job, no one wants to hire me and then take 2 weeks off in their most busiest session)

 

Meghan, That's great you got so much in the mail in the last few days!!! I'm still stuck doing the OOT bags lol.

I told the Best Man I'd order his clothes (we are paying for it as gift) when they finally book their trip!!

Good luck with your dress, let us know how it goes.

[caribbeanLover]

LOL Meghan, I'd definitely would love to see that too.

 

I agree Mel, the thing I'll miss is the packages in the mail and all the post on here!

[Melidell]

I know what you mean about it feeling like Christmas- I love getting all of these things in the mail! I'm still waiting for a few more things so we've been checking the mail every day. I've loved the shopping part of planning- it's been so fun.