What I would and wouldn't do again...

[Virg]

Love this thread!! So amny things to keep in mind!

[jax_the_beach_bride]

great tips... wish i had read ur first tip a month ago LOL!

[liz1717]

thanks everyone for the great tips! I now have a long list of things to think about for my DW next month!

[MonicaJ]

I just read every page of this thread and it was so helpful! There will be less "would not do's" on future lists thanks to all of the selfless brides that have posted their experiences. Reading this thread helped me make decisions on some pending items and feel good about other decisions we've already made - ie: iPod/Bose versus DJ or renting expensive hotel sound system.

 

THANK YOU ALL FOR SHARING!

[CrystalM]

This is a GREAT thread - sticky worthy! I definitely have some little changes to make now

[Ayita]

My turn !!!!

 

 

What I would do again :

- have a DW !!! Everybody had a blast !

- chose a secluded, intimate venue. It allowed us to be between us, and to party until 4:30 in the morning, we closed because... well we went to bed !

- use an outside WC. It helped me so much, specially 2-3 weeks before when we had to negotiate hard with the hotel. I know my WC put a lot of energy into this negotiation, as well as of course making my wedding erfect (I did not take care of ANYTHING past the pre-wedding meeting).

- do a very simple set-up. Being on the beach in a beautiful venue was enough in itself.

- a ceremony at 5:30pm. It was still a beautiful light but we were not under a blaring sun. I still got sunburnt !

- use i-pod for ceremony/cocktail and computer for reception. We used a program called virtual DJ and it was like having a real DJ ! Except we pickd our tunes

- rent speakers and wireless mike. Perfect for ceremony, speeches, and making the dance floor sound like a dance floor

- rent 4 lightings. Not expensive but made the dance floor look like a dance floor !

- rent lounges for cocktail hour. Everybody ended up sitting.

- completely enjoy our wedding day without feeling compelled to entertain. I am so glad I could do this.

- taste food and pick up before hand. Food was amazing !

- use la Europea for wine and liquors. They took back unopened bottles (except white wine that had been chilled) and they gave us grate advise ! We bought wine without tasting and it was so good, all the red wine disappeared (18 bottles for 21 adults...) (did I mentioned the 30 bottles of champagne were also drunk...)

- welcome drinks. It allowed everybody to meet in a fiendly atmosphere, before the next day. That was just what was needed. It also allowed DH to relax... he was anxious about the social times.

- hungover kit. EVERYBODY used the Alka Seltzer starting Saturday morning...

- OOT bags. Not everything was a hit, but everybody used the coin purses, the hungover/after party kits (including the aloe and the after-bites), and the mosquito repellent.

- use a hair/make-up artist. I loved to get pampered. I always do it myself. It was part of the wedding to have her for me for 3 hours. Plus, she was awesome, and she offered to do my TTD hair and make-up in replacement of the 2 BMs hair she did not do (because BM did not come).

- downsize the cake following the reading of this thread !!

- use a TA. She was not super helpful at the time of picking up a venue, but she was after that. It allowed me not to worry about guests bookings, or re-bookings / formalities when one of the hotel did not open, or when they started to cancel because of the flu. Plus, she told our honeymoon hotel it was our honeymoon and it prooved efficient ! We got upgraded and all.

- get a relaxing massage with DH to put us in the mood, the day before guests started to arrive.

- travel first class. Allowed us not to worry about the dress, the suit, and the 6 suitcases.

- offered 1 bottle of champagne with a gift tag to each of the two couples not part of the wedding. They ended up closing the party with us instead of complaining.... I had taken the material to make the gift tags with me, not knowing how many non-wedding guests there would be.

- get a second dress for the TTD. I first used my real dress, but at the time of getting in the water I changed and I am so happy I did ! My second dress (a David's bridal) did not retain water. I think it was stain-proof or something. In like 10 minutes it was dry again. AWESOME! DH stayed wet in his linens, just as I would have if I had stayed in my silk...

- buy more wine and liquors that I though would be used. Ended up being almost all drunk !

 

 

What I would do differently :

- get a contract after the first contact with the venue !!! I went through horrible anxiety just 20 days before the wedding because everything was changing. Turned out it was more because of the disorganization than anything else, but it put me through a hard time - this could have been avoided.

- not push guests to book. Prices went significantly down in the last weeks before departure, and I kind of felt guilty...

- try not to feel compelled to entertain...

- buy some hand sanitizer for the OOT bags ! If I had known... happily my MOH could find some in Houston before she came...

- shorten the cocktail hour. We had 2 hours. For me it was good - we had 1 hour of pics, and 1 hour of drinks and appetizers - but for the guests I felt it was too long and they were hungry. Specially the kids !

 

 

What I would not do again :

- mani/pedi at the hotel. 3 hours.... for something not really great.

- floating candles. We could not use them because there was too much wind.

- fans. Again not used because of the wind (except by my niece and nephew )

- buy some silk flower petals. The silk flowers were great, but petals ? Silk petals on the beach ? not very environmental friendly. I therefore did not use them (not even for decoration).

- door hangers. Funny, but useless.

- not schedule a group activity for the Sunday night. Everybody was exhausted.

- not schedule a group activity for the Monday. We ended up cancelling it...

 

There are not a lot of things I would not do again. This wedding was just as I had pictured it...

[da.shmoopies]

Hello BDW Brides,

 

I've seen, posted in other wedding forums (which shall not be named), after all is said and done, sections where brides tell you what they are glad they had done for their weddings, and what they had wished they had done different. I find this very useful information, but I don't see it often, and I'm hoping that gals on this forum can do the same!

 

So, please, lets hear it!

[JOSIE]

I wish I would have not put "formal invite to follow" on my STD's. We invited 200 people (because my mom wanted to be fair) and we KNEW a bunch of them wouldn't come. I wish, like some other girls, that I would have specified that the guests should give a tentative response to the STD's, and based on that only those guests would get formal invites.

 

I'm breaking the bank having to send formal invites to all these people now!

[ebredhawk]

the link below has to be one of the best threads on the entire forum... sounds just like what you are describing!

 

http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t6691

[JOSIE]

I wish I would have not put "formal invite to follow" on my STD's. We invited 200 people (because my mom wanted to be fair) and we KNEW a bunch of them wouldn't come. I wish, like some other girls, that I would have specified that the guests should give a tentative response to the STD's, and based on that only those guests would get formal invites.

 

I'm breaking the bank having to send formal invites to all these people now!