Karla's Planning Thread!!!

[*Karla*]

So I can’t believe the time has finally come for my planning thread! Abe and I have been engaged for 3 years, and together for nearly 8 years, so this has been a long time coming. Abe is in a double doctorate (DVM/PhD) program, so he wanted to wait until he was closer to finisher before getting married. We actually went back and forth on what type of wedding we wanted for nearly 2 years. I always wanted a DW in Jamaica where my family is from, and he wanted a “big blow-out†(his words, not mine ) at home with all his family. Two major things happened to change his mind: (1) watching my sister & BIL spend $25,000 on their Oct 08 wedding, and (2) our Feb 09 vacation to Jamaica where he absolutely fell in love with all things Jamaica.

 

I have to say thank you so much to all the ladies on the forum for the creative ideas and support you have given me these last 9 months. I am not at all the DIY type, but I have been able to complete some great projects with everyone’s help. Special thanks to the SB girls for always being there for me with guidance, support, and calming me down whenever I had a freak-out There is no way I could have the amazing wedding I know I am going to have without all of you guys!

 

THE ENGAGEMENT

Abe proposed to me on Christmas Eve 2006. The proposal was nothing over the top, but it will always be special to me. We were at home getting ready to go spend Christmas with our families (we were not doing joint holidays at the time), and decided to exchange gifts that night. We were having a hard time financially that year, as Abe was in his second years of grad school, and I was in my first and only working part time, so we had said we were only going to do small gifts. He told me to close my eyes, and when I opened them, there was my ring! He said, “So you wanna get married?†with a big cheesy grin on his face. I was completely surprised, because even though we had gone several months prior to pick out a ring, I didn’t think he had the money to purchase it. He was sneaky and had been saving up I love the fact that we got engaged on Christmas Eve, and will be getting married New Years Eve.

 

OUR RINGS

My e-ring is white and yellow gold w/a 1 carat center stone by designer Simon G and was purchased at Robbins Bros. We purchased both of our wedding bands from the Zales Outlet.

http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...r-rings-48615/

[*Karla*]

INVITES

These invites were sent to all my guests in the US and the UK.

Check out all the invite details and more pics here: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...ncluded-45516/

These are the invites that I sent to all my guests in Jamaica. Sorry I don’t have a better pic; all the extras are left in my office, so this is from their website. They were DIY invites from Michaels. They turned out super cute, but were sort of a PITA. I had to fold the little pocket, attach it with double sided tape, then tie the ribbon into a bow around it I didn't realize they were going to be so involved when I bought them, but oh well...

The solid orange pocket holds a small card with all the wedding info, and then it is tied with a brown ribbon.

 

RESORT

Our Past Time Villas is a small, 17 room hotel on Negril’s famous Seven-Mile Beach. The hotel is owned by my mom’s cousin, so we were able to get some great specials .

Abe and I will be staying for 10 days, but we are not considering it a honeymoon, b/c we will be spending most of the time with our family. We plan to honeymoon in June somewhere in Europe.

Our Past Time Villas - Negril Beach - Norman Manley Boulevard, Negril P.O. 45, Negril, Westmoreland, Jamaica W.I. - (876) 957-5422, Fax: (876) 957-5105, [email protected] - http://www.ourpasttimenegril.com

 

LUGGAGE TAGS

These were sent to all of our guests who will be flying in. The pics on the tags are the same pics I used on my invites.

http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...ag-tags-53111/

[*Karla*]

OOT BAGS

Each bag will have a towel, “survival kit,†and snorkel set (I don’t have an actual pic of the snorkel set, b/c I had them shipped to my sister to help us with transporting them. This is what I ordered though)

Survival Kit Contents:

Pepto-Bismol

Ibuprofen

Waterproof Band-Aids

Neosporin (I threw this in b/c the last time I went snorkeling I cut my leg on some coral, and could have used some. I am a total klutz sometimes )

http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...ot-bags-46503/

 

GIFTS

For my MOH, FI’s best “woman†(his sister) and my sisters (un-bridesmaids) we got nicer snorkel gear with flippers.

[*Karla*]

ATTIRE/SHOES

My dress is Annette - by Maggie Sottero.

http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...y-dress-47787/

My shoes are Guess-Naga

 

GROOM

Guys are so easy to shop for, we got FI’s entire out fit in less than 2 hours! His entire suit is from K&G, and his shoes are from DSW.

 

MOH

We actually found this dress at Macy’s less than 2 weeks before the wedding, eek! Sorry for the bad pic, I had to take it with my BB. And, she didn’t want to put it on again. The pic really doesn’t do it justice, it is gorgeous on!

[*Karla*]

FLOWERS

The bouquets and boutonnieres will be orange and yellow calla lilies, and the centerpieces will be made of birds or paradise (orange flowers with blue tips).

 

SAND CEREMONY

This is the script we will be using:

"Today, BRIDE and GROOM, have chosen to commemorate their marriage through the celebration of the Sand Ceremony. This ceremony symbolizes the inseparable union of BRIDE and GROOM into a new and eternal marital relationship. Bride and Groom will simultaneously pour separate containers of sand into a common vessel. Each grain of sand in their separate containers represents a unique and separate moment, decision, feeling or event that helped shaped Bride and Groom into the separate and unique individuals that they are today. As they pour their separate containers of sand into a common vessel, those separate and independent individuals will cease to exist. Instead they will merge into a loving and supportive marital community. BRIDE and GROOM, just as the grains of sand can never be separated into their individual containers again, so will your marriage be."

 

Here is a pic of the frame; it is the Umbra Ether Frame:

We will be using orange and blue sand from Michaels.

[*Karla*]

PHOTOGRAPHER

Misti Douglas of Studio Douglas Weddings will be traveling from Nashville to join us for the wedding. I love Misti’s work and am very excited to work with her! She has taken many of the name and date in the sand pics several of the girls on the forum have. Check out her blog here http://studiodouglasweddings.blogspot.com/

 

MUSIC & OTHER STUFF

We will be having a steel band play for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and dinner. This is what I am going to walk down the isle to: YouTube - Pachelbel's Canon, except we will have 3 guys playing.

After dinner, a DJ will be joining us to help us party into the New Year! Our first dance will be to Stevie Wonder’s “Ribbon in the Sky,” FI loves that song. We are going to be having a bonfire on the beach, and there is always a big fireworks show on the beach New Years Eve, so we will watch that at midnight.

 

Well, I probably left some stuff out, but that's the majority of it. I am so excited...1 week to go!!!!

[futuremrsgoodrich]

OMG, you are almost there!! Everything looks awesome! I am so jealous that yall will have a resort to yourselves!! Congratulations!

[~Angela~]

Karla, everything looks fabulous! And you were so worried?!?! You're going to have an amazing wedding! All the best to you and Abe!

[*Meagan*]

yayayya!! Karla- soooo excited for you!!!!!!! Love the thread and love love love your dress!!! Congrats and have a blast!!!! Thanks for sharing!

[bride2010]

Congratulations Karla! Everything looks good and I especially LOVE your dress! Don't forget to post the pics when you get back ;o)