Calgarybride2015's Planning Thread 15/1/21 Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya

[marinah84]

Confession  2014/10/19

 

Yesterday I was just playing around on BDW forums and happened to click on the link on the side bar for 'Samual Luna' and OMG I am in love with his work.  I requested his prices which I thought would be so far outside our price range, but his basic package is what I am paying now!  The packages really aren't comparable as they offer different things (time, second shooter, etc.) but for that price I think he is a steal!   I am really torn, going to speak to Shawn about it later tonight.

We would have the vendor fee, and day pass which is manageable.     I haven't paid anything to our resort photog - they don't ask for a holding deposit, would it be tacky to cancel them should I choose to proceed with Samuel Luna?  Thanks for your opinions.

 

I love love love love LOVE his work!!  I "liked" his page on facebook, and am just stunned every time he posts a new photo.  We booked him for our wedding & TTD session - I seriously can't wait!  We were going to go with the resort photog, but couldn't find much on his work outside of videos on youtube (his website doesn't work) and I didn't love the examples we were sent.  Plus, for the hours we wanted and the fact we wanted a TTD session, it would have been MORE to go with the resort photog and book an outside underwater TTD!  

 

It's all way higher than I wanted to spend (fiancee apparently hasn't looked at that line item on our budget google doc yet lol), but it's the most important piece to me - I'm a huge amateur photographer and take hundreds of pictures & make my own photobooks.  (To put in perspective too, my sister in law is still spending $1200 here at home, with our FAMILY FRIEND photographer who is giving her a discount!)  

 

Go with what you can afford AND love  Good question on taxes...I need to ask my WC about that! 

[calgarybride2015]

Hey @@TinkerSofi - if you do want to look at engagement photos in the city, I have two options for you - 

 

The first - my brother is working on a photography certificate, and has a pretty good eye.  If you have ideas of shots you would want (I looked at Pinterest for my ideas) he could get it done for you.  He is a master at editing too - we had a couple photos on the Peace Bridge, and he was able to edit full PEOPLE out of it.  If you want to see some of the photos, check out our wedding website, under photos (the Engagement Album). I don't know his cost, but I would bet about $200 would do it (I'm not sure how many photos he would do an edit for you but I can find out).

 

kellyandjames2015.weddingwindow.com

 

Second option - since we are doing a wedding in Calgary now (and yes, I still look at this site because I love the people and ideas!), we hired a photographer in Calgary.  She does AMAZING photos and has fantastic prices (we have her for 12 hours on our wedding day, as well as her husband, get 300-400 edited photos, free engagement shoot for $1650).  She JUST did our engagement photos on Sunday (I don't have them yet) but she has reasonable prices.  Her blog of photos is here:

 

http://www.fdpstudio.com/idea/modules/blog/bloglist.aspx?pageid=165

 

Hey! Mine were done in Calgary too  They were at Confederation Park. Where did you get yours done? You should come back on and post some for us - I'd love to see them.  Your package price is unreal! Most people I know in Calgary who married here paid over $4000. Congrats

[KAT2015]

Hey! Mine were done in Calgary too  They were at Confederation Park. Where did you get yours done? You should come back on and post some for us - I'd love to see them.  Your package price is unreal! Most people I know in Calgary who married here paid over $4000. Congrats

 

I totally will post some!  Here are a couple my brother did for us:

 

Hey! Mine were done in Calgary too  They were at Confederation Park. Where did you get yours done? You should come back on and post some for us - I'd love to see them.  Your package price is unreal! Most people I know in Calgary who married here paid over $4000. Congrats

 

So those ones were done in downtown Calgary - except the dog ones - they were done in the park across the street from my house

 

The ones we JUST got done with our photographer we actually went to the Calgary Corn Maze! It was the first date I took my FI on (and a surprise at that) so we thought it would be a good spot.  Sneak peek photos should show up any day so I will post it here when I see it.

 

I'll always be around - there are too many good ideas on here for weddings in general that I need to steal

[calgarybride2015]

Vent

 

So when I was in David's Bridal I fit the dress like a glove.  Noone suggested the dresses would fit smaller when ordered in, though it makes sense, and to just go with what fit there. So I did. When it came in back in July and I put it on at home I knew it was noticeably more snug (I have posted this on the board a couple times). I figured I would lose 5 lbs and be good to go -- I would just like it a bit more comfortable and I needed to account for the swelling in Mexico that I am accustomed too.

 

I've had the dress on 4-5 times, most recent in August where I took the pictures posted in my thread.  Fit the same but again could lose a smidge more for those 'just in case' concerns (swelling, drinking booze, etc.)

 

Fast forward to this evening. Went in to get a quote for the hem and bustle and...wait for it... she couldn't even get the dress done up!  I have LOST a couple lbs since August, OMG. I had to basically beg her but she warned me we may blow the zipper. She immediately suggested we add more hooks to help!  It could be that I haven't been into the weights much since I hurt my back a few weeks ago? flabby not tight? I don't know.   Anyways she says it's just my back and everything else is fine she wouldn't adjust it anywhere else.   

 

She gave me two choices....

 

1. leave it until early December and see what damage I can do at the gym/on the scale in 5 week  (but we all know I can't spot reduce to only lose weight on my back lol)  

 

2. she can take it out 1 inch and then when I go back in early December she can alter it to my body then.

 

I chose number 2 for a couple reasons....  The dress doesn't fit properly right now, so even if I lost weight to make it fit I need to account for swelling and all that is about to come up (stagette, xmas, xmas parties, new years, etc.)  I can maintain I am confident, but aiming to lose 10-15 seems risky!   Also, I don't want to show up early December and need it taken out and then she has to RUSH to get it done in a month. I would rather her have time to do the best she possibly can.

 

Did I do the right thing? I feel I am damned if I do and damned if I don't.  I know if I gave this advice to someone else, I would tell them to size it to how they are now.  I probably could have waited until December to see what damage I could do in 5 weeks, but honestly it would be 5-8 lbs at most and that just may not make a difference      She said when I go back in, in December if she needs to take it back in some she can.. she will leave the intricate bead work until last. 

 

I think I probably did the right thing.  It's not depressing I am having my dress taken out, it's probably more upsetting that I weigh less now and it won't do up LOL  it's also scary because the dress is that important - IT NEEDS TO FIT IN MEXICO!!!  It's so stressful.  

 

She asked if I wanted it taken up 1/2 inch more to account for sinking in the sand. Did anyone else do this?  I said no because I will be on cement a lot more than just the ceremony time. We compromised on the outside layer being ground length and the under layers being the 1/2 inch shorter.

 

oh ps - she said I can't get a corset, there isn't enough material.   This will cost about $300-$350 with her taking it out/alter, hem, and bustle.

 

Davids wanted $250 for a hem and bustle...

Edited October 24, 2014 by calgarybride2015

[KAT2015]

Vent

 

So when I was in David's Bridal I fit the dress like a glove.  Noone suggested the dresses would fit smaller when ordered in, though it makes sense, and to just go with what fit there. So I did. When it came in back in July and I put it on at home I knew it was noticeably more snug (I have posted this on the board a couple times). I figured I would lose 5 lbs and be good to go -- I would just like it a bit more comfortable and I needed to account for the swelling in Mexico that I am accustomed too.

 

I've had the dress on 4-5 times, most recent in August where I took the pictures posted in my thread.  Fit the same but again could lose a smidge more for those 'just in case' concerns (swelling, drinking booze, etc.)

 

Fast forward to this evening. Went in to get a quote for the hem and bustle and...wait for it... she couldn't even get the dress done up!  I have LOST a couple lbs since August, OMG. I had to basically beg her but she warned me we may blow the zipper. She immediately suggested we add more hooks to help!  It could be that I haven't been into the weights much since I hurt my back a few weeks ago? flabby not tight? I don't know.   Anyways she says it's just my back and everything else is fine she wouldn't adjust it anywhere else.   

 

She gave me two choices....

 

1. leave it until early December and see what damage I can do at the gym/on the scale in 5 week  (but we all know I can't spot reduce to only lose weight on my back lol)  

 

2. she can take it out 1 inch and then when I go back in early December she can alter it to my body then.

 

I chose number 2 for a couple reasons....  The dress doesn't fit properly right now, so even if I lost weight to make it fit I need to account for swelling and all that is about to come up (stagette, xmas, xmas parties, new years, etc.)  I can maintain I am confident, but aiming to lose 10-15 seems risky!   Also, I don't want to show up early December and need it taken out and then she has to RUSH to get it done in a month. I would rather her have time to do the best she possibly can.

 

Did I do the right thing? I feel I am damned if I do and damned if I don't.  I know if I gave this advice to someone else, I would tell them to size it to how they are now.  I probably could have waited until December to see what damage I could do in 5 weeks, but honestly it would be 5-8 lbs at most and that just may not make a difference      She said when I go back in, in December if she needs to take it back in some she can.. she will leave the intricate bead work until last. 

 

I think I probably did the right thing.  It's not depressing I am having my dress taken out, it's probably more upsetting that I weigh less now and it won't do up LOL  it's also scary because the dress is that important - IT NEEDS TO FIT IN MEXICO!!!  It's so stressful.  

 

She asked if I wanted it taken up 1/2 inch more to account for sinking in the sand. Did anyone else do this?  I said no because I will be on cement a lot more than just the ceremony time. We compromised on the outside layer being ground length and the under layers being the 1/2 inch shorter.

 

oh ps - she said I can't get a corset, there isn't enough material.   This will cost about $300-$350 with her taking it out/alter, hem, and bustle.

 

Davids wanted $250 for a hem and bustle...

 

I think you absolutely did the right thing - I'd much rather have my dress let out now and then taken in later as opposed to scrambling last minute and stressing about it fitting. 

 

DON'T worry so much about the gym stuff.  Keep up with what you are doing - if the numbers are dropping, you're doing well.  If you can, get back into the back exercises and get into some other full body ones (squats, push-ups) combined with some cardio/ intervals - burpees with a pushup, skipping between exercises....

 

You WILL get to where you want to be.  Our bodies are hard to work with - to maximize our weight loss, we actually have to put on some mass in muscle FIRST, and then hit the cardio.  I always explain it to people like this - you burn more fuel in a Hummer going up a hill than you would a Mini - the more muscle, the more fuel (calories) burned. And then as the fat melts away, you're left with a nice tone. The problem is that building muscle UNDER fat can sometimes make us size up for a bit (ahem - I'm in that phase right now). 

 

Dresses for weddings are supposed to make us look and feel beautiful and I think it stresses us out and does the exact opposite.  I'm always scrutinizing over the pictures I have in my dress - I'm super thankful that I had to buy it off the rack (discontinued style) so the fit and colour is EXACTLY what I tried... and it has a corset back.

 

The pics I've seen of you in your dress on here are beautiful - no one will notice (or needs to know) if it came out an inch, a half inch or was taken in 2 inches.  As long as you feel good, you'll be beautiful - and I would beg anyone at your wedding to disagree

Edited October 24, 2014 by KAT2015

[calgarybride2015]

I think you absolutely did the right thing - I'd much rather have my dress let out now and then taken in later as opposed to scrambling last minute and stressing about it fitting.

 

DON'T worry so much about the gym stuff. Keep up with what you are doing - if the numbers are dropping, you're doing well. If you can, get back into the back exercises and get into some other full body ones (squats, push-ups) combined with some cardio/ intervals - burpees with a pushup, skipping between exercises....

 

You WILL get to where you want to be. Our bodies are hard to work with - to maximize our weight loss, we actually have to put on some mass in muscle FIRST, and then hit the cardio. I always explain it to people like this - you burn more fuel in a Hummer going up a hill than you would a Mini - the more muscle, the more fuel (calories) burned. And then as the fat melts away, you're left with a nice tone. The problem is that building muscle UNDER fat can sometimes make us size up for a bit (ahem - I'm in that phase right now).

 

Dresses for weddings are supposed to make us look and feel beautiful and I think it stresses us out and does the exact opposite. I'm always scrutinizing over the pictures I have in my dress - I'm super thankful that I had to buy it off the rack (discontinued style) so the fit and colour is EXACTLY what I tried... and it has a corset back.

 

The pics I've seen of you in your dress on here are beautiful - no one will notice (or needs to know) if it came out an inch, a half inch or was taken in 2 inches. As long as you feel good, you'll be beautiful - and I would beg anyone at your wedding to disagree

Awe thank you so much! You put it into words better than me! I don't wanna scrabble last minute.

 

I used to do weights 2-3 times a week and now I'm lucky to do one. I don't know what happened - oh yes I was planning a wedding and it just got away from me. Was a nice wake up call I guess!

 

Again thank you for helping me feel at ease.

 

 

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[TinkerSofi]

I definitely think you made the right choice. I think this way if she has to take it in great, but otherwise the dress is good to go and it puts less stress on you trying to lose weight, or tone i should say, in 5 weeks. If your back is not feeling great then don't risk it by exercising more, you might cause more damage and then it will interfere with your wedding plans. Otherwise start slowly doing light weights and things like that . Have you tried yoga? It's gentle enough, but holy crap, it's a workout haha. My muscles are actually sore the next day . I go to Hot Yoga on Crowfoot and I really like it there. Then just supplement it with some cardio to lose the fat on top of the muscles. I like spin for cardio because i'm not a huge fan of running and it puts less stress on my knees but running is really the cheapest exercise .

 

I totally get it though, about falling off the wagon. Lately I found I spent way too much time in these forums and not enough working out haha. Then I realized my wedding will look amazing but my dress won't fit hahah (It's already small lol). I got injured a couple of times and it really messes up with your motivation! I hurt my knee snowboarding about a year and a half ago and it took about 6 months to heal. It was really tough to get back to being consistent with my workouts. I'm back on track though, and so can you! 

 

Did you go to the seamstress in Somerset? My fiance had his suit jacket taken in by her and it looks good! It was also something super cheap like $30. I was expecting it to be closer to $70 hahah. I'll probably take my dress there and see how much she quotes me. I think the price you got is really fair

[calgarybride2015]

I definitely think you made the right choice. I think this way if she has to take it in great, but otherwise the dress is good to go and it puts less stress on you trying to lose weight, or tone i should say, in 5 weeks. If your back is not feeling great then don't risk it by exercising more, you might cause more damage and then it will interfere with your wedding plans. Otherwise start slowly doing light weights and things like that . Have you tried yoga? It's gentle enough, but holy crap, it's a workout haha. My muscles are actually sore the next day . I go to Hot Yoga on Crowfoot and I really like it there. Then just supplement it with some cardio to lose the fat on top of the muscles. I like spin for cardio because i'm not a huge fan of running and it puts less stress on my knees but running is really the cheapest exercise .

 

I totally get it though, about falling off the wagon. Lately I found I spent way too much time in these forums and not enough working out haha. Then I realized my wedding will look amazing but my dress won't fit hahah (It's already small lol). I got injured a couple of times and it really messes up with your motivation! I hurt my knee snowboarding about a year and a half ago and it took about 6 months to heal. It was really tough to get back to being consistent with my workouts. I'm back on track though, and so can you! 

 

Did you go to the seamstress in Somerset? My fiance had his suit jacket taken in by her and it looks good! It was also something super cheap like $30. I was expecting it to be closer to $70 hahah. I'll probably take my dress there and see how much she quotes me. I think the price you got is really fair

 

Thank you, I appreciate your opinion.

 

I think it's the safer bet at this point!  So we will see what comes of it.  I know when I had my surgery last year December, I just never really got back into the gym the way I would like. After my 8 weeks off my fav jeans no longer fit in my thighs - toning! So I got back into it, then the wedding plan just really interupted my life which was once heavily occupied with working out.   About a month ago I was going a Jillian Michael's class at the gym and I just tweaked it wrong.  I have back issues, but it was in check with all the exercise I was doing to support the core.  So I was off for a few weeks and just last week went back to weights - hahah I could barely walk for 3 days.

I don't want to overdue it like you said. I did Body Flow once, like Yoga, and I always just laugh and say I don't bend that way. I should give hot yoga a try though, the new Goodlife in Deerfoot Mall offers it.

 

I don't want to look like I am making excuses.  I bought the dress becuase it fit, unfortunately the dress that came didn't fit the same.  I gained a bit this summer, but got it off plus some.So i thought I was still pretty good to go - I had the dress on in August!!!!  I don't know, this is my normal weight

 

anyways, I can't beat it to death, I have to move on.

 

I actually went to a place in the same mall as Hair Dimensions. They have been there for eons, and I had actually called someone in the NW my friend recommended but they were too busy. I asked if she would trust this store and she said yes. The lady was very knowledgable. Guess we will see Dec 3 when I go back in!

 

Thanks again ladies for the support, I was super upset last night and cried hahaha!!!

Edited October 24, 2014 by calgarybride2015

[TinkerSofi]

Thank you, I appreciate your opinion.

 

I think it's the safer bet at this point! So we will see what comes of it. I know when I had my surgery last year December, I just never really got back into the gym the way I would like. After my 8 weeks off my fav jeans no longer fit in my thighs - toning! So I got back into it, then the wedding plan just really interupted my life which was once heavily occupied with working out. About a month ago I was going a Jillian Michael's class at the gym and I just tweaked it wrong. I have back issues, but it was in check with all the exercise I was doing to support the core. So I was off for a few weeks and just last week went back to weights - hahah I could barely walk for 3 days.

I don't want to overdue it like you said. I did Body Flow once, like Yoga, and I always just laugh and say I don't bend that way. I should give hot yoga a try though, the new Goodlife in Deerfoot Mall offers it.

 

I don't want to look like I am making excuses. I bought the dress becuase it fit, unfortunately the dress that came didn't fit the same. I gained a bit this summer, but got it off plus some.So i thought I was still pretty good to go - I had the dress on in August!!!! I don't know, this is my normal weight

 

anyways, I can't beat it to death, I have to move on.

 

I actually went to a place in the same mall as Hair Dimensions. They have been there for eons, and I had actually called someone in the NW my friend recommended but they were too busy. I asked if she would trust this store and she said yes. The lady was very knowledgable. Guess we will see Dec 3 when I go back in!

 

Thanks again ladies for the support, I was super upset last night and cried hahaha!!!

I actually got a bridesmaid dress altered there! I think it turned out well . It just needed to be hemmed but I didn't have any complaints.

 

I saw the good life at deerfoot. It's huge! Haha I felt like I was going into an amusement park. they have so many things you can use it's hard to decide lol. I don't go there but my mom wanted to check it out the other day and I went with her, I was impressed! Just take it slowly and hope for the best but really don't beat yourself up. I felt the same way as you when I went back to ballet as an adult. I was like "what the hell happened to my body?" But you'd be surprised how quickly your body adapts. I'm still a beginner and have a long way to go but I always give it my 100% and keep thinking that eventually I'll get there . I'm sure your dress will look great regardless

 

 

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[calgarybride2015]

@@TinkerSofi  I had my hair done Friday and I mentioned you to Cheryl. She asked for your dad's name and I wasn't sure (of course haha)... It put it on her radar though. So funny.   

 

Thank you for your review of Ellen at Perfect Stitches.   I asked my hairdresser too and she said a lot of her clients use this lady and have no complaints.  She actually felt she would be fairly pricey LOL

 

I called David's Bridal today to clear my chest heheh... ok I wasn't that upset, just annoyed. Will post that in a minute or two