After The Wedding!

[veryvalentine]

We are just coming down from our post wedding high!  There is nothing quite like it.  

 

I have been writing our wedding review but I wanted to write this post first to seek some advice from other past brides.

 

Everything went well, there were some small glitches that I will write more about on our review, but essentially the experience was the best time of my life.  It was a combination of the people who went, the beauty of the beach and resort that contributed to a perfect day.  

 

When we left the resort I started crying because I knew that I had just spent the best time of my life at this resort with a group of people that I may never have all together again.  Our guests traveled from England, Peru, Spain, parts of Mexico,Toronto and Windsor so it's probably safe to say that they won't all be in the same room again.  

 

I have never felt an overwhelming feeling of happiness and gratitude as this before and the advice I took with me from previous brides was to stop and really take it in.  There was a point where I was doing the bouquet toss and my dad's wife introduce a Mexican tradition which is to do a serpent dance (follow the leader type of dance) and all the women were wearing veils that she had made and they were dancing around me...everyone was so in the moment and so happy that at that moment I remember dancing and just thinking, like wow, we pulled it off...like we threw this epic wedding and we are so happy.  I don't know if anything in life can top this happiness and if nothing else does I am ok with that because it was epic.

 

 

 

I don't necessarily have post wedding blues - but I do feel a few regrets of things that I didn't get to do.  I can't seem to let them go.  My sister gave me a really pretty silver bracelet and I don't know why, but I didn't wear it the day of the wedding.  I felt so bad.  I know she wanted to gift me something to wear and I ended up wearing a bracelet that was significantly daintier and I just didn't want something too chunky.  I have been seriously thinking of asking the photographer to Photoshop the bracelet in ...is this crazy??  probably.  I just feel like i should have worn it.  

 

Another regret is that we didn't take shots with each bridal party member.  like individual shots.  It was like 40c and I think we were all just hoping to get out of the heat but now looking back I feel really bad that we don't have individual shots with each person in our wedding party. 

I'm actually really annoyed about it the more I think about it.  I wish we had done different shots with the bridal party- maybe i'll feel different or better once i see the pictures.  I don't know.  ahh 

We did have group shots, and here is a sneak peek but not individuals

 

 

Our photographer was great and started shooting Thursday night at our bachelor/bachelorette party and took a few candids friday night and then sat and Sunday and joined us on our trip to tulum.  In total he said he has about 5000 pictures...I don't know if in the grand scheme of things it's a big deal not to have individual shots but for some reason I"m really bothered by it.  

 

The day we arrived there was a huge tropical storm and the wedding that took place that day had to totally move her outdoor wedding indoors and was very upset by this..i'm sure she is full of regrets so I know that I should be grateful for the beautiful day we had and move forward but I just wondered if anyone else had any similar feelings after their wedding.

 

I'm sharing a few more shots.  We ended up doing our own flowers and I saved soooo much money.  I made our centre pieces and bouquets the night before.  My bouquet and the gazebo flowers were included in our package so I didn't make those but the other ones were done by myself.

I spent $250 canadian in flowers versus $1000 usd.  score!! 

 

 

Any advice would be welcomed! I"m just trying to shake off these few things that I feel bad about.

Edited June 30, 2015 by veryvalentine

[calgarybride2015]

All your photos are gorgeous. I think all us past DW brides can attest the sadness you feel that you may never relive that week again with all your close friends and family. But you have memories and stories and it will be all everyone talks about for months to come!!! Some of us are planning a 1 year trip together.

 

We all have regrets but you need to move past them. You can't change them. I regret not spending more time with everyone.

 

With respect to the bracelet I wouldn't have it photoshopped in. But that's me. If it's bothering you I'd sit down with your sister and tell her how you are feeling. I'm sure she is more than ok and the convo will make you both feel better.

 

We didn't do group shots with each person of the bridal party individually either. Just men and women then all together. I'm ok with it because we have candid ones of us with most people from the week and the wedding day.

 

Can't wait to see more.

 

 

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Edited June 30, 2015 by calgarybride2015

[rachelia160]

My hubby (!) and I stayed four extra days after our guests left (they all stayed 7 days), and we thought we would be so ready to have time to ourselves by the end of the week, but I cried like a baby when we were in the lobby seeing everyone off to the airport. I just wanted everyone to stay with us! There is something so incredibly special about having so many different people from different places and different parts of your life all together, and it is sad when you think that it won't likely ever happen again. I definitely feel your pain on that part!

[veryvalentine]

I agree @@calgarybride2015 no photoshop- but I've been worrying about it. It was your advice that I was listening to over and over in my head when we taking in the good moments.

 

@@rachelia160 I agree!!! I know myself so well that I knew that I wouldn't want to be around once our guests left. We decided to arrive 4 days before our guests to plan but we left with the group. I had to say goodbye to my dad at the hotel as he was going back to his home in mexico so I was probably even more emotional because of that and everything heightened. I was happy to leave with the group and share in that travel experience.

 

@

I have the business card of the flower store. You have to order the baby's breath ahead of time but I think it was like 150 pesos for a huge bunch.

 

The vases my dad bought in veraCruz and we actually ended up gifting them to Katy from Love and Lace to add her to her decor repertoire. I have her contact info if you need. But I'm sure she'll rent them out. She was so helpful... We sourced all our decorations and sparklers through her. Im on the go train but I'll find the flower business card for you.

 

 

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[Sabes44]

I LOVE your post, because I totally have "regrets" too.  I hate to even call them regrets.  For example I was getting mad at my husband the other night because we never took photos on the pier (because he was over it and it was hot and we were both hungry and thirsty).  I should have pushed him to take them, but I  didn't so now I really wish I had those pictures.

 

Oh and I also started crying the week we got back at work, saying I wish we stayed longer and had more time alone.  Unfortunately we only ended up having 2 1/2 days alone and it was not enough!  

 

In hindsight I wouldn't have changed anything, but wish I could do it all again.  It was the most amazing time and if you or any of you other ladies on here are anything like me.  You planned a great wedding, everyone had the time of their life, you are married to the best partner for you everything else now seems blah!  So we find little things to pick apart because maybe it wasn't all that great and everyday life isn't that blah to planning the most amazing day(s) of our life.  

 

Just my thoughts...I have been feeling this too and thinking about it a lot.  Oh and writing this totally made me tear up!  Because it really was an amazing time and I know that despite the little things we didn't do, it was still epic!

[Wafflesmom]

I love the idea of the serpent dance during the bouquet toss, it totally looks like so much fun!

 

I'm sorry you have regrets and I know that I can only imagine what you're feeling since I'm still in the planning stage so I can on,y empathize with you but try to focus on all the positive things instead of the negative. From what I can tell, you and your guests had an awesome time! In the planning stages, and this is a personal fear of mine, I'm afraid that my guests will not have fun and wonder why they paid so much money to go to a boring wedding! I am hoping that my guests have the best time of our lives and they remember our wedding as one they had a great time going to. Well it seems you successfully pulled this off and you shouldn't regret this at all. You brought family from so many different parts of the world and you should be so happy that your wedding brought them all together for such a joyful occasion. This reunion may not happen again but you made it possible to even happen once in everyone's life.

[smileitseb]

@@veryvalentine congratulations!!! and i can totally relate. i hate that we dont have any individual shots either. :/ it really bothers me, but im trying to focus on the good pictures we DO have. 

[TinkerSofi]

Congratulations! Everything looked so good and I'm happy that you consider this the best time ever . I think we always have some kind of regret, but I wouldn't let that hold you back from enjoying your memories at its fullest. You know for a lot of us this is our first wedding, and as usual with first times, there's always things we learn in the process and things we wouldn't do again if we had to, so I think some regrets are normal. I really would try to get past them and maybe if talking to your sister helps I would do that . 

[vancouverpetunia]

Thank you for your post. Since I'm planning my wedding for 9 months from now, I haven't even thought of the emotions as it all ends. Good to be prepared, although I suspect you never know how you'll feel, until is all happens! It seems like you have so few regrets among a multitude of happy memories.It's never going to be perfect, and you even said you had the best time of your life.I know this is probably lame advice and you are already trying to do this, but just hold onto the good stuff and let those regrets go. I like what @@Sabes44 said: "In hindsight I wouldn't have changed anything, but wish I could do it all again."  If you couldn't change anything but had the opportunity to do it all over again, would you? I bet you would!   

 

@@Wafflesmom I know how you feel about wanting to make sure guests have a great time. I feel the same way. I take consolation in the fact that I went to a DW a number of years ago (where I met my FI!) and I think everyone, us included, had an amazing time. People still talk about it. And for us, it's not even that it was great because we met there - we didn't see each other again for a year. So it's not like our memories are tinged with romance.   However, the downside to that is we had such a fantastic time I'm worried our own DW won't live up to my expectations! 

P.S. @@veryvalentine How did you get your flowers into the resort? Did you have to pay any vendor fees? I want very simple centrepieces, very similar to yours, so we could probably do them ourselves, but I don't know how that would work. Can you send the contact info for the florist, too?

Edited July 1, 2015 by vancouverpetunia

[beckys98]

I feel you on all fronts. We had some hiccups that are really frustrating and definitely a few regrets as well. Among other things, my husband's friends put together a video/slideshow and surprised us by playing it at our welcome dinner. It was awesome and so touching - but my friends and family weren't represented and we felt bad about that, even though we had nothing to do with it. I left the party too early on our wedding night. There are definitely people I didn't spend enough time with (most of our guests only stayed 4 nights). My husband and I only had 24 hours alone before coming home (and some of which was on our TTD photo shoot). It is majorly depressing to think that was honestly, truly a once in a lifetime experience and it is over. I'm constantly asking myself if I showed enough appreciation to our guests. Part of this is because we didn't have a bridal party, which I don't regret, but did we do enough for those would-have-been friends and family so they know how special they are to us? I just hope so.

 

BUT, my husband and I have been together so long (9 years) that I didn't expect we'd feel any differently after making it official...but we do! We absolutely have that newlywed glow and my heart has never, ever been so full. The gratitude we feel for having the entire experience is something we'll carry forever. Not to mention we're starting to dig through the hours and hours of video we have from the week and it is so fun to watch! As much as I want to go back in time, we can sort of relive it whenever we want. I try to focus on all that when the regrets creep into my mind.

 

Also, I didn't LOVE wedding planning and coming back to summer and more free time gets me through! It is pretty liberating to get home from work at 8 p.m. and just be done for the day! No to-do list to tackle or guilty feelings for not tackling it. We're making fun summer plans with our friends and some travel plans for 2016 to distract us - while also trying to convince all of our unmarried friends that they should get married in Jamaica when their time comes so we can live vicariously through them! I think we've convinced at least one couple