BayBug

Jules you look so beautiful!!! I had to log on just to see your pictures. It looks like so much fun!

Nice review! Sounds like you had tons of fun. It is so hard coming back.

Welcome to the forum!

That was really cute and thoughtful of you Reggie. All the girls on this website are super supportive and wonderful!

Love, love, love your dress and your hair is amazing!!!! I love it all!

Those shoes are super cute!!! I love the green!

Poor Shelley! I am sure this must be some really rough times for you. Everything will get better! Hang in there.

Welcome to the forum!

Welcome to the forum! Your wedding date is just around the corner!

How romantic!!! Just the two of you, that is just too sweet. Oh yeah! Welcome to the forum!

Welcome to the forum! You two are so cute. There are very many Jamaica brides and they are all super nice! Good Luck with everything.

Thank god for photoshop! I used that on some of my pictures because I was sweating too much and so was my husband.

Wrath Who did you last get angry with? My ex-bridesmaid; now my ex-friend (sad) What is your weapon of choice? A really nasty e-mail Would you hit a member of the opposite sex? I really would rather not, but if I had too then I would How about the same sex? I really would rather not, but if I had too then I would Sloth What is one thing you're suppose to do daily that you haven't been doing? Stop eating candy Name a person you've been meaning to contact, but haven't? my aunt Have you ever watched an infomercial all the way through? YES!!!! The magic bullet. I watch it every time it is on TV. It is horrible and the sad thing is I don’t even one. How many times did you hit the snooze button on your alarm clock this morning? 5 times Gluttony What is your overpriced yuppie beverage of choice? Tai Iced Tea with Soy Are you a meat eater? Yes PLEASE!!!! What is the greatest amount of alcohol you've had in one sitting/outing/event? I really don’t like that stuff, but I have had a whole 5 drinks Have you ever squirted canned whipped cream directly into your mouth? NOPE Greed How many credit cards do you own? 2 If you had 50 million dollars, what would you do with it? Give money to my parents, sister, husbands parents and brother and then spend the rest on us in what ever makes us happy Would you rather be rich or famous? rich Would you accept a boring job if it meant that you would make megabucks? I would! Pride What's one thing that you have done that you're most proud of? Planning a wedding on my own and using my own money Do you get annoyed by coming in second place? No Have you ever entered a contest of skill, knowing you were of much higher skill than all the other competitors? Yes, swimming Have you ever cheated to get a better score? All the time. I am so bad, but I can’t help it! Lust Have you ever caught yourself staring at the chest/crotch of a person of your chosen sex during a normal conversation? Unfortunately yes Have you ever had impure thoughts about someone else's girlfriend / boyfriend / wife / husband? Not really. DO celebrities count? What is your favorite body part of a person of your gender choice? Back Have you ever been propositioned by a prostitute? No Envy What item of your friends would you most want to have for your own? The ability to leave the country when every she wants Do you ever wish you were someone other than yourself? Not really Have you ever wished you had a physical feature different from your own? Straight HAIR! What inborn trait do you see in others that you wish you had for yourself? Smarts! Is that an inborn trait?

Shelley, I am so sad that it did not work out. Man! I was so hoping to see another Costa Rica wedding. I know how you feel though. Only my parents came to my wedding. Everyone else was his family and my friends. It is tough on families, but you really need to do what is best for you because in the end it will all work out. I do hope someday you will have your destination wedding. I am so sad…………

Welcome!!! Welcome!!! Welcome!!!

Welcome to the forum!!!

Very nice pictures. Welcome to the forum!!!!!!! I love looking at new photos.

Very nice dress!!!!!

That is exciting news!!!!! Congrats!

This is such a great thread. Some how I missed it. I recently bought books from my publisher. It was great because it was basically buy one get one free. Now parents can have a wedding album on me! Mypublisher.com TRAVEL241 Buy one book get one free I am not sure if anyone put this code up.

Welcome to the forum Shandra!

Heidi, that is so sad. I hope you get through this hard time. My thoughts are with you.

I wouldn't completely rule out the "green season." It is hot but the prices are cheaper and there are less people there. The weather is very predictable on the pacific side. Have you looked into the Manuel Antonio area? It is really nice down there.

Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica (September): September is the known as the “green season†in Costa Rica. Prices are significantly cheaper and there are less people on the beaches. The only draw back is that it is more likely to rain. The rain is some what predictable though. Rains come in around 2 p.m. or later and usually end by 9 p.m. Lucky for me it did not rain at all on my wedding day. I scheduled the ceremony to take place in the morning (11 a.m.) because it is less likely to rain and had the reception at night time (5 p.m.). This worked out perfect because guests were able to attend the ceremony and then hang out at the beach in the afternoon. The weather in Costa Rica is about 85 degrees with about 100% humidity. This is something to keep in mind because we were sweating like crazy (thank god for photo shop). I did not hire wedding coordinator only because I was trying to cut costs. Looking back, would I hire one? No. The wedding required a lot of leg work on my part, but I was okay with that. The wedding was very simple and that was what I was going for. I wanted guests to enjoy the scenery rather than me adding my own. I think it was wonderful and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Wedding attire: My dress was by Vera Wang and the only way I was able to afford it was because I went to a sample sale at Barney’s New York. It seriously was worth it. I found a local seamstress who tailored the dress for me. The groom’s suit was by Hugo Boss. He went to this place called Three Day Suit Broker. Kind of ghetto, but they sell all kinds of suits super cheap. I think he paid $350 for it and they gave him the tie for free. The bridesmaid dress was by Roxy and I found it at Nordstrom. The name of it was Mai Tai. I really didn’t care about the dress all that much and my sister loved it because it was so hot outside and the dress was so light that she did not even break a sweat. Hotel: Hotel Costa Verde (Costa Rica Hotels, Manuel Antonio Hotels, Beach Hotels) B - They have an onsite “wedding planner.†She is not a wedding planner she only assist you with your needs. She can help you locate vendors, but is really not all that helpful. What is nice is that they don’t charge you to use their restaurants. It is a great money saver. They have 3 restaurants to choose from and one event center. Our room was robbed three days before the wedding (not good times). The hotel upgraded my room and drove me the police station. I really don’t have much to say about that. It was an awful experience. Flowers: Hotel Costa Verde - B The hotel had a florist that they worked with. I had requested a bouquet with roses and orchids ($60) and a bridesmaid bouquet with tropical flowers ($30). The bridal bouquet was so small that I ended up with the bridesmaid bouquet because it looked so much better. A little advice, stick with the tropical flowers. It looks better. The flowers showed up 30 minutes before the ceremony. NOT COOL! The men didn’t have their boutonnières until I arrived at the site. I was seriously pissed off!!! Photography: Sergio Pucci (Photography in Costa Rica) - B I found this photographer on the internet. My only complaint with him was that he didn’t come up to my room before the ceremony. He went to the ceremony site instead and then showed up late. I don’t know if this was the hotel doing. The flowers were running late and I have this feeling that they told him the ceremony was going to be running late. I really don’t know, but I was really annoyed. He missed me walking down the aisle. The pictures were great. I am having them photoshoped in the United States. He was reasonably priced ($1,100) for the whole day. Videographer: Natasha Pachano - A+ This girl was really great. She too was late to the ceremony site (her and Sergio are friends), but she made it up the day after the wedding by having us take footage early in the morning. I don’t have the DVD right now, but she is really nice to work with and highly recommend her if you need assistance in Costa Rica. Music: Jose Pablo Calvo ([email protected]) - A+++++++ I can not tell you how wonderful this group was. They played wonderful music and they really know how to get the party started. I loved all the music. We had trio (Saxophone, percussion, and guitar). They were on time to both the ceremony and the reception site. We really didn’t have any specific songs but they knew exactly what to play and made the wedding extra special. If anything, everyone really loved the band. That is all they could talk about. Restaurant: El Avion (Hotel Costa Verde) - A+ The manager (Jesus) of the restaurant was wonderful. He seriously made the area look wonderful and did exactly what I had asked if not more. The set up of the tabled was perfect because everyone had a panoramic view of the ocean (about 200 feet up). Everyone was able to see the sun set while eating dinner. It was seriously amazing. The food was great. I basically pre picked and it was buffet style. The waiters/ staff were really great. If you choose this restaurant you must meet with him personally. Do not rely on the hotel to take care of it. As far as hair and make-up goes, I took care of that all my self. I had friends and family help me and that was fine with me. I bought this make up from Bobbie Brown that really held up through all that humidity. I highly recommend it because it was water resistant. My nails I took care of before I left and I also bought a travel steamer for my dress. That came in handy! I advise that you arrive at least a week before the wedding so that you can get settled in and get acclimated to the weather. It was also nice to hang out with guests before the wedding. It made the day less stressful because it was just another day to party and you didn’t have all these unfamiliar faces. I love Costa Rica and I am so happy that I chose to have my DW there. It was different and it is a place that my husband and I will always hold close to our hearts. There were a few bumps in the road, but what wedding doesn’t have that. I advise that you just go with the flow and just enjoy your day. This site has been so helpful. I don’t know what I would have done with out the support everyone provides here. Planning a DW is very stressful and it was nice to have other girls going thru the same thing as me. Thank you all!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks everyone! I had such a good time. My wedding was super small, but I loved it that way.