Kristin113

Quote: Originally Posted by foxytv I don't ... however, I ordered the canvas teachers totes last night and while searching for a code ... this website came up. Promotional tote bags custom sizes and styles from Cheap Totes at cheaptotebags.com. It's the EXACT same website but the bags were $3.79 instead of $4.99 each (weird) ... so I saved a good bit. Try that! What color did you end up ordering? I was thinking about getting the light blue one but I'm not sure what the color would really look like. Can you post a picture when you get it?

For those of you that had your bridal shower already, what did your invitations look like? Did you go with traditional invites or did you stick with a "beachy" theme like your wedding? Please post any pictures if you have -- Thanks

Thanks so much for all of the helpful advise!! We only invited a total of 50 people to our DW, we wanted it to only be close family and only 4 friends. Even though 75-100 women seem like alot my mom is really in no situation to be able to host an AHR for us (which would be at least 200 w/ guys), or else she would have. But both of our families are really big and there just happens to be alot of women that my mom feels should be invited (aunts, cousins, fam. friends). Some of them have already started asking her when the shower would be....which is why we are having such a problem. I really don't want to offend anyone by inviting them or by not inviting them, so I guess it is hard to tell how people would take it. I'll let you know what we decide, since the invitations have to go out this weekend.

Sorry.... I just relized that I posted this in the wrong section

Ok, so I have a question that I hope everyone can help me with. My mom is throwing me a shower and I'm not sure who she should invite. I know that you are supposed to only invite the women that were invited to the wedding, but there really wasn't that many. She already booked a restaurant and was expecting to invite 75-100 people (only about 30 were invited to the wedding) My mom feels that everyone knows I was planning on a destination wedding and never expected to be invited to it anyway, but that they would like to be included in the shower. So what should I do.....follow the "rules" or just listen to my mom and let her run the show?? BTW: We are not having an AHR (

Hey... I just got these really cute beach bags from Old Navy last night. They were on sale for $6, but I signed up for their card and got 20% off ) So after taxes they were $5.13 each. I bought 11 in Light Blue and 4 in Grey oldnavy+12.50+canvas+tote.jpg (image)

I saw 2 different ideas that I thought were cute: 1. Something Old, New, Borrowed & Blue 2. They had their wedding party all pick their favorite drinks and then named them after each person. My colors are blue too and I really wanted to have a blue drink, but my WC just send me their liquor list and I don't see any blue colored liquor......Any other ideas?? Oh, I was also wondering if you have to pay extra for this? And is everyone doing this in addition to an open bar, or instead of one?

I'm not really sure where to post this question, but I was wondering if anyone is planning on having signature drinks at their reception. My wedding coordinator brought this idea up to me and now I have been on the hunt for the perfect drinks. We are probably going to have 4, so any ideas are greatly appreciated Kris

Quote: Originally Posted by aruba2008 I'm beginning to realize why there are no other Westin Aruba brides out there. I already placed a deposit, so I feel as if I need to make the best out of my situation, but for future Aruba brides, I would not recommend the Westin. Now, my opinion could change in a few months, and I hope it does. My only complaint is with the newly hired catering manager (the person you work your contract out with) and her lack of professionalism. I'm going to express my concerns to this person and hope that there will be some changes, but as of now, I could not say that the staff at the Westin are supportive and welcoming. I must add though, that the wedding cordinator, who was also newly hired, seems to be supportive and knows how to reply to an email within a reasonable time frame. Sorry, to hear you are having so many problems with the Westin That really sucks!! But I'm sure you can make the most of it and your wedding will be great. I was originally looking into the Westin but ended up deciding on the Bucuti, but I found that there are a few Westin Aruba brides on the Brides.com forum, you might want to check that out so you can talk to others that are in the same situation you are in. Good Luck!! Destination Weddings | Brides.com Kristin

Quote: Originally Posted by nikkianddean Let the girls shine on their own walking down the aisle We are having an uneven bridal party as well - 5 bridesmaids, 3 groomsmen. All of the groomsmen are walking in together and the ladies are walking in w/o an escort. I have been to a few weddings where this is the case and I have to say it has worked out better (and less crowded in the aisle) than having the groomsmen walk down more than one girl at a time. Nikki... That's a great idea to have them all walk down on their own. I also have 5 bridesmaids and 3 groomsmen and I have been trying to figure out how they would walk down, and I think this is perfect

Hey... I just wanted to let everyone know that I was able to get 20 underwater Fuji cameras on ebay for only $2.25 each. The seller I bought them from now has a listing of 15 Kodak underwater camers for $49, it's a little more expensive than what I paid but you could try contacting them to see if they have others. http://cgi.ebay.com/LOT-OF-15-Kodak-...QQcmdZViewItem

I thought I was almost done, until I started reading this post. Here is my To Do List: Order Everything for OOT bags (still waiting for finaly number a people) Get BM's gifts Get GM's gifts Get Parents gifts Get groom a suit Figure out what GM's will wear Send DJ a playlist Finalize flowers Figure out what I'm doing w/ my hair Finish postcards Finish departure letters and packages (ie: Aruba brochures and magazines) & mail out Start Welcome Letters Get furture husband a gift (was gonna do the BD picture but also opted for something pratical - nice watch - going to Tourneau today) Get teeth whitened And the most important - LOoSE WEIGHT!!! I'm sure I also forgot some stuff....I better get a move on it!!

I was looking into buying either #3 (cheaptotes.co $4.99) or #4 (textileshop.com $5.99) but I think #3 will be too small to really use as a good beach bag and #4 did't come in my colors. But I think you should definately go with a bigger bag so people will actually be able to get some good use out of it. I found this bag that I am probably going to buy: I found them at www.denimapparelinc.com and they are a little more expensive $7.49 but I think people would really use them and the size is perfect for the beach 21" x 15.5" x 6.75"

Quote: Originally Posted by drmari26 I'm planning on a weding in Aruba.. bahamas or cabo... 8/8/08.. and still not sure about location.. My first thought was the RIU in Aruba because its all inclusive.. inviting aboout 20 guests.. will be a small intimate affair.. do you guys reccommed the Bucati? There will be about 4 teenagers attending as well.. any help will be most appreciated! Love this site! If you end up deciding on Aruba you might not want to go with an all-inclusive resort only because they are very expensive and Aruba is know for all of it's great restaurants. Once you are there you won't want to stick to only the RUI's restaurants to eat. Try checking out tripadvisor.com and aruba.com (they also have a wedding forum) to get more oppinions about AI's in Aruba. As for the Bucuti, that is where I am getting married on July 24th. So far everything has went really well with their wedding coordinator, Nashette. She has been able to get us everything we wanted for our wedding and is always available if you have questions. Check out bucutiweddings.com to see more about what they offer. Although the Bucuti is exactly what I wanted for my wedding, it was a little expensive for my guests to stay there. So, we will be staying at the Renaissance from the 19-24 w/ our guests and then after the wedding me and my fiance will stay at the Bucuti for our honeymoon for 8 nights. As a resort in general, the Bucuti is definatey more for couples and honeymooners, so your guests would probably have a better time at a hotel like the Renaissance (in town, 2 hotels- adults only and family, 2 great pools and their private island) The Bucuti will also providing a bus to transport everyone from the Ren. to the Bucuti and back for the wedding. If you have any other questions, feel free to email me I have a ton of info on many of the hotels/weddings in Aruba [email protected] Kristin

Old Navy seems like the best place. All solid color flip flops only $2.50 Women's & Men's Clothes: Plus Size, Maternity, Baby & Kid's Clothing | Old Navy

Quote: Originally Posted by Alyssa hhmmm - anyone want to split some - i only need 25? Hey Alyssa... I only need 25 as well, do you want to split the order?? Maybe we can get another person in on this too and it will be even cheaper LOL Kris

Hi have my renter's, car and e-ring insurance all with the same company but I was told that my e-ring couldn't be placed on my renter's insurance b/c it wouldn't be covered if I lost it outside of my apt. Does this sound right?? And even with having the same company for all insurance, the insurance for my ring was alot more than I expected...$660 a year. I did get other quotes for over $1000, but this just seems like alot compared to everyone elses.

You should definately go 2 sizes bigger. I ordered a Mori Lee wedding dress and I'm normally a size 10 but had to order a 14, they do have to take it in around the waist and bust, but I think the 12 would have been cutting it close.

Hi Suzanne... Welcome to the forum and I love you engagement story....probably because it's similar to mine LOL We also got engaged in Aruba last summer and knew it would be the perfect place to get married. We have decided on the Bucuti for our wedding, but all three of your choices were the same as ours. Each place had something different to offer and it was definately a hard decission to make. Ultimately it came down to the wedding coordinators for me. I was dealing with the Ren. for about 3 months trying to plan the wedding there (since we got engaged on the private island), but due to lack of communication w/ the Ren. I didn't feel comfortable planning our wedding with them. So, we decided on the Bucuti which has turned out to be the best decission for us. Nashette, the WC has been so helpful and has made the whole process effortless for us. She is also been so accessable by providing us w/ instant messanging services and her personal numbers , so I can always get in contact with her. No matter what place you end up choosing you wedding will be beautiful and you defiantely picked the right island. Have fun our your trip...I am so jealous and let us know how everything goes.

Quote: Originally Posted by nylalany So I'm back from the wedding in Aruba if you have any questions. While the place that the wedding took place at had an amazing sunset, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to any of you. On the other hand, I did go out to dinner with my family one night at the Flying Fishbone, and it had a totally romantic and rustic chic setting that was completely separate from the whole highrise area, if you want a really special setting that feels away from it all! That would have been my pick if I were getting married in Aruba. The beaches about 15 minutes north of the high rise area are amazing - so please make sure to go to Arashi Beach, Bucuti Beach, etc. Where was the wedding you went to? Why wouldn't you recommend it? It would be graet if you could give us more details so we know what places to stay away from. I am getting married at the Bucuti, is the beach there really that nice? God, I hope that's not where the wedding was that you went to!! LOL

I am using CheapCaribbean.com for our group reservations and I only had to guarantee 10 people to recieve the "Group Rate" and leave a $250 deposit for them. It wasn't hard for us because we had more than 10 immediate family members coming from the start. But, we did have 2 people back out last month and we didn't lose the $500 deposit we put down for them, they just carried the money over to our reservation. The key thing with them was that you must have at least 10 people, after that they really work with youin case anything happens.

Quote: Originally Posted by aruba2008 It's going to be a small affair, about 30 people. We're getting married at the Westin in July. I'm excited. I'm imagining it will be a nice long vacation with my favorite people. I heard a lot of mixed reviews about the Westin, but I was in touch with a recent Westin bride (Nov.) and she loved her experience. She sent me helpful photos that gave me a good idea of what the beach and the reception place will look like. The Westin made some changes in their staff, so the communication hasn't been consistent, but I have plenty of time for the details. I'm not going to worry about it now. My fiancee's parents are gracious enough to host a dinner for the immediate family (it'll be the second time the parents will meet!) and a day-after brunch. I'm still thinking about hosting an excusion for our guests possibly the day before or after. Questions for fellow Aruba brides: We already sent out STD, but how far in advanced should we send the invites? Also, who is your photographer? I have a choice between two Paul Van-something or Elthan H. Any thoughts on those two? Thanks. I didn't send out STD cards because I needed to know if we were going to have more than 50 people attend our wedding (Bucuti has a 50 person limit) So i just sent out invitation in November for our wedding in July, and it turns out that most people liked have all of the info far in advance. I am also having Paul as my photographer. Have you seen any of his work? I heard he is one of the best on the island.

I have also been trying to figure out how I am going to get my OOT bags to everyone. For those of you who gave them out before you left, did you still put snacks and drinks in the bags? I was planning on doing this if we brought the bags w/ us to Aruba, but now I think that might be pointless if we give them to everyone before they leave......uhhhh, everything always turns into drama LOL

I ran into the same problem, our band didn't have a demo tape either. We decided to have the band for the first 2 hours and then a DJ for the last 3hrs. I just couldn't rely on someone elses opinion for the band, and if they weren't good it would ruin the whole night.

OMG...those are so cute, I just ordered a box!! Thanks for the post