Opice34

Gosh - I hate that I keep missing these!! We have a Christmas party to go to Saturday night in Mansfield - eek! that's far! - but I'll see if somehow we could do both. I still don't know much about Dallas, but I loved the GingerMan in Houston!

OH. MY. GOD. I have never seen anything like that and it is absolutely phenomenal. Seriously. I LOVE IT. So excited for you! PS - My favorite part is "I love you, Laaaaara".

Quote: Originally Posted by Duchess My book club did History of Love and most of the girls loved it but a few didnt and it was some peoples faves and it got a little tense! What is the one from her husband about? That sounds familiar... Oh, wow, I haven't met anyone who didn't love The History of Love! (I really wish it had a different title, though.) It was one of those books that right when I finished the last page I wanted to turn back to the first page and read it again! Maybe that's why I'm not in a book club. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is about a little boy living in New York after 9/11. The book is told from his perspective. It's really great. Krauss and Foer have similiar writing styles, and I assume they are each others editors. They both have a great way of drawing you in and keeping part of the story a mystery so you're always trying to figure out how it all links together. And I think their character development is wonderful. Foer also wrote Everything is Illuminated. I haven't read that one, but they turned it into a movie, so maybe that's why he sounds familiar...

Books that Jeff and I have both read and liked: The History of Love - Nicole Krauss (this is my favorite) - fictitious story of what happens many years after WWII Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer (Krauss' husband) - fictitious story surrounding 9/11 Night - Elie Wiesel My Golden Trades - Ivan Klima - (love, love, love this. I used to live in Prague, so in addition to enjoying reading about WWII, I also love reading about the communist era.) Waiting for the Dark, Waiting for the Light - Ivan Klima The Giver - Lois Lowry (children's book, but a fave) We also both enjoyed The Kite Runner, but I know you said Mike wouldn't like that. That may discount Jeff's taste. (I know there are more, but I can't think of them!) Books Jeff has passed onto me that I haven't read yet: Under the Banner of Heaven - Jon Krakauer Infidel - Ayaan Hirsi Ali Also, Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels is another good WWII Fiction.

I haven't read all the posts, but I'd start with The History of Love. It's a fictitious book about WWII. Jeff and I both read it and loved it. Cheesy title, but really great book. Amazing characters. There are also lots of other fictitious books about WWII as well. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a children's book that they are turning into a movie. It is fantastic. I would suggest The Reader, too, but see that the person right above already did so! I had to read that in high school and really liked it. Jeff and I share books all the time...let me go peruse the bookshelf. I agree - talking about books together is fun!

Well, the day after my wedding, I was on an emotional high and I'm sure I ended up over-tipping the WC. But, I really think she deserved it. We ended up giving 5% of the total bill. But honestly, she had been so wonderful from the first day we met. We worked with her for a year, had two site visits, and throughout the entire process, we always had excellent communication from her. She did such a fantastic job and I spent the day before the wedding lounging in the pool and I think the only reason I relaxed is because I trusted her so much. She really was great. And honestly, if we had to hire a wedding coordinator in the States to do everything she did, it would have been about $4,000 or something, so I still think we got off cheap! In my mind, I wasn't tipping her for that one night, I was tipping her for the entire YEAR's worth of work she had done for us. I mean - A WHOLE YEAR! And I know she works crazy hours and gives up her weekends and responds to emails at 1am. So, I totally think she deserved it, but had I waited a week, I may have cut the tip down a bit. I was on a crazy high! We gave the head waiter $60. Service was impeccable, but I know he got part of the already included 15% and he only worked with us for a few hours. That's how I justify the vast difference in the head waiter and WC tip amounts.

Hello DR Brides! I just got married in Mexico and we used DJ Mannia who was fantastic! He mentioned to me that they are opening up an office in the Dominican Republic (Punta Cana) in March 2009, so I thought I'd let you guys know! He really was fantastic!! If you're looking for a DJ, you should check him out! There also tons of reviews about him in the Cancun forum. http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t19954 MANNIA - Audio, Video e Iluminación Profesional Here's the snippet I wrote about him in my review: DJ MANNIA BEST. DJ. EVER. Seriously. My wedding was the best night of my life and a big part of that is because Carlos kept great music playing all night long! People never sat down!! We were all on the dancefloor ALL NIGHT!! He is fantastic!! We got so many compliments on him, people are still talking about what a great DJ he was, and our friends have even named our wedding "Best Dance Wedding Ever"! He is very professional, always on time, his set-up is great, his song transitions are seamless, he made the announcements perfectly, he played all the songs we wanted and none of the ones we didn't....I really can't say enough! I am so grateful for what a good job he did! My reception would not have been the same without him!! He is WONDERFUL and I highly recommend him!!

So, pre-wedding, I was doing everything and FI was doing nothing. We didn't fight about it, but I was pretty annoyed. (He also had only about 3 tasks and waited to the last minute and I either ended up doing them or helping him with them.) I never brought it up because he never wanted to deal with all of this wedding hooplah any way. He just wanted to run away and get married. I made it into a much bigger deal than it had to be, and I'm glad I did, but it was my coice, and if he'd had his druthers, he would not have done any of the things that were stressing me out like gift bags and programs. So, I didn't say a word before the wedding and sucked it up and did it all myself. BUT, the beautiful thing is, now we're home from the wedding and we received so much praise about how wonderful everything was - he's even so glad we did the gift bags because everyone raved about them and it truly made everyone feel welcomed! - now he's completely appreciative of all of the work I put into everything and I haven't done jack squat around the house. Seriously. Nada. He unpacked our bags, did all our laundry, takes out the trash, has done all the grocery shopping, pays the bills, gets the mail, washed my car. I know this won't last forever, but he now gets why I was putting so much effort into everything and I think he's trying to pay me back a bit by lessening my load now. OH - and he doesn't play video games, but I had a 4 page to-do list and was running around like an idiot while he sat on the couch for 3 hours watching football. I did, at one point, say "Can I see your to-do list?" We also would have had a blow-up, but I never really brought it up because I knew he'd tell me that's why he didn't want a big wedding! So - I'm sure it's normal, you may not get appreciation beforehand (I don't think they REALLY understand all it entails!), but hopefully he'll appreciate it all after he sees how wonderful anything is! But just hug it out and make up! Fights happen, but the sooner you make up the better! We're just such very different creatures, after all...

Gift bag pictures:

Gift Bags: (We had 100 guests and put together 60 bags. One per room, or one per single person if they were sharing a room.) We used standard paper kraft bags from Paper Mart - Best for Less. (Size Cub) I bought a big stack of multicolored tissue paper from Michael’s and carried it down with me in my suitcase. We also included a “Just in Case†pouch in the gift bags (see contents below), and I used these little pouches from PaperMart which worked out well. Paper Mart - Best for Less - Velour Bags For the gift bag tag, I used the same design as the STD and tied them to the bags using ribbon. Gift Bag Contents: Welcome Letter: (very plain and generic) Cancun Postcard]/b]: We purchased these on our site visit, took them home and addressed them with our address, then purchased stamps at the hotel gift shop and stamped them and put them in the gift bags. We asked our guests to write us a note and drop it off at the reception as they departed. It has been such fun to see these trickle in as we’ve come home from our honeymoon and I can’t wait to add them to the guestbook! (A favorite is one from a 5 year old cousin who drew a princess (and labeled it as me) in a castle with a prince on a horse (labeled as DH) coming to rescue me. Too cute!!!) Snacks: All purchased at the Costco in Cancun. Two bottles of water per bag, 1 snack size bag of chips, 1 snack size bag of M&M cookies, 1 packet of gum, 1 candy bar (special St. Louis chocolate brought from home). CD: Song 1 – Joshua Radin – Lovely Tonight Song 2 – Coldplay – Strawberry Swing Song 3 – Joshua Radin – Today Song 4 – Josh Kelley – Bound to Keep Movin’ Song 5 – Greg Laswell – How the Day Sounds Song 6 – Joshua Radin – I’d Rather Be With You (can you tell we love Radin ) Song 7 – James Taylor - Mexico Song 8 – Ben Kweller – Run Song 9 – Tim Myers – The Good Life Song 10 – Ray Charles – Ain’t That Love (also our first dance song) Song 11 – Jason Mraz – Make it Mine Song 12 – Rodrigo y Gabriela – Tamacun Song 13 – Nouvelle Vague – I Just Can’t Get Enough Song 14 – Robert Randolph – Love is the Only Way Song 15 – Rodrigo y Gabriela – Vikingman Song 16 – The Bellamy Brothers – Let Your Love Flow Song 17 – Roger Creager – Long Way to Mexico Song 18 – Robert Earl Keen – I’m Comin’ Home (we were long distance for a LONG time) Song 19 – Jackopierce – May the Road Rise to Meet You (symbolic as a blessing for our guests – we’re Irish!) A “Just in Case Pouchâ€: Sunblock – purchased in the travel section of Target. Coppertone SPF30 Sport - $.99 each Aloe Vera – purchased here: Fruit Of The Earth 100% Aloevera 2 oz. Gel (Pack of 12) | Travel Size King Tylenol travel tube – purchased in the travel section of Target. Off Travel Wipes - Familycare Insect Repellent VI Towelettes with Aloe Vera | Off! | Walgreens Did I forget anything?? I should be getting my pro pics soon, so I’m sure there will be some pics of centerpieces and such as well. I was a minimalist with the flowers, but I think everything turned out beautifully!! I will post more pics when I get them. Good luck to all who are still planning!! Congrats!!

The Ceremony: Here’s the script for our non-religious, but incredibly spiritual ceremony. Also shamelessly pilfered from here, Offbeat, and Indie. Ceremony Readings: (If you don’t want to open the attachment) Reading #1: Native American Blessing Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you. May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years. May happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon the earth. Reading #2: (MY FAVORITE) Union – by Robert Fulghum You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making promises and agreements in an informal way. All those conversations that were held riding in a car or over a meal or during long walks - all those sentences that began with "When we're married" and continued with "I will and you will and we will" - those late night talks that included "someday" and "somehow" and "maybe" - and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of wedding. The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, "You know all those things we've promised and hoped and dreamed - well, I meant it all, every word." Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another - acquaintance, friend, companion, dancing partner, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years. Now you shall say a few words that take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this - is my husband, this - is my wife. Reading #3: Dr. Seuss’ (slightly modified) “Oh! The Places You’ll Go!†Congratulations! Today is your day! You're off to great places! You're off and away! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourselves any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the TWO who'll decide where to go. Out there things can happen And frequently do To people as brainy And footsy as you. And when things start to happen, Don't worry. Don't stew. Just go right along. You'll start happening, too. OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO! You'll be on your way up! You'll be seeing great sights! You'll join the high fliers Who soar to high heights! You'll get mixed up, of course, As you already know, You'll get mixed up With so many strange birds as you go. So be sure where you step, Step with care and great tact, And remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will indeed! KIDS, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS! So, be your name Buxbaum or Shannon or Jeff or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea, you're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting So...get on your way! Programs: I completely forgot about programs and ordered them in a rush from Wedding Programs, Discount Wedding Invitations, Gifts, Stationery - Wiregrass Weddings. They were fantastic and had I was so pleased with the turnaround time! They also printed all of the placecards for me. The programs were the “Brooke†design and also used Navy Zapfino script font. On the back page of the program, we included “thank yous†to family and friends and the lyrics to Henry Mancini’s “Two for the Roadâ€. Table Names: As folks arrived to the reception, there was a table holding there placecards along with a sign that read: “To keep the adventurous spirit alive, tables have been named after locations that Jeff and Shannon have not yet explored and hope to visit in the future. Let the journey continue!†And table names were Patagonia, Serengeti, Fiji, Belize, etc. I used the Zapfino font for these as well and printed them all at Kinko’s. I used different silver 5x7 frames for the table names. Guest Book: I used a large photo album and had guests sign on one page and then on the corresponding side, I’m going to put a picture of the person who signed. I had a friend in charge of snapping pics of people as they arrived at the ceremony. She didn’t get pics of all of them, but I should have a picture of everyone from some point in the evening. I am also including the postcards that were included in the gift bags in the photo album guest book as well. Ceremony Final PT.doc

The Dress: (LOVE) Matthew Christopher Moet Gown. Matthew Christopher The Shoes: J Crew Carmen Satin Peep Toes in Ivory Women heels Carmen satin peep toes (Also LOVE. These are FOR SALE! They are gorgeous, but far too expensive for me to justify wearing for only one day, so if you want ‘em, let me know! They are an 8.5 and are in good condition. I got some dirt on the heel (I sunk into the grass), but it should clean up okay. I will send pics of the actual shoes if you’re interested.) BM Gifts: Silver Karma Bracelet from Dogeared Jewels and Gifts karma bracelet sterling silver : Dogeared Jewels and Gifts And hankies from The Snotty Bride Home Page I got them the ivory Sweetheart Gown with their first initial on the front and the date on the back. We also got our moms the Princess Gown with “Mother of the Groom†and “Mommy of the Bride†plus the date on the back. (Mommy of the Bride is a bit of an inside joke in my family because when I was a rambunctious teenager frustrated with life, I frequently snarled “Mo-THER†when I was frustrated with her and she always wanted me to call her “Mommyâ€. Despite my frequent reminders that I’m 30 and cannot respectably call her “Mommyâ€, she still prefers that moniker, so I thought it’d be cute to put it on her hankie. That way she’ll have it, at least once, and it will last forever!) BM Dresses: Dresses were from Bridesmaid Dresses and Formal Gowns: The Dessy Group, and I told the girls to pick any dress that was tea-length, in nu-georgette fabric, and was in midnight. It worked out great! They all have very different taste and they all looked WONDERFUL! And the fabric was fantastic. I wanted the flowy look, and the nu-georgette fabric is a bit heavier than chiffon, so it was still very flowy, but we weren’t worried about flashing anybody as the wind came in from the sea. Several girls ordered from Netbride - discount bridal gowns, wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses and were pleased with the experience! GM Attire: The groomsmen all just wore their own Charcoal grey suits with white shirts. We provided the tie as a gift. They were from Banana Republic, but it doesn’t look like they have them anymore. There were Navy and Light Blue checked.

Opice34’s (ridiculously late) Planning Thread! Thank you all for the help and inspiration here! The wedding was freaking fantastic and a big part of that was because of all of the help I received here. So, THANK YOU! I would be completely remiss if I did not also mention Offbeat Bride | Wedding blog, advice, photo gallery, and links for alternative brides and www.indie-bride.com which were two sites where I also got loads of ideas. So many things seeped into my head from pouring over these sites for hours and I have no clue where (or from whom) I got some of my ideas, but I can guarantee that 99% of them came from BDW, Offbeat, or Indie. They are great sites and you should check them out as well! Save the Dates: Actual Save the Dates were created in Photoshop Elements, printed at Kinko’s, and I’m sorry I can’t remember the font names. Envelopes were purchased from Paper Source: Envelopes, Wedding, Invitations, Stationery, Ideas. Envelopes are Strawberry A9. I actually ended up liking the Papaya better, but had already ordered Strawberry, so I stuck with that. I had no idea what colors I would be using at this point, so they don’t match the invites, but I think that’s okay because they feel tropical-y! Also, I mucked up the wording on the STDs. It should have said “if our dear family and friends are there to celebrate with us.†They were already printed when I caught it, so oh well! I also ordered an embosser from Paper Source and used that for the return address. Invites: Invites were by Envelopments Mix and Match Design Line - parts for custom invitations and announcements and I had them printed and assembled at Petite Folie in Coppel, TX. (They did a marvelous job!!) Font Color: Navy Block Font: Canterbury Script Font: LT Zapfino Pocket: Metallic Lapis Background Paper: Luster MEH 35 Foreground Paper: Luster Envelopes: Luster (not pictured, but looked GREAT) I’m having a really hard time getting decent pics of the invites, so I ended up scanning them. These pics do not at all show how pretty they were! I was very happy with the final product! There’s also a small typo on the RSVP that I caught later. Again, oh well!

The boys just wore charcoal grey suits that they already owned. We bought the ties as their gifts. I gave all the girls an AmEx gift card as a hostess gift for one of my showers. I made it for the amount of half of the dress. My hope was that they'd put it towards the dress, but they could really do anything they wanted with it. I also let them all pick out their own dress (I chose color and fabric and designer), so I'm hoping they'll actually wear it again, but we all know how that goes!

Quote: Originally Posted by beth We booked Carlos for our wedding in February. All of the great reviews are getting me really excited!! Beth! It's me! (Shannon!) How fun that we're having the same DJ! Sorry I missed lunch the other day - will call again soon. You'll love DJ MANNIA!!!!! So excited for you!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Jessica&Adam Opice, I am here literally on the edge of my seat b/c I can't wait to see all your pics. How did your flowers turn out? Which florist did you go with, the ones the Hilton usually uses?? Congratulations, and I'm so happy to hear that everything went perfectly for you!!! *MWAH!* Thanks Jessica!! I will post my pro pics as soon as I have them - should be soon! And I went with Mayra (I don't think I'm spelling that correctly, but it was the less expensive option) and the flowers were great! (I think the florist office name is Mariposa or something like that? Fernanda will know.) They didn't look exactly like the pictures I had sent, but I had sent the pictures months ago and couldn't find the picture again closer to the big day. But it didn't really matter because they were gorgeous anyway!

I met my now husband at the Ghost Bar in Vegas! He lived in California, I lived in Texas. We were long distance for three years...he moved to Texas a year ago and we got married last week! Woo hoo!

Oh, I LOVE the 1st one. It's very unique, flattering, and goes with veil perfectly. I love it!

Here's a full length non-pro pic!

Quote: Originally Posted by cdnvb9 So happy to hear your wedding was incredible!! Is your dress Mathew Christopher?! I think I am looking at the same one and I love it.. hope you can post more pics soon!! Yes! It's the Matthew Christopher Moet gown. LOVED IT!! Best decision I made about the whole wedding! Are you deciding between that one and another one? I'll try to find a full length shot...

Here's a non-pro pic!

Hi! We just honeymooned at the Iberostar Grand Paraiso and it was fantastic! Good luck to all of you!

Hey guys! Everything was FANTASTIC!!!! Review is posted here: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t32648 Chicago - how was the site visit??

Quote: Originally Posted by Gail We are planning for June 09- so i really need to make a decision soon. I have been looking for 6wks and have myself more confused and stressed than ever. Any suggestions please. Riviera maya Must allow kids trying to get price down for guests activites for diff age groups great pool/beach most guests mid 30's-like to party few teenagers gazebo ceremony Thanks I was looking for exactly the same things you are! We just got married at the Hilton last week and it was perfect! Here's my review: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t32648 Also - here's my full review of all the hotels we visited in Cancun! Good luck! http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t13912

Hey guys! I just posted my full Cancun Wedding Review here: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...648#post610716 but thought I should post a special thread about FuneverPhotos as well. They did a great job!!! They delivered the video 2 days after the ceremony and it is perfect and wonderful and they did a fantastic job! We used Hector and he was great!!! funeverphotos@prodigy.net.mx