seaprincess

I was surprised to hear Vivienne for the girls name - it is actually not a made up name! Not so sure about Knox....could be worse though!

Your man is one lucky guy! Love the pics where your looking on the balcony, cheeky without giving away too much! Super hot!

So I am starting to feel like I'm running out of time, especially now that our small DW (we were thinking about 20) is turning into a family reunion with 50 people!!! So far I have: - My dress ordered, should be here in October with tons of time for alterations - My 44 guests are booked plus my FI and I - My MOH, 2 BM's and the GM have accepted and are booked My to do list is way, way too long to post. The top of the priority list is finding BM dresses in aqua - apparently not a hot colour this season in Ottawa, b/c we aren't buying traditional BM dresses....online has been our best resource so far. Next on the to-do - Start all the DIY projects so I'm not scrambling to get them done in Jan! Important events/dates comming up: July 19/08 - Engagement/house warming BBQ Sept 21/08 - Bridal shower Oct 4/08 - Bachelorette weekend in Montreal (we are doing another Bachelorette night in Punta Cana when we get there) End of October - My MOH moves to the other side of the country so all the parties have to happen early and before she leaves plus I need to plan her Goodbuy Party How are the other Jan brides doing?

Oh thats cute! Good try attempting to get out of homework on his part though!

I love them! Especially the mango & pink ones! I am actually reconsidering my colours to mango and pink. I think it is so fresh and tropical! Add a Lime accent and it will pull together your colours perfectly!

OMG I love it! Do you have BM's and if so, what colour are their dresses?

First let me say your hair looks awesome! You must feel so light and free! Perfect for summer! Quote: Originally Posted by Mel DH thinks I look even more like a little girl, like around 12, and says that we can't go in public together because he doesn't want to be accused of being my dad even more than he was before. He was mainly giving me a bad time, but claims he likes it. My FI said the same thing to me when I cut my bangs straight across my face last time! I laughed and told him to shut up, but then we went to the movies and I got carded. Then a salesman came to the door and when I answered, he asked if my parents were home. I kindly explained that I was the owner of this house, so no, my parents aren't home..... So don't worry, you aren't alone! Just make sure you bring ID if you go see a movie that's rated R!

Originally I really wanted to stay under $600, but I was prepared to go up to 1000 with alterations. Once I started looking, I couldn't find a single dress under 600, except for the poofy clearance dresses - just not my style. Then I decided I really wanted a lace dress, which then became really tough to find in a reasonable price range. I ended up picking my dress which is 700 plus tax (13% in ontario) = a grand total of about $800, so with alterations, I hit my budget and I love my dress. And I'm wearing it again at the AHR so it will be worn twice which is how I justify spending more than I originally planned.

Ohhh, so excited to see the pics of the veil. Got any tips for those of us who haven't made it yet, but are planning to?

You are being incredibly strong by supporting the people in your life who need you so much right now. My prayers are with you and your family.

Ah....you guys look so in love! Looks like you had a gorgeous night!

HAHAHA - LOL This thread made me laugh immediately! Not that I don't appreciate that your FI's are all of a sudden jumping in, but I can't imagine that happening for us. A few months ago, I asked if there was ANYTHING he had in mind in terms of vision, anything he wanted to include, not include...anything he cared about. He looked over at me (after he tore his focus from Sportsnet) to tell me "Ummm, nope!". "Are you sure?", I said. He said, "Just let me know how much its gonna cost" - Fair enough So far, so good! Last week someone asked him what he'll be wearing and he answered, "Lindsay hasn't told me yet". The freedom is great, my MOH has 10 times more input than my FI, but I wish he had at least 1 idea! We'll see how it all goes down in a few months!

Our TA was able to hold our group rate with just a deposit from my FI and I. The TA and I planned a reasonable timeline to get out invites with the travel info and TA contact name and a deadline for our guest to put down a deposit. We also established a deadline to pay to balance. We booked mid-March (with our deposit) holding 43 seats on the plane. Invites went out the beginning of May. The deposit for our guests were due June 30; she will release any tickets that aren't booked with a deposit The balance is due Nov 5 Wedding is Jan 28/09 It depends on the tour operator. This was how it worked b/c we booked through air transat vacations. If we had booked through another operator, it would have been the 10 deposit rule.

Sounds perfectly romantic! Lucky girl!

Hmmm, this is a bit sticky.... We had a woman (friend of the FMIL) who was not invited b/c my FI's dad did not want her to come b/c she's a child and hangs off of my FMIL and it is mostly family going anyways. It was explained to her that it is all family except a few very close friends of mine and my FI. She had the nerve to tell my future parents in law that it was a big resort, and if she wanted to go, they couldn't stop her. To which they responded, but the wedding is private. She followed that up with, "well I've been to resorts with weddings on the beach, and if I wanted to watch, no one would be able to stop me"! Fortunetly her husband has enough brains to stop her in her tracks and tell her to grow up, but I know I'm going to hear it from her this weekend when I see them. Can't wait to tell her that it would be strange (and rude) to attend a wedding she wasn't invited to. Anyways, sorry for the hijack, but my point is I feel ya. The thing is, this woman obviously isn't aware she isn't welcome, or chooses to be oblivious, so someone needs to let her in. It might mean more if you tell her yourself b/c you are the bride and this whole thing is happening for you (and your FI). She may be able to push your mom around, but would she try it with you? It is even tougher if she received an invitation. Good luck!

Welcome to the forum! You will find tons of great info to help you plan over the next couple of months! As a DR bride myself, it is definetly an economical choice. Have fun!

We invited over 100 people, and we have 43 booked right now, with a few people trying to book on their own and some procrastinators. We will probably have close to 50 people when its all said and done. I read somewhere that for a DW, expect 50% of the people you invite to make it....seems like a good estimate.

Good question about the registering! I am having my shower early (in September) b/c my MOH is moving accross the country in October, so I thought we should probably register before that, but I wasn't sure. That will be about 5 months before the wedding. Does anyone know if you can register at Home Depot?

We offered to pay for the BM dresses and the GM shirts. We ended up with enough people booking with our travel agent that both me and my FI don't have to pay to go to the resort for the 1st week (we still have to pay the tax, but even with that it is saving us about $1300 each) so as a gesture to our wedding party, we are covering the cost of the dresses and shirts. We saved in one area that we had budgeted for, so we decided to spend a little in another. We are also on a budget, but I know my BM's don't have much cash, and at $1665 for the week, it is more than they would normally spend to go away for a vacay. Honestly, to each there own. They were all really surprised when I offered to buy, so it is certainly not expected - at least in Canada where I'm from. Do what is right for you on your budget.

Quote: Originally Posted by cessyboston If Donnie's shirt is white and my dress is ivory or is this wicked tacky,, I love that you just said 'wicked' to describe tacky...so Bostonian of you I think that the only person who will notice that you guys don't match perfectly is you...don't worry about it, it will be beautiful!

I realized I should probably answer my own question..... I was 2 months shy of my 25th B-day and my FI was a month shy of his 26th. We have been together since I was 16 and he was 17, but we waited until we were established and mature enough to handle the responsibilty of being married. I still feel young to be engaged, because I am the first and remain the only one of my friends to be getting married. I do know that he is the one and only man for me though, so in that sense My brother and his GF live together and act like a married couple, and they are amazing for each other, but I guess I don't understand the rush....They have been together for over 2 years and just moved in. They are responsible and in love, but I guess I'm a bit surprised b/c I didn't see it coming while I was still engaged. In fact she and I had a convo about it last week and I predicted they would be married in 2012....3 1/2 years seemed reasonable.... Ah well, what works for them is what matters.

So my brother is talking about proposing to his now GF...and they are both 21! I may be just an overprotective older sister, but I'm surprised that they are talking marriage already. Just out of curiosity, how old we're you when you got engaged?

Stunning! Congrats and welcome back!

Okay, I know this might be repetitive, but OMG you two looked AMAZING!! All us brides to be can only hope to look as gorgeous! Honestly, you looked relaxed and beautiful and your day looked fabulous. Can't wait to see the pro pics and any more non-pro pics too! Congrats Mrs!

Although I'm a bit nervous about the wind on the beach during the ceremony, putting on the veil when I was dress shopping did it for me. It totally completed the look and feel of what being a bride means to me. I know I won't want to wear it after the ceremony and a few pictures though, so after discussing it with my hairstylist/BM, I've decided to remove the veil and tuck a few flowers in my hair for some more pics and the reception. I feel like its the best of both worlds.