Ryan's girl

Paraisobeachbride2009- I just realized that your day is coming up so quickly! Ahhh! I'm so excited for you! How are you feeling?! Do you feel like you have everything in order?

Amazing! You look absolutely stunning! Those are some incredible photographs! Congrats!

So FI and I went into Dollarama today to pick up a bunch of things and as we walked in we were greeted by a big sign at the door (and signs ALL OVER the store) stating that their products will no longer all be $1. The products will now be either $1, $1.50 or $2. For right now it will only be new products that they receive that will see the price increase but the cashier told me that eventually they will be changing the prices on things currently in the store. As we walked through, you could see new items with $2 price stickers on them! FI and I picked up everything that we needed today before the price changes on any of their old stuff! I heard that this was going to happen but I guess I was in denial. FI was making fun of me because he could see how disappointed I was - I am in love with Dollarama (I'm a teacher and buy SO many things there). Now I know that it isn't a huge price increase but I liked the fact that everything was $1. Just thought I'd give you a heads up in case there is some stuff you need to get!

The wedding coordinator at our resort also made an exception and is allowing us to have a legal ceremony even though it will be before the "4-day rule". We just have to go immediately to complete the documents so they can get them to the judge and do our blood work right away so that they can get the results in time for our wedding. I would check with your wedding coordinator. They didn't budge at first for us but after a few emails they said it would be ok. Good luck!

Quote: Originally Posted by clmarti1 What brand was the swim suit? I need to start looking for a strapless top. Otherwise, I am staying out of the sun 3 three days before the wedding. I was also looking at going to the tanning beds because last year's tan lines never went away!!! Sorry for the delayed response! It's Jantzen, just plain black...nice and simple. I think the girl at the store here said they had it in white but they didn't have any in stock. I also ordered one from VS but it doesn't support me very well so I'm planning on returning it - I don't think that the VS ones are made to support the more busty girls!

Quote: Originally Posted by dbellie1414 Hey All, I made some travel brochures for my group that is staying at the Grand/Lindo/and Del Mar. These templates are in publisher and you can get a free 90 day subscription like I did through microsoft.com! Publisher is a great thing, let me tell you!!! I tried to upload them to this post but the file is to large so if ya want just shoot me ya email and I can email them to you! Ohhh, I also made luggage tags and passport size (well, actually smaller) iternary for the welcome letters if ya want I can email those too! I am very interested in seeing your travel brochures. That's on the to-do list for FI and I think weekend! If you don't mind sending the luggage tags as well I'd really appreciate it. My email is [email protected] Thanks so much! Kristin

While the guys are out deep sea fishing us gals are going to be relaxing on a catamaran! We are going to charter a catamaran for a few hours and soak up the sun with some beverages! I was going to pay to charter the catamaran but our budget is out of control - I mentionned the idea to some of our guests/girls to see if they'd be interested and every single girl said they'd be in and asked how much it would cost. I just figured that I'd divide the cost by the number of us on the boat and everyone can pay their portion! (although FI and I might still cover more of the cost to bring it down for everyone else)

Quote: Originally Posted by noelynn I am getting married at the Del Mar in November. Has anyone used their photographer Foto Caribbean?? This is the photographer they suggest using. I think if you bring in an outside photogrpaher there is an extra $300 fee. If anyone has any input on this please reply. Thanks, Noel A friend of mine got married at the Del Mar last year and used the resort photographer. When I met up with her in the summer to see her pictures I was really disappointed. It made my decision easy to hire an outside photographer and pay the $300 penalty for not using the photoshop. I think it all depends on how important the photographs are to you and your FI. I consider it one of the most important components of our wedding so I didn't even have to think twice about finding a different photographer. Kristin

Quote: Originally Posted by sunsetbride1 We are doing the same as Jen above... we are putting it into our wedding budget. Honestly, we live together anyway so it's already both of our $$ at this point. I think that whatever you and FI are comfortable with is what's best for your situation. This is the exact way we feel...we already live together and share our $ so it wouldn't really matter. We incorporated it into our budget.

We have figured it out to be approximately $14 per bag and are doing 25 bags. Our good friend owns a hair salon so he donated travel size shampoo/conditioner and lotion. We are also working on getting a pharmacist friend to get sample size Immodium/Advil for us from one of the reps (crossing our fingers!). I also heard that some doctors will donate samples if you ask. It's worth the try. We are trying to do whatever we can to keep down costs! My FI was laughing at me the other day because I was thinking of redeeming points to get gift cards for places where we can purchase items for our OOT bags - lil miss frog, you can try that with your FI! I personally think $20 per OOT bag is reasonable though!

I actually just bought a really good strapless (bandeau top) bikini. I am definitely not tiny in that area but found a really good one that holds me in really well. I love it and now I won't have to worry about tan lines at all!

Hi there! We ordered another copy of our birth certificate. Our resort specified that we have the "long version" of our birth certificate (not the credit card size one). I would check exactly what the requirements are for your resort. Different resorts have different requirements for a legal ceremony. Here is a thread with some of the info that might be useful. http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t32958

We did our STDs through Vistaprint and only paid for the shipping costs. We also did a matching magnets to our STDs and paid for the shipping only on those as well. I absolutely LOVE Vistaprint and have been very happy with everything that I have ordered through them. I can email you a picture of our STD and magnet if you want to give me your email address.

Welcome to the forum! You will find so much useful information here! Happy planning, enjoy it!

Congrats and welcome to the forum! You will find SO much useful information here! Good luck with your planning!

Thanks gemstone and Lindobride! I figured as much but was worried for a minute that they had forgotten about me as it's been awhile since I've been in contact with the WC's! Lindobride - how's your planning coming along? Has Araceli sent you many other documents so far? It's too bad that I leave just before you get there! I'll have to log right on to BDW to give you a quick review!

I also ordered 2 sets from Vista Print - one with my maiden name and then another with my married name. They have some cute "just married" ones that I ordered to put on our thank you's! Wait for Vista Print to have them for free and then you just have to pay the shipping (but you have to do 2 separate orders, as far as I know, and pay the shipping for each order - it still ends up being ridiculously cheap!)

Quote: Originally Posted by LindoBride2009 Michelle, A couple of questions for you....I leave on April 6th, so it's only 90 days away. I've received the last wedding details document from the WC and I'm wondering how far in advance it was when you sent in your completed form. Also, I'd like to use the Vitrales room, but I don't have my final guest count yet, so I'm not 100% sure that it will be big enough. Do you know how far in advance I have to tell them that I want that room? Thanks! Hi Carla! Did Araceli send you the last wedding details document or did you request it? I am getting married at the Lindo on April 1, 2009 (we'll just miss eachother!) and haven't heard from or received anything from the WC. I started to panic when I saw your post about receiving the last wedding details document. Have you had much contact with the WC? Thanks in advance! Kristin

Because we are giving out OOT bags we decided to give favours instead of bombonnierres. We are spending quite a bit of money on the OOT bags themselves so we thought that just giving a small favour would be fine. We haven't decided what we are going to give yet. That is on our current list of things to do!

Hey girls! Now that the holidays are done I finally have some time to start working on some wedding stuff. It's weird, today for the first time I got really nervous about the wedding. I think maybe because FI and I just worked on our to-do list and I'm feeling overwhelmed?! I can't believe that my wedding will be here in less than 3 months! Crazy. Things we have done since my last post: -Sent out our invitations (yah!...glad to have that done) -Picked out our wedding bands -Bought a bunch of stuff for our OOT bags and made a personalized letter to attach to each bag -Worked on our brochure to put into the welcome bags -Picked up my dress Things to do.... -Buy maid of honor dress -Find jewellery, sandals, veil -Create a brochure to send to guests prior to leaving -Figure out wedding favors -Decide what we're doing for our guestbook -Make final purchases for OOT bags -Make dinner placecards -Contact resort wedding coordinator with a long list of things I know that there is more but that's what I could think of off the top of my head. Get ready girls...these next 3 months are going to fly by!

The day after school finished (I am a teacher) a bunch of colleagues and I took a trip to New York for a week. While I was gone my FI was busy working away on his proposal for when I returned! When I came out of the airport gates there was a man right outside the gate holding a sign with my name on it. He informed me that my FI couldn't make it to pick me up and that he felt bad so he arranged to have a limo pick me up. To be honest, I was a little bit disappointed because I was really looking forward to seeing my FI when I got in. Anyways, he took me to one of those Hummer limos and I hopped in. When I entered our condo there were candles set up everywhere with a path leading to the living room. My FI was dressed in a suit and handed me an album - he had made a scrapbook (I am a scrapbooking fanatic) for me with pictures of us and love quotes. When I got to the final page, he got down on his knee and asked me to marry him. I was so impressed that he actually made the scrapbook himself. He said that it took him hours of going through my scrapbooking magazines and countless trip to Michaels craft store for supplies. Of course he took a lot of slack from his buddies for making a scrapbook but I thought that it was perfect! Now I'll always have it to remember that night! I joked with him that now he has to add a page every year that we are married! Here are pictures of the scrapbook I am so in love with this guy!

We also typically give $150-200 depending on how close we are to the bride and groom. I think that giving money as a wedding gift has turned into "covering the cost of ones plate" for many people (although it is important to give enough to cover the cost!)...but really it's a gift for the bride and groom to begin their new life together.

You need to find out from your specific resort specifically what they require from you...as different resorts within Mexico have different requirements. For example some resorts don't require you to do anything whereas others (like mine), make you go through this long process. Here is the link to the thread that I started with information. I hope this helps! http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t32958

Here are a few of the courses that we found when researching and the little write up that we are putting with them in our welcome booklets. Do not quote me on the prices as I am not 100% sure on them. Iberostar Paraiso Golf Club, 18 hole, par 72 The Iberostar Paraiso Golf Club was designed by one of the Caribbean's most prolific golf course designers, P.B. Dye. It was designated “Best of the Best†by Robb Report in 2006. It is one of the newest courses in the Riviera Maya, opening to the public in 2005. GREEN FEE (including cart, food, and beverages) 190.00 USD The Golf Club at Moon Palace, 18 hole, par 72 Jack Nicklaus has put his signature on the Cancun-Riviera Maya golf landscape with The Club at Moon Palace. GREEN FEE (including cart, food and beverages) 260.00 USD TWILIGHT (including cart, food and beverages) 165.00 USD Puerto Aventuras Golf Course, 9 hole, par 36 The PA Golf course is an exciting and challenging course. This beautiful 36 par jungle golf course was designed in 1991 by Thomas Leman and is still one of the best kept secrets in the area. The fairways and greens are covered by a smooth carpet of Bermuda grass and surrounded by Palm trees, bugambilias, tropical ficus and lush foliage. Green fee (18 holes) $80 Equipment rentals $20 Hope this helps!