mandalaybay3071

Yes, they are both coming to the wedding so the gift certificates for the massage would be a great idea! Thanks girls! Now I just have to find out who the contact is at the resort but that's what my wedding coordinator is for, right? ;-) Thanks again!! Mandy

Hi girls! Long story short...my only family left is my Uncle. That being said, my best friend and her mom wanted to throw us an engagement party b/c that is what the "family" of the bride does (according to her). She is like a mom to me and my best friend is like my sister. I love them both dearly and we are so grateful they have been so kind and generous to throw us an engagment party for about 75 guests at a wine bar here in Dallas. I'm struggling with what to give them as a gift for hosting the party. What did you give or what ideas do you have as a gift? My only thought is getting a really nice crystal frame (Mikasa/Waterford) and put an engagement photo inside. I'm just not sure if that would be the only thing I would give them....Thanks girls for all your help!! Mandy

Hi Girls! We are getting married at Secrets Maroma Beach on July 4th! YAY! Right now we have about 20 people booked so I am super excited! I need to buy all the stuff for my oot bags and of course go shopping for a dress. There is a style called Dakota by Jessica McClintock that I really like and it's only $286! Very simple but looks like it would be flattering and perfect for a beach wedding. I need to make programs and menus....I'm sure a long list of other things but dress, oot bags, programs and menus are the big to do's left. Mandy

We are thinking about doing the dirty dancing "I've had the time of my life" dance right up until the lift and then switch it to a funky remix of early 90's dance moves...the hammer, kid-n-play, cabbage patch, running man, etc. I haven't exactly learned the dirty dancing dance yet but i've got the movie and hopefully we can learn enough from that to swing it. I did buy the dirty dancing work out dvd thinking that would be on there but it's not - however, it is a lot fun and if you are a decent dancer try johnny's mambo - it was hard for me but with practice I think I'll get it. good luck!

Just PM'd you for the pink bags! Thanks!

The stress of whether to have an at home reception is really getting to me. With the way the economy is going right now I'm so hesitant to spend another $7,000!! I'm thinking of just not having the at home reception. Our wedding in Mexico will be small - we invited 36 people and probably 24 are going to go. We are having an engagement party with about 85 guests invited and then a wedding shower with about 50 people invited so I feel like we are including everyone we love and care about in some way. Is anyone else not having an at home reception and if so, how do you feel about it??

Hi girls! I'm having a boudoir photo shoot at the beginning of June, date is not yet finalized by Jeremy Gilliam - Boudoir Portrait Photographer Dallas TX - He said that if I can get 5 girls to do a photo shoot session on the same day (obviously you'll have your own private session) that he would cover the costs of the hotel room. I would like to do the shoot at either Hotel Zaza or the W hotel. If any of you are interested in this, please let me know. I've listed his prices below but you can find the price list and some of his photos on his website. In fact, I think a girl Kat on the forum had her pics done by him and they look amazing! Even if I can only get 3 girls signed up we could all split the costs of the hotel room which looks to be around $400. Thanks!! Prices for Packages: All packages include a professional hair and makeup artist and 20 fully retouched web ready images on CD. 1. $220 The Session 90-120 minute studio or location session $50 print credit Professional Hair and Makeup 20 fully retouched web ready images 2. $495 Boudoir Book Collection The Session with print credit and web ready images 20 page 7×7 custom hardcover boudoir book 35 Image DVD slideshow 3. $925 Boudoir Album Collection The session with print credit and web ready images Leather 20 page 10×10 Boudoir Album 35 Image DVD slideshow 20 Image 4×6 Brag book 4. $200 Add on high resolution images on CD Please contact us for additional products and a la carte pricing.

Hi Ashli! I'm still working on losing some weight before our wedding in July but I'm hoping to have a BD shoot in June. I'm glad you let us know the website b/c I've been trying to find a reasonably priced photographer for such a thing. Please let us know how your session goes. The shots on his website are really great so I'm sure your pics will turn out beautiful as well. And ZaZa sounds like a perfect location!! Good luck! Mandy

Same here. We are spending enough money on our oot bags so the favours will be small. Right now my two ideas are cigars for the guys and lipgloss for the girls......i'll probably tie an organza ribbon around both things. Hope this helps. I think at destination weddings when you do the out of town bags that a substantial gift at the reception is just a little over the top...over the top of our budget that is! haha!

Just PM'd you about the dress! Thanks so much!

Not exactly the same boat but similar. My FH and I invited 36 people to our wedding and probably 20 are going to be able to make it. However, if we could afford it we would have invited 75 people. SO, because we have so many other friends and family we want to include in celebrating our joy we are doing the following: having an engagement party and inviting all 75 people - no gifts which we'll state in the invitations but this at least makes them feel like they are sharing in your joy. Then about 2 months after we return from our DW/honeymoon we are having an at home reception and inviting the same 75 people. I wouldnt feel guilty...your friends and family that love you will want to celebrate with you and they will want to buy you gifts!!! Also, you'll want to register in case you guys have a bridal shower, stock the bar, couples shower, etc. That way you'll get the things you need/want. If you don't register you could end up with a bunch of odds and ends. Just my opinion...hope it helps!

Sounds like a great deal and the cabana towels are really cute! Let us know the quality b/c this would be a great addition to our oot bags if there is any room left in the budget! LOL!

Thanks for the heads up. We don't have our final head count yet but I bought 15 yesterday. Such an awesome deal! Thanks!!

Just as I expected....it's across the board all the way. There are def no set traditions anymore when it comes to paying. FI is going to talk to FMIL after the new year. Knowing her, she probably hasn't offered anything because she probably doesn't want to step on anyone's toes (namely, mine). She is one of the sweetest ladies I know and def has her own opinions but she also knows I'm a pretty head strong girl so she only offers opinions or help when asked. We have a pretty good relationship so we are comfortable talking it over with her and her husband. And you are right, if they say no, well that is the worse that could happen. I really feel like she's just waiting for us to bring it up - it's her way of being polite. She's one of the smartest ladies I know so I know she is aware of all the usual traditions when it comes to paying. I'm hopeful they say yes! Thank you ladies for all your responses. I really appreciate it!

Question, what are your fiance's parents paying for? Here is my dilemna. I don't have any family so I'm paying for the wedding myself which includes our plane tickets, all inclusive resort for 7 nights plus the cost of the wedding, all the oot bags, reception/wedding decorations - which is fine. All is costing me about $10K and I can swing that. What I can't swing is the $5,000 at home reception we REALLY want. Since the normal tradition is that the grooms parents pay for the rehearsal dinner and honeymoon, what do destination brides do? Is it acceptable for us to ask them to pay for the at home reception? If they really do want to stick with tradition, the cost of the plane tickets and 7 nights at the resort is about $5,000 as well but we thought it would be nice if the at home reception was given by them. Any suggestions/advice?

Here it is - instead of him I'm putting "them" Dear Lord please clear a spot for him: he should have the perfect view. His little girl's a Bride today, and I am counting on you. Let me feel his presence; as I journey down the isle. But let me notice his abscence; if only for a while. Let me stop to think of him; As I am given away. And know that if he could; he would be here with me today. Dear Lord please clear a spot for him; he should have the perfect view. And if he should get sad today; Dear Lord I count on you.

My response is the same as the other girls. We wanted to release butterflies for my mom, grandmother and grandfather. However, after further research we discovered it probably wouldn't be such a good idea. What we plan to do is reserve a chair for each of them at our ceremony and put a picture of them in their chair. We will also include a poem in our program about them watching us on the day we get married from heaven. It's a really sweet poem I found on this website. Search the site for poem for loved ones...if you can't find it let me know and I'll post it. I'm at work now and have it saved on my home computer - otherwise, I'd post it now.

Hey girl!!! I'm so happy to hear from you!! Sounds like you had a few glitches but hopefully everything turned out fine and you had an amazing time. Okay, something you could do for me. Dave and I are getting married under the massage gazebo on the beach. Can you tell me how far it is down the beach? In other words, when I come out of our room, how far do I have to walk? would you recommend getting married there? If you could take a few shots of that gazebo that would be awesome. Also, the other option is that gazebo right off the pool. Is that close enough to the beach to have a beautiful view of the ocean? Can you take some pictures of what our view would be if we got married under the poolside gazebo? Thank you Michelle! I can't wait to hear about your trip! Also, wedding present is in the mail as of today and you are gonna love it! It's TEXANY! Mandy

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you girls so much for the suggestions!! You are such a huge help! I was feeling overwhelmed yesterday! I love the idea of the aquarium since we are having a beach wedding....all ties together! I also like the suite 200 - very cool! I can't thank you enough! My ideas were so lame!!! Lol!! Thanks again!! Mandy

Please help! My fiance and I are so confused about where to have our at home reception. We are on a VERY tight budget of about probably $2,000 for about 50 guests. I have priced out getting a tent, catering, keg, margarita machine and such for a reception at our house and this falls into our budget. However, we want to also price out a reception at a location so we don't have to open up our house to 50 people and get all stressed out with that. The problem is, I have NO IDEA where to have a reception. I don't want a banquet type event b/c that is not us. I want more of a cocktail type atmosphere but with food. We are looking at a couple of locations for our engagement party such as a bar/restaurant that has a side room that you can reserve. If you live in Dallas, can you tell me where you are having or have had your reception and even if you don't live in dallas, can you tell me what kind of location you booked? I need help! Thank you!!

Thanks girls for all your input. As it stands now, we are inviting 64 people to our engagement party...36 of those have been inviting to the wedding. We will put no gifts please on the invitations. I'm so excited she is throwing us an engagment party! Now comes the fun of finding a location!! YAY!

Here you go - I"m going to change the word "him" to "them" since I'll be referring to my mom and grandparents but you get the idea. Thanks for the all the help with this topic. I truly appreciate it!! Dear Lord please clear a spot for him: he should have the perfect view. His little girl's a Bride today, and I am counting on you. Let me feel his presence; as I journey down the isle. But let me notice his abscence; if only for a while. Let me stop to think of him; As I am given away. And know that if he could; he would be here with me today. Dear Lord please clear a spot for him; he should have the perfect view. And if he should get sad today; Dear Lord I count on you.

Thanks girls! I searched the forum and found a beautiful poem someone had for their father that passed away. I'm going to decide what to do with...I'm not sure I could read that and not just start crying uncontrollably! I wasn't going to do a program but now I may just put a nice thank you note for the guest with this poem added at the bottom. Thanks so much!

Hi girls! I want to do something to honor my family members that have passed on. My mom passed away when I was 8 and my grandparents raised me. My grandfather passed when I was 16 and my grandmother when I was 21. I'm 32 now so it's been some time but I still feel sad knowing that they won't physically be at my wedding - although I know they will be there is spirit. I want to say a few words about them (not sure what yet). I just read on another thread that someone saw people release butterflys after saying a few words about family that has passed away. I think that's a beautiful idea although I'm not sure how I would go about getting butterflys to the Mexican resort. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks so much girls!

OH and I also asked 4 of my co-workers what their mailing address was so I could invite them and their SO's to the engagement party! They didn't seem offended although my boss teased me a little about "why isn't he invited to the wedding" but he was only joking! I think!! haha!!