jlwhite5

i know there have been so many posts on budget and cost of DW's, but it seems that every one that i've read is talking about a 7-night stay. i'm planning on a four-night (five-day..ish) stay at a private villa. with airfare it will come to about $1000/person. we're taking care of their food and we're taking them out on a fun "excursion," so essentially they don't have to pay anymore than the $1000/person. does $1000/person sound like a reasonable price or are we asking too much of our guests? thanks for your help! ps: keep in mind we are flying out of southeastern virginia. unfortunately, it's not the cheapest place to fly from!

it seems that most people are around $20k, but i'm REALLY hoping we don't get to that point. that was our budget for a traditional, at-home wedding, and we're trying to save money with a dw. my parents are looking to spend $10k at the most, but we're willing to go up to $12k. we haven't actually made any purchases yet, so i'm not sure if we'll stick to the budget, but let's hope so!

welcome! hope you find everything you need on BDW! it's been amazing for me!

i see you're in the UK, so i would say december or january. i think it'd be a nice break from the cold!

your dress is beautiful! it does wonders for your girls!

welcome! i'm on the villa train too! i'm looking on the other side of mexico though (or the bahamas... i haven't decided!). good luck with your search - i hope you find the information you need!

i think your bridesmaids will be okay to order their own. if there is any difference it will be barely noticeable. if they're made to be bridesmaids dresses i'm assuming they're going for the same color every tim its made. a friend of mine got married recently, and she asked all of her bridesmaids to wear a certain black davids bridal dress. all the of the girls lived in different places and they all went to a different db, but they all look identical, and you'd never be able to tell!

me either!

i don't think you're responsible for paying for them. whether it's "proper" or not. you should only do what works for you. there's no reason to go into debt in order to adhere to etiquette guidelines. if you can't afford to pay for your MOH's trip, maybe you can do something else for her. maybe you could buy her dress and shoes? that's what i'm doing! while those are big expenses, they're much less than travel and accommodations.

so... i'm on fall break from school, which means being completely and utterly lazy. i've spent most of the day in bed with my mom in our pj's, sweet tea in hand and surrounded by junk food - ah, this is the good life. we've almost literally been on the internet all day looking at wedding venues. my #1 option right now is playa fiesta in puerto vallarta. the owner has my name and dates down for a tentative booking, but FI wants some options. he's not quite as impulsive as me (which is probably a good thing). as we began looking we saw resort after huge resort and i just couldn't see myself marrying there. i have nothing against resorts - that works perfectly for most DW brides. i just want something more intimate. something special and private... just for us. AND THEN... i came across my very first mexican villa. love at first site. they are all so beautiful and perfect and i'm definitely lusting. while i love pf, i have some worries... in fact, some pretty significant worries. pf is still a major contender, but my little lusty heart wants a villa! i've emailed about a billion companies and i'm hoping i'll have some answers tomorrow, so i guess we'll see how doable this is tomorrow. sorry for the novel, i just wanted to share my new obsession. ALSO, if anyone got married in a villa in mexico or elsewhere, i'd LOVE to hear about it. you can PM me or just leave a comment. eeeeee.. i'm so excited about getting married!!!

everything looks fabulous - wonderful job! do you mind giving up an approximate price you paid for each thing? i'd just like some sort of idea for the future. ALSO - i'm a future playa fiesta bride! well, it's in the works at least. i'd love to hear all about your experience so far and ask you some questions. if you get a chance, do you think you could PM me? thanks!!

they're both gorgeous dresses, but number 2 is definitely the keeper. 2 looks absolutely fabulous on you and that's $1500 you can spend on something else! (it looks like everyone else agrees - 100% for number 2!)

welcome to BDW christy! i just joined not too long ago, and i've learned so much and gotten so many great ideas. you'll love it! ps: may 2010 is a GREAT month! after two years as a senior, i'll FINALLYYYY be graduating from college! hurray!

i'm thinking puerto vallarta. there are a few girls on here who have told me some wonderful things and i've talked to the owner of the hotel and he seems great. after everything i've read and seen, i feel comfortable with no site visit, but my mom isn't so confident - which is problem since she's the one paying!

not exactly. i haven't tried any wedding dresses on yet. i do know that empire waist shirts and dresses look the best on me. i can't really do anything extremely form-fitting. i suppose i should go to a boutique and try on some similar styles.

oh sweets. im so sorry! i know there's nothing that i can do for you, but just know that my thoughts and prayers are with you. i cannot even imagine how difficult this must be for you. i believe that you'll make it through this and that your life will be all the better for it. i mean, if he couldn't whole heartedly commit to marry you, then he definitely wasn't the right one. i hope that you find someone who will be proud and excited to marry you. you deserve that! no matter what, you have your children and your family, and they will always love you and be there for you and that's an awesome thing. i think you should take your children and go to punta cana or somewhere tropical, and just get away... enjoy your time together. i wish you tons of happiness and hope only the best things for you!

oh yeah. well, there are actually a couple. the first one is my favorite (and the one i was referring to): David's Bridal - Bridal Gowns BR1025 BR1025 David's Bridal - Bridal Gowns BR1028 Pleated Charmeuse A-Line Gown with Empire Waist and V-Halter David's Bridal - Bridal Gowns BR1007 Chiffon Empire Dress David's Bridal - Bridal Gowns BR1022 Chiffon A-Line with Pleated Twist Knot Bust and Center Front Draping sorry i couldn't attach the actual pictures. davids bridal has animation, movie type things rather than pictures. i'd love if you'd let me know what you think!

i found a dress on davidsbridal.com that i love and amazingly it's on sale for less than $200. it's from the db online collection, which means its only available online. i was wondering if anyone else had ordered from this collection and could tell me about their experiences. i'd like to know about the quality and all too. thanks!!

if lilpaisley doesn't take this stuff off of your hands, i'm interested in some stuff! PM if she doesn't need it! thaaaanks!

the dress is beautiful! congrats!

thanks a lot! very helpful!

your dress is gorgeous! i wish i could pull that off! i'd say style number 3. the color and style of the dress compliment your dress nicely.

welcome fellow noob!

this is a great idea! i really want to try it. knowing my family it'll definitely get done - they are a competitive and hilarious bunch. my wedding's over a year away, but i'm definitely bookmarking this post so i won't forget to do it!

thank you all for your help! this can all be so overwhelming at the beginning, so i'm so thankful to have so much advice!