Christy335

Quote: Originally Posted by TA Maureen I don't think you have to have a wedding cake out of tradition or worry about people's reactions. However, I would be worried about 2 things: 1. What Abbie mentioned. Any chocolate dessert I have had in Jamaica has not really tasted as good or as chocolatey as what I am used to. You may need to bring your chef boxes of Betty Crocker mix. 2. How will you keep the ice cream cold while guests are lining up to make their sundae? I would just make sure your venue has something suitable for this. This thread did make me want a brownie sundae though! Maureen - I agree about bringing my own brownie mix. I think I will definitely do that! (Although, I really wish I could get my favorite brownie's from a restaurant in Houston delivered to Jamaica!) Also, I thought about the whole keeping the ice cream cold thing. I'm thinking dry ice (which would make a very cool visual effect) under the ice cream buckets. Or I thought about getting some of those big silver ice-cream-maker-bowl-thingies (yeah, I'm pretty sure that's the technical term) that have dry ice in the inside insulation part and then the ice cream in the bowl part. And my resort is very accommodating! My fiance has a very odd request (I'm sure I'll post a thread about it eventually) to make a platform that extends into the water for the ceremony and the resort said they would build it or find someone to build it for us. So I'm hoping they can/will find a way to make this work too! Anyone in Austin, TX who feels like going out for a brownie sundae sometime soon? I'm seriously fiending for one now!

Quote: Originally Posted by hockeymom97 I really don't think you're that far behind. But if you are, then so am I, lol. I've done a TON of research and have a pretty good idea of what I want and/or what needs to be done -- but just haven't actually done too much yet. We have our reservations made, STD's mailed out, website updated with all the travel info for guests, photographer booked, and that's about it. I haven't even went to look at dresses yet. I keep putting it off because I feel so fat right now, and my goal is to drop 50 lbs before the wedding - but right now I know I'm not going to like how I look in anything. And then I need to actually change into different dresses with a dressing attendant in the changing room with me?! Uggggg - so I keep putting it off, but I know I need to just do it and worry about alterations later. Wow! We are at EXACTLY the same point! Literally, we made our reservations, I just mailed out the STDs last week, made our website with all the applicable info, and have our photog. Also, I am procrastinating trying on dresses cause I want to lose some lbs before then. AND, I'm getting married in Negril, Jamaica too! How funny. I'm glad I stumbled on this thread and found my BDW twin!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Amarillis Why couldnt' you? just a thought....... Technically someone could make a wedding cake out of a brownie, but I think to make it look like a wedding cake you'd have to put icing on it, and I don't like icing. But I guess we can leave the brownies uncut and then take our picture cutting into the brownie before we kick off the brownie sundae bar. I'll have to give that some thought....

Abbie, good point! I may need to have the chef make a brownie for me a few days before the wedding, to make sure I like it. (If not, I'll just tell him the adjustments to make.) We're renting out villas (each with a chef and bartender) and each villa has a kitchen in it. The food each day is made to order - no menus, just *whatever* we want. So I'll make sure to have him make a trial run for me. I'll say that it is research (but it will really just be another excuse to eat a brownie!) Thanks everyone for reaffirming my idea for a brownie bar. I feel really good about it now! (And my sweet tooth is really starting to ache.... maybe I will skip lunch and go get a brownie!)

I don't mind at all. It only took me about 5 minutes to come up with it. And besides, that's what these boards are all about, right? I'm glad you liked it. Thanks!

I am not a huge cake fan (wedding, birthday, or otherwise.) My favorite dessert in the world is a hot brownie topped with cold ice cream and drizzled with caramel, hot fudge, and a little raspberry compote. Maybe topped with some whipped cream, and just for the heck of it... a cherry on top. My mom about died when I said I didn't want a wedding cake. "But you HAVE to have a wedding cake! What will people think? You will disappoint so many people. I always look forward to the wedding cake!" (She can be a bit extreme sometimes.) I just think that since I'm having a non-traditional wedding, that I don't need to do things just because they are "tradition." And since I don't care much for cake, I think this is a much better idea. I'm thinking about having a brownie sundae bar set up with all of the above mentioned items (maybe also some nuts) and letting the guests serve themselves however they like their brownie sundae, Has anyone done anything like this or another non-traditional dessert in lieu of the wedding cake? Were any guests disappointed? Did you feel like you missed out on a right of passage (cutting the wedding cake)? ... Maybe instead of cutting the cake, we'll have a "scooping of the ice cream" moment/picture.

I don't know if you thought of something already or not, but if you're still looking for something for your cards, you could try this: We know that you’re special ‘cause you sat on the end So please follow these instructions and be a dear friend This aisle is boring, made of just sand We’d like it to be pretty instead of so bland These flowers are here just for you to throw But don’t toss them yet, lest the wind blow. When you see the bride coming, you’ll have only a while To scatter these petals before she walks down the aisle

Thanks, y'all, I actually had been thinking in rhymes for so long while I was writing them that it was hard to stop. That's why I wrote the last one. And then when my FI came home, I was talking to him in rhyme. It got kind of annoying, but it faded away in about 2 days. Ha!

Wow, I had never heard of the anti-gay laws in Jamaica until Vikki mentioned them above. Here's the Wikipedia info on it: LGBT rights in Jamaica - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia It does mention that the laws solely apply to gay men and not to women (strange). This is good because on of my bridesmaids is gay. However, another guest if ours is a gay man. We'll be spending most of our time on the resort though, so I don't anticipate it being a problem. I think the laws are enforced mostly (if not only) on the citizens. As far as which resort to choose, We are getting married at Moondance Villas in Negril, Jamaica, with our overflow guests staying at Moondance Cliffs. Negril is on the west side of the island, so the sun sets on the water. We went and visited the resorts in December. At Moondance Villas, there really isn't an "off-beach" option for the ceremony, so it wouldn't be for you. At Moondance Cliffs there is a gorgeous gazebo that overlooks the water and would fit the bill for heels. However, you should know that there isn't a beach nearby, (it's about 10 - 15) ride back down the cliffs to get to the beach. So if you want to spend some time at the beach for your reception, this wouldn't be the place for you. MDC is all-inclusive, is $225 pp per night, and they do accept outside photogs. There is a sports bar on-site, but if you are wanting to party, it's not far to Rick's where you can watch cliff divers while you drink it up. Also, it's important to note that if you have guests that will be bringing children (such as flower girls, ring bearers, etc) they can't stay at MDC. They don't allow children because they are located directly on the cliffs and there is no barricade to prevent them from falling over the side. I don't know if that helps, or rules it out for you. I will say this though, the location is absolutely gorgeous and the people are very helpful. Also, because it is a smaller resort, you get more attention and won't be one of many weddings on your special day.

I designed my website myself. I used homestead (Homestead |) to design and host my website. I use them for my company website (it's about $20 a month) so to add an additional website is only $2 more a month. The possibilities are endless for design and the software is pretty easy to use. I'm still finishing some stuff, but it is mostly finished. Of course I am waiting on my FI to give me the info for his groomsmen, so that's missing, but at least my bridesmaid info is up. :-) Our website is: Home

I made a poem for each of my bridesmaids and then printed them on pretty invitations. Then I asked each of my potential bridesmaids out for a separate lunch/dinner at a restaurant that had meaning in our friendship. I made sure to arrive early and asked a waiter to bring the envelope over to the table after we had been there for a while. Each waiter seemed excited to do it (of course I explained what it was for!) Then when the envelope was delivered, I acted like I had no idea what was going on. Each girl seemed shocked/confused, but as they read the poem and figured out what was going on, big smiles crossed their faces. (2 of them even got teary eyed.) Everyone said yes and they all seemed to like the way that I asked. I'm posting each poem below in case they may help anyone who wants to do something similar. Of course the poems are individualized and would have to be changed, but it may give some of you some ideas. Kristin - (This one was for my brother's wife (They just got married in January)) I got the luck of the draw as sisters-in-law go Of course for that, my “thanks†goes to Beau A day long ago, the two of you met You started a journey you couldn’t forget With a simple “I do†you became his wife And forever secured your place in my life Now because forever we are tied, I’d be honored to have my sister by my side Down the aisle I will go On my way to become Mrs. Kargbo My bridesmaid I really want to make ya Please say “Yes†and come to Jamaica! Liz - (My Best Friend) Some people come into our lives, and they touch our heart Sometimes you don’t know it right from the start You learn who your friends are if given some time The real ones will know if you take your Corona with lime Friends can be givers or takers, and it starts to show My friend, you’re a giver, that much I know I really do want you there by my side As I start my journey on this crazy ride I know that I still have a long time to go Before I walk down that aisle to become Mrs. Kargbo But my bridesmaid I really want to make ya Please say “yes†and come to down Jamaica! Rachael - (My other Best Friend who I met while teaching swim lessons (our boss' name was Chad)) Don’t look at me crazy, read this all the way through Because my dear friend, I have something to ask you We became friends in the pool through the cold and the heat We’ve even stayed close long after Saint Street My question that I said that I have to ask Isn’t for just some silly task If you answer me “noâ€, I’ll try not to be mad I could never bring myself to act like a Chad It would make me so happy if you’d be part of the show As I say “I do†and become Mrs. Kargbo My bridesmaid I really want to make ya. Please say “yes†and come to Jamaica! Kate - My FI's brother's wife (so my soon to be SIL) I want you to know you’re important to me Some day in the future, my kids’ aunt you will be We will be sisters in the days far ahead That is all thanks to Dear Lesley and Ed Tugg made a great choice when he chose his bride And I would be honored to have you there by my side As I take my turn doing something you know: Changing my name to Mrs. Kargbo My bridesmaid I’d really like to make ya, Please say “yes†and come with us to Jamaica! Shelley - (My Sister) From babies to teens to grown ups we’ve gone Old ladies we’ll be, it won’t be too long Tigers and Vikings, Barbie Dolls, Barracudas From sports teams to Girl Scouts, we’ve shared in some great loves For life’s special moments, together we’ve been It’s no big surprise, it’ll happen again and again I have a big day coming up soon you know It’s almost my time to be Mrs. Kargbo I need my sister to be there by my side As my Maid of Honor, and me as the bride I know you’ll say “yesâ€, if you don’t I’ll just take ya All the way to my wedding, way down in Jamaica! Angelique - (I didn't actually give this one out. She was my best friend from high school, but she ended our friendship when she got really drunk one night and I wouldn't let her drive. She bit me and called the cops on me for "stealing" her car keys. I just thought it would be funny to make this one.) Our long term friendship has had its ups and its downs There have been many smiles and even some frowns I always knew, my bridesmaid you’d be Whenever Ed asked to marry me One day we went out for Long Island iced teas You got so drunk that you feel to your knees Our friendship changed from that day and on Unfortunately now my best friend is gone I wish I knew how to make everything right If only you hadn’t delivered that bite!

Hi all. Thanks for the tips on who to call/contact. My wedding planner here was finally able to get ahold of the correct people and got us a pretty good rate. We are doing the AI rate even though we booked before the resort became AI only. But because we are having our ceremony and reception at MD Villas, if our guests are on the AI plan at the Cliffs, their meals are "free" at both resorts and we don't end up paying a large price tag on the reception meal. We are also doing a Welcome dinner and Rehearsal dinner which are included for all of our guests in the AI price they paid. Has anyone used Front Page Band already? What do they sound like? Thanks everyone, and happy planning!

Hi all! I've got a question for everyone: We're getting married at Moondance Villas and have rented out the entire property (at full price), but we'll be having our "overflow" guests stay at Moondance Cliffs (about 20+ rooms). Has anyone been able to get a group rate for their guests staying at the Cliffs? I know that for stateside weddings, most groups are able to get a group rate available up to a certain date. I'm wondering if anyone has been able to do this at MDC. My wedding planner called about 2 weeks ago to find out about a group rate, but they have been VERY slow getting back to us. I figured that if I had any info about other group rates, I'd have some idea how to pursue this going forward. Thanks!

My favorite money guru and author of Total Money Makeover, Dave Ramsey, always says not to give a gift if you can't afford it. If you offer a gift to your bridesmaids (which is what this would be) but you will be financially hurt if they don't "repay" you by standing in your wedding, then you can't afford to give that gift. Imagine giving someone an i-phone (or other gift of similar cost as what you are giving your BMs) for their birthday and including a contract inside the birthday card that says they agree to answer when you call, they have a 20 minute window to return text messages, they must attend your birthday party when it comes, and they have to get you a comprable gift when the time comes. You wouldn't do that. (I'm guessing.) If you aren't considering this financial contribution as a gift, and more as a business deal, then you can probably hire rent-a-bridesmaids that would appreciate the discounted vacation, a free wedding reception, and whatever else you are providing and will agree to your contract requests. I think you need to ask yourself why it is important to you that they be there. I am asking my BMs because I want them to know what they mean to me, and I am looking at it as a position of honor, not a duty I am hiring them to perform. I have no expectations of my BMs. I know my friends, and I know that they will want to (in fact they will be excited to) help with making my wedding go smoothly. However, if they didn't lift one finger to help me, and they ended up not being able to make it, they would still know that I loved them enough to ask them to take a position of honor in my wedding. The gifts I am giving my BMs are not "payment" for showing up and being in my pictures. They are another representation of my appreciation for their friendship. Conversely, the costs they pay as being part of my wedding are representative of their love for me. If I pay for my BMs dresses, that is my gift to them, whether they use it or not. Has anyone ever given you a gift that you didn't use? (Like that ugly sweater Aunt Edna gave you last Christmas.) You are in no way obligated to use a gift. Like I said above, if you can't afford to take the hit on an unused gift, then you can't afford to give that gift. This may be an unpopular opinion, but this theory also applies to your situation with your friend's wedding. If you couldn't afford to buy the BM dress and shoes and whatever else you paid for, then you couldn't afford it. That was your gift to her. Hopefully she appreciated it, but not everyone appreciates every gift we give them. You can't control that, and if it upsets you, then you shouldn't give the gift in the first place. (I am of course assuming that she didn't hold a gun to your head and force you to pay for those items.) (Also, yes, I probably would have been annoyed at the situation, but I wouldn't hold it against her for 5 years.) Finally, you are not obligated to ask anyone to be in your wedding. (Best friends since kindergarten or not.) If you think that she (or any of your other BMs) won't be a reliable BM, then why honor her with such a position? I am honestly not trying to "lay into" you. I am hoping that this way of looking at the situation will shed some new light on the subject for you. Of course, ultimately, it is your decision. We all come to this forum to ask for advice. We don't always take the advice that is given. I'm sure each of us has even read something someone offered as advice and thought, "no way, I wouldn't do it that way." And that's the beauty of the forum. There's lots of great (and maybe some not so great) ideas floating around and we get to pick and choose which ones we want to use for our own weddings.

Quote: Originally Posted by da.shmoopies If you use the Fiskar's cutter, just make sure that you run the blade down firmly (not too hard though) and then zip it back up the paper so that you cut any little bits that got missed and would keep the cut off pieces attached (you end up ripping paper, by trying to pull it apart). I was lucky. I had a friend that just had a wedding and they purchased a really good deskjet. They let me borrow it so I saved some $$ that way. If you don't go the printer route, maybe you have some good friends! Otherwise, I agree with Carly about having them printed out. Also, there are some good tropical prints from the — iDiY site that another BDW bride posted earlier today! And the DaFonts has good fonts for adding things like a Hibiscus: dafont.com Great tips! Thanks! I have downloaded a bunch of fonts from da fonts already (for work stuff - marketing our swim school) and I went back recently and downloaded a bunch more that are relevant to my DW. I made myself about 15 - 20 monograms just because it was so much fun to play with the fonts! I let my FI pick his favorite. I love that site (and the other free font websites that are out there!) I wish I knew someone with a good printer. Mich999 - I think I'm going to do like you and have Kinkos print for me. I'd probably spend the same amount of money on printer ink anyway, and dealing with the pages not feeding correctly and all of that (in my cheap printer) would be a huge pain! I have a guillotine paper cutter as well, but it doesn't work very well. It leaves the ends uncut or makes sloppy cuts. I probably need to have the blade sharpened. But it's so big that I don't do a great job lining it up on my cut lines. I actually did better on my trial runs with scissors than with my big paper cutter. F. Mrs. G. - I had no idea what a bone folder was or how to use one. (I also had no idea what the Fiskars rotary tool was or how it worked.) So I did a YouTube search and found this video: YouTube Video And on a Google search I found this article: How To Use a Bone Folder All of a sudden this horrible dauting task didn't seem so bad. I had no idea about all of these nifty little tools! The last time I was in a craft store was probably in 9th grade to get posterboard for a school project. Thanks to everyone for opening my eyes to this stuff!

I would put information about the venue/hotel where your guests will be staying, your arrival and departure dates so everyone knows what dates to travel on, your wedding website, passport tips (like where to get one, and to renew it if it expires within the 6 months prior to travel). I've seen some people put a map of their destination site (map of Jamaica in this instance). I think I've also seen people list their wedding party. Good luck designing those, it should be fun!

User Name: Christy335 Name: Christy & Ed Location: Moon Dance Villas, Negril, Jamaica Wedding: May 29, 2010 in JA: 05/27/10 - 05/31/10 website: Home honeymoon: snow skiing in Australia! Hi everyone! I added a few extras to my introduction. I'm super excited to be getting married in Jamaica. I chose it because I love the "No problem, mon" attitude! I've always wanted to get married on a beach somewhere because I'm such a beach and water person. My FI and I went to Jamaica last December to check out sites, and fell in love with the island! JNJ116: If you don't want to get married in the sand, why not try one of the resorts in Negril on the cliffs. Rockhouse and The Caves are boutique hotels that are really quite nice, but not on the beach. (There are lots of hotels in the Negril Cliffs area that would be great if you're wanting to stay out of the sand, do a search on Trip Advisor to get lots of options.)

Hi Lynn! Wow, I was initially going to get married on May 8th, so we would have been there at the same time! I have booked my photog: Misha Earle. She's an associate of Sun Gold's and my WC told me that Misha shot a bunch of the photos at the last wedding she did at MDV. (They're here: HOME under Leslie and Patrick) Although I'm guessing Paula and Damien did most of the image editing. Misha should be getting her own site up and running soon. She said it would be any day now. So far, that's all I've booked. Well, other than the resort! Claudette - I just looked at your website. Do you mind if I borrow the wording on the MDC amenities? I didn't see all that on the website and it will be great for getting my guests excited about staying there.

Oh my gosh! I love it! It would be awesome if you could put a Slurpee in each bag! Too bad it would make such a mess...

da.shmoopies - Thank you so much for the links to those tools! I think they will make all the difference in the world. I was thinking I would have to cut all my passes with scissors... and that would have been a disaster. The prices on those are definitely do-able. The Cards and Pockets link is very helpful as well. And thanks for the compliment on my boarding passes. Unfortunately, now that my WC said that about the shell, every time I look at it, I see the gas station logo. Grrr. But that's not a big deal; I can change it easily. Carly - I've never heard of Minute Man Press, I don't think we have it in Texas. What type of store is it? Is it like a Kinkos? I asked Kinkos if they could cut them for me, but they said no, because it's not a standard size and they don't do rounded corners. I will probably get them printed somewhere like Kinkos or Office Depot. I'm sure it will look much better than doing them on my cheapo deskjet printer. I'll just have to cut them at home.

I fell in love with boarding pass STDs months ago when I first saw some (on this forum.) At the time I wasn't in mega-planning mode, but I knew it was something I would like to do. Now, that I'm ready to send out STDs I'm finding that having them made is going to be rather costly. (Between $4 - $5.50 ea. from the price quotes I've gotten + design fees.) I will be sending out approx 60 STDs, so that would be about $300, and then I still need to put postage on them. And then I'll need to send out invitations. I'm trying to be frugal for this wedding, but it keeps getting bigger and bigger, so I'd really like to save money where I can. (If I can save $100 bucks here and there, I will be able to put more in the OOT bags!) I am considering doing these boarding pass save-the-dates myself, but I am VERY worried that they will look "home made" if I cut them out myself. I am not much of a DIY or artsy person and when I try to do things myself they end up looking like a kindergartener made them. I don't have a steady hand, so that worries me (I even have bad handwriting.) I designed these STDs myself from a mixture of templates and ideas I have seen here on this forum (sorry that I don't know or remember who exactly to give credit to). I think they still need some tweaking, but if I can somehow do these myself and have them come out looking decent, I'm willing to sacrifice a true designers work to save a few bucks. My wedding planner said they need another pop of color to make them stand out, and she said that the seashell looks like the Shell Gasoline logo. So I'll probably change the seashell. But I don't know if I want to add another color because I'm a minimalist and don't want it to look too busy. My wedding colors are cream and celedon. It makes choosing print colors difficult, but I think the table settings will be pretty. So here's my STD: The word file I will be printing is white, but for the jpeg, I made the background that beige color because I will be printing on beige or cream cardstock. Does anyone have any suggestions for cutting these out? I don't want to buy a whole bunch of expensive cutting tools just for this, because then I may as well have someone else do it. Has anyone tried to do this at home and found it to be too difficult? I'm considering doing a few trial runs if I can get just a few pieces of cardstock instead of having to buy a whole ream. I will upload my template for anyone who wants it. TIA for anyone willing to give me tips or advice! Boarding Pass STD.doc

So for everyone using this, what do you do for bridal showers? I really don't want a bunch of new towels and dishes and such, but I know of a few different people who want to throw me a shower. I love the idea of a honeymoon registry, but I don't know if my mom's friends would really enjoy throwing a shower where all I do is open envelopes that say :"$100 for a romantic dinner for two." They're very old fashioned and like to ohhh and ahhh as gifts are being opened. Oh! Idea! We could also register at Sun & Ski Sports for ski gear. We're getting married on the beaches of Jamaica, and then (hopefully) going skiing in Australia for our honeymoon. ... but how many ski jackets and warm socks does one couple need? ... hmmm... maybe not such a great idea. Any other thoughts on shower gifts if you aren't registered for "stuff"?

Hi all! I'm getting married on May 29, 2010 at MDV, but I will have a lot of guests staying at MDC. I just spent a few hours reading all of your posts, and I have gone through so many emotions! I'm excited for everyone getting married, I have been nervous about the price changes at MDC, I was blown away by Sparkles' dad's photos of the resort. I'm feeling the jitters for Claudette since she'll be the first one on this thread to go through the wedding process at Moon Dance. I'm very excited for all of you and can't wait to hear the details as everything happens. The Villas use the same vendors as the Cliffs, so this thread has been very helpful. Sparkles - I want to ask if you or your dad mind if I use some of his photos of MDC for my wedding website. I want to build a page that has info on both of my resorts, and those pictures he took are fabulous! I obviously wouldn't use the ones that have him or your mother in them. But I thought I'd get permission before I stole them. Happy planning everyone!

I'm getting married at Moon Dance Villas on May 29, 2010. We have reserved the entire resort for 4 days and all of our overflow guests will stay at the Cliffs. I LOVE that our party will be the only ones at the Villas, which will make the entire trip so much more special. We will have the 300' of beach in front of the resort all to our selves. I plan on having a luau out there for either the welcome reception or the rehearsal dinner, and having a beach activities day one afternoon complete with sand volleyball, washers, water gun fights, and other games. And I think the wedding reception is going to be so intimate with our own space to ourselves. I was VERY worried about room assignments; I always thought doing a seating chart for a wedding would be hard, so I figured that deciding which villas to put everyone in would be really difficult. I was surprised when we started putting names on paper, it really wasn't so bad. My FH and I will be in the 1 bedroom villa. We are putting my dad and step-mom with FH's mom and dad in the 2 bedroom. The 3 bedroom will be for my mom, my sister and her husband, and my brother and his wife. We are putting the rowdiest groomsmen and their dates/wives in the 4 bedroom, because it is the "party house". It has a pool table and the most mingling room and we figure everyone will end up spending the most time there (especially late nights) and since those guys are the most likely to be up late and "hosting" the party, it was a no-brainer. We are putting my bridesmaids and their dates plus his brother and his date in one of the 5 bedrooms, and his other groomsmen in the other 5 bedroom. (I am having 5 BM and he is having 10 GM.) So that fills up the Villas with just family and the wedding party! Everyone else will be at the Cliffs. All of our guests are paying their room rates + the $115 AI rate per night. This simplifies everything for us and eliminates the need to pay a per person fee for the welcome reception, rehearsal dinner, or the reception.... or any other time for that matter. For the events we will have to pay to rent the tables and chairs, but I don't remember that cost off hand and I left my rates sheet at my mother's house. MDV is providing van transportation back and forth between the resorts as guests come and go. We will do most of the events at the Villas, but I may organize a pool side event at the Cliffs. And we will definitely utilize the spa there! I love that each villa has its own butler and a chef that will custom make any meal the guests desire. If they want to eat lobster for breakfast every morning, they can have it! The only thing is that they have to decide what they want the day before, instead of ordering off a menu like at a restaurant. BUT, I think that this is an added element of luxury which sets this apart from any old "regular" vacation. My FH and I went to Jamaica in December to check out the Villas and the Cliffs to make sure we were choosing the right venue. Not only are we very confident in our choice after seeing it, we also can't wait a whole year to go back! If I'm lucky, I'll be able to talk FH into going down there one more time before the wedding just to "finalize details." ;-) While we were there we met Oneika and loved her. She paid very close attention to detail and didn't even blink at our odd ceremony request (my FH wants to build a platform out on the water where we will stand for the ceremony) and said that she can find a way to make it work. (I'm very skeptical about doing this, but it's the only request he has for the wedding, so I'm willing to consider it.) However, I have hired a separate wedding planner in Houston named Debra Gullette of Designer Destination Weddings. (Designer Destination Weddings ) She has done a few weddings at Moon Dance already and is quite close to Oneika from the work they have done together, so between the two of them I am sure they will be able to coordinate everything beyond my wildest dreams. I am not very far into the planning stages (just working on my STDs now) but I will come back here and post any details I have about MDV as I get them. The things I am pretty sure about already are: 1) I am going to use the simple arch the Villas do ($50) instead of the expensive florist-made arch. The MDV arch is very simple and elegant and I thought the pictures of the more expensive ones looked too busy. (I am a "less is more" kind of person.) 2) I will incorporate the steel drum in the rehearsal dinner (I think) and the sax for the wedding procession. 3) We will be using Misha Earle (Zenfolio | misha earle photography ) as our photographer. (She is an associate of Sungold Photography - who I loved, but they were on the expensive side, and when I came across her photos, I fell in love with her work!) 4) Our colors will be cream with accents of celedon. ..... hmmmmm ..... I think that's it, for now... I hope more MDV brides will post pictures and details as they go!

My FH is a snow person and I'm a beach person. I get my beach wedding in Jamaica, but he wants to honeymoon somewhere that we can ski. (Thinking the Swiss Alps) But since we are getting married in May, I need to find out if there is snow skiing in the Alps in May. Does anyone happen to know? Or know of anywhere that you can snow ski in May?