nibsmom

We are getting married in July 09 and we are planning on having two AHRs - since I am from MA and my FI is from IL. He's planning his and I'm planning mine, but we both are thinking along the lines of doing something small. For mine, I was just thinking of renting out a room at a restaurant and renting some A/V equipment, showing the video and the slideshow, and FI and I would pick up the tab for dinner. Nothing fancy or too expensive. Really just family would be invited, so it would be kinda small too! As for invitations...gosh, I haven't even thought about that! Eeps.

I love the first set. I'm not so wild about the second set...they are a little too...indie...for me. If that's the right word...

Oh my gosh, Marie! I was totally planning on having FI and the groomsmen wearing jeans. I'm so glad you saw that picture and thought it was hot, because I felt like everyone else I told about it thought I was crazy. I think a really dark wash jean and a white linen shirt would be perfect! My dress is totally formal, but I think that between the jeans and the BM dresses, it should tone it down a bit.

Sexy! I love all these garters!! Well, first, I bought this one on Victoria's Secret: Victoria's Secret - Marabou garter But then I saw this thread, and I found the police garter on etsy...well, and it was so much better. Haha. So now I bought that one too...too much garter shopping today. I love it though - FI will LOVE IT. The picture is gone cause I bought the last one - but it has an adorable little badge on it. SO cute!!!

Marie, I didn't get to find out how much Cecilia is - she is on vacation while I'm in Mexico so our conversation kinda stopped there! I started pursuing her though because I saw a post somewhere on here about her doing it for about 500 though. I'm trying to see about Claudia Rodriguez now. This is like the fourth photographer I've wanted that didn't work out for one reason or another - so frustrating.

Aw! YAY! Kenosha! I live/work on the Carthage campus. It is a small world!!

Technically, this is the third time me and FI are planning our wedding. The first two times, we had lots of family arguments and didn't end up booking anything. He was really uninvolved those first two times. I think it was because I was planning mainly out of bridal magazines. This time he tries really hard to be involved, but he's so bad at details. I'll tell him or show him something, and then days later he'll ask me if I've thought about it yet. *sigh* At least he tries this time! The last two times, I couldn't even get an opinion out of him!!

Thanks! That's my lil heart dog. I'm so excited there's still a spot! I sent you a PM.

Tammy, I'm so glad to hear you had a great time! I have a friend who is down there right now for a wedding, and she has a similar sentiment! All this positivity is really making me SOO excited (that and the 14 inches of snow outside....)! I wish is was July already!!!

Oh, I'm so mad! I just saw this...and I live 40 minutes from Chicago! Nuts!

Oh, what a great contest! I'm sooo sad you're booked on my wedding date! Photography is my current stressor too! Good luck to all who enter!!!

I'm picking and choosing for my wedding. For us, it was a matter of photography. All the wedding packages come with a very simple package, and it sounds like you can't upgrade them and still get the package. Since we'll be leaving a lot of our family behind, we really want a LOT of pictures. And, it was less expensive to pick and choose in the long run!! Oh, we are getting married at the Moon Palace!! If you're interested in that, I would be sure to check it out some more - they do have strict restrictions on bringing in outside vendors and stuff, but they do and can provide everything you need!

The weather.com website has a great year round temp comparison tool in their wedding section! I used that when trying to figure all this stuff out too! Good luck!!

I was thinking of doing some pictures in a town - sitting in the street, climbing up fire escapes, stuff like that. The colors in those pictures are always incredible with the editing, and I just love them!!!

My mom is also all paranoid because apparently my aunt traveled down to Mexico at one point for a business trip and had to have security with her at all times. I am like...where in Mexico did you go?? I figure we are going to Cancun...thousands of really drunk college students travel there every year, and considering what probably goes on, I rarely hear about anyone having a bad experience. I work at a college, so I know A LOT of students who have spent a drunken crazy week down there! Also, my fiance and almost all of his groomsmen and some of our guests are police officers...so I figure we'll have enough paranoia going on to keep us all safe and sound. LOL!

KLO! It looks like it went beautifully! I'm so happy to hear that you had a great time! I'm having internet issues right now (the joy of living on a college campus) - but what I've seen of your photos, they look absolutely beautiful. I have a friend who is down at MP for a wedding right now too, and she said she is in LOVE with it. I was soo excited to hear that! Jillian, I think the smallest number of rooms they do group contracts for is 10 rooms, but I am in no way certain! I would have your TA or you should contact the reservations department and check for sure. Shires, I have kind of an early wedding too - well, mine's at 1pm - but I was wondering if you've thought about how to set up your wedding day yet - are you going to still do a reception at night or keep it all in the afternoon I really can't decide if I want to put a gap in there!

Dana, that's what we decided to do as well. We booked the free one and we'll add on extras. Mainly, this was because we wanted the bigger photo packages, and there aren't any substitutions with the packaged weddings! Congrats! This is so exciting!

Hey Dana! Welcome! I totally responded to your question yesterday, but my internet is being crazy. All the kiddies are working on their finals, so it's being really slow. Anyways, if you go to the palace website, and click on Moon Palace Wedding Packages, up near the top of the page there's a link for optional services, or you can find it here: Palace Resorts Weddings I hope this post comes out. Shires, I think you should do whatever you want. I would get the carriage! I think it would make the video so cute!

I ended up buying my dress a full three years early...LOL. I got the dress when we first got engaged, then we just never planned a wedding until now. *long story* Pretty much, our families were arguing a lot over where to have the wedding, since we are from different parts of the country. Anyways, it's just been hanging in my bedroom, in an opaque bag, of course. It's moved with me twice, been shuffled around a bit. It's all good. It's fun to show to my student staff members. I try it on every once in a while to make sure it still fits. And FI's never peeked! He better not have! LOL!

I definitely also wanted simple...and then the woman who was helping me try on dresses was like "oh try this one...it's sort of like ones you're looking at..." So I did, and I almost cried when I put it on! It's SO not a DW dress, but I don't care. LOL. I bought it almost three years ago anyways, when we first got engaged. Then we just kept running into roadblocks that were keeping us from having the ceremony - until now! I bought it with the intention of having a garden wedding. *sigh* I still love it though. I'm still going to wear it, and who cares! It's my day! David's Bridal - Bridal Gowns CT2406 A-line with all over beaded corded lace I love the back and the hemline details the best....never thought I would be SO girly!

Hmm...at first, FI and I were thinking of getting tan linen pants, but then I saw some great pictures online as I was searching for a photographer where the groom and GMs are wearing a dark wash jean and white linen shirts, and I really liked it. I just don't know how to set the groom apart from the GMs - but I thought it would look cute with them wearing the colors in flowers on their shirts. Since our colors are pink, orange, and turquoise...there isn't much there those manly men are willing to wear! LOL! Has anyone else thought of/are using jeans?

I would love to know if anyone has used them too - I've been looking for a site like this!

How sad. I would never do it though, well, not on vacation. When we went to a DW last year in Jamaica, the resort we were at warned us up and down not to do it, because none of the operators had the proper insurance if there was an accident. It sounded like a lot of them didn't have insurance...so now I wonder where ever I go just how responsible those people really are.

Marie, I did send an email to my Miami coordinator about the apostille documents yesterday, hopefully she will get back to me tomorrow. For the TTD, I just sent a request to Cecilia Dumas - she looks reasonable price wise and her pictures look like the type I'm looking for. We've decided pretty much to just stick with the resort photographers and videographers for the wedding - I just am going to try to make sure they get some getting ready pictures. If they won't, one of my bridesmaids is artsy with a camera, so I'll just get some non pro pictures. I was looking at more expensive photographers - namely, Del Sol, because I LOVE their pictures, but I'm unsure about committing to that much money with the way the economy is going right now for a TTD. I notice your wedding is in April though - they do have one associate photog - Diego - who is far less expensive and takes wonderfully beautiful pictures. I REALLY wanted him, but he's not available after July. He may be one to look at! Good luck!

Hey Marie, I need to know if the MP needs the documents issued within a certain date range. When my fiance called the IL dept (and I'm from MA), they told him that certain countries/resorts would only take them if they were issued within a certain date range before the event. Of course, he didn't know that information for Mexico. Our date is about 7 months out, and we'd like to get it taken care of, to head off any problems. We just don't know if we do it this early, if it will be too early for Mexico. I also am looking for updated rates for reception charges, and I really want the Tucan gazebo. *sad days* I also wanted to make SURE that we could bring an outside photographer, and wanted to see if we could use just a day pass or if we had to pay for them to stay. But, that doesn't matter now - we've decided to go with the hotel photography and videography for the time there, and to use an outside super awesome photog for a trash the dress during our honeymoon. Thanks for being so nice and offering to see if you knew the answers to my questions!! I really appreciate that!