KimmyG

Popping in to share well wishes with everyone. Love seeing everyone's faces on facebook!! :-)

Quote: Originally Posted by JNagan2011 I don't know if I ever saw any of your photos Kim.. Did you post any on here or do you have some on facebook where I could add you? I posted a review of my photographer with tons of photos here: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...phy-wow-59929/ You can also find me on fb (Kim Warner)!

I love hearing how everyone's planning/big days are going! Samira, I'd love to see your pictures but I can't find you on FB! Any tips? Can I search for you by email?

TRASH THE DRESS!!!

More photos next post!!

When we decided to have a destination wedding we knew the location & scenery would be fabulous but we never expected the photographs to be so spectacular! They not only tell the story of our day, but they capture the love, spirit and emotion. I feel like I relive the day every time I look through them. The pictures highlight moments I remember and never want to forget, as well as all the fun things that went on that I didn’t even realize at the time. Our photographer was Chicago based Joshua Albanese. I found him through another bride’s post here on the forum (http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...jamaica-45369/). The photos on the forum I saw inspired me to check out his website (Joshua Albanese Photography - Chicago's Premiere PhotographerGalleries). I fell in love with his unique, bold style and instantly trusted him to shoot our wedding. We communicated by phone and email to make arrangements, since he lives in Chicago and my (then) fiancé and I live in Cincinnati. Joshua came to Cincinnati so that we could all meet in person. During that snowy day in February we took engagement photos and went out to dinner to get to know each other. I feel like we instantly hit it off as friends, which was great since I knew we’d be spending a lot of time together in Mexico! Also during this trip we took Boudoir photos, which Joshua put together into an amazing book as a wedding gift for my groom. I felt completely comfortable with him, he was so creative and professional, and I can hardly believe it’s me in the photos! With so many things going on when we first arrived in Mexico we were a bit overwhelmed, to say the least! Joshua did a great job of tracking us down as soon as he arrived at the hotel. Although the contract we signed with him said that he would photograph our Welcome Dinner, Wedding Day and Trash The Dress, Joshua did so much more than this. He hit it off not only with us but with all of our guests. When we were playing at the pool Joshua was right there having fun with us, camera in hand. When we went on a snorkeling excursion Joshua came with us and took photos. He took photos the entire trip, something you definitely don’t get when you hire a resort photographer. We all danced the wedding night away at the disco and Josh was up at the crack of dawn the next morning with us to take photos on the beach before the speedos came out. We went to a cenote to take photos in a cave and Joshua was so adventurous, climbing cave walls to precisely place his flashes, all to capture the perfect shot. Upon arriving home Joshua posted teaser photos for us within days, and he sent us a dvd with over 1100 photos from the trip, less than 2 months after the wedding. I feel like he took the time to get to know our personalities and capture the true essence in his photographs. The pictures are truly art, I have no idea where I’m going to put all of them- I want to print and frame every single one! We loved the photos so much we wanted him to come to our at-home-reception next weekend to take pictures (or even as a guest, he’s so much fun!), but he was already booked for another wedding. Good news travels fast and I know he’s already receiving more destination wedding inquires, just based on the teaser photos he posted to my facebook page! I am so glad we had the opportunity to work with Joshua. Our wedding was amazing but it was months ago already. The photos he took will make it last forever for us! I think the photos tell the rest of the story  Contact me if you have specific questions; otherwise contact him to book your wedding! Website: Joshua Albanese Photography Blog: Joshua Albanese Photography Email: [email protected] We’ve been blogged!: Joshua Albanese Photography | Facebook More photos next post...

Sammysgirl: we're seriously twins We both have/had the gazebo ceremony, cocktail hour with mariachi, chillis dinner, small town country club AHR, etc! Your day is soooo close, I'm so excited for you! I can't wait to get together in Indy I got an apartment downtown, moving in June!

Erin, I loved your planning thread! I'm also excited to look through everyone's photos!

Erin, your planning thread is so detailed, I love it! You really thought of EVERYTHING and I know you're going to have a blast. Enjoy your trip and I can't wait to hear from you when you return!!!

I didn't mention that we had a photographer, since he was a hotel guest for 4 days. At the meeting the wedding coordinators didn't seem to care at all. They asked if I wanted the photographer and i said "no i have a friend who will take pictures" and they moved on to the next question, they didn't even blink. Regarding the legal day- ours was fun: we went to city hall and both wore suits (i had a feminine white pinstripe skirt suit). We had our parents, grandparents and siblings. We didn't actually sign any paperwork but we said vows and exchanged rings. Then we popped champagne and went out to a fun dinner. It had a wedding-y feel to it, but i PROMISE you that it didn't make the actual wedding in mexico any less special. I think it added to the excitement!

I've heard generally good things about Latisse. That being said, I got "flirty fakes" applied for my legal day at home, from MAC for $13, and I LOVED them!!! My MIL bought the glue and reapplied the same lashes for me on the wedding day and the result was more stunning (and cheaper/easier!) than Latisse would have been, I have no doubt

Welcome! April is the perfect month to get married at the RPRM Rumor has it in order to use an ipod at your reception you still have to pay for the private reception with dj, so most people don't end up doing this. Join in the Riu RM thread, for ALL the good info!

I just echo with what everyone has already said: take honest measurements! Also, allow plenty of time for it to arrive. We got 4 from studiosuits.com- my husbands came out great in light beige (a little snug in the waist, he must have been sucking-in when we took measurements), the 2 groomsmen got the darker beige color (sizes were perfect), and husband's father got one as well- he emailed them a few days later with changes in his measurements, and as a result he almost didn't receive the suit in time. Sooo, order with plenty of time in advance to avoid stress. This isn't a suit you'll wear for a lifetime, but it's pretty darn great for the special occasion

Sammysgirl- my shower was brutal too. My mom hosted mine for me... I had about 6 girlfriends there and 20 of my mom friends. I barely knew who most of them were and it was awfully embarrassing when I opened gifts from "Cheryl" or "Sofie" and I had no idea who they were to even acknowledge them. It was NOT the most fun I've ever had Would have been better if there were more games/activities so everyone could get to know each other. LadyTrunck- I really like your TTD!! It's gorgeous. My wedding dress came from Duosheng (i ordered a different one from Landy Bridal that i will wear at my AHR)... I wore it for both the wedding and the TTD and it's still in perfect shape (and the whole thing is lace!). It was nice having a "knockoff" that looked amazing, and i wasn't worried about damaging it at all! Paige- I was also trying to decide between the Mariachi and the Trio for the cocktail hour. I didn't get to see the Trio at all so I can't offer any advice. At my meeting with the wedding coordinator I saw a photo of the trio- one of the instruments looked like a harp, and I already was getting the harpist for the ceremony so I went with the Mariachi, as something totally different. I didn't try to negotiate at all. My guess is that they won't budge on price, but it might be worth a shot. I think your better bet would be hiring them for the set price, but then "bribing" them to play for more time for a little bit of cash (45 min goes by very quick). I justified paying for both the harpist and the mariachi by not paying for the private reception/DJ. Like I mentioned above we ended up with a dj anyway so it worked out pretty well

Tracy, sorry to hear about the lost camera. You moms pics are awesome- you look SO beautiful!! JerseyKitten- the pics on the top of the blog look fabulous, I can't wait to see the rest!! I'm not sure if this will work, but here's the link to the pics I put on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...97&id=49100058

Happy wedding day Meghan and all the other recent brides!!!!! Erin- Starfish is in the mail, on his way to YOU! We flew out of CVG, hopefully you have a great experience as well. I have a few friends who posted albums on my FB page. The pics look amazing and I can't wait to see the rest (especially the pro pics!). Friend me! PM me for personal info (name/email) i'm weird about posting it all online since BDW shows up in google searches so easily

I had a wonderful time with the clear crystal starfish in Playa del Carmen! I just returned from the post office and he is en route to EBRedhawk (Erin) on the other side of Cincinnati. I hope all you girls have as much with him as I did!! <3

LadyTrunck- have you heard the quote "it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission" ? Don't count the kiddos in. Whether they have to pay to stay at the hotel is one thing, but I'd hardly count them as "guests" at the wedding. Don't mention them and don't even worry about them.

Quote: Originally Posted by LadyTrunck Kimmy- thank you SO MUCH for the details of your review! It sounds like our weddings are very similar, w/ package and ceremony/dinner time. Makes me feel SO much better about every choice that I have made!!! Great tips- you answered so many of my questions!! It is greatly appreciated! P.S. I was cracking up at your sand ceremony idea! Fantastic! You said that the welcome dinner had ice sculptures and choc fountain? Did you have to pay for that? What restaurant was it at? Also, how were the welcome bags given to the guests? I read that they can put them in rooms, or give at the front desk, but many of our guests are arriving the day after we get there, and I’m afraid that we won’t have the meeting with the coordinator yet… Can you tell I’m writing this as I read? Warning: MEXICO LOVES TECHNO AND MICHAEL JACKSON. Don't say I didn't warn you!!! The ice sculptures and choc fountain were a fabulous surprise that were just part of the dinner at the Don Manolo buffet that night (Thursday night). I didn't request any of it, but was delighted at how elegant and fun everything was. The welcome dinner is awesome: they set your party up in a private part of the restaurant, decorated the tables, etc. The food was better that night than at the wedding reception, no doubt. That being said, Drew and I ate dinner at Don Manolo a few days later (Monday night) and it was barely even the same restaurant. Food was still good but all the hoopla was gone. I doubt they did all of the jazzy stuff just for our welcome dinner, but it sure was a nice touch. Regarding the welcome bags, we handed them out to guests as we saw them. We arrived Tuesday, gave a bunch out on Wednesday night when everyone was drinking to the guests who arrived then, and brought the rest of them to the welcome dinner on Thursday. It wasn't necessarily the best system but I'm not sure the front desk would have done it better. I'd hate for the front desk to give it to the wrong person or to skip someone and lose track, so that was something I wanted to keep in my own hands. If we had a more reliable bridal party I would have distributed the bags to them to distribute to guests' rooms. Our bridal party was enjoying their vacation too much to help :-P

Erika, that book is amazing. Nice job putting it all together. I can't wait to get my photos back so I can do the same!!

The weather was fabulous. Don't worry yourself with looking at the forecast: ours called for 30% chance thunderstorms every day and let me tell you- I didn't see a single cloud in the entire sky for 6 days strait. Wear your sunscreen!!!!!! My sister fried in the design of her bathing suit, and it looked less than spectacular when she put on her strapless dress for the wedding, haha. MAKE FRIENDS!!! I was planning on paying to have my makeup done but I met a lovely girl who worked at Clinique and she offered to do it for me and me sister. She did an amazing job and it was so much fun taking her up on it! We were great friends by the end of the trip! ... I had a night when I cried too (Tracy, you're not alone)- I needed help assembling welcome bags, etc, and I couldn't get anyone to help me bc they were too busy enjoying their own vacation. Funny how your new friends may do more for you than the ones you brought with you... We ALL have some mega friends/family drama, isn't that for sure. My bridesmaid situation was a disaster (and that wasn't the end of the drama), but in the end I didn't lose sight of the day being about my handsome groom and I. Like I said, not everything went exactly according to plan but overall it was pretty darn awesome. We got NO sleep, came back utterly exhausted and are now talking about taking a real HONEYMOON! It was a great wedding but there wasn't a sliver of honeymoon in that mix, haha!

Hi everyone!!! I'm baaaaack! Sending best wishes to everyone yet to leave and can't wait to hear about everyone's adventures. Our trip was lovely. Not everything went perfect or according to plan, but it was overall fabulous. I wrote a ton of info in the Riu RM thread since most of it was resort-specific. Erin, regarding the dress the airlines are really accommodating if you carry it in the dress bag. I waited for general boarding and they even told me I should have gotten on earlier with the "children and special needs passengers" to take my time getting situated, haha! I hung it in the closet on the first flight and in a compartment on the connecting flight (watched like a hawk to make sure noone threw a bag on top of it). On that way home I folded that sucker up and (delicately) crammed it into the front pocket on a suitcase. Why not? I don't plan to wear it again!! It was much easier to travel with it this way

Quote: Originally Posted by nmurch i've tried ebay google dogpile etc i dont know where to find the mini hand sanitizers packets of tylenol idividual imodium/pepto dramamine etc can someone tell me where i can find these items?? Tylenol packets I found at Office Max Pepto dissolvable packets I found at a dollar store Mini hand sanitizers my fiance found at Walgreens.... he bought 36 (6/pack) and we forgot to take them out of our suitcase!!!! If you want them I can sell them to you. They were $4 for the pack of 6 of them. I'll be happy to sell all 36 for $20. PM me!

The night of our wedding, after dinner, we went to the disco at the Riu Tequila. It's about a 10-15 min hike but everyone drank for free and had a blast. Drew and I only stayed about 20 min but it was great to go out and see everyone having fun. Warning: MEXICO LOVES TECHNO AND MICHAEL JACKSON. Don't say I didn't warn you!!! Two of the other nights we went to 5th avenue, which is fun just to walk around. We parked at Senor Frogs for a drink and that was pretty entertaining. I heard Coco Bongo has a $60 cover charge to get in so we didn't bother with that. Again, wear comfy shoes/sandals when going to 5th ave. Many of the vendors will give you a lower price if you bargain for goods, some will not. I paid $1/maraca and I think that was pretty standard. Father-in-law bought some Mayan mask for $20 when the initial asking price was $80. We decided to do our TTD at a cenote: based on advice from other people we decided Not to rent a car ourselves. The front desk offered car service where we had a car/driver for 2 hours for $70. A cab might have been cheaper but we knew they worked for the resort so this felt safer. The driver took us to a cenote and hung out with us while we looked for the perfect spot to shoot pictures. He even paid our entrance fee for us (i have no idea why), i think 50peses/person (~$5). After being in Cenote Azul for 10 minutes walking around a crabby woman who worked there came up to me and communicated that since I was in wedding dress we would have to pay 1000 pesos (~$100) to stay and take pictures. Absurd! We'd already paid, already entered and now she was chasing us down for more money because I had a wedding dress on. I was pissed bc the cenotes didn't look how I had visualized them (Cenote Azul) so I told her I was going somewhere else that had caves and didn't cost so much. She said her son would take us to a cave, for 700 pesos, then for 500 pesos (when I insisted we would go somewhere else). We decided to see the cave before we made up our mind, so me, FI, & Photographer got in the car with the driver and followed this kid on his bike going north on the main road. A few minutes later we got out and walked and did find a perfect cave, exactly what we'd visualized. I'm not sure if it was part of Cenote Azul or not, but it was in that area. We paid the kid $40 and got to work ($40 is like 380 pesos but it was enough to get the kid to leave us alone! I felt like we were being taken advantage of, so i didn't care that we gave less than they asked for) Future tip: to save $ don't wear your dress into the cenote: hide your dress, hide the cameras and you'll get in for cheap. On the other hand, there isn't much privacy to put your dress on, and you're paying a cab or driver for the time it takes to get into your dress and lace it up, so weigh your options. I can't wait to see the cenote photos, they're going to be amazing based on the sneak peak our photog showed on his camera. I'm quite positive this is the same cenote we were at: YouTube - Riviera Maya Trash the dress underwater photography session but I think our photos are going to be even more amazing! (del sol photography is pretty awesome though, it will be tough to beat them!)