punkie569

I never wanted a big wedding, I didn't want a lot of fuss and we love the beach so that's why we decided on a DW. When I first came on here I didn't know where to start and I felt overwhelmed too. First thing that helped calm me was contacting a WC that will help find resorts and help me with any questions I have. From there it's like the girls said and it's up to you how big and expensive you want to make things. I'm trying to keep costs down by doing as much DIY projects as I can. Just put on your plate what you think you can handle. You still have lots of time so you can spread out the spending/projects and not do it all at once. Just breathe and once you start getting a few things in place you'll feel much better. Good luck!

Great idea to post this. Thanks!

I think you've got some pretty good advice on here so far. I wouldn't worry about it too much and just try to get him as involved as he can be. Don't ask him what he wants but let him help you make the final decision. Chances are he's going to want what you want anyway and he can just validate your decision for you. My FI can never come up with anything but he's really good at helping me come to a final decision after I've narrowed down choices. Honestly I think it works out better that way cuz in the end I'm getting things done my way which of course is the best and only way

Thanks for your input everyone. I really appreciate the feedback. The more I think about it the more I think I will look into doing it. And the more I hear about it the less scary it seems....haha

Love Vistaprint and I was glad someone on here told me about them. They also suggested signing up for their emails as they always run free specials. So if you don't necessarily need a personalized picture on the postcard you can get them free from Vistaprint, you just pay shipping. I have currently ordered oversized postcards with a nice but general picture of a beach/palm tree on it and I personalized them with our names and wedding date. I ordered 50 of them with a few other free products and I only paid $8 in shipping. I also got 25 magnets(with the same picture as postcards) and all my return address labels from them as well as a few other things and all I've had to pay is shipping. Just thought I'd pass along this tip for those that want postcards but don't need a whole whack of them. Or are cheap like me and like to keep costs down

I think that is a great list. You pretty much covered most of what I would be putting in my bags. I'd say you'd also be safe with any of those 100 cal snack packs of things they have out there. So many to choose from and they are diet friendly for those of us that look for that sort of thing.

What a great find on the bags!!! Cute albums too

When I first started reading about these BD books I thought that it was a nice idea but not for me. I know FI would love it since he sees me in a different light than I see myself but I'm insecure. I had never even heard of this before I came to this forum and now I see this idea everywhere. I tried searching for other threads but nothing would come up so here I am. I doubt I'm the only one that has insecurities so how did you get over it and get these pictures done? I've never seen any pictures so are they tasteful or is that depending on the photographer and what you want? What do they provide you with? i.e. hair/makeup/outfits. I'm just really curious about the whole process and cost. Maybe just maybe if I hear enough good things I might consider doing this since I know how much FI would appreciate it. TIA for the input!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by bcbride RD1044 - by Maggie Sottero I need some honest opinions... do you think the flower strap on this dress is too much/cheesy? Any thoughts will be appreciated! I think this is a beautiful dress. I also think Maggie has a dress that is the same style as this but without the flowers if you are unsure about them. So are you in the Lower Mainland in BC? If so have you been to the Bridal Gallery yet since they are the only ones that carry Maggie here? I haven't been there yet myself since I wanted to wait at least 10lbs before I look at dresses. I'm worried they don't keep many Maggie's in stock and I won't be able to try anything on.

Quote: Originally Posted by BillysBride I'll be a Maggie bride! My dress is Sandrina, in all ivory. I tried it on in a local shop first, but then saved about $230 by buying it from a reputable online dealer. Sandrina- by Maggie Sottero Beautiful dress!!! This is what I was hoping to be able to do as well. $230 is a lot of money to save on the exact same dress. I hope I can find a deal as good as yours. Thanks for sharing.

Quote: Originally Posted by 2bebridejamaica I def could ship to Canada for you... just not sure how as I have never sent anything international before.... if you help me it's all yours!!! LOL....I have no idea. I've had things shipped to me from the US before but I'm not sure how to go about it. I think they've been shipped through USPS and using one of those envelope bags. You would just need to fill something out stating what it is, what the value is and if it's a gift for customs. If it's too much trouble I'm sure I can find something similar here. Thanks!

Thanks girls. Your dresses are stunning. Maggie sure does a good job. There is only one shop here that carries her and luckily it was the same bridal shop that my step-mom used to work for. So she's going to talk to her old boss and see if she can get me a discount. I just wasn't sure if I'd still be getting a deal or if going online would be better.

I've loved Maggie ever since I first saw one of her dresses and I seem to keep coming back to her when I look for my dress. So far I'm leaning towards the Aspen since I wanted some black detail in my dress. Just want to know how many other brides out there choose Maggie for their dress and if you were happy with your selection. Also did everyone buy their dress from a gallery or online? What was your experience with each? Was there a huge price difference as well? Thanks for any and all input. I still have a ways to go before I commit to a dress but I like to be as informed as I can be.

I wanna have a heart attack everytime I see all those beautiful dresses in the water. I get the idea and the pictures do turn out wonderful but I don't think I could ruin my wedding dress. I'm also cheap so my first thoughts are "how much did that cost and why are you ruining it?". So if I was going to do this I personally would buy a cheaper dress for your TTD pics. However if your wedding dress wasn't that expensive to begin with you might be ok with using it. I think this is really a personal choice on what you would feel most comfortable with.

I'm curious to see what others have to say as I've had the same concerns. I know for sure though that I will not be carrying any liquids on just to save myself that hassle. I figure we will just bring an extra bag for our OOT bag things and then we won't have to worry about space on the way home. Using a duffle bag was suggested so then we could fold it up to bring home but I think we will still just use a regular suitcase since I like to bring things home

This is all good stuff to know. Thanks!

Wow that turned out great. I don't think I could make that if my life depended on it. Good job!

I think it would look beautiful all blinged out if you can fit it into the budget. What about using half the expensive crystals and maybe half of something cheaper? Or doing the trim all in crystals so the whole thing is covered and then some placed throughout to make it shine? Good luck coming up with a solution!

That's horrible! I've never even thought that I won't be able to carry my dress onto the plane. I hope you can find some way to get your dress to Jamaica. Good luck!

I'm surprised there aren't more brides from B.C. here and that the few that are are all from Prince George...haha weird!...Vancouver suburbs here!

Good question cuz I was wondering the same thing. We aren't getting married until 2010 but I'm planning now just so we aren't surprised with a big bill. So far I've just been buying things here and there when they are on sale and just keeping my eye out for deals. As for the wedding itself and our trip I think we will just put aside whatever money we can for this year and next year when we are minus a truck payment that will all go into an account for the wedding. It's nice that you don't have to pay for the big part till the end

Wow thats scary. We were in Punta Cana 2 years ago and we didn't take any medications for malaria. We didn't get any skeeter bites while there either. However we did get tons when we were in Mexico last year. Malaria is something we never even thought about but now that you've mentioned it how dumb of us not to think about it before. Thanks for the info!

Wow I hope my tags turn out as good as these. The self laminating scared me so I went and bought the badge holders. Hope that was a good choice on my part. Thanks for sharing!

Great job on everything!

FH and I are looking to go this route as well. Glad it worked out for you. Congrats!