islandbride317

I ADORE the overlap/criss-crossed band design....so pretty! Your FI did a fantastic job, mishele81!

Va-va-va-Voom, Tessa! You and your FI make such a lovely couple, and I applaud you for thinking outside of the box, and doing something original!

Jena Malone: Stepmom

Fabulous rings, ladies....I could go through this thread over and over (but won't) for fear of going blind from all the bling!

I agree with everyone else who said "tiara"...particularly since you showed us your gown! While I typically prefer hair flowers over tiaras for beach weddings (maybe I am a little biased to the flower since I wore one myself!), I think the tiara would coordinate PERFECTLY with the classic styling of your dress! And I'm with Jenn -- you can still wear the hair flower for the rehearsal (or even just for fun on your honeymoon!) GOOD LUCK!

Whatta gown, Eliana! Fits you like a dream....you're gonna take everyone's breath away!

While I agree that both gowns are gorgeous in their own respect, I think you should wear your DREAM dresson your wedding day, regarless of where it's taking place....otherwise, I think you might regret it in the end! ** (I had the same issue -- actually, I had originally purchased a perfectly beach-appropriate gown, and after having SERIOUS doubts and dress-regret, I went with my heart and decided to get my huge, HEAVY Sottero & Midgley princess gown -- best decision ever!) And yes, although it was somewhat cumbersome to move in and a little uncomfortable/hot in the Caribbean humidty, when I look at my photos now 6 months after my wedding, I am sooooo glad I got my 'over the top' gown! Good luck and please let us know what you decide I'm sure you'll look fabulous no matter which gown you go with!

Oh, Christine (sunmoonstars).....Odessa is absolutely, positively STUNNING! I adore that gown, and you MUST post picks of yourself in it as soon as possible if that what you decide to go with!! Good luck and continued success with the weight loss, too -- I know how hard it can be at times! And the 2011 Maggie Sottero runway show has already taken place in October I think, however I keep checking the website and nothing new is up....maybe the Maggie page on facebook might have something posted?

Hi, Sara -- I guess I am in the minority, but I really love dress #2....and I think although it might be a bit heavier than the other two, it's structure will hold up well against the water! (Friendly FYI: I suppose your decision might depends on how much you want the dress to cling to you, because having done a TTD myself, I can tell you that #1 and #3 will be somewhat 'glued' to you after you get it wet/get out of the water, and also be careful what undergarments you wear, because the thinner the material, the more sheer/see-through it will become when it is wet!) Just a word to the wise... Anyway, good luck!

Oooh....such FABULOUS rings, girls!! (Your other fingers must be jealous....)

FABULOUS!!! You look beautiful....and your dress already fits you so well! CONGRATS!

I'm with everyone else -- hands down, for sure, DRESS #1!!! You look beautiful, and it is very flattering on your figure....plus, the playful ruffles are perfect for a DW and you may not be as hot, which let me tell you, will be more important on the day-of than you would believe!!

Jaime, that dress is GORGEOUS and if you can already *SEE* yourself getting married in it.....then (IMO), it quite possibly could be THE ONE!! Â I made the mistake of being too excited a month after I got engaged, and rushed out to David's Bridal and bought a dress the first day out, after trying on only 5 dresses -- BAD IDEA! Â About a few months later (with the 1st dress and all the accessories for it already in my closet), I was having serious dress-doubts, and then I saw (and fell head-over-heels in love with) a Sottero & Midgley gown online that I could also SEE myself getting married in ( I actually gasped when I saw it)....so I had the sample brought in to a local bridal boutique and I tried it on....and all the stars aligned! THAT was the day that I 'married' MY actual wedding gown! (Note: I later had the 1st dress shortened and wore it to my local reception, so it was actually a win-win overall!) Â All I have to say is: when you KNOW, you KNOW! GOOD LUCK!

On our wedding day, while we were getting ready separately, I had my father take my husband a Citizen Eco-Drive watch I'd gotten him (which he loves!) and sent back to me a right-hand ring (a small, 3 stone ring set in a 'wave' type of band design, which he later said to was meant remind me of the waves in Jamaica on the day we got married). Super romantic, and we both wear our gifts everyday! And what's better is we put a $200 limit on what we could get each other before hand, so we found some really great bargains and have another daily reminder of the best day of our lives -- win-win!!!

Such beautiful gowns, Rie2010!! Â When you get your gown in, please post pics of yourself in it because a real bride ALWAYS looks much more beautiful than the model, for sure! And kudos to you for being so brave and just going with your heart to get the gown you just KNEW was right for you -- the whole situation just worked out beautifully, and I'm so excited for you! Â And excellent choice on the bridemaid gowns, as well -- one shoulder strap is a huge trend right now, and so is floral, so you're on the money and your girls should be thankful you have such great taste!!

Ummmm........ALL I CAN SAY IS WOW!!! Â Sometimes, all the stars align as they did for you, and finding your PERFECT gown is effortless! CONGRATS and you look stunning -- the dress fits you so beautifully, it TRULY looks like it was custom made for your figure exactly!! AMAZING! Â You're gonna blow your guests away and your future husband is going to be speechless!!

Hi, LisaRenee!! Â I second hockeymom's advice, as to making a list of what's important to you.....that's how I decided on Sandals Grande Ocho Rios in Jamaica as the right resort for our wedding group of 10 guests plus us in May this year. Â When I first started planning, I knew that I wanted an adult-only, all-inclusive resort -- so a lot of the other major all-inclusives that allow kids were out (Riu, Dreams, etc.).....it's not that I have an issue with children, I was just really adament about wanting a grown-ups only wedding experience! Â And once I narrowed it down to an adults-only resort, the first name I thought of was Sandals, which is a well-known resort that has years and years of experience in destination weddings, so I felt at ease with that decision. Finally, I had to pick which Sandals resort to have it at....initially, we decided on the St. Lucian Grande, but due to a few guest-related issues, we ended up going with Sandals Grande Ocho Rios, as it was both the biggest resort and also had the lowest room rates available to our guests -- a true win-win! Â Anyway, our experience there was easy-breezy.....Vinette, the onsite wedding coordinator, was a seasoned wedding planning professional, and she was totally on her game, so our wedding day was smooth from start to finish! Â So, the moral of the story: Iboth Mexico and Jamaica are beautiful, so you have to find the right fit for you and your fiance, and I'm sure it'll be lovely no matter where you decide to tie the knot!

Yea!! CONGRATULATIONS and thank you for sharing some of your photos....EVERYTHING looked gorgeous -- especially YOU!!

  Hi-ya back at cha', Christie!  How's newly-married life treating you, sweetie?!? And your business, Island Princess Designs doing well, I hope?!? Anyway, back to topic -- anniversary cruises are exciting!!! And perhaps mention to your DH that even with a 7 night cruise, you pull into various ports and get off the boat to do excursions, shopping, etc., so you're never just 'stuck on a boat' for too long....  And bored??? These ships are designed to be floating resorts-of-sorts, so I'm imagine there is something for everyone!  Hope he reconsiders!! Â

 AMEN, sister....!!! I hear ya, loud and clear!  I've only been married close to 4 months, and I've ALREADY got my eye on another Sottero & Midgley to wear for perhaps a 5 year vow renewal -- oh, yeah; it'll be just the 2 of us, but I've already decided on a theme, location, etc.! I'm so glad to hear I'm not the only one who's still got the 'itch'! Â

 You look GORGEOUS.....the dress already fits you beautifully, so i can only imagine how amazing it's going to look when your alterations are finished! CONGRATS Â

Oh no, CALLAMONSTER!!  What a nightmare.....I am so sorry you had such issues with Advantage Bridal because when I dealt with them for my flip-flops, it was a seamless transaction and even above-average, I'd say.  Hopefully everything is all sorted out now and in the end, you get the product you ordered in the first place  It's never fun to have to deal with this kind of stress that's is totally unnecessary... Â

 You're so welcome, sugar!!  And, like I said, there are LOTS of pics in the "Maggie Brides" section of the site of real girls wearing it on their wedding day.....I know when I bought my gown, I kept searching the net feverishly to see what a REAL person/anyone other than the model looked like wearing it and wasn't able to find anyone, so I wanted to make sure you knew!  Congrats again and you're gonna be such a lovely bride in your beautiful Brittanya!! Â

For our May 14th wedding at Sandals Grande Ocho Rios in Jamaica, we had exactly 10 guests, plus my husband and I.....and it was just perfect for us! Â We never felt like we didn't get to spend enough time with anyone, and with a smaller number of guests, I was able to get a little more elaborate with the OOT/Guest Welcome bags to thank them for coming, than I would if I have dozens and dozens of guests, you know? Â And just a few weeks ago, we had our AHR/stateside reception with 60 guests and were still able to celebrate with everyone who couldn't join us in JA -- it was great! (Actually, when I was trying to go around the party and say hi to everybody at the AHR, I kept thinking, "Geez, I'm glad not EVERY ONE of these people came to Jamaica! It would have felt like a crazy circus to me!"

If it were true (thanks Lucy for putting my mid at ease and pointing out that it is just another variation of an urban legend!!), I would have felt terrible for the GROOM more than anybody!! Â Not only would he have just lost his best friend, he would have also lost what he thought was the love of his life....I cannot imagine and I would have been just as vengeful! Â Again, if it WERE true, I would have said GOOD FOR HIM, and his promiscuous bride should have figured out who she really wanted to be with before she said YES to his proposal! SHE and the BEST MAN would have gotten exactly what they deserved -- and yes, it would have been a shame that her parents were out all that money, but they should have raised their daughter with a little more dignity, respect and class then!!