justdeb1107

Quote: Originally Posted by emmie2008 you may want to see if you can specify a specific photographer. I agree with this 100%. Sulan did a good job, technically, but you could tell she was offended by stuff like my husband asking her to take shots of me where there was clear water in the background instead of a bunch of dark, ugly seaweed. The individual photographer is important. We just didn't know which one to ask for, which is why the boards are so important.

Quote: Originally Posted by Prettyhazardous Deb ur pics were great... Thanks, Ashley.

Quote: Originally Posted by kpuckrin Are you able to share how long your session was? I believe our coordinator is working with Blue Glass and I'd like to know whether or not we should book extra time with the photographer as we currently only have an hour. I think we did the $500 for one hour thing, which I believe was originally supposed to include 72 shots. However, we ran over a little on time and they sent us nearly 120 photos on the disc. They also did some artwork on some of the shots (i.e., making the whole thing black and white except the bouquet, etc.) without charging us extra. Even though the photographer they sent us (Sulan) was somewhat rigid about what we wanted shot, I was more than happy with the pictures they sent us and the quality of the photos. They were lovely! I would definitely recommend Blue Glass.

P.S. Lindquist Beach has no amenities, but it also has very few people/buildings. That was really important for the pictures. I highly recommend this lovely location.

We got our Blue Glass photos back this week. Here is a link if you are interested. I am SO GLAD I did TTD shots. They were our favorites! We didn't print anything from our actual ceremony, but did canvas prints of several of the casual beach shots. Make sure you have an idea of what you want to do. I got several good ones here on the board (reclining on the beach, the Corona shots, etc.). Also, our ship (the Glory) cleaned my dress when we got back and it was completely unharmed from our time in the water. Welcome to all the new ST brides. For some reason I hadn't been getting notifications of new messages for this thread, and I see we have lots of new brides. Best wishes to you all! Deb and Tom Wedding Photos

Quote: Originally Posted by emmie2008 Oh, and a few sips of champagne before the ceremony is also quite helpful! (I know people have mixed opinions on this..not suggesting you go down the "aisle' intoxicated, but I enjoyed toasting with my girls beforehand!!_ A single glass of wine would have been a tremendous help to my nerves that morning. lolol

Awww...I hate that you and your guests got rained on. When we pulled into port that morning it was raining and I started out stressing over that. I mean...from what I've read, it hardly EVER rains on STT. If it does, it normally lasts just a little while and clears up. Oh, well, glad you guys did okay despite the weather. I know it wasn't what you'd dreamed, but glad you made the best of it. Some of those canopies the coordinators offered were starting to look really good to us as we squinted during the whole ceremony. I never thought about that because everyone's pix don't come out that way. I think due to the storms we had strong wind. Some of the pictures look okay, but I (and my hubby) were pulling hair out of my mouth nearly the whole ceremony. hahaha

Quote: Originally Posted by Prettyhazardous I'm sure my wedding will go off w/o a hitch... and if not I'll just get drunk hahha. Now THAT'S funny! Maybe if I'd have had a glass of wine prior to the ceremony I wouldn't have been freaked out so much by our little "hitches!" lol

A bride's wedding day is going to be stressful, even if "escaping" to the islands to have the ceremony. You have to trust a lot when it comes to making arrangements from miles away. I want to make clear I wasn't trying to say anything overly negative about Island Bliss. The Scotts are a super nice couple. I do, however, want to be very honest and frank about our experience so others can make informed decisions about their big day. Cheers,

Quote: Originally Posted by Jessica I'm sorry your had some rough spots on your big day justdeb1107. I used Janelle and Scott when I got married 2 years ago and they amazingly followed every detail I had enviosioned and told them about perfectly. It sounds like they were maybe having an off day and I'm so sorry that affected you! I hope your pictures turn out nice and that you at least enjoyed your time on St. Thomas and the cruise in general. Thanks, Jessica. I don't know what happened. I'd read so many good things I was a little shocked by the end result. However, just like my DH said...regardless of the details, we accomplished what we set out to do. The real reason we were there was because we want to share our life together. Ultimately, the flavor of the wedding cake is trivial compared to that. We had a GREAT time on our trip and we have many, many happy memories of our cruise.

Quote: Originally Posted by CrystalM Wow I'm sorry you had a bad experience with Island Bliss Weddings. I haven't heard a single bad thing about them before this. I'm using them - al la carte style though...and I mirco-manage so my fiance and I are handling everything. Please don't get me wrong, we didn't necessarily have a bad experience. Fortunately, we are pretty laid back people and the little things didn't both us much. However, when you pay a hefty fee to use someone's service, you'd like them to get your details right. Our "just the two of us" wedding cost over $1,600. At that rate, you don't expect to make a pit stop at your minister's house because he forgot your custom vows. lol

I love your sig pic. Do you already have your Blue Glass proofs? We got married on the same day and I was told a month...

Well, ladies, we made it through our wedding in decent shape! lol There were several details that didn't go exactly as planned, but all in all it was a good trip. When our ship arrived in St. Thomas it was raining. An earlier ship bride's wedding that started in the morning got wet. I feel so badly for them. Ours was to start at 1 p.m. and the sun broke through just in time. There are clouds in our photos, but the water looked GREAT! Hmm...reviews. First, I got off the ship and went to Just Cuts salon near the dock to have my hair/make-up done by Carol Ann. Truthfully, it was a huge waste. We were on day 3 of our cruise, and by then (despite 18 proof sunscreen) my nose was a little sunburned. I could have handled that in about 3 seconds with my regular concealer/foundation, but for some reason it stumped her. Since I'd only brought mascara off the ship, I was stuck with a red nose. (( Also, I am blonde, and Carol Ann barely put any mascara on me. THANK GOD I'd carried mascara off the ship. If I hadn't, I'd have looked like I'd had my lashes singed off in a fire for our wedding/pictures. I am so grateful I was worried about her having waterproof mascara and took it with me. My hair looked okay, but all in all, I wish I'd have done my own make-up and hair, especially since Lindquist Beach had gale-force winds and my hair just looked like a wind-blown wreck regardless. I expected some wind, but not as much as there was!!! lol Stuart Scott (Janelle -Island Bliss- Scott's husband and our minister) was late picking us up from the hair salon because the new florist they were trying out for our wedding didn't have ANY of our flowers done a mere hour prior to our wedding time. He came 20 minutes late with just my hair orchid. I could tell he felt bad, but I was upset and stressed out already by the make-up/hair situation and wasn't all that happy when we were leaving without any of the flowers. (There is nothing worse than feeling like an ugly bride.) As we pulled out of the parking lot, we saw the florist walking down the road with my bouquet/flowers and grabbed them through the window. The flowers were lovely, even if they were purple (!) and white instead of the rose/ivory tones I'd requested. Stuart got us through the courthouse smoothly. When we got back in the car I asked him about the custom vows I'd sent Janelle. He didn't have them, so then we had to drive to their house so he could print them. I was getting upset by this time. Also, listening to your minister on his cell phone talking to a buddy about meeting him for a beer isn't conducive to a holy atmosphere. We arrived at Lindquist Beach and it was far, far more gorgeous than I'd imagined. There was hardly anyone there at all, and the few people were far down the beach. It was very private. I highly recommend this location to anyone who doesn't want a bunch of sunbathing tourists around. The cake looked like I wanted it to, but it was vanilla instead of chocolate, and the recorded wedding music I'd requested was absent. There was, however, a cute family of chickens that were running around. This tickled me for some reason. The photographer for Blue Glass (Sulan) was there when we arrived. The sun was glaring. Unfortunately, it hurt my eyes and I squinted the whole time. I'm scared about how our formal photos will look. The ceremony was nice, but all in all, it felt more like a photo shoot than the blessed occasion it was supposed to be. Halfway through, Tom and I just started to make the best of it and got the giggles. I think we were simply relieved that it was nearing to a close after the stressful morning. We took all the "traditional" shots, then wanted to do some other shots we'd planned, as well as TTD. Janelle brought two bottles of Corona we'd requested, and we asked Sulan about doing a shot of us looking out to the water with them. I'd seen this on the board and loved it. She seemed put out, wanted to do the shots her way, etc. She also seemed irritated when we wanted to get the TTD shots in an area of clear water a few feet down the beach instead of the current location with a bunch of seaweed floating offshore. Since we were paying her $500 for the one hour to shoot pictures, we weren't happy. I just hope they turn out well. She told us it would take a full month to get the images on disk. After the ceremony, Stuart drove us to Secret Harbor where we ate lunch seaside at the Blue Moon Cafe. The food was terrific (crab cakes and a Philly cheesesteak wrap). Even though our cake wasn't chocolate, it was delicious (VI Desserts, I think). Then we plopped down on the beach for a few hours, enjoying the peace. In one area, there was a small coral reef and I waded around watching parrot and angel fish, crabs, and even a small sting ray that swam by to check me out. All in all, at the end of the day, we'd accomplished what we'd set out to do...have a beach wedding at a lovely location. However, if you are someone who would like to have all the little details go exactly as you'd requested (iPod music, flavor of cake, custom vows ready when you arrive, correct color flowers) you might want to work with another planner, as nice as Janelle and Stuart seem to be. Just my .02. I hope this helped.

We leave on Friday, flying to Orlando first, then sailing on the Carnival Glory on Saturday. SO glad we didn't choose Mexico for our wedding. I've read a ton of swine flu horror stories on the May 2009 bride thread. I feel so sorry for them!!! I've been running around getting stuff together to leave, nearly pulling my hair out wondering if I will forget anything. FI is chilling out, having fun with his friends, being a sweetie, and basically living the "don't worry, be happy" motto. His cheerfulness, stress-free attitude is wonderful and contagious. I'm starting to calm down. Can't wait for the wedding on St. Thomas. Only 6 days now!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by missduckie Deb - we have the same wedding date on the same beach! What time is your ceremony at? I am a little worried at the fact it's a public beach but I feel assured that it will turn out great. Less than two weeks away!! Hi Vivian! That's neat we are getting married the same day on the same beach. Our ceremony will take place around 1 p.m. When is yours? I heard Lindquist is fairly off the beaten path, so it should be secluded. We won't take long, though. My FI and I will be the only ones there. I think our photo shoot will take much longer than the ceremony. BTW, we went with Blue Glass Photography. Saw their work all over the web and fell in love. I also want to do a TTD for part of it. Anyone else doing that? P.S. I am nervous and excited, too!

Quote: Originally Posted by kristmass Hi Deb, Sorry I've been away for a while. How large of a wedding are you planning on? Good luck next week on your planning! That's neat. I went to St. Thomas on a cruise 4 1/2 years ago. Loved snorkeling on Coki Beach. Our wedding will just be the two of us. We've notified everyone we're "eloping!" lol With the swine flu thing happening, I will just be happy if they don't cancel our cruise and delay our wedding. Ugh!

Quote: Originally Posted by BlissfulMsMiranda This Saturday I'm having my hair cut and colored ... and my bachlorette is on Saturday night. I can't WAIT!! Just saying hi, Miranda! We share the same wedding date! Congrats and have fun!!!

On Valentine's Day my FI and I were at my place getting ready to go out. We had dinner reservations at a fabulous restaurant. I was rushing around, trying to get my hair and make-up finished when he interrupted me. I was distracted when he said he wanted to give me a Valentine's Day card. He'd sent roses to my office the day before, but didn't have a card for me. I teasingly fussed him out about it and told him he had to make me one, just like my two small daughters always do. I paused and he handed me a handwritten card that was intricately folded. On the outside it said, "Happy Valentine's Day!" Unfolding it to the middle it read, "I LOVE YOU!" I was chuckling by this time. Then I unfolded the card all the way and was stunned to see, "Will you marry me?" on the inside. He dropped to one knee, pulled out a ring, and said, "I'm not kidding, you know. We will be very happy!" For once in my life, I was to shocked to say a word. Then I started laughing and crying at the same time. I was completely taken by surprise! We kissed and hugged, then I went to finish getting ready to go. A moment later, he popped his head around the corner and said, "That is a yes, isn't it?" All I could do was nod. Ironically, on the previous year's Valentine's Day, I was dating someone else. He sent me roses to my office, too, along with a card stating the "four top reasons he loved me." It was very sweet. That night, while I had his gift in my hands, happily anticipating the evening, my ex flat out dumped me. I was stunned that night, too, and felt like my whole world had shattered. I was bereft for months. Now, I realize what a mistake it would have been to marry my ex, and that God planned something MUCH better for my life. Once again, Valentine's Day is a cause for celebration and my greatest joy!!! A pic of Tom and I at dinner after he proposed. BEST VALENTINE'S DAY EVER!

After a brief stint on Match, I convinced my friend, Trish, to put out a profile online. She signed up for eHarmony. She nearly immediately met her fiance, Jonathan, on the site. They are getting married in August and have been perfect since night 1, too! She credits me with her happiness!

My FH and I met on MySpace. I logged on one day to find a friend request from an Alabama fan in Tuscaloosa named, "Tom S" (not to be confused with Tom Anderson, founder of the site). Intrigued, I read his profile. His "About Me" section was so humorous I simply had to add him to my friends list. During the next several weeks, he occasionally sent me a message, just enough to remind me he existed. Amused, I finally "double dog dared" him to ask me out. We met for the first time at a restaurant in Birmingham, where we laughed our way through the meal like the partners in crime we've quickly become. We went on three dates that first week, and we've been together ever since. We drive between Tuscaloosa and Birmingham so often, State officials renamed a stretch of interstate near the Mercedes plant, "The Sims-Busby Superhighway." We're really only getting married to save on gas. However, since we met online and everyone kept asking us about it, we finally concocted a humorous story about meeting on an expedition up Mt. Everest. Here it is (for anyone interested), written by Tom. The funny part is that some people believed it. hahaha It was the Fall of last year and I was on a hiking expedition on the Indian-Tibetan border near Mount Everest. Those of you who know me, realize that I am not, by far, an experienced climber. However, I wanted to see Mount Everest even if I wasn't going to climb it. After a few days with the locals, I was convinced that with the right expedition group, I could climb to one of the lesser peaks on Everest. So one cold, Friday morning, myself, my Sherpa, and an 8 member climbing group set off up the mountain. Even though it was late September, the frigid air and my numbing feet were almost unbearable. Our Sherpa, Pasang, was from a small region called Terai just south of Nepal. What he lacked in size was made up for by his increasing age (lol). Well, to make a long story short, Pasang took ill late that afternoon. After struggling with the elements and his age, sadly he died early that evening right on the side of the mountain. Much of our climbing party were locals and held no personal regard for the transportation of Pasang's body to the base of the mountain. The consensus was to continue climbing and mark the location for others to find. I could not, in good conscience, allow that to happen. So, while the remaining members headed up the peak, I strapped Pasang's body into a makeshift sled and drug him back down the mountain. When I reached the bottom, it just so happened that Deb was beginning her own climb with another group and Sherpa. Her Sherpa, Durga, invited me along with their group, which I accepted. Deb was excited to have someone else along who was also from Alabama (what a coincidence!) but I could tell she was much more into the younger Tibetan guys. Anyway, after our trek up and down the peak, I asked her to dinner and her response was, "I guess I could go on one date with you because you did carry down a dead Sherpa." The rest is history.

We almost went with Leslie of Perfect Weddings of St. Thomas. She seemed energetic and professional. However, she was several hundred dollars more for essentially the same wedding as Island Bliss'. Plus, I've read so many reviews of how great a minister Janelle's husband, Stuart, is when performing the ceremony. I know we'll both be nervous, so it would be great to relax with the minister. Last night we picked out Tom's wedding band. We're coming down to the wire now! lol

Thanks for the warm welcome, everyone! We have so much to do before our wedding, and to get ready for our stateside reception on June 6th, that I'm pretty overwhelmed. lol If you used Janelle for your wedding, I would love a PM with your experience. Any tips you can give me? I am nervous. ))

Quote: Originally Posted by Prettyhazardous Congrats Deb I cant wait til you get back. I too and getting married on Lindquist Beach with Janelle Scott. I'll have so many questions for you. I'd love to see ur pics. I will be happy to let you know my experience and send photos. We have Blue Glass doing our photography. I love their pix.

We're getting married on St. Thomas, too! 1. Deb (and Tom) 2. Birmingham & Tuscaloosa, AL (Tuscaloosa after the wedding) 3. Where are you getting married in St Thomas: Lindquist Beach 4. When are you getting married: May 12, 2009 (yep, we're close!) 5. who is you WC: Janelle of Island Bliss weddings I look forward to chatting with you guys and learning some tips. We're "eloping" and having a tropical themed-party 3 weeks after we get home. We're sooooooo excited! Good luck to everyone!

Hi all, My name is Deb and my fiance is Tom. We're located in Birmingham (& Tuscaloosa), Alabama. We're getting married next month (May 12th) on St. Thomas. Though we're cruising there, we're using Janelle Scott of Island Bliss weddings as our coordinator. Cheers, Deb