teshy1

If the idea of doing electronic STD/invites is true to who you are, then I would say go for it, but I would still keep in mind those few people that don't have the technology or are "old school". Maybe you can make some invitations for those folks using eco-friendly materials? Â Also, we did paperless RSVPs (had people either phone or e-mail) and that worked well. I know I've completely forgotten to mail RSVPs to other people's weddings, and I would've loved an e-mail option! Our families and friends were very supportive of the paperless RSVP idea....

I really like Susie's idea about putting a little note in your X-mas cards about the upcoming reception. Then you can send out reception invites 2 months ahead of the reception date. Â We had a similar situation -- DW in February and 2 AHRs in June and July. On our wedding invitations, we said something like, "for those who are unable to travel with us to Mexico, we will be holding informal celebrations in Alberta and Michigan this summer." That seemed to work well, because then people didn't feel obligated to try to make it to the DW and also felt that they were being included. We had great turnouts at both AHRs. Â

I really love Dress #2 on you -- it really shows off your figure. In the end, go with what makes you feel most beautiful!

I hear you, Brooke -- I've been busy too between work, getting ready for baby, and trying to still enjoy regular hobbies/activities before my life becomes all feedings and diapers... Hubby can feel the baby move now, and he gets such a smile on his face when he can feel it! It's encouraging to me that baby has been very active, but I would expect no less from the offspring of a guy who can't sit still for more than 5 minutes! Â Hope everyone is doing well. Can't believe fall is pretty much here. Time sure flies!

Brooke -- glad to hear little Jameson is active. Our little one is pretty active, too, although my hubby can't yet feel the movement, just me (I'm almost 20 weeks). When we went to our ultrasound last week and I got the pictures, I took one look and said, "I love you so much already, baby, and I haven't even met you yet!" I can't wait until that day! Hope everyone is having a good summer. It's hard to believe it's been over 5 months since we all got married! My next task is to complete our wedding scrapbook. I'm hoping to have it done before baby arrives, 'cause then I'll be working on that scrapbook. Happy Friday!

Congrats on your new job, Susie! Best wishes in your new endeavour... I'm so looking forward to the long weekend here in Canada. Hubby and I are going backpacking with a friend. I guess I'll get to see how much this pregnancy has affected my stamina! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Thanks, Sabrina! How have you been doing? How many weeks along are you now?

It's gonna take some getting used to this "new" BDW! Went for our ultrasound yesterday (I'm 19 weeks) and everything looks great. I think it reassured my hubby a bit to see baby on the screen and hear from the technician that everything looked good. I may be a bit biased, but I think our baby is so cute! We stood firm with our decision NOT to find out the sex of the baby, so we're still calling it "baby"...

Krista -- your pictures are awesome and you two look SO happy! Congrats again!!! Susie -- ack! It's neverending drama at your place, hey? Somehow you manage to keep yourself in check. I think I would've lost it a long time ago! Ladies, I love all your stories of how you met your hubby. It's neat to see how everyone's story is different.

We did the legal stuff in Alberta one month before our Mexico wedding. We didn't keep it a secret from the wedding guests, and they all completely understood our reasoning for doing the legal paperwork in Canada. We did say vows and do the kiss and all that at the legal ceremony, and we had as our marriage officiant a former city councillor that my hubby's parents knew, so it was kind of nice. The way I see it, a "symbolic" ceremony is just that -- a symbol of your love for and commitment to each other. That was our wedding day, for sure -- the day we stood up in front of our family and friends and pledged our lives to each other. If we hadn't considered it our "real" wedding, than why would we have put so much effort and thought into planning it? There will always be people that complain, no matter what you decide. I'm so glad we decided to do the legal paperwork in Canada. It really reduced the stress and hassle, and it in no way took away from our special day in Mexico.

Yay, Krista! Congratulations on becoming a Mrs.! Glad you're wedding day went so well; it sounds perfect. You'll have to catch us all up when you get a chance, including posting pics.

At 2 years out, I think you can definitely start planning. Just think, you have lots of extra time to thoroughly research resorts, take your time picking a dress, and generally having fun creating your DW. Congrats on your engagement!

That's a tough one. With only 3 days in Mexico, I understand your reservations on the guys' only outing. Is it possible for them to do a 1/2 day outing the day before the wedding, and you can hang out with the girls, doing something that YOU want to do, not the "girly spa" stuff that isn't you? I do also like your suggestion of your guy having a guys' thing back in his hometown, but maybe he's pictured a guys' outing in Mexico ever since you started planning your DW?

Quote: Originally Posted by SDSteph I told my FMIL yesterday that I wasn't going to wear anything under my dress and she almost has heart attack Hahahahaha! Was this a revenge thing, or just an innocent joke?

I think the kind of undergarments you go with totally depends on the type of dress you have and your body shape. I had a chiffon dress, so I went with seamless, flesh-toned panties. I had a tank-style, low-V neck bodice, so I went without a bra. The lining/boning in the bodice was plenty for my small chest. I was lucky I could get away with so little in the way of undergarments, since it was quite warm during the ceremony/pictures!

Matt -- your photos of the cenote wedding were absolutely stunning. That is by far one of the coolest ceremonies I've seen photographed!

Good for you for getting out of that toxic work environment! I hope that things work out for you. Do you have people that will act as references for you and can vouch for your awesome work as a hygienist? Best of luck!

I think it's easy for those looking in from the outside to say it's no big deal and won't take away from your big day, but in all honesty, if I was in your position, I think I'd be a bit annoyed. Also, even though this couple is on a vacation, it's still also for your DW. If I were the one getting engaged, I don't think I'd want my engagement to be tied into someone else's DW. Just my thoughts.

Have you tried taking a bath with colloidal oatmeal like Aveeno? It can help reduce irritation and itching. Also, I read that you can sprinkle cornstarch in your sheets to reduce chafing at night. A bit messy, since you'll have to wash the sheets the next day, but if it helps, it would be worth it!

I'm 5'3" and went with a simple chiffon a-line gown from Exclusive by Allure. This designer does not have petite sizes, so I had to order a regular length gown. The seamstress did an awesome job on alterations, and even though I had to have quite a bit hemmed, it did not negatively affect the appearance of the dress. You may want to consider how hemming a dress would affect it's shape and effect; for example, if there is beading that extends past the waistline down onto the skirt, it may look odd if quite of bit of the skirt is hemmed. Happy dress shopping!

I would do some research before making a decision. After all, these are your wedding photos and they will be capturing one of the most important days of your life, if not THE most important! I researched many photographers and decided on Claudia Rodriguez. She was excellent from the start, communicating well and reassuring me about the big day. She and her assistant were an absolute pleasure to work with, and the photos turned out amazing. She made good on her word to have the photos and CDs to me within 6 weeks of our wedding. I found her prices to be reasonable, yet she still had top-notch work. I would recommend Claudia in a heartbeat. Best of luck and hope all turns out well!

Bottom line -- the people that truly want to be there for your big day will find a way to do so. If people really can't make it, "I'm sorry, we'd love to be there, but we just won't be able to make it" should suffice. I don't need to know the exact reason! When a guest complains about the cost, it's just like saying to you, "You're so selfish!" I agree with miss delerium -- it's not just $1600 for a wedding, it's for a week's vacation somewhere sunny and warm. That's exactly how our guests treated it. They planned it as their 2010 warm-weather vacay. Or, as my Mom put it, "It was a vacation that happened to have a wedding in the middle of it". Exactly!

I brought one with me that I received for free from the bridal salon when I ordered my wedding dress. When I tried it on before we left for our DW, it felt too tight and uncomfortable, plus it was really itchy! Granted, it was probably a cheap garter. We didn't plan to do any of the traditional stuff like bouquet toss or garter toss, anyway. So, no garter for me!

This has to be really frustrating and disheartening for you. Stick to your guns. It's true -- this is your wedding, not hers. It sounds like this is all part of your FMIL's personality. Like you said, you and your fiance have had to ask her to butt out of other areas in your lives, too. Some people are just meddlesome people, and you can't really change that about her. You don't get to pick your family (or in-laws), unfortunately! Stay strong and best of luck!

I understand both points of view on this one. My husband and I decided to do the legal paperwork in Canada beforehand, with a symbolic ceremony in Mexico. We treated the legal day as just paperwork, though we did do the ceremony at his parents' place and also had his sister and brother there. When we were making our decision on whether to have a legal or symbolic ceremony in Mexico, the main deciding factors for us were money and less stress. It really bothered us how much extra money it would've cost to do do a legal ceremony in Mexico, plus the idea of blood tests was not too thrilling! Also, we wanted our special day to be low-stress, and didn't want to have to worry about having all the right paperwork in order for our marriage to be truly legal. After all, who cares about being legally married in Mexico -- we just want to be legally married in Canada. In the end, neither of us felt like the legal ceremony we had in Canada before we left took anything away from our symbolic ceremony in Mexico. All of our friends and family were what made our day in Mexico the "true" wedding day, and everyone was very understanding about the legal stuff (we didn't keep it a secret).