classadiva

Hi Ladies, Â I need to find vendors that do photo collage thank you cards. Does anyone know of any that are decently priced and do good work? Also...what about the simply photo thank you cards...where can I get those? Thanks.

Hey Sheree....yes it was everything that I hoped for and THEN some!!! I also am still a little fixated on the wedding but unlike you...I'm already back at work!! LOL I am waiting for my pro-pics and we are having a mini and oh so casual AHR in my FI's mother's backyard in two weeks....let me tell you...I do not feel like planning ANYTHING!!! LOL Â I too don't quite know what to do about thank you cards...I want a photo collage thank you card I think. Â I also like some of the new features....I love the updates...I like that I can go straight to a thread I previously wrote on. How was everyone elses' wedding? Â

Just wanted to say congrats!!! I have heard some very good things about the RIU in the Bahamas!!!

Hi, Â Just thought that I would post a few pics (not professional) from our wedding at the Atlantis. I did a few pictures that I thought were representative of the experience. I got married on West Beach and had our cocktail/reception at the Royal Overlook. The link is below...the password is "wedding" and it is case sensitive: Â http://s876.photobucket.com/albums/ab322/classadiva/Mini%20Wedding%20Album/?albumview=slideshow&track=share_email_album_view_click Â

Hi Slm, Â I did wind up using the Mandera Spa and I have to say, I really did like the hair and make-up service that I received. They have moved and updated their spa and all I can say is that it is FABULOUS!!! I did not take the Bridal package, but I paid seperately for hair and make-up. They did try to pull a fast one in that I also had my flower girl's hair done and off-handedly they asked me if they could have permission to flat iron her hair..I thought it was odd that they asked if they could have permission...I did not care so I said yes. Well..when I got the bill, they tried to charge me an extra I think $50 just to use the flat iron...I said...I DON'T THINK so!!! Had I known that there was a charge...I would have said...no!!! Anyway...they took the charge off immediately with no problem. I thought that this was a little nervy on their part...it only made the technician's job easier...not mine!! LOL Â As for the DJ..I used one that was recommended by Rev. Sweeting. There was another one recommended by Rev. Sweeting..I think his name was Agabe that Mike...screen-name MD2002 on here said was great. I contacted him but he was busy the day of my wedding. I then contacted the next DJ on the Rev.'s list and he was very good...we gave him a play list so he did not have that much room to experiment...and the price was right...$150 an hour as opposed to the $450 an hour the Atlantis charges for a DJ. I would say if you give him a ply list..you will be fine. He was very nice and also did the audio for our wedding since we had a larger group (cheaper than the Rev's prices for audio) PM for the info if you want it. Just keep in mind that if you get your own music vendors, you have to pay ampage fees to the Atlantis...I think I paid just over $200 for 3 hours for the DJ. Â You will love Rev. Sweeting...I can't imagine a better pastor...I can't tell you how many people told us that ours was by far the best wedding ceremony that they had ever witnessed. He is just a professional. He has scripts for vows, ring exchanges, sand ceremony...and even when we told him that we were going to "jump the broom"...he had a script for that too and actually told us how it is done!! Â I am going to post a few pics now on this board from the wedding so that you can get a flavor of what it may look like... Â BTW..the cake was good...very moist...I had one tier of raspberry filled yellow cake and two of devils food/raspberry...the yellow/raspberry was AMAZING!!! Â Also...as an aside...I don't think I've ever mentioned this...I had my Welcome dinner across the Atlantis Marina at the Club Land Or' timeshare. I may have been the first that they have done. The timeshare itself is not great...but they are right on the water..overlooking the Atlantis property. They refused to sell to the Atlantis and so the Atlantis built around them...they arre sitting on prime real estate!! In fact...you have to walk past their property to get to the Atlantis timeshare!! I was supposed to have it outside on the lawn overlooking the water but they moved it inside....which turned out to be very nice too. I had a DJ and a full open 3-hour bar as well as decoration included for a little over $50 per adult and much less per kid. When I added up the costs of an welcome dinner at the Atlantis with drinks or off of the premises which would have required me to pay for transportation...this was a great bargain and it set the weekend off really, really nicely.

Thanks...will wait to see the video before recommending!!

Hi, So excited for you!!! You are going to be real happy with your wedding. Hopefully your coordinator is more responsive as time goes by. What you might try to do is buying one of those international calling cards for like $5 or $10 and calling her yourself. That is what I often did when I needed to reach vendors in the Bahamas or my coordinator. The first meal on a boat sounds wonderful!! I have heard that Full House Floral was pretty reasonable. As for my welcome bags....I had gone to the Bahamas in January for a site visit and had purchased bookmarks and keychains while there that said "Bahamas" on them in bulk to put in every bag. I wound up paying like $1 for each key chain and about $1.50 or so for each bookmark but I needed over 50. We also placed a deck of cards that had a sticker on the plastic cover with our names on it. For the women...they got pashminas and nail file kits...the men were given khaki floppy hats....I was lucky enough to have a friend that gave me a TON of toiletries and other items for both men and women such as toothpaste, sanitary napkins, tampons, deodarant, Tide to Go, shampoo, etc which I placed in their own bags within the bags. I purchased seperate items for the kids such as goggles and cutsey items. The one thing that I wanted to buy but ran out of time for were Sudoko/Crossword books. I TRIED not to buy too many heavy items. As for the cake...you must buy it from the Atlantis...I paid $19 per person !!! There are however less expensive options. Let me know if you have any other questions!!!

OMG...I wrote this post almost a year ago!!! It was right after we became engaged and now we are married!!! My best advice...do what YOU want to do. Period. End of story. Bottom line... Everything worked out in the end. The people that wanted to be there...were there. Some could not afford it and they did not make it. I also learned that I was not as close to some people as I thought I was...which was a lesson that I am so happy to have learned now before I invested anymore time and energy in some people. We had 54 people in the Bahamas with us and everything was just perfect. I can't tell you how many times my now husband and I have said that we are soooooo glad that we followed our heart. People LOVED our wedding and at the end of the day, all that we tried to do was to create an beautiful and amazing lasting memory for not only ourselves but our families and friends and if there is anyone out there that is unable to understand...then so be it!!! Happy planning girls and do NOT let anyone rain on your parade!!

I second the RK Bridal recommendation...that is where I purchased my dress from...HUGE selection at cheap prices.

If you are in NYC...try RK Bridal...THE best selection of reasonably priced dresses at low prices...much better than David's Bridal and a HUGE selection. I got my dress from there....

First of all..Congrats!!! We just got married in the Bahamas a few weeks ago. What we did was go to the Justice of the Peace here at home a week before and keep it a secret. Our witnesses were friends whom were not coming with us to the wedding and whom did not know any of our other friends to spill the beans. I think you might want to keep it a secret if you can...but you are talking about waiting nearly a year...that is a long time. Our rationale was that we wanted our guests to be fully in the moment. We only told a handful of people when we got back home...I'm glad that we kept it a secret.

Hi, Yes...I went there during one of their sample sales. I did not find my dress there but even for a sample sale, they treated us very lovely. I got to see Randy and a few others while there. Since you are flying into NY...you might want to check out and make an appointment for Pronovias too...I have heard great things about them...also...many former Kleinfeld associates and managers are now there. Have fun!!

I got mine from Overstock.com but the engraving did not come out well at all...no matter how hard you press...it is very light.

Hi ladies, Just thought that I would report back..we really loved these suits. Just know that they have what some would say is a European fit..very fitted in the waist area. I think most of the men had to have their pants hemmed...custom or ready made...no big deal though. Also, due to colors being unavailable, the men had three different colors!!! My groom...on your far left.. wore Rome Beige, the two in the meddle..Greek Beige and the one on the end...one of the Linen's...they all looked very close in color so not to worry if you have to order in more than one color. Here is a pic:

I have the same question....I am FUMING right now..I have a photographer that promised the pics within a certain time period and now all of a sudden can't deliver them and is unwilling to give even an estimated date. I went with her because she had a free contest here and her work looked good. I did not win the contest but hired her for myself anyway. To say that I am not happy right now would be an understatement!!

Quote: Originally Posted by taryn11-5-11 Congrats!!! How did everything go? Were you happy with everything? I would love to see pictures or hear your review about all the vendors! Was it much, much cheaper to do a la carte? I am so happy to have found an Atlantis bride to get some tips from! Everything went great!!! I have to say, the Atlantis shocked me with respect to just how much their wedding coordinator handles things. Mine was absolutely amazing. Everyone treated us like royalty. They really made us feel special and for that...I am extremely grateful. On the other hand, the sales director with whom we made our contract left a bad taste in our mouth and frankly...if I were not someone whom just LOVES the Atlantis...I would have walked away. Alphanique was my second coordinator but I can also say that my first coordinator was also fabulous. I hope the Atlantis appreciates them. They are as good as any wedding coordinator that you would pay for out of pocket IMHO. As for the vendors being much cheaper...yes...but it can be hit or miss. For instance...my Dj was only $150 per hour whereas the Atlantis charges $450 per hour. He was very good and a great savings. On the other hand, my steel pan band drummer was aweful. Had I known, I would have gladly paid the Atlantis their price which was double. Know that they charge ampage fees for the use of electricty if you do not use their vendor. Mine were just over $200 but sooo worth it. I was able to get an AMAZING viodeographer rate because I basically said that I was not going to spend thousands of dollars and cut out the videography as we were getting dressed, but he was there from the wedding ceremony until the end of the reception. I figure I saved at least $1,500-$2,000 there. As I have yet to see the finished product, I will wait to recommend them. The only thing that you must get from the Atlantis is the food and cake. The one thing I will tell you to do is to book Mathew Sweeting to officiate your wedding if possible. He is probably the most popular on the Island and with good reason. I can't tell you how many people told us that our ceremony was THE best that they had ever seen. He also runs a wedding related side- business and can give you vendors to contact and such. He can also take care of your wedding license instead of the Atlantis if you want him to. He already has scripts for any ceremony that you can think of on his site as well as sand ceremony scripts. His website is located at: Island Preacha Weddings: Bahamas Wedding Minister | Nassau, The Bahamas When I get myself together, I will definitely post pictures.

Thank you for responding...I think your teaser pics look FABULOUS!!! I hope ours come out as good!!

You look FABULOUS!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by taryn11-5-11 Congrats!!! Hi I am new here and I am also going to be Atlantis bride!! I didn't sign contracts yet but Ive been talking with Melissa, asking her millions of questions since the day I got engaged(May 9) I picked 11-5-11 and will probably sign contracts and make it official this month! Did you pick one of their wedding packages or make your own? I do have a couple questions for you.. How do you plan on getting stuff there?? I want to make welcome bags for guests as well as bring favors, flower girl baskets, pillow, personalized items for reception tables, some of my own decorations etc etc.. Suitcases or ship them? Thanks and congrats again Taryn First of all...Congrats!!! You will feel great once you make it official!! As for the packages...no...I did everything a la carte...but I had 56 guests...including myself and my now husband. I saved by booking my own minister and vendors...skipping the limo pick-up, etc. I enlisted the help of three family members to each carry an additional suitcase full of our OOT bags and items as well as the favors, menus, programs, etc...we also each had to carry an extra bag..it was QUITE the undertaking!! I just did not want to ship them but it would have been a lot easier.

Quote: Originally Posted by md2002 THIS WEEKEND!!! Congrats..... I thought this day would never come Thank you!!! It came...and it was wonderful!!! Will try to post some pics and a review down the road. To the OP..the salon at the Atlantis did both my make-up and hair as well as that of others whom attended...we were very happy with the services.

Hi, I did use one for my wedding...it was 20 x25 with a place for an 8x10 photo. It was very large and I was barely able to pack it in a bag. I didn't want to chance having it as a carry-on as it exceeds the limit in size. As far as wanting an 8x10 frame....I have never seen one of these that small...you need to have space to place the photo and room around it in which your guests can sign it.

Quote: Originally Posted by carolina24 this is a good point!! never thought of it that way..."begging folks". the issue i'm having now is that people from colombia have said theyre coming but have also said they aren't sending back the rsvp cause its a "keepsake"...wtf, really?? i mean i know it's a spanish thing to keep everything, but come on!! AND they aren't booking till the last minute b/c there might be a "great deal". so...today i told both my mom and dad that after the deadline they are responsible for talking to each of their family members and getting a confirmation one way or the other... i think that people dont realize the stress they put on you by simply not filling out a card or sending an email or calling or SOMETHING!!! i don't want to buy extra oot bag goodies and favors, but what if you dont' buy enough?!? then you look like an ungrateful idot when all you needed was a darn RSVP!! ok rant's over i feel better now I think it's perfectly fine to follow-up with folks that have stated an intention to attend....but have yet to book. You kind of have no choice. These are the folks that will drive you CRAZY!! If you don't...they will say...but...I told you I was coming!! As for the OOT bags...it is a real problem. People just do not realize all that goes into the planning. I purchased what I thought I needed and added here and there in the last two weeks. Sheree....same thing happened to me. After my shower, folks that are attending started talking about their excitement about coming...all of a sudden, folks that allegedly absolutely could not attend....started to re-think that plan. Only thing...my RSVP date was a month earlier. Still...like you...I had some leeway so I just smiled politely and told them to let me know within the week. I have one family member that as of last Thursday...SWORE she was coming..only thing...she doesn't have a passport, air tickets or a room...needless to say....she will not be included in the count LOL

Oh yes ladies...it's just terrible. I will say this...the best advice I had on this was in this thread...initially I was going to follow-up with people...then I decided not to. Best decision I ever made. The bottom line is that if someone has not RSVP'd via the website, RSVP card, e-mail or when they have seen you...they have no intentions of coming. What are the chances that they are coming yet have never told you so and are not on your rooming list? Not very high. If they do...good luck with that!! LOL My mother even said that it seems like you are begging folks....I had never thought of it that way. I think that as brides we just want to know and put at least one task behind us. What I have found...and I have NO idea why...people are embarrassed or afraid to simply tell you that they cannot attend your destination wedding. As the date has approached...at least in my case...when those who did not respond one way or the other saw that I was not pressing them or seemingly did not care....they did the right thing and simply said that they could not come. What I have also found is that as the date fast approaches...many now wish that they were going!! It will all work out ladies!!

Damaris...OMG...you are one very sexy lady!!! Your FI is going to go crazy for these pics...I can't decide which one is my fav, but if I had to pick, I think I like the one of you in the black pic the best...wait...I love the first two pics...wait...oh well..I love them all!!

First of all...Congrats!!! There are lost of threads here with good info. Look for threads by and with MD2002...I think he was able to find some new vendors that others had not previously mentioned and used. Also...there is an older thread on the Atlantis and Wedding Planners that I found very helpful to my planning here. I have a few vendors that I am trying out that are reasonably priced...but can't recommend them until I see how things go at my wedding this weekend. I will come back and post if they are any good. Good luck to you!!