Karen&Rene

We use Hyland's teething tablets, ice cubes in those netting things, but the thing that works the best is that toothbrush that was already mentioned. My baby is super picky... She refuses bottles, pacifiers, and most teethers, but she LOVES that toothbrush! She'll chew on it for 10-15 minutes at a time.

Citrus Lane is a monthly subscription service that sends you boxes of goodies tailored to your little one (up to age 3). I am a stay at home mom, and I'll admit I get excited when the box arrives each month. Each box has a theme such as "back to school" or "fun with food" and the products are recommended by other moms. My November box included: - 2 fish castanets by Plan Toys - 1 plum organics stage 2 food - bowl set by Green Eats - food storage container by Goodbyn - trial size organic moisturizer by Juice (for moms). They usually include a little bonus for moms! Overall, I have been happy with the boxes and just renewed my six month subscription. You let them know the age and gender of your child and they send appropriate items. I put 12 months for my baby instead of 9 months since I'd rather receive products my baby can grow into. The only somewhat annoying thing is that they will auto renew your subscription if you don't cancel (like a proactiv infomercial!) so I just mark in my calendar when I need to decide whether I want to keep it or cancel. They have a great deal going on for cyber Monday. Use code GET3 for 3 months for $65 (usually $75) or GET6 for 6 months for $99 (usually $125). You need to type it in all caps. Or after cyber Monday use SUMMERFUN for 10% off. You can use my referral link if you like http://www.citruslane.com/invitedby/Karen.Gonzalez

Yes, the smaller fans are still available. 

Update:  The 20 large fans and 14 survival kits have been SOLD.  The 16 smaller fans are still available.  Thanks!

Thanks!!  I sent Kelley a photo of what I had in mind for the chuppah, and she supplied everything.

Originally Posted by adevnturelovers 

Karen can I just say your dress is stunning, love it!! btw I love the sheet you used over gazebo, did kelley supply it or did you bring it in?

Thanks ladies
 

Originally Posted by choeft201 

You look great..and the pictures are beautiful

 

Originally Posted by kya101 

Wow!!! Very beautiful Karen!!!!

Originally Posted by lesley_mexico_bride 

Thanks Karen! Congrats! You and Las Caletas look gorgeous! OMG I can't wait!!

Originally Posted by hulagirl132 

Karen,

 

Thank you so much for coming back to the forum, so soon after your wedding. We reallyy appreciate all the pictures you've posted. Thanks.

 

Love the set-up and you look beautiful in your wedding dress.
 

 

Back from the honeymoon and time to sell some left-over wedding items!  I am selling all of these items for half of what I paid for them (and that's before shipping & handling!!) so someone will get some great deals!  I have the following for sale:

- 20 raffia fans that measure between 8 and 10 inches (from top to bottom)  See the posted photo to see the variance in size.  For my purposes, these were large enough to use as program fans.  Cost: $10 plus shipping

- 16 raffia fans that measure between 5.5 and 8 inches (from top to bottom)  See the posted photo to see the variance in size.  In my experience, these were NOT large enough to use as program fans, but still work perfectly well just as fans.  The smallest ones would be cute to give to children.  Cost: $8 plus shipping

- 14 wedding weekend survival kits that contain the following items: johnson & johnson travel size first aid kit, island margarita pocketbac hand sanitizer from bath & body works, pocket size tissues, nail file, spearmint gum, SPF 30 chapstick, 2 propel packets, 2 imodium packets (2 pills in each packet, expiration 06/13), 2 ibuprofen packets (2 pills in each packet, some are motrin IB brand, some are advil brand, expiration 06/13 or 03/12) 2 motion sickness packets (2 pills in each packet, expiration 2/12), and travel size Mary Kay satinhands hand cream (.75 oz).  As a bonus, 4 of the survival kits also contain a travel size fruit of the earth aloe vera gel (4 oz).  Each kit comes in a quart sized, clear plastic bag, and one will have the label I used for my own kits just in case you want to copy it I would like to sell all 14 kits together.  Cost $70 plus shipping

PM with any questions or to express interest.  Due to several people committing to items on previous sales and then not following through with payment, I will consider items sold once payment has been received.  I accept paypal.  Thanks!!

And some photos are up on Michelle Turner's blog!  I'm so happy with how they turned out!  Michelle is amazing and I definitely recommend her!!!!  Check 'em out!

http://michelleturnerphotography.net/

Reception layout: bonfire to the right, dance floor to the left.  In the back are chairs where people sat to view the slideshow.

Fire dancers... they were awesome!!!

Cake cutting

First dance (right after we watched the slideshow on the projector in the background)

We had a combined father-daughter, mother-son dance

Table decor detail

Close-up of beta fish in the centerpiece

Dinner and speeches

Taking photos

Dinner area and entrance

Table decor

Different angle of the ceremony site

This photo gives you a good idea of the entire space: ceremony to the right, dinner up to the left, guests were signing the guest book in the back

Wedding Ceremony

Signing the guest book

The men get ready in that area above the dinner room

Ceremony site

Guests arriving at Las Caletas

Walking to the Ceremony Site

Detail photo of walking to the site

View from the boat

Arriving at Las Caletas

Docking at the pier

Hi ladies,

Just got back from my wedding at Las Caletas!  Like everyone else had said, it surpasses your expectations and none of the photos can do justice to how beautiful it was!  And of course, Kelley was AMAZING!  I will post a full review later, but here are some photos that my brother-in-law took that pretty much document the whole experience from the guests' perspective:

walking to the boat

Getting drinks on the boat

Sitting on the boat

Unity Sand & Pronouncement

(Bride) and (Groom) today you join your separate lives together.

The two separate cups of sand in front of us symbolize your separate lives, separate families and separate sets of friends. They represent all that you are and all that you’ll ever be as an individual.

But they also represent your lives before today. As these two containers of sand are poured into the third container, the individual containers of sand will no longer exist, but will be joined together as one. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so will your marriage be.

Signing of the Ceremonial Certificate…

Ladies and Gentlemen, (Bride) and (Groom) have demonstrated in your presence today, their belief in their love, and their desire to live together in Holy Matrimony. If you also believe in their love, and wish to add your blessing on their marriage today, please respond now by saying……………WE DO

And are you all willing to sustain and strengthen this marriage, by giving  (Bride) and (Groom) the public commitment of your love and support, through all the ups and downs ahead of them…If you are willing, please say……….WE ARE

Final words from an Apache Prayer…

Now you will feel no rain,
for each of you will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there will be no loneliness,
for each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two persons,
but there are three lives before you: his life, her life and your life together.
Go now to your dwelling place to enter into your days together.
And may all your days be good and long upon the Earth.

                                    Pronouncement

Now that you have joined yourselves in matrimony, may you strive always to meet this commitment, with the same spirit you now are now shining.

We all bear witness to this ceremony, and this bond that has been formed today can be broken by none.

From the City of Puerto Vallarta to Las Caletas Mexico, it is my honour as your Officiant today, to now declare you both Husband and Wife.

Ladies and Gentlemen family and friends, Mr. And Mrs. (Last Name)

(Groom), you may kiss your Bride.

Congratulations....     

Sample Ceremony_.docx

Hand Blessing

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and vibrant with love, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as he promises to passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.

These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future, as you laugh and cry, as you share your innermost secrets and dreams.

These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes: tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

These are the hands that will comfort you in illness, and hold you when fear or grief engulfs your heart.

These are the hands that when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch. 

And (Groom), take a good long look at the position of your hands, because this is the last time you will ever have............the upper hand...

(Groom) please hold (Bride)´s hands palms up, so you may see the gift that they are to you.

These are the hands of your best friend, smooth, young and carefree, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as she promises to passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.

These are the hands that will massage tension from your neck and back in the evenings after you’ve both had a long hard day.

These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times.

These are the hands that will comfort you when you are sick, or console you when you are grieving.

These are the hands that will give you support as she encourages you to chase down your dreams.

These are the hands that when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

Together as a team, everything you wish for can be realized.

Exchange of Rings

The wedding ring, traditionally, is a symbol of the unbroken circle of love as it has neither a beginning nor an end. It should always remind those who wear it of the sacredness of marriage and the love that feeds it.

(Bride) and (Groom), your rings are intimately associated with your intent to honor and treasure the vows you have made today.  By exchanging rings you resolve to live your vows, and not let them drift into shallow promises. 

Believe and trust that the words you have spoken have the capacity to create the marriage, family and life of your dreams, and the rings you do exchange will have the power to return you to your vows. 

Now, these rings mark the beginning of a long journey together, wear them proudly, for these are symbols that speak of love you both have for each other.

(Groom) as you place this ring on (Bride)´s finger, please repeat after me…

(Bride), I give you this ring, as a sign of our marriage, and a lasting reminder, of the vows made between us today.  I give you this ring, as a reminder that I will love, honor, and cherish you, in all times, in all places, and in all ways, forever.

(Bride), if you accept please say I do…

(Bride), as you place this ring on (Groom)´s finger, please repeat after me…

(Groom), I to give you this ring, as a sign of our marriage, and a lasting reminder, of the vows made between us today.  I give you this ring, as a reminder that I will love, honor, and cherish you, in all times, in all places, and in all ways, forever.

(Groom), if you accept, please say “I Do

Now (Bride), could you do something for me, could you take (Groom)´s hands and have them facing palms up so you may see the gift they are too you...

Exchange of Vows:

(Bride) and (Groom), would you please face each other and join your hands...

(you may choose to say your own vows, or use the ones below)

(Groom) as I say these words, would you please repeat after me…

(Bride), you are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle.

I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard.

These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life. I am faithfully yours......forever

(Bride) as I say these words, would you please repeat after me…

(Groom), you too are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle.

I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life. I am forever yours……faithfully.

And with these words spoken, (Groom), do you pledge to be true to (Bride), to respect her, and to grow with her through the years. No matter what you may encounter together, do you vow here that this love will be your only love? And will you make your home in her heart from this day forward?  If so, please say I will….

And (Bride), do you pledge to be true to (Groom), to respect him, and to grow with him through the years.  No matter what you may encounter together, do you vow here that this love will be your only love, and will you make your home in his heart from this day forward?  If so, please say I will……

Opening Blessing

Originally Posted by choeft201 

Trying not to bug Kelly...Does anyone have the options of what he can say when he marries you?

We are here today to participate in a most joyous occasion; to celebrate one of the greatest moments in life, by acknowledging the wedding of (Bride) and (Groom).

Today (Bride) and (Groom) you proclaim your love to the world, and our joy and thoughts are with you.

Being that your love as lifelong companions and that you have your families blessings, I now ask, who gives this woman to be married to this man?  Thank you ((Bride), who is giving you away, this goes here…)

                                        Opening Blessing

(Bride), (Groom), I would like to welcome you to Puerto Vallarta and Las Caletas Mexico.  Bienvinidos Ustedes….

Before the Creator, Family and Friends, (Bride) and (Groom) are stating publicly, the feelings, and commitments they have held privately between them.  They are proclaiming their love for, their trust in and their loyalty to the one they cherish above all others.

Marriage has been described as living in love with your best friend. Love is one of the few constants in the universe. It is reality, affinity, and communication.  Only love is capable of joining living beings by their deepest essence, uniting, completing, and fulfilling them.

Marriage is a symbol of the commitment, to create a lifelong partnership, based on love.

This wedding is a celebration of the marriage that has already occurred in your hearts, a marriage that will grow, not without challenge and adversity, but also with patience, love, and the belief, that you have chosen wisely in choosing one another.

Before you are joined in marriage in my presence, I am to remind you of the serious and binding nature of the relationship you are now about to enter.  Are you both here of your own free will? 

(Bride) and (Groom) would you please face each other and join your hands.  

You may choose to have a reading from a friend or family, song or special word added in this area...

We invited 135 and 60 people are coming... so about 45%.  We sent out the STD about a year in advance, sent the formal invite about four months out, and asked that they RSVP three months in advance.  Most people did not RSVP by the deadline... we also had a few people RSVP "no" and then change their minds, lol.  We didn't do a second round of invites.  I would be a little cautious with that because it can be difficult to make sure that the second round folks don't find out that you already sent out a first round.  For example, people commented on my facebook wall that they received the invite.  Maybe instead of doing multiple rounds, you could try to get a rough estimate of who on your original list would be planning on attending by sending out a mass email or something.

Originally Posted by lizajane12 

 

Hi gals,

 

For those of you whose Caletas weddings are in the past, how many of your invited guests attended? We are working on our guest list, and want to invite more than we are planning on attending, but want to make sure that's the way to go. 

Has anyone had every guest show up? About half? Of course it's different for every party, but just trying to get an idea of how you ladies approached this.

 

Also, when did you require that they RSVP by?

Did you ask for a rsvp via the STD?

Did anyone end up sending out a second round of invitations after learning that many of the original invited guests weren't coming?

 

Thanks!

Kelley just wanted to let us know what was going on with her, so that brides whose weddings are months away don't get antsy if she doesn't respond to emails right away.  Basically, she is working very hard, putting in some crazy hours, and yet the organization does not seem to realize how valuable she is!

Originally Posted by SheriB 

 

What is happening with Kelley in regards to the email?  She is an amazing wedding coordinator and really fantastic person - my wedding would not have been the same without her!!

 

We're doing a slideshow at our wedding in two weeks.  Kelley said she prefers it to be on a DVD that will play on Windows Media Player, and the cost to rent the equipment is $75.  Not sure about the music in the background... we're planning on playing music on separate dvds or our iPod.

With regard to packing all our stuff, I've already started and so far I've got two suitcases full!  I've also distributed some items amongst my bridesmaids and mom, lol. 

Originally Posted by jen_matt 

We are almost one month away and I am full speed ahead in figuring everything out.  I have a couple of questions for you Las Caletas ladies so I don't have to bug Kelley.  Did anyone do a slideshow at their wedding?  We wanted to do one at our welcome dinner but the hotel is trying to charge us $700 for just that, which I think is crazy!  So we decided to just do it the night of the wedding.  Has anyone done this?  How did it turn out?  What format does the slideshow need to be in?  Can you put music in the background of the slideshow?  Thanks so much for your help!!

 

Also, how the heck did you ladies get all of the welcome bag crap, placecards, wedding stuff down there?  It seems like so much stuff!