Karen&Rene

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 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.

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!

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.

I haven't had my wedding yet, but I do know that they provide white chair covers, white linens, and table runners in a variety of colors (I've seen brown, teal, pink) all included in the price of the premium package. Some girls have brought their own table cloths if they wanted something specific. They also offer chair sashes in a variety of colors at an extra cost. I am all for asking questions on here instead of contacting Kelley, especially after that most recent mass email! Poor girl! Working 114 hours a week is crazy, especially when you have a husband and four year old at home.

Hmm... had trouble attaching it above. Here is the pre-travel document I am using: Before you leave.docx

Some of my guests have had the same concerns, including FMIL. These people are misinformed and easily swayed by media propaganda. While I have not been there recently, I am providing my guests with information about the safety of Puerto Vallarta in my pre-travel guide (attached). I got a lot of the information from this article which explains that traveling to Mexico is safer than traveling to Washington D.C. http://news.travel.aol.com/2010/10/15/how-safe-is-mexico/ Quote: Originally Posted by AliMcBaal Hi Ladies! My LC wedding is just under 7 months away and a lot of my guests are now booking their flights and rooms at the resort. Did any of your guests have concerns about safety in Puerto Vallarta? A few of my relatives and one of my bridesmaids (recently a new mom...she is planning to leave her baby with g-parents in LA) are VERY nervous about the state of Mexico and it's safety. I'm trying to ease peoples minds about it but I'm having a hard time without getting a few opinions from people who were recently down there. Any thoughts on your experience and overall feeling while you were down there would be so very much appreciated. Thanks!

I agree that it's hard for me to tell how close it is to the original... also because they sent two separate photos of the bodice and skirt. But overall, I think it looks gorgeous! I'm impressed by all the detail; it looks really expensive!!

Alright ladies, I received my dress from babyonline! I am very happy with it. Overall, I would recommend this company regardless of the issues I had with them because the quality of the end product is well worth it. From my experience, here is a list of the positives and negatives of working with this company: Positives Good quality overall: It is fully lined, the bodice has boning and cups built in for support, and it has a layer of crinoline as requested. Accurate replication: I ordered a custom dress and I would say it's about 90-95% accurate. Price: It only cost $150 shipped. Near perfect fit: The dress is only an inch or two too long. Fits perfectly everywhere else. Shipping time: It shipped on February 24th and I received it February 28th. Follow-through on requests: I asked for photos to be sent before the dress was shipped and they complied. Negatives Communication: While the communication in the beginning was excellent, it deteriorated over time. Sure, they had the holiday and all, but I was told my dress shipped when it hadn't, they thought I had ordered two dresses at one point instead of one, I received incorrect tracking numbers, etc. Production time: I was told the dress would take 10 business days when I ordered it on January 6th. I was promised several different deadlines along the way, but in the end it didn't get shipped until February 24th. I know some people may think this is excusable due to the holiday, but if they knew a holiday was coming up, then they shouldn't have promised ten days. Maybe if you order a dress now it would take 10 days, but I can only speak for my experience. Minor issues with dress: they did not accurately place the flowers, it's more A-line than the original dress, you can see some of the stitches where the outer skirt is attached to the lining, the flowers are glued on instead of sewn on, and there are a couple dirt spots (not noticeable in photos). Here is the final product:

Ok ladies, for all of you waiting on your dresses from babyonline, here is some reassurance! I received photos of my dress today and confirmation that it has been shipped. I think it looks pretty close, with the exception of the three flowers instead of one. They said the other flowers should be easy enough to remove, so we'll see. I'll post more pictures and a review of my overall experience with them once I receive the dress. My real dress dress from babyonline

I have an order pending with babyonline right now too, and I've been having similar communication issues. I got an email from dhgate saying that my dress had shipped, but when I tried to confirm with the rep, they said it had not shipped. The next day they gave me a tracking number, but when I looked it up, I saw that the package was heading to the wrong city. When I questioned them about it, they said they had made a mistake, my dress actually had NOT shipped, lol. They said they had two customers named Karen in the U.S. and they had given me the wrong tracking number. Now I have to wait until Feb. 18th when they get back from the holiday for them to finish my dress (I ordered at the beginning of January and was quoted 10 business days). I'm still hoping that it will all work out, but it's pretty clear that they are very disorganized... not sure if it's just due to the holiday or not. I would recommend waiting until the 18th, asking them to double check all of the information they gave you, and if they still insist that it has shipped, I would open a dispute with dhgate and request a refund.

For those that couldn't find them at Target, you can get them online here for $.99 each. Shipping is reasonable too... I paid less than $5. http://www.facevaluesonline.com/071661012022.html

Also, I'm in the process of booking my second session with Serenity (I'm doing an album this time as the wedding gift for my FI), and they directed me to their new website which has all the costs listed out. http://serenitygallery.net/packages-price-points-for-every-budget/

That bride was from Canada, so I'm not sure how your comments about the U.S. economy apply here, lol

I agree. My cousins work there so I have stopped by there whenever I was in Maui. Last time we were there we saw Hulk Hogan, lol. Make sure you do the road to Lahaina when you're in Maui!

I got mine from sendaframe.com. Came out to $31-32 including shipping. This was the only place I could still find the espresso one since it was out of stock at amazon and linens n things. http://www.sendaframe.com/Umbra-316194-213-ETHER-med-espresso-Picture-Frame/k=t/new_fgallery/items/4256.shtml?a=frame&f=028295057004&keywords=umbra+ether&items_per_pg=24

It's normal to have a few doubts after purchasing the dress, but you have nothing to worry about. I think you look stunning! I wish I had the curves to rock a dress with this silhouette.

I'm hesitant to recommend babyonline since I haven't gotten my dress from them yet, but I sent them photos with markings all over them indicating what details were important to me to include in the dress, and they were fine with it. They even asked for specific measurements such as "how far down should the back of the dress start?" I should be receiving my photos from them in less than a week, and then I'll post them on here. I think you have to start a dispute first.

And they have super fast shipping. Just received mine today... they're gorgeous!

Good to know; I was worried about this too! Only 78 days until I'll be married at Las Caletas!! Woo-hoo! Is this about the time I should be contacting Kelley to work out the details??

Love the ceremony and TTD photos! You looked gorgeous... you could be a model!

Very pretty! You could try a band on each side of the E-ring so that it's symmetrical. I have a double banded E-ring and it looked nice with a wedding band on each side... I ended up going with a single band, but it still looks fine imo because of the negative space in the E-ring itself.

Here's our wedding rings! Couldn't resist trying on the wedding bands at home...