MissNatalie18

I am just completing mine right now - my formate is as follows: Name: xxx Relationship: Natalie and Lauren met in grade six at school and they have been friends every since. They even lived together for a few months in Toronto together. Natalie's fondest memory: Lauren and myself are both huge lovers of food, and when I think of happy times with Lauren it always surrounds us eating! In high school we had an obsession with pickles and olives and then our pallets matured to hummus, tabouli, goat cheese and wine When Whole Foods came to Oakville we would plan our nights around grocery shopping, watching a movie and eating our finger foods on the couch. I think our best purchase from Whole Foods one night was four huge meatballs that we found in the deli section and cooked up for dinner. Did you know: Lauren in currently taking her MBA at the University of Toronto, working as Director of Shared Services at her fathers company and planning a wedding in December. She is one busy girl! My fiance will be doing his friends and his side of the family. We will have pictures attached in a pretty book. I hope this helps some ppl. Natalie

I am fine for Thursday 2 weeks tomorrow and I am outta here eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!

For the invites I just put that our wedding was taking place at the hotel and then I am surprising the majority of my guests once they arrive that it is off-site. I thought it would be nice to do it that way - I really don't think you have to specify that it is at Jellyfish in your invitation because once ppl accept your invite they are going to be in the DR with you no matter what so they won't mind where the wedding is being held and I am sure they would love to be surprised and find out it is off-site. I am letting my group pick their meals off the menu - I gauged it and I am pretty sure I will save money doing this as opposed to having a fixed menu. Natalie

Mel - that is too funny - those were my exact two options lol!!! Any feedback on where to keep money from any of the brides that got married at JF? Also Mel - I am goign to see if I can pay Mayte for the cash portion the first day I arrive just to get the money in her hands instead of mine right away - then spread the rest. Natalie

Just wondering what you are all doing for bringing money down to the DR - we have to pay Mayte cash for the decorations and also I have pastor york and the DR and videographer which all have to be paid cash. needless to say I am going to be brining down a lot of cash - just wondering what everyones thoughts are on bringing a lot of cash down - Where are you going to put it? Do we have any other options? I am scared because my wedding is 5 days into the trip so that is a lot of time to be holding onto the money. Also - My wedding is in three weeks and I haven't chatted with Mayte in over 2 weeks and have sent her emails with no response yet - so I guess I should be freaking, but I am use to her being slow. Natalie

absolutley gorgeous!!!

I agree with all the girls - they do not have to match, which is nice because you can do a post card for a STD and a more traditional invite or vice versa...so many options!!!

I don't really see a problem with them - they look fine to me - and I am picky.

I am coming - so mark me down Nat - either the 29th or the 30th will work for me! Linds - you look STUNNING!!! see you all soon

I am so happy you posted these - just gorgeous! I am going to add you to facebook as I really would like to see more pics! I leave in less than 4 weeks now, and can't wait! I love the pillows so I am telling Mayte to have those for me as well!!! Natalie

Oh ya - CONGRATS Sandy - that is awesome! Where did you buy?

I am open to any day that week as well!!

Oh don't be worried about etsy - the ladies and gents that do work on there are fabulous - I am sure CanadianSandy - she comes onto this link here - can help you! She got gorgeous ones done from Sarah Sprouille. I got my invites made by a lady on etsy to and it was very easy to work with her - everything is done through email and these individuals are very creative - you just need to explain what you want and they will create magic!!!

Hey Sunshine - I know a lot of people have got vendors on etsy to make them like Sarah Sproullie. You can also attempt to do it yourself - there are lots of templates on here that you can download once you hit 150 posts. If you don't mind spending a bit of money on your invites I would suggest goign to www.etsy.com and checking out vendors there. Natalie

I LOVE that dress!

Thanks so much for that info - I really really appreciate it! Natalie

yippppi!!!

works for me - either location is fine with me as well - Nat you can be in charge of this one!!!

I am so up in the air about it - malaria is from a mosquito, so even though chances aren't high you will get it - it is still kinda scary. My issue is that I have anxiety - especially with all this wedding planning and the malaria pills are suppose to sometimes give you more anxiety which I DON'T NEED lol! Ahh - decisions decisions. Thanks guys!

Sounds great! Thanks. Ladies - who is up for a get together in March??? Let me know and I will set something up! I am a month away from leaving for the DR today!!! Nat

Hey Ladies - this is a little off topic, but are you guys all taking malaria pills and cholera pills?? Mayte emailed me today and said we can pay for food and drinks with American Express and the decorations ect. with cash. I hope that is true. Natalie

agreed!!

I just did some more research - I thought about a stone ceremony and googled it. I love stones and already have them incorporated into our wedding (each guest will have a stone with their name painted on it at the seat during dinner)! I found a great idea to incorporate stones into a symbolic ceremony. Option 1: Have your bridesmaid or some one in your wedding party hand out a stone to each guest as they arrive. The guests will be instructed to hold onto the stone during the ceremony. Then the officient will say... I am not religious so the religious portions can be taken out. Name and Name, before you met your lives were on different paths with different destinations. But love has brought you together and joined these separate paths into one. Each one of your friends and family here today have been given a small polished stone that represents their unique individuality and their presence at your wedding today. You also each have a stone of your own that symbolizes your previous separate lives, separate sets of friends, separate families and the different life’s journeys you once traveled. Click Here to Get the Complete Wedding Vow Kit! Stones are as old as time and good markers to us as memorials. God even told Joshua to take stones and use them as a memorial. (Joshua 4:7) I will now ask that everyone please take out the stone you have been given and pause to make a wish, a hope, a prayer or a blessing for happiness and good will for Megan and Troy for the future of their marriage. Everyone pauses to make their wish. Now, we will collect the stones and the couple will then add their individual stones to the container as well. The couple adds their stones to the container. With the combining of these stones, you have now symbolically joined your once separate lives. As the stones have been combined with love into one container, so now are your friends and family joined, through you, into one. And your once solitary life’s paths are also now one. All that was once separate is now shared, and in this sharing you both will find new strength and joy as together you forge a new life’s path and destination. Let these stones be a reminder and a memorial of the love and blessings and support you have today. And what God has joined together, let no man separate. Option 2: When your guests arrive at the ceremony site, they are each given a stone. As your guests hold them during the ceremony, they are infused with the love, good wishes and heartfelt blessings that each of them are experiencing. At the end of the ceremony, your guests are asked to move to the waters edge for the casting of the blessing stones. Ceremony of the Blessing Stones Officiant: "Ladies and Gentlemen, At this time May I ask you all to move to the waters edge for a Blessing Stone ceremony. Each of you have been given a stone to hold throughout this ceremony The stones have now been infused with your love and good wishes to bless, and protect (Bride's name) _________ & (Groom's name) _________ They ask, that in your minds And in your hearts You pray that their marriage be blessed. Upon casting the stones I ask you to take notice; As the ripples Touch and intertwine with one another, May our love also touch and intertwine To spread love and good wishes to all around us! I ask you now to please cast the stones into the Gulf Of Mexico. I am going to be doing this ceremony and the hand ceremony! so excited!!! Not sure if I will do option 1 or 2, so hard to decide.

Love these ideas - thank you all for sharing!

Just looked at hand ceremony and found these - thanks so much, I love this idea!