clgriffi7

There was a thread started not too long ago titled:  "To sand ceremony or not?..."  and below is my post in that thread.  Hope this helps.

I am not married yet but I can give you a bride's view that is planning to do it.

1.  I have attended local weddings where they did a sand ceremony and I thought it was really meaningful.  At one wedding they actually chose to have many different colors and involve the bride and groom's parents.  (The parents poured first - "laying the foundation")  I also love that this is something tangible that you can keep from your wedding day that you can display next to a framed photo from your wedding day.

2.  As for getting it home - I think a frame might be easiest.  I ordered the following frame from etsy:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/61083327/unity-sand-ceremony-frame-with-engraving?ref=pr_shop

The frame came with the following instructions (I don't have them with me so I am paraphrasing):  The part of the frame that holds the sand is a clear plastic box that fits into the frame behind the etched glass.  The box is removable and has a hole on one end only.  After filling the box during the ceremony you tape over the hole at the end of the box and flip it over and insert it into the frame.  So now the hole of the box is pointing down and is inside the frame so it cannot empty and the cut-out in the top of the wood frame is now over a solid part of the plastic box.

Two things I will do: 1.  After the ceremony I plan on tapping the frame/box to settle the sand as much as possible to fill it up to the brim - repeating a few times if necessary.  This way there will be no need to redo it once you get home.  2.  possibly putting something (like a piece of a cotton ball) between the sand and the tape before I flip the box over to make sure the sand never makes its way past the tape 

We recently switched our first dance song from Allison Krauss's "When you say nothing at all" to Kenny Chesney's "Me and You".  I am not a country fan, but when my fiance played that song for me I really liked it....and it is about the right "pace" for a first dance song.

Another option I liked was Keith Urban's "Memories of Us" - which I think will be the last song we play while seating guests before the mothers get seated.  So in a sense it will be the song my fiance walks in with.

Janet1480 - I will be walking in to Train's "Marry Me".  I am sure it is not original and I am sure the resort staff have heard it a thousand times, but remember that unless your guests attend a lot of destination weddings they probably haven't heard it used (I have never heard a pop song played at a church wedding).  For me it is about what I like and what will be played on our wedding video, not what my guests think is unique.

Soon2BMrsS-

I bought my engraved sand ceremony frame from an etsy seller.  It wasn't cheap, but I think the engraving makes it worth it:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SayAnythingDesign?section_id=10157578

 Below is a copy and paste of my wedding program verbiage to show where I am putting the sand ceremony.  If you are interested in the current (not finalized) version of our ceremony wording to see how it is tied in, then just send me a PM.

The Wedding Ceremony

PROCESSIONAL

“EVERYTHING,†MICHAEL BUBLE

ENTRANCE OF THE BRIDE

“MARRY ME,†TRAIN

GREETING

FIRST READING

“UNION,†ROBERT FULGHUM

OFFICIANT’S MESSAGE

HAND BLESSING

EXCHANGE OF VOWS

EXCHANGE OF RINGS

SAND CEREMONY

MARRIAGE PRONOUNCEMENT

RECESSIONAL

“EVERLASTING LOVE,†NATALIE COLE

Just bought a great deal for canvas prints:  16"x20" for $39.

The deal is through weddingchannel.com which is affiliated with theknot.com, though I am not sure how I started receiving the deal emails...

The website for the canvas printing company is:

http://www.easycanvasprints.com/weddingchannel

If you go to that website you will see a button for "Purchase from WeddingChannel" which will take you to Weddingchannel.com and there is a link for "today's deal" in the upper left hand corner.

You are allowed to buy 2 certificates, which I did, because I think it will be great to print a couple of wedding pictures out and hang on the wall (or give one to each set of parents).

Hope some other ladies can take advantage of this great deal...

Congratulations!!!  When have you booked your wedding for?

I agree, it seems that the Dreams Cancun cakes aren't quite as pretty as the wedding cakes that you could get from a specialty baker back home.  For that reason I will definitely be looking at the cake pictures that the wedding coordinator at Dreams has as examples and picking a style they are best able to execute instead of getting my heart set on a style that just won't end up looking good.

My guess is that you could bring in an outside cake but not only would you have to pay the baker but you would also have to pay an outside vendor fee.  Maybe Meghan can ask that question for you...

Courtney

 

Originally Posted by LoveKiss 

I'm finally booked!! 

 

I've seen lots of photographs of cakes from other brides galleries and they don't look very nice. Can I choose an outside bakery?

Meghan -

60 people?!  Congrats on getting that many guests, I won't be any where near that number!  Thanks for offering to ask questions for us, I can't think of any for myself.  I hope you get to have your reception where you want to have it....

 

Originally Posted by mgl27 

Hi Girls,

 

My RSVP date for the guests is coming up at the end of this week.  We are hoping to have a final (or at least close to) final guest count.  Right now we have 60 people booked and I had reserved the Club Terrace for my reception.  I was beginning to get nervous on whether or not we would all fit there (as well as a DJ and room to dance).  So, my wedding coordinator here is setting up a conference call with Claudia sometime within in the next 2 weeks.  Are there any pressing questions that you guys have that I can ask her while we are on the phone???

 

Let me know!

 

Meghan

Trash the Dress.  If you haven't heard of this, then you mush search this site for pictures!!!  (I had never heard of it before this forum)  A day or two after the wedding you and your husband head out with your photographer and take pictures that you would never dare take on your wedding day.  For instance some ladies head to the beach and jump in the ocean and roll in the sand.  Other couples head to cenotes (sink-holes/caves filled with fresh water) in the jungle and get in the water.  So some brides believe that you should trash the dress you get married in - that the pictures are more meaningful this way.  Other brides hate the idea of risking damage to their dress and buy a second dress, often less expensive and more "flowy", for the TTD.  TTD pictures are often more playful (think jumping off of a pier into the ocean) and sexier (think rolling around in the sand with your husband).  And often the water actually ends up helping to clean your dress from the ceremony/reception.

(I am choosing to do my TTD session in my real wedding dress, but mine was relatively inexpensive.)

 

Originally Posted by Julietisurs 

TTD???

I am really drawn to the look of the second file you posted.  However, when I open it the parts of the ceremony aren't very visible (the words are in a light gray color and are sitting over the blue design).  That is likely just a difference in versions of Word that caused formatting issues.  The second program just seems "lighter" and more celebratory than the darker damask one.

 

Originally Posted by canadiangirl 

for anyone who needs ideas, this is what were thinking of doing... i have done 2 DIY programs, and like them both opinions would be great!!! thanx

 

 

 

 

 

 

damask wedding program 2.doc

wedding prorgam finished.docx

I think Dress B would be easier to travel with, BUT I think Dress A will be more appropriate for hometown receptions.  What is beautiful and sexy on the beach could be seen as a bit too sexy for family members back home.  So I stick with my Dress A preference.  But of course the only thing that matters is which one you FEEL the best in.

 

Originally Posted by Julietisurs 

Thank you ALL for your comments!  My wedding will be next June at the Gran Porto Resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It will be a sunset beach wedding and beach reception to follow. This dress I pick will also make two more appearances at our hometown receptions one in Dallas, TX (my home) and St Louis, MO (his hometown). Needless to say we will be the traveling couple J

Knowing this would you still recommend the same dress?

 

It is still early, I’m going to need to ponder on this decision for a few weeks and try them on again with fresh eyes.

I plan on doing DIY programs.  Since I did DIY invites, I think the extra supplies will only cost me ~$7 (white card stock and vellum), so it is more a matter of effort than cost.

My programs (which I just made my first mock-up of yesterday), will be 1/2 of a sheet of paper (so 8.5" tall x 5.5" wide, thus cutting costs) and will be 4 layers thick tied together by navy blue ribbon.  Navy is one of my colors and I have been using this ribbon on the invites and on all of the tags.  The layers will be a top layer of vellum printed with our wedding logo, second layer will be white card stock with the order of events for the ceremony, third layer is also white card stock with the bridal party, fourth layer will be unprinted light blue card stock.  Light blue is our other color and was used for the invites and as a backing for all of the tags.  The white card stock layers will be cut smaller to see the light blue around them.

Top vellum layer with wedding logo (2 per sheet of vellum)

Second and Third layers (both layers from 1 sheet of white card stock)

Sorry I don't have a picture of the final product, but hopefully you can picture it.

Originally Posted by Sllefebvr 

Is everyone doing programs? This was one thing I was thinking about leaving out in order to save some cash!!

Oh wow - you are looking at 2 entirely different dresses!!  Lucky for you, you look great in both of them...

I think Dress A is beautiful and seems a bit more bridal.  I think the ruffles in the train are fantastic!

Dess B is sexier and seems a bit more beachy.

I personally prefer Dress A.  If you are torn as to which dress makes you happier, then try to imagine your wedding pictures.  When you imagine showing them to friends and family and looking at them 20 years from now, which dress do you picture?

The garter is a perfect (subtle) way to incorporate a sports team.  My fiance and I attended rival universities, so I found a garter site that would put the logos for both universities on the garter.  I tried to keep it a secret from him, but I was just too proud of myself and ended up showing him when they arrived in the mail - doh!

If you are not doing a garter, then the cake topper is a great way to go.  I had a personalized cake topper made with my fiance and I in our wedding attire.  But there is no reason you couldn't switch out your fiance's shirt/jacket for a Bruins sweater!  I had mine made as a surprise, and I think surprising your then husband at the reception/dinner with his team would make you the best new wife in the world. 

I think both of those dresses are beautiful.  I think any bridesmaid would be happy to wear that style.  My one suggestion is that if you do choose to order the bridemaids dresses from any website (assuming you will need multiple), try ordering just one first to make sure you like it before committing money for multiple dresses.  Best of luck!

There is no right and wrong in this situation.  I personally put the date for the wedding and the AHR on the STD and the invites.  Though I would love to have as many people as possible at the destination wedding, I don't want to mislead anyone into spending money they may not really have. 

My fear of holding out on the AHR info would be:  a guest is on the fence as to whether they can afford the DW and decide to come because that would be the only way to support my fiance & I and then be upset (and financially strapped) when they found out later there was an AHR.

Also - I have to say that having a smaller group attending our wedding (it looks like 24 or 25 adults + 3 kids + B&G) is keeping the stress way down financially and logistically.  I originally thought I would want 40-50 ppl to make it more of a party, but having the smaller group means I can do more for each guest (like take everyone on a nice excursion).

"PM" is private message - so you can communicate with another bride outside of the thread.  If you hold your mouse over the downward arrow next to a bride's screen name you will see a drop down menu that includes "Send PM".  When you receive a PM (or at least I have it set up this way), it will send an email to you to let you know you have a communication.

So please try doing that with my screen name and put your email address in the message.  The reason for asking for your email address that way is because it is best not to post your email in the forum in case someone on the web wants to use it for spam.

Courtney
 

Originally Posted by melstewart 

im not sure what a PM is but I would love the file you got from the agent on the floral centerpieces!

For $1200, it wouldn't be an outside photographer.  My resort includes a certain amount of photography in the $2800 wedding package I am buying and I figured it would cost me an additional $1200 to get the additional time, prints, and the TTD I want. 

With that being said, depending on how I play with the numbers, I suppose I am getting my photographer for $1600.  I am bringing a local photographer with me to Mexico and his fees were $800 cash + paid trip for he and his wife.  So I am paying $800 cash + $800 flights (2x @ $400) + $1400 room (2x @ $700) = $3000.  However, part of our group rate is that if we pay for 5 double occupancy rooms then we get the 6th for free.  So mentally I am saying the free room will go to pay for the photographer's stay (and his wife), so I am only paying the $800 + $800 = $1600 for him.  But that means I am mentally paying full price for my fiance and myself.

So you might get lucky and find a local photographer that will quote you a good deal (like I did) to photograph a destination wedding because they know they are getting a good vacation out of the deal.  Then if you can get a good free room deal at your resort, you can possibly get A LOT of photography at a great price.  But beware, at a bridal show (before I booked my photog), I did have a photographer quote me her standard $2000-3000 price ON TOP OF having the trip paid for.

Good luck with picking a photogrpaher!

 

Originally Posted by bebop 

clgriffi7 - What photographer are you using for only $1200?!  We are depositing at the Gran Caribe for Nov 18th right now and need an outside photographer.  Thanks!

I completely agree about being surprised with the amount of work a DW requires.  Imagine not doing OOT bags and making all of the tags and such that go along with them.  And imagine not having to worry about whether it will fit in your luggage before you decide to buy something wedding related.  But on the negative side, imagine it all being over in just one day.... 

I have just 2.5 months until my legal wedding and 3 months+1 week before I leave for Mexico.  Starting to get excited.  Since I got engaged I have always told myself that 3 months out (early August) would be when I started to consider the wedding to be "soon". 

 

Originally Posted by JBean 

I never dreamed how much work a destination wedding would be, but I really want to make it my own. My dining room table has looked like a bomb went off for months, so I'm looking forward to getting back to normalcy!

 

 

 

There are definitely ways I could have cut costs with just minimal impact to the wedding if we needed to save the money.  (I am a bit older of a bride and have been saving money for years - so my fiance is not getting in my way of spending my money on the wedding - smart man, eh?)

For example I could cut the following:

- $2000 for the excursion

- approx $700 for the legal wedding, if we just went to the courthouse and didn't plan on taking family out to a nice dinner

- approx $1500 for the DJ and dance floor (could use an ipod and with a rented sound system and just dance on the sand)

- approx $600, could trade in the cocktail hour to pay for the extra guests at the reception

- approx $1200 on photography, could have used the resort photographer that comes with the wedding package at the resort and just pay for a TTD session with that photographer

- approx $2000 on the AHP by just reserving a room at a local bar and paying for a tab (not worrying about food or cupcakes or slideshow) - just a chance to hang out

- approx $1000 by making all sorts of other smaller cuts (cheaper gifts, less in OOT bags, not paying for bridal party attire, bringing centerpieces to Mexico, etc.)

So it is definitely possible to make a DW considerably less expensive than a traditional wedding.

 

Originally Posted by Gin Bootles 

wow that is incredible! i thought DIY was cheaper, i might have to rethink all of this

As I really can't imagine having to pack any more than I am already bringing down, I am just going to buy floral centerpieces from the resort. 

Last October my travel agent sent me a file with pictures of centerpieces and a separate file with prices.  I am sure the prices will have gone up, but I really liked one of the pictures from the resort: (my colors are more neutral - light blue and navy blue - so I think these vibrant colors will look good on the tables)(and I want these same flowers for my bouquet)

price:  $68 + 11% tax = $75.48

If anyone would like the files I got from my travel agent, just send me a PM with your email address.  But do realize that the price list is a year or two old, so the prices may have changed.

I think I will end up spending about $25.5k by the time the whole wedding process is done.  That includes $900 for the legal wedding event, $21K for the wedding in Mexico, and $3.5k for the party back home (AHP).

The breakdown for the Mexico wedding is:

- $450 in paper goods (from STDs, to invites, to programs, to thank you cards - including postage)

- $2700 for attire (for bride, groom, 1x MOH, and 3x groomsmen, 3x flower girls, wedding bands)

- $300 in extras (these are the detail items I bought that were simply for pictures - think underwear embroidered with "Mrs. ____")

- $500 in gifts for parents and bridal party

- $3000 for photographer (including plane tickets, 5 night stay for him and his wife + small fee = engagement, bridal, rehearsal, wedding day, TTD, and excursion photos)

- $3100 for travel (for B & G for 8 nights + 1 GM for 5 night - free nights for group booking)

- $2000 for group excursion (totally a splurge) 

- $2800 for the wedding package

- $5700 for wedding add-ons (DJ, dance floor, centerpieces, extra guests, $400 in donation favors, hair/makeup for MOH, MB, & MG, upgraded cake, etc...)

- $600 for OOT bags

I never really looked at the total amount before (across all 3 events) - but that is a lot of money.  However, I know we would have spent at least that $25K on a traditional (single day) wedding back home and not had nearly as much fun!

I just looked through the first link and the last link and the pictures are beautiful...

 

Originally Posted by Soon2BMrsS 

Cecilia got me in contact with the photographers, These are the links that he had sent to me.

 

Ultimate Wedding Pkg

http://dustinericajohnson.dreamsresortcancun.adventurephotos.com.mx/#/slideshow-2/

Full Day Coverage

http://speercoxwed.dreamsresortcancun.adventurephotos.com.mx/#/slideshow-2/

Trash the Dreaa

http://speercoxttd.dreamsresortcancun.adventurephotos.com.mx/

 

Hope it helps!!

So 2 problems with my last post

1)  The link doesn't work, so here is one that hopefully does:

http://www.vallarta-adventures.com/

2)  The link is the one posted earlier in this thread, but when I get to the website I don't see a page for photography.  Can any of the other brides provide any insight?

Earlier this year Dreams Cancun announced they are changing photographers from Juan Navarro to

http:// www.vallarta-adventures.com
 

However, most of the brides on this forum booked their weddings before that change went into effect so they were still able to use Juan.  Hopefully there is at least one past bride who has used the new photographer that can give you a review.

I am bringing my local photographer with me to Cancun so I won't be using either Juan or the new company.
 

Originally Posted by hairdos11 

Does anyone know how the photographer for Dreams Cancun is?  Or can all you girls let me know who is doing your photos. 

I guess I never even knew they had cold patches.  I did a quick search of a online drug store and found this link:

http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/walgreens-disney-instant-cold-patches-large-3-pack/ID=prod6067944-product
 

Sounds like a great idea for the wedding day - but I think it might be a good idea for any brides to try it out at home first to make sure there aren't any problems with using them (because if you use them under your dress it won't be easy to get to them and take them off if there is a problem).

Originally Posted by Kimberli1211 

Seeing all the comments about dresses and the heat, I thought I would pass on a tip a friend gave me: you can buy some of those thin instant cold stick-on patches from the drugstore and put a few under your dress in random places. She said it worked wonders and kept her from sweating... Just an idea.

Thanks! 

Yep - these were DIY.  The STDs were magnets and post cards from Vistaprint while the invites were all done at home starting with card stock and vellum.

 

Originally Posted by meBonidie2be 

These are absolutly amazing. I love the boarding pass invites. Was that DIY? My AHR is the day after yours.