LisaandJeff

Tracy, Where were you a week ago when I decided to go with Snapfish?! Shutterfly sounds waaay better...

Thank you Santorini1 -- great tips. If anyone else has suggestions, I'd love it. We'll be going to Jimbaran, Gili Islands, Ubud, and Seminyak. We already have one dive set up, and we are staying at amazing places. I am SO excited!

I got the same ones last week! They are super cute and I cannot believe that they're only $2.50! They have beach balls there for a dollar -- picked up a few of those too.

I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who posted in this thread-- you inspired me to do the same! I just created my Snapfish photo share account and finished my FREE postcards on Vistaprint. Yaaaaaaaaaay!

Hi Ginger1961, I had my eye on these too. You can get them on myglassslipper.com for $160 -- Martinez Valero is the designer.

I am so sorry! I know that you were really excited about him! We are having DJ Joaquin for our reception and Daryl Currie play for our cocktail hour. Let me know if you need any of their contact info! CAR was able to negotiate DJ Joaquin for $900.

You did an amazing job planning! Thank you so much for posting this! Congratulations on your wedding. Your sari is the most beautiful and modern I've seen -- gorgeous on you!!!

This is amazing! Thank you!

Hi! I originally used the Knot as my website, but a few months in, all of our pictures disappeared and we couldn't upload them again. I was so frustrated. Then I recreated our website on wedding wire and I love it -- SO much better!

I think I finally found shoes!!! Kate Spade (thanks littlemisssunshine for the link and code!):

I'm having two MOHs too.

Wow! He did a great job catching important (and funny) little moments, and even had a great eye for the smallest details, all while capturing the whole-picture "feel" of your wedding. Congrats on booking the right photographer! You both make a beautiful couple, by the way! What a fun wedding!

Jamieirene -- This sounds exactly like what I need! I have 2 1/2 months and need to tone up... can you tell me more?

Hi Silverqueen! I hope you will post some of your pics and review of CAR on this website! I am getting married at Cabo Azul on June 18th and would love any advice you can give me! Thanks!

I am in exactly the same boat as you -- I have until June 18th to lose 7 lbs... Which doesn't seem like a lot but it is SO hard to lose when you are already in a healthy weight range. My dream is to feel good about being in a bikini!!! No cover-ups! 79 days left!!!

Oh my gosh, Erin! Your invites are beautiful! I ordered my pocket-fold invites and I think I might like yours better! Great job!

I think we might be the anomaly here: We invited 175 and are expecting 150 to come. We purposely had a destination wedding so we could shorten the guest list, but it turns out that almost everyone invited is coming! The exceptions are mostly pregnant people, including THREE of my bridesmaids, plus a 96 year-old grandmother. My advice is to really think about who wouldn't miss your wedding no matter what... Then make a list of those people. We weren't far off our actual number once we did that. Also, we sent a pre-STD email asking "must-have" people (like wedding party and family) to book early. That way we had a better idea right away of who could come and who couldn't.

Here is one of the MOB threads: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/thread/11617/post-your-mom-s-dress Jonesr1979 - Your whole family is beautiful! And you look amazing in your dress.

This is an amazing post-- one of the best I've read yet! Thank you!

Hi! There is another thread about this topic already -- I definitely would look up those conversations. You're not alone in feeling uncomfortable about registering. I agree with the others on this thread; don't include registry info on your invites, but do include your website. On your website you can list the following message (or one like it) followed by your registry info: If you are traveling with us for our wedding, your presence is the absolute best gift we could ever ask for. Gifts are welcome but certainly not expected. We are grateful to be surrounded by such wonderful people, and we cannot wait to celebrate with you all. I wish I could claim that wording -- I got it from another BDW bride (and I wish I could give her credit but I forget who it was!).

Hi Everyone, First of all, I want to say that I did not write these -- I got them off of weddingbee.com from some amazing brides who shared their hand-written scripts. There are two here; we will probably end up combining our favorite parts of both. #1 Opening Words We are gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of Rachael and Jesse. We come together not to mark the start of a relationship, but to recognize a bond that already exists. This ceremony is a public affirmation of that bond. Rachael and Jesse, you have come here today from your varied life experiences to make public the commitment you have made to each other. You come to combine your two separate lives into one. Although you will be sharing one life, never forget, you are two separate people. Cherish and affirm your differences. Love each other. Keep your commitment foremost in your mind and heart. Together you will laugh and cry, be sick and well, be happy and angry, share and grow. If you will ensure a healthy lasting marriage, always, always value each other. Although you will disagree, remember to respect each other’s feelings, needs and wants. And above all, never, never lose your sense of humor. I would like to read for you a few words which I feel are appropriate on this day. From “The Couple’s Tao Te Ching: “A Sacred Spaceâ€, from the sixth century B.C.: Your love requires space in which to grow. This space must be safe enough to allow your hearts to be revealed. It must offer refreshment for your spirits and renewal for your minds. It must be a space made sacred by the quality of your honesty, attention, love, and compassion. It may be anywhere, Inside or out, but it must exist. From the Buddhist Marriage Homily: To say the words love and compassion is easy. But to accept that love and compassion are built upon patience and perserverance is not easy. Your marriage will be firm and lasting if you remember this. The Vows Officiant – Jesse, do you come before this gathering of friends and family to proclaim your love and devotion for Rachael? Do you promise to support her, respect her, and care for her during times of joy and hardship? Do you commit yourself to share your feelings of happiness and sadness? Do you pledge to remain faithful to her? [Jesse answers] Officiant – Rachael, do you come before this gathering of friends and family to proclaim your love and devotion for Jesse? Do you promise to support him, respect him, and care for him during times of joy and hardship? Do you commit yourself to share your feelings of happiness and sadness? Do you pledge to remain faithful to him? [Rachael answers] The Exchange of Rings Officiant – The rings you give and receive this day are the symbols of the endless love into which you enter as husband and wife. Such a love has no beginning and no ending, no giver and no receiver. You are each the beginning and the ending, each the giver and the receiver. Officiant - Jesse? Jesse - This ring symbolises my desire that you be my wife from this day forward. With this ring, I thee wed. Officiant - Rachael? Rachael - This ring symbolises my desire that you be my husband from this day forward. With this ring, I thee wed. The Blessing Officiant – [Addressing congregation] Family and friends, this is a moment of celebration. Let it also be a moment of dedication. The world does a good job of reminding us of how fragile we are. Individuals are fragile; relationships are fragile too. Every marriage needs the love, nurture, and support of a network of friends and family. On this wedding day I ask you not only to be friends of Rachael or Jesse, but friends of Rachael and Jesse together, friends of the relationship. [Addressing Rachael and Jesse] Rachael and Jesse, may the love you have found grow in meaning and strength until its beauty is shown in common devotion to all that is compassionate and life-giving. May the flow of your love help brighten the face of the earth. May the source of all love touch and bless us and grace our lives with color and courage. In closing, I would like to read to you these words from an Apache wedding prayer: Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter to the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now you will feel no loneliness, for each of you will be a companion to the other. Now you are two bodies, but there is only one life before you. Go now to your dwelling place, to enter the days of your life together. And may your days be good, and long upon the earth. The Announcement Rachael and Jesse, having witnessed your vows for marriage with all who are assembled here with you, I announce with great joy that you are from this time on, husband and wife. You may kiss. #2 Welcome Welcome! Please be seated. My name is Joel. I am Kendra’s father. I feel deeply honored that Chris and Kendra asked me to officiate at their wedding ceremony. I have witnessed their relationship from the beginning, when I picked Chris up from his house for their first date together. And now, ten years later, I am thrilled to be a part of their wedding. On behalf of me, my wife Lorrie, Chris’ parents’ Rebecca and Michael, I would like to thank you all for coming to affirm and celebrate the bond of love between Chris and Kendra. They both feel that your presence here today makes this occasion extraordinarily special and that the love and support from each of you has provided the stepping stones to this moment. Chris and Kendra, on this, one of the most important days of your lives, you stand within a wondrous circle of love. You are surrounded by your dearest friends and family who are here to witness and participate in your marriage, as well as by the thoughts of those who cannot be here and would have greatly loved to share this experience with you. We are gathered here today to witness and to celebrate the coming together of two lives. We have come to join this man, Chris, and this woman, Kendra, in marriage. This is a beautiful and joyous occasion because it acknowledges their commitment to each other in deep friendship and love. This union is the result of a ten-year relationship that has been tested, matured and evolved over time. Family Thanking Today represents not only the joining of Chris and Kendra, but also the joining of their families. They would like to say a few words of gratitude to their families. Kendra: Rebecca, Michael, thank you for raising Chris to be the kind, inquisitive and passionate man that I have fallen in love with. Lauren and Alexis, thank you for protecting Chris and for being the other two peas in the pod. Chris: Lorrie and Joel, thank you for the wonderful job you did raising Kendra. She is the most caring, loving and supportive person I know and she means the world to me. Kevin, thank you for looking after her and helping mold her into the woman she is today. Prayer I would like to invite Chris’ grandfather, Felton, to say a prayer for this occasion. {Chris’ grandfather gives a prayer he wrote in advance} Thank you for those beautiful words. Words on Marriage Marriage symbolizes the intimate sharing of two lives. This sharing must not diminish, but enhance the individuality of each partner. You do not shed your individuality, for that is what brought you together in the first place. Marriage is the loving declaration that you should be no other than yourself. A lasting marriage is not stagnant. The relationship and each individual are continually growing and developing. Your understanding of each other deepens and evolves. It is not this ceremony or the state of being married that will truly join and hold you together, but your ongoing commitment to your relationship and to the kind of life you wish to make together. In this way, your marriage will not be just a symbol; it will be more than that. It will be an action, something you work actively on every day. In marriage, we give ourselves freely and generously into the hands of the one we love, and in doing so, each of us receives the love and trust of the other as our most precious gift. But even as that gift is shared by two people who are in love, it also touches the friends and family members, who, in various ways, support and contribute to the relationship. All of you are Chris and Kendra’s community, and each of you has played some part in bringing them to this moment. The gathering together of this community is an important part of a wedding ceremony. Chris and Kendra are now taking a new form as a married couple, becoming part of their community in a new way. Family & Friend Vows Chris and Kendra, you do not enter into this marriage alone or without support. I have a special request of all those gathered here today. I call on everyone here to make a promise to support Chris and Kendra as they enter into marriage, to supply them wise council and words of encouragement if called upon by this beautiful couple. As I ask the following questions, if you can make the promise to the couple, please respond with words, “We will.†Will you, gathered here today, support and aid in any way asked, to the best of your ability? Will you guide them, the best way you can, using your accumulated wisdom? If asked, will you supply them with words of encouragement and affirm your belief to them that they can overcome any and all obstacles that might come in their path? Thank you all for your vows of commitment to this couple. Words of Love As a first demonstration of this commitment, Chris and Kendra have asked a few members of their friends and family to share their thoughts on love and marriage. These people have helped shape and mold this couple’s ideas of love. {Chris’ sister, Kendra’s best friend’s mom and Kendra’s mom read pieces they had each previously written about love.} Reading Vows Chris and Kendra will now state the vows that they have written for one another. {Vows to be discussed in another post . . .} Exchange of the Rings The ring is an outward and physical sign of the vows you have made today and of the inward bond that you share. Let these rings be a sign that love has a past, a present and a future, through you and within you. Chris, take Kendra’s ring. Place it on her finger and repeat after me: As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. With this ring, I thee wed, and bestow upon thee all the treasures of my mind, heart and hands. Kendra, take Chris’ ring. Place it on his finger and repeat after me: As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. With this ring, I thee wed, and bestow upon thee all the treasures of my mind, heart and hands. [Guest photo] We will commemorate this union with an Apache Wedding Blessing: “Now you will feel no rain, For each of you will be the shelter to the other. Now you will feel no cold, For each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there is no loneliness for you, For each of you will be companion for the other. Now you are two persons, But there is one life before you. Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your togetherness. And may your days be good and long upon this earth.†Closure If anyone knows any reason why these two should not be joined in marriage, speak now and risk being thrown in the pond, or forever hold your peace. And now, Chris and Kendra, by the authority vested in me by the state of California, but more importantly, by the authority vested in me by the fact that I believe in the power of your agreement this day and the seriousness with which you make this commitment, it is my honor to pronounce you husband and wife. Chris, you may now kiss your bride. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you the happy couple, Chris and Kendra!

We're thinking of "The Sound of Sunshine" by Michael Franti or "I Like You" by SJ. Both are happy and mellow, a lot like the feel of Jack Johnson.

We have 128 booked so far and are expecting 150ish at Cabo Azul in San Jose del Cabo. As far as meeting up goes, we are having a meet and greet on Thursday night (our wedding is on Saturday). All of our guests are staying at the hotel, so I'm sure everyone will be together at the pool and bar during the day. We are thinking of putting a six pack of Coronas tied with ribbon, custom koozies, and a welcome letter in each room instead of OOT bags. Our favors probably will be a little pail filled with margarita jelly bellies and a drink umbrella (this will also be how people find their table) or We are not including everyone in the rehearsal dinner on Friday -- it's just too expensive. We're just having family members and the wedding party attend (that's 60 people!). Thanks for creating this thread! I was beginning to think that we were the only ones having a big DW!

Wow, Donie! You've done your homework! Thank you!! I'm stuck on the flowers too -- we'll have 18-19 tables at the reception alone, so it's going to be a bit tricky. We are going with Emporio Arte Floral (Leoan) and she's really working with me to get what I want. I don't know what your theme is, but I loved this idea for the candles: We are also using hurricanes filled with water and limes, with either a floating candle or flower on top. I do want a pop of color on the tables, so I am trying to decide if we should go the flower route instead of the candles... Roses will be beautiful! Hopefully it won't be that much more for the hydrangeas. We are definitely using mini calla lilies because they tend to be cheaper and very "Mexico". Do you have a Z Gallery where you are? They have a ton of really cool and unique shells and coral right now on sale if you need any more. Good luck to everyone and keep posting your awesome ideas!!!!

Hi! I know you are looking for clubs and bars, but if you get a chance, you should definitely book a private tour for your girls to do a day of snorkeling in the Cenotes, swimming with sea turtles, and zip-lining. We went through Edventure Tours and loved it -- my FI and I had our own private guide that took us around everywhere, and even took us to get beers at a local's beach spot when we were done. It was amazing! Just make sure to request the private tour, otherwise you'll end up with random tourists. Cenotes are not to be missed!!! Good luck and have fun!!