SarahBen2011

b gardner - Yelapa was just amazing.  Such a cute town and the place we stayed - Verana was UNREAL.  So beautiful!

BrideFeb132012 - Hey Heather!  What time are you starting to take pictures with your photographer?  This was our timeframe:

I did Hair at 11 and Make-up at 12.  Then we had enough time to eat something in the room before the photographer came at 3 to take pictures.  Our ceremony was at 4:30 / Reception at 6:30

So if you're taking pictures beforehand you might want to move your hair appointment up a bit?

What are you planning on doing from 3:30 - 6?  A cocktail hour or just have your guests do their own thing at the bar?  We did the latter, but we only had about an hour between the ceremony and reception.

That's really strange that Fatima said you only get 2 hours of bar service.  It should be 3!  They do kick you out of the terrace at 10:30 no matter what.  I'm sure you can pay more to stay the full 4 hours (6 - 10).

We paid extra to have champagne right after our ceremony ended on the beach.  Then we all toasted in a picture.  I liked that better than having champagne during the speeches and all the guests liked the touch :-)

We paid extra for cake and it was NOT worth it.  The other buffet desserts were much better.  But, it was nice to have that cake cutting picture.

We did flowers through the resort.  If you keep it simple they are somewhat resonably priced.

Good luck! 

Thanks everyone!!!!  It's so great to relive the moments through the photos and video.  But I'm sad it's over LOL.  Luckily we have our AHR on Saturday and I cannot wait to celebrate again!!  I hope everyone is having a great New Year being a MRS.!!!

Happy Holidays ladies!  Hope you all had a great Christmas!  Things have been buuuuusy.  First we got all of our pro pictures from Michelle Turner - 1,000 of them!  Oye.  But they are AMAZING.  We also got our wedding video!  My co-worker edited it for us:

Home reception is next weekend and I cannot WAIT.

I legally changed my name on Tuesday and have switched pretty much everything except my passport.  What a process!  Glad it's done.

Have a great New Year everyone!  Here are a few of my fav pro pictures:

Not too many people at all!  I thought it was perfect!  I was worried when I first saw the dance floor space (where the cake was) and it was plenty big enough :-)

We actually didn't do a cocktail hour.  We figured we were at an all inclusive so why pay $20 a person when there's a bar near by anyways!  Our guests had no issues, problems or confusion.  We took our pictures after the ceremony - guests either freshened up in their room or hung out at the bar until the reception started.  It went perfectly!

Our photographer said 6 weeks.... which is reallllly pushing it for our AHR!  We'll see!  But in the meantime she just posted a blog with teaser pictures and I'm in love.  With the pictures!!!!  And my new hubby of course :-)  Here it is!!!!!!

Hola!  We got married two weeks ago (11/18/11) and got home last weekend.  Everything was amazing. Perfect.  Fatima was great!  I was very particular and gave her a lot of direction.  She nailed it.  Review to come - but here are some pictures!

Las Palmas - 60 guests - 7 round tables

Seaside beach

Las Palmas again

Bridesmaids and their flowers

My dad walking me down the aisle

Just thought I'd post a few of mine from the big day :-) Dreams was so perfect!

I'm baaaaack as well!  What an amazing amazing wedding and trip.  The wedding day went perfectly!  A few bumps along the way (no where to hang my dress on the plane, rushed to get the OOT bags done in time, etc).  But Dreams was perfect and it seriously was everything I had ever wanted.  The honeymoon at Verana in PV was just unreal.  It's so sad to be back hahah.  But now I get to wait for the pro pictures and finish all the stuff for the AHR.  Eeek still so much to do but all good things.

Congrats to all :-)

Alysa you looked amazzzzing!!! I love love love your dress!

And Courtney I love your screen grabs haha I would be doing the same thing!

I'm glad I'm not the only one stressing, feeling weird, and not getting sleep!  We leave for the airport at 3:30 AM tomorrow and just can't wait to check those bags and get to dreams! I'm sure after we get there on tuesday I'll feel better!

Almost time.  Yay!

Congrats alysam4785 !!!!!  Can't wait to read your planning thread!

Did anyone else has last week anxiety?  I was pretty calm, but the past couple days I haven't been sleeping well and I'm kind of sick to my stomache.. but not in a sick way, but nerves.  It's strange.  I'm so ready to get there and relax!!

So we're legally married!  Besides the 2 minutes with the judge nothing feels different, but it is a cool thought :-)

2 days to go!!!  We bought a scale to weigh our luggage and it's not working...!!!  So now I'm really worried about paying over-weight fees.  Did you guys put luggage right on the scale or weigh yourself with and without baggage to see the weight?

Today I'm cleaning, doing laundry, re-packing and hitting up target for last minute goods for the trip!

How are you feeling Taryn??

I wrote on the Dreams FB page an Juan said this:

Yes the mexican party is every Friday, but next week will be on Sunday 20 of Nov. because is the celebration of the Mexican revolution. if your wedding is in las palmas, don't worry, the music of the Mexican Fiesta never over power the wedding at las palmas.

So we should all be fine :-)

I usually plan every outfit for each day... but I'm very unorganized for this trip.  There are too many days to plan for!  So I'm kind of throwing in everything that I *think* I might wear.  Here's what I have so far:

3 pairs of heels / 4 pairs of sandals / 1 pair gym shoes

5 or 6 pairs of shorts (probably way more than I need)

A bunch of tank tops and a few nicer tops for dinner

2 skirts but mostly dresses (one for each night / dinner) - 2 of them are long dresses

3 cover-ups and 4 or 5 bathing suits

And I'll either wear my white capris on the plane or my white linen pants...

Too many decisions!

Hmm that's a bummer... our wedding is a week from today (Friday) on the Las Palmas Terrace.  I hope it doesn't interupt and that's too bad we are missing the Mexican Fiesta!!!  Is it always Friday nights?  How did you find that out?

Courtney... WOW... amazing amazing pictures and CONGRATS!!!!  You looked beautiful!  I hope you had an amazing trip and wedding!

Girls - thanks for the reminder about the shoe organizer!  I forgot to put that on my list and will have to grab on this weekend for sure!

Bailey I keep forgetting how close your wedding is too!!!!!  You're almost there :-)

We leave in 3 days and it feels so surreal!  We're in good shape though... I'm just so ready to get there and unpack all this wedding stuff, make sure it all made it, and then RELAXXXX!!! :-)

Ohh I hope the final fitting goes well!  So exicting!!!! That's crazy about the groomsmen though.  What an ass!  Thankfully you have a back-up GM (we kind of have one too LOL) so you'll be fine!  I know what you mean though - it's always something.  We lost a few people earlier this week (ben's family friends) but their room is non-refundable so I mentioned it to my mom and now my step-brother and step-sister are coming!  Great news - but I did have to redo the seating arrangement and seating cards last night.  Oh well :-)

OMG what a good idea to have a small videocamera!!!  Hmm... I actually work at a video production company and they have some... I wonder if they'll notice it's missing? Hahha

Enjoy your massage and last days of pampering!!!  Only small things are left on my list too... get my e-ring cleaned, go tanning, get mani/pedi, go shopping for some books/magazines/snacks... and legal ceremony is Saturday!! 

hahha that pic is priceless! Taryn how are you feeling??!?!  We leave in 4 days (today doesn't count and neither does Tuesday)!!!!!

I can't wait.  And can't believe it's next week already!

omg sxcT  I did the exact same thing... but I threw about 8 pairs of shoes in a suitcase and it took up almost half!!!  What am I going to do!  As of now we have:

Carry-on roller w/ important wedding stuff / breakables

Checked bag 1 - OOT Bags & contents

Checked bag 2 - Programs and other wedding items

Checked bag 3 - will be clothes / shoes / etc

Checked bag 4 (duffle) - will be more clothes, toiletries, etc

I really don't want to check more than that... eek!

Great pictures meBonidie2be!!!!  Your FI / Hubby will go nuts!  Every time I see other people's BD pics it makes me want to re-do mine and make the poses sexier :-/  Hopefully my fiancee still likes my book, even though it's more pretty... not sexy.  We're planning on exchanging gifts the night before leave.. so this upcoming Monday!

We're doing our legal ceremony this Saturday :-)  Things are in good shape, I'm finalizing the play list and loading it to our ipod and back-up CDs today (while at work... oops).

We really just need to start packing and do smaller stuff and we'll be ready!

In one week we'll be landing in PV!!!!

Thanks BGardner!!!!  I leave one week from tomorrow!!!!  It's the home stretch and there are a lot of little things to do but overall we're in good shape :-)  I can't wait to get to DREAMS!!!!

Have a safe flight and fabulous wedding to everyone getting married this past weekend / upcoming week!!!!! 

JBean have a great flight and trip!!! Don't worry about the brows - no one will notice!  And if you are worried - I actually just bought eye brow filler at Benefit, but I'm sure you could use brown eyeshadow or a brow pencil to fill it in a little bit?  Might be worth a shot?  Hang in there and congrats!

So many of you are leaving this weekend and early next week - have a good last weekend with all the final details!

Hey everyone - I posted my final planning thread on a seperate page!  Here it is!

And there's an update on page 3:

http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/76477/sarahben2011s-dreams-pv-planning-thread-with-pics

***UPDATE***

So I had forgotten to post a few things and wanted to give some more details.

Here's our ceremony script - I pulled a lot of ideas from everything I saw on here (thanks again ladies!)

Here are the important songs for ceremony and reception:

Processional - Over the Rainbow by Israel Zamakawiwole

Flower Girl / Ring Bearer - You're So Cool by Dan Head

Bride’s Processional - Canon in D by Jean-Francois Pillard

Recessional – Making my Dreams by Hall & Oates

Reception Entrance – Marry You by Bruno Mars

First Dance – My First My Last My Everything by Barry White

Father Daughter – Daughter by Loudon Wainwright

Mother Son – Have I Told You Lately by Rod Stewart

Cake Cutting - I Can't Help Myself by The Four Tops

Our guest book from Etsy seller LazyLightningArt  (cost $40 plus shipping).  This should come in by Monday - I can't wait to see it in person!  It'll have our names and wedding date instead of Guests and the flowers will be Ivory.

And I ordered this pen that goes with it but from a different seller :-) $13 from braggingbags  

We ordered Handkerchiefs for each parent from Etsy seller designsbyGloria - they turned out really pretty, but you can kind of tell they were machine stitched.  They were a great deal though (6 for $74 with shipping).  We're planning on giving them photo books after the wedding but wanted them to have something to open the night of the rehearsal.

We got Ben's wedding band! It's titanium (he wanted something really light weight).  It's a hammered design and looks reallllly nice in person!  It was about $150 from a jewelry shop in Chicago, but it's from this company:  http://www.fablejewelry.com/

And I finally started the programs - for some reason it was hard to take a picture w/o a glare.  I'll do a separate post on how to DIY these.

And just for fun - a picture from my shower that was held in August and my Bach party that was a few weeks ago :-)  The white dress for the shower I got on sale at Macy's (it's BCBG).  They made me wear white to my Bach party (all the girls wore purple), I already had this white dress so I just wore that.

Watching the video of Ben answering questions about us :-)

Okay... I think that's it now LOL

Ceremony Script.doc