atalanta

Hi Koseefowokan, We are planning for over 100 guests for destination wedding. We are planning to have our wedding outside of a resort to make the vacation more affordable for guests that will be traveling from abroad and family already on the island. We are utilizing three separate venues. In addition to the cost of our venues, we are paying for a cocktail hour, full dinner and open bar for our guests on the day of the wedding. We have hired a band and a DJ and are having a four layer cake. We also have floral centerpieces and decorations for the venue. Our attire and our travel are also adding to the expense as well as the spending money for our honeymoon. Finally, we have a wedding coordinator and her staff that will be putting the whole thing together. We chose the destination wedding for convenience and location. We knew we wanted a traditional Caribbean menu. Many US locations want you to use their caterers so we knew it would be easiest to just have our wedding in the Caribbean where we would have a selection of good Caribbean caterers. Also, at our price point, a wedding planner in the US would basically just take our money and do nothing really. The wedding planner we have hired really plans and coordinates the wedding. She replies to all of my e-mails and goes out of her way to bring us ideas and make us feel special. All we have to do is make selections. Basically, the wedding we are having would cost over 40K in the states (which would be totally unattainable for us) and we aren't even at half of that having a destination wedding. Having this destination wedding is allowing us to have an unaffordable dream wedding. I could have easily have spent what we are spending on a wedding at home after tent rentals, caterer, etc and a lot of headache. It would be a nice wedding but just not what we wanted. Hope that helps.

The Karate Kid--Jayden Smith Thanks, Trimalusta. 100

kellygrrrl, I completely understand how you feel. My fiance has been married before, but I haven't. His first wife and he made a hybrid of his last name (biological father's), her last name, and his mother's last name, and both changed their name to the hybrid name. She and their son still have that last name. If we have children, I do not want them to have the hybrid last name! Not only is it his ex-wife's last name, but it also contains part his ex-wife's last name)! I don't think my FI wants to change his name again. I understand he wants to have the same last name as his son, but a name isn't just a name to me. To me, a name tells your history and is part of your identity. I could give our children my last name, but I have a feeling that people won't think that they are our kids, especially with our mixed racial background. I suggested that he and I both hyphenate our current last names, not with each other's, but with his late adoptive father's last name. This is a neutral name that we can all adopt if we want, and it's short and easy to pronounce (5 letters). I thought he would jump at the idea, but he hasn't said anything positive about it. Kellygrrrl, IMO, you are not overreacting! I feel the exact same way! I'm also open to other's thoughts.

Ok I'm trying to get to 100 posts tonight so.... The Curious Case of Benjamin Button--Tarajie P. Henson

Elle Fanning--The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I didn't notice until you guys brought it up, but some of the addicts have over 5000 posts. I'm still just trying to get to 150.

No, no, no. It's the truth. My FI can't understand why I'm spending so much time wedding planning when we are doing a destination wedding for the purpose of cutting down on planning. I thought I was being obsessive, ok I am, but so is everyone else. Phew! what a relief! Plus, such good information!

Thanks for the tip. I'm sure it will yield a very delightful night of laughter for my groom.

I'm a little confused by your posting and maybe it's just the way the pictures that you posted are arranged on my screen. Are you saying you like the top of the David's Bridal Vera Wang one-shoulder structured fit and flare gown with the dropped waist but not the hand-cut organza flanged skirt? Are the other dresses, pictures of the dresses for which you like the bottom? If I am correct in my assumption, I would suggest the bottom of the ruched or the layered dress over the straight sheath bottom.

Wow! Torilynn, you're great at this. I hope you are still around to offer advice when I finally decide on and commission my dress.

Ok, I was all on board about wearing what I love. Then the other day we had very hot temperatures and I was not appropriately dressed. I felt miserable and uncomfortable. Now I'm rethinking the whole ball gown idea.

I plan to make mine. It will also be long, which I think maybe easier to make than one that is shorter. The one I like costs $700. I just can't imagine paying that much.

Shishkabbobett, I wonder if they had followed your instructions and put the lace underneath the layers of the dress instead of ontop whether the dress would greatly improve? The applique on the strap looks fabulous! Did you ask them to cut it?

Wow! That's fabulous! Amazing! When your dress is done will it have the flower at the hip?

Another place I've seen embroidery or appliques have been on straps. You could consider adding the applique to the straps, but I still like the dress better with the most recent change, the additional embroidery covering the seam. Am I the only one that thinks that single accent accentuates the curves and slims the legs?

Hi shishkabobbett, I agree and disagree, too. I agree that the dress in the first picture is lacking. This may be, as Torilynsmith suggests because the dress appears unpressed. However, I disagree, about the second dress with applique looking worse. I think the second dress looks much better. The embroidery gives the dress some shape on its own and pronounces the gathers. Since the dress is pinned and not finished, you may suggest to them to look at the left hip (the right when we look at it) and make sure that the gathers look smooth. All the best!

Got it. Thanks for explaining. Now, I'll have some other cakes to try.

@futuremrstgun, I considered it, but even at these prices, professional pictures are not worth us having. We have two friends who really like taking pictures, taking pictures throughout the time we are in Jamaica for us plus pictures from guests attending the wedding. I'm sure we'll be able to muster up 150 good pictures for free. I'll let you know how it goes next year. Thanks again for the referral. I'm sure other brides will appreciate it.

A chocolate rum cake? Is this different than the traditional black Jamaican cake. Are we talking about the same thing? The traditional Jamaican cakes are fruit cakes (not like the ones that are usually spurned in the US) not chocolate. It's all of that fruit and butter that gives it is almost potato pudding-type consistency and the burnt sugar that gives it its dark color not chocolate.

Because of color?

This is a fabulous idea, vbbbtk!

@Islandgirl910 http://thesolemates.com/ Happy Planning!

@bruceg05, I'm interested: From where and how are you getting bulk flowers? Are these live or silk? I'm like you, I'm not into spending even $35/bouquet, $20/boutonniere extra. I've been considering using fans, but with the wind in July, I'm just not sure fans make sense.

I don't know if you get anything at 50. Nothing really seemed to change for me. I'm currently at 77 and excited because I'm less than half-way to the magic number of 150.

I'm not sure. Pics where?