kimberyly

Omg, I wish I would have seen this thread before! It's like pulling teeth getting details out of them. I just finally got pics of the free flowers too. I was concerned about the colors too, but they told me they would incorporate your bridesmaid dress color into the bouquet. I've been debating how to do a beach party too! They told me $15 pp for the bar on the beach and $300/hr for a DJ!! I wonder if they will say anything if I play an ipod with speakers that run on batteries. I was planning on doing a bonfire too. That's $150-$200 each. I'm still concerned with lighting though. If I do one bonfire, that might not be enough light. I really want to do my first dance with my FI and maybe Dad too at that time. And chairs! Some of my guests are older and won't want to sit on the sand. I've found some old threads where people suggested bringing your own decorations because it's cheaper that way, but for what? Decorations for the dinner or ceremony? My biggest concern is that I will be missing something I thought would be provided.

Omg, I wish I would have seen this thread before! It's like pulling teeth getting details out of them. I just finally got pics of the free flowers too. I was concerned about the colors too, but they told me they would incorporate your bridesmaid dress color into the bouquet. I've been debating how to do a beach party too! They told me $15 pp for the bar on the beach and $300/hr for a DJ!! I wonder if they will say anything if I play an ipod with speakers that run on batteries. I was planning on doing a bonfire too. That's $150-$200 each. I'm still concerned with lighting though. If I do one bonfire, that might not be enough light. I really want to do my first dance with my FI and maybe Dad too at that time. And chairs! Some of my guests are older and won't want to sit on the sand. I've found some old threads where people suggested bringing your own decorations because it's cheaper that way, but for what? Decorations for the dinner or ceremony? My biggest concern is that I will be missing something I thought would be provided.

I have been wondering how to handle the whole registry situation for a DW. Or how to handle the registry at all. I'm having an at home reception 2 months after the wedding, and I was thinking about doing something for that. The problem is that I don't want a traditional registry. My FI and I have been living together for 2 years and combined 2 houses when we moved in together, so there isn't really anything we need. It would be nice to have money for home improvements, but not necessarily Home Depot cards or anything. I want to replace my back door, the old paneling on the bottom floor of the house, and replace the big window in the living room. How do I go about that? Is it tacky to just ask for $$?

I like the spice idea! I think I might base my AHR favors on the location. I'm having it at a winery, so I might do Wine stoppers or something relating to wine. The location and catering is expensive enough I don't want to spend much on the favors

I'm planning an AHR too! I'm happy to read this because I was thinking it might be weird to wear my DW dress to the AHR. Everyone I ask says they think it's great I get to wear the dress twice! They're not cheap There are many members of my family that can't make it to Jamaica for the wedding, so they're happy they still get to celebrate with us and the rest of the family.

I just got some great ideas from this thread! I don't know about the groomsmen (I like the personalized money clips idea and I'm going to look up what a reef flip flop with flask is). I'm planning on getting my 3 bridesmaids rings that match their dresses. My bridesmaid dress color is called coral, it's kind of a bright peach. I'm still trying to find a good place to buy the rings!

One of my friends that already had her destination wedding had some good suggestions. She suggested sunscreen, burn gel (in case of sunburn), bug spray, and a deck of cards. I like the tropical candle idea. Maybe add in a pack of matches for them to light it! That could be dangerous though.

I didn't have a say in my ring choice, but he did have a good idea of what I wanted. I was at a doctor's office where the nurse had the most beautiful ring I had ever seen! She said it was an antique ring. When I got home I told my boyfriend at the time about this amazing ring that I had seen. He actually went to that doctor's office and found the nurse that had just gotten engaged and looked at the style of ring! He found out that it was a filigree style. So when he went to get the ring, he got a vintage ring with filigree and added a diamond. I absolutely love it and I like that he picked it out. It was a big risk though! He's really lucky I like it because I am extremely picky when it comes to jewelry. Maybe you should take him to stores, show him what you like and let him pick it out!

Thanks! I wasn't sure how it would translate when I wrote it down. The funniest thing of all is that we have an ongoing joke that he can't surprise me. He can't contain his excitement when he's lined something up or bought something for me and just tells me about it. He totally shocked me this time!

My fiance and I have been together 3 years and have been very happy together. However, we had only mentioned getting married a few times and I haven't been in a hurry since we are both concentrating on our careers. Boy was I in for the surprise of a lifetime! I was in TX for a business trip. It was a Friday and I was planning on flying home early because the training was ending early. My sister called me and said that she needed me to pick up my brother in law from the airport that night and I couldn't change my flight. I was ticked off, but agreed. When I arrived back in Baltimore, I kept calling my brother in law's phone but he wouldn't answer. Finally he sent me a text saying he was waiting for me in baggage claim. I walk into that area and see a random guy in a suit holding a sign with my name on it. I have a very common name, so I figured it was for someone else. I kept looking for my brother in law, but then my boyfriend at the time, Jerry, came out of nowhere dressed in a suit and tie and gave me a big hug! Right there in the middle of the airport he gets down on one knee and asks me to marry him! There were people everywhere and they all stopped dead and kind of let out a collective gasp! I of course said yes (after perhaps a little too long of a hesitation, but I really wanted to think about it!). I then found out that they guy in the suit was a limo driver waiting with the car outside. Now the adventure begins! I assumed the limo would be taking us home, but boy was I wrong! He took us to a fancy hotel where he had a suite on the top floor reserved that had one of my favorite dresses waiting. There was also champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. Here's the best part: he had taken every pair of black heels I had and put them in the closet at the hotel because he wasn't sure which pair I would want to wear! He gave me an hour to get showered and ready to go and then took me to Ruth's Chris steakhouse where I had always wanted to go but had never been. We had the limo for the night and went dancing later. It was a wonderful night and I will never forget it!

Such a helpful review! I'm planning my wedding at the Riu for May 2012. I've been emailling with Keisha but getting information is like pulling teeth! You mentioned that it's a good idea to bring your own decorations, but when do I need those? During the ceremony or dinner? What package did you choose? I'm doing the Royal package and hoped to just use the flowers that are provided. After reading about your poolside reception, I decided to do a reception too! I was originally thinking that we could just hit the bar and disco at 11 when they open, but then when would I have the first dance with my fiance and my dad? Now I think I want to do a bonfire on the beach and have a DJ and bartender. The DJ is an hourly expense, so I'm not sure how long I would need him for. How long was your poolside reception? Thanks for any additional information you can provide! Kim