MrsCtoB

ICK...sorry your in this situation! It's a tough one and as mentioned above, bridesmaid drama happens to all of us!!! There are a few ways that you can approach this I think. I think if you really do have one friend in mind to be the moh you could choose just one and prepare yourself for the backlash. After all, it is YOUR day and if you feel strongly about one friend being your moh over another, you should go with that. Consider how involved you want your moh to be in the process and what responsibilities you will want to delegate to her...that may help you to see which friend is better matched for the role. 

Another option (even though you mentioned you really didn't want to do it) would be to have them both serve as your moh's. While you would be appeasing them both, remember that they will have to work TOGETHER. Is that something they can do? Or will it cause you more frustration in the end? We all would love to think that our friends would not cause us more stress during our special time and will do the right thing, but I think I speak for many of us here on the forum when I say that is sadly not the case.

Not sure how large your wedding is expected to be but have you considered not having a wedding party? While that is not an option for some, I have a friend who went this route and it worked out quite well. Everyone was a guest so there wasn't a feeling of some being "more special" than others. My friend chose this option because of a situation similar to yours so just something to consider. 

Best of luck to you and I hope everything works out. My most important piece of advice is to follow your vision and do what YOU really want to do. Things will come up and there may be drama but in most cases no matter what you choose, that will be the case. You'll get through it but if in the end, you are doing what's important to you, it'll be perfect.

yayyy!! SO happy to hear that you booked...and so exciting that I will be there later in your stay!!!! We'll have to meet up! I will want to hear ALL about the renewal!!! 

I agree! It might be a bit early for the 2017 prices to be available but I would take advantage of the time that you have and begin to consider what the must haves are for your resort etc. If you plan to do site visits, the more time you have the better! 

My dress ❤️

Allure 9002? I think??

I'll try and find one of the back also.

Catching up on your updates! Beauuuutiful dress!! All the details are coming together! 

First, you looked amazing and I am so happy to hear that generally everything went well.

I can relate on some of what you are feeling. I think for me, and maybe for you, the whole "this is never going to happen again" thing really worked on me. I am very happy with how everything went but when you think that this will never happen again, I think that pressure makes you look further into things and place importance on things that really overall, aren't that important. Who knows...maybe if we changed the things that we keep thinking about that went "wrong", it might have changed something else that went right. Maybe more time on individual photos might have meant less time somewhere else. 

To this day, I still get teary eyed thinking that I will never get all of those people together in the same place, in a great mood, and having a wonderful time. BUT I try to remember that that is what made my wedding so special. 

I think once you get your wedding photos and you see what WAS captured, you will feel better about the whole thing. 

I'm not sure if this is in line with your vision/style but Nordstrom's carries a designer, Adrianna Papell that is 

I wore one of her gowns for the legal ceremony and the rehearsal dinner. Really good quality and the prices are reasonable especially for the gowns with beading! Good luck! 

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/adrianna-papell-embellished-blouson-gown/3275191?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=2375500&fashionColor=BLUSH&resultback=357

This is the gown I wore...doesn't come in white but I did see a few that did. 

Ahhhh its your wedding day!!! So glad I signed on today and didn't miss the opportunity to wish you a wonderful day. Congratulations...I am sure you will be stunning. xo 

SO happy and excited for you @@veryvalentine! Enjoy every moment...even this crazy/I can't breathe/if I pack one more bag I am gonna scream! lol Believe it or not, you will miss it! Safe travels and best wishes for a perfect day!!!

I sent out two sets of cards:

1. For wedding guests: A personalized card from Shutterfly. The front had a picture of the both of us from our Trash the Dress session and the inside had a group photo from the ceremony with a caption that said "Thank you for joining us in Mexico! We will always cherish the memories we created with you!" The bottom portion of the card had room for writing so I wrote personal notes and thanked those who gave gifts (thank you for your thoughtful/generous gift etc.) and if they didn't, I would try to write about a special memory from the trip or thank them for their contributions to the day. 

2. For everyone else (co-workers/those who couldn't attend/etc.): I purchased some simple cards from Target and sent those out to those who did not attend but sent cards and/or gifts. 

I would suggest buying some extras of a generic type so that you can send one out quickly if need be. We received a lot of cards in the month following the wedding that we didn't really expect. I think people wait to see if you plan on having an at home reception before sending a card/gift. Good luck!

At this point, I think it is more than okay to say no to the "plus one" attending your festivities. I think a lot of guests may not fully realize the costs and organization that go into a DW. While it is a vacation also, both events should not be confused. It is appropriate for your guest to bring someone along on the vacation portion, but that doesn't make it okay to impose another guest on you, especially this late in the game.

Also, no matter how wonderful your pre travel letter is ladies, there will still be some who won't read it. I remember getting asked 72 hours before take off if there was a dress code at the resort.   BUT, there will be some who will read it and appreciate your hard work!

@@MrsCtoB Bubble bath is the color I have on right now - I love it!

 

So when you say extension, is that basically like an acrylic tip? (Sorry I'm so clueless). I think I'm going to do exactly what you did, gel with extensions on the nails that need it.

Loveee Bubble Bath! 

Yes, basically. When you get a full set, either acrylic or gel, those tips that they glue on is what I am referencing to. Then instead of being topped with the acrylic, I had the UV Gel. I really liked them! They were durable enough to have done a few days in advance but still looked natural. 

I did Gel nails with extensions (my nails were bit down from all the nerves Lol) for my wedding. They looked great! I had them done on the Tuesday, we left on Wednesday, and the wedding was on Saturday. They looked great even when we returned, a full 2 weeks later!!!

I did gel because I had done gel polish or shellac on my nails with no extension for a previous trip and one nail chipped with transferring luggage etc. 

I know from past experience that acrylic turns yellowish in the sun/chlorine etc. 

I really like Bubble Bath from OPI (they have it in gel too) and Care to Danse from OPI also. 

Amazing photo! Can't wait to see/hear more. Congrats and safe travels home.

Ok so I've led a very sheltered life..... lmao so I have the really DUMB questions! What are JoJo Blings and what are Chinese laundry sandals?

 

I love the guys in the vest and pants, and hubby in the suit looks super sexy! Just what I want Doug in. BUT did he find he was really warm in it???? That's my biggest worry. My husband is a guy that is hot, and I don't mean just sexy (in my eyes anyway) but he feels the heat big time. I'm really worried that I'm going to torture him being in 3 pcs, even sweat resistant shirts and summer weight suit. Was your husband ok in the sun?

 

The girls looked gorgeous with the colour and the flowers are beautiful!

Not dumb at all!!! JoJo Blings are a type of earring. They are located here in Boston, MA. They started off as a very small company and have grown exponentially in the last few years. I have a thing for the bling earrings that they sell so it was a joke of shorts to my bridesmaids who know how much I love them.

This is the website:http://jojolovesyou.com/

Chinese Laundry are also a brand. A shoe brand though. Just in case anyone happened to like the sandal, I wanted to include the brand name so they can be easily found. 

Yes, we too were concerned with how he was going to handle the heat in the 3 pieces. He said it really wasn't bad because of the sea breeze. He only wore the suit jacket for the ceremony. He had just the vest, shirt, tie, and pants on for the rest of the night. He rolled up the sleeves to the shirt also and said that he was very comfortable throughout the night.

Thank you!!! 

I have to say, I'm interested in this "packed to travel" process for the dress. Was it wrinkled when you got there? I don't think my bridal salon has that option but that's pretty cool. I don't think I'd trust anyone else but a bridal salon to do that haha. 

 

Wow, it seemed like your resort really had it together in terms of group check ins. I always read on other people's reviews how the check in can be a bit of a nightmare with so many people but this actually sounded like fun haha. 

 

I think your hair turned out perfectly. I also initially loved my hair down but then decided that Mexico in August and hair down just don't mix so I'm going with an updo . Yours turned out great, your friend did a great job. Your makeup also looks super professional, good job . I totally understand that feeling, if it was my friend doing my hair I'd trust her 100% because she knows me and would know exactly what I like . 

 

Can't wait to read the rest of it! 

The bottom was a bit wrinkled but nothing major! I think because it was rolled first it didn't create any harsh lines or anything. 

Thank you!!! Your day is quickly approaching!!!!  So exciting!! 

Next up...

The girls and the guys

I had 4 bridesmaids: My sister, his sister, my best friend, and the Best Man's wife. Each bridesmaid selected their own style of Alfred Angelo dress, all in a matching color. 

As part of their gifts, they each got a handmade bracelet, a pair of JoJo Blings, and Chinese Laundry sandals, among other things. They did not wear the sandals for the ceremony. All the ladies were barefoot. 

We had 6 groomsmen: The Best Man, my husband's brother, brother in law, my brother in law, and 2 close friends. I have a lot more professional pictures of the men for some reason LOL

They wore a linen pant and vest set from Perry Ellis in the shade Natural. The shirts came from Men's Warehouse (they were sweat resistant hahah). The ties were purchased from a tie website...super cheap! tiebar.com maybe?? The shoes were Saludos, espadrille style. I think they were called a "smoking slipper" ? They looked really nice with the suits. Each groomsmen had a ranunculus bout also. 

Hope you had the most amazing day! Congrats!! xox 

Thank you ladies! xo

Since I never got to post all my details, I figure I can post pictures now lol I will do a review of sorts here and finish with the details I left out. Let me start with what I have already posted in this thread and how that worked out. 

Arrival

We arrived at the resort on the Wednesday before our Saturday wedding. We had transfers included in our package and I am glad we used them! They picked us up in a nice, comfy SUV. We were able to check-in right away and our room was ready for us! They really went above and beyond to make sure that everything was perfect for us, right from the start. We received an upgrade and we were very pleased with the check in process. We were notified during check in that because 90% of our guests were arriving the next day on the same flight, they would put together a check in event for them. I will explain later how that worked out. After freshening up, we met with our WC and went over all the locations, choices, etc. During our review of the ceremony location, the beach, I realized that it was way too HOT to have my hair down for the ceremony. I had thought about the heat but didn't factor in just how hot it would be at 4pm. It was nice to review everything and be at all of the locations around the same time as the wedding events would be occurring. It helped me get an idea of the lighting and heat intensity etc. PS I really recommend arriving a day before your guests at the least! I was able get everything done before the guests arrived and loved that I could dedicate all my time to them when they did arrive. 

Traveling with the dress

As some of you may remember, I had my dress "packed for travel" as the bridal salon called it. I had never heard of it previously, but they basically layered my dress in tissue to prevent any beading damage, and rolled it. They inserted it into a vacuum sealed bag and then taped the outside for protection. I was VERY leery of this idea in the beginning but I got to ask a few brides that I had made friends with from the bridal salon and they highly recommended it. So, the weekend before my wedding, I picked up my dress or a big ball of white. LOL I wish I had taken a picture of it, but it ended up looking like a rectangular pillow, but only about a foot wide. I have to admit that I was pretty nervous about flying with it. Because of all the tape, it looked pretty suspicious.   But, I ended up traveling with the dress, shoes, jewelry, and any other wedding day must haves in my carry on. It was very easy and convenient and it was always with me so I loved that aspect. We went through a special security line at the airport(because I had my bride tank top on  ) and we literally were in and out of the line in about a minute? maybe less? They didn't open the carry on or anything! I was very pleased with my packing for travel dress experience! I did take it out of the wrapping upon arrival and it does get a bit wrinkled but nothing major. I had plans to steam it regardless and it was perfect after that! 

Guest Arrival and Check in

Of our 29 guests, 26 were on the same flight or a flight that landed 15 minutes later, so the resort put together a check in event for us. Our travel agent did an excellent job of communicating with the transfer company and a bus was waiting for the guests to shuttle them to the resort. Our WC set up the bar connected to the lobby for us and provided champagne, cold drinks, and some snacks for the guests. We were there waiting for the guests as they arrived and while it was overwhelming to see so many of them at once, I was so excited!! Our WC went through all the paperwork with the guests as well as the in's and out's of the resort over a microphone. She also explained all the events that we had planned and where/when they would be taking place. The transfer company rep was also there and explained how to check in for the return flight home and when/where to meet for the transfer back to the airport. The resort spa rep was there also and informed everyone of the discount included for our wedding guests and made some appointments for those interested. It was a perfect opportunity to hand out our Welcome Bags and all of the rooms were ready after that! All of our guests got rides to their rooms and that was that. It was so easy and efficient. I was very pleased with this process. Within an hour, the guests were at lunch, enjoying the resort and spending time together! Here are a few photos of the check in event.

Hair and Make up

So like I said, I knew from the first day there, that my hair down wasn't going to cut it! That's another piece of advice I would give to soon to be brides. You have to accept the fact that not everything will go as planned. You will be figuring stuff out right up until the ceremony, if you are like me anyway. So up it was! I let the stylist, my best friend, do what she wanted for the updo. We both do on location hair and make up for weddings, so I really trusted her instincts. I think a big part of the reason I felt so relaxed was because I had her there with me, providing the services. I know her work and felt confident that she would make us all feel wonderful, and she did. We are very accustomed to working with time limits for weddings also so I knew she had my back and would keep an eye on time as I was. 

I did have airbrush make up applied and I love it. I have a machine of my own and airbrush myself often, so I knew what to expect but I love how my make up lasted throughout the night, even in Mexico with the heat! 

I did not use my headpiece that I had purchased. I didn't really care for it with the updo. I had the WC contact the florist for me when I decided that my hair would be up on that first day, and order an orchid for my hair. I had a feeling that the flower would be more in line with what I wanted. 

I did use all the other accessories that I purchased, thank God! Earrings were comfortable, not too heavy. Shoes were great also, although I did take them off for the ceremony. Really wanted to be barefoot. 

Here are some pictures of hair/make up and getting ready:

Events leading up to the wedding

After check in, I went to check out my sisters' room as well as check in with our parents and make sure everything was going well. Our guests ended up in the same building on the same floor, mostly, but with at least one room in between them. So, I ended up in the hallways talking to one guest, and another would hear our voices and come out and join the party! lol Eventually I left everyone to unpack and made lunch plans with anyone who wanted to come. After lunch, we made it to the beach bar and had some drinks while some of us jumped in the water also. It was a great start to the weekend! I hadn't realized that the party would start right from the beginning, otherwise I don't know if I would have planned the Welcome event.

We met our guests in the main plaza of the resort for drinks. Everyone knew everyone else by then from the beach bar earlier but it was nice to have a drink together and it established the plaza as a common meeting place for the rest of the trip.

The next day, Friday, was spent by the pool. At night, we held our Thank You Dinner. We opted out of a traditional Rehearsal Dinner with just the bridal party because we felt that everyone deserved to celebrate with us and we didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings by excluding them. We had our rehearsal on the beach at 4 PM with the bridal party and the Thank You dinner was held at 6 PM at a restaurant on the beach. It was beautiful, and though it was costly because it was a private event, we don't regret it! The food was amazing and we got to spend time with everyone. 

25% off your entire purchase now though the 19th with the code: dearest!

I also included it in our website, in a pre-travel letter, and in the itinerary in the welcome bag. We handed out our bags at the check-in event though, so they had a chance to see it before the event. 

I am so happy that it worked out! I know how you feel...the size of my dress literally made me want to cringe every time I saw it in writing or on the tag but it is important to remember that no one sees the size/measurements of your dress. As long as it makes you look and feel beautiful on your big day, screw the rest lol It is def important to work towards your goals so you feel your best but you are a beautiful woman and it seems as though you are truly happy and in love and that will make you more radiant and beautiful then you can even imagine. When I finally saw him on the beach on the wedding day, I have to say, nothing else seemed to matter. All this stress from the dress, details, etc. will melt away! It's a wonderful feeling and I can't wait for you to experience it. 

Also, I think the humidity in the air definitely helped with the stiffness of my dress! It was a lot easier to get into that morning. 

@@calgarybride2015 - totally talking Les Mills.  The FI and I a double class today, step class first and then pump!  Such a good morning.  

 

We made some progress this weekend.  We bought the grooms gifts.  We found some great gifts at Fossil.  A travel bag perfect for the destination wedding with a luggage tag, passport holder.  I loved the passport holder because not only does carry the obvious, your passport but it has a special slot for the boarding pass and luggage receipt and a pen to fill out the travel cards in the plane.  Love it.  They also have a little card carrier for their hotel room key and some bills.  

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I took pictures of my bridesmaid gifts earlier but my camera was dying and my pics turned out yellowish so I retook them because they didn't do Kate Spade any justice.  I am making them all jewellery for their dresses.  Haven't designed the jewellery yet but I am also giving them this necklace that will be perfect for dinners at night.  

 

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My fiance surprised me with a beachbag - so I'm totally getting so excited to start packing these things away.  Overwhelmed.

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I think we found our cake topper.  Everyone I show it to doesn't get it though.  It's the "&" sign.  lol so we may use it as part of the decor at the reception and place it in front and centre of us.  

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My future mother in law found these adorably cute shells with a little zipper.   I was thinking of either including them as a souvenir in our OOTD bags and putting a peso in there for goodluck or filling them up with rice and leaving them on the chairs at the ceremony so that our guests can throw rice at us.  Not sure which one.  I think rose petals might look nicer in pictures so i'm not sure yet. 

 

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My future mother in law also bought us these fans and they come with their own organza bag.  We will placing these on each chair so that our guests can keep cool. 

 

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And finally, I made myself a necklace to match my pretty passport holder!  yay!  

 

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91 days til Mexico ...oh my god. 

PS Do you sell your jewelry online? You have some beautiful pieces!!! 

YESSSS!!!!!!  I am so happy to hear this @@veryvalentine! I had a feeling that something like that had happened! Let out a sigh of relief now! Everything else will fall into place. <3

@@MrsCtoB well everything except my dress.  It's a bit of a debacle. 

 

I was just reading your thread because you had mentioned your dress situation. 

 

I picked up my dress last Thursday and it does not fit.  Like barely goes past my butt.

 

I tried on a size 16 in store and it fit fine....I decided to order a 14 because I thought that I could lose enough weight.  They warned me that it would be stiff since nobody would have tried it on.  I thought that I would have been able to at least put it on and just have the back be a little to small...but no.  I had a mega panic attack.  I don't think the store made a mistake with the measurements.  Anyway, I'm in hustle mode to lose the rest of the weight that I set out to lose.  I need to lose 25-30lbs to make sure this dress fits.  It's causing me a lot of heart ache.  Nightmares. 

Oh nooo!! I am so sorry love. I know exactly how you feel    Luckily though, you have time to get this figured out. If it ends up that the dresses measurements are off, like mine, the bridal salon will definitely make it right. After what happened to me, I did some research and the whole incorrect dress measurement thing happens a lot!!! Make sure that you insist that the seamstress or one of the employees measure the dress (not the shell, the lining!) and measure you again also to make sure that everything matches their original record and that the measurements of the dress match the size chart advertised. 

If it happens to be that everything is correct, I would still ask them to work with you. This type of thing happens ALL the time and they certainly have different avenues that they can consider to help you out, be it alterations or ordering another dress. I would get to the bridal salon sooner rather than later and get it all worked out. I know it is super stressful but I promise that it will all work out. Email me if you have any other questions or need any more help! I'll be thinking of ya!