Missb's Isla Mujeres wedding - March 17, 2013

missb0308 · January 4, 2013

So we're just about 2 months away, I can't believe it's coming up so quickly!

Our story...

Dave and I met online when we were both freshly divorced (actually still separated, our divorces weren't final yet). We were both just looking for friendship, nothing even remotely similar to a relationship. After two weeks, he told me he loved me, and although I didn't say it back to him at the time, it was just a matter of months before we knew we wanted to be together forever. He met my children after we had dated for 2 years and our divorces were final. After another year, we moved in together - us, my four children, and his two girls. Talk about chaos!

I had always said that we didn't need marriage, that we were married in my mind. In the spring of 2012, his Dad became very ill with no explanation. He spent 9 months in ICU, and was not expected to make it out of heart surgery, and ended up losing both of his legs below the knee. During this 9 months, Dave stayed with his Mom who is legally blind, with brief visits home. To say it tested our relationship was an understatement, and when he finally moved back home, he planned a wonderful dinner. Over a bottle of wine, he proposed, and I cried. It took me a while to say yes, because I was just so floored. We had always said that if we got married, it would be a destination wedding.

A couple of weeks after he proposed, we decided to get married on Isla Mujeres in Mexico. We had visited the island many times before, with one being a week-long stay in the house shaped like a conch shell. We knew that we wanted just a handful of friends with us, and a courthouse ceremony with the kids right before we leave. When we get home, we'll have an AHR that his sister is dying to put together.

This is the house, called El Gran Escape on the south side of the island:

The ceremony will be just past the pool at the cliff. Here's hoping I don't fall off. 3 other couples are coming with us, we are paying for the week rental on the house, they are paying for their flights.

Here's my dress, shoes, and jewelry:

MOH bouquet, Dave's bout, Best Man's bout, and my bridal bouquet (all real touch flowers). The only change will be the MOH bouqet and the boys' bouts will have the same color ribbon as my bridal bouquet (aqua/turquoise):

Dave is wearing a tan linen suit with a light blue dress shirt. We're still trying to find a dress that my MOH likes, and figuring out the best man's attire. The ceremony itself is being done by Sundreamers, with a simple setup on the cliff.

After our ceremony, we're hopping on our golf carts and having our wedding dinner at the Sunset Grill on Playa Norte. They'll set the tables with white table cloths right on the beach next to the water with tiki torches. The menu is:

Shrimp Cocktail

Beef Bordelaise with grilled shrimp

Potatoes Au Gratin

Steamed Asparagus

Open bar beer/wine

We have decided not to have a wedding cake since we won't have a way to bring home the top layer for our 1st anniversary, but may order dessert. We'll have a wedding cake at our AHR.

There's still so much to do, it seems. I need to order the items for the couples' gift bags. They're getting etched shot glasses, pool chair covers, cigars for the boys, barefoot jewelry for the girls, and personalized plastic cups for drinks at the pool.

For our courthouse ceremony, we'll have the kids with us, then head to a nice dinner with them afterwards. I'm trying to decide what to wear for the courthouse, Dave thinks it's silly that I'm bothering, but I'd like just a stylish short dress that will be ok in the early spring weather here. I'd like him to wear a suit, and the kids to look nice, as there will be pictures.

I'm waiting on my dress, I ordered from DHGate and really hope it's amazing. It is supposed to be here in about 2 weeks, and then if it needs any alterations, I'll take it to a local seamstress. Crossing my fingers I don't have to find another one!!