jennaLynn544

Hey ladies! I married at Beaches Negril nearly a month ago now (on Jan. 25th). If anyone has any questions about anything, I will try my best to help Please shoot me an email, though, since I check that daily. My address is jennalynn544@hotmail.com. Just title the message "Questions about Beaches wedding" or something of that sort, so that I don't mistake the email for junk/dangerous mail. I am also working on getting my pictures up & ready for viewing, so if you'd like to see pics you should shoot me an email so I know who to send 'em to

Do we have to pay for a private reception or can we just make a reservation for our group in one of the restaurants? We went this route--in order to save some $$ and because it didn't make sense to us to pay $75pp to eat dinner when they can eat at any restaurant anytime without bringing their wallet...AND because we have 2 vegetarians in the group we didn't want to hassle w/ making special orders to the "set menu" you have to pick out when doing the private dinner reception. I am honestly not sure about a group of 40, though, ours was 20 people (including my husband & I). We scheduled a dinner reservation w/ the Mill prior to arriving in JA & once we had already eaten at The Mill & eating at Kimonos our 2nd night, we realized Kimonos was the place we would prefer to have dinner w/ our guests. Since the grills (where the chef cooks your food & entertains you) seats 10, we reserved 2 right next to each other. It was AWESOME! Couldn't have been more fun for our group--everyone loved it & had a great time. We also drank a lot of saki during that dinner (unforgettable time!) Oh, and we were not charged for bringing in a group of 20 to Kimonos but I would check to find out if/what the price would be prior to your arrival. 2. Did anyone use a DJ? How much was he? Did you bring a CD for him? Sorry, can't help you on this one. We did not have a dance reception since our group was on the smaller side. We had our ceremony at 4pm, photos, walked about 15-20 from the gazebo to the sand, where our cocktail reception was set up under a hut-like canopy/giant umbrella-looking thing (sorry, poor description, I'm sure..LOL) We made toasts, cut the cake, ate our hot and cold hor' devoures, then continued taking photos on the sand w/ the sunset as our back-drop. After a little over an hour we told our guests to take some time to freshen up and/or change into comfier clothes/shoes if they wished & met back down near the Big-Top bar, in the lounge area. We socialized over more drinks & then watched the live entertainment under the Big-Top amphitheater. Most of us just stood at the top in the back because it was right next to the bar & enjoyed the show. Around 9pm we headed to Kimonos for our dinner reservation (initially, we were a teensy bit disappointed when we found out the only open times for a group of 20 to get in were 5pm--which would not work because of our ceremony time--and 9pm, which we were thinking was a little late for dinner). Turned out that everyone got pretty stuffed from the hor' devoures, drinks, and cake during the cocktail hour which ran from around 5pm-6pm. So, it ended up being the perfect time to eat our larger meal, at Kimonos. Although we did not decide on doing a dance reception w/ a DJ or musician, we still did get to share our first dance as husband and wife following our ceremony. We danced under the gazebo to the song of our choice--which I had burned to a CD (2 copies) & gave to the wedding coordinator when we met w/ her the day before the wedding. The videographer also included part of our dance in our wedding DVD. Speaking of the videographer, we loved him! Wish I could remember his name exactly--started w/ an "M" and I do remember he said he was 20 years old. Young man, but very talented and passionate about what he does. He also had a very fun personality which makes you not become annoyed when they are taping you & your guests. We went w/ the $500 video package. The footage was edited and I believe it was around 15 minutes. We were pleased & glad we went with or choice--he got everything we'd hoped would be included in our wedding DVD. 6. I also read that if you book more than 10 rooms you get a rehearsal dinner for free. Is this true? Here is what is stated on the Beaches website-->Group WeddingMoon Wedding Package Includes: *The Carefree Wedding Package *30 min. Standard Reception (valued at $15 per person) *Complimentary One Category upgrade (excluding Butler Suites) for Bride & Groom *Manicure and pedicure for bride *35 min. massage for groom *Complimentary room for every 25 paid rooms (26th room comp.) *Group pre-registration and check-in upon arrival *Private group rehearsal dinner The list of things above is only included in your package when you have 10 or more booked rooms at the same resort. Not sure what the "30 min. standard reception entails, though, so I would definitely check on that since you will surely have over 10 booked rooms. 7. Did anyone pay for a cocktail hour? Is there a bar that is big enough for us to all go to in between dinner? Yes, we paid for the $25pp 1-hour cocktail reception. It is a private, set-up location. We mentioned wanting this on the beach in the sand at our consultation but it may be possible the location we ended up with is just standard because we held our ceremony at the gazebo (and it was located just steps away from the ceremony location). They will set up a bar for you and your guests and there will be a few staff members to serve you and your guests (but mainly they catered to my husband and I). So, the location of the cocktail hour was not indoors or located in a bar but it was a private, outdoor location. They set up tables, which were $100 per table (since we went with the "Beautiful Beginnings" theme) and this cost covered the set-up, table linens, centerpiece, dinnerware, and of course chairs. One table was included in our "Carefree wedding" package, so we only had to purchase 2 tables at $200 total. Let me know if you'd like to see pics of anything. I have over 500 pictures from our wedding. We did not bring in a pro-photographer and we did not really want to depend on the resort's photographers since we really didn't know what kind of work to expect. We purchased a Canon Rebel XSi Digital SRI camera for $630 and had my husband's brother shoots pics for us. He is not a professional, but a very articulate person who likes things done correctly. He completely understood what types of poses and pics we wanted captured & with a camera designed for "aim & shoot ease of use"...that's literally all he had to do was aim and shoot We did get talked into ordering some of their pictures taken by the resort "photographers" and weren't too thrilled about the photos. All of the poses/pics we ordered (all 12 of 'em...lol) were also captured by my husband's brother w/ our camera and my FIL, stepfather, and other guests captured the same ones. I am making my way through the 500-some pics & doing edits myself. After getting through a whopping 87 pics so far, we have already chalked ordering the resort photographer's pics to "something we wish we wouldn't have done" for our wedding. That may be the only regret I can think of in terms of our wedding day. Sorry for writing a novel as a response..I just get started and can't stop! ha ha Hope it helped nonetheless

Hey Tonir, I am also fair-complected, with blond hair and blue eyes. I tanned prior to our trip since we traveled in January, the dead of winter, when I am the palest I also desired a natural look, but one that could make my eyes "pop" on my big day and also enhanced my natural coloring (hair, eyes, and skin). When looking for makeup tips for the type of location/climate conditions we were marrying in I found many sources suggesting brides to AVOID the shimmery makeup for eyes and face, as in wedding day photos outside brides can look oily/sweaty. Of course, I didn't want to go for a sweaty/oily look but rather a polished but 'naturally done-up' look. I went with a matte contouring palette (I don't typically contour my eyes w/ my everyday look but since I wanted my eyes to pop I went with a subtly-contoured look). I used a matte silver/gray on the lid, a matte charcoal (black would've been too dramatic for my coloring), and a matte white-ish color to highlight the inner corners of my eyes & my brow bones. I also opted for fake lashes from Sally Beauty supply & in their store they provide a helpful pamphlet that guides you through selecting the right lash length, thickness, shape, etc. for the look you wish to achieve. I was really pleased with the outcome on my wedding day, and I also chose to do my own makeup since this was what I was most comfortable with. If you would like to see a photo, just message me or email me at jennalynn544@hotmail.com & I can try to find one to post for you. HTH somewhat

Just curious if anyone recommends an "umbrella-type" stroller over the "full-size" stroller? We have both & I personally feel that our 18-month-old would do better in her full-size stroller (just based on past experiences & the fact that I spend every minute of every day with her--I know her better than anyone, right?!)...FI, on the other hand, feels that we should use the "umbrella-style" stroller because it would take up much less space in our vehicle (and we are having to drive 5 hrs. to get to our airport to fly out). Full-sized stroller...(IMO) PROS: offers sun protection w/ canopy top, offers more comfort for baby, cup holders, top & bottom storage compartments, baby does better in this one (doesn't try to escape from it!), size/space usage doesn't matter for our airline & they do not charge for gate-checking the item CONS: large, bulky size takes up space Maybe some other moms/parents/observers have some insight to this one...?

Thanks for the link I checked out the thread and plan to call first thing in the morning to see if I can obtain more detailed information on the airport shuttle service to/from the resort. I guess if they do not even have seat belts on them it would be completely unnecessary to haul her car seat along...it would be nice to have on flight, though, because if there are open seats (& all but one of our planes look about 40-50% booked--and we're just 72 hrs. away) it would be nice to have her car seat w/ if we are able to snag a seat to use for it. Hopefully, I can get a solid answer and it may make this decision/argument easier for FI & I...

I am in desperate need of some advice or direction on this one... we are leaving this Thursday! We opted to drive 5 hours to the nearest *major* airport to fly out for our destination & saved $1,000 so we don't actually fly out to JA until Friday at 6am. This whole time, I have been thinking that we will just grab her car seat from the vehicle to take with us on the plane. Although we didn't purchase a seat for our 18-month-old (FI's decision, I disagreed), we are going to gate-check her car seat & use it if there is a seat available. PLUS, I was thinking we'd need it anyhow for during our airport shuttle that morning and for our airport transfers to and from our resort in JA (we have a 90 min. trip to the resort from the airport & then back again when we leave). FI just said to me tonight "Do you seriously think we need to haul that thing around with us for this trip?"....Um, YES, why would I not want her in a car seat, especially for a 90 minute drive (2 times) and on the airplane?! Car accidents are the #1 leading cause of death for children, so I just don't get how he's managing to make me feel like I'm nuts for thinking we need to bring the car seat with?! I also just don't see how our 18-month-old is going to stay still in someone's lap for 90 minutes..?! She does NOT like to be held or sit on anyone's lap for longer than a few moments. When she is harnessed into a car seat, that's a different story...then, she understands (and also has no other choice) she must sit still & stay put. Someone please tell me you have advice?...have been there before?...or can direct me on what to do, who to speak with/contact, etc.? As if I don't have enough crap to do & worry about, now I have to argue with my FI about our little "car seat dilema".

Hello ladies I just HAD to come on to this thread to put my "list" out there & see if anyone can find something I am missing...to remind me We are leaving this Thursday (the 21st) and our wedding is on the 25th. Here's what I still have to do within the next 36 hours... -Buy concealer (somehow forgot to the other day!) -Purchase a backup memory card for our new camera -Find insect repellent safe for children under 2 -Find a friggen store that sells those swimmer's diapers (Wal-mart & Target do not...um, wtf?! I NEED those!--for our 18 mo. old) -Burn our entire music list onto CD & if I can get my iTunes working again, also put all songs on my iPod -Make sure my sweetie puts extra holes on the straps of my shoes...the straps don't go small enough for my ankles -Print out pics of bridal hair to bring with -PACK! (my own stuff--should take a few hours!) -Pack our daughter's bag (another hour, at least!) -Pack our carry-on (w/ passports, etc.) -Pack diaper bag for baby's travel needs -Pack our "overnight bag" since we decided to fly out from Minneapolis instead of our local airport (saved $1,000 but sucks we have to drive with our baby for 5 hours to get there & sleep in a hotel the night before we fly out at 6am!) -Tan every day now until Wednesday (have been tanning the past 2 weeks...but I still wanna be darker -Keep getting my ass to the gym every night until Thursday! -Finalize ceremony script, type, and print to bring along -Finalize song order (got the list, but now I need to put the songs in an organized order), type, and print to bring along Hmm..there MUST be things I am forgetting?! P.S. Yes, I am freeeaking out. Haven't been able to fall asleep the past 7 days...I toss & turn until between 3 and 4 am every night! Migraines have been frequent and longstanding...yay :-P

Okay, so I've made some accomplishments in terms of music choices within the last 24 hours... I would like to have "Brighter Than Sunshine" (by Aqualung) playing while our guests get to their seats & just have FI get himself up into position during the same song. I really wanted the whole song to play because the song was MADE for us Completely describes how we ended up together & our relationship. We don't have a wedding party & only 15 guests, so in my mind this 4 min. song should work & then my song can start. What do you ladies think?? I have decided that I am dead-set on walking down to "Julia" by The Beatles but just an acoustic version without vocals. Does anyone have any advice on where I can get my hands on this? I have only heard acoustic covers of the song on YouTube videos, but obviously I will need the music on my iPod or burned to disk.

I'm currently working on *finalizing* our song list...especially making final decisions on the processional, ceremony, and recessional songs. As of right now, I am set on "Better Together" by Jack Johnson for our recessional because I wanted something upbeat & "us" but I am still undecided elsewhere...and our wedding is on the 25th of THIS month! Before I devote any more time to this important task, I was wondering what you ladies think I all need considering our gathering will be small (15 guests) & we do not have a wedding party. It'll just be FI walking up there w/ our 18-month-old & then myself accompanied by my grandfather. We are also doing the "sand ceremony", too. So, what I was wondering is whether we should have music playing during the sand ceremony..? Is there usually music playing during the ring exchange? I thought I read that being mentioned and in my mind the ring exchange seems like it should be focused on the vows being spoken & slipping each ring on (which takes a matter of moments, right?). Being that our group is so small is it still appropriate to have music for all of this or am I just nuts?! (lol)

Wow, Sherri, thanks for that thorough list of tips and ideas! At this point, I need all the help/advice I can get my hands on to help me feel better. I am near the point of freaking out...not to mention, I have the added stress of anticipating how traveling with our 18 month-old toddler will go (crossing my fingers it won't be as dreadful as I've been imagining). Okay, so *beware* of the following rant (LOL)... I feel overwhelmed, to say the least, because I feel like I still have SO much to do & only 10 days before we leave. (!!!!) I still need to finish our song list (doing solo), finalize our ceremony script (hopefully I'll get some help on that one, but we'll see...), make a complete packing list, finish shopping for travel items (esp. the baby ones!), get my ass in the gym every single day up until the day before we leave, keep tanning (I'm looking sickly in the dead of winter..here, where it's currently -30 at its warmest), and then I have to cross my fingers that my hair turns out as planned as I haven't had it colored since Aug. (don't ask me why...guess I'm just THAT busy). Wait, forgot to add to that list that I still have to decide how I want my hair styled and how I want my make up, too, not to mention I'll have to go out and purchase the makeup I decide on because I'm doing it myself. ALSO...I had a major shoe-dilema: I have to hold my breath until my shoes arrive on Tues.--assuming they WILL show up!--ordered my shoes from DSW.com in November & called and called to see what happened to them only to find out last week that they were returned to the company & since I had purchased them on sale, they were no longer available after the new year. The lady helping supposedly "tried her best" to work around this & get me my shoes I had been waiting for since Nov. (they never did come to my address) & she said it wouldn't be happening. Friday afternoon, my doorbell rang, and the mailman handed me a package from DSW. Yep, the shoes came (by some miracle, I guess). But too bad I had already ordered a pair from a completely different company & tried them on for the heck of and HATED them. (Blessing in disguise?) Sorry for the long rant...but instead of feeling excited and "ready to go!", I am feeling anxious and extremely overwhelmed

Have never used it before. I am a proud Facebooker ***************************************** Mad Men? (AMC tv series...just got done watching tonight's new episode..haha!)

If you plan to conceive within the next year, I would suggest taking a pre-natal vitamin..should have the folic acid and all the the goodies to help you be your healthiest--but still shouldn't skip on eating right and getting at least minimal exercise I am a first time Mom, so haven't gone through the whole experience more than my 1st and only time-- for now --but I didn't even use a pre-natal vitamin, I just stuck to my original supplement because my Mom told me about how sick pre-natal vitamins made her due to the amount of iron (we are both iron anemic and iron pills can be hard on the stomach, & she mentioned how *that* nausea mixed with the nausea that can be associated w/ pregnancy isn't the funnest combo). I just took her word for it & stuck to "Women's One-a-Day". That is what I have been taking since high school. I have never felt sick from them or experienced any adverse effects (even during my pregnancy), so that would be my best recommendation. I don't eat meat (not that I have sworn it off, but I very rarely eat it because it grosses me out so much), besides fish, and I probably don't get as much vitamin D as I should be (since I live up north, where it is hard to get "natural D" from direct sunlight)...I try making the healthiest choices w/ food, but I am not perfect and since I am deficient in iron, vit. D, and most of the time vit. B I take the supplement just to be sure. I used to always get sick growing up, especially this time of the year, and I very rarely get very sick anymore. Supplements, I have found, also help in your overall appearance. I feel like my hair is healthier, my skin, and I have more energy...they just help if you don't constantly concern yourself with having well-balanced meals. And, for me, I ensure that my baby eats well-balanced meals but for myself I skip meals and throw things together in a hurry because I don't have as much time to myself (and I am a SAHM, imagine that?!)

Well, I don't know that our guests will be "WOW'ed" by this but we wanted to incorporate our daughter somehow into the ceremony & since we are not having a wedding party, just us to up there, we wanted to find a special way to have her included. So, the idea I thought up was having her walk down with the assistance of my (only) sister (who's 12, so it would have been hard to have her be a MOH since she's so young anyhow). Our daughter, Sienna, is going to be 18 months at the time of our big day so while she has already mastered walking (and running!), she will need someone to help her stay put & not run away from the ceremony. We are going to purchase a special necklace (maybe a charm necklace or just a pretty chain) to hang our wedding bands on and have my sister slip it off from around her neck to hand us the rings for the exchange. We thought it would be a sweet way to incorporate both our daughter & my sister and (hopefully) a smooth way of having the rings given to us for the exchange. I have yet to find the necklace we will use for this but we want to find something special that will serve as a keepsake, so she can have it forever. We are also going to ask my FMIL to say a blessing during our ceremony because she is a very devoted follower and leads bible studies on a weekly basis (so is used to speaking in front of small groups)...she also does marriage counseling at their church so she may have some wise advice or "golden rule" to a happy life together. Not necessarily "wow" elements but sentimental and special touches, to make our day special to those involved.

Gorgeous backdrops and amazing edits. They are very beautiful! And all the ones you posted would make stunning portraits

David's Bridal has some nice mark-downs. Not sure what kind of style you are in to but I looked at a few dresses that followed your description. Here are the links: This one is $249.99 (marked down from $399): David's Bridal - Chiffon A-line gown with V-notch neckline and brooch at waist. This one is $299.99 (a 50% off markdown from $600). It's not chiffon, it's chermuese, but a one-shoulder, a-line, w/ empire waist... David's Bridal - One shoulder charmeuse slim A-line. This one is $449.99 (down from $700). Not sure if you're in to lace & beading, though... David's Bridal - Beaded lace tank, chiffon split front over charmeuse slim A-line. This one is $249.99 (from $399) and is a sweetheart halter w/ empire waist & sweep train... David's Bridal - Sweetheart halter A-line with beaded crochet lace. And here are 2 more... This one is $299.99: David's Bridal - Chiffon empire A-line gown with pleated bust. And this one is $299.99: David's Bridal - Crinkle Chiffon A-Line Halter with pleated neckline and crisscross waist detail. This is only one store, so can kind of show you it's definitely possible to find something your looking for to work with your budget. And if you manage to find something so far under your budget, you can always consider "splurging" a bit more on accessories Good luck & let us know what you find/choose!