2 months from now we'll be in sunny (hopefully) Mexico, celebrating with friends and family. We're very much looking forward to the trip and a nice relaxing getaway from work and the city. Planning has slowed a bit, but we did finally get our engagement pictures taken. Will try to post on that soon!
P.S. Apologies to anybody who has struggled or been frustrated when trying to book through our travel agent. Recent communications with her have been frustrating for us as well, as she does not appear to grasp "main ideas" or answer questions directly. We're not sure why this seems to be so difficult, but recognize the frustration that follows. Thanks for your patience.
Kelly and I were able to get out this afternoon and do some more registering for our wedding. She went to her check-up for her Lasik surgery in the morning and everything checked out just fine.
We headed out to Macy's to start our registry there and had a great experience. The Bridal Registry folks were super nice and helpful and we found several things to add to our list. We will probably add some more items later on, but have a good start. After that we decided to head over to Carson's (Bergners, Yonkers, etc) to open another registry. We had planned to pick 3 stores to register at. One we knew friends and family would be able to find in both their areas (Bed Bath & Beyond), one that my family could find around the Quad Cities (Carson's) and one Kelly's family could find around them (Macy's). We chose these 3 because they also have locations near us as well. After wandering around Carson's trying to find the place to sign up for our registry we decided to ask a woman at a checkout counter who acted irritated with us and snapped at us to go around the corner where some one could help us. We went around the corner where we found no one so Kelly hunted down someone who said she could help but treated her like she was bothering her. Then after sitting down with her she gets a call and then tells Kelly she has something else she has to take care of and if she wanted to wait around 10-15 minutes some "might" be by to help. At this point I said forget it. There is no way we are sending friends and family business their way after that kind of treatment. We are currently in the process of identifying another store both here in the Chicago area and in the Quad Cities. If you have any suggestions we would love to hear them!
Aside from that Bed Bath & Beyond and Macy's were excellent!
We headed out to Macy's to start our registry there and had a great experience. The Bridal Registry folks were super nice and helpful and we found several things to add to our list. We will probably add some more items later on, but have a good start. After that we decided to head over to Carson's (Bergners, Yonkers, etc) to open another registry. We had planned to pick 3 stores to register at. One we knew friends and family would be able to find in both their areas (Bed Bath & Beyond), one that my family could find around the Quad Cities (Carson's) and one Kelly's family could find around them (Macy's). We chose these 3 because they also have locations near us as well. After wandering around Carson's trying to find the place to sign up for our registry we decided to ask a woman at a checkout counter who acted irritated with us and snapped at us to go around the corner where some one could help us. We went around the corner where we found no one so Kelly hunted down someone who said she could help but treated her like she was bothering her. Then after sitting down with her she gets a call and then tells Kelly she has something else she has to take care of and if she wanted to wait around 10-15 minutes some "might" be by to help. At this point I said forget it. There is no way we are sending friends and family business their way after that kind of treatment. We are currently in the process of identifying another store both here in the Chicago area and in the Quad Cities. If you have any suggestions we would love to hear them!
Aside from that Bed Bath & Beyond and Macy's were excellent!
Kelly and I finally decided to get out and start developing our registry lists for our wedding, especially since we have some showers coming up. We started our registry with Bed Bath & Beyond today, but need to complete it. We ran out of time before we could complete the list because Kelly had an appt for her Lasik surgery to get too. We plan to get out in the next day or so to finish registering there and to create our registries at Macy's and Carson Pirie Scott (Bergner's). We'll get another post up here once we finish the registries. So stay tuned!
As most of you know at this point, we plan to have party/receptions in our hometowns so we can celebrate with friends and families who were unable to make it to Mexico for the wedding. We wanted to give an update on the party in (near) Lyndon which is going to be on Saturday, July 18. We will be having it at Rockwood State Park near Morrison, IL which is about 8-10 miles from my parents' home in Lyndon. We have booked the large Lake View Pavilion that over looks Lake Carlton. We thought it would be nice to keep the event outdoors but close to home where there would be a covered area in case the weather isn't great and keep the mess away from mom and dad's :). The pavilion has plenty of space and has a playground near it for those who want to bring their kids. Plus the park has plenty of amenities, including fishing, camping, hiking, etc. We will have food and drink for the guests. As we have more details we will be sure to update this blog. Let us know if you have any questions.
So, yesterday I ordered Dress #2! Hopefully it fits and flatters and all that good stuff. I already have my dress for the beach wedding, but I wanted something a tad more casual for the receptions back home. For the beach wedding dress, I got an incredible deal and the dress fits like a glove. No alterations needed unless I gain or lose a bunch of weight. I also got a great deal on the more casual dress, and it's exactly what I had in mind when I pictured what I would ideally wear at the other parties. I completely lucked out, too, because when I went back to the website today it was out of stock and the price had gone up! Phew! Glad I didn't sit that one out - I may have snagged the last one!
Next on the list is to get the rest of the save the date cards out. We've gotta push on our families a bit to get those lists finalized and get the needed addresses. We are also going to try to get our parents together to meet prior to the wedding. Hopefully we can find a weekend sometime soon for them to both visit to get to know each other over dinner!
Next on the list is to get the rest of the save the date cards out. We've gotta push on our families a bit to get those lists finalized and get the needed addresses. We are also going to try to get our parents together to meet prior to the wedding. Hopefully we can find a weekend sometime soon for them to both visit to get to know each other over dinner!
Wow! Still quite a bit of time, but we are sure getting closer. I think a short engagement does that. :) We're both working out more, trying to get in shape for all that time we'll be spending on the beach! I was inspired by crazy workout girl at the gym yesterday, she was doing some nutso ab stuff - maybe someday I'll be capable of that again... I'm also trying to decide what to do about my pale-ness. I might splurge and get myself one of those fancy air brushed on tans from a hoity toity salon, but we'll see.
Overall, we're in really good shape with the planning. We're starting to think about the hometown parties a bit more, including getting in touch with some caterers near Heath's parents' place.
Overall, we're in really good shape with the planning. We're starting to think about the hometown parties a bit more, including getting in touch with some caterers near Heath's parents' place.
- As Mindy commented on my last post, yes I did get a dress. I got it for a SUPER BARGAIN and it is my safety net dress. I love it, but am going to keep my eyes open in case anything else comes along. I wanted to have something lovely to fall back on just in case school and life get so hectic that I lose track of time and don't have anything!
- We've sent out a few save the date cards with our Christmas cards. We've been utterly lazy in getting those in the mail, but now that finals are over, I'm able to devote a bit more time to domestic-y tasks like that!
- Only a few RSVPs are outstanding. We've gotten at least verbal answers from most of the people on our list. We were a little disappointed that some people, including family members, were unable to get the cards back to us. I mean, it's pre-addressed and stamped, folks!
- Christmas is coming, which means busy busy busy. We'll be traveling a lot, as usual, but are looking forward to seeing our families for the holidays!
The due date for RSVPs is tomorrow! We're doing pretty good so far, but there are a few stragglers out there. Thanks to those of you who have sent in your cards. For those of you we haven't heard from yet, shoot us an email and/or drop the card in the mail soon, so we can wrap up this part of the planning.
Save the date cards for the "hometown" receptions will go in the mail shortly!
Save the date cards for the "hometown" receptions will go in the mail shortly!
Lyndon, IL (or thereabouts) - Saturday, July 18
Grand Rapids, MI - Saturday, August 15
Details will be provided as we near the dates.
Grand Rapids, MI - Saturday, August 15
Details will be provided as we near the dates.
Looks like the overwhelming majority (72%) of the avalanche of votes (11 total! woot!), think a long dress is the best bet. I have to agree. The dresses I've tried on so far have all been long. Some had trains, but I'd like to stay away from that, at least from a super long train. Hopefully I can find something cute!
So far, we've gotten back about 5 or 6 response cards from people. As expected, some of the people we invited won't be able to make it. We've also heard from a number of people that will be there! A few of our friends and family members have given us verbal yes's, which is exciting - we think we'll have a really fun turnout! For those that can't make it, we'll definitely miss you at the wedding, but we hope you'll be able to celebrate with us later on in the summer. :)
Even though there's more than a month until the date, I'm antsy to get the cards back so we can be thinking ahead to the actual guest list and everything that goes along with that. We'll likely send an email reminder out to folks sometime in December after the RSVP date passes.
We are so happy with the decision to do a destination wedding. Even though there was a bit more planning up front, it's so nice to sit back for now and not have to worry about a million little (and big) things. We pretty much just have to find outfits at this point!
Even though there's more than a month until the date, I'm antsy to get the cards back so we can be thinking ahead to the actual guest list and everything that goes along with that. We'll likely send an email reminder out to folks sometime in December after the RSVP date passes.
We are so happy with the decision to do a destination wedding. Even though there was a bit more planning up front, it's so nice to sit back for now and not have to worry about a million little (and big) things. We pretty much just have to find outfits at this point!
We've got the invitations out, and I thought this would be a good time to let visitors know that we'll be having a few open house type receptions (read: casual, laid back) in our hometowns when we return from Mexico. We're still working out the specifics on when those will be, and we'll send out save the date cards as soon as we have it pinned down.
We know that with a destination wedding, not everybody will be able to attend. We still want to celebrate with those friends and family members who won't be able to make it for the actual wedding. So, if you're reading this and are worried about not being able to celebrate with us, don't worry!
We know that with a destination wedding, not everybody will be able to attend. We still want to celebrate with those friends and family members who won't be able to make it for the actual wedding. So, if you're reading this and are worried about not being able to celebrate with us, don't worry!
As previously posted, we received the invitations late last week. They look great. Last night, we put them together while watching Heroes, and got them pretty much done. I have to hunt down another address or two, but the remainder are going in the mail today! Hopefully we get lots of replies fairly quickly!
In an earlier post I started listing out other activities that visitors to the Barcelo Maya resort can partake in. This another post with more ideas, if you want to get away from the resort for the day.
Another tourist attraction are the ancient Mayan ruins that are practically littered across the Yucatan peninsula. Only 20-30 minutes away are the ruins of Tulum or if you are feeling a little more adventurous you can check out the major ancient city of Chichen Itza.
Chichen Itza
Another tourist attraction are the ancient Mayan ruins that are practically littered across the Yucatan peninsula. Only 20-30 minutes away are the ruins of Tulum or if you are feeling a little more adventurous you can check out the major ancient city of Chichen Itza.
Tulum
Chichen ItzaBoth are uncovered lost cities built by the Mayans thousands of years ago and are a site to see. Chichen Itza is quite a bit further away from the resort and will take most of the day to travel to and from and explore, but my parents have been there and thought it was awesome. So if you are a history buff like me it may be worth seeing. Otherwise, if you are just mildly curious but don't want to burn a whole day doing it then Tulum may be more your style. The resort has charter buses that travel to both locations.
As always you can swing by the activities desk a the Barcelo hotel lobby to book one of these things to do or you can always check with your travel booking group and book ahead of time. I would recommend waiting to get down there to decide what day you want to sign up for so you can see what the weather will be like.
We'll try to get them out in the next week or so. Things are quite busy, but all we really have to do is address them. We found a designer through etsy.com and she did a lovely job. She was very communicative and flexible. She did the work quickly and beautifully and we'd certainly recommend her highly!
Her website is here: www.thestylishscribe.blogspot.com
Her etsy site is here: chprfan.etsy.com
Her website is here: www.thestylishscribe.blogspot.com
Her etsy site is here: chprfan.etsy.com
We're awaiting the invitations, which will hopefully go out sometime next week. (Fast, I know!) Heath and I have our trip booked, and some family members have started looking into the process as well.
Booking travel these days is very often a DIY venture. When Heath and I travel, we typically go online and find the best deal ourselves. For the destination wedding, we opted to get in touch with a real-live travel agent to help manage the process for us and our guests. The deals she presented to us were better than anything we could find online at the time, so we decided to go ahead and book through her.
That being said, prices change and there are countless websites that allow you to search for and put together travel packages on your own. At times, the prices will be lower than the prices we put out there through our agent, Suzanne. A couple of thoughts on this. Most of it is common sense, but we want our guests to have a good experience and be aware of some of these things.
You certainly don't have to book through our travel agent, but if possible, as a courtesy, it would be nice to give her the opportunity to match the prices you find online. She has given us a lot of her time and help already, so I'd like to keep her in mind. If she cannot match the price, then I certainly can't begrudge you for booking on your own.
Thanks!
Note: This post will be accessible via a link in the Travel Information Section
Booking travel these days is very often a DIY venture. When Heath and I travel, we typically go online and find the best deal ourselves. For the destination wedding, we opted to get in touch with a real-live travel agent to help manage the process for us and our guests. The deals she presented to us were better than anything we could find online at the time, so we decided to go ahead and book through her.
That being said, prices change and there are countless websites that allow you to search for and put together travel packages on your own. At times, the prices will be lower than the prices we put out there through our agent, Suzanne. A couple of thoughts on this. Most of it is common sense, but we want our guests to have a good experience and be aware of some of these things.
- Be mindful of whether you are seeing a direct flight or a flight with connections. When we traveled to Mexico last year, we had a connection between different airlines in Mexico City. While this was manageable, it was confusing and stressful. We ended up burning pretty much an entire day in the airports, and didn't arrive to the resort until dark.
- Also, ensure that the prices you are being quoted include taxes, fees, and transfers. Those things can add up in a hurry, so you want to be sure that you are looking at an actual price before making your decision.
- If you do find a seemingly better deal, feel free to email it over to our travel agent to see if she can match it. If she can, you may have the option of avoiding paying in full up front. Additionally, if she is able to work her connections to get a group upgrade in rooms, you would get to be in on that as well.
- Please make sure make sure make sure that it is the right resort and the right dates!
You certainly don't have to book through our travel agent, but if possible, as a courtesy, it would be nice to give her the opportunity to match the prices you find online. She has given us a lot of her time and help already, so I'd like to keep her in mind. If she cannot match the price, then I certainly can't begrudge you for booking on your own.
Thanks!
Note: This post will be accessible via a link in the Travel Information Section
I'm doing some preliminary dress shopping this weekend, so we'll see how that goes. I also updated the wedding details page with some thoughts on attire, which are also posted here:
Attire is beach dressy (a term I made up). We want people to be cool and comfortable, but not totally beach bummy. Ladies, a cute sundress or something like that is fine with sandals or flipflops (the bride and groom may both be barefoot). Guys, we'd like some form of sleeves (short is fine), so a polo or button down with khakis would probably be your best bet.
Attire is beach dressy (a term I made up). We want people to be cool and comfortable, but not totally beach bummy. Ladies, a cute sundress or something like that is fine with sandals or flipflops (the bride and groom may both be barefoot). Guys, we'd like some form of sleeves (short is fine), so a polo or button down with khakis would probably be your best bet.
If you have some spare time and are interested in picking up a little Spanish, the BBC offers some free online lessons. Pretty much everybody speaks English at the resort, but it might be fun to learn a bit or brush up on some rusty skills.
BBC - Languages - Spanish
BBC - Languages - Spanish
As we get closer to finalizing plans for the wedding in Riviera Maya, I thought it might be a helpful to list some other items to do around the Barcelo Maya resort. As Kelly mentioned before there is tons to do to keep yourself entertained within the resort for no extra cost, such as:
- swimming pools
- beach sports (soccer, volleyball, etc)
- arts & crafts
- eating
- drinking at one of the swim up or walk up bars
- napping in one of the many hammocks
- and much more
There are also a number of activities for a fee like ATV rides in the jungle, horse back riding, etc. If you are looking to get off the resort for a day one highly recommended spot to visit is Xel-Ha about 20 minutes away. When Kelly and I were in Mexico last year, we checked this place out and loved it. Xel-Ha is an all inclusive nature fun park (think national park with a bar). It is an ecological sanctuary where visitors are allowed to snorkel, hike and relax with mother nature. The park is a jungle that surrounds a spring fed river that flows out to the Caribbean. The water way is open to the sea so many of the fish swim up in its waters. You can do many things such as snorkel amongst the shores and caves with many exotic fish, grab a tube and float down the river through mangroves, jump off a 12 foot cliff into the river, eat and drink at the all inclusive restaurant, swim with the dolphins (extra fee), hike through the paved nature trial and more. The park is all inclusive and the fee covers your meals at the restaurant and drinks at the bar (throughout the day) as well as snorkel gear (flippers, mask, snorkel and life vest). The only thing you would need money for once inside would be to swim with the dolphins or for any trinket shopping you might want to do. The park is very picturesque and relaxing and never really seems crowded. Oh and don't bother bringing sun block. The park requires that you use their sun block (free packet provided) because it is environmentally friendly and won't hurt the fish you are swimming with. If it is something you think you want to try Kelly and I would recommend it. It was one of the highlights of our trip.
Barcelo has a desk at each of the hotel lobbies where you can sign up for excursions like this when you get there or I am sure you can book something up front through the travel agent you choose to use. In the mean time check out the website for Xel-Ha (http://www.xelha.com/) or let Kelly and I know if you have any questions. I will try to have more posts like this over time to let you know what other stuff there is to do around the resort
June 16, 2009 it is!
I just heard back from the resort and they're holding the date for us! Now we can really get moving on booking our trip and getting the invites finalized! Keep an eye on the wedding details and travel information tabs for continued updates!
I just heard back from the resort and they're holding the date for us! Now we can really get moving on booking our trip and getting the invites finalized! Keep an eye on the wedding details and travel information tabs for continued updates!
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