I'm a Bride of 2006!

I came to this website, engaged but having never ever been to a wedding before. My name is Bonnie and I married my husband Joe October 6th, 2006. We had a medieval wedding, our way and in your face! I was a bride who wanted to break every rule I didn't make.
This site was a lot of help for me. When you're engaged all you want to do is talk about your wedding. And all everyone else around you wants you to talk about anything but!. LOL Hence LI weddings was my saving grace. I had a lot of fun here and being a 06 Bride will always mean a lot to me. I have my little love story on my website I have some great moments on this board. One of my favorite moments was when I showed the girls the top to my wedding dresses for my very medieval barbaric wedding! My wedding dress top!
In all fairness I didn't give you 06 girls enough warning. Here is my first 06 ! post Sorry girls!
For those who want to know the ABC's of 06 I suggest you click here!
This thread was great. It makes me laugh everytime I read it!

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Message edited 12/28/2007 9:59:01 AM.

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

I'll add my piece with links/pict later....

I joined the web site back in 2005, but it took me a good year (or so it seems) to actually talk on the boards. I didn't really start up until Dec. '05/Jan '06. By then, some of the '06ers were just weeks away from getting married themselves.

I finally decided to bite the bullet and went to the Feb '06 GTG that Kathleen (BeautyQ115) planned. And Hollie (hmpena) made sure through FM that I would be there and offered friendly banter to help me feel more at ease before I arrived. That was the start of some of the most amazing times I could have since I was new to the area. The start of the best of times for me! The friendships I have made off this board have been amazing and I will always cherish!!

These wonderful 06ers have made planning our wedding very easy and fun, which it should be!! Wedding planning may seem stressful now, but life offers more stress as you continue with it - mainly HOUSE HUNTING!! I'll plan my wedding another 1000x if need be, but I hope I never have to house hunt again!!

Some hopeful advice for all future brides, here are my thoughts:
1. Have fun wedding planning!
2. Have fun wedding planning!
3. Have fun wedding planning!
4. Take a minute out from your reception and look around you - those friends, family, guests, are there celebrating you two - your love for one another, your committment to one another, the start of your life together. That is a moment that NO ONE can ever take from you and you will always cherish!
5. And lastly.....never be afraid to ask for help! Either with your friends/family, or the men and women on this board. There are people out there who will help, and will make this experience feel positive and enjoying!!

Some helpful threads (there are millions, but here are mine):
1. LIW Help: HOW TO INSERT A PICTURE IN YOUR POST (without resizing)!

2. Bustle Styles
3. Brentwood Country Club Brides
4. DIY Projects!!
5. Centerpiece Thread
6. Half-Up Hair thread
7. Official Hair Thread

And I'll stop annoying you all there - I know there are many more....

Again, above all, congratulations to all future bride to be's, make sure to enjoy your day to the fullest - it goes by way too quickly, and remember that the planning should not take over your life!

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

I can't believe I am beginning to write this as we close our the 06 board. It seemed like the day would never come as I have been around since April 2004 I joined LIW as soon as I was engaged on April 10, 2004 in search of all the help I could get to plan the wedding that DH & I wanted. I never thought I would meet such a wonderful group of ladies & become such great friends with a select few.

Since I was around since early in 2004, I was able to watch many of the wonderful 2005 brides who gave us inspiration get married off. I could not imagine how quickly our wedding dates in 2006 would come upon us. Much of my planning didn't truly begin until late 2004 & early 2005. One of the first that left a lasting impression on me was the wonderful, leese! Who would have known that back in Decemeber 04 we would be the friends that we are now. Leese contaced me via FM to ask about Floral Terrace, as she was looking there too. The rest was history for us. Just amazing that we ended up getting married 6 days apart

It all began for me when I met Kris516, nypdgrl, kim51103 & leese at a GTG at Jillian's on Route 110. It made the entire planning process so real. From there, wonderful friendships were made & continued on. It is unfortunate that I was not able to meet every single one of you bc the 06 girls truly are the best. Back in August 06, I was fortunate enough to meet a lot more of the 06 girls at the Cozymel's GTG & I am so glad I was able to go. To hear so many wedding memories & to still hear some of the girls that were planning. I want to give a wonderful thank you to ChrissyNRicky for her big bash at the end of 06 at Fox Hollow. I still get tears when I see the slideshow in this post.
2006 GTG
Again, I was able to meet a lot more of the wonderful 06 girls that made this board possible. It was also great to really be able to thank Ron & Liz for such a wonderful site to be able to bounce ideas off of others.

With all that said, I want to leave a very informative piece of advice:
** When the stress of wedding planning gets to you, try to take a moment & step back & realize what is truly important...The marriage bond that your DH & you are about to share.
**Minor details will truly not matter & if they go wrong the day of (something always will), only your DH & you will know about it. You will get stressed out the further along you get in terms of planning but in the end, it is worth it. Just try to keep yourselves level-headed & realize what is the most important.
**If possible, stick to a timeline, it will keep you organized & more ready for changes that might get thrown at you.
**Remember that even though every bride wants a beautiful day for their wedding, weather is one thing you can not control. If it rains, make the best of it, you will have wonderful pictures to look back at. Just because you are pick a "season" does not mean you will get the best weather possible! I could not have asked for a better March wedding with temps in the 70's.

The day of your wedding, remember the following:
**Take it all in as the day happens. Even as you get your hair done, let day sink in & try to truly enjoy it. This is what you worked so hard in planning
**Remember to eat something in the AM, this way you are not starved or end up getting drunk on that one drink bc there is nothing in your system. Your dress will still fit even with a bagel that morning
**Once you arrive at your ceremony site, never look back at the clock. Let the day continue on anyway it goes. This is the time to concentrate on what you see at the end of the aisle once the doors open. This is the feeling you will remember forever.
**As you state your vows, try to really look into DH's eyes, even if it makes you cry, so that you can see the emotions & share the moment with each other
**Before the reception starts, take a moment with your DH & really indulge in the moment. This was what the planning was all for. You are able to enter into a room of people that are all there to celebrate with you & enjoy your bond.
**Last but not least, remember to eat!!!! It is most important to get a taste of EVERYTHING your guests are having. You were the ones that wanted to make it PERFECT for everyone else, so now you enjoy it!!! Dance the night away, even if that means you don't make it to say hello to everyone!!!

Enjoy your days as a bride & truly enjoy your marriage once the wedding is over. The memories will be with you forever & whatever may go sour, turn it into something wonderful...I am a prime example..Read my Review & you will see:
My Review

Some helpful links that got me through:
Tipping
Floral Terrace Thread
Ceremony Music Thread
Hair Threads
06 Official Reception Music

Last but not least: Once you are married, you need this info
After Marriage Info

All the best to the ladies of 06 & hope that all the future brides can take this advice & plan wonderful weddings...Congrats to all!
Kristen & Jason AKA Kissy27 3/31/2006

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

How come no one else is posting on here??? we all wanted to leave something behind & now the weeks are dwindling down

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

I am BRIDE OF 2006...My name is Kathleen or beautyq115 owner of over 16000 posts...

I came on the scene in December of 2004 Seems like so long ago. I got engaged on Dec 17, 2004 and we had just begun to look at reception halls. Tim was searching online about the Swan Club and low and behold this was this magical site called Long Island Weddings....well the rest as they say is history Soon I was on here like it was my job...I became additcted pretty quick. I think I first began chatting with Hollie and Leslie at first. I was supposed to attend the first 2006 GTG but chickened out...little know fact for you I attended my first GTG in April of '05 where I finally met Hollie, Cindy, Debbie, Melissa, Kelly and some other lovely 2006 girls. It was amazing that virtual strangers hit it off in a matter of ten minutes!

From that GTG there were more,,,many many more

Courtesy of Cindy..SweetCin


So young and innocent back then :)


(From Betsy) this is the one I planned :)




And then we were married ladies



From the GTGs I made such great friends. When I joined I was just looking for some wedding advice and I came out of it with some great friendships.

Planning my wedding was stressful but I couldn't have done it without this site....

However there were some things that made me a little crazy and this is what LIW brides get a little crazy about....and its called DIY

* Spinning Card box...never quite figured out
*Cry packs...decided in the end I just had way too much to do
*And then there were my programs that caused me a lof of stress but I loved them in the end
*
*Monogrammed cake topper

Other things I stressed about...

MY HAIR...had to be just right and in the end it was

The famous bride...everyone loved her hair



and my hair on my big day



In the end all of the stress was worth it because Tim and I had the time of our lives and I was fortunate to have some of my LIW girls to help me celebrate..Here are some pics from my wedding


Getting ready


My grandma and I






MARRIED


The all important monogrammed cake topper


My mom and I




I have to say that I have without a doubt enjoyed my time as an '06 Bride! I know that there was a reason that Tim stumbled on this site three years ago this month. I could not have gotten through the stress of planning a wedding without the help of the ladies on this site...especially my 2006 girls! It was more than advice it was a strong bond that we shared. I am so glad to call many of you my friends. I cannot wait to make more memories at future GTGs, christenings, brisses (hopefully that is the plural of briss), or baby namings, BBQs, housewarming parties, kid's birthday parties etc....

Love you '06...you really have meant a lot to me

Kathleen

Message edited 12/31/2007 6:15:38 PM.

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

I'm Betty. DH and I got engaged on February 26, 2005. Soon after I started doing research everywhere while trying to figure out how to have a nice wedding without breaking the bank. I was on line one day when I stumbled upon LIW and never left.

This site proved invaulable for the information and tips. So, I am going to leave my little set of tips for future brides.

Here are my two cents:

You will be separated from your DH at the CH and reception as people grab you to talk and take pictures. FIND EACH OTHER. Try to experience as much of the day as you can together.

Dance together - something other than the first dance.

Sit down to dinner together.

Look around at all of your guests and take it all in.

Don't let the small screw ups ruin your day. Accept the fact, RIGHT NOW, that they will happen.

I received some great pictures via e-mail from my friends and family - consider leaving a little note at each table with your e-mail address asking guests to e-mail you any nice pictures that they take (I'm sure some creative gal can come up with a cute little rhyme for the occasion). It's cheaper than table cameras, and you will love looking at all the great candid and silly shots that your guests take.

Don't let the stress of planning ruin this for your. In the long run it's not about the wedding day, it's about the marriage.

Best of luck in the new year to all the future brides. Happy planning.

Message edited 12/21/2007 5:16:08 PM.

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

Bump - We need to keep this going before they close our board!!!

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

Awww this is one of the nicest posts I have seen on LIW....please 06 girls keep writing!!!!!

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

Well, with only a few days left in 2007..I thought I'd contribute to this thread as "our" board goes down in a blaze of glory!!

I came to LIW in late 2005. I had reconnected with a high school friend on myspace who was also getting married in 2006 and she told me I HAD to join you wonderful girls. JEANINEHUBERT was the one who introduced me to the LIW world and I've chatted with so many great people. All of my vendors were already booked at the time that I joined but it was great to see reviews and get advice on the smaller things that I had left to do. It was so great to have you girls to share all of the experiences with and made planning that much more fun!
I had a long engagement so our wedding day was a really proud moment for us as a couple. We really worked hard to make it happen on our own and wanted it to be everything we dreamed of. And that it was! I think the best moment was when we had some of our guests coming up to us (well, really me ) to tell us what a beautiful wedding it was. It meant a lot since we waited 2 1/2 years to get married so we could afford to have a beautiful wedding. It was well worth the wait!!!
The only advice I ever give to other brides is to take a moment during your hectic reception and look around at what is happening for you and your hubby. It is an AMAZING feeling when you say to yourself "wow, this is all for us!"
I hope to see all of my 06 girls over on LIF so we can continue to share new and exciting experiences for years to come!
Goodbye 06 board! It's been a fun ride!!

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Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

I joined LIW way late in my planning. I had already booked all of my ‘major’ vendors. WHAT A MISTAKE! This website is a way to find the very best of the best. It's an amazing resource. It also inspired me to make everything really personal.

I did everything I could to make sure no matter where a guest looked or at what point of the wedding we were at it would be different than any other bride. I wore leopard shoes and had red nail polish. I had the actual band that sings our first dance song come and play it as a surprise to my DH, I had a casino for fun. I made my own giant hay centerpieces, I made a giant tree with hanging leaves, leaf place cards in a grass box, programs, tissue packs, favor tags, wreaths for the doors, a sign for where you turn to get to the reception, personalized matches and cigars with dessert… I made so many decorative touches to go with my fall theme, I wanted the whole venue to have my touch. Thank goodness I have a video, because I even forgot half the stuff I did until I saw it.

So many brides say the ceremony is the most important part and then don't do anything with that part of the day. We wrote not only our vows but pretty much the whole ceremony. I made things to decorate the entire ceremony site. I wanted to look back on that part of the day and have it be special.

Don't forget what the day is about - it's about you and your FH getting married. Make THAT the most important thing. In 10 years you may not remember what your menu choices were, you may not remember how many roses were in your bouquet or if your cousin wore white *gasp* but you'll remember your vows and how it felt to be pronounced man and wife.

Don't worry about the rain. You can't control is, so if the weather man says it's going to rain 2 weeks or 2 hours before your wedding, don't stress, because you can't do anything about it. Whether it's raining or sunny, you're still marrying the man of your dreams. It poured rain for my outdoor ceremony & cocktail hour. I had them under a tent. It was still perfect.

All you have after all is said and done are your rings, your pictures and your husband. Make sure you make good choices for those I didn’t make the right choice for a photographer, so I had a day after shoot done with Angelica Glass. She is amazing, I am always thankful for finding her through this site.

My review:
http://www.liweddings.com/chat/topic-352472-1.html

The MOTHER of all helpful threads thread - it has all the 'official' threads:
http://www.liweddings.com/chat/topic.aspx?ID=375341







From Angelica Glass day after shoot

Message edited 12/20/2007 1:26:18 PM.

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

I am a Bride of 2006 and I planned my wedding from Dallas, Texas. My name is Kathleen and my husband is Jimmy. We have been together since 1994 and our wedding was much anticipated by our family and friends!

My husband is from New York and wanted to get married there. I knew nothing about New York weddings and nothing about Long Island! I stumbled upon this website from a link on The Knot. A good friend of mine recommended Jericho Terrace and I never looked back! I planned the wedding in 7 months and it was the most perfect day of my life.

This site was IMMENSE help for me. I knew nothing about planning a wedding and nothing about Long Island. The girls on this site were amazing help and the vendor reviews were my favorite part of this site. Being a 06 Bride will always mean a great deal to me. It was an amazing time during my life that I will never forget. I made some lifelong friendships with specific women on this site and they will forever be linked to the memory of my wedding.

Helpful advice for future brides:
1. Enjoy the planning but most of all, enjoy your day! Nothing will ever come close to the joy that you experience the day you marry your love. Don't let anything ruin the day.

2. Don't fret the small stuff! I barely remember parts of my wedding because the day flies by in a blur. I remember the happy moments and the joy. I don't remember the color of the napkins on my table.

3. Make sure you are surrounded by your loved ones. The size of your wedding doesn't matter as much as ensuring the important people in your life are part of your special day.

4. Get a video!! I didn't realize there were so many special things going on around me until I saw my wedding video. It helped me see so many things that I didn't see because I was getting my bustle fixed or talking to a guest. You won't regret getting a video but you may regret NOT getting one.

5. Make sure you love your photographer. It was one of the most important things I took away from my wedding day and something I will always think about. I have amazing pictures of my wedding party and my family but I didn't have any good pictures of my husband and I together.

6. And the last thing I would say is appreciate the love that you feel on your wedding day and cherish that emotion. When times are tough, try to remember all of the good things that brought you together and the emotions of this day will carry you through the tough times.

One of my favorite moments from LIW was when I had a small GTG with two special women. These women will always be in my heart and I hope part of my life forever.

Link to my wedding review

Some of my favorite pics from our wedding and day after shoot.

Message edited 12/20/2007 9:23:55 PM.

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

I'm a bride of 2006!

DH and I got engaged in April 2005 and I had Westbury Manor booked 8 days later! I wasted no time!

I started going to get-togethers and met some of the best friends I could ever have. Beautyq115, Patticakes, Ewickens, Goldi0218, cjb88 and many, many other brides are still my close friends and I have those get-togethers to thank for it. As we all go into the next chapter of our lives, I know we won't ever forget each other. We had some great times at those restaurants and Betsey has the photos to prove it!

Some things I really took from the wedding process:
1) Get a video! I love mine and would be devastated if I couldn't relive those memories and show them to my kids one day. It tells the story better than pictures and I absolutely love it.

2) Be careful of reviews. I WISH i had only listened to past brides and not upcoming brides when I booked vendors. Vendors are ALWAYS sweet and nice to a bride who still has to pay them money. If I had gone with reviews from PAST brides, I would have been much happier with some vendors and wouldn't have made the mistakes I made. Just because a name is popular DOES NOT mean they are reputable.

3) Get pictures with all of your family members and close friends. Sounds obvious right? But I have no pictures with just me and my cousins, aunts, uncles, etc because I never thought of telling the photographers to get them.

4) Don't get caught up in the small things. No one cares if your invitations match your bridesmaid dresses or if you have 3 tiers instead of 4 tiers on your cake. What they care about is if you are happy, and that really is all that matters!

5) Have the honeymoon of your dreams! Our Tahiti/South Pacific honeymoon is something I will never forget and will probably never be able to do again. If you can afford it, go wherever you want and ENJOY!! We saved for a very long time for that trip, and I'm so glad we did. It was worth every penny.

As 2007 comes to a close and all of us are married for at least a year, I want to wish you--the brides of 2006--my friends---the best that life has to offer! I wish you children, nice homes, loving pets or whatever it is that you and your DH have in your dreams. I love you all!!

Link to my review

some of my favorite pictures:

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

Pssst! I'm doing this too. And I'm making it short and sweet!

I'm a Bride of 2006. My BFF Trish (sfp0214) hooked me on LIW when I got engaged and it was a savior and an addiction all at the same time. Trish was a great MOH and I love her to pieces. I met a great group of girls but most importantly my great friend Kristen (kissy27) whom I know will be a forever friend!

After reading my review again for inspiration, I have to say that after almost two years, it all rings true. So, in a vain effort to drive my review to the top of the boards again, I encourage you to check it out right here! LOL.

I had a fantastic wedding of my dreams. The colors, the flowers, the details, the FOOD, the friends and family...oh and of course, the RIGHT MAN.

My advice to future brides is still to "sweat the small stuff" and make your details shine. Create an event that is all your own. You may want all the traditional elements and that's great. Or, you may want to go completely different and that's great too! Let your personality shine and you will forever look back at your wedding as a special moment in time.

Thanks LIW for the memories! To all the 06'ers, may the love your felt on your wedding day be with you through everyday of your marriage.

Ciao!

Message edited 12/21/2007 10:32:06 AM.

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

Keep posting ladies!

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

wow, i haven't posted in a looong time. good to see the '06er's are doing well!

i stumbled across LIW when i was researching wedding stuff after we got engaged in may '05. my first posts were about destination weddings and getting married on a cruise ship because i was so sure that i did not want or could not afford a big "long island" wedding. well, i soon changed my mind about that.

with a little help from my future inlaws and a lot of saving on our part, we were able to have a beautiful wedding at a unique location---atlantis marine world aquarium in riverhead on july 7, 2006. i loved every minute of our wedding at atlantis.

my adivce to future brides: don't sweat the small stuff, don't let wedding planning consume your life as it's the time after the wedding that is more important than anything, research your vendors and go with who YOU want-not who your mom likes, who your best friend swears by, or who is most popular on LIW-it is YOUR day so it's your choice (well, you and your future hubby's), get a good photographer and videographer because after it's all said and done you are only left with memories and your pictures/video to remember your day by, and most importantly-enjoy every minute of your special day and don't let any little mishaps spoil one second of it!

here is my review: July 7, 2006

i moved off of long island right after the wedding, so no LIFamilies for me. thank you to everyone here for their helpful advice, opinions, and support. good luck to all the future LIW brides!







good bye LIW!

Message edited 12/22/2007 11:44:02 AM.

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

Ok, I am going to keep this going!

I don't remember how I came across LIW, I think it was when I was researching catering halls. I joined in January 2005, a few weeks after getting engaged. I remember being intimidated in the very beginning by brides on BHB with posts in the thousands. I didn't know how anyone could get so many posts.

Having LIW as a resource while planning my wedding was invaluable. I always knew that the best way to find vendors was by getting recommendations, and through LIW, instead of having one or two recommendations, I had dozens!
I have laughed, cried, and shared so many emotions with my fellow '06ers. I have met so many amazing women and made some wonderful friends. I am sad to see our board go, but hope that future brides-to-be will be able to use our words, ideas, and pictures for inspiration.

Here is some advice that I have:

Don't sweat the small stuff. When planning your wedding, I know that everything seems like a big deal, but the only big deal that day is getting married. The color of your napkins or the color of your MIL's dress won't matter to you that wonderful day.

When things start getting really stressful during planning, take a break. I did this and it was wonderful not having the wedding consume my life during that time.

Try to get everything done as early as you can.That way the few months leading up to the wedding will be more calm. You're already going to be crazy with the RSVP's coming in, your fitings being done, so try to have everything else done by then.

The day of the wedding, have FUN. Stay with your new husband and PARTY. Yes, say your thank yous to your guests, but don't spend the whole time separated from him and talking to guests. This is your party, enjoy it. We were on the dance floor almost the whole wedding, and everyone told us they have never seen a bride and groom truly enjoy their wedding like we did. The day is going to fly by and it will never come again so take every moment and savor it.

If you are debating whether or not to take pictures before your ceremony, DO IT. It was one of the best decisions we made. We didn't feel rushed at all taking pictures, got all the photos we wanted, and really got to enjoy the picture taking time. Plus we got to spend time together before the ceremony, which really calmed both of us down. Walking down the aisle was still awe-inspiring for both of us. And the first time he saw me in my dress, we were alone (with the photographer documenting the moment), and I wouldn't change that for anything.

Enjoy this time in your life!

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

I am a Rockin’ Bride of 2006.

I became engaged on February 12, 2005 and immediately became obsessed with LIW’s. I had all of my vendors booked by June 2005 and then my mom was diagnosed with Cancer. All of my wedding planning momentum came to a standstill. I was fortunate to have met some pretty amazing, generous and selfless people that allowed me to cry, vent, scream and scream some more all while they were planning the wedding of their dreams. I am sure many of them wanted to discuss happy things while I was in my own personal misery but they were there for me unconditionally, at any moment. I would never have thought that a stupid wedding website could ever introduce me to some of the best friends I have ever had. I can never express how truly grateful I am to have had their support at the time when I was at the lowest point in my life. The support of them really allowed me to keep going as my wedding day approached.

With all of that out of the way, my wedding day was everything I could have imagined and more. I definitely sweated the small stuff, and believe me people noticed. I am so glad that I had so many of the little details at my wedding that we did. In my mind, it truly made the day. One word of advice, your wedding should be about you and your husband. Try to incorporate things into your wedding that will be for you. So if that means your First Dance song is by an overrated, 70’s Rock band in ridiculous make up…but it’s your husband’s favorite band…just do it. If you want to roll around on the dance floor in your expensive, silk wedding dress , because you would normally do that to the song “Shout”…again just do it. If you want to grab a microphone and sing a Duet with your husband to Meatloaf’s “Dashboard light”…go nuts…who cares that you didn’t want any of those audience participation songs played at your wedding. It should be a reflection of you and your life together. It's really what matters.

Thank you LIW’s for allowing me the resources and support to plan my wedding. It will be a time in my life that I will truly never forget! And to my 06’s…thanks for the memories.










My Rockin' Wedding Review

Message edited 12/22/2007 1:19:18 PM.

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

Ok Ok I finally am going to post on here. I have been majorly slacking off as our board comes to an end and I need to get my priorities straight!!!!!

I too got engaged and literally the next day was online searching for a chat board to help with wedding planning. DH and I had been together for over 5 years and were planning a year and a half engagement. We met in HS (**insert AWWWW here**) and we separated for a while due to his obligation to the USMC. Because of that we had a military sword ceremony at the church and it was just my dream come true.

Everyone on here has helped me SO much and I have gotten SUCH great advice. There is no way I would have found all of my fabulous vendors if it wasnt for this site.

Check out my review for all the nitty gritty details of the day

LOVE YOU LIW!!!!!!!!

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

This is a great thread.

I have not been an avid LIW poster in a while but since this board is soon going to be locked, I will add my two cents

I stumbled across LIWeddings before becoming engaged while doing a google search about weddings in NYC. I joined in July 2004 but lurked and sent FM's for a while before getting up the nerve to post. I had never had the experience of planning a wedding and didn't have the slightest idea about where to start. I found all my answers via LIW brides/grooms/moms/dads or a search of old posts. DH even found my engagement ring via LIW.

A big THANK YOU to all who helped us plan our dream wedding & honeymoon!!!!



These are a close second






***************Advice for future brides***************
Now that we are an old married couple and can give advice on weddings here goes. For those of you still in the midst of the planning, some of this will be lost on you but it will click in the weeks before your wedding…..or maybe on your wedding day or in the weeks after the wedding

For some reason an engagement ring drives normal women to the brink of insanity while planning a wedding. It’s an emotional roller coaster and I am really not sure why many brides and grooms go into hyper-emotional mode or any wedding detail I am guilty of obsessing over small wedding details that in the end meant very little.

The last few minutes of our wedding reception which sums up all of the planning









The day goes by FAST!!!! Take the time to enjoy it and try to enjoy the planning phase no matter what happens

Don’t lose sight of the bigger picture. You are getting married and you are inviting family members and friends to share your day. Planning the day should be a happy time in your life. Do not let anyone stress you out – family or friends. Delegate someone to beat down the rude, inconsiderate people My sister handled a few would-be guests very well for me – including family

No matter who declines (that you just knew would attend) and no matter how many people fail to RSVP, focus on the people that went out of their way to be there to share your day. Although some family members we expected decided in the end to RSVP No, we had people travel from 13 – 17 hours (by car and by bus) to share our day. Please do NOT stress over those who are not coming or the utterly ridiculous reasons (or lack thereof) that they give for not being able to attend. You wedding day will be a beautiful day. It will be their loss and they will feel like complete idiots when everyone around them is talking about your wedding day and sharing stories and photos

We had a lot of family members and friends pass away around the time we sent out invitations – most had various forms of cancer Between DH and I we had 6 funeral services in the months leading up to the wedding. In February DH’s uncle had a stroke and my aunt-in-law had an MS flare up that caused her speech to be slurred and she could not walk. All of that really put a lot of things into perspective for us and it forced us both to quickly get over the minor and what we once perceived as “major drama” we had with some family members.

Please realize that your wedding day will not be ruined if your MIL or even your mom shows up in a white dress – even with a train . My dad’s girlfriend wore white and one older cousin wore white. I did not even notice until 5 weeks later when a girlfriend pointed it out in a phone call I went through the photos to verify it The funny thing is I had seen both women at some point during the night but paid their attire no mind at all I was so overjoyed that I doubt I would have cared even if I had noticed they were in white. I told DH about guests not wearing white to a wedding because it “competes” with the bride and he had never heard of it.

Having kids at your wedding will not ruin the day. The parents of the kids will still have a good time with their children at the reception. We knew in advance of 2 infants (6 months and 3 months respectively) that would be at our wedding and we had no problem with it since we knew they would sleep through anything. We also had our young nieces and nephews at the wedding (age 9 – 17). My friends husband was running late and asked if he should dress the girls for the wedding. I had told her in advance that he could bring them but she told him not to bother getting them dressed up. Well, he did not have time to drop their two kids at his mothers in Queens and ended up bringing their girls. And you know what, it was no big deal at all. Her oldest daughter played with DH’s nieces (age 9) and the baby (14 months) was in her daddy’s arms as usual. Her oldest daughter is at the age where she is into fairytale stuff. She thought I was a princess and even asked me

Your bridal shower will not be ruined if a family member of friend slips up and tells you the date. It will make no difference in your married life is your bridal shower is not a surprise. You are most likely having a shower and may end up being involved in planning it. Go to your bridal shower and enjoy being surrounded by your family and friends – and of course getting presents. I knew about both of my bridal showers – and had to know the dates since I travel a lot and needed to be in town (VA & NYC). And if I did not know in advance, my dad and one cousin called asking me about the details in advance so I would have found out through them.

Your wedding day will not be ruined if your brother, your cousin, your sister or even your mom gets engaged during your planning and picks a wedding date the month before your wedding. Your wedding is your wedding and family members and mutual friends will make plans to attend both weddings if possible. Be happy for their engagement. None of your guests will be any less thrilled about your wedding. It could actually be fun to plan a wedding at the same time as a family member of friend and if both weddings are in the same area you could use the same vendors and get DISCOUNTS .

It won’t matter if all the bridesmaids are in different dresses or even different colors. So long as they are dressed and not nude, nobody will care My sister and friends all just wore floor length black dresses – all different styles. They looked great and more importantly, they were comfortable and had a great time that day

If your maid of honor, matron of honor, bridesmaid, brother’s wife, best mans wife or anyone in your wedding party has a baby due on your wedding day and has to drop out, your wedding day will go on. Trust me, nobody could plan a pregnancy and time it just so in order to ruin your wedding day. Be happy for them

It will not matter if the chair covers are ivory and your dress is white (or vice versa). I had on a white gown and the chair covers and sashes were ivory. Nobody thought that I “clashed” with the room.

If you cannot reach your vendor by e-mail – CALL THEM. That is what we did before e-mail I saw a post about the bridal shop I used being affiliated with a shop that was closing down. Brides all over the country were going crazy and some had to order replacement gowns last minute. Instead of freaking out, I called gownfind and my dress was on it’s way

If a vendor you have not booked rubs you the wrong way, don’t book them. If you let strangers on a chat board convince you to book a vendor that rubbed you the wrong way in an initial meeting, do not complain about it after the fact if something goes wrong just as you suspected. It’s called intuition and that is what we used before the internet and chat boards. We did not meet with various vendors because of intuition and we later saw horrible reviews about some people we had considered.

The groom’s bout does not have to match the brides bouquet (I think everyone will know who he’s with ). DH had statice and a lavender rose. I had no statice but crystals. Nobody cared and nobody thought he was marrying my mom, or one of my grandmas who all had lavender roses and statice corsages

The men do not have to wear vests and ties that match the bridesmaids dresses. Your husband does not have to wear an ivory or champagne shirt since your dress is ivory or champagne instead of white. A white shirt will not “clash” with your champagne or ivory dress. Nobody will care DH, his bestman (his dad) and my dad all 3 had on different tuxedos and different color vests/ties and the world did not end My grandpa (who walked down the aisle with my grandma) did not wear a tuxedo at all and it did not matter to us. I was just happy that he was alive to see it and that he drove up from VA to be at our wedding

You DO NOT have to invite anyone that you do not want to invite. Not every single person over 18 has to be invited with a date – invite who you want to share in your wedding day. We did not invite the long term girlfriend of DH’s nephew and we did NOT invite DH’s sister in law Although it was sort of an issue when invites went out, nobody talked about it at the wedding and the day went great without them. If you can avoid it, do not surround yourself anyone who is not supportive of your marriage on your wedding day. You will have a lifetime to deal with them so take your wedding day as your “day off” from them

Have something after the wedding if possible so you can actually TALK to your guests. We had people come from all over the country and thankfully we got to spend some time with many of them at the hotel after the wedding.

The stamps do not have to match your invites or anything really – we used .60 eagle stamps and flag/star .03 stamps and nobody noticed (or at least they did not comment in advance or at the wedding). One friend commented about 6 weeks later that the USPS had purple stamps now

The font on every piece of wedding stationery does not have to match – although I have to admit that I had the font on the invitations done in the same font I used for our monogram (I designed it) and I had our monogram cake topper done in the same font as well as addressing the envelopes in that font. I also had the unity candle we used and the broken memorial candles done in the same font. I am not sure that anyone really even noticed all the fonts matched. I barely noticed the centerpieces and did not even see the candles along the aisle until we got photos from friends All of those tiny details that seemed important in the months before the wedding meant nothing to me on that day All I can remember is being gloriously happy all day I am grateful for the photos

You can use the direction cards provided by the hall and the hotel. Do not stress out over finding paper to match your invites or having them printed in the same font unless you just want to do that We used the hotel white paper direction sheets and the ivory cards (with burgundy ink) provided by the hall. Our invites were deep purple. Nobody cared that the directions did not “match” the invites. The color of the paper did not matter. Many guests got lost anyway and I doubt that lavender or dark purple direction cards would have made a difference

Guests will only remember the things that were there and not the things that you decided against.

Spend your time and your money on things that last beyond the day. Whatever that means to you, go for it. To us it meant planning our ceremony, writing our vows, selecting a photographer, creating our rings, selecting a videographer and planning our honeymoon. Although the unity candle was not lit at the ceremony and we ended up not using the memorial candles that were the bane of my existence for a while, the time and money spent was worth it to us since those things were to be part of our marriage ceremony

In the end, all that matters is that you are married to the person you adore and the two of you are building a life together.

Our Thank You card photo


Best of luck in 2008!!! Happy planning.


Our wedding review is hereBride's Review Board link

Message edited 12/23/2007 1:20:05 PM.

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

I absolutely LOVE this thread! I really hope you all will post on here before the week is over. What a great way to leave one last bit of your legacy on the boards

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

I am a Bride of 2006. And I loved every moment of it.

We got engaged on Dec 26, 2004. My cousins, who were both planning 2005 weddings, were regular lurkers on LIW, and passed their obsession on to me. I ran with it, and probably had them outposted by March 2005. : )

Although no one outside of this LIW family will ever understand the addiction, it is quite possibly the most positive addiction one can have. I originally joined to see who the popular vendors were, and to be very honest, who had the ugliest wedding dress. I never ever expected to meet and plan my wedding with the most classy, professional thoughtful group of women any lady would be lucky to come across. I witnessed each of you come to each other’s aid, and watched on line chats bloom into long lasting friendships.

I was lucky enough to share the entire experience with not only all of you, but with the closest friend I’ll ever have to a sister – Michele - aka Conigs25. (It was a blessing tonight to share Christmas dinner with her family and mine once again).

As Frank Sinatra sang, “I Did It My Way”. And whether that meant having a pretty traditional, cookie-cutter style wedding, or insisting on votive place cards, or asking 24 of your closest friends to be in the wedding party, I did do it my way, and have no regrets

Top 5 Tips:
1. Seeing DH prior to the ceremony – the best moment of my life, shared with the closest people in our lives.
2. Hosting a day-after brunch – perfect venue to recap the night’s events, and even better HM send off.
3. Taking metal notes throughout the day so they wouldn’t be forgotten – It was such an emotional and surreal experience, that I was almost distracted once the reception began. The moments I stopped to process, are the moments that are still with me.
4. A great Photographer and Videographer – well worth every cent (thank you Duet).
5. Trust your gut. Always.

AN AWESOME READ - MY REVIEW : )

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

I just read this and am in tears. I need to post but I can't bring myself to write anything right now.

I haven't posted much here lately, but having this board to call home has always brought me comfort. I am saddened to think that in a few days it will be locked.

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

I haven't been on in a long time...so I was sad when I saw that the '06 bored would be locked...felt like yesterday that I stumbled across this site.

I was so lucky to have found this site...I met such wonderful people on here and got such GREAT ideas and information that made planning my wedding that much easier - or harder as it gave me TOO many ideas that I wanted to incorporate throughout my wedding...

Few words to furture brides...I know people tell you all the time but really remember its YOUR day...do what you want to do and do it while enjoying yourself. Your wedding day goes by faster than you can imagine...Before you know it you are celebrating your 1 year anniversary.

Good luck and have fun…

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Message edited 12/27/2007 3:23:19 PM.

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

December Bride of 2006!

Hey all :) I'm Taryn..Josh & I just celebrated our 1year anniversary on Dec. 1st.. It is amazing how time flies! I still remember signing up on this amazing website DH and I got engaged November of 2005...when we started searching, narrowing down & "googleing" wedding venues, we just so happen to stumble upon the ever so AWESOME LIWeddings :) I actually just thought it was a vendor page at first...and then I began to realize all the amazing stuff it had to offer :) DH actually set up our wedding website

...and then i discovered the chat boards :) BHB was definetly a life-saver(or should I say "wedding-saver" lol)...from my first post everyone was so welcoming and helpful & it gave me so many ideas and so much insight on ways to make my wedding special & memorable. Whether it was laughter, venting, tears, or just being in need of an opinion - my LIW girls were there! I actually didn't jump on the official "06 brides" thread for a while...mainly because i didn't really know it existed due to my addiction to the brides helping brides..which kind of makes me sad...but i did eventually find it and was of course welcomed with just as much love! I can honestly say from the bottom of my heart that if it were not for LIW my wedding would not have been as breathtaking as it was, and I wouldn't have stayed at focused and calm as I did. I feel like I'm repeating myself, but this website not only offered so many unique ideas, but was also an outlet of support from beautiful women who were all in the same boat! I still tell every girl i know that get's engaged to get their little booty's on here!

some advice:

**Research research research! you CAN have the wedding of your dreams! Stay calm, take your time and do NOT get discouraged...if anyone had a budget, it was my hubby & i...and I don't know how we did it, but we were able to have our wedding at our dream place, with INCREDIBLE vendors. I CAN say, that we did our research, stayed calm, and took our time...we ENJOYED being engaged, and we didn't rush into ANYTHING...decisions, vendors, nothing. There's no reason to rush like maniacs and then end up regretting or stressing over a decision.

**ENJOY IT ALL!! I know saying "dont sweat the small stuff" sounds cliche and easier said than done, but it is 100% true. You have the choice of ur engagement being one of the most enjoyable times of your life, OR being the most stressful. Prepare yourself that yes, things will go wrong and may not pan out as planned, BUT things happen for a reason - and your wedding will be beautiful! Not to mention your marrying the man of your dreams :) I can honestly say that I enjoyed every moment of our wedding planning...if something went wrong or had the potential of getting stressful - i took a deep breath, gave my hubby a hug, and shook it off. Too many brides ruin their planning by letting every little thing rob their joy....DON'T LET IT! This time is so precious and it passes so quickly! I'm glad I can look back & reflect on a special time that I would do all over again if i had the chance

**Memorize the quote "I'll keep that in mind" lol. You will get everyone's opinion under the sun....answer with grace - without agreeing or disagreeing :) you'll end up with less drama, less stress, and less people being disappointed lol. Remember - this wedding is for you & your husband...follow your heart in all your decision making and try not to take people's negative opinions to heart. At the end of it all, you'll be so happy when u have no regrets & everything had your own special touch!

**Bridesmaids may annoy you, but remind yourself that you chose them to stand in your honor for a reason! Just because they may dissappoint u in some way, doesn't mean they dont love u just the same...they're simply in a different place than u are, and someday when they're planning their own wedding they'll understand

**On your wedding day, remember to take a moment(even if it's just a moment ) to look around you, and take it all in :) You have found something that some people spend their whole life searching for, and you are surrounded with people who love you most! It is such a surreal blessing & this day is for YOU!

and last but not least, from one who's a PRIME example, remind yourself YOU CANT CONTROL THE WEATHER!! Regardless of rain or shine, your day will be amazing - so dont let it stress u out In all honesty, it rained and poured and it wasn't a thought in my head on our amazing day...I had the time of my life, our wedding was beautiful, and people still talk about it even now!

Here is a link for our review..I hope it helps!

Our December Wedding Review!

and of course...the mother of all helpful threads thread...so u dont have to go crazy searching!

MOAHTT!!!!!

Much love to all of you '06ers and to all the future brides out there! May your weddings be all u dream them to be!



~*Taryn*~

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Message edited 12/29/2007 12:18:19 AM.

Re: I'm a Bride of 2006!

What can I say that I didn't already in my Wedding Review ?? Not much. I will repeat a few things that I think are important.

First and foremost, the day is about the marriage, not the reception. The reception is only a party. Focus on the ceremony. Spend time with your officiant and your soon-to-be spouse putting together something that is truly memorable. Whether a traditional religious ceremony, or a civil ceremony, make each word count. Look into your SO's eyes when you say your vows. Take the time to feel that ring sliding onto your finger. Select readings (if you have them) that have meaning. When the haze comes off your eyes and the whirlwind that is the day is over the memory of those moments will be something you cherish.

Second, IMHO, the little details made my wedding special and even if nobody noticed them, I felt good having them there. Soooo, if you want it and can afford it (and by afford I mean you have the money, don't need to borrow or use a credit card to have it) - go for it, but don't make yourself crazy. People never notice what is "missing" only what is there.

Third, cultivate the friendships you have started here on LIW. These amazing women will get you through some good times and some bad times in the future.

Our wedding portrait:



Rocking with the '06ers:





Our Thank-you pic: