2. We are meeting with our officiant on Saturday for the final time before the ceremony (he won't be at the rehearsal). I'm glad we're meeting with him because I know in my head that he's great, but our email interaction starts to give me doubts, most notably because he canceled our meeting twice and was very difficult to pin down for rescheduling. And also because he sent an email to "Tolsten."
3. Everything is so close to being complete. We're at the point where we're figuring out who will drive which people where the day of. If we woke up tomorrow and it was the wedding day, we'd be fine. Thus, my freakish calm remains.
4. My dress is altered perfectly and now only awaits steaming two days before the wedding. It makes me feel like I'm stepping straight out of Gone with the Wind. The bustle only makes that feeling more pronounced, because it bustles up underneath the satin overlay, so you can't SEE the bustle the way you can with most wedding dresses--but you can definitely see the SHAPE of it, and it's VERY Scarlett O'Hara. I kind of love it.
5. Yesterday I booked the shuttle to and from the airport in the Dominican Republic. Now we're set for the honeymoon. I love that because the hotel is all-inclusive, everything has already been paid for and we don't have to worry about cost. The only thing left is tips. I'm trying to figure out how much we'll need to tip so that I can bring an appropriate number of dollar bills with us. A couple dollars a day to housekeeping and a couple dollars a day to the bartender? Or a tip with every drink?
6. I finished the menu cards. Doesn't it all sound delicious?
7. OMG 18 days. We're in the teens, people.
18 days!!! Thats soooo close!!!
ReplyDeleteO.M.G. Teens.
ReplyDeleteI CAN'T WAIT!!!
I'm no help with the tipping questions, but omg I am so excited for you! 18 Days!
ReplyDeleteCrazy, crazy, crazy.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I am SO jealous of your vacation.
Since you're staying all week, I believe you can wait and tip everyone at the end of the trip. Just make sure you're clear the tip is to be shared :)
I can't believe you only have 18 days left!
ReplyDeleteI've never tipped out of country, but I usually do a tip for the bartender when the first drink is brought and again after my last drink. Usually, at least $5. I would tip after every meal, usually at least $5 depending on service.
I can't wait to see you in your beautiful dress!
ReplyDeleteI was surprised how generous people were at our wedding too. It's wonderful to think that people care enough about you to spend so much, especially now, with the "bad economy." That sounds shallow, but I think you know what I mean.
My dress bustle sounds similar to yours and we have some of the same menu choices. I knew I liked you for a reason. FOUR DAYS for us - crazy!
ReplyDeleteYour freakish calm is so amazing. But that has so much to do with how incredibly organized you've been about your wedding. I guess that's the most amazing part. I started to lose my mind and ability to move about this time before my wedding. :)
ReplyDeleteI found that people we knew less (parents' friends) gave ridiculously expensive gifts. I think you need to tip at the end of your "drinking experience," i.e. if you are at a bar all day by the pool, tip that guy when you leave. At night, tip the bartender when you leave. ETC.
ReplyDeleteOMg. Pretty soon you'll be in the single digits!
ReplyDeleteTHe menu? YUM!
Pumpkin ricotta ravioli?? Yum. Yes, please! :-)
ReplyDeleteWhen we were in the D.R. we left a tip at the end of the trip for our hotel maid--I think about $30 for our 5 days there. We had the same woman every day, but I'm not sure if it will be the case for you.
ReplyDeleteWe were told that the servers and bartenders do not expect to be tipped but really appreciate it. We usually gave our server $3-$5 each day and the bartenders about $1 for each round of drinks. They are SO appreciative that it makes you feel good to give them the money. $3 is a LOT of money to them and nothing to us so it's really a nice gesture.
18 Days!
ReplyDeleteAlso, that menu DOES sound awesome. My bagel for breakfast is seeming decidedly...lame.
;)
*SQUEE*
ReplyDeleteI love that you have multiple desserts and brats on your menu. :)
ReplyDeleteYay! 18 days! Torsten does sound fantastically perfect, and I'm so happy for you both. As to your officiant irritation, my dad is a minister, and he would come off much like your officiant. He's scatterbrained and a little hard of hearing (and he doesn't pay very close attention, which is worse than not hearing), but he does a marvelous wedding ceremony. So have faith in your officiant (HAHA!), I bet he will come through despite his lack of luster over email.
ReplyDeletewhenever i've been down in the caribbean, i've left a few dollars each day for my maids, but i haven't tipped the bartenders each day / drink. a lot of the guys i know like to tip the bartenders really big on the first day, like $20 up front, to ensure they get great service all week. then $20 on the last day too.
ReplyDeleteWow, I've been so busy and I came to catch up and you are in the TEENS! How exciting is THAT? It gave me butterflies!
ReplyDeleteah - the countdown was SO MUCH FUN!
ReplyDeleteand coming home everyday to presents was awesome too. It was such a fun time!
I haven't really heard you stress about anything. Here and there, but you seem so happy and not "omigod I'm gonna die" freak out. I hope I'm like that.
ReplyDeleteMmm brats in beer! WOO HOO! So excited for your big day =)
ReplyDeleteTips - I always leave house keeping tips at the end of the week. $10- $20.
I keep going back and forth with the bartender. I'd do daily tips for them.
I can't wait to see your dress, it sounds fabulous.
ReplyDeleteWhen we were in the DR, they wouldn't let us tip after meals, etc, so we just left a lump sum at the end for everyone to split. But it wasn't at an AI so I would imagine yours might work differently, and in that case I think I would tip housekeeping at the end of the week and for drinks or meals at the end of each time, when you pay or get up to leave.
Yay! And yes, Torsten sounds ridiculously perfect! :)
ReplyDelete18 days! In four days it will be 2 weeks. I can't believe it's this close.
ReplyDeleteWhen Spawn got married, there was a glitch with the original officiant, so we ended up with a local judge. He didn't come to the rehersal, and I think there was only one point of contact (the arrangements and time to be there) before the event.
ReplyDeleteNeedless to say, we were a bit nervous.
But... it was the most beautiful ceremony I've EVER heard. He included things like, "I accept you as you are, good and bad, perfect and imperfect. I accept you as you will be..." Like I said, beautiful.
Tipping? I'd go 15 - 20% of the total, then divide it between who gave the most (and best) service.
Wow. The food sounds fantastic!
ReplyDeleteAccording to the 2008 Travel & Leisure tipping guide, tips are included at all-inclusive resorts. But just in case, here's the breakdown from the Sept. '08 issue:
Waiter: "usually included in Caribbean (if not, 10%-20%)"
Bar, Taxi, Spa, Hairdresser : 10-15%
Concierge: 5-10% of bill
Porter: $1-2/bag
Coat Check: $1
I tried to find a link to the table online but couldn't so I'm copying from the mag.
Housekeeping: $2-5/day
I will have the pumpkin ravioli. Wait... what? I'm not going?
ReplyDeleteDang.
ahhh so close!!
ReplyDeleteOh MAN. Chicken with GOAT CHEESE??? I almost said "and leeks" because I love leeks, really I do ... but GOAT CHEESE??? You better look out. I might just crash your wedding and steal somebody's entree.
ReplyDeleteThe last few weeks will fly! Your menu sounds delish...yummy.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to tipping, we stayed all-inclusive in Mexico. We tipped $1-2 for our drinks (depending on how good they were), $3-4 for lunch and about $5 for dinner. If we got great service, then we'd throw in a little more.
Are you just dying of excitement yet? Are you??? Only 18 days!
ReplyDeleteabsolutely insane...18 days. exciting!
ReplyDeleteOh! I just got chills! This is exciting, Jess. Holy cow. In 18 days YOU WILL BE MARRIED.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the teens club! Of course today is my last day in it, but still! xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteWe've been to the Dominican many times, and we tipped as follows:
ReplyDelete$5 per day for housekeeping (they will take very good care of you for a tip like that).
$2 or $3 per day for breakfast and lunch, and $5 for dinner in the evening (or more if it's warranted).
$5 per day for the bartender (if the same one took care of us for the entire day - which was common at the poolside bar where we stayed). Otherwise, we'd give $2 for every couple rounds of drinks. We found that, the more you tipped, the more alcohol they put in your drinks. :o)
I also took a lot of little perfume bottles (sample sizes) and bottles of nail polish to leave for our housekeeper each day (she REALLY appreciated that).
What if I want all three entrees?
ReplyDeleteI am so excited for you!
I'm so excited for you guys!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I've never been, but my parents go to the Dominican and stay at all inclusive places on their vacations, and they say to tip well the first day especially, because the bartenders will never let your drink run dry. I think they gave the bartender like $20 right at the beginning, and he LOVED them for it. Maybe it would be different for other workers there, though?
I LOVE that you have lots of dessert besides the wedding cake. Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteOh wow, so exciting for you guys!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, girl, I've gotta see pictures of your shindig. Because I'm getting excited for you, too!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that things are falling into place for you. It's been that way here too, and I love that. I'm glad we can be freakishly calm together :)
I'm so excited for you!
ReplyDeletesldkfdlkjfsldkgdjfglk
ReplyDeleteYAY!!!
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd here I am feeling close at 108 :)
i can't believe it's so close now! i bet you are about to burst from excitement...i know i was this close to my wedding!
ReplyDelete