slord12

@slord12 can you please send me your documents as well?

Brittanymack@gmail.com

Thanks

Sent!

I CANNOT believe that tomorrow marks 3 months since our beautiful wedding. This time 3 months ago we were in Port Canaveral at the Radisson starting the celebration with our family and friends.

1. BE ORGANIZED! - Make sure you organized ahead of time so that when the time comes to enjoy your wedding, you can and will without stress of worrying! I have multiple files with music instructions for ceremony/reception, reception set up instructions, cake set up instructions, etc. I had multiple folders with the documents secured. I also had multiple copies of CD's with our ceremony music and our special dances for the reception. I had extra copies of our vows, ceremony outline, contracts, emails verifying my requests. Once I sat down at the port and went over everything with the coordinators and officiant and handed everything over I knew we were in good hands!

2. IF YOU DON'T KNOW, ASK! - Personally, I would have never chosen a cruise wedding if I wasn't a guest at one. I can't imagine how nervous some of you must be who have never experienced this. These boards are a wealth of knowledge, and if you have specific questions, I'm only an email away.

3. DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF! - This sort of goes along with being organized. I see questions about what decor to bring such as chair covers and tablecloths! You gotta be kidding me, that is toooooo much work! I kept my decor very simple. On a glitzy ship, there's only so much you need before it gets lost in the room. The less you have to worry about, the better!

4. EAT! - Eat that morning and stay hydrated! You have a long day ahead and you want to look your best. Also, take time to eat some food/enjoy drinks/cake at the reception - the food is amazing and you don't want to miss out!

5. MAXIMIZE YOUR TIME WISELY! - We kept our ceremony short and sweet, vows, rings, and a short reading. We wanted to spend time taking pictures with friends and family after the ceremony so we could maximize our reception time. We didn't do any extras during the reception besides the dances. We entered, cut the cake, did a general toast with all of our guests, then the party started! We did our dances, then back to the party! I read over and over again about how little time there is for the reception. If you use your time wisely it doesn't feel super short. Ours was right at 2 hours (only supposed to be 1.5 hours).

6. ENJOY EVERY SECOND! - 3 months later our family and friends are still talking about how fun our wedding was! I look back and realize how fast it all came and went! Embrace the day for what it is and have fun.

if there is any way I could get a copy, I would really appreciate it it also! Jenny.olson2010@gmail.com

I responded in another thread, but I sent you the templates!

I never shared dress pictures before the wedding! I only took my mama shopping so no one saw me in it until I came walking down the aisle!

I just *knew* I wanted strapless, lace, sparkly belt, you get the idea, UNTIL I tried on this dress. I just loved it. I see so many girls with that strapless, lace, sparkly belt look (esp in Georgia with all these outdoor farm weddings) and my dress just felt and looked special to me. It's by Casablanca and is style 1975. Casablanca never retires their styles and they let you customize your dress. It came in multiple colors and you could have it any way from strapless to a more custom strap. They also make the dresses to your length/measurements so you shouldn't have to have many alterations done (well, unless you lose more weight like I did)!

My favorite parts of the dress was the straps just like I tried it on with. It's hard to tell in the photo but the tiny spaghetti straps are very tiny pearl beads. I also ordered the same color I tried on - champagne gown with ivory overlay. I also loved the sweetheart neckline with the sheer lace coming up to the strapes and in the back going down into a V. This dress is beaded with swavorski crystals - so it sparkled and shined under those ship lights!

Wedding is coming fast! I'm helping DD put together a welcome letter. Please, would any kind contributors send us your templates? Thanks greatly!

Cynthiadelrod@comcast.net

:)

I would love copies of the welcome letters that any of you may have. Thank you in advance! Jenny.olson2010@gmail.com

Sent my info to both of you! Also if there's anyone else who wants the particular style documents that I have just make sure to include my screen name in the post so I'll see it more easily!

I am little late in following this thread, but can someone please send me templates too? Much appreciated.

Email: jhanvibhatt18@gmail.com

This may be a long shot since this thread started many years ago, but can you send it to me too? Anyone?

Email: Adrina1030@gmail.com

Sent my info to both of you!

We emailed a list and made a note that we also wanted the fruit/veggie displays - they don't count towards your 5 cold items on Carnival. Some have said fruit and veggies would be there anyway, but we made sure to request it just in case!

I tried to private message you but it kept saying "that action can not be done", not sure why.. But anyway thanks so much for your response! So it sounds like you sent out save the dates with RSVPs? That's SUCH a good idea. So the invitations more information based rather then an actual invitation? Is it possible for you to send me a picture of your invitations? I'd love to see how you worded it. When is your date again? And how long in advanced did you send out invitations? Sorry for so many questions! I have literally had all these questions and no one to really bounce ideas off of being that my bridal party and family aren't experienced in cruise weddings!

This is kinda what we did too! We sent out save the dates to EVERYONE we could possibly ever want to invite - from there they had over 6 months to RSVP online and they had the choice to attend 1. the welcome dinner, wedding, and cruise 2. the welcome dinner and wedding only (and of course there were a few who weren't going to make it in time for the dinner but would be arriving in plenty of time for the wedding). Based on our responses and deadline to RSVP we then sent formal invitations out - probably weren't even necessary but they were beautiful and it's a nice gesture.

This is a collage I made that shows our save the date, welcome dinner card, and invitation (the welcome dinner cards were sent together with the invitations). The background was the liner inside our envelopes.

One month before sailing we sent out a newsletter type reminder that had information broken down for non-sailing and sailing guests. We had an informative website and FB page set up as well.

I'd really appreciate the templates :)

dmfrazer88@gmail.com

 

I will check out your previous post too!

Sent 2 emails!

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

Slord12- I love your insert for the Lanyard ID holder, super cute! Where did you purchase the lanyards and ID holders? I also want to create a welcome letter/itinerary/room directory. Did you use a template for your Fun Times letter?

Thanks! I was able to get the lanyards/ID holder from 24hourwristbands.com and the card inserts were just business card templates from Vistaprint that we customized (like 100 cards for $10). I have TONS of templates - leave me your email address and I'll forward them to you. I wrote a detailed review on here too that has lots of info!

Due to Carnivals recent change in their water bottle rule (water bottles are no longer allowed), I'm missing a key element in my gift bags. In my bags I've included travel size medication, chapstickl, personalzied sun glasses, hand sanitizer, and shout wipes. I was hoping to include water bottles with a personalized label but now I'm unsure what to replace that item with. Any thoughts or ideas???

We did the drawstring backpacks, different color lanyards with clear card holders, different color personalized sunglasses, personalized cups, Funtimes room directory and info sheet, and sunscreen in addition to the bottle of water we included (since the rule hadn't gone into effect yet). Here's a picture!

So I brought this up in my other thread but I am curious what other ladies have done or are doing in terms of transportation. We are having an embarkation day Wedding on a Sunday on the Norwegian Breakaway. We are getting room blocks at a hotel in the city the day before because we are about an hour to 2 hours away and travel that morning on top of getting ready would just be way to stressful. Also myself and the groom to be are staying separately bc I am going to try our hardest to not see each other until I walk down that isle.

So we are working on pricing with our travel agent for shuttle service to the hotel the day before and then back home once we are back from the cruise. My question is who do I include in the shuttle service? Should it be just the wedding party? Maybe just wedding party and family that is cruising? We have some people that even though they are not going on the cruise still want to stay at the hotel the night before. Also how would you split the cost? Is it tacky to ask ppl to pitch in? Should we charge a price per seat as some people have children that would be taking a spot??

 

Thanks in advance!!!

We were married in June on the Carnival Sensation that sails from Port Canaveral. I booked a resort that offered shuttle service to and from the port for all of our guests. The "early shuttles" we're going to start running at 10 that morning since we all needed to be at the port by 10:30 but since we had so many guests they actually started running our group over even earlier. Everyone was so happy we offered this especially those who had never cruised and our non-sailing wedding guests.

As we're getting married on a Carnival cruise ship next year, we've been wondering what you've brought with you. Chair covers, table clothes, etc? Or are those provided for you? I'd just like to get an idea of what to look into and what to ask about.

I didn't bring anything like that! For me the whole point of a cruise wedding was to not have to worry about things like that. We booked the DJ because we wanted our reception in the nightclub. Besides our clothes and accessories for the wedding we brought our guest book with stand and markers, flowers (these were given out to everyone in the lobby of the hotel before boarding the shuttles) and included our flower cake picks, cake topper, mini Polaroids for use during the reception, and our tip envelopes. I wrote an extensive review and you can see how everything looked - it was beautiful and easy!

Hi lmcgrail congrats and that is so cute that you guys can have such a beautiful memory of where you first met !!

You are right it is much pricer. The biggest pkg with reception that Carnival offers is the same price as NCL charges for the ceremony alone...its just that FOMO ( fear of missing out) on something with NCL in me that is giving me the worries but I did read a very extensive review of a carnival wedding and think I'm feeling much secure with my choice !

Just saw that you read my review and I responded! I was going to say the same thing - I chose Carnival for 1. I had been to a Carnival wedding before and 2. Compared to the other cruise lines you get more bang for your buck!

Thank you sooooooo much for the amazing review ! I'm a long time cruiser of Carnival but was honestly really nervous about having the wedding on carnival given that everything is planned in a distant manner especially for me since we are booked on the Carnival Magic for July 2 leaving out of Port Canaveral and I live in NYC so I can't even go see the ship before..eek !!! Your review besides making me teary from excitement at times really put me at ease. Would you mind sending me your docs if you get a chance ? my email is:

 

mrscutecuban@gmail.com

 

Thank you soooo much !!

Thank you for reading! I am so glad the review was helpful. Of course I will send the documents! I can understand the stresses, especially if you've never attended a cruise wedding before. I didn't even know that was an option until I was invited to one so I can imagine for brides who have never experienced it that it's nerve-wracking! I tried to keep in mind that the point of a destination wedding (at least for me) was to relax and enjoy my time with my new husband and family/friends - it's exactly what we experienced! We were able to customize as much (or as little) of our big day and we knew exactly what we wanted to be choosy about. I hope your day is as wonderful as ours was!

What cake flavors did you guys choose for the on ship weddings?? How where they? I'm torn about flavors I love coconut so I definitely want one tier to be that but I don't know what I want the other tier to be.

We chose coconut with coconut filling, lemon with cream cheese filling, marble with chocolate filling, and vanilla/butter with strawberry filling. It was all so delicious - our guests are still talking about it!

The Sensation is dear to my heart and I'm going to miss her when she leaves Port Canaveral! Thanks for a great review!

Quick food question. I am looking at the vegan menus and am not sure which items fall under hot or under cold. Has anyone chosen the Potato Pancake or the Grilled zucchini and tomato roll?

 

 

 

Also, I have seen a few different answers on fruit cups. Were the fruit cups considered a cold item or were they just there as a bonus?

I had the same question and the fruit and veggies are just a bonus (I made sure to request them on my form in addition to the other choices). They were so pretty - fruit on trays and in the martini glasses and veggie cups with ranch arranged in champagne glasses.

You might have already said and I just missed it but who did your flowers? They are so pretty! :)

I would also like to view your documents

 

ktucker031111@gmail.com

 

 

 

Thanks!

Thanks - They came from Blue Lily Bridal on Etsy! I will send you the docs!

Great review!!

 

 

 

Can you please send me the documents? Tajuania.lawson@gmail.com

Thanks for reading, I hope it helps! I will send you the docs!

Lovely Ladies I need some advice.

 

I had my heart set on a fall wedding (September) and have given close friends and family a heads up when asked about my date. The problem that I am running into is that this does not seem to be a very convenient time of year for lots of people.

 

The 2 main complaints that I have gotten are...

 

1. September is the start of Football season (pre-season but whatever)

 

2. Lots of people will have children in school at the time.

 

 

 

My questions for you all are... did you run into to any scheduling conflicts when setting your date? Did this effect the number of people who attended your wedding or did they simply attend as a non-sailing guest? Did the length of your cruise effect the number of guests in attendance

 

 

 

I was originally getting hitched Sept 2016 but with a fiancé who is less than enthused by the thought of wedding planning and no wedding party ( our decision, just seems simpler) the planning is pretty much left to my mother and I. I work full time, entering my second year of grad school and starting a 20 hr/wk internship in a few weeks so we decided to push the wedding back to September 2017 to give me more time to plan and actually enjoy the process.

We chose a shorter cruise because we figured more guests would be willing/could get time off. We also planned our cruise for summer break. The prices are higher that time of year but it really worked out better for everyone being able to plan to attend - most used it as a vacation!

I love your map! Do you remember the name of the Etsy seller you purchased from?

Of course! It's Kim Arrington - her shop is called LittleHouseShop!

I got an email today from Carnival that my ceremony will be held in the Spectacular Spectacular Theater and the reception will follow in the El Morroco Lounge. Yikes! Does anyone have any tips that will keep me from fainting or tripping during the long walk down the aisle and up onstage????? I can't believe this is all happening in 3 and a half weeks!

My wedding was in the main show lounge. I had our wedding party enter from downstairs and my father and I walked in from the top level and down the staircase - it was beautiful! The coordinators advised me to hold my bouquet in the hand that was linked around my dad's arm then use my other hand to hold the railing - which is exactly what I did. I was also smart in my shoe choice - I chose to wear the sparkly blue TOM's wedges since I wear those shoes all the time. I am comfy in them and can walk with ease. There are some pictures in my wedding review.

Thank you for sharing your review! I've been so nervous about my Carnival wedding next April because I haven't really known what to expect & this definitely helped! Could you possibly send me the files as well? amandabaginski@gmail.com

Thank you!

Thank you for reading, I hope you found the review helpful! I think the most important thing about a cruise wedding is to NOT stress over every little tiny detail (I think it sort of defeats the purpose of having a destination wedding if you're going to still want to control every little thing). Just enjoy the day! I will send you the documents!

I was told we need driver's license numbers or passport numbers for all of our guests attending our wedding on the NCL Getaway. How did you guys handle putting that on the RSVP cards? I am thinking about making a template to print myself, but I am curious what others did.

I didn't collect that information until later. I just made them aware that I would need it so they weren't surprised by me asking for it. You should only need it for non-sailing guests (at least that's how it is on Carnival.)