I put in the website just so that you could see what they do. It's pretty cool! I really liked the idea of having our own stamp on our wedding invitations. It was an easy program to use. We picked a picture from our engagement photoshoot, and then uploaded it. We were able to place our order online, and we got our stamps right away. It's a bit pricey, but I think our friends and family loved it. A few other of my friends have used it since for their wedding invitations. I never had a problem or question, because the webpage is really easy, and everything is mailed on time.

518 West is a really great Italien restaurant in Raleigh, and I love going there for their oven roasted pizzas. We choose this place for our rehearsal dinner because it is a fancy restaurant, it has a really great atmosphere, and also the menu is really great and everyone can find something that they liked. We were a group of fifteen, mainly relatives and siblings. As the wedding couple, we didn't pay for everyone but we did pay for all the appetisers. We weren't sure what the standard rule of that is, but everyone was happy with the choice. There are good deals on the menu, but it still can be pricey for big groups and especially since they have a really great wine list. We did call ahead and make a reservation. We actually called two weeks sooner, just because that's what they told us to do. We were seated and served quickly, and we had preordered the appetisers which was a great idea.

We used orbitz because I have been using orbitz since college, and I always find the best deals on flights and hotels. I also love the fact that you can talk to someone on their customer service 24 hours a day, everyday. It makes a big difference, especially when you're trying to book a last minute deal at 11 o'clock at night. Recently I started getting their package deals, and for our honeymoon we waited and got a last minute deal special! It's kind of risky to wait for last minute deals, but as long as your willing to go anywhere, it's great. We got Alaskan Cruise deal for 60% off. It was great

The name of our ship was the Diamond Princess, and it was really, really fancy! My friend who works on cruise ships has told me that Princess and the Regent were the best cruises, because they are the most fancy and have the best amenities for the guests. Regent, even at 40% off, was still out of our budget! I didn't know if I would like it, but I really enjoyed spending seven days on a cruise. It stops and docks a few times, and it was great seeing what Alaska looks like. All the other guests were really great, and the staff was extremly nice and professional. The food was also delicious! Another fun part was that we ate dinner with the captain everynight! People are more dressed up in the dinning room, so bring fancy clothes, and bring your bathing suit, because there is a great pool.

I didn't know this, but if you register your wedding online at David's Bridal, Men's Wearhouse will get you contact information and send you information about deals and upcoming sales. Either way, about four months before the wedding we got a call from Men's wearhouse letting us know that they knew about our upcoming wedding and that the help with picking out a tux. My husband hadn't made any plans yet, so he went and was fitted for a tux. Because he had four groomsmen, he actually got his tux paid for (a "get four tuxs, the fifth one is free" deal). The deal worked out really well. Customer service is okay, I think a little bit pushy. Some staff members, especially the younger ones, have trouble looking honestly happy to be working there. It was fine, overall.

This is a super cheap alternative to having really pretty cards made! We knew that they printing invitations, but they have a great selection and carry lots of the cute trendy cards. I had the choice of getting invitations in the Tiffany Blue and brown, but I stayed in my theme colors (of yellow and gold). The customer service rep at the service center was really helpful with the planning and printing of the invitations. We got everything on time, too, which was important. I think we saved about $100 getting 250 invitations with RSVP cards made here than at a local trendy invitation shop. If you can get the same thing at Costco for cheaper, then I think it does make more sense to get it here.

We made us a webpage and then emailed all our friends and family members to let them know about our upcoming wedding plans. It was really easy to register and set up the webpage. I'm not that good at computer programs, but I was able to upload the pictures. I think lots of my friends liked it, and I did get some good comments on the guestbook about how cute our page was. My mother was not a big fan because she still thinks the internet excludes a big group, especially my grandmother and lots of older relatives. It was a good way of letting younger people know about our upcoming wedding, but I still had to call lots of people to let them know of our upcoming wedding date.

It was nice, but it was crowded and there were so many people there. There was lots of high energy going on, and I think many people go overboard. It wasn't my thing, mainly because I knew what I wanted, and this just seemed to be more distracting than anything. If you already know where you want your wedding reception to be, and if you have a caterer in mind, then it's not really necessary to go. But if you love the idea of being a bride and doing bride things, then you should go. But if you hate crowds of strangers, especially well-dressed strangers that want you to eat cake, then you shouldn't go.

I needed to get my dress hemmed, and so did some of my bridesmaids. I picked Olga right away because this is where my sister got her dresses altered. She had a big beaded dress, and my whole family was so impressed with how well Olga was able to turn a size 16 dress into a size 10. Magic! Our dresses were ready in a matter of days, and Olga was so nice and happy for us! It was one of the best expereinces, you have nothing to worry about when you bring your wedding dress here. She doesn't have a website, but she is listed in the yellowpages.

My sister and bridesmaids kindly offered to pay for their own bridesmaids dresses, and so I let them choose whatever dress they wanted as long as they stayed in the yellow and gold color scheme. They found these really beautiful long gowns at Banana Republic in a faint gold/yellow over the Christmas holidays. The dresses were long, and made of this really nice silk material. Even though they were suppose to be winter holiday dresses, they were perfect for a formal summer wedding dress. The girls looked beautiful! Banana Republic has some really nice gowns, and their clothes are always really beautiful. We also saw purses that we loved there, but the purses did not go on sale. The dresses went on sale, and the 15% off was nice. The dresses were, originally, $240 each.