We didn't want to make a big deal out of registering/not registering. My fiance (now husband) and I have been working for over ten years, and the truth is we're of a generation that if we want something, we go out and buy it. We can't always buy the bigger things that we would like in life, which is why we were happy to find a site that lets us register for a honeymoon vacation. This is such a great idea, and it works really well! We just signed up, picked where we wanted to go, and then the website does the rest. One challenge is that many of our family members who weren't to computer savy had to have someone help them figure out the site. For our friends, they loved the idea because it made shopping for a gift that much more easy. We didn't expect anything from our guests, other than them being there, and we know we are blessed to have people in our lives that want to help us have a nice honeymoon.

I think party's are always better when there's a theme involved. We got the idea that instead of going out and hopping bars in the area (we have years of expereince doing that) we decided to host a tupperware party. None of us had ever attended anything like that before and didn't know what to expect. Luckily our consultant (you can go online and find a consultant in your area) was young and fun and really wanted us to get excited about tupperware! With a bit of wine, shopping for anything can be fun. I was actually pleased with my purchases, because I finally got rid of all those half-melted butter containers that I was using to bring my lunch to work in. What makes this feel more like a party was also all the fun snacks I had bought: I stopped off at a Wal-Mart and stocked up on cookies and fruit platters and drink mixers.

I don't know much about what the field looks like, but Dave said that it was really well done. There was great courses, and that all his friends were able to play at the same time. You don't need your own paintball guns to play, they will rent them out to you, and if you're in a group you can get a really good deal. I think it was about $20 per person, though that might not include the group discount rate. Everyone who went said that they had a great time, that the staff was awesome, and that they will probably go again the next time one of their friends gets engaged or married.

Everyone on both sides of the family have been to this restaurant and love the american-cuban food. The serving sizes are really big! I think the place has a great atmosphere, very festive and upbeat, and the manager was really great about helping me make a reservation for both our families and some friends. I usually see big groups of people here, as well as lots of couples on dates, not so many kids. I would really recommend splitting a few appetizers, like the tostones and the havana sampler. I've had the meat, fish, and chicken here, all are good, though I never have room for dessert. I loved it during the rehearsal dinner, everyone was happy and talking with one another, and I know I will come back with lots of good memories.

This was a beautiful place! So relaxing! The resort was beautiful, our rooms were small but clean and airy and nice. One thing that I liked about the place was that it was couples only, meaning that mostly everyone there was married, had just gotten married, or were going to get married. No kids! It made for an overall nice atmosphere, and the staff was sure to give us our privacy. There's not exactly a vibrant nightlight at the resort itself; there are spas, and it's more about getting calm and at peace. I love it. I would go back. Maybe for not an entire week, but definitely when my new husband and I need a few days off to unwind and take special 'us' time.

We stayed the night at my parents' house, just because that's where the party was and it was too late to think of going anywhere else. We made plans, though, for the next day to go to the Umstead Hotel and spend the following night there. After we woke up, we went there for breakfast. We have eaten there before, and it's the best. The food I ordered was fresh, tasty, healthy, and probably the best food in the area. Dave (my husband) loved the Shrimp and Grits for breakfast, and the small taste I got was delicious. The chef is amazing. When we could book into our rooms, we went up and then just lounged about. We were both exhausted, but it was so nice and special to be in such a beautiful place. Mu husband's parents are big fans of taking weekends here, and I can understand why. It was so nice having such a big tub in our room for a long relaxing soak! I love it that we have a place like this so close to home!

We had booked a block of rooms at the Ramada, letting our guests know ahead of time of the booking. My family house is fairly big and when guests come to town they usually stay there. Because of the wedding we weren't putting anyone up. We couldn't. Unfortunatly, we didn't pay attention to the financial budget of all our guests. I got a couple of calls from aunts and cousins who couldn't afford to pay over $120 a night to stay in a hotel. We looked around quickly and found that there was a Super 8 not so far away. It was less than $60 a night, and the rooms were fair. I saw the rooms at the Ramada and there is no comparison, the Ramada is nicer. But for the price, and considering they were only staying two days, it was perfect. Very affordable, clean, and near the city center.

We didn't give out favors, my mom and Dave's mother both agreeing that it would be a waste of money. But we did send out thank you cards with our wedding day photo to each of our guests. We knew that we wanted to send each guest a picture of us on our wedding day, one of the professional pictures, and it was just a matter of finding the right format. We really liked the selection of custom made picture thank you cards offered by invitationconsultants.com (look under 'photo thank you cards'). We picked one style that suited our personalities, ordered them, and they arrived 10 days later. It was great, all of our friends said they loved the card!

My funny story about Lynn's Traditions was that this was the baker that both me and my best friend had hired to do our cakes. Dave and I had gone to the consultation, picked the flavor and style of cake we wanted (three tiers, separate tiers, and I recommend this because it makes it easier to cut and serve the cake to the guest). I had spoken to my friend Debbie about this "great baker" and she told me she had found someone, too. I guess great minds think alike. My cake was delicious, and it looked beautiful, too. The icing looked nice on the tablecloths and also matched the bridesmaids' dresses. A few months later I was so impressed when I looked at my best friends' cake, because it was soo different. It was two different styles! Amazing talent!

This was a great catering service to work with. They had catered a party for my mother's work, so she was already convinced that they were the team for the job. We booked a consultaion and explained where the wedding would be, and the number of guests we would have. When we looked over the menus, it was really hard to make a decision. There were so many things that tasted and looked good. In the end we decided on one of there theme packages just because we figure it must be popular if it's on the main rotation. We choose Italian package, just because we both love Italian food! It seemed very fitting to have so much comfort food when you're having your wedding at home. One thing that was important was that we wanted to rent dishes from Irregardless, which we were able to. We also ordered our bar through Irregardless, which meant that they were able to make signature drinks and a selection of drinks for our guests all night. It was great, exactly what we wanted