So many! I found our itinerary from 3 years that I'll copy from. We were incredibly lucky in that there wasn't rain for 3 weeks prior to us getting there so none of the trails were muddy but make sure you bring shoes you don't mind walking ankle deep (literally) in mud. We referenced this book to come up with our itinerary because our friends suggested it to us and I highly recommend it.

Hotel

Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay

This is where we stayed and we were super happy with it. It's right next to a beach park and we got to watch the sunrise every morning on the beach listening to the waves. The hotel provided us with a straw beach blanket and a cooler and we used that throughout our trip. Also it's walking distance away from a strip mall that had a lot of good food options. We were able to walk there every evening for dinner which was nice since we didn't have to drive.

Food

Lava Lava Beach Club

The happy hour is amazing. The prices are super reasonable (don't go for dinner or lunch, the prices are absurd). You get to have the toes in the sand experience with $3 mai tai's and super yummy appetizers. I can't explain how much we loved this place. We still talk about it to this day.

Hikes

Pihea Trail

This was by far our favorite. It's basically bouldering throughout the entire hike which was awesome. Be prepared to get muddy!

Kalalau Trail

Unfortunately we didn't get to do this since it was closed for trail maintenance but apparently it's a must. We want to go back just to do this trail. Word of advice, check online to make sure it's open before driving all the way out there.

Group Activities

We booked two group activities because we didn't want to rent our own kayaks or stand up paddle boards and we wouldn't have known where to go with them. We had a blast and the guides we had were fun and I highly recommend it:

• Kauai Stand-Up Paddle Board Tours – Downwind River Adventure
  
• Wailua Waterfall Kayak
  
  There's a ton more to do and if you are interested I can share my itinerary with you, I didn't want to make this post too long (too late). There's a lot of great ideas in the guide book. Let me know if you have any questions!

Well, keep in mind that there ARE ways around the dirty/wet/muddy dress.

Like, you can get one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Bridal-Buddy-Undergarment-gowns-Petite/dp/B0711KX2GP/ref=asc_df_B0711KX2GP/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309973722410&hvpos=1o5&hvnetw=g&hvrand=867343078338502348&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9016826&hvtargid=pla-569147476706&psc=1

Or make your own from an IKEA bag for much cheaper: https://www.ikeahackers.net/2018/06/bridal-bathroom-helper.html

I know they look kinda silly, but wearing something like this would probably make hiking in a wedding dress easier (I'd be worried about tripping in a long wedding dress while hiking, frankly, aesthetics aside) and prevent the dress from becoming muddy.

Like, all of those beautiful Icelandic elopement shots of brides on the sides of mountains in long, flowy, pristine ivory gowns? Yeah, they're wearing one of these things between shots to keep the dress nice and also to help them climb up rock faces.

Of course, if you WANT the muddy dress as part of the aesthetic, that's also perfectly fine, but, again, there are ways around it. And it would open up the possibility of resale.

In terms of whether it's worth it or not... I'm one of those brides who doesn't like the "bridal look" and I bought a dress for $30 that I'm going to wear. So the dress is absolutely not a priority for me whatsoever, really. However, it sounds like it is a priority for YOU, and that's what's important here. If you have the budget to get the more expensive dress and that is what you have your heart set on, then get it.

Get this book: The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed

It is SUPER helpful. That being said our highlights from our trip were the helicopter ride, ATVing, and kayaking. I highly recommend kayaking the Wailua River to Secret Waterfall, we just rented the kayak and did it ourselves rather than do an official tour, super easy and nice to go at our own pace, prepare to get muddy lol. I also highly recommend spending at least a day to drive up Waimea Canyon and hike around, the views are jaw dropping (see my post history for my engagement pictures there). There’s also a great restaurant nearby that’s a little hole in the wall place called Da Booze Shop, great place to refuel in between hikes.

Edit: I forgot to mention if you’re a dog person and have some flexibility in your schedule you can check out a dog at the Kauai Humane Society and take them on a field trip. We did this and took him to the beach, it was a blast.

I hear that so much- the purchasing from a charity organization and just settling a bit for whatever fits and looks nice. I really do love your dress, though, and I think once it's fitted you will feel much better about it. The keyhole back is SO romantic and I love the way it flares out at the bottom! Another bride here had a similar dress and got a crinoline like this that seemed to make a world of difference in the shape.


I think the dress is quite lovely and is actually very flattering on your curves, and I adore the buttons on the back. So beautiful!

Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas! :) Here are a couple things I liked in my planning:

1. Wedding Planning for the Busy Feminist - Practical and funny and very useful day-of timelines. Also a great appendix of vendors, designers, etc. https://www.amazon.com/Wedding-Planning-Feminist-Amanda-Pendolino/dp/1980821887
   
   
2. The Knot's Planning Binder - Great for organizing contracts and business cards, I liked their color swatches for choosing coordinating colors. https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Wedding-Planner-Organizer-binder/dp/0770433367
   
   
3. Budget Savvy Bride Wedding Planner & Organizer https://www.amazon.com/Budget-Savvy-Wedding-Planner-Organizer-Checklists/dp/1623159857
   
   
4. K Company Smash Book - My sister in law gave me this - a great place to collect all sorts of mementos as you're planning your special day! https://www.amazon.com/K-Company-30-659391-CompanySMASH-Wedding/dp/B007HONAV8/
   
   ​

My FH and I are not religious; here's what we've tried and found in our 1.5 years together:

• The 5 Love Languages: It can be at times a bit Christian-centric and sometimes brings up more "traditional" gender roles, but the overall concepts were helpful for us.
  
  
• Intellectual Foreplay: We went through a TON of these questions in our first few months of dating and it really helped us to get those big questions out of the way in the guise of "getting to know each other".
  
  
• I created an extensive list of lists of questions we could ask each other. We'd make it fun by picking random numbers (without looking at the questions first) and taking turns reading the questions. So he'd choose question 4, I'd read it to him, and then he'd answer and then I'd answer. And then we switched. We did maybe 5–10 questions at a time.
  
  
• The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: This one seems most helpful now that we're engaged. We borrowed the audiobook via our local library and have been listening to it in the car. FH really likes it!
  
  The Gottman Institute, which is by the guy who authored that last book, offers (kind of expensive) weekend workshops around the country, and it also sells an at-home DIY "workshop" for $175 USD. If we have time and extra money, we might try the at-home kit but for now the book is working well for us!
  
  edit: There's also a program called Prepare Enrich, which is an assessment you both take and then you meet with a facilitator (secular or religious, your choice) in your area to go over your results. The program also offers a DIY version called the Couple Checkup, which they call a "lighter version of the assessment". We haven't really explored these options yet because the Prepare Enrich facilitator we reached out to isn't taking any new clients at this time and my local library had both a physical copy and audiobook copy of The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work.

I have an illusion neckline as well! The dress looks awesome on you! Here’s the strapless I ordered that was recommended by the bridal shop. I have a fairly large chest so I just ordered it in the biggest size they had lol. It’s a little small in the cup on me but the band fits which is good. I would suggest giving it a try!

Dominique Noemi Strapless Longline Bra, 44DD, Ivory https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01G689A50?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

And since I’m sharing ahapewear haha here’s the bottom shapewear I ordered. I’m normally a 2x but upped to a 3x so I didn’t suffocate and they fit really well.

Women's High Waist Tummy Control Slim Panty Cotton Underwear Plus Size Nude 3XL https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K6SPGOK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_BJYSAb7DXZAV4

Are you making a veil because bridal salon veils are ridiculously expensive or because you really just want to DIY your own veil? I also considered making one because I couldn't fathom how a piece of tulle could go for $100+, but after doing some more looking, there are some really affordable ones online and I think I'm just going to save myself the time and effort by buying one. I found a cathedral length mantilla on Amazon for $26.50 with good reviews:
http://www.amazon.com/Topwedding-Cathedral-Length-Wedding-Appliqued/dp/B00M2ULK6E/ref=sr_1_24?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1457557864&sr=1-24&nodeID=2474936011&keywords=mantilla

I think that may be close to what you'd spend to make your own in materials cost. There are other ones on Amazon as well, but that one just happened to be the first one I came across. Alternatively, you can buy one of these Amazon veils to act as a base for your own decorating if you were hoping to DIY something so that you don't have to worry about stuff like measuring and cutting the material to the right shape and length.

Aw, thank you!!

I really like the look of crepe and tissue paper flowers. And the supplies are super cheap too. I actually made rose buds from the Lia Griffith site but used tissue paper instead (those are the hand drawn templates I made in picture four).


I've been using the exquisite book of paper flowers and Paper to Petal. The Exquisite book has really pretty flowers and good technique. I don't love most of the flowers in the Paper to Petal book but it has good info on technique. Based on these two books, I've also made up my own flowers too.

We got a couple sets of these and set them out in a basket, I heard only good things! They're inexpensive, packaged separately so you can just leave them out without prep, has the crayons for coloring but the books also have other activities. I also think the kids liked it since it was wedding themed:
https://www.amazon.com/Fun-Express-FX-3790-Individually/dp/B004UHU432/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1499867572&sr=8-8&keywords=wedding+coloring+book
You could also go to the dollar store and get a few bubbles (as long as you're ok that it could get messy if they tip it over), maybe a few puzzles or some play doh?

There's also this one with a scavanger hunt with the original coloring books: https://www.amazon.com/Wedding-Activities-Kids-Individually-Scavenger/dp/B01IPDOI24/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1499867572&sr=8-6&keywords=wedding+coloring+book

I was concerned the kids (around your count) we had at the wedding would be running around all over the place but they were actually super well behaved! We just sat them with their parents.

Will adults be supervising the kids at the kids table? That would be my concern as they tend to run amok if no one is set to watch over them.

How about a $37 replica of Trina Turk's Catch the Wind dress, maybe combined with a bridal belt and hair accessories? I bought the replica dress on Amazon and it's super comfortable and one of my favorite dresses.

Lulus and Chi Chi London will have nice affordable options, too.

June 18th! Woo!

• I wrote out a detailed list of all decorations last night for my day of coordinator so she knows what goes where.
  
  
• I just finalized my popsicle cart! I'm getting wedding cake and peach flavors to match our wedding cake!
  
• I just transferred the remainder of our wedding money from savings to checking so I can start paying people without worrying about exceeding transfer limits (the little things I think about)
  
• I emailed my venue this morning with the final guest count! 98!
  
• Just venmoed final payment to my officiant
  
  My to-do list
  
  
• Packing this week
  
• Flying to Charleston on Saturday! The forecast is looking like there's a chance of rain so I bought this umbrella on Amazon
  
  
• Once we're in town and the probate judge office opens on Monday, we'll be applying for our marriage license!
  
  
• I have a ton of decorations to put together which I can't do until we're in South Carolina, so I'm looking forward to being Martha Stewart for a week. Chalkboard signs, centerpieces, floral wall, etcetera, etcetera.
  
  
• Finalize gifts for the wedding party and parents
  
• Pay everyone else.
  
  My bridal shower is next Friday! We're getting our nails done and then having luncheon! I'm ready to do this!

It's really easy to DIY this!

We are planning on just buying these. Then you go to www.avery.com/print and enter the number on the box (which happens to be 5302).

They have premade templates, or you can make your own. They also support mail merges where you just upload an Excel file with the Guest's name in one column and the table number in the adjacent one.

When you're all done you can just download the template and print it yourself at home or take it to Staples/kinkos/whatever.

They'll also print it for you for ~$40, but you can get 20% off coupons by requesting one of their sample kits, or just by leaving it in your cart for a few days.

Good luck!

I ended up printing my own using these Avery tent cards. The left side of this picture roughly shows how they turned out. They were a bit of a pain to tear out (they come in perforated 8.5x11 sheets, 4 cards per sheet), but with a few extra hands it was manageable. They stood up fine and were not too flimsy, which is what I was initially worried about.

I designed them using the Avery website and mail merged my guest info in from a spreadsheet. It was pretty simple and painless. I chose to add a graphic for some flair, and I indicated meal choice in the top right corner using a letter (e.g. C=chicken, V=vegetarian), per my caterers preference. But I'm sure you could write it another way or even find some clipart to place on the card to indicate choice of entree - I'd just check with your caterer to see what will be easiest for the waitstaff.

I'm doing the same thing! Best option in my opinion are these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073FDFLSF/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


You can cut them to size perfectly and they are SO comfortable!

These are the best prices I've found.

Tall votives

smaller ones

Through my research I've found it's cheaper to buy them already filled than to have to buy candles+holders. There are lots of ways to DIY decorate the glass as well.

Maybe let your photographer know that there will be a lot of candlelight, I think if the lighting is pretty low it can get tricky or they have to use flash. They'll know what's best but can't hurt to make sure he or she is prepared.

This is a great time to stop, breathe, and remember the WHY you're planning this. Pick up a Dr. Gottman book and take some time to yourself. No wedding planning, no SO, just you.

Here's the link

Talk to him as well. Tell him that you're feeling pressure to plan the wedding on your own. Maybe give him specific tasks. Tell each other how excited you are to be married, and why you love each other. Good luck!

I just saw these for the first time and they were awesome:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002BSHDKE/?tag=hydsma-20&hvadid=224178773718&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13365937934334178351&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9073477&hvtargid=kwd-296140838062&ref=pd_sl_3rx090jsvo_b&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1a3Ux-uD2wIVwSSGCh1dvQsXEAAYASAAEgIK-vD_BwE

At the end of this clip (it’s only 60 seconds long) you can see them being used:

https://instagram.com/p/BiKl7R3jsyl/

They were so cool and easy to clean up bc they stay attached!

I'm going to be DIYing as many paper flowers as I can. Flowers are crazy expensive but I love them and want my wedding to look lush and whimsical.

So I got two books, The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers and Paper to Petal.
Im also thinking of having one large flower for my bouquet, like this

I had the exact same issue as you and after trying tape, realized I needed something more structured for support. I used a plunge bodysuit with transparent plastic straps. Then I used fashion tape to secure the neckline where I wanted it. I had semi-transparent fabric for shoulder straps, but my bra straps were not visible to my eye or in the pictures. I was also worried about cleavage, but in the photos it looks great. Lifting and separating the breasts decreases the amount of cleavage and makes it more appropriate.

Something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spanx-Low-Back-Mid-Thigh-Champagne-Bodysuit/dp/B0757PDY42

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XFTZGV5/ref=sspa_mw_detail_1?psc=1

I got this one! Definitely not super fancy, but got the job done. I'm wearing a dress that lays pretty flat without it, and it gives it some poof. You can check my post history for pictures :)

I'm using the one that my sister wore in her wedding, so I'm not exactly sure. I think it might be the one that DB sells. (I wouldn't have bought the $80 one from them if I was buying now. If you go the Amazon route, just make sure you get one that has free returns like this. It wouldn't hurt to try it on with your dress before buying something more expensive.)

Ok, I had my math wrong, they’re $0.80 each, but are filled with a candle already!

Here’s the link on Amazon. They all arrived in perfect condition. Really well packaged.

Mine are by Faybox and I got them from Amazon for around $20 each. Good quality though- highly recommend! Here's the [link] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01B060X0E/ref=sxl2_a_it?qid=1465074608&sr=2) to one of them

I did a simple necklace like [this](Sterling Silver Bezel Set Cubic Zirconia by the Yard Pendant Necklace- Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N678CP7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_su2rudo8YzDrJ) and it was perfect.

This is mine! I just ordered it a few days ago. It goes with my colors perfectly. I have brown hair that will be loosely curled with and braided.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075P1TK5R/?coliid=I6HAZGFNOJ1QC&colid=1VJYZD18AQVAX&th=1

I got this one. I didn't have to use it but it is really pretty.

We're using these - https://www.amazon.com/Wilton-1006-932-Pop-Streamers-pack/dp/B002BSHDKE Mainly because we can't leave anything on the ground in the park. We tried one out and it's awesome!

Thank you!! I'm not sure yet, I'm sort of thinking a soft curled updo with a comb like this, maybe a red chiffon or silk tulle veil.

$4.49 per dozen is about as cheap as it gets. I found some on Amazon too that come with coloring books for $7


Fun Express FX IN-12/3790 Individually Packaged Children's Wedding Activity Sets (Pack of 12)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004UHU432/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_RFYzybTFHYV63

I got one similar to this except it is on a champagne velvet sash.

I also got this hair piece.

Then I'm wearing my grandmas diamond earrings and this necklace

How about pop out streamers that remain attached (so all the clean up with be is just throwing the whole thing out since the streamers are attached)? Like these from Amazon, check out the pics

Amazon, like this, this, and this

and then buy a gold chain and connect them. Wayyy cheaper than $900.

this book is legit all you need. it's fabulous!

What does your dress look like? That would help us search!!

SPANX Women's Suit Your Fancy Plunge Low-Back Mid-Thigh Bodysuit Champagne Beige Medium https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0757PDY42/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_boKsDbXQC0VBG

I’m going to have the same problem with my dress and I’m considering two pieces, one that is low back and a second for thighs!

My ring finger also fluctuates a ton! When necessary I use these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073FDFLSF Soooo helpful on days it's rolling around and making me nervous! I had it resized when we got engaged because it actually arrived 1.5 sizes bigger than my fiance ordered, but had it done again this past weekend while we were ordering wedding bands. Apparently I'm half a size smaller now than I was in December? Even since Saturday the fit varies day to day and throughout the day, so it's not just you. Maybe you can have yours enlarged slightly and use the adjusters during loose times too.

We ended up using this book for our "counseling" I really liked it as it was research based. We tried to do an exercise or two each night after work without any distractions.

https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Principles-Making-Marriage-Work/dp/0553447718/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

I've been using The Budget Savy Bride book. You don't need to be having a 'budget' wedding. It's been good for organizing my thoughts, priorities, and planning overall.

Here you go! Be sure to check the customer reviews for photos from other weddings.

They make streamers that stay stuck to the tube! Could you have your bridal party do that for a similar effect?

here’s an example

These are the ones I bought from [Amazon] (http://www.amazon.com/Avery-Small-Cards-Inches-White/dp/B0013CE9S8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404584499&sr=8-1&keywords=Tented+business+cards). Not a bad price for 160 of them. Could even double as place cards on the tables if you plan on doing them!

This is mine: hair piece I bought it on Amazon for around $14 from here

I wore this comb to my wedding. It's more gold/rose gold looking in person I think. The "branches" are slightly adjustable so the girl doing my hair/makeup had them positioned around the back of my hair/updo.

Edit: Sorry, I forgot no rhinestones!