Wedding Details

[minnew 4]

People here are so smart and let me know that Canada has "permanent" postage just like the "forever" stamps here in the US!! I wanted to share what I found in my postage research!

Here, you can find "Celebration" stamps that are permanent (P rate) of $.54 each. They're really cute! But, those will only work within Canada.

But, for postage from Canada to the US it is $.98 each. So, for our return postcards, it is almost a dollar. Wow... how about email or the phone??? (KIDDING... my mother would shoot me over that one! She's already having a hard enough time with me wanting to be more modern, than traditional!) Not sure what the weight/size limit is on that.

Postage from the US to Canada, that's a whole other ball of wax. Postage is going up as of May 11. And, every May will be when they make their rate adjustments. USPS Site

Now, for mail to go to Canada prior to May 11, the rate is $.72. That is based on a "regular" letter size & weight. Regular refers to the average piece of paper and assumes there is no more than 7 sheets of paper inside the envelope. After May 11, the rate will go to $.75 for a "regular" envelope. Stamps.com Info

Hope this info can help someone out there!

Thank you July09Bride for posting that information! Doesn't all this wedding stuff make you want to go sometimes? I am debating on whether to use an online RSVP due to the mailing situation as well. I don't mean to hijack your thread but since this has to do with weddings have you thought about using an online RSVP? Does anyone else have any personal experience using the online RSVP? We will have a wedding website that has one, and through our save the dates which will be emailed all the guests will have a link to view the website. Did I mention I am addicted to theknot.com...LOL.

[Ontarkie 14,193]

We knew how many ppl where comming from Canada before I sent out the invitations I just had them call me or tell my mother but if they really wanted to send the reply card they could. But this was also such a short amount of time less then a month to do the whole wedding planning and all. There really was no time to send back the rsvp's. From Arkansas to Sault Ste Marie it pretty much takes about 2 weeks to get the mail sometimes longer and then back again add another 2 weeks.

We did get a wedding invitation from a friend in Michigan who used the online RSVP it was very nice and classy not cheesy at all. I would go that way for guest back in Canada unless you know they dont use computers.

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Thank you July09Bride for posting that information! Doesn't all this wedding stuff make you want to go sometimes? I am debating on whether to use an online RSVP due to the mailing situation as well. I don't mean to hijack your thread but since this has to do with weddings have you thought about using an online RSVP? Does anyone else have any personal experience using the online RSVP? We will have a wedding website that has one, and through our save the dates which will be emailed all the guests will have a link to view the website. Did I mention I am addicted to theknot.com...LOL.

YES! I'm also addicted to theknot.com It's my escape from looking up visa stuff on VJ

Thank you JulyBride! This is going to be bookmarked, I'll need it soon. My invites just finished printing yesterday Hopefully I get them sometime soon!!

[July09Bride 1]

Thank you July09Bride for posting that information! Doesn't all this wedding stuff make you want to go sometimes? I am debating on whether to use an online RSVP due to the mailing situation as well. I don't mean to hijack your thread but since this has to do with weddings have you thought about using an online RSVP? Does anyone else have any personal experience using the online RSVP? We will have a wedding website that has one, and through our save the dates which will be emailed all the guests will have a link to view the website. Did I mention I am addicted to theknot.com...LOL.

YES! I'm also addicted to theknot.com It's my escape from looking up visa stuff on VJ

Thank you JulyBride! This is going to be bookmarked, I'll need it soon. My invites just finished printing yesterday Hopefully I get them sometime soon!!

Yeah, me too!

I will admit, we've been through various wedding websites. I have FINALLY settled (as of about an hour or so ago) on a website for us. It is by FAR the easiest, cleanest, most option oriented FREE wedding website I've seen!!!!! TRY THIS!!! That's what we have now. I've finally found a site that has the feeling I want for who WE are as a couple and our style. All of the sites that fit those parameters, were $$$$. But this one is free!!! If you want to see our site, lemme know. I'll share it!

As for hijacking this thread... no worries. I think it is good info for people to have considering wedding guests will be "international". As for the online RSVP, some/many of the Canadian guests are older and not too computer savvy. Via the new website, you can do RSVPs & it looks relatively easy. I may still use this option, but not make/allow the page to go "live" or viewable by guests.

So glad I could provide helpful info!!!

[July09Bride 1]

Thanks, Krikit, for making the name change for this THREAD!!!

[Krikit 1,164]

Thanks, Krikit, for making the name change for this THREAD!!!

[Hugglebuggles 60]

I refound the thread after it was lost!

This thread comes at a good time... I'm facing a wedding crisis! Ok here's the annoying backstory... So I'm trying to plan a wedding in the Denver, CO area from my phone and computer up here in Canada. It's a difficult task, but so far so good! I went down there for a week in February and booked an officiant, DJ, ordered a cake, picked out and put a down payment on the flowers, and some other things I can't remember. Anyways most of the big things are done! But the reception site I booked back in December is making me so so so angry! Its a local Sheraton hotel, that is quite lovely and in a fairly remote area. They seemed so helpful at first: doing our centerpieces, decorating and supplying linens, giving us a room for the night, giving our guests a discounted rate, everything I would need. So we booked it! Even though the food was a little more then I wanted to spend ($52 a person? Is that a lot?)

So here it is April and I want to go down there and yell. First, the woman we were using as our coordinator quit (or got fired, who knows) She was around my age and one of the reasons why I booked the place to begin with. So now we are shuffled to this older lady who doesn't seem to care! She sent me an e-mail telling me she is my new coordinator and to e-mail her whenever I needed something. Ok, fair enough! But no... She doesn't reply to her e-mails EVER! So I now know nothing about my reception site. I e-mail her asking her questions and I don't get anything back. I don't want to call because Its expensive for one, and secondly nobody answers the phones and I have reservations about giving her a Canadian call back number. The discounted room rate? $120 a person when you can get a room there for $130. That's not what I would consider a good rate! So long story short, I'm completely unhappy right now....

To make matters even better, I was playing on google last night just playing around looking at different sites. I found the most gorgeous little Victorian house super close to the ceremony site that would have been perfect! The banquet room has windows for walls and charming pillars and ah! The food starts at $17.99 a plate (when I'm paying $52), you bring in your own alcohol (instead of ridiculous hotel prices), and they do centerpieces and decorating and everything just like the other place!! My fiance and the soon to be MIL don't think its a good idea to change places now... I'd lose my $300 down payment and I would need to get my reception cards reprinted. But... Wouldn't we save money regardless?! Ugh, I wish I would have found this place earlier... It's so perfect. Charming, fancy but rustic, beautiful view of the mountains, open and bright, the right price. Another problem: I can't go look at it! So... Its either, believe the pictures online, or get my bridesmaid in Colorado to go look at it and trust her judgment, or just forget it and stick with the Sheraton. Any advice?!

[BermyCat 1]

Why don't you get your bridesmaid to go there with a camera and get unstaged pictures for you to look at? Also, is your future mother-in-law in the area? If you get along with her, I bet she'd be happy to have a role in preparing for the wedding.

I'm planning my wedding ceremony over the internet and phone too. We just went to the courthouse here and are planning for a more formal ceremony in Bermuda. Luckily, I've got my future step-mom to help me with all the details. She and Dad are getting married the weekend after.

All this is reminding me that I'd better sort out the favours soon....

~ Catherine

[JillA 2]

Huggle, sorry about the troubles with your wedding planning, but $52 per person isn't expensive to me.... most places I've been looking at are $100 per person and the cheapest I've found is $73 per person. And I'm not looking at wonderful country clubs either, I'm talking average places

[FormelyCA 0]

WITHOUT A HESITATION, I advise you to CHANGE the venue!

Yes, $300 is gone, and you have to print off new RSVP cards BUT, like you said, you will save money in the long rum. Not to mention, trust me, for your whole life you will always wonder what your wedding would have been like at that charming little place.

I just recently had my wedding in Honduras. I too had to plan everything from here never having been to the venue once. I WAS lucky to have my future MIL go check it out but, I still would have risked it anyway, I think. JUST ASK FOR references and as MANY pictures as you can ask for. I choose a small old colonial Spanish house in the mountains and people have told me it was like something out of Hollywood. So unique, and so different than anything they had been to. And that's what you ultimately want your guests to feel like

I don't have experience with big hotel weddings so I can only speak for myself, and also I guess person preference. But, to me there is nothing more than a unique venue, that not everyone has seen before,. Rather than a typical, so over done, hotel reception site.

My 2 cents

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Why don't you get your bridesmaid to go there with a camera and get unstaged pictures for you to look at? Also, is your future mother-in-law in the area? If you get along with her, I bet she'd be happy to have a role in preparing for the wedding.

I think I will do that. My soon to be MIL seems really against a change in venue so i'm not sure how much she would help but I'm pretty sure my bridesmaid would go for me. I guess it doesn't hurt to ask!

Huggle, sorry about the troubles with your wedding planning, but $52 per person isn't expensive to me.... most places I've been looking at are $100 per person and the cheapest I've found is $73 per person. And I'm not looking at wonderful country clubs either, I'm talking average places

Wow really? Just for food?! Its $52 for food (just buffet style), then another $3 a person for soft drinks, then another $2.50 a person for bottled water, and then the bar I have no idea because people won't return my e-mails! Probably quite a bit since we want it open. I mean, all things considered Its not really that bad, no, but without a good line of communication maybe not. I feel like a number right now...

WITHOUT A HESITATION, I advise you to CHANGE the venue!

Yes, $300 is gone, and you have to print off new RSVP cards BUT, like you said, you will save money in the long rum. Not to mention, trust me, for your whole life you will always wonder what your wedding would have been like at that charming little place.

I just recently had my wedding in Honduras. I too had to plan everything from here never having been to the venue once. I WAS lucky to have my future MIL go check it out but, I still would have risked it anyway, I think. JUST ASK FOR references and as MANY pictures as you can ask for. I choose a small old colonial Spanish house in the mountains and people have told me it was like something out of Hollywood. So unique, and so different than anything they had been to. And that's what you ultimately want your guests to feel like

I don't have experience with big hotel weddings so I can only speak for myself, and also I guess person preference. But, to me there is nothing more than a unique venue, that not everyone has seen before,. Rather than a typical, so over done, hotel reception site.

My 2 cents

I think that's wanted to hear Thank you for that!

I think I'm going to give the Sheraton one last chance. I sent a new e-mail and I'm going to call a couple times next week and if I get nothing, or nothing good, I'm done. In the meantime i'll get someone to scope out the other place. Maybe i'll change regardless of what the Sheraton says....

[minnew 4]

I will admit, we've been through various wedding websites. I have FINALLY settled (as of about an hour or so ago) on a website for us. It is by FAR the easiest, cleanest, most option oriented FREE wedding website I've seen!!!!! TRY THIS!!! That's what we have now. I've finally found a site that has the feeling I want for who WE are as a couple and our style. All of the sites that fit those parameters, were $$$$. But this one is free!!! If you want to see our site, lemme know. I'll share it!

As for hijacking this thread... no worries. I think it is good info for people to have considering wedding guests will be "international". As for the online RSVP, some/many of the Canadian guests are older and not too computer savvy. Via the new website, you can do RSVPs & it looks relatively easy. I may still use this option, but not make/allow the page to go "live" or viewable by guests.

So glad I could provide helpful info!!!

Yes I would love to see your website!!!

I refound the thread after it was lost!

This thread comes at a good time... I'm facing a wedding crisis! Ok here's the annoying backstory... So I'm trying to plan a wedding in the Denver, CO area from my phone and computer up here in Canada. It's a difficult task, but so far so good! I went down there for a week in February and booked an officiant, DJ, ordered a cake, picked out and put a down payment on the flowers, and some other things I can't remember. Anyways most of the big things are done! But the reception site I booked back in December is making me so so so angry! Its a local Sheraton hotel, that is quite lovely and in a fairly remote area. They seemed so helpful at first: doing our centerpieces, decorating and supplying linens, giving us a room for the night, giving our guests a discounted rate, everything I would need. So we booked it! Even though the food was a little more then I wanted to spend ($52 a person? Is that a lot?)

So here it is April and I want to go down there and yell. First, the woman we were using as our coordinator quit (or got fired, who knows) She was around my age and one of the reasons why I booked the place to begin with. So now we are shuffled to this older lady who doesn't seem to care! She sent me an e-mail telling me she is my new coordinator and to e-mail her whenever I needed something. Ok, fair enough! But no... She doesn't reply to her e-mails EVER! So I now know nothing about my reception site. I e-mail her asking her questions and I don't get anything back. I don't want to call because Its expensive for one, and secondly nobody answers the phones and I have reservations about giving her a Canadian call back number. The discounted room rate? $120 a person when you can get a room there for $130. That's not what I would consider a good rate! So long story short, I'm completely unhappy right now....

To make matters even better, I was playing on google last night just playing around looking at different sites. I found the most gorgeous little Victorian house super close to the ceremony site that would have been perfect! The banquet room has windows for walls and charming pillars and ah! The food starts at $17.99 a plate (when I'm paying $52), you bring in your own alcohol (instead of ridiculous hotel prices), and they do centerpieces and decorating and everything just like the other place!! My fiance and the soon to be MIL don't think its a good idea to change places now... I'd lose my $300 down payment and I would need to get my reception cards reprinted. But... Wouldn't we save money regardless?! Ugh, I wish I would have found this place earlier... It's so perfect. Charming, fancy but rustic, beautiful view of the mountains, open and bright, the right price. Another problem: I can't go look at it! So... Its either, believe the pictures online, or get my bridesmaid in Colorado to go look at it and trust her judgment, or just forget it and stick with the Sheraton. Any advice?!

I would give the Sheraton one last chance, if not go for the Victorian house, sounds like it is alot less expensive and more beautiful than the Sheraton! $52 a plate, if I was paying $52 a plate that better include alcohol as well! Maybe those figures depend on the area of the country and city that you live in as well. The reception venue that we are using also provides centerpieces, discounted room rate, room for bride & groom. I was just in Omaha last week and put down our deposit of $500 for the reception venue, unfortunately some of the places that we initally wanted to look at either were not available, or no matter the room size or amount of guests that you are having had a Food & Beverage minimum that was outrageous for an expected small group of maybe 60? We are getting married Oct. 10th, which is Canadian Thanksgiving, no extra charge for substituting turkey for one of the meats! LOL! That reminds me I have to ask about cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie!

I'm having bridesmaid issues, which I hope will be sorted out by tomorrow as I will be meeting with them in person for coffee, as they both live out of town and are passing through for the weekend. They basically asked for financial assistance in order to be able to come, and basically trying to tell me to change my date and wait until the Spring. One of them is getting married at the end of August, initially she planned on getting married next March, well because she moved her date I am supposed to move mine? I will pay for their dresses, but they won't be from a bridal dress shop and won't be $200 each! Maybe I should have posted the second paragraph in the vent thread!

[July09Bride 1]

I refound the thread after it was lost!

This thread comes at a good time... I'm facing a wedding crisis! Ok here's the annoying backstory... So I'm trying to plan a wedding in the Denver, CO area from my phone and computer up here in Canada. It's a difficult task, but so far so good! I went down there for a week in February and booked an officiant, DJ, ordered a cake, picked out and put a down payment on the flowers, and some other things I can't remember. Anyways most of the big things are done! But the reception site I booked back in December is making me so so so angry! Its a local Sheraton hotel, that is quite lovely and in a fairly remote area. They seemed so helpful at first: doing our centerpieces, decorating and supplying linens, giving us a room for the night, giving our guests a discounted rate, everything I would need. So we booked it! Even though the food was a little more then I wanted to spend ($52 a person? Is that a lot?) We're around that amount AFTER taxes, gratuities, etc. and it does include alcohol.

So here it is April and I want to go down there and yell. First, the woman we were using as our coordinator quit (or got fired, who knows) She was around my age and one of the reasons why I booked the place to begin with. So now we are shuffled to this older lady who doesn't seem to care! She sent me an e-mail telling me she is my new coordinator and to e-mail her whenever I needed something. Ok, fair enough! But no... She doesn't reply to her e-mails EVER! So I now know nothing about my reception site. I e-mail her asking her questions and I don't get anything back. I don't want to call because Its expensive for one, and secondly nobody answers the phones and I have reservations about giving her a Canadian call back number. The discounted room rate? $120 a person when you can get a room there for $130. That's not what I would consider a good rate! So long story short, I'm completely unhappy right now.... The nice thing about having the reception at a hotel (that's what we're doing) is you'll also save on transportation and people will be quite happy to be able to go to their own room as needed - if needed during reception. But, perhaps they could do MORE of a discount. Ask to speak with the catering manager or perhaps one of the hotel managers. If there is a booking specialist ON SITE, that might help too.

To make matters even better, I was playing on google last night just playing around looking at different sites. I found the most gorgeous little Victorian house super close to the ceremony site that would have been perfect! The banquet room has windows for walls and charming pillars and ah! The food starts at $17.99 a plate (when I'm paying $52), you bring in your own alcohol (instead of ridiculous hotel prices), and they do centerpieces and decorating and everything just like the other place!! My fiance and the soon to be MIL don't think its a good idea to change places now... I'd lose my $300 down payment and I would need to get my reception cards reprinted. But... Wouldn't we save money regardless?! Ugh, I wish I would have found this place earlier... It's so perfect. Charming, fancy but rustic, beautiful view of the mountains, open and bright, the right price. Another problem: I can't go look at it! So... Its either, believe the pictures online, or get my bridesmaid in Colorado to go look at it and trust her judgment, or just forget it and stick with the Sheraton. Any advice?!Wow. A quaint little place you love... I'd go for the pics from the BM and MIL. In addition, have them go without an appointment. Sometimes going for an appointment they'll doctor things up.

Some other pieces of advice when working with hotels for receptions:

1- Don't tell them it's for a wedding reception. Say you're planning a family reunion with numbers for your reception. Then, after some time passes, go back and say wedding reception. Their prices may go up! So, then, you can go back and renegotiate the prices for the same meals, etc. for the reunion for your wedding reception!

2- Ask them the difference between their alcohol options. They might say they don't have options. Really? They can't close up earlier? They can't open only beer or wine? Really? Wow... the other bottles must just open themselves! <sarcasm> There are options.

3- Ask about the lunch menu option. The portions are typically smaller therefore the prices are less. They really won't want to do that. You might have to throw some empty threats their way, but these options will come out.

Good luck with your planning from afar!!!

[July09Bride 1]

Another fabulous hint?? Use vistaprint.com! We got our Save-the-Date cards from them (100 postcards) for free! We paid, I think, $8ish for shipping and handling. Then, we printed labels and bought postcard stamps. Off they went! So much cheaper!

We're going to use them again for our rehearsal dinner invites as well as our day-after wedding breakfast/luncheon.

They ALWAYS offer postcards for free, so place an order and wait awhile. You'll get another email with another sale and off you go again with only $8 spent! We almost spent $25 AND printing costs (ink for the printer) for something they'd print in GLOSSY and 2-sided for $8!!! Good thing I remembered vistaprint!

[JillA 2]

Another fabulous hint?? Use vistaprint.com! We got our Save-the-Date cards from them (100 postcards) for free! We paid, I think, $8ish for shipping and handling. Then, we printed labels and bought postcard stamps. Off they went! So much cheaper!

We're going to use them again for our rehearsal dinner invites as well as our day-after wedding breakfast/luncheon.

They ALWAYS offer postcards for free, so place an order and wait awhile. You'll get another email with another sale and off you go again with only $8 spent! We almost spent $25 AND printing costs (ink for the printer) for something they'd print in GLOSSY and 2-sided for $8!!! Good thing I remembered vistaprint!

Thanks for the tip! Will check that out for our save the dates