Our Wedding onboard the Carnival Imagination!

[Twin A]

Congratulations!

And thank you for the review!

You looked so beautiful!

I'm glad everything turned out great!

Many blessings to you and your hubby :)

 

Loving the review and I was wondering who you used for the make up. Just beautiful!!!

 

Yay for multiquotes! Lol!

 

Thanks, ladies! I'm hoping this review helps future brides - even those not on the Imagination.

[Twin A]

I have goosebumps! I'm so excited to read the rest of this review and see more pictures!!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your story with the rest of us. You are so beautiful! Congrats! I LOVE your dress! I really wanted a lace key hole dress, I think they are so gorgeous and timeless...but wouldn't you know it, I went with the exact opposie silk fit and flare, LOL.

 

Thank you! I just love the elegance and classic look of a lace gown. I had actually sworn off lace because I didn't think I could pull it off. But a friend who went dress shopping with me picked one out because she thought it was "me." And the rest is history!

 

You look so beautiful. And so happy!!! Excited to hear about the rest!

 

Thank you! My Grandmother asked me just the other day if the smile had worn off of my face yet. Hahaha!

[Twin A]

You look absolutely beautiful and you both look soooooo happy! Congratulations!!

 

Hello fellow married Cruise Bride! Welcome back! And thank you! It really was a happy day!

[msargeant]

Hi Twin A I know i am joining the party late but I am enjoying it. About your cake picture i was curious to see your cup cakes but i did not see them.

[Twin A]

Hi Twin A I know i am joining the party late but I am enjoying it. About your cake picture i was curious to see your cup cakes but i did not see them.

 

You've got perfect timing! I'm working on that section now. I'll include a cupcake picture - just for you. :)

[Twin A]

Friday, April 19 – Wedding Day!!!

 

Family Photos

We had a list of photos that we wanted, and the in-laws had added to that. So in all, we had almost 20 family photos to get through. Between my sister calling out names and Heydes and Peter helping to coordinate, they got it done! I was shocked how quickly it went. I was sure that we were going to run out of time and have to take some pictures during the reception, but that wasn't the case at all.

 

Our first photo after the wedding was a group shot. I’m so glad we got one! We plan on using it in our Thank You cards.

 

Reception

Heydes led us to our reception and guided us through what would happen (first dance, cake cutting, etc.). We'd booked the DJ, so we were in the Illusions dance club. Since we'd booked the Deluxe Romance package, we had 1.5 hours.

 

We made our grand entrance and performed our First Dance to Bobby Darin’s version of “Beyond the Sea.” While I wanted to take formal dance lessons, Rick wanted to try his hand at the Dance School of Netflix. Lol! So he scoured the site and found a DVD that he liked. And can you believe his idea actually worked out tremendously well! We saved a few hundred dollars, and everyone said we did such a great job they thought we took formal lessons.

 

As Rick was twirling me around the dance floor, I stole some quick glimpses of the cake. It was beautiful! Since I’m a cupcake fiend, we’d ordered wedding cupcakes to along with a small top tier cake to cut. I had sent a photo ahead of time of how I (Well, let’s be honest – I) wanted the cake to look (the inspiration cake is the three-tiered one). And they duplicated it perfectly! I was giddy with excitement over how pretty it was. It also went quite well with our Hello Kitty cupcake toppers. Anyone who knows me in real life knows I love HK; and it was a sweet gesture on Rick’s part to let me add that personal touch to our cake.

 

After dancing was the cake cutting; my father-in-law gave a toast (he got choked up, too); and we made our champagne toast.

 

Rick and I had agreed ahead of time that there would be no cake-smashing, so we had some good clean-faced fun. Lol! Also, think of your makeup, ladies!

 

After that we signed the marriage license. Since we wanted a copy ASAP to make changes to our insurance, Peter was kind enough to make 3 copies for us then and there.

 

The rest of the reception, we mingled with our guests, sat down for a bit just the two of us for a quick nosh and drink, danced, and had a great time! Even Heydes (white top with black vest) and Peter (the guy in the front) got in on the action, dancing with our guests! And my sister and Rick’s uncle broke out Gangnam Style on the dance floor. It was hilariousness!

 

The cake and cupcakes were awesome! The cake was nice and fluffy, and the cupcakes were almost like brownies. Sooo good! We had so much left over, though; literally cupcakes for days. Lol!

 

And after all of that fun, we had our Last Dance (We Are Family, by Sister Sledge) and invited everyone to the dance floor. I was sad to hear the song because I knew it was the last one to play and our non-sailing guests would have to leave. But we really had a decent amount of time at the reception. I thought the 1.5 hour reception was going to feel too rushed, but it was just right! I don’t really know what time our ceremony started because Heydes wouldn’t let me look at a watch or clock – haha! – but I know that it started late. So our reception probably started late, too. But they definitely didn’t kick us out at 3:00 because a non-sailing guest approached me at 3:00 thinking she had to leave. But we hadn’t even done the Last Dance at that point.

 

So all-in-all, a great reception!

[Twin A]

Friday, April 19 – Wedding Day!!!

 

Photography

After the reception, we went around the ship taking our formal wedding portraits. Ram was amazing! He was very patient, even as we suggested our own ideas for poses (the second picture was my idea; the third was Rick's). Some of his poses felt awkward, but they made for some great photos! So if it feels weird, do it anyway! Lol!

 

We took photos in a lounge area, in the atrium, and outside on the deck.

 

And about our atrium photos:

Ram wanted to take a photo of us at the top of the atrium while he was on the complete other side. So he slightly posed us, then walked over to the other side. When he got there, he tried directing us how to pose. We couldn’t tell if he wanted us to look at each other or to kiss. The sixth picture is me going “Why don’t you look and see what he wants us to do. I’ll stay like this.” Then all of a sudden, from the bar below, we hear someone shout “Kiss her!” Then a whole chorus of voices starts shouting “Kiss her. Kiss her. Kiss her!” It was pretty hilarious!

 

Lifeboat Drill

After the reception, we headed to our designated area for the lifeboat drill. It was looooooong, about 20 minutes for the verbal portion. Out of 9 (now) cruises, I have NEVER sat through such a long drill. It may have had something to do with Carnival's recent problems, but I can't say for sure. This was our first Carnival cruise, so it may be the norm.

 

For some reason, our group was the last to be called to proceed to their station. And I mean a good 10-15 minutes after all of the others. So after we received the go-ahead, our group proceeded to the pool deck. As we're making our way across the pool deck, clapping starts. I turn to see my new brother-in-law playing instigator and starting a round of applause. Be prepared for these things on your day! Lol!

 

Dinner

After we were finished with Ram, we found ourselves just outside the Dining Room. We had no idea what time it was so asked the man at the desk inside: it as 6:00 on the dot. And we had the 6:00 pm dinner seating. So we headed to our table and had dinner with our wedding guests.

 

After Dinner

I wore my dress the entire night. After dinner, when we were heading to our cabin, I heard the sound of quickly moving feet behind me and a young voice quietly shouted “Wait!” It was a teenage girl and her friend on a scavenger hunt. They were looking for someone dressed in all white. Lol! So I signed their card, and handed it to my husband and said “He’s got curly hair!” which was another signature they needed. They thanked me and went on their merry little way, running to find their next item. I ran into that girl maybe five more times during the cruise. It got pretty funny! And no, they didn't win the scavenger hunt. :(

 

Rick and I made it back to our cabin long enough to take in the sight of our honeymoon suite complete with rose petals and chocolates and to exchange gifts.

 

Rick got me a lovely pearl bracelet with a heart-shaped locket that I’ve been wearing ever since. He put a placeholder photo in it that I plan to replace with a wedding picture. My gift to Rick was…ahem…a very tasteful and professionally done photo album. ;)

 

We left to explore the ship some more, then came back to find a gift waiting for us: a friend had chocolate-covered strawberries and a bottle of champagne delivered to our room.

 

Videography

We opted to skip the pre-wedding interview and the staged honeymoon footage.

 

Our videographer, Branislav, was very easy to work with. He came to our cabin after dinner the night of the wedding to do the post-wedding interviews. He asked about how we met and our future plans (I snuck in world cruise, so now we HAVE to do one. Lol!)

[Twin A]

Nassau

We took family and friends to the Junkanoo Museum that morning. If you’ve never been, it’s definitely worth a visit! It’s a very small museum that showcases the history, music, and costumes of Junkanoo Festival. It’s interactive and fun – as well as educational. The couple who run it are just so – nice!

 

Later that afternoon, a smaller group of us went on a private cab tour with Jermaine. It was a great tour, very informative, and didn’t just go to the touristy areas.

 

Since I was in charge of the Grandmas on this day, I was very happy that they both enjoyed these events.

 

That evening, us young folks went out partying in Nassau! :D We had SUCH an awesome time with our friends. I'm not a night owl by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm so glad I didn't say "no" that night. Rick and I had been to Nassau maybe 5 or 6 times, but never at night. Fun times!

 

Fun Day at Sea

More on that in the next post.

 

Thank You Reception

To thank our sailing guests for traveling with us, we booked a private, one-hour reception with open bar for Sunday, our Fun Day at Sea. The prices are VERY reasonable if this is something you’re on the fence about. They piped in some music, offered dry snacks, and had drinks flowing the whole hour. We had the option of purchasing noshes, but that seemed so silly with all that free food on the boat!

[Twin A]

Sunday was a Fun Day at Sea. This is when we reviewed our photos and wedding video.

 

Our photo budget was $1000; and luckily, the photo package price list that Carnival provided in their packet was exactly what Ram offered us. I know some brides get on the ship and find the prices and packages are totally different, but that wasn’t the case for us.

 

However, thanks to the generosity of Rick’s parents, we were able to get the $1500 package that they then paid for! We were floored and not expecting such a wonderful gift.

 

After Ram showed us his gorgeous slide show, we began the hard task of sifting through the hundreds of photos. It seriously took us 3 hours to select our photos. And we didn’t even touch the photo book (we knew we weren’t going to buy it). By the end of it, I was tired, hungry, and cranky. Everyone else was out and about on the ship enjoying themselves, and we were spending hours looking at (albeit beautiful) photos. *sigh* We did get to look on as one of my friends won $1000 cash at one of those key games in the casino; we were a few feet away still going through our pictures when I heard all the screaming. Lol!

 

But it was all worth it. In the end, we were extremely happy with the package we received.

[Twin A]

Our wedding cruise was short. Wedding and embarkation were on Friday; Saturday we spent in Nassau; Sunday was a sea day; and we returned to Miami on Monday.

 

Because of the wedding on Friday, being in charge of the Grandmas on Saturday in Nassau and spending that evening with friends, and having to finalize our photo and video package on Sunday, we had NO alone time. Unless you count breakfast and lunch.

 

You can imagine our Friday schedule. Saturday was spent all day with the Grandmas and other family and friends. This was Sunday’s schedule:

 

Wake up at 8:00. Eat a leisurely breakfast in the dining room at 9:15. Ahhh…this is nice. Meet Ram at 10:30 to review photos. These are so pretty! Oh my gosh! Look how handsome you look! Awww...look at the ringbearer. Oh my goodness we’ve been here for 2 hours already. Let’s hurry up. That one, that one, not that one. It’s 2:00! We’re supposed to meet Branislav in an hour to review the video and we haven’t had lunch yet! Ack! And our Thank You reception is at 4:00. I’m starving. Pictures suck. Grumble. They’re so beautiful! Let’s just throw money at it, get them all, and eat. That’s unrealistic? Fiiiine. I’m so huuuungry. We’re done?! Yay! Run to the buffet, throw food on a plate, then race to the cabin to wait for Branislav. Branislav drops off video and dvd player. Look at video. Ooooh and Aaaahhh. Wait? Was that a typo? Grab pen and paper to note edits to give to Branislav. Branislav returns. Give him the edits. He’ll be back later with the edited version. Awesome. Oh, no! It’s 3:55, and our reception starts in five minutes. Race to the reception. Enjoy this hour with friends and family. Laughter and smiles. It’s 5:00 and dinner’s not til 6. You mean we have an hour to ourselves…? Let’s pack! Pack. Pack some more. Ugh…packing is lame. It’s 6:05 and we’re late for dinner! Eat dinner. Then meet Ram to pick up photos. Can’t wait to get them! They’re not ready yet? Awww…come back at 11:00? Ok. Go back to room. Pack. Branislav returns with edited video. It’s perfect! Go to pizza place for second dinner at 10:00 ‘cause you’re hungry again. Get upset with the man who knowingly jumps the line. How could he not see you standing there? See friends who traveled from the other side of the country to see you get married sitting and chatting on the pool deck who want you to join them. You spend a few minutes there, but you really have to leave to get bags packed and outside the door by 11 pm. One gives you a hard time in his drunken slur-talk. Go back to cabin and pack. Sit bags outside at 10:50 pm. Whew! We made it! Now what? Oh yeah! See Ram at 11. Photo package still isn’t ready because they printed the wrong canvas. Come back tomorrow morning before 9:30 am.? Ok. Go back to room and fall in the bed.

 

NB: Even with the delay in picking up our photos, we were extremely pleased with the level of service we received from Ram, and that in no way led to any negative feelings about this experience.

[Twin A]

Writing this review has been bittersweet. I've so enjoyed reliving my day with all of you; but now that my review is at an end, I feel like I've just finished a book. Like the Engaged Me was a character that I'd gotten to know and love. I followed her along on her path toward becoming a Mrs., through guest lists, dress fittings, craft projects, and her addiction to Cruise Critic. But now her story is at an end and that character is no longer a regular part of my life. I'll have to find a way to write her into a sequel. :)

 

Our wedding day was absolutely beautiful, and I have no regrets whatsoever about our choice of a cruise wedding, or cruise line, or abbreviated guest list, or anything. Our whole wedding experience was ABSOLUTE AWESOMENESS!

 

Our family and friends had nothing but positive things to say about the whole experience. Rick’s aunt wrote on her Facebook page that despite all the recent bad press Carnival has been getting, they sure know how to do weddings!

 

And everyone kept saying how everyone else was so easy to get along with! You never know what you’ll get when you combine 3 different families and sprinkle in some friends. We were very happy that everyone got along so well.

 

A friend of mine told me last week that she could tell that we “owned” our wedding; that it had so much of us put into the entire affair to make it special and a reflection of our two lives becoming one. And my sister just told me something similar a few days ago.

 

If family and friends are giving you a hard time about your choices for whatever reason – cruise is too long, cruise is too short, that's so nontraditional, I hate to fly, I don’t like water, why that cruise line, that port is awful, but x is "better," don't you want a "normal" wedding, just go to the courthouse – you HAVE to put that aside. Think about what you and your fiancé(e) need to have so that there are no regrets after your wedding. And do them. That is all that should matter. Supportive family and true friends will understand that, even if it means they can't attend.

 

Happy Planning, all you future brides (and grooms)! Your day will be here before you know it!

 

For any Carnival and Imagination brides out there, I’ll be around to answer questions and offer advice where I can.

 

Wishing you all "boatloads of happiness!" (Thanks, CruiserBren) :)

~Twin A (AKA Yvette)

[shorbr]

Yvette...I wish you and your husband nothing but love, peace and happiness FOREVER. I'm a newlywed myself at the age of 54, going on 5 years of marriage in October. I waited all my life for a special love like this, and I have been blessed. Sounds like you have been too.

 

Be as happy as you are today...forever :)

 

p.s. You were absolutely beautiful my sister on your wedding day and you are both blessed to have each other!

[lightskinedgyal]

O twin A you are such a sweet person! Loved your review I can understand ur closer after my wedding I will need a new project too as I like to be busy! I think though you might have something to look forward too! (Baby?) lol have a wonderful marriage and a blessed honey moon year. Come back to read my review in oct I will try to do half of what you did lol!

[CruiserBren]

Yvette,

 

Great review and beautiful pictures!!! Project?? LOL, you'll find yourself here!! Reading about all the other "cruise weddings" that were being planned during the same time frame as yours!!

 

What did you think if Enchantment? I saw her sail into the harbor and knew you were on her.

 

Brenda

[msargeant]

Hi Twin A

 

Oh man you had me almost tearing up. That review was really beautiful. I wish you and your husband all the blessings for a long and healthy life together.

 

Quick question I wondered what that tasteful and professional photo album was all about?;)

 

And the cake looked wonderful with the hello kitty topper along with the cup cakes.

[Shatima]

oh ok med... Lol I sure will.. and Kool thanks boo. that will give me an idea:D. I dont have Ur email or its down MANY of pages. lol but here is mine and I will hit u back ... allaboutthis04 at yahoo dot com

 

Yup - got the bags from Oriental Trading Co. They're kinda flimsy but held up to what we had inside. We didn't really have anything too heavy. I'd call them medium-sized; we had more than enough space. I should have a few left over. If you email me your address I'd be happy to send you a 'sample.' Haha!

 

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

[smg3]

Love the review! Thank you so much. I have 6 weeks! So grateful to know your day went well. One question, did all of your sailing guests have passports or passport cards? I know that they are recommended, but not required so I wanted to know if you had any problems if some guests didnt have either and just a DL.

[ree1009]

Aaaww! Thank you for sharing! You looked so beautiful. Just radiant! So happy for you! Awesome that the in laws gave you the extra so you can have more beautiful memories.

[rollissaria]

Okay...I've read and re-read your review numerous times now...and I have to say it again, you two were gorgeous!!! I'm so glad to hear everything was amazing awesomeness :)

 

Now...I know the questions I'm about to ask have been covered elsewhere on the boards from time to time, but it's been a while...and as I'm getting closer and closer to my date, these are the ones weighing on my mind, so I hope you have a chance to answer some of them.

 

- For the reception, did you bring your own CD for your entrance and exit songs, put them on your phone/ipod, or check with them in advance if they had them already. (same question for your ceremony, if you please :))

 

- Your dress - how did you pack it? any issues with wrinkles? steam it?

 

- If there was one lesson learned, what would that be (advice for us future brides)?

 

- you had your groom meet you half way up the aisle - did you two rehearse that? What was his cue to come and get you?

 

- Would you mind sharing your photography list of 'must have' pictures?

 

- Did anybody gift you off of either a Carnival registry or the Fun Shops? Did you have anybody bring gifts (even if you asked them not to) or cards? How did you handle that, if so?

 

- For your non-sailing guests....how did they feel about the wedding/reception? Did anybody feel 'robbed' they had to leave or were they all pretty happy with the day?

 

- Did your husband rent his suit or bring his own?

 

- Did you feel like the night club was a good venue for a reception? too empty and too much space? just enough space? I only have 20 guests, so I'm worried it'll feel empty.

 

- you might have said this in your review and I missed it...I saw where you said how long it took you to pick out your pictures (hours and hours oh my!), but how long did it take you guys to get your pictures taken? Did he take you around the ship before AND after the muster drill, or just before? Were you totally exhausted afterwards and enough was enough, or did it feel just right?

 

I'm sorry, those are more questions than I thought I'd have :) And I'm sure I can dig up more! HAHAHAHA....I'm sure you understand I'm in the final countdown now and am desperate for info, even if it is a different ship (nobody seems to get married on the Victory!).

 

Thanks so much and CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN!

[MommaBear55]

Dear Twin A, Thank for sharing your wonderful day with us. Your dress is gorgeous. You look so elegant and so beautiful. It was fun to share part of your honeymoon with on the tour of Antigua. Best wishes for a lifetime of happiness.

[Carnival_Brides]

Awww Twin, your wedding was beautiful and your dress was gorgeous! I hope we can make that "Cruise Bride" cruise happen.

 

Wake up at 8:00. Eat a leisurely breakfast in the dining room at 9:15. Ahhh…this is nice. Meet Ram at 10:30 to review photos. These are so pretty! Oh my gosh! Look how handsome you look! Awww...look at the ringbearer. Oh my goodness we’ve been here for 2 hours already. Let’s hurry up. That one, that one, not that one. It’s 2:00! We’re supposed to meet Branislav in an hour to review the video and we haven’t had lunch yet! Ack! And our Thank You reception is at 4:00. I’m starving. Pictures suck. Grumble. They’re so beautiful! Let’s just throw money at it, get them all, and eat. That’s unrealistic? Fiiiine. I’m so huuuungry. We’re done?! Yay! Run to the buffet, throw food on a plate, then race to the cabin to wait for Branislav. Branislav drops off video and dvd player. Look at video. Ooooh and Aaaahhh. Wait? Was that a typo? Grab pen and paper to note edits to give to Branislav. Branislav returns. Give him the edits. He’ll be back later with the edited version. Awesome. Oh, no! It’s 3:55, and our reception starts in five minutes. Race to the reception. Enjoy this hour with friends and family. Laughter and smiles. It’s 5:00 and dinner’s not til 6. You mean we have an hour to ourselves…? Let’s pack! Pack. Pack some more. Ugh…packing is lame. It’s 6:05 and we’re late for dinner! Eat dinner. Then meet Ram to pick up photos. Can’t wait to get them! They’re not ready yet? Awww…come back at 11:00? Ok. Go back to room. Pack. Branislav returns with edited video. It’s perfect! Go to pizza place for second dinner at 10:00 ‘cause you’re hungry again. Get upset with the man who knowingly jumps the line. How could he not see you standing there? See friends who traveled from the other side of the country to see you get married sitting and chatting on the pool deck who want you to join them. You spend a few minutes there, but you really have to leave to get bags packed and outside the door by 11 pm. One gives you a hard time in his drunken slur-talk. Go back to cabin and pack. Sit bags outside at 10:50 pm. Whew! We made it! Now what? Oh yeah! See Ram at 11. Photo package still isn’t ready because they printed the wrong canvas. Come back tomorrow morning before 9:30 am.? Ok. Go back to room and fall in the bed.

 

This is amazing. You were able to verbalize/write all of the feelings that my wife and I had the day we had to pick pictures. We had a friends and family fly in from all over and were concerned we weren't spending enough time with them on top of the hours we spent sorting through pictures--and ours was a seven day cruise, so KUDOS to you and your husband for pulling it off in three days.

[Shatima]

Go Rick!!!!! Netflix!!!!! Thats what Im talking about.. Saved soem $$$$$ and it still look great.. And I WISH Dee would mess up MY Makeup, I think I would knock her head off INFRONT of the Video person... lol She knows better.. I dont play with my MAC or any other Makeup I wear....

YEssssssssss Your Cupcakes Look SO good.. I remember we we both found out that we LOVE them alot... U got me wanting to oder them now!!!! Did U say how much extra they were I haven't read down that far yet...

Glad UR time felt long.. My butt is only doing 1 hour.. and I will party the rest of the time each day and night for the follwing 6 days lolol

Ok Im going to read some more... This is GOOOOOOOOOOOD and the pix are Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Friday, April 19 – Wedding Day!!!

 

Family Photos

We had a list of photos that we wanted, and the in-laws had added to that. So in all, we had almost 20 family photos to get through. Between my sister calling out names and Heydes and Peter helping to coordinate, they got it done! I was shocked how quickly it went. I was sure that we were going to run out of time and have to take some pictures during the reception, but that wasn't the case at all.

 

Our first photo after the wedding was a group shot. I’m so glad we got one! We plan on using it in our Thank You cards.

 

Reception

Heydes led us to our reception and guided us through what would happen (first dance, cake cutting, etc.). We'd booked the DJ, so we were in the Illusions dance club. Since we'd booked the Deluxe Romance package, we had 1.5 hours.

 

We made our grand entrance and performed our First Dance to Bobby Darin’s version of “Beyond the Sea.” While I wanted to take formal dance lessons, Rick wanted to try his hand at the Dance School of Netflix. Lol! So he scoured the site and found a DVD that he liked. And can you believe his idea actually worked out tremendously well! We saved a few hundred dollars, and everyone said we did such a great job they thought we took formal lessons.

 

As Rick was twirling me around the dance floor, I stole some quick glimpses of the cake. It was beautiful! Since I’m a cupcake fiend, we’d ordered wedding cupcakes to along with a small top tier cake to cut. I had sent a photo ahead of time of how I (Well, let’s be honest – I) wanted the cake to look (the inspiration cake is the three-tiered one). And they duplicated it perfectly! I was giddy with excitement over how pretty it was. It also went quite well with our Hello Kitty cupcake toppers. Anyone who knows me in real life knows I love HK; and it was a sweet gesture on Rick’s part to let me add that personal touch to our cake.

 

After dancing was the cake cutting; my father-in-law gave a toast (he got choked up, too); and we made our champagne toast.

 

Rick and I had agreed ahead of time that there would be no cake-smashing, so we had some good clean-faced fun. Lol! Also, think of your makeup, ladies!

 

After that we signed the marriage license. Since we wanted a copy ASAP to make changes to our insurance, Peter was kind enough to make 3 copies for us then and there.

 

The rest of the reception, we mingled with our guests, sat down for a bit just the two of us for a quick nosh and drink, danced, and had a great time! Even Heydes (white top with black vest) and Peter (the guy in the front) got in on the action, dancing with our guests! And my sister and Rick’s uncle broke out Gangnam Style on the dance floor. It was hilariousness!

 

The cake and cupcakes were awesome! The cake was nice and fluffy, and the cupcakes were almost like brownies. Sooo good! We had so much left over, though; literally cupcakes for days. Lol!

 

And after all of that fun, we had our Last Dance (We Are Family, by Sister Sledge) and invited everyone to the dance floor. I was sad to hear the song because I knew it was the last one to play and our non-sailing guests would have to leave. But we really had a decent amount of time at the reception. I thought the 1.5 hour reception was going to feel too rushed, but it was just right! I don’t really know what time our ceremony started because Heydes wouldn’t let me look at a watch or clock – haha! – but I know that it started late. So our reception probably started late, too. But they definitely didn’t kick us out at 3:00 because a non-sailing guest approached me at 3:00 thinking she had to leave. But we hadn’t even done the Last Dance at that point.

 

So all-in-all, a great reception!

[lightskinedgyal]

Go Rick!!!!! Netflix!!!!! Thats what Im talking about.. Saved soem $$$$$ and it still look great.. And I WISH Dee would mess up MY Makeup, I think I would knock her head off INFRONT of the Video person... lol She knows better.. I dont play with my MAC or any other Makeup I wear....

 

YEssssssssss Your Cupcakes Look SO good.. I remember we we both found out that we LOVE them alot... U got me wanting to oder them now!!!! Did U say how much extra they were I haven't read down that far yet...

 

Glad UR time felt long.. My butt is only doing 1 hour.. and I will party the rest of the time each day and night for the follwing 6 days lolol

 

Ok Im going to read some more... This is GOOOOOOOOOOOD and the pix are Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

hey girly why is yours only an hour??

[Shatima]

And where is this video.. I would love to see the Reception part... but I do understand U holding that back :) Kiss her Kiss her, lolololol Funny... and Your ring is TIGHT boo!!!!!!!!!!! :D

 

Friday, April 19 – Wedding Day!!!

 

Photography

After the reception, we went around the ship taking our formal wedding portraits. Ram was amazing! He was very patient, even as we suggested our own ideas for poses (the second picture was my idea; the third was Rick's). Some of his poses felt awkward, but they made for some great photos! So if it feels weird, do it anyway! Lol!

 

We took photos in a lounge area, in the atrium, and outside on the deck.

 

And about our atrium photos:

Ram wanted to take a photo of us at the top of the atrium while he was on the complete other side. So he slightly posed us, then walked over to the other side. When he got there, he tried directing us how to pose. We couldn’t tell if he wanted us to look at each other or to kiss. The sixth picture is me going “Why don’t you look and see what he wants us to do. I’ll stay like this.” Then all of a sudden, from the bar below, we hear someone shout “Kiss her!” Then a whole chorus of voices starts shouting “Kiss her. Kiss her. Kiss her!” It was pretty hilarious!

 

Lifeboat Drill

After the reception, we headed to our designated area for the lifeboat drill. It was looooooong, about 20 minutes for the verbal portion. Out of 9 (now) cruises, I have NEVER sat through such a long drill. It may have had something to do with Carnival's recent problems, but I can't say for sure. This was our first Carnival cruise, so it may be the norm.

 

For some reason, our group was the last to be called to proceed to their station. And I mean a good 10-15 minutes after all of the others. So after we received the go-ahead, our group proceeded to the pool deck. As we're making our way across the pool deck, clapping starts. I turn to see my new brother-in-law playing instigator and starting a round of applause. Be prepared for these things on your day! Lol!

 

Dinner

After we were finished with Ram, we found ourselves just outside the Dining Room. We had no idea what time it was so asked the man at the desk inside: it as 6:00 on the dot. And we had the 6:00 pm dinner seating. So we headed to our table and had dinner with our wedding guests.

 

After Dinner

I wore my dress the entire night. After dinner, when we were heading to our cabin, I heard the sound of quickly moving feet behind me and a young voice quietly shouted “Wait!” It was a teenage girl and her friend on a scavenger hunt. They were looking for someone dressed in all white. Lol! So I signed their card, and handed it to my husband and said “He’s got curly hair!” which was another signature they needed. They thanked me and went on their merry little way, running to find their next item. I ran into that girl maybe five more times during the cruise. It got pretty funny! And no, they didn't win the scavenger hunt. :(

 

Rick and I made it back to our cabin long enough to take in the sight of our honeymoon suite complete with rose petals and chocolates and to exchange gifts.

 

Rick got me a lovely pearl bracelet with a heart-shaped locket that I’ve been wearing ever since. He put a placeholder photo in it that I plan to replace with a wedding picture. My gift to Rick was…ahem…a very tasteful and professionally done photo album. ;)

 

We left to explore the ship some more, then came back to find a gift waiting for us: a friend had chocolate-covered strawberries and a bottle of champagne delivered to our room.

 

Videography

We opted to skip the pre-wedding interview and the staged honeymoon footage.

 

Our videographer, Branislav, was very easy to work with. He came to our cabin after dinner the night of the wedding to do the post-wedding interviews. He asked about how we met and our future plans (I snuck in world cruise, so now we HAVE to do one. Lol!)

[Shatima]

Heeeeeey lightskinedgyal,

BC thats the package we did.. I think its call the Welcome aboard Package.. And it cost less.. I asked them could i just pay for 30 more mins and they said I would have to bump it up to the same one TwinA had.. But after she added it up she was over $550 and I said for 30 MINS?? IM Good!!!!!!!!!! lol to be honest thats all i need anyway.. we will be parting from Friday when we step off that plane through 3:00pm when they leave until the 6 day Cruise is overrrr. lolol I know its kinda a long answer but U knwo I have o break things down.. lol

 

hey girly why is yours only an hour??