u/user0969_

Me and my partner are planning on getting married and we'd like to have a dreamy honeymoon. Nothing luxurious or super expensive but we'd love a big trip somewhere we've never been. We've never been on a cruiseship and we would love to be at sea, nice beaches and good food. So we were thinking of going to a few places in south America!

I've found the 18 day MSC cruise Poesia Panama Canal and it seems awesome from the website, exactly what we're looking for. Price is also doable. My only questions for whoever has actually done it are:

Is it worth it?

Would you recommend it?

Do you actually get time to enjoy the beach? And are the beaches where the boat leaves you good or do you have to arrange transport to a different beach? And therefore there's hidden extra costs?

Would food and healthcare on board be safe for someone with allergies such as seafood?

Mind you we're travelling from Europe and therefore we'd have to fly to Miami, then board on the ship and when we're back in Seattle fly from there to Europe again. We also loved the idea of spending a day or two in Miami, Seattle and San Fransisco which are in the cruise.

Thanks a lot for your kind comments and for sharing your experiences, I look forward to reading them all. Please be respectful and kind too. Thank you!

Hi all,

Me and my partner are planning our wedding and we would love to do it in my home country. Our budget is small and therefore we are trying to plan a beautiful wedding without having to spend a crazy amount of money.

My wish is to invite only closest people, his wish is to invite more people - on his side most people (not his closest) might not come since they'd have to travel to a different country, on my side on the other hand they'll also have to travel from a different country where some of my closest people currently live (although they are originally from this country where we want to get married in) but the extended family on my side lives specifically there and I'm not sure on how to go about it with them specifically: we're not close so I don't necessarily want them at my wedding but at the same time I am up for getting closer and allowing this event to gather us all together especially since for them it will be very easy to come since they wouldn't have to travel.

Thing is that they're a lot of people and I just don't have the money to pay food and drinks for all of them (the reception we have planned is a simple dinner in a local restaurant where the price is on average €50-60 per person).

I thought I could invite them and be honest and say that I cannot afford to pay for all of them so if they're willing to pay for their own menu then it's fine but if not I totally understand and absolutely don't take offence if they don't come, or if they come only to the mass in church and skip reception at the restaurant afterwards.

As much as I think being honest is my go to choice regardless of what they'd think, I also am not sure whether this is the smartest way to go about it. Maybe I should just not invite them? They shouldn't take it bad since we're not close but again we come from a culture where it's good manners to invite everyone despite how close you might be and I want to keep things good with all of them.

Anyone who has found themselves in this same situation or has experience with weddings, what would you recommend we do?

Thank you all for your kind and helpful comments.

To give more context I've felt self conscious and hated how I looked since the age of 9. I have tried everything and I haven't managed to actually feel confident and beautiful in my own skin. I'm 25 years old and I refuse to live any longer feeling like this.

I am a 5ft short woman (always wanted to be taller, always been bullied for my height).

During childhood and teenage I used to swing from underweight to overweight as body changed hormonally (I was raised in a dance community that always told me I was fat even though I weighed 42kg at 14 years old)

I am Mediterranean (green eyes, dark brown hair, olive skin although since I moved to the UK I am not tanned anymore)

I have always been deeply insecure about my small breasts

I have managed to build a nice bum in the gym but I still think it's not good enough due to comparison with fitness influencers.

And I've always stored extra fat in my face and arms which I wish were more defined.

I've been working out in the gym and eating well for 6 years now, I have gone through injuries and illnesses so I had a few set backs fitness wise but I am objectively in shape. Just don't look like runway models nor like Instagram models.

I have considered all sorts of beauty treatments and operations but I refuse to be a victim of the system.

It's clear that the beauty industry capitalizes on normal body features in order to make women feel insecure about something normal that they can't change and then show them an impossible ideal online to them offer a service/product that will supposedly fix our issues.

I am more than willing to take care of my body inside and out since we've been given this tool to experience life but I do not want to hate myself anymore. I want to feel beautiful and sexy and confident in my own natural body.

I know true confidence comes from who we are (personality, character, skills etc). I have experienced enough hardships to know that life is not about materialism and superficiality. Health, loved ones, faith is what truly matters.

BUT it's obvious that we all want to feel sexy and beautiful and confident.

Can anyone who's learnt to have a healthy relationship with their own body and who's learnt to feel sexy and confident help me get there? I'm open to hear experiences, book and podcasts recommendations, helpful tips and habits.

Thank you in advance, I look forward to all your kind comments.

Hi everyone,

Me and my partner are planning our wedding and of course I started searching online for dresses. Our budget is pretty small so there's not a chance I can afford a classic wedding dress as they'd cost over 1k even if second hand.

Also I don't like most dresses.

I've found a couple that are very affordable (£200-300) and there's one I absolutely love. It's a simple long sleeve long dress embellished with pearls, high neck. The only problem is that it has an open back. Now, for the reception we will be going to a normal restaurant so it's fine to have a little bit of an open back, but I'm wondering whether for church it won't be appropriate.

I'd be wearing a mantilla which covers the back a little bit of course but mantillas and veils are still kind of see through.

We are getting married in a Catholic Church.

What are your thoughts and experiences with wedding dresses?

Thanks a lot!

Hello everyone! Hope you're doing well.

I've been on my modesty journey for a year or so and although I was raised Catholic (poorly catechized, ended up being lukewarm during teenage up until age 21 due to bad things happening in life and poor guidance in general).

I then became a lot more devout in the past few years, and of course modesty became a thing.

I think I'm doing a good enough job when it comes to most occasions, to go to the spa/pool I wear shorts and t shirt but to go to the beach I'm not sure what to wear! I used to wear bikinis of course but I can't do that anymore, i feel too naked and there are other men around (if it was only women or just my husband I wouldn't mind).

I tried to search for modest swimwear but there's either actual bodysuits + dresses Muslim women wear or there's bikinis. I can't seem to find anything in between. I don't want to wear an actual dress because I do want to get a tan 🤣 but I also don't want to have too much out.

I find bodysuits a bit uncomfortable. I've also searched online for vintage swimsuits as I feel women back in the day used to dress more modest but still flattering feminine clothes.

When you go to the beach with your husbands/family, what do you wear?

Thank you for your responses in advance!