Hacienda Tres Rios Brides Post Here!

Wow.. I am sure glad I do not have to deal with all the room booking stuff like you guys.. My wedding planning is a lot more stress free..

But I just booked my photographer/videographer! Yay, pretty excited about that..

Besides the room bookings, how is the rest going for you all? finding flowers, cakes, etc?

Hi ladies! I plan on getting married in June 2011 in Mexico. We secured a date at our timeshare, but I have started looking at all-inclusive resorts. I love H3R! I tried to follow your thread for pricing information. But, can anyone give me a general idea of how much a wedding would cost??

Thanks! Happy planning!

Hey girls I hope you all had a nice weekend. We were looking over our budget and realized we might be getting a little out of hand with expenses.

1)Most importantly how much are you guys paying in total to have your wedding at the Hacienda Tres Rios? (set up fee, dj, photog, etc).

2) Do you know if the set up fee includes tablecloths to match your colors or chair sashes etc?

3) Do any of you have pictures of the flowers?

I think all of our prices will vary because there is no set of things you choose from. You could call it kind of a la cart.

For me, the ceremony is $800 (or $850. I can't remember off the top of my head). Then it's $20 a person for the reception. Since we are having less than 20 people, the cost for our reception will be less than some of the other couples. I don't know my prices for anything else like flowers yet. I sent Allibe a picture of what I want for my bouquet, my bridesmaids, and centerpieces. I haven't gotten a quote yet.

The other thing we are do is having an iPod speaker instead of hiring a DJ or musicians. I mean, we don't need to hire someone for such a small group.

I am interested in chair decorations, but Allibe never got back to me on that. She's just really focused on getting my deposit right now

My budget is somehow way over 15K and that's just for 85 people not sure how the number is getting so high. Are you girls seeing the same things?

Hi ladies! And welcome to Erin..

I actually just worked out my budget this week while waiting for the group contract negotiations, and man, it hurts. It’s like even if you save money on the big things, it’s really all those little things that add up. Some of it though is based on averages for things I don’t know yet, so I hope they will be cheaper! The travel between the trip itself and the site visit is a big piece, and then things like photo/video/music etc are going to be expensive.

I haven’t received any pics of flowers. According to Allibe, the $800 fee and $20/pp includes all linens but only in white, no chair sashes, and serving dishes etc obviously since they are catering. Also includes officiant services, ceremony table with white linens, microphone if necessary, white garden chairs for everybody, recep. tables and chairs, all food and drinks, servers for cocktail hour and reception, all that. It doesn’t include cake, chair covers, other color linens, flowers, music, arch, aisle runner, dance floor (if needed), or anything else I’ve tried to think of to ask her. The only other costs she has said are $3 gift distribution fee. I’ve asked her a few times about other fees and she says there is nothing else. I think she will serve our vendors food for free, I’m waiting to hear more on that.

Anyway, my budget totally freaks me out. It’s currently $21,400 and when I first worked it up (with fireworks etc) it was $30,000. I’m not really sure what else to do to lower costs though, without skimping on things. This is based on 35 people as an estimate.

The breakdown is:

Attire/Hair/Makeup: 2265 (includes everything for FI and I and paying for hair, makeup, mani, pedi for bridal party)

Ceremony: 1360 (includes ceremony musician @ like 350, the 800 fee, guest bk, RB pillow, FG basket, arch, sand ceremony kit, unity candles)

Reception: 2700 (includes 20/pp fee for 35 guests, music @ 1500, cake @ 200, other rentals linens, décor, etc @ 300)

Other Events: 1400 (20/pp for welcome party with smores etc on beach, and same for rehearsal dinner)

Photo/Video: 4300 (no idea, but want to do a BD shoot, and feel like photo/video is most important to us)

Stationery: 1015 (includes std’s, invites, signage, pre-dept packet, welcome letter, wedding website, napkins, thank you cards, and programs with fans- we got those here, cost us 100)

Gifts: 1110 (includes bm and usher gifts at 40/ea, parent gifts @ 80/ea, welcome gifts @ 15/ea, and favors @ 3/ea.)

Flowers: 1160 (bride bq 100, 4 bm bq’s 200, hairpiece 10, corsages 100, groom bt 25, 6 ushers and dads bt 150, ceremony altar 50, pews/aisle 75, petals on ground/tossing 150, centerpieces 300)

Travel: 4280 (includes 7 nights for us @ like 192/nt each ~2680, 600 flights, 100 transfers, 800 his parents flights, 100 his parents transfers)

Site Visit: 1600 (3 nights for the 2 of us @ 150/nt/each plus flights and transfers)

Misc: 200 (insurance? Still looking into this)

We are/were hoping we can get the free room for his parents, still negotiating on that, that would save us another 2680 on that, otherwise add that in too Anything in yellow is stuff I’ve been told by Allibe – estimates on flowers she’s given me, etc. I can’t believe it gets so high so fast! How are you keeping your costs down? So far I still feel like HTR is cheaper than what I’ve seen elsewhere, the no vendor fees, music prices she’s quoted seem good? The 20/pp is amazing I think. How are you ladies keeping costs down- what are your budgets?? I did NOT thinking I’d be spending $20,000… Do you think any of my numbers are off or I could save anywhere?

Wings~Who did you book for photo/video? I think that’s going to be my next step with research…

Thanks for posting your budget breakdown Tricey and you're right...it really is all of the small things that add on fast. We're trying to stay at $15k not including our travel and room expenses. That also doesn't include my dress which my parents bought for me or our site visit. FI's parents are helping out by paying for the welcome party which also helps us stay close to budget. It's all very much an estimate at this point though. All in all, your breakdown looks really similar to mine.

Another question for you Tricey...I got my wedding event contract from Allibe today b/c we are doing the group contract via TA Jill. The contract says that anyone who doesn't book through Jill and the group contract will be charged the FULL cost (i.e. $80 plus bar) for the dinner reception. Isn't this RIDICULOUS?!? I emailed her to ask what the rationale is but I think it's just absurd!!

Was this in your contract too?

Thanks for the input on the budget. It totally horrifies me~ I really thought I'd be saving more money having a DW! Considering your site visit and travel costs a "vacation" and not including it is a good idea! Or at least will help my brain get over it a little bit better. I think your budget sounds pretty similar to mine...Some things are hard to estimate!

I really don't understand the full cost for reception thing, I would have a big problem with that if it were me. All of your guests will be staying at the hotel so what right do they have to require that they book with the group contract What if your guests have timeshares they book through, or have their own TAs they use? Or just find a better rate online? I think that's ridiculous too, my contract didn't say anything like that, and I would NOT want to pay full cost for a guest if they didn't book through the group rate. Is this something other resorts typically do to their wedding groups

Let me know what you do...

My budget breakdown looks sort of like this:

$300 catering ($20 x 15ppl)

$800 ceremony etc

$395 flowers (bride bouquet @ 100 two bridesmaids @50, centerpieces and altar flowers)

$900 photography (maybe? I don't know yet)

$350 hair and makeup (just for me)

$250 music (we're doing iPod speakers)

$200 cake (not definite. this is a guess based on what Allibe said)

$4848 2 night stay for 12 people

$2900 for me and FI including possible airfare

I don't know about chair sashes yet, but that's the only other thing I would add in.

Our trick to keeping cost down is limiting the number of people (we didn't want a big wedding) and by keeping it simple. There's nothing I have my heart set on other than being married by the beach.