New Bride To Be

Hello everyone! My name is Amanda and I am so glad I found this forum! After returning from a Mexican vacation at the end of October I became convinced that I must have DW. I've just recently started the planning process and am already feeling a bit overwhelmed. I would like to have the wedding at a resort in Riviera Maya but have no idea how to select which resort. We are planning it for the end of October 2008. Unfortunately the only one I have been to (Dreams Tulum) had the worst front desk staff/concierge service(Mariano specifically) that they almost ruined our entire vacation and ensured that I would never do business with them ever again.

This site has already provided me with a wealth of information! Some of my key questions at this time are:

1. How do you get accurate pricing (especially in terms of giving my guests an estimation on how much it will cost them) prior to booking the resort? Cost is a big factor for our families so we would like to keep the costs down as much as we can for our guests. Right now most internet sites are telling me it is too far in advance to get pricing for the end of October 2008 and available pricing seems to vary greatly from site to site. Also, are you able to negotiate special pricing when booking multiple rooms, and if so, do all the rooms need to be booked at the same time?

2. Who do you book through (the resort directly, a travel agent, travel websites, or things like Apple Vacations) for the best prices/services?

3. What is the proper wedding etiquette for inviting guests/providing them the details on the wedding so they can book it as far in advance as possible?

I can already tell this site is going to become part of my daily routine! )

I am just starting the planning so you questions I am not sure I can answer but I can welcome you to the gang and yes you will become addicted.

congratulations and happy planning

I think Lizz has it pegged! I got in touch with a TA right away and got some estimates (although I didn't end up using the TA for my whole group in the end - too many people had their own ideas about what they wanted to do), but she was a great resource for sure! Look around here - there are TONS of great TA's!

I also sent out my STD's about a year in advance so people had plenty of time to decide if they could attend and save up.

Welcome to the forum !!!

Welcome to the forum Amanda... youre going to love it!

Robyn

Welcome

Sarah

Congrats and welcome to the forum

CONGRATULATIONS and WELCOME!!!

You'll find lots of great information and wonderful people here!

In response to your questions - First, don't worry - I think we all have shared in both your initial excitement of wanting to have a DW and then the overwhelming feeling of where to start!!! But - you're right, this forum becomes part of your routine and you'll love the fact you can find answers to just about anything here!

I'm not using a TA - but that's because our wedding is going to be so small - around 30 to 40 people. Also, we didn't want to do an all-inclusive resort, but preferred a smaller boutique hotel. I contacted the hotel directly - we're getting married in Cabo - and I was told that it is customary for the hotel to offer a 10 to 15% discount if you book 10 rooms. However, since our wedding is in high season (at the beginning of Spring Break), we weren't eligible for that discount, but the owner was willing to comp the bridal suite for us. So - if you're not using a TA, I would narrow it down to 2 or 3 locations and contact them directly to get a rough idea. We love the hotel we're at because of its character and it is very reasonably priced. That being said, we also have friends that are making a vacation out of the trip and are renting private villas, staying at resorts, etc. There really is a lot of flexibility - just choose what you feel most comfortable with!

As for airfare - both we got discount codes from American and Frontier airlines - you can do that on their websites. They both say that there is a "minimum" number of guests that must book, however, customer reps from both airlines said that they aren't going to revoke the discount if those aren't met!

I got engaged at the end of August and we're getting married on March 8, 2008 - so not much time in between! We called and let everyone know right after we got engaged - and then we sent out STD's and set up a website immediately. Again, since ours is so small, we're in contact with all the guests pretty regularly!

Good luck - and I promise - things do calm down! In the beginning I was talking by email with my WC a zillion times a day - but now we just check in with each other about once a week!

welcome to the forum