My Experience With Maye Cortinas **LONG**

and for me it wasn't that I had to double check everything it's that I am anal compulsive and "I" HAVE to check everything!!! I'm borderline ridiculous. So that is why I knew I didn't need a planner that was so hands on because I had to control the show anyway...

Personally, I wouldn't want to be left wondering if you are getting the best service or not, so I think you made the right decision.

and for me it wasn't that I had to double check everything it's that I am anal compulsive and "I" HAVE to check everything!!! I'm borderline ridiculous. So that is why I knew I didn't need a planner that was so hands on because I had to control the show anyway...

what I'm not understanding then is what the benefit to the planner is. why not just do it all yourself if you know you'll want to run the show anyway? i understand having a planner if you'd rather it be in someone else's hands or if they can get you better prices. but, if you have to do all the work anyway, why not just skip a planner?

I agree with Morgan. I want to control everything myself and so I did not hire a coordinator. Although, I initially tried to hire a day of (for peace of mind) but got no responses to emails I sent out. So, my FSIL is my designated day of, also my florist. I got lucky. However, my wedding isn't for two weeks and who knows what might happen. I don't really care, though. All that matters is that I have my favorite people there to see me marry my favorite person.

what I'm not understanding then is what the benefit to the planner is. why not just do it all yourself if you know you'll want to run the show anyway? i understand having a planner if you'd rather it be in someone else's hands or if they can get you better prices. but, if you have to do all the work anyway, why not just skip a planner?

also i think it is important to remember that the title of the thread is:

and it is an honest and fair review of what ana has experienced.

some of us have had great service from maye, some not so great.

ok I have to post and stand up for Maye a bit.....
I did have her as a wedding coordinator and thought she was very reasonable . You have to remember the quotes she gives you is for the timing (date) of your wedding. Your quote might be different then the other brides quote. You are in 2009 and the other bride might be in 2008....so there will be a major price difference. Since Cabo prices always change, daily. In her letter responding to you it did seem to me that she accepted her responsibilities and explained how vendors work. Vendors change their prices constantly.... Maye does work for you and does find good prices, maybe there are other WC that can find better prices because they have their own connections but she is using her connections.....
When I had a question about prices I confronted her with it and she would do a price comparison and show me the price I liked. No fuss about it.
I also wasn't asking for horse and buggy (not fighting so please don't take it that way).
If she does do a mistake just make a copy of EVERYTHING that she sends you and when you see her before your wedding ( I did this 5 days prior to my wedding day) I sat with her and showed her my copies and compared it to her copies. She saw what she did wrong and changed it immediately.
With regards to vendors.....if you don't like her prices (just like she stated) it is easy just not to use her vendors and pick your own instead. That's what I did for photographers and videographers, she (Maye) didn't mind at all she just made sure they were there on my wedding.

I'm sorry you didn't like working with her but you have to remember you are not working with WC from the US, you are working with WC from a different country.....all you have to do is make sure they are on task....yes a little more work but it is worth it in the end. There will be mistakes here and there but remember it is one day of a party and the person you are marrying is the most important thing.

Sorry my two cents.

I agree with Morgan. I want to control everything myself and so I did not hire a coordinator. Although, I initially tried to hire a day of (for peace of mind) but got no responses to emails I sent out. So, my FSIL is my designated day of, also my florist. I got lucky. However, my wedding isn't for two weeks and who knows what might happen. I don't really care, though. All that matters is that I have my favorite people there to see me marry my favorite person.

and it is an honest and fair review of what ana has experienced.

some of us have had great service from maye, some not so great.

I looked into hiring a planner in the very beginning before I even found this forum because I had no idea if I would be able to book vendors, etc...

The first planner I was going to hire was charging like $1600 and I just couldn't handle paying that because I knew I would only need help with vendors and day of coordination. So then from her i found Maye and she was only going to charge $600 so I was like well in the big scheme of things (budget) what's $600 and this way she can handle all the vendors and day of coordinate because I didn't want to set my own tables and translate my own ceremony nor did I want to ask one of my only 26 guests to do it.

She mostly did what I wanted She booked all my vendors and the only one I questioned the price on was the transportation...everything else I was satisfied with what she had and if I wasn't I asked for lower but didn't research any other vendors. The day of coordination was spotty but it was still better then not having anyone at all.

So to me that was the benefit of having a wedding coordinator for my vendors and day of coordination. I didn't care about being anal and researching all of that...I just went with what she had and I didn't want to be dealing with that part of it. But with the "wedding" details, that is what I knew I would take charge of and not need her visions or ideas or anything and that I didn't need her at all for except to rent my centerpieces from because although plenty of people brought all their stuff with them I didn't want to hassle.

So I got exactly what I paid for and that is what I am saying about each of us have our own vison of what we wan on this day and with that how much we can do ourselves and want to do ourselves and what we can't so we have to be true to ourselves and realistic and then pick a wc accordingly and hopefully they will be honest with you and provide you what they promised.