Las Caletas Brides ~ Post HERE! (THREAD CLOSED)

Hi Rita...ahh I am happy to share, we loved it and can't get enough! I actually just got a Blacks Memorables Photobook ordered and it arrived today so its more wedding stuff for us to look at! Umm as for the Calgary airport wedding...I will PM you will all of our details! Have a good night!

Ah, yes. I went to the Rhythms show. I had no idea my wedding could be there. Has anyone done this? I need to see some pictures. Would the guests be seated in the stadium seats? It seems so far away!! I think I'd prefer the beach. Okay, how much does it cost to have someone come over to Las Caletas and do your hair?? Do most people get married during the day or night?

If it's during the day, how does everyone get there? I want to go earlier to avoid seeing my fiance. Would the night pictures really turn out well? I kind of want to be married during the daytime hours and then have the reception right afterwards leading into the night. What is everyone doing Help!!!

Oh, yeah. Someone on this forum (Marisa??) mentioned a hand blessing. What is that?

Thank you!!

I know there are 2 main wedding packages, the Intimate and the Deluxe. I believe the Intimate is for smaller weddings, and can be done during the day or night - and it's not private. The Deluxe is private, and for larger weddings. At least this is my understanding! Other than 1 bride on here, I think everyone I've heard of has had their wedding on the beach at night - the ceremony is around 6:30.

 

There is a boat that takes the group over to Las Caletas around 4pm. The bride (or whoever) has the option of going over in the morning, and it sounds like most people do this, I think I will - just so I have time to relax and get ready. I think my morning boat will leave around 9am with the normal group of daytime guests. I then will have exclusive use of the bridal suite.

 

I think I have already loaded this somewhere, but here are the hair packages that Nicole has sent me.

 

Some of the girls that have already been married there may be able to tell you more details for sure!

 

 

Hair Packages.doc

Hey Marla, my advice to you would definitely get in contact with Nicole, just email her ([email protected]) and she is great at getting back to you and I am sure would be able to answer lots of your questions. As for pictures if you go through all the slideshows you will see photos of the Mayan Pyramid...there easy to spot because they are the ones not on the beach! I dont know exactly how much it cost to have someone come over and do your hair because I just had my bridesmaids do mine.

I think most people do get married at night for the larger weddings anyways but if its a smaller one you have the option of doing it day or night and i think its pretty evenly split...either way for the smaller groups you take the boat over with the group that is going out at that time (either on the Las Caletas by day tour or the Rythms of the Night tour). I know our pictures turned out great but we do kinda wish we would of had some in the day light because our ceremony got delayed so almost all our photos have an almost black background. You do have the option though of having the photographer coming over on an earlier boat if you and your fiance are their and then you can have photos done earlier if you like in the daylight and then later during your ceremony as well!

As for the Hand Blessing...not exactly too sure what that is because we chose the sand ceremony but if you just google it on the net you will definitely be able to see what it is....the hand/sand/butterfly/rose ceremonies are all extra little ceremonies you have after you have said your vows and exchanged rings...its just a little bonus before you are actually declared hubbie and wife!

Anyways this is getting long but definitely email Nicole because she is absolutley fabulous and will be so helpful with all your questions!

We had the hand blessing as part of our ceremony...this is the text of it:

 

" Hand Blessing

 

Lindsay and Edward, can you please face each other, hold each others hand, and see how important these hands are to the both of you.

 

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever.

These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other.

These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind.

These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and tears of joy.

These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children. These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one.

These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.

And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch."

 

I think it is really beautiful, and added a nice touch to our ceremony. We also did the sand ceremony.

 

Lindsay

The sand ceremony is similar to the unity candle, but uses different colors of sand instead.

Here is the wording from our sand ceremony:

"Sand Ceremony

Lindsay and Edward, may your love always be as constant as the never-ending waves, flowing endlessly from the depths of the sea. Just as there will never be a morning without the ocean's flow, may there never be a day without your love for each other.
As you hold your sand the separate containers of sand represent your lives to this moment; individual and unique. The strength of your marriage depends on each of you as individuals, but more importantly on how you will work together and support each other. Build your marriage on each of your strengths, coming together to complement each other. As you now combine your sand together, your lives also join together as one. You may now blend the sand together symbolizing the uniting of the bride and groom into one. The life that each of you have experienced until now, individually, will hereafter be inseparably united, for the two shall become one. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so will your marriage be."

Officiant - pours sand as foundation of marriage

[Officiant picks up blue sand and gives it to groom]
This represents you, Ed: all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be.
[Ed pours some sand into vase]


[Officiant picks up white sand and gives it to bride]
This represents you, Lindsay: all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be.
[Lindsay pours some sand into vase]

Lindsay & Ed - pour sand together to symbolize your lives coming together and your future

[Officiant holds up her vase - sand from the beach we're on]
Today on this sand you have committed to share the rest of your lives with each other. You have sealed your promises in the presence of witnesses, family and friends. You are no longer two but one, never to be separated from each other.
[Officiant pours rest of sand into vase]"

Hope this helps!

Lindsay

What a nice touch. I guess doing both the sand and hand ceremony would be a bit much. How did you decide?

Lindsey, Your dress is beautiful. Did it end up getting filthy from all the sand, etc.? I was against the long train until I saw yours.

 

Ann, Thanks for the points!!! I'll catch on one of these days.

We couldn't decide between the sand ceremony and the Hand Blessing, so we did both!!!!! I will post a copy of our entire ceremony, so you can see how the whole thing fit together.

 

Thanks for the comments on my dress, I love that dress so much! I didn't think I wanted a train either, until I tried it on, then it didn't matter if it would get dirty or anything, it was the perfect dress!

 

It did get a bit dirty from the sand, etc...I have to have it dry cleaned before our reception at home in June, but it's not as dirty as I thought it would be!!! It didn't really matter to me if it got dirty or not, I really will only wear it once (ok, twice), it was the dress of my dreams, and I wanted pictures of us in the ocean, in the sand, etc.!

 

Here is the copy of our ceremony:

 

 

Lindsay & Eddie - Ceremony.doc

Thanks Lindsay. Did you have a videographer as well? I am undecided. I have a lot of relatives that could tape it for free!

Is it difficult to navigate your way back to the bathroom at the bridal suite when it's dark? I assume you can use that bathroom as opposed to the regular guest bathrooms. Did you pay for additional hours for your reception? Is it really necessary? I don't want to feel rushed.

Also, do you go back on your own private boat or the one with the tour group.

Did you change out of your gown? I gotta make good use out of that thing ya know

 

Thanks again and I look forward to more pictures. You definitely need to blow up the one with the fire dancer and put it somewhere everyone can see!!!

That is quite the picture!!!

Hi Marla...well I know I'm not Lindsay but I thought I could answer or atleast tell you what we did about these situations. Umm we used a videographer and we also had my brother in law taping it! It was just a personal choice for us because we figure we wanted as many memories of it as we could and we love both tapes. The professional one was great because it was properly edited with our music and wording in it and my brother in laws was great for us to because he got the whole ceremony and didn't miss any of the talking so its great for us to have both. We never navigated back to the bridal suite at night, when you left the suite at like 5:30ish Nicole asked us to have everything packed and they brought it all down for us at night before we left, come to think of it thought I never did have to go to the washroom when I was down at the beach so the idea of using those washrooms never even crossed my mind! We didn't pay for additional hours because we had younger kids with us who were pretty much sleeping at the tables and we figured by leaving around 10ish we wouldn't get back to our hotels till 11:30ish so that was late enough for the kiddies...we ended up just stayin up at our hotel with the guests who wanted to drinking and dancing around the pool! We did go back with all our guests on the boat and I didn't change out of my dress and we had a blast...we continued the dancing the whole boat ride home...it was fabulous! Anyways hope this helps you out a bit and I am sure Lindsay will tell you all about her experience when she signs back on! Have a good one~