Newbie: So excited to be on here!! Need Advice!!

Hey all!

My name is Guilyn! I am so happy I found this website-- I will be picking all of your brains for any and all wedding advice, because Lord knows I need some!

We have decided on a destination wedding, but can not figure out where we want it!! Our ideal spot is a smaller resort on a gorgeous beach--- the larger resorts are lovely, but just not our style, and they are basically all I've been coming across. We've looked into Costa Rica, Hawaii, the Mayan Riviera and the Carribbean, and are having a really hard time deciding between them. We may just end up having the Big Austin Texas wedding we initialy decided we didn't want afterall, just bc we're having such a hard time choosing another spot. HELP!

Can't wait to talk to all of you. Hi!

Congratulations and Welcome!! I'm getting married at the Moon Palace in Riveria Maya. Let me know if you need any help.

Welcome! I didn't want the big resort ceremony either, but we ARE staying at Dreams Puerto Vallarta, but our wedding is offsite at a private beach cove area, only accessible by boat (Las Caletas). If that sparks your interest, just let me know - there are quite a few of us getting married there. I know some girls got married in Cabo at the Cabo Surf Hotel - and that may fit your needs better - look for Janet1111, and then Christa just got married there too, here's her review: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t3895

Congrats, tell us more about what you invision for your wedding, how many guests to you think will go, are you looking for an AI. That sort of thing and maybe we can help you narrow down your choices.

What's an AI? I feel like a dork asking. There are so many abbreviations on here-- do you have a list of what they all mean?? ha!

As far as what my man and I have been envisioning-- probably similar to what everyone wants... an intimate resort-- maybe even one we can completely 'rent out' (we're going to have 50people, give or take a few... we can cut that number down or add to it)... I'd like to help a few of my guests pay for their accommodations (most won't need the help, though), so I don't want rooms that are $450 plus, which is all I've been finding... I love Cabo and Cancun, but I'd like to be at a more remote spot-- don't get me wrong, I like the nightlife, but I'd like more locals, less tourists (aka I don't really want to go where there's going to be tons of 20 something yr old American girls dancing on bars, pulling their tops off-- lol!)

Did most of you hire wedding coordinators, or did you just use hotel wedding coordinators??

I would give my right arm to hire sasha souza Sasha Souza Events: Celebrity Wedding Planner, Destination Weddings Consultant

but she is so damn expensive!!!

My suggestion is send a PM to "host" her name is Tammy and she is the forum creator as well and a travel agent how specializes in destination weddings.

BTW, AI= all inclusive

Thank you for the advice! I will

Hi Guilyn! I'm new to the site too...and we're having a lot of the same problems you are with narrowing down the location! As of today (haha, it seems to constantly be changing!), my fiance and I have it narrowed down to Jamaica or Belize. But who knows what tomorrow will bring!

Good luck, maybe we can help each other make our decisions more easily!

Heidi

Hi Heidi!

Yes-- keep in touch!! Jamaica and Belize are both gorgeous options. Are you working with a wedding coordinator or anything?

Guilyn, you are so cute. I just sent you a PM. Let me know if there is anything I can help you with. If you have not been to Costa Rica it will be a little hard to let you know how the wedding will be. I love it there though!