ILA Brides, what do you have planned so far for your big day?

[Barrierunner]

Hi ILA brides, I thought this would be a great way to share ideas, concerns, suggestions etc for the big day. I have booked my ceremony for 4pm on July 7 and will serve champagne to to everyone once the ceremony is finished. I'm hoping to have a barefoot ceremony, although I haven't figured out the logistics (ie. wear to put all of our sandals etc). Our dinner is booked for 6:30pm at the Cuban restaurant and we will either be having lobster or chicken followed by wedding cake then speeches. We are stuck on what to do afterwards, do we book and pay for a private area for dancing and drinking or do we all hit the disco that is included with the hotel? This is a dilemma for me because we may only have about 25 guests (including the wedding party) as many of my friends and some family members cannot afford to come to our wedding. Any suggestions? What other things are you doing to make your day special?

Cheers and Happy New Year!

[chevy14]

Hello Fellow ILA bride!

Good thread, with only 96 days till we leave - not that I'm counting lol - I am most happy when I am talking about the wedding!!

I am getting married on April 27 and to be honest, am having trouble getting anything finalized. Yahimara, though very nice, keeps telling me that everything can be decided closer to the date - things like table set-up, music, vows, centrepieces, the menu, which restaurant etc. I'm sure she's right, there is plenty of time, but I'd feel so much better knowing soem of these things were figured out.

We are getting married at 4pm and have decided to pay the additional $40 per person for the "gala dinner set-up" (what this includes I have no idea) and the lobster dinner. Dinner will be at 7pm. We will have over 70 guests, so I believe there is only two options for us - the steakhouse or the cuban restaurant. Has everyone been given the same information? The $40 per person is in addition to the $1,000 wedding fee. We also have to pay $150 CU to have the reception during prime dinner hours.

We have asked to hire a prof. cigar roller to come to the reception (in lieu of favours, it's just too much to transport) and we are flying our photographer down with us for the week.

Other than that, we don't have much else planned! Flowers won't be decided until we get there and we have a creative neighbour who will be bringing decorations for the gazebo...I'll feel much more relaxed when things are finalized!

[truelove4life]

Hey Girls

It looks like we are getting married on the exact same day, Barrierunner. We are at 2:00 and I have booked the steakhouse for 6:30 for dinner. I am finding it difficult to figure out what to do as well and it seems like everything I have thought of doing, is just another additional cost. You can rent the disco or the conference room for 150 and then she said that to have a bar, you have to pay an extra 8cuc per person for the bar!! Also, I am having a VERY small group go ... so far only 10 including my FI and I. I know I still have time to figure things out but I am starting to get a bit worried about the finer details now. It looks like we are all in the same boat.

[RonNMel]

I will be getting married May 4th 2011 at 2pm. Then we'll have the champagne and possibly wedding cake right after the ceremony (I've read on here by lots of people that if you keep it for after dinner, nobody eats it). We will probably wait until the champagne time is over to leave and go do our pictures. Then we will let people go and do whatever they please for the rest of the day.

 

We are not having a private reception, we will just go to the disco once it opens at 11pm. Because of that we are thinking of having dinner at 8:30pm instead of 6:30pm so that there is less waiting time between dinner and dancing (that way it'll feel more like a reception). Also it lets people have more time to relax and enjoy their day after the ceremony. We haven't decided which restaurant yet.

 

As for decorations, I think the only thing I"ll be bringing are chair sashes. the rest I will just let the beauty of the resort and beach speak for themselves.

 

For those who have already booked the restaurant, do you know when you have to say how many people will take the lobster? Is it the day of, or before?? That is FI's main concern, food. LOL

[Barrierunner]

Truelove4life, that is awesome that we are getting married on the same day, congrats...time is ticking and we only have 6 months and I'm getting a little worried. Have you found a photographer yet? I still don't have one and the cost of it is a huge consideration. What colours have you chosen? I have chosen both blue and green turquoise and so far the resort does not have those colours to decorate the gazebo or chairs. RonNMel, are you making your own sashes? Any suggestions where to get inexpensive material to make them or get them?

There does seemsto be a cost for everything. We decided to do the private dinner but are still undecided about the disco since it could get expensive depending on how many guests end up going and since there may be less then 30 of us, it could be kind of lame especially if the older guests don't dance.

I didn't know the disco opened at 11...now I am not sure what to do as we have to be done dinner by 8 as we only get 1.5 hours. So from 8-11, there is a gap now, argh!!!

RonNMel, I gave the option for my guests to chose between lobster and chicken. I plan to provide the exact numbers via email a few weeks prior to and I will also make sure I have those details with me the day we arrive.

Chevy 14, what is the gala dinner? We weren't given that option at all.

 

I still find it strange that we couldn't put a deposit down nor is there a rehearsal. Well I am sure everything will work out in the end and we will all have beautiful weddings! :-)

[truelove4life]

I am wondering about the gap as well ... from 8-11. I wanted to do the traditional dances and speeches but how the heck am I supposed to do that if I am having dinner in the steakhouse with other guests there!! ugh. There is so much time in between - they must have evening entertainment, though, that we could go watch before the disco?? As for the private dinner ... how do you arrange for that? I was under the impression that my dinner is in the restaurant while other guests come and go as well. That doesn't sound too intimate to me, having dinner with other people watching and eating dinner as well. And how are we supposed to decorate some tables and stuff?? lol. Now, I am starting to stress!!

Barrierunner! I think it is pretty cool that we are getting on the same day too!! We will have to get together later on ... maybe in the evening ... and get a few pictures together!

As for my colours, they are white and purple but I haven't gone as far as to ask Yahamira about whether or not they have purple, yet. I should probably get on that. I would also like to know about the material for the chairs. - where to get it or any suggestions on how to make them -is it just really wide ribbon?? It is really hard to figure out how to decorate when we can't really bring much with us on top of our usual travel luggage. I was thinking of bringing flower petals in purple from Michaels as well as small tea lights and tea light holders and some seashells to decorate the tables for dinner. Some small stuff that won't take up too much space or weight in my suitcase.

On the one hand, it feels like I have so much time to get things organized ... but really, time is just flying by and I am getting a bit anxious!! aaaaah!!!

[Tilly in the Sun]

We are getting married May 18th at 4pm...originally it was at 2pm but I asked for it to be a little later so there would be less time between the wedding and dinner.

It looks like we are having dinner at 6:30 but haven't picked which restaurant. Does anyone know which ones are inside and which ones are outside? We will also give our guests the option of chicken or lobster. I'm really interested to know about the gala dinner as well! I haven't heard anything about that.

We go back and forth about the disco vs private dance...cost wise disco is obv better for the wallet, but I like the idea of having our own space for a little while. It really bugs me though that they are charging $8 per person for drinks at an all inclusive! There doesn't seem to be many free perks here like at other resorts. But I am sure it will all be worth it in the end and we'll all have beautiful weddings!!

[chela]

Hi Barrierunner,

I am getting married on May 6th at 4 pm as well, followed by champagne and dinner at 6:30. We booked the disco privately for 2 hours from 9 to 11 pm after that it opens to the public. We felt that some private time for our group to party would be great, but we do have 60 people coming, so it is a bigger group.

[truelove4life]

Barrierunner ...

here is something to possibly consider ...

we could share the disco from 9-11. we could go half on the cost and you could have one hour and I the other hour ....

Just an idea!!

 

What is the gala dinner that a few of you have mentioned??

[chevy14]

Hi Girls,

I honestly have no idea what the 'gala dinner set-up' includes. Yahimara referred to it a couple months ago and mentioned it would be an extra $15 CUC per person. I am thinking that this is one and the same as the private dinner charge??

 

Tilly, you mention your guests will have the option of lobster or chicken....are you paying the extra $25 per person then? When does the resort need to know who is having what? And what is this about an $8 per person charge for drinks at the private reception I haven't heard a word about that!