TammyWright

welcome dancer!! what part of bermuda are you looking at?

welcome monica!! jennetta posted a grat referral for a wedding coord. if you need one...let us know how we can help!

i haven't stayed there yet...i have a list of like 10 places i need to stay at...but dh and i want to do cabo at least once a year...

Quote: Originally Posted by A10CALGAL Holy crap! That's toilet paper? How in the world did they do that?? Do these women actually get married in these dresses? Inquiring minds want to know! christa, some of those dresses were amazing if you looked at the details...some people have alot of time on their hands

This is an idea for those that have family members that can't make it to your wedding but that you want to include in the ceremony, festivities, etc. http://ourweddingcast.com/

http://www.cheap-chic-weddings.com/w...test-2006.html

Quote: Originally Posted by MARIAELM oops, i was going off the calendar. congrats to natasha & rebecca too! yes, it will be fun to see how this flurry of oct/nov weddings come off. i'm sure we'll all find success! i know, i go off the calendar too...i am really trying to get people to post their proper wedding date on it.

for newbies

http://www.sparklersonline.com/

When Sir David North booked his flight from Miami to Milan and Bologna, Italy, through the online agency Orbitz, he didn't anticipate any problems making a change if necessary. After all, he was flying business class and understood the itinerary could be altered, albeit at a price. Before he departed, though, he learned he also had to go to Greece while in Europe. That's when the problems began. North, who owns Key West Aloe, a cosmetics and fragrance company, couldn't make the change online. So he called the agency's customer service. After spending 10 or 15 minutes "trying to actually talk to a real living person," he learned it would cost him more to reroute to Greece than he had already paid for the trans-Atlantic flight to Italy. Not a good option. "So I called TraveLeaders a Miami travel agency, whom I know," he said. "I sat down with them and they got a waiver to change the return date of the ticket." The final cost for adding a separate side trip to Greece: $500, plus an overnight stay in Bologna and a lot of en-route aggravation. But without the agent's help, he believes he never would've gotten this done. Orbitz, which brags about its customer service ratings, says North's experience was unusual. The company says the issue was the airline's ticketing rules, not its own practices. But North's experience illustrates a dilemma frequently faced by the Internet-age traveler: Is it better to turn to a travel agent, who often has the expertise and the connections to resolve problems and book complicated itineraries? Or to save the agent's fee and book online, where customer service may be the weak link? Marshall Harris, owner of Miami's Harris Travel, answers this way: "If all you want is the cheapest rate, do it yourself," he says. "Use an agent when an agent can do better, when specialized knowledge is really needed." If you want to buy an air ticket from San Francisco to New York, for example, it's a simple thing to do online, says Tom Brosnahan of Travel Info Exchange, a travel website developer — and you won't be paying the agent his service fee, usually $25 or more. The same goes for booking a chain motel, a last-minute travel package where you're not picky about the hotel or a basic car rental. If you're looking for experience, convenience and personal service, use an agent, advises Cheryl Hudak, vice president of the American Society of Travel Agents. A well-connected, well-informed professional can prevent disappointment — by steering clients to good hotels and away from bad ones, routing them efficiently, getting them perks and creating complicated itineraries. Using a specialist is particularly important with off-the-path locales, such as Africa, and niches such as tours and cruises. "There's almost never a time when we can't beat cruise prices people get on the "Net," says Harris, the South Miami-based agent, who is associated with Virtuoso, a consortium of upscale travel agencies. "And we can arrange private shore excursions at 70 percent the cost of the same ship excursion, probably with the same car and same driver." A cruise expert should also be able to explain the differences between lines — even ships within the same cruise line. If you want upscale flights and lodging, special amenities or out-of-the-ordinary experiences, consider a travel agent with ties to such upscale consortiums as Virtuoso and Ensemble, which offers training for its members and arrange special deals with suppliers, such as upgrades. "The true specialist knows the ins and outs, gets the right room at the right time, negotiates special agreements, gets upgrades and comp breakfasts, does your thinking for you," says Keith Waldron, spokesman for Virtuoso. "When Placido Domingo sang at the Met in New York, we purchased front-row seats for our client base," he says. Virtuoso has arranged for a Roman contessa to take clients on a tour of the Eternal City; in Burma it obtained an invitation to witness a Buddhist ceremony inducting a boy into the order of monks. Ensemble provides similar service. ""Our person in London arranged a lunch at the House of Commons," says Ensemble spokesman Lois Shore. "He planned a James Bond weekend. In New York, we arranged a special viewing of Macy's parade from the second floor." Such customized arrangements aren't free. Travel agents, like anyone else in business, charge for their time. Though booking a standard tour or cruise is often free — agents earn a commission from the operator or cruise line — agents now charge for other services. Arranging an airline ticket may cost $25-$50; planning a customized trip costs $100 and up, report Mike Greenwald of Personalized Travel in Broward County and Harris of South Miami's Harris Travel Services. Complex itineraries may cost $250 or more. Such fees usually are nonrefundable, but sometimes they are applied to the cost of the trip once it is booked. "This is to avoid doing work for somebody who decides not to go," said Virtuoso's Waldron. On-site operators may assess a separate fee for making special arrangements. While few Web-based agencies provide such customized service, many do offer phone support that can help with straightforward problems. "We're actually both agent and Web," says Paul Barry, president of go-today.com, an online booking agency. "Our online method is backed up by a call center. You can speak to a human being who knows the product. It's the best of both worlds." Orbitz says that despite North's complaints, the online agency has a good record. "We have agents on call 24/7 and I personally have never had a long wait to reach one," said Jeanine Diefendorf, a spokeswoman. In a survey of 2,000 web sites by the Customer Respect Group, Orbitz recently received a rating of "excellent" for its customer service. Travel agents — and some consumer advocates — argue that at least some such representatives may not be as accessible, knowledgeable or connected as an experienced travel agent. Kari Swartz of Expedia, one of the three online mega-agencies, takes issue with that perception. "Expedia has different levels of specialists, and who you get depends on the problem you have," she explained. If you just want information on booking travel, for instance, you get one level. If you have a problem en route on your trip, you get another. " Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott agrees that online travel agencies have improved — but says "there's still work to be done." Online companies often use phone representatives abroad who are reading from a script, he says — a situation that leads to "a disconnect between travelers and these remote agents." If you want the ultimate control over your trip and are willing to invest the time, the Web could be the way to go. That's the case with Chester and Linda Treadway of Cocoa, Fla. "Actually, we use a combination of both the Internet and agents," said Linda. "I've found that travel agents don't always know what the latest sale prices are." So Linda checks the internet first to see who flies where, notes the prices and deals, and then calls the airline. Ditto for hotels. Planning a trip to London, the Treadways found that online — and only online — British Airways offered air fare plus two nights in a London hotel for the same price as the airfare alone through regular channels. They called to confirm the deal, booked it online and as a bonus got a discounted rate for the rest of their stay. Advice and reviews are available from sites such as Trip Advisor (www.tripadvisor.com), IgoUgo (www.igoyougo.com), Venere (www.venere.com) and message boards such as those at Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com) and Cruise Critic (www.cruisecritic.com.) Major agency sites have added features that make planning easier. "We offer one-stop shopping," explains Expedia's Swartz. "You can see virtual tours of hotels, room layouts, look at flexible rate calendars to give an idea of lowest prices and cheaper routes. You can read travel experiences of others." Use a travel agent or use the Web? What it boils down to is this: Online, it's cheaper, but it's buyer beware. With an agent, you've got somebody on your side. It's your call. Figure out what you want from your trip, how you want to travel and how much you want to spend, and take it from there.

Quote: Originally Posted by AQHARIDER OMG That looks so awesome! Jeff & I want to go on a honeymoon later, so I'll definitely have to have you help me find something like that! Can't wait to hear all about it! yeah it took us awhile to figure out where we wanted to go...i am the research nerd...but we knew we wanted to do an island that was fairly secluded...we would've done hawaii because we love it but we have been there and know when we have kids, hawaii and mexico will be the only places we can go. i will def. let you know how it goes!

she used WIP and was not happy with them... here is a post of hers ----------------- Quote: Ok, I also used WIP because of they got back to me fast their prices for a small wedding with no fluff compared pretty equal to a few others. I was married July 28th 06, I didn't start planning till April of 06. I would have died had I been dealing with this for a year. I had no trouble getting the judge, but that was how WIP got my deposit. They said they couldn't do anything untill the judge was booked. I made her check to see if he was available for a sunset wedding on the day that we wanted and she did (Marrisa). Being that time was not on my side I had her book it and sent in my deposit. Well on their cute little thing they email you and gives you a coordination fee, well it's like if it's only you and your groom. So when I sent in my 200, then recieved my contract, omg, I about died. I asked everyoone here about it and sent her an email about how crazy I thought the price was because I was booking things myself by then. They did come down like 150. But by then I was very flustrated. One month before the wedding she tells me they don't have the chair ties I wanted, and we went back and forth about this too. She would say how about these and send me a pictured and I would ok them then she would say oh sorry they don't have those either. So we ended up cancelling chairs with them 3 days before. She actually told me I could go to Michales here and the states and get the color I wanted, Duh. If I could go back and start over, I would SECRETLY get married in the states and never tell any one. That way you would save judge fee, blood fee, Corrdinator fee, mailing of docs fee. I would have saved 1500. Also, have you send 1/2 the money down 1 month before the wedding, you have to do a wired transfer, very complicated and it costs 50.00 for our bank to do this. That was like the final straw for us. Then somehow 14 dollars got lost in the transfer and she was sure to tell us about it, when we were sending the whole amount at the time. I could go on and on.

that sounds terrible...especially the part about MOH finger...well, i think reveiws are always good...the good ones AND especially the bad ones!

todays winner is.....Jackie (SPRKLZ224)!!!

we just said our vows and had a tattooed buddhist officiate.

Quote: Originally Posted by NABUMBAH One of my best friends got married in this Chapel in August. The Chapel was fine, but the staff was super rude (I was in the wedding). Anyhow if you need any further info, please feel free to ask really, how were they rude? i wanna know!

good to know...i will edit my post to reflect that.

here is her review... Hi all, Well I returned last Sunday from 10 wonderful days in Cabo. We had an absolutely wonderful time! So here is my review: We got to Cabo five days before any of our guests to relax and honeymoon before the big day. We stayed at the Pueblo Bonita Pacifica not to be confused with Pacifico which is Mexican Beer! On our way to the Hotel the Policia pulled us over for running a stop sign, which is a joke in downtown Cabo, if this happens to you Do not give them your drivers liceance and do not pay them more than 20 us dollars. Of couse we learned this later in the trip and paid to much while the guy was holding our drivers liceance hostage. Then we proceed to the hotel. The pacifica is a 5 star service hotel for a 3 star price. It was so relaxing with all the holistic music playing out by the pool, and the adults only atmosphere was just what we needed, (we have 3 kids). The restaurant was really good even though we had read otherwise. People talk about the pacific side being a no swim beach, but it is so beautiful. Also over by the Sheraton that same week they weren't letting you swim either, so don't let that rule your decision or you may be disappointed. Best meal was at La Freda in the Pueblo Bonita Sunset Beach. Great atmosphere and the food is very good. Day six and people begin showing up, we went aroung the night before dropping off gift bags and every hotel was very accomidating on the gifts bag deliveries. Our villa we rented was absolutly wonderful, we had ordered some of the food packages and that worked out well, we didn't have to do any shopping. The boys went fishing 1 day and did well, Checkmate fishing is who they used, they are great work real hard for you. Have # if anyone interested. We all ate at the Gondalrenna, (spelling is wrong) one night really fun place, great food and big quantities. Day of the wedding we had (against my better judgement) Suzanne Morels Company come in and give three massages and pedicues plus my hair. Omg, was i impressed and I am a nail tech by trade. They were so professional and gave an awsome massage. Did I say my hair looked awsome too!!! I would highly recomend them!!!! Plus I loved having that all done right before the wedding it kept me from getting nervouse or frantic about the small stuff. Next, we did the Ipod thing for music worked fine, Used Bradley Frazier for Photgrapher, he was wonderful, and handed me my Photo CD the very next day. The photos are great, lots of great shots, when you look at them you feel as if you were there in person. Highly recomend him too. Then we used Denni's Catering, they to far exceeded my expectations. They set up tables, flower arrangements, and their meal was so good, I can still taste the lobster. They did all clean up and poof were gone. Also had a great bartender with them, he was so friendly. Judge Carlos was pretty cute too. He just had a twinkle in his eye! Oh, my planner, this is my only sore spot, well that and the timeshare people and the Policia. She ended up being really nice and.... well she didn't do anything. Secure judge, bring my bouquet and have a blood person in her office for 5 min. Do paper work. If I had anything to do over it would be to get married in the states secretly and not deal with the planners in Cabo. Feels very rip offish. But , in the end it was my vision of what it would be like and it was wonderful. Sorry this is so long. If you have any question just ask me. Leigh (sorry about the spelling through out, very tired)

Quote: Originally Posted by SarahMc The AI is one of the reasons we picked Cabo over Hawaii. We were worried about the costs of food and drinks for everyone, but at an AI it's pretty much all covered for the most part. What company did you use for the sailing trip? That's something my dad would love... Thanks! Sarah M i did deep sea fishing with redrum and sailing with jt watersports

Quote: Originally Posted by TAMMYM Looks great Tammy, when are you planning on going? well, it really depends on the good surf season. Steve is going to check out when the swell is better since it is a really great surf destiantion.

Quote: Originally Posted by TAMMYM I'm still thinking of in-expensive ideas to do for our ceremony on the beach. Has anyone rented tiki torches? And if so, what did it cost? tammy, don't know anyone who has rented them...alot of the resorts just have them or don't...i am afraid to ask what WIP is charging you for it.

Quote: Originally Posted by TAMMYM I'm still thinking of in-expensive ideas to do for our ceremony on the beach. Has anyone rented tiki torches? And if so, what did it cost? tammy, don't know anyone who has rented them...alot of the resorts just have them or don't...i am afraid to ask what WIP is charging you for it.

Quote: Originally Posted by NATASHA We're going here and I am SO excited. I scheduled a private yoga lesson on our patio. I would never get that opportunity otherwise! http://www.lacasaquecanta.com/ This is my dream honeymoon. After, we're going over to the Yucatan to rough it and explore ruins. Mostly, it's my dream because my FI is planning it so I don't have to do any coordination! GORGEOUS!!! that looks so perfect! will you let us know how it turns out? we want details and pics of course!~

i found this and thought it might be helpful...if you have another source, please post it. thanks, tammy http://www.sunrisesunset.com/custom_srss_calendar.asp ps. tasha just told me that the DST doesn't correspond so take that into consideration.

Quote: Originally Posted by gkashmira Tammy, do you know what the prices are for Tabasco? I saw the open bar price at the bottom but wasn't sure what the dinner/pp price was... maybe I'm just missing it... kash, i don't have prices..i have a feeling it depends on the group size..