REBECCA

Thanks Karla! Yours looked soo beautiful too! I know I'm dying to see my pictures!

Quote: Originally Posted by LALA I started laughing when I saw the price she quoted me - crazy! I'm just going to use Dreams and hire a day of later down the road. Rebecca - I'd love to know about your lighting too. The FI actually noticed how great it looked in the pics and wants that lighting too. How many lanterns total did you have? Did you have to provide the lighting hookups for each so that the lanterns had a bulb? Do you know approximatly how many stramds of xmas lights were on the trees? I know they were left there for you but could you guesstimate? Regarding the tree lights, I have no idea, but Mariana would know. Now would be a good time to ask her about my reception set up. It should be fresh in her mind. Regarding the lanterns, see my response to Jennetta's post. I should have anwswered all of your questions. I LOVED my lanterns. It provided more lighting and just looked so festive. For the price, I think it is SOO worth it

Quote: Originally Posted by LALA I have a Dreams wedding coordinator question. I have been emailing wedding coordintors about prices. Emlee from Baja Weddings said $6000 for full coordination. That seems totally crazy to me. Would most of you agree that with Dreams and their coordinator the most I would ever need if I got an additional outside person would be a day of coordinator? Lala, That is ridiculous. I think Mariana's services are all you need. Though Maye got me some really good prices on vendors and she answered my e-mails promptly, So I was glad I hired her. I think her price went up a little, but I believe it is still under $1000.

Quote: Originally Posted by JPMO I agree! Especially if you don't cringe at the idea of planning your own wedding or doing a bit more work. I've hired Sunset Weddings at the rate of approx. $1500 and they don't have much to do at all. Hey Jennetta, I left the hanging of the lanterns to Mariana. That is what she is there for. I told her I have x number of tables and I want the lanterns to be hung in a square shape over the dance floor, So, knowing that, she worked out the layout of the reception. I used 30 lanterns. Maye had 10 and I brought 20 with me. I bought them at www.thepaperlanterstore.com . On the website, it will tell you that you need to purchase the wiring separately. Don't worry about this. Dreams provides the wiring and charged me $180 for use and hanging of the wiring. Here is an arial pic from my balcony. Not the best lighting, but you'll get the picture. Kodakgallery.com*Slideshow

Quote: Originally Posted by host edyta, i got them from maye, but i emailed mariana the cheap flower vendor so hopefully she will start getting quotes from them. Have I mentioned that I should have done your bouquet. My bouquet sucked.

I agree with Tammy. A room block is a must. Dreams was totally sold out and I still had rooms on my block. In fact Dreams kept trying to get me to release the rooms I had left and I wouldn't. It helps to send Save the dates early. I did this and got verbals from a lot of people. I estimated 65 - 70, so I blocked 35 rooms and gave a $2500 deposit. I had to make my first room reduction by April. So I sent an e-mail blast to everyone asking that if they know for sure whether or not they are going to stay at Dreams, to please book their reservations by April 30th, so we can get a good estimate of how many rooms to hold on to. And that if they are still undecided, we understand that they can't book their reservation at this time. I blocked the rooms through a travel agent (and paid the travel agent my room block deposit) and gave my guests her contact info. About 80% of our guests booked by April 30th. That got me through our first couple cancellations. Each deadline that approached, I reevaluated and maybe send another e-mail. I ended up reducing to 33 rooms and ended up filling them all in the end!

Hi ladies, I just got married at Dreams November 12th. I am here to answer any questions you have!

We didn't have a plan for this either. We planned to tip the servers, bartender, both Wedding coordinators, the DJ and the coordinators. When it came time to tip, Marc just started handing out money and this is what he did: Maye - $50 Mariana - $50 Dj Ricardo - $50 Juan Carlos - $50 We weren't planning this one. But I think he stayed longer than he should have, so I don't mind that we did. If I had know Marc was going to tip him, I would have told him not to. Only bcz, like you said, he is charging enough and works freelance. But Marc didn't realize he wasn't supposed to tip him. Oh well. Sam Perches - $0 Only bcz he ran off too fast. We meant to tip him! We actually feel really bad here, bcz he gave us a really good deal (so I thought until I read Janet's review!!) Servers & bartender Marc gave one server $100 and told him to split it with everyone. I hope he did! I would advise tipping everyone separately.

Quote: Originally Posted by JANET1111 Nicole, I only paid $50/hr for raw footage. We watched it for the first time this weekend and it was great! Talk to Marci (BVP) on the board. She and her husband Enrique did it for me and they were fabulous and so affordable. wow I wish I had known about them??!!!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by jilly76 Congratulations Rebecca! It sounds like everything went very well and you looked gorgeous. I can't wait to see your pictures!!! Thank you! I can't wait to see my pictures either! Ha! Ha! Juan said this week!!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by NATASHA Totally agree with Rebecca - we had Dino for 6 hours (one hour before the ceremony until 9 that night). One of my favorite things that I did was have the photographer for a long time. I don't think 30 minutes before the ceremony is enough. I definitely wanted shots of the guys before the wedding started in addition to shots of me and the bridesmaids. Of course, we have SO MANY photos that we haven't received them yet. Dino didn't take a break and he was shooting the whole time! Hey Natasha, Have you written your review yet?? I couldn't find it. (No pressure..ha Ha). I kept looking over at casa Del Mar all weekend (from afar) and wondering how your wedding was going?

Quote: Originally Posted by NHPT good advice rebecca. i am having a personal battle with myslef over the cost of a videographer right now. they are just really expensive and i dont even want a really fancy video- just raw footage, which they won't do due to June being such a busy month. i am even thinking about purchasing a video camera myself and asking my uncle to video everything- he loves that stuff. ahhh- a videographer just does not fit into my budget! what should i do? Nicole, I completely understand your dilemma. I was exactly like you. I just wanted a videographer for one hour...for the ceremony. You should e-mail Sam Perches. He was much cheaper than the others and offered me packages where he would break up the 1 or 2 hours to last throughout the ceremony & reception. Especially if you want just raw footage, that would be my recommendation. Juan Carlos offers videographer services, which, no doubt, is probably excellent quality. But if you just wnat the raw footage and plan to get it edited yourself, I'm sure you could find it a lot cheaper. Juan did warn me that many videographers in Mexico do not use professional video cameras, but Sam Perches does. I don't think I cared so much about a video, because, I hate seeing those wedding videos that the videographer makes everyone talking into the camera, etc. But, in retrospect, I really wish I'd spent the money and told them videographer not to make people talk into the camera and filmed more of the reception (the dances, firedancers, etc). Anyway, that is my two cents. Cut back somewhere else and spend the money on the things that will create the longlasting memories, like photographer and video. If I could live vicariously through you right now, that is what I would do.

Yeah, we had Juan for 4 hours. I was tempted to add an extra hour, but, he got the speeches, dances, we took a shot with eveyone at each table and he finished with a couple fast dances. So I feel like we captured a little bit of everything, but, we'll see? If there is any advice I can give to future brides it is don't try to save money on the photographer or the videographer. Those are your memories and it becomes a complete blurr while you're there. Right now I wish I had a better video. There was so much I didn't see, because I was sort of behind the scenes (before the ceremony). It was neat to see in the video what everyone was doing before the ceremony and while we were taking pics.

No problem! All this time I thought you were getting married in Cabo. Mayan Rivera is SOOO beautiful. AND you can swim in the ocean...BONUS!

Quote: Originally Posted by SarahMc I haven't decided where to have the reception yet, we'll probably have 30 people. I'm going at the end of January for a site visit, so will probably decide then. Have either of you decided where you're going to have your reception? Sarah M For 30 people, I would recommend Oceana Terrace pool. That is the location in my pictures. It is really private and beautiful next the pool with the luminaries sparkling next to the water. It is also really private and pretty intimate. Cascades is pretty too though. The whole friggin place is beautiful!

Quote: Originally Posted by Natalie M ohh no mine is the weekend before nicole and sarah. ohhhh... then you're right, she will take them down after yours.. she will probably leave them up between Sarah & Natalie's.

I have heard great things about those boot camps! Have fun!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Natalie M Good to know! Ya I will try and see if that will work but I'm sure they will take it down! No, I meant she we leave them up until after the last wedding. Your weddings are 3 days in a row, right?

Quote: Originally Posted by akh Exactly! I may just wait until I have everything back to my maiden name before I go to the new married name. What a pain! I had mentioned NOT changing my name at all, but that didn't go over well. I told Paul I will change my name when he knocks me up ... just a little motivation! Hehe Ha ha...nice! That sounds like a fair deal to me!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Natalie M sounds good! I'm emailing Mariana about it!! Sarah where is your reception at? Mariana will love that! Less work for her. You guys should talk about the wiring to her. She charged me $180 for the wiring & to hang them. I wonder if she'd split the cost between the 3 of you if she only has to hang them once? Probably not, but it doesn't hurt to ask??

Quote: Originally Posted by A10CALGAL Rebecca, Great review, so helpful. I especially appreciate you being honest about Maye's strengths & areas for improvement - that helps me know what I need to be more direct with her about. And, perhaps your feedback to her will help her do a better job! And OMG, that little slideshow was such a tease! The first few pics w/you in them we only see the back of you, then finally we see your beautiful smile! I can"t wait to see Juans pics. Congrats MRS!! Oh Thanks Christa. You are soo sweet! I got a response from Maye already. She thanked me for my comments and said that it always helps to improve her business. Thanks to all you ladies who encouraged me to e-mail her. If it wasn't for you suggesting it, I probably would have just let it go!!

Wow? That explians why most women just keep their married names after divorce. Well, hopefully you will get it all straightened out!! Good luck!

Do you have to do that? can't you just change it from your old married name to your new one? Boy...that is a pain!

Ha! ha! I just received an e-mail from Juan. He said another 2 or 3 days and he'll be shipping them. AHHHH!! The torture!!!! next week girls!! Oh, and I sent and e-mail to Maye telling her what a good job she did, but also expressing my dissappointments with my bouquet. I also made some suggestions about improving the directing of the bridal party the wedding day. i was nice because I still highly recommend her and, overall, it came off beautifully!

We took our honeymoon in Playa Del Carmen!! We went from November 14th to the 20th. It was PERFECT temperature! We had 3 completley sunny days and two gray cloudy ones (though it was still warm and we still hung out on the beach). The ocean water was perfect...Ahh...it was so nice! It was more humid than Cabo and the evenings were warm. Toward the end of the trip, the evenings cooled off a bit (but I'm always cold!). I had to wear cardigan sweather over my sundress. We stayed at the Royal Porto Real. It was an All Inclusive resort and they didn't miss a beat! GREAT food (we were really surprised here!) a 24 snak bar with a self serve cappucino machine, game room, shows, a gigantic pool, and best of all, walking distance to 5th Avenue. A very hip pedestrian street with nice restaurants with live jazz, mariachi bands playing on the street while still keeping the Carribean ambiance with the buildings (lots of grass hut looking places). You can also catch the ferry to Cozumel from 5th Ave for $20 rt. There were weddings every night At the Royal Porto Real (RPR). Though it seemed a little busy for a wedding to me, but if you are someone who doesn't mind that, they had a nice gazebo and I hear the wedding coordinators are really good there. I have also been to the Mayan Riveria (Akumal) in June (went in 2002). It was really hot, but there was always a nice, strong breeze, so I was surprised how comfortable it was.