NATASHA

Here are the vows that we wrote for one another as a portion of our ceremony. Feel free to make them your own. Today they would like to publicly dedicate themselves to a life-time of deepening their love and commitment and to balancing and supporting each-other. Shawn, do you vow to love Natasha forever, support her unconditionally and always be her partner no matter the circumstances? To be her best friend, her biggest fan and her honest and helpful critic when needed? Do you promise to keep perspective, focus on what’s important, be the best person you can be and always strive to achieve more together than you could apart? Finally, do you promise to try to see things from Natasha’s perspective, to treat her with kindness and respect and to always split the difference on the thermostat? (Shawn: I do.) Natasha, do you vow to love Shawn forever, support him unconditionally and always be his partner no matter the circumstances? To be his best friend, his biggest fan and his honest and helpful critic when needed? Do you promise to keep perspective, focus on what’s important, be the best person you can be and always strive to achieve more together than you could apart? Finally, do you promise to try to see things from Shawn’s perspective, to treat him with kindness and respect and to always split the difference on the thermostat? (Natasha: I do.) The rings that will now be exchanged are a symbol of the unbroken circle of trust that you have chosen to enter. Natasha, do you now take Shawn as your husband, to love and to cherish from this day forward? (Put ring on Shawn) Shawn, do you now take Natasha as your wife, to love and to cherish from this day forward? (Put ring on Natasha) Witnessed by this gathering of friends and family I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride. Shawn and Natasha may you go into the world and fulfill your lives. Hold fast to your ideals and spiritual pursuits, give to each other new experiences of joy and challenge one another so that you may continue to grow. May the love you hold for each other, now sealed in marriage, continue to mature so that your life together is a source of strength and inspiration to those around you. And finally may your life together be a blessing to you both!

OK -but MY GOODNESS how gorgeous her flowers were!

About two weeks before the wedding I sent this (large) document to Dino - our photographer - as an example of the types of photos that we were looking for. I also sent a shot list with the specific names of who we needed pictures with, but I was really more concerned with the style of photo we were going for. I noticed that Dino specifically set up two pictures that I had included that were a bit more unusual than the others (most notably the one with the mariachi surrounding the bride and group as they walk after the ceremony) so he definitely used this. Feel free to use it too. Oh - and sorry in advance to those of you whose shots I stole without prior written notice (Tammy!).

Hi Everyone, Early on, I put together this wedding powerpoint that I used to communicate my ideas with the wedding coordinators and family and wedding party. I found it really helpful as it provided an overview to each thing that we were planning (overall day, ceremony, rehearsal dinner, etc.) but I also used it to put pictures so the coordinators knew what I was looking for. I found that I was emailing them so many pictures that I wasn't clear that they had the most recent version of what I was looking for. I updated this document 5 times throughout the process and sent the updates to the coordinators (Maye and the hotel's coordinator) each time. Thought this might help all of you...

Quote: Originally Posted by Natalie M Meahgan thanks for your review! it has been very helpful! I was debating on the mariachi band and I definitely think i'm going to get one! I'm so confused about the time and now nervous because i was told the sun was going to set at 8pm. so our ceremony was set for 6:30 but now i feel like that is wrong and we will have no pictures in the light! I better figure this out! Check the sunset via the sunset predictor (I think I saw a link to that on the site awhile back). If it is 8:00 then you'll be fine so long as you aren't having mass. In Mexico, the civil services last 20 minutes. So that gives you plenty of time. Also, check with your photographer. Give him/her the sunset time and they will be able to tell you (given your wedding location) if the light will work based upon where they like to take pictures. They have all worked at these locations so many times it's really pretty easy for them (at least Dino knew exactly which parts of the hotel would have really good light before the ceremony so the day before he walked me through where we would go to maximize time).

So - the bait and switch issue. Basically, as we were going back and forth on what concessions would be honored (when we were in the home stretch). The final issue was that, for the rehearsal dinner, we were supposed to be at $60 pp plus drinks with a 10% discount on food and drinks. They removed the 10%. Because of another issue (we were not going to host a Sunday brunch but then it was offered as a concession originally and then we communicated to our guests that we would and then a few weeks before the wedding the hotel backed out of that because now they were going to have the suites that they promised so we were on the hook for a sizeable amount that hadn't been budgeted) we said we needed them to create a menu that was $40 pp by removing food choices. They did and we were fine with it. But, day of, the food that was served was significantly toned down vs. the food that we tasted (meaning, the fajitas were just chicken or beef, no veggies, onions, etc.). Oh well, it tasted good so our guests didn't know, it was just - interesting. It's how they made their numbers work, but that's just one example of the kinds of issues that occurred because the hotel didn't set the right expectation. They basically set us up to be disappointed which is an unfortunate and short-sided way of doing business.

The location is gorgeous which is why it makes it all the more difficult for us to figure out how to rate whether or not to recommend Casa del Mar (see my review post for the behind the scenes drama).

Candles are great and the paper bag candles to frame pathways are beautiful too. We used tiki torches - but you need to have some distance between them and where your guests will be as they emit fumes that don't smell too great.

I just thought of a story that might be helpful. When we first announced our engagement (except to his mother who we had told a month earlier) at a family gathering, as soon as I walked out of the room, my MIL asked my husband, "What religion is she?" She knew that I wasn't religions- we had discussed it twice. My MIL is very nice, but she is also very devoted to Catholicism - she even considered becoming a nun at one time. I entered the room right as I saw my husband very tersely saying, "she's an athiest - just like me." I softened the blow, "hey, that's a bit strong, I'm spritual, I am pretty open..." etc. Later that evening we discussed he. He explained that it was crucial that she have the boundaries right away. He said he has a very good relationship with his mother today because of years of boundary setting when he was just out of college. A few months later, all three of us sat down and my husband said the following, -we respect your dedication to your religion -we do not share your point of view -we expect you to respect our choices -we are having a civil ceremony that we are going to write -should we decide to have children, you will not be taking them to church. We will introduce various religions and conversations about religions on our own schedule in our own manner. Can you live with that? She responded affirmatively and that she understands. Further, she said, "on Sunday, I go to church. If I am watching the children - will you please make other arrangements so that I don't have the responsibility of doing so?" We said that was totally fair and yes we would. OK - we're not having children anytime soon, but I have learned by watching Shawn. She was totally drama free given this very direct conversation. Further, she NEVER brought up the fact that we were not having a religious ceremony. I even know that she didn't discuss it among the family members because one of them (almost all drama queens) would have brought it up to try to stir the pot. I get what he was doing now and really appreciate it. I really believe she does, too. We had a few other conversations as well to help her know which holidays we would travel and which we wouldn't, how we're dedicating time, though, to spending one-on-one time with her, etc. It has made all the difference in the world and we have a good relationship because of it.

Quote: Originally Posted by gkashmira Unfortunately you guys need to sit and talk or you risk ruining your future relationship. I would start with something like, "It's hard for three strong, smart, independant adults to live together. I love you and I want us to be able to communicate openly and honestly with each other. Family is very important to me and I knoe that it's important to you as well." I agree with Kash's outline here, except I have one very crucial piece of advice. You and Cain MUST sit down together in advance and map out the rules. That sounds awful, but it's really not. This is a reverse parent/child relationship and she does not have the benefit of the rules in advance like you do when you're the parent raising your child. To make matters worse, she's not hearing it from her son. You are getting the responsibility of setting acceptable house rules without Cain having to take charge and communicate them - she will respond to him, but see you as causing waves and being unreasonable. This is your partnership and Cain needs to understand the issues and work with you to create the rules that his mother must abide by or find alternate living conditions. Period. Examples: -The only time that she should touch your mail is if you specifically ask her to open it for some reason. If she violates this - she needs to leave. Even if she thinks it's not a big deal because it's just a Christmas card - she doesn't get to make that call. Period. -Your bedroom is off limits. While you appreciate the assistance with laundry and cleaning, you want to forgo that to respect your own privacy. She should not enter your bedroom for any reason unless you specifically request it. -She needs to have two nights out a week so that you and Cain can enjoy your home together alone. Even if he is at work - you should be given the respect and peace to be at home alone and any good houseguest would understand that. -Just like any renter, she is responsible for any damage that is done to the furniture, your cabinets, the carpet, or the door by her dog. Let her know that you will be bringing in a repair person when she moves out and she will be responsible for paying for it. If she wants you to get three bids, you're happy to do that. What's important here is that she has the choice to ensure her dog behaves or pay for it later. She's an adult. -Conversations about the relationship between you and Cain are off limits. Don't ask - don't get involved. My personal opinion, is that Cain also needs to clearly identify that you are the "woman of the house" however wierd that might sound. In no uncertain terms, and however uncomfortable he is with this, he needs to clearly state that she is to respect you, give you the benefit of the doubt, and understand that you (and Cain) have no greater desire than to ensure a long and healthy relationship and any doubt in her mind about that needs to be clearly addressed in that conversation or she needs to find other housing. If she says something like, "well I feel like I'm not being respected." The only appropriate response is, "I'm sorry you feel that way, but you are a guest in this house and I know my wife has no greater desire than to help family and preserve a long and lasting relationship with me. I will always be by her side giving her the benefit of the doubt given that and I strongly recommend you do as well. If you feel unable to do that, perhaps we can find somewhere else for you to stay." It's time to be firm - if Cain isn't - this will be a problem for many years. There is no need to go into details or entertain he said/she said. It's just pure, direct, this is the way it is, "and we know that you understand because you have probably experienced this yourself at some point in your life."

The honeymoon was AMAZING. I scoped out a few wedding venues for the Yucatan portion of the board. I need to get the photos from my husband. And La Casa Que Canta was worth it! I'll post that review separately when I have the pics.

For those of you that haven't been to Cabo - it's pitch black at night. The more candles you can incorporate the better (unless the area at your hotel is well lit). Ask the hotel about the centerpieces that they already have. For instance, at CDM, they have a dinner on the beach every night unless they have a wedding. They always put out these really cute lantern things. We didn't use them as they didn't go with the decor, but we could have built something around them. Tip re: getting many boxes through customs... There are guys that walk around with carts in the area where you pick up luggage before you go through customs. Pay them $50 and they will get all your boxes through without hassle. We told them that we had stuff in them for our wedding favors (our family had 11 boxes!). We overheard the cart guy tell the customs guy - "they're toys and stuff for a wedding." The customs guy said, "So, the value is, what, $200" and he said, "Yeah - $200, $250..." That was it - no hassle, no opening boxes, etc.

He's not pleased. He would agree with everything that I said about the positives and once we got there he made a huge effort to ensure that the experience there was really positive for both of us, but how the hotel handled itself (they didn't always negotiate in good faith, but we totally did) and the amount of work that we went through because of it really made him sour. He would probably say that it was definitely the right place for us to get married from a "feel" perspective, but he wouldn't recommend it to anyone as he feels that their behavior shouldn't be rewarded with more business. It's a difficult discussion. We were all able to pull it together and make a really nice wedding, but...

Who knew the time was so important. When we were first told that the latest we could do it was 4:00 (the judge was double booked) I was a bit bummed. Turns out, it worked perfectly. I got up at a reasonable hour, went for a walk on the beach with my husband, had brunch with my bridesmaids, headed off to get my hair done at 11:30, swooped into the Hilton at 1:00 for makeup, and got back to Casa del Mar with just enough time to get ready at a relaxed pace before the photographer got there at 3:00. After the ceremony, we hung out with everyone for about a half hour before the posed pictures started. The sunset was at 5:45 that day. It worked perfectly.

Quote: Originally Posted by tp11 Like many of you, I would sell my dress if: 1) I knew where to in this area and 2) I thought there would be a chance in heck that someone would actually want it. I do think giving it away to someone who would want and need it is a good idea. I also know someone who had a talented seamstress in the family and who made the dress into a beautiful bassinet for her daughter. I think this would be a great idea, if I only knew someone that could sew.... The bassinet idea is so creative! What a great way to honor your wedding.

You were having so much fun! Yay - you look so beautiful and the wedding is gorgeous too!

OK - sorry about the delay. We had a two week honeymoon and then I needed a solid week just to get through emails at work... Hilton Spa – A++++ I can’t tell you how many people said that this was the best massage that they’ve had in a long time. My aroma therapy spa was SO relaxing. I also had a thai massage – awesome, but only if you really like deep tissue. Because I had between 15 and 20 people attending the Friday before the wedding, I contacted them in advance and negotiated for 20% off for everyone. Also, I had the BEST manicure ever. It lasted through my entire honeymoon (2 weeks). I also had them do my makeup and was very happy. One of my bridesmaids had her hair done (it looked better than mine). They also did the moms’ hair. My mother’s hair looked great, but my MIL’s hair wasn’t my favorite. She may have gone back and redid it, but I haven’t asked. Hive Spa – B Partly the B is because of expectation. My hair was fine. I decided to go with them and pay the extra money for peace of mind. I did a trial on Thursday. We had to do two hairstyles (the first was way off). I wore the second for the rest of the evening and there was no way that it would work with my veil or last through the wedding so when I went back on Saturday, we had to experiment with a third. It was fine, but I was having a simple updo and have never had to do so many iterations before. Also, as Janet experienced, my appointment was with Bambi, but when I got there I had Dina (and no explanation as to why). Dina sort of provided me with information that leads me to believe that Bambi travels so you should expect that your appointment might not end up being with her. Another woman (who didn’t speak any English – Dina translated) did a blow out on my bridesmaid who has difficult hair and it looked really nice. BIG tip – no matter who does your hair, tell them every time a pin goes in that hurts or causes pressure. Dina worked with me to make sure I didn’t feel the pins - that is hugely important as you don’t want to have a headache or be futzing with your hairpins during your wedding. Cost: $96 for my first appointment and then $108 for the day of the wedding (includes tip). I’m not sure why it’s different. Note – I went to them… DJ Ricardo – A His list of songs is very long, so there’s no trouble finding what you want. He did not play any of the songs on our “do not play list.” He did a good job reading the crowd to keep people dancing. He worked well with our coordinator relative to our fire dancers, salsa dance teachers (pre-coordinating their music with them without me being involved), and fireworks. We did not need him on the microphone as we didn’t do announcements so I can’t gauge him there, but when I asked Maye about it, she joked and said, “Yeah – sometimes we have to take the mic away from him!” I’ve seen people at our high-end corporate parties do a better job on transitions, but that wasn’t a big deal at all. Cost: $215 per hour. Cabo Region Transportation – B+ We hired them on our own to transport our guests to San Jose for dinner Thursday night. They were really easy to work with. They were very proactive before the wedding. The night of, they were a bit late, they had the name of one of our guests as a contact rather than me which confused the hotel, and they didn’t recommend the right transportation given the number of guests so we were REALLY crammed into the two vans. We had originally accepted a bid for two vans and an Excursion. I had asked if they could come down in price a bit and they said that given the number of children we had they could accommodate with just two vans. Well, no, they couldn’t – it wasn’t even close. We were crammed into the vans AND some guests had to pile into a rental car. It was a bit dangerous. They were very nice, though, and they didn’t complain when we had to wait around to address an issue relative to the restaurant bill. I would net out by saying that I should have done a bit more due diligence on their recommendation. Cost: $300 plus tip Don Emiliano – A We had dinner at this San Jose restaurant on Thursday night. It was fabulous. They were easy to work with before we arrived and all night long. The food was great, the staff was friendly, and they worked with us on the menu and pricing. They have a really beautiful courtyard that suits a large party. We had three courses and it was premium food. Since dining there, I have seen the chefs name in several magazines – she’s famous in Mexico. Cost: $40 per adult, $18 per child plus drinks. We wired them the money for the food in advance and then paid the difference (drinks) via credit card at the end of the meal. I TOTALLY loved having fuchsia gerbera daisies. I chose them because they are easy to source in Cabo year round and they looked really friendly and cute. Tip from the field. Do the arch ($300 which included set up), but go light on the flowers. Cabo is really beautiful in its simplicity. If I had to do it all over, I would have skipped the flowers on the poles above where we ate ($256) and the floating candles in the pool ($105) which blew out rather quickly. I would do the bridesmaids bouquets ($55 per), the flower for my husband ($10), the corsages for the mothers/grandmothers ($18 per) and the flowers for the cake ($110). I know this will sound funny, but if I didn’t have a bouquet ($95), I wouldn’t have missed it. I was holding my father’s arm during the processional so it’s not like I needed something to hold onto and then I handed my bouquet to my bridesmaid. I have very few photos of me holding it. It was a nuisance more than anything. You do not need boutonnières for the groomsmen, flowers for the tables (spend it on candles instead), etc. Total cost for flowers and arch: $1,900 Trio – A I never even saw them until looking at the pictures. Cost: $300 Mariachi – A We had 7 (it’s normally 8, but one was ill). They were awesome and really well worth the money. Our guests took pictures in front of them so they liked the novelty. Also, my husband requested a song that he loves and they played it and he sang along with it while we danced a bit which was entertaining for all of us! Tip from the field – I noticed that they had to be there before the wedding started as we were having them start playing for the recessional and through the cocktail hour. So, if they’re there standing around, why not have three of them play for the pre-wedding and ceremony and negotiate some kind of reduced fee vs. having the trio? Hmm – someone should give this a shot and see if any vendors are game because it makes total sense to me. Cost: $550 Photographer – Dino Gomez Pictronica – A OK, I haven’t seen the photos yet so I have to put a tentative on this (we had him for 6 hours so it’s totally understandable), but he was really great to work with. He came to my debrief meeting with the coordinators on Thursday so he knew everything that was going to happen and worked out the signaling strategies with the coordinator. He knew the property and the lighting really well and walked me through the shots. I sent him a big file with tons of photos that we liked and I noticed that he was very attentive to those (even setting up a special Mariachi band picture with us). Wow, that was unexpected! He’s from Columbia, lived in the UK for a long time and is super easy to communicate with. He prefers photojournalism (that’s why we hired him) but did a great job finding the perfect lighting for our posed photos. He never once sat down, had a drink, or took a break. He shot the entire 6 hours. He is positive, enthusiastic, and I NEVER noticed him during the ceremony but as I look at my friends’ photos I can see that he was right there. His services included a hard copy of every shot, a slideshow, 100 prints, and rights to the photos. Cost: $350 first hour, $300 second, $250 each additional hour. Fire dancers – A+ It was the two girls plus the guys playing drums. They were awesome and one of the big hits of the party. They performed for a long time and it was very entertaining. Highly recommend. If you have to, cut out flowers and get the fire dancers. Cost: $675 Cuban Salsa Dance Teachers – A After we were done with the toasts, I asked everyone to get up and get on the dance floor and then they totally took over. Whew – it was a work out! As you can see from our photos, though, we had almost 100% participating. Even one of my 89 year old grandmothers was out there. I recommend asking them to teach through two songs and then do a performance to one or two songs. That’s plenty. I sourced them through the hotel coordinator (we chose the Cuban salsa couple), but if you want a referral, I can contact her and try to get the name. She had one other option for us, but the Cuban’s were more fun/energetic. My advice – it’s worth having two instructors as they can then dance together, but here are the options: Option A: Mexican Salsa Instructors / One Class One Dancer $180.00 Couple $260.00 Option B: Cubans Salsa Instructors / One Class One Dancer $220.00 Couple $380.00 Fireworks – A+ It was so great to have these – it really made it special. We had them go off right as we cut into the cake – Claudia coordinated it with them via cell phone. They like to only quote 2 minutes or more, BUT you can negotiate for 1 minute for $1000. I think that 1 minute would have been fine. However, if you’re going for cool picture opportunities, the sparklers (at, like $5 per) are a really great way to go, too and they show fabulous in photos. Cost: $2000 for two minutes sourced via Maye Casa del Mar My husband wants to do this review, but here is a preview. As many of you know, we had some really difficult times with them because they are under construction and were going to shut down all the suites that our group had reserved and give people basic rooms (but still charge them for the suites!). That didn’t work as we had a lot of families who needed a separate bedroom and more space – let alone the fact that it was ridiculous and it violated our contract. They also failed to tell us until we were going to do our second site visit less than two months before the wedding when rooms were really hard to find elsewhere. Then they opened the suites back up but tried to take away the concessions that we had negotiated which was going to cause us huge budget issues because we wouldn’t have had the rehearsal dinner there or a Sunday brunch at all had it not been deeply discounted. Net of conversation – we worked it out but it was such a hassle and took up so much of my time for the last two months. I will say the following positives: · the grounds are phenomenally beautiful and every guest commented on them · we had half the hotel so it was pretty exclusive feeling · I really like that the beach club where weddings are held is really removed from the hotel so you don’t have random people hanging around, wandering through, or hanging out their wet towel on their balcony while you’re getting married · they went all out on the decorations for the rehearsal dinner and we didn’t pay any extra for that – I will post pictures so you all can see (ok – it was built into the per person costs of the food…) · the food was great, but they did a bit of bait and switch on us as part of the negotiations to address the concessions issue – none of the guests noticed but it’s also a bit chumpy) · the hotel staff (waiters/waitresses/cleaning people, etc.) are really kind and on the ball · Maye worked really well with the on-site coordinator I'm going to do a separate what I would do and what I would change post later, but this is a start!

Quote: Originally Posted by gkashmira Natasha - your dress looked really gorgeous on you in the pics! I called Liza the other day and she said to stop by anytime before 7pm. So I'm going to see what happens on Thursday (sample sale at ML) and then go see her and see what she thinks. The original is done with french lace and silk underneath... I don't think i need silk as long as it moves the same way and really a cheaper lace is fine as long as it's still pretty! I hope she's familiar with the dress - I love that she can get more pictures of it too since she's a reseller! I'll let you know what happens! And honestly if I can get a dress that is identical to the one I want (whether it says Monique Lhuillier on the label or not) then $2K would be worth it... I;d rather not spend that much since a custom made dress has less resale value but still it's still less than 50% of the original price so there's something to be said for that! Who knows! Maybe I'll go to the store and Thursday and me and Sarah can be matching brides! Oh totally - but here's the trick that I learned with Liza - you gotta low ball her. She'll give you the fabric and detailing at the price that you're willing to pay so if you say $2000 that's what she'll come in at. A better strategy is when she asks how much you can spend, say, "Well, here's these pictures of a similar dress that is x price." Then be silent. Let her talk you up based upon the various fabrics and details but do your best not to committ yourself and let her back in. Oh - also, Cabo is hot - make sure the underfabric breathes.

Thanks - it's funny, Tammy said that earlier. I've never really been able to respond when someone asks me who I look like, so now I know! We did have a great time and so will all of you. Cabo is a really phenomenal place to get married and it is awesome to say your vows with your bare feet planted in the sand, the sun shining down on you, and the waves rolling in the background. It's like a fairy tale and we are all really lucky to experience it!

Sure thing! He is a nice man who is professional, courteous, and appears to do this all the time so I'm sure he'll work out great for you.

I am not a particularly sentimental person and my dress was expensive. However, I love the idea of putting my dress on and cooking in it or greeting my husband at the door when he comes home from work. I also have joked around with my girlfriends about setting up a wedding dress party. To sell the dress, you will need to have it professionally cleaned. If it has beadwork, they can't just stick it in a dry cleaning machine (the beads will break and they also could cause runs in other parts of the fabric). Professional cleaning runs $300 to $700 (not preserving, just cleaning). Economically, it doesn't make a ton of sense given that info. I still have all my prom dresses (I designed some of them). Once a year or so when I clean out my closet I put them on. This year when I did it, my husband put on really funny music from my graduation year while we were cooking dinner and we danced around making fun of prom. It was a blast. I'm whacky like that.

As a gift, my mom brought a bottle and colored sand (I think there were 5 colors). Throughout the days leading up to the wedding, she had everybody take a scoop of colored sand and pour it into the bottle. Then, for her toast, her speech was about the blending of our friends and family in support of our marriage and she presented it to us. It was really nice of her to incorporate the whole group.

No kidding! I liked the fireworks, but I really liked the fire dancers. TammyM - how many attendees are you at now? Maybe there are other things we can dream up. BTW - sparklers are really pretty dramatic in photos (see Meaghan's photos).

Quote: Originally Posted by jilly76 Congrats Meahgan it sounds like things went really well! I was also thinking about the mariachi band during cocktail hour, the only thing I'm thinking is what did everyone do about pics, did you wait until after cocktail hour to do the pics or did you just miss cocktail hour, (I didn't really want to miss it) Here's what happens relative to pictures. It depends on what time you have your wedding (and when in the year). Our wedding started at 4. The ceremony was done by 4:30. The ceremony itself was about 7 minutes, but adding in the processional, recessional, and group photo that gets us to about 4:30. SO - why does this matter? Lighting. Dino told us to go off and enjoy a bit of the cocktail hour while he waited for the sun to get to just the right spot. About half way through the cocktail hour, he pulled us and the wedding party and family members aside and started shooting. The lighting REALLY made a difference. If you look at our photos - the ones everyone loves are from that period.

Quote: Originally Posted by AQHARIDER Great review Meahgan! I'm also anxious to hear how important you thought the mariachi band was- I've been really debating them for the cocktail hour and am interested to hear what your guests thought. How many people were in the mariachi group and did you request certain songs, or did they just do their thing... Glad everything turned out as well as it did! Congratulations! We paid $550 for our Mariachi (booked through Maye). I believe we had 7 (one was sick). They did a great job. My husband did request a song (and he sang along with them - what a ham). I noticed that a number of the guests took pictures in front of them so I think that the novelty of the mariachi was a good thing to have during the cocktail hour which can be a bit scattered (while the bride and groom take photos). If you're deciding between a trio (for $300 to $350) or a mariachi for $550 - go with the mariachi as you and your guests won't remember the mariachi. Tip from the field: The ceremony isn't very long (20 minutes max) and then you're right into the cocktail hour. Hire the mariachi for 1 1/2 hours and see if they will give you a discount (maybe pay $350 and hour) to have three of them play for the ceremony. The whole band has to be there before the wedding anyway, so you and they might as well get some kind of payment for the 45 minutes that they're just standing around waiting for their time to play. I didn't do this (I had a trio that I LOVED), but it could be a way for you to make logistics a bit easier.