MrsV-to-be

Jennifer - what an awesome review! thanks so much for doing a fabulous detailed one!! I can't wait to see all of your pics - the few you have posted are stunning - but I can't wait to see the professional ones! Congratulations

Jennifer!! you look amazing! I'm so glad everything worked out! though I'm wondering what the issues were?!? But I'm happy you were a satisfied EDR bride

You look SO amazing!! I love that pic with the guys too - too funny

Congratulations!!!! I can't wait to hear how it all went :)

Congratulations !! You guys looked amazing! what a beautiful wedding !! I'm about to leave in a week, so it is great to hear (putting aside the photography issue) that everything else was amazing! Quick question for you: did you do your own makeup? & were you wearing fake eyelashes? if so - did you put them on yourself, or did you go to the Spa to get it done? Thanks so much & congratulations again!!

Congratulations!!! Can't wait to hear how it all went Jennifer - but I just know it will be stunning, and you will be a beautiful bride

Beautiful!! you looked stunning - and I just love your wedding dress!! congratulations

Quote: Originally Posted by nolaroy724 Why did you request the 27 block? Are some better than others? From what i have read on tripadvisor, yes the blocks can be quite different from each other. The closest blocks of casitas are older and get newer as you move north along the beach. However the newer the casita you are in, the further away from the action you are. So I decided to pick the middle block to try and get the best of both worlds!! We booked a non-swimup indiviudal casita, and I had heard that the best ocean view for that room category is room 2719 - so I requested that one

Quote: Originally Posted by Melba MrsV-to-be, I might walk by your set up for the ceremony to see how it turned out. You're at Gazebo 55 right? What time? I want to come early before your event starts so I don't interfere! Absolutly! stick around for the wedding too if you want We are at Gazebo55, wedding is at 4. Then we are at the Health Bar for the reception at 6. What time is your wedding at?

Quote: Originally Posted by jfwolfe72 Thanks!! I'm getting ready to sign off - we're all packed and ready to go. We're leaving at 4 am tomorrow morning and I am super excited! I'll let you all know how everything goes - wish me luck!!! Everyone on this forum has been super helpful throughout my year-long planning process and I can't tell you how grateful I am for all of your kindness, support, and ideas. I wish all of you the best in your upcoming weddings! congratulations! I know you will have an amazing wedding. we can't wait to hear all about it!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Millie & George Hi ladies! I have been away from the site for a couple of weeks, you know how it is planning ect... I have been really disheartened to come back on and see so many negative responses to EDR, I totally get it but it is quite hurtful that EDR are being totally stupid! So......................... I know there are so many of us going soon, Mrs V to be J Wolfe - (if not already gone) Mandy & her fab mum Shannon MaggieMaylou (If I remember correctly) CT Petch So I thought it might be nice to tell each other how excited we all are, I know I am and it will be totally fab when we get out there and so many of us I think will literally bump into each other!! So tell me some good stuff, how excited are you for your DW? Me xx I am super exicted!! We leave 2 weeks today, and I don't think I can wait any longer!! i am in the middle of exams, there is snow on the ground and it has been a long semester! I cannot wait for the beach, drinks and some hot hot sun! (and a wedding too!! ) I'm very exicited about both of my locations - Gazebo 55 for the ceremony and the Health bar for the reception. I love both of them!! We will be there from May 3-May17, and staying in a Casita. I requested the 27 Block - so if anyone is around track me down

Quote: Originally Posted by BandE2008 From Leigh's photos (photo 49) which ceremony cite is that? I'm pretty sure that is the Casita gazebo, before the beach was washed away.

Quote: Originally Posted by foxytv Mini tambourines at each place setting with little tags that say " if you wanna see us kiss, shake this!". That's what we wanted to do, but ran out of time to get the tambourines. I found some on eBay that would have been perfect -- like 48 for $30. I have some last minute shopping to do while on the road for work today, so if I come across any tambourines, I'm still going to get them. I adore the idea and we cam e up with it ourselves while at a friends house. he is like 65 and breaks out his tambo every time we come over b/c we start drinking and listening to music and it's ssoo much fun. That is super cute!! I hope you find some today I think I'm in the same boat now - it is too late to order anything

Quote: Originally Posted by TA Jill we went to a wedding where you had to sing a song, I think it had to include the word "love" in it, so you'd see a whole table of people stand up and start belting out a song, it was actually pretty funny to see. I can't remember what our table sang. ooh that is cute!! I like that one!

Okay, I'm not a big fan of glass clinking at weddings - so I love it when the B&G have an alternative for you. The alternative I always wanted to do is: if you want the B&G to kiss - you have to show them how it is done. That is I wanted that until I went to a wedding, where 2 crazy girls got up & kissed and made the Bride & her BM kiss...haha it was funny - but no way I'm I doing that (especially not in front of the family!!) So what other alternatives have people heard about/done/liked?

My FI is a surveyor & a real outdoorsy person, so I got him a silverplated compass that I will have engraved. Red Envelope also has lots of cool gadjets for outdoorsy type guys! Good Luck

Welcome to another Edmontonian! well technically I'm a Calgarian living in Edmonton - but welcome all the same

Quote: Originally Posted by maggiemaylou Update on my situation with Monica: She tried to send me an "updated" contract for me to sign today. The timing is unbelievable. She also included the following in her email: "The Mexican Government has implemented a new policy for foreigners working here in Mexico. If your photographer is not a Mexican Citizen, and she's receiving payment for her services, she must have a Mexican Government permission to work in this Country. If they are professional photographers (With professional equipment, lenses, tripod's etc) Karisma is charging a 500 usd fee to allow these services at the Hotel. Please let me know the name of your photographer. In case you are brining someone from Canada /US, if your photographer is a Mexican Citizen, we will request for him / her to show the Hotel their working documents is called “RFC†(in order to declare taxes) I apologize for the inconveniences this may cause you, unfortunately this are new Hotel & Mexican Government policies, the hotel has been sanctioned for permitting professional foreigner photographers working at the Hotel, with no working permission from the Government." Stange thing is, I have never told her that I am bringing a photographer. She just sent me this email out of the blue. Part of me wants to just pay the $500 and put it behind me. But part of me is really mad about this because I know this money does not go toward "taxes" and my photographer is a Mexican citizen. Therefore, I firmly believe that I should not have to pay the $500 fee (a.k.a. extra revenue) to Lomas - who claim it is Karisma requiring this fee. Sorry - I am ranting. I was under the same impression when I first got this email - it's almost the same wording of the one I got!! the $500 fee doesn't have to do with the taxes - this is the policy in regards to the outside vendors, that they have always had in place. I know that isn't totally clear from the email - but that is what I worked out once I figured out the issue. If you already have a prior deal saying you don't have to pay this - then you don't have too. If your photographer is a Mexican Citizen - then it shouldn't be a problem - just let them they need to show their documentation proving they have government approval to be working & being paid for it.

I'm sorry!! I know what you are going through though! I once found my dog .... while lets just say beside a dead bird. I was so upset with him that I wouldn't even look at him for a week.

Congratulations Heidi!! your pics are beautiful!! you looked stunning on your wedding day can't wait to read your review to hear all about it!

Quote: Originally Posted by timelsel That just proves it is not a "Vendor" issue or something to do with paying the proper taxes. They just know where they can hit brides for extra money and they can't do much about it. as I understand it the taxes issue and the $500 fee are 2 separate issues. The taxes issue relates to making sure the outside vendors have appropriate approval to be doing work in Mexico. I was told I had to provide this documentation, regardless of the fact that I didn't have to pay the $500 (based on an earlier agmt I had with the resort). What the resort has been doing however is melding these 2 issues together when they bring it to the attn of the brides - not cool!

Quote: Originally Posted by timelsel I bet if they found out you were bringing in an "outside hairdresser" they would try to charge another $500! (My daughter is also bringing a friend who will be doing her hair, and she will also be doing her own makeup.) you know what is funny? They didn't have a problem with it!! I was originally planning on just going to her on the wedding day, so for the heck of it I told Valeria I wanted her to come to the resort to do my hair, just to see what she said. and no questions asked - I just have to pay the day pass, but only the wedding guest day pass. weird hey?

Quote: Originally Posted by nolaroy724 That makes sense. I can't believe Monica is now saying "regardless of payment" they require $500. On another more fun note, is anyone getting their makeup done at the spa? How did the other EDR brides like their makeup if they used this service? I agree, that is unbelievable that Monica is still demanding the $500!! Also, I decided to have someone come in to do my hair. She is from Playa, and was recommended by another BDW bride: PDCwedding. I'm going to meet her in Playa for a hair trial, and then she is coming to the resort on the day of. Since there is no way to meet your destination wedding hairdresser beforehand, I just felt more comfortable going on a personal recomendation. Also, my FI doesn't like alot of makeup - so I'm just going to do my own

Quote: Originally Posted by timelsel Here is what we were told by Valeria regarding paperwork: If you are not retribuing this photographer in any way, then he/she do not need any kind of paperwork, we just had to give you a heads up. Yes after several emails to Valeria, and relying conversations I had with the Mexican Consulate to her - that is what she finally told me too - late last week!

Quote: Originally Posted by nolaroy724 To add even more fuel to the fire.... Okay, so my girlfriend is going to take our pictures. She and her husband are staying at EDR for 7 days. Paying well over two grand for the both of them. Monica wanted to know what photography package we wanted, and I let her know that my friend who is a guest of the resort for 7 days will be taking our pictures. She said that if my friend has professional camera equipment they will still need to charge us the $500 fee (whether or not she is receiving payment for services - her words) because the resort could be inspected by the government. My friend does have professional camera equipment. This is insane. Will she even be able to get into the country with her camera?! I did not reply yet. What should I do? This is exactly the same situation that I am in. If you want to read more - it is under the thread "New Mexican Foreign Worker's Policy"? There is definitly some limitations as to what photography equipment is allowed in. What exactly they are, is up in the air (see the discussion in the above thread). But I believe she can. I am allowed to have my photographers take pictures of us (using their professional equipment), I don't have to pay the $500 fee, since I have emails from my WC months ago saying I don't have to. I have also gotten confirmation from them that my photographers do not have to provide any documentation, since they will not be paid for their services