TATrisha

AH! That just reminded me that I need to do my Tulum photo tour! I have pictures looking in all directions from the gazebo. I will try and get those up ASAP so you can see the path. You will walk through the "jungle" and that's when your fiance will see you. Very pretty!! As for what to look for during a site visit, definitely the three resorts. See which one you'd like to stay at, which one you want to get married at, and then try the restaurants that are available (if you can). So Coba - portofino, Akumal - Frutos del mar and um... the one attached to it that I'm having a brain fart and can't thin of! Tulum - gran torguga and tequila. Check out the pool reception areas. Akumal is the main pool directly across from the lobby. Coba is the Jacuzzi pool by Portofino. Tulum, I don't actually know! Ha!

For your wedding I don't think you'll have any issues.

Photographers. They will have to fill out the FMM form authtorizing them to conduct business in Mexico. As long as it's not longer than 30 days, that's all they have to fill out. However, there are also restrictions on the amount of gear that can be carried by any one person, so make sure your photographer looks into that.

Typically the men wear long pants, but I have occasionally seen some shorts. As for the flowers, I had pink roses (light and dark pink) so those are definitely included. Bring the diamonds and any special ribbon you'd like used. It's much cheaper than asking them to supply it. Gerbera daisies are included and white roses too. The only problem is that many cala lillies. I'm pretty sure you'd have to pay extra for that. It's pretty similar to the bouquet that I asked for, and I just substituated the cala lillies for white regular lillies and it was included.

If you post the pictures on here, I'm pretty sure myself and the other previous brides could probably tell you which ones would be included. But overall, you shouldn't have a problem. You don't have to pick out everything in advance, just if you want certain colors or styles.

Girling, you cannot have a local wedding photographer. You will need to fly someone in for your wedding. I believe there have been some brides who have gotten away with a $500 fee to bring in local photographers, but they really seem to be in forcing the NO portion of that statement. So if you want a photographer, you will have to pay for them to stay three nights at the resort as a guest.

I've updated the bridal roll call. Please let me know if you don't see your name on the list and you'd like to be added. Happy planning!

The $500 is if you bring a local photographer in to photograph your wedding... that is, if they even allow it. For the white runner at the hammock location... that's tricky. A runner in the sand doesn't really work very well. But, if you really want one, you'll have to bring your own. And StylishmeNC... you looked beautiful!

Best wishes!!! I cannot wait to hear about it!

Just remember that the sun sets in the opposite direction of the water in Riviera Maya. So it's really hard to get sunset photos. You'll have to ask your photographer to scope out an area ahead of time and it won't be with the water in the background. But if you can get high enough, hopefully you can still get a beautiful view of the lush grounds with the sun setting behind you.

1. Yup, you can go to ALL the ala cartes. The only thing is you can only go to a certain amount. They'll tell you when you check in, but it's usually 1 dinner for a 3 night stay, 2 dinners for a 5 night stay, and 3 for a week. Unless you book with Apple then it seems you get one every night. It's weird. 2. All kinds of activities! Beer Pong, water volley ball, dancing lessons, water aerobics, water polo... TONS of stuff going on. And at all three activity pools (akumal, tulum and coba) there seems to be something different.

Yup, affordable is in the eye of the beholder. You can pay $2000 for a week at a resort that has 15 restaurants, a night club, and 7 pools. Or you can pay $1000 for a week at a hotel with 1 restaurant and 1 pool with a 20 minute drive to night life. So some people would say the $2000 is most affordable due to the choices available and not having to leave the property...

Welcome to the forum!! There are tons of resorts to choose from, so I will simply advocate for the resort that I used, the Gran Bahia Principe (Akumal to be specific). It's a great resort for a large group because it has reasonable prices to fit a lot of budgets, it's a HUGE resort so there will be plenty of room for everyone and it won't feel like you HAVE to spend time with everyone all the time. There are plenty of different things to do so there should be something for everyone. Good luck!

Is that CD with all the pictures on it edited or just in RAW format?

If doing a legal ceremony, the sand ceremony has to be inserted AFTER they declare you husband and wife and after you kiss. It's kind of weird, but it worked.

I really like them and I think they are simple and beautiful without the extra hibiscus in the background. This way it doesn't take away from the fact that they are boarding passes. Super cute! Great job!

Definitely invite significant others, but I invited everyone. As for the vase/sand ceremony thing. I got that at Hobby Lobby.

Here is mine: It's four panes of glass. The two on the outside, and then two on the inside. So we when you look at the top, there are three open areas to pour sand. We poured sand in the first open area (this is our mom's pouring, by the way. They laid our foundation). Then you can remove the pane of glass that is surrouned by air to attach a photograph to it. That way you don't disturb the sand. As for transfering the glass back home. I brought along paper towel and saran wrap. I shoved those paper towels in as tight as I possibly could. This prevented the sand from shifting and preserved the layers. Then I put the cover back on the vase. Then I wrapped it in saran wrap to make sure it wouldn't leak. Then I wrapped it with paper towels again so that it wouldn't break and put it inside a plastic bag and then inside my suitcase.

Mostly due to the wind and the bugs

Blood tests are $90 each, to be paid IN CASH to the doctor. Jill… best wishes!! I cannot wait to hear about how amazing your wedding was! We had private shuttle service. Cancun Valet. I highly recommend them. For the sand ceremony, we brought our own colored sand and vases. We used a vase picture frame for the centerpiece and dumped the sand into that. So the layers of sand were the background to a picture of us.

When I was there in January, there wasn't music being played during dinner (in the Portofino restaurant) and I don't think anyone missed it or even realized. Everyone was socializing and eating so it wasn't a big deal at all.

Oh there is SO much information here! TONS of amazing photographers, not to mention you can fly photographers like myself down to your wedding, so really the possibilities are endless! I would suggest contacting some photographers that you like. Decide what you WANT first. What is affordable. Is affordable $1000 but only getting 50 photos with 2 hours of coverage, or is affordable $2500 but getting 1500 photos, all day coverage and a trash the dress session the day after? Both options are out there, and you'll really have to weigh the options. Do you want coverage of you and the ladies getting ready? The portraits after the wedding? The reception? A Trash the Dress session? Do you want all the images on a disc so that you can make copies on your own, or would you rather have printed images? Lots of factors that will help in narrowing down the photographer options for you! Best wishes!!

Holy cow! You girls are SOOO close to your wedding! Eek! How exciting!! Tipping, totally up to you. I tip the fridge dude $2 or $1 depending on how well he listens I ask for extra candy bars and chips, and I specify that I like Snickers. If he listens... I give him more because I appreciate it more. That's what tipping is all about, after all Fabric, I used a silky blend. You can really use any kind that you want. Organza will be more see through, but look flowy and beautiful. Silk blend will be shiny and look substantial.

Oh no! Don't fret! Your wedding day is going to be AMAZING!!! If you're doing something totally different, then maybe worry a little. But if it's been done before, they know how to do it and they will take care of it all for you when you get there. Just keep sending her your requests and keep a list of exactly what you want. Try to stay positive and not stress. I think that's the number one thing past brides say in their review. It's hard not to freak out, but try and be as zen as possible. It'll be great!!!

I love the finger print trees! And for destination weddings, I LOVE the palm tree It holds a lot less finger prints and still represents your theme of a destination wedding.