MissyR

Meredith - I am really interested to hear what Perla has to say about this - when I was doing my research and getting quotes - she told me it was $300 plus the AMP cost plus the cost to have someone there. UGHHH

funny_bunny - if you are booking an AI package out of Toronto, most cover the cost of transportation to and from the hotel..

Yeah that is totally ridiculous. We too got multiple quotes from him and did not pay (and would not have paid) for those quotes. I told him I was walking if he didn't match Mannia's quote... so he did. But that was last year and I know that there pricing and policies have changed. When he explained to us the additional costs (on top of the $300) there was an AMP charge and also a charge for one of their staff ppl to be there (since you are using SWANKS' equipment) and there was some insurance issues as well.

Quote: Originally Posted by KLC77 Really, for the ceremony she said that? The sound system, which was used to play cd's I had burned for the ceremony and a microphone to be used during the ceremony were provided for us and we're included in our costs. They didn't even charge anything extra. I did ask about a microphone for the reception and it wasn't available for a reasonable cost, but for the ceremony it was included. I find that weird too b/c she provided it for the ceremony for no additional cost.. we also used it for the reception at no cost but that's b/c we used SWANK. Meredith ---- one month to go! SOoo excited!

You can get a projector and a screen but I think it's pretty pricey. I want to say at least 400 bucks (what a shocker eh?). I didn't ship anything down - I don't think any of the previous brides did either - from what I've been told there is no guarantee that it will make it through customs to the hotel. You are better off to bring it with you and just check an extra bag and pay the baggge fee. Fanny and Yamille - you guys are getting close!

We did something totally different. WE just had my sis and his bro as MOH and BM. We had a shell in which we drilled holes for the ribbeon so we tied the rings into and I had my MOH give that to the WC right before. It sat on the table with our sand ceremony stuff.

We had our ceremony at 3:30 and did the HDs.. the guests appreciated it.. and dinner never starts as early as you want it to!

Copy as much as you want! That's why I provided it! JulieH - I donated some points to you so you can download the rest of the attachments... enjoy!

CDNGroom - such a well said post above - sometimes, while I loved this forum during the planning process, it gave me more stress to see what everyone else was doing. For me, the response time was actually pretty good, usuallly only a few days .. so it wasn't too bad. We did the legal ceremony and wrote our own vows. We also did the sand ceremony which we wrote. Both of these are attached. I also put together a "wedding day timeline" which I have attached as well. Instead of a bouquet toss, I decided to dedicate my bouquet to my grandma - yes at 77 years old she and my grampie travelled to MExico with us. I have also attached that for anyone else who is interested! Grandma Poem.doc Sand Ceremony.doc VOWs.doc Wedding Day Schedule.doc

Well to be honest the first class cupboard is actually only a half cupboard - we wanted to hang it up there but the crew suggested we lay it flat in the overhead bin which was perfect!

Totally agree! I gather though that every company/plant will never be 100% free of the listeria bacteria given the nature of the product.. but.. most time the issue is when it's not caught or they don't have processes in place for regular testing!

Apparently this recall is purely due to human error (ie. sending quarnatined product out) and those individuals have been fired.

I have a script for the sand ceremony that we used.. I need to find the electronic version and will post tonight! Quote: Originally Posted by JulieH Hi Girls, Thanks for the warm welcome!! I'm slowly breathing easier as I continue to read and realize that things will go smoothly.... Mark and I are doing the sand ceremony, but I'm having trouble with the wording. I've googled it and checked with the place I purchased our vases and sand from, but I haven't found much, do you have any examples of wording on the sand ceremony? Also, about baggage... did you all pay for extra bags or did you manage to get it all there within the baggage restrictions? We have about 50 guests which are mainly couples and we've done up loot bags per couple. Now it's a matter of getting them down there (and I'm considering getting centerpiece material here and bringing it down) any suggestions??

We made the exact same caclulations as Amarillis and decided the free trip wasn't worth it - what we wanted was the lowest rate for our guests.

Even though we didn't have a ton of drama .. I was very down and sad after everything was all over. The first month we were back I cried regularly - I kept telling FI that I wanted to go and do the week all over again just to take in everything. I think it's totally normal - especially because the BDW put so much time into DIY projects etc.

With respect to the Tequila Terrace, I would book that with Perla ahead of time. The other ladies may need to chime in about food - did anyone decide once they got down there? I was under the impression that you had to decide before hand (through email to Perla) but I am anal so what do I know? HAHA In terms of the Welcome Dinner, you can reserve a section of the buffet for free. We did this the day we arrived and it worked out perfectly. I told Perla what time and how many ppl and they set up a whole section just for us. The shows aren't in the restaurant but in the Theatre. I believe one night they have a Mexican Dinner Theatre which is dinner and a show. Not sure what you mean about the "room/beach bar" - if you have dinner on the terrace - the packages include the three hours of open bar service. They actually set up a bar for you out there. We added the additional hours after for the open bar during the dancing and DJ time.. is that what you mean? Quote: Originally Posted by JulieH By the way, I forgot to ask about this vendor fee thing I've read so much about. My photographer is Claudia and I was not aware that we had to pay to have her come on the resort to do photos... why is this? If I want that place on the beach for dinner/reception (tequila something?) do I need to book it ahead of time or just when I'm down there? Okay... here come the questions... Can I just book that room/beach bar (whatever it is exactly) for an hour or two after the ceremony or do I need to have our dinner there too??

Welcome Julie! Take a deep breath and try not to panick - know that a lot of the things I (and others did) are certainly not mandatory .. that being said - you still have tons of time and all of us to help you! Fire away with questions and issues.. We spent a $100 bucks at Kitchen Stuff Plus and bought all the vases and candles and took them down with us (frankly because I refused to pay the ridiculous price Perla was asking) and I do draw the line somewhere. We took them for our site visit and left them there til the wedding. If you have someone who could carry them on that is what we did - it was only two smallish boxes so it wasn't too bad. For my bouquet, I think my MOH's was $60 or $80 and mine was about $100 - but to be honest I will have to double check when I get home.

Meredith - My ceremony was at 3:30 as well and I wasn't in my dress until about 2:30 - we didn't do any pics together before the ceremony but did do some individual ones! from about 4:30 - 6:30 we did pics - and then dinner started at 7:00 - I would say that our first dance was at about 8:30 - 9:00 - Thinking if you were in your dress at 2:00 five hours would be plenty~

Congrats and welcome back!

We also wrote our own vows.. pretty much anything goes in terms of timing!

Thanks ladies! The starfish the hotel provided as a loaner.. The Sand Ceremony is not included in any of the packages - we wrote our own, decided where we wanted it during the ceremony, and brought all the containers/sand etc. from home.

If by "you" you mean me - we had 59 ppl in total.. but our wedding party was just my sis and his brother..

In terms of rehearsal - we did a quick rehearsal the day before at the same time as the wedding - we just met with perla, our parents, and wedding party - and spent about 20 minutes going over who would come out when, timing etc.

Hey Ladies - I just posted over 200 pics to my shutterfly account taken by my Best Friend - many are random shots but there are some great pics of the table set up, terrace etc. that you may find useful! http://missyandbenwedding.shutterfly.com/516

We live just outside of TOronto as well and while we didn't have to do English to Spanish Translations - we did have to have our marriage certificate translated Spanish to English so I could change my drivers license. The Ministry (ServiceOntario) will give you the translation company number - they will set you up with a translator who fits what you need (and is certified). It took about a week to get our certificate translated. I don't have the company number anymore or I would give it to you! Quote: Originally Posted by Cabosbride09 Hi there, I was hoping someone could give me some info on getting Birth Certificates and Divorce Certificates translated. We live just outside of Toronto and we are getting married in April 2009. How long does this process take? Do you go to the Mexican Consulate? Do I need to have an appointment? How much does this cost? Thank you for your help.