JenniferSS

It'll depend on how many guests- I was taking notes so fast that I did not catch if the initial "head table " was for 4 or 8. But if you do the Flutter of Romance you will have the option of doing the additional tables ( that seat 8 ppl total) as "bare" no decorations at all for free ( will have a regular table cloth and table settings) or having it with the Flutter of Romance decorations -at an additional cost. It's just the website that will be available about March- lots of info and coding to be put on there!

It's my pleasure! I shared that concern with Joanne and she is not at all pleased about the misinformation the WCs are providing- she is also not happy with how pushy the WC's have been (I must inteject that not all of them have been!) and that some have lost site of their job to consult and assist the bride- not just sell them. I believe that we'll see that all change very soon. Quote: Originally Posted by future_mrs2010 Thanks for sharing everything! That is super nice of you!!! I wish all the WC in MIami were on the same page with information. On the Martha Stewart thread we have going every bride has gotten mixed info. Im just hoping the wedding planner in turks will just be able to set everything straight once we get there.

One last thing to mention is that there will soon be a new wedding website is in the works- again the release date is not exact but I am told they expect it about March. They will have the photographers info, the additional a la cartes for Martha Stewart packages including parasols, fans, candy buffets, sand ceremony ect! We may also be seeing additional Martha Stewart packages being rolled out throughout the year! They have also decided not to bring back the Signature wedding pacakge.

There was a lot of concern about the Beautiful beginnings flowers being purple and while Martha is predicting that 2010 color will be purple there is also an option to have your flowers as white! All of the weddings will now also have the white Chivari chairs as pictured.

Great news here! Sandals & Beaches Weddings will very soon allow you to choose your photographer at each resort! They are in the process of gathering the photoraphers bio's and samples of their work to place on the wedding website! sandals has also been busy training their wedding photographers- bringing on fantastic talent from all over the world to train their staff in the most current wedding photography trends and photo journalism! Launch date for being able to sample & choose your Sandals/Beaches photographers TBA!

I am so excited! I just got in at 2am last night but couldn't wait to share what I learned about the Martha Stewart packages! I had the privledge of sitting doiwn with Joann Delgin- head of teh entire weddings department at Sandals & Beaches resorts! Very sweet woman and she has such a passion for what she does! I shared with her many of the concerns and misconceptions that I've encountered and have read from the boards and she was very concerned and was glad to clarify! So here goes some answers straight from the head of weddings! 1. You do not have to pay for the extra tables other than the initial package for any Martha Stewart or the free package. Keep in mind that if you chose to not decorate each table they will only come with a standard table cloth- not floor lenght, they will have no center pieces and come with a standard table setting. There is a cost ( varies depending on package and island- the fresh flowers cost extra to import on certain islands) if you do choose to have all tabels decorated with teh Ms package! They seat 8 ppl per table. They will include the white chairs. You can seat 8 at the initial set up with decorations-this includes bride & groom.

Absolutely beautiful Shannon!

It's a very long beach so being semi private won't be an issue. What you'll want is the ceremony to be close to where she is staying - I would recommend either the Caribbean Village in one of the Parrott Cay or Salt Cay room blocks as those are fairly close to the beach. Or the med village in one of the oceanview rooms. There is a way to get to the beach from both of these villages and those locations should be fairly private! The caribbean side however is usually a touch quieter! There are also gazebo's with the ocean as a backdrop so if a few stairs (there are stairs for all entrances to the beach- only a handfull) and sand will be extremely difficult on her that may be another option! Good luck!

Definately contact TA Dina- she works closely with the company that does cruise weddings! She is a cruise specailists and has done tons of cruise weddings- makes it all easy & stress free!

I know at first blush it looks like the hotel is trying to pull a fast one but what probably happened ( and is usually the case) is that the rates were much higher when the bride & groom signed the group contract- with all that has happened in Mexico over the past year, coupled with the economy the hotel probably dropped their rates considerably. Sometimes the bride & groom can renegotiate the contract- other times they can't. Afterall it is a contract and the resort also couldn't raise the rates if they choose to. There are benefits to a group contract-especially with small boutique properties where the rooms can easily sell out and the guests having to book elsewhere-it's happened to many a bride who decided to not use a group block! The downside is the rates are also locked in at the time of the contract. It's been a strange year with unheard of price drops to amazing properties- if you can afford to go it's a chance to experience properties at half their normal rates. The prices are starting to go back up to where they were though so if your thinking of taking a trip book quickly !

Welcome jco919! I'm sure the girls on here can be of great help but your wedding planner/travel agent should be able to get all of that info for you and also provide ideas and suggestions!! From what I understand is when you work with a wedding planner they work with you to bring ideas and color schemes together for the look that you want- then the WP takes it to the resort and see what the pricing is and she would work with the WC at the resort to stay with your style and within your budget! I could be wrong though as I am a travel agent that specializes in destination weddings and assist with the items such as booking wedding dates, travel, assisting with guests, providing advice and running interference with the WC if needed. I would love to do the rest as it looks like so much fun and a great chance to be creative ! But they take different skill sets and both -to be done properly- would take an enormous amount of time as they each are full time endeavors!

I would definately contact a TA that specializes in destination weddings-we work with suppliers and these issues should not be happening at all! that sounds like a nightmare! Quote: Originally Posted by hamiller33 Hi All! I'm a "newbie" here and have my wedding booked for March 2010. I'm in the process of booking hotel rooms...however, I have been having a lot of problems and my guests have been having a lot of issues with Angie and the staff with everything from charging the wrong amounts to credit cards, not returning phone calls, booking wrong rooms, etc. I feel really embarrassed that my guests have to experience this lack of professionalism, but I feel that there isn't much I can do. Has anyone else had issues with Angie and her staff? What have you done about it? For those who have already had their wedding, did you have issues before you went to Playa and if so did you have issues in Playa with the staff at the resort? If anyone has any advice on how I should handle this please help:) My fiancé is so frustrated with our guests calling to complain about the hotel he wants to cancel the wedding at the hotel and do it somewhere else. -- I would rather not do this... Thanks for everyone’s help:) Holly Holly and Scotts Wedding Website

Congratulations to Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita Riviera Maya and Secrets Capri Riviera Cancun for earning top spots on the Conde Nast Traveler's "The Top 100, Best in the World". Secrets Capri and Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita earned the #8 and #19 spot, respectively, on the Best Resort in Mexico list. These resorts are amazing- I just love them both!

I had pm'ed you but didn't hear back- I was avble to get a room open for your guests at Beaches Negril- don't know if it would still be available at this point but if you want it email me Quote: Originally Posted by bosi Jennifer if you are still seeing rooms at beaches negril between the 4th and 8th of jan, pls let me know and I'll send the rest of my guests to you.She is also saying now that there are no rooms at sandybay anymore.

The webinar has started- please jhoin us if you signed up! He's doing a fantastic job!

sandals/Beaches has asked me to address the issue of teh difference in pricing for the posters flowers- yes, ladies they do monitor the boards as do many other resorts! The brides post actually caused quite a stir as the pricing is suppose to be identical whether you get it from the Miami coordinators or at the resort- they are one team and the pricing that your Miamia coordinators receive come directly from the resort!! The bride who posted her prices left out a couple of details such as the they were two completely different bouquets and not the same exact ones- original quote was from a photo she sent, the ones she purchased at the resort were from the floral catalogue, so yes the prices would be compeletly different! It wasn't an apples to apples comparison! If you know what you want and have your heart set on getting it then I still highly encourgae you to pre book for several reasons- it provides you the esae of having it done prior and you know that you will get exactly what you want (most flowers are imported so if the florist doesn't have what you really wanted and you didn't pre order you are out of luck!) , or you can work with the WC to make it fit your budget prior to going to the islands, that way you don't get caught up in the moment while at the resort and seeing all the beautiful choices - plus it saves time while you are at the resort! Quote: Originally Posted by bosi Thanks for the advice Kelli. I wont pay for anything at all ecept maybe the hair and makeup beforehand, and I will call nickesha to let her know that i'll bring pictures. I will also do the beach rehearsal dinner- yours looked awesome. Thanks a lot. Bosi

They are finishing up with the new Signature packages-should be coming out within the next few weeks or so! There will also be a flower catelogue that should be out soon- it is only the Martha Stewrat "packages" that can not be altered or mixed. Even without the package you would still be able to get the entertainer though! Quote: Originally Posted by Jamaican_Smile Are they planning to add more a la carte options? We were planning to get the Signature Package, but it's not available anymore. I still want my single entertainer for one hour, is it still possible?

Bumping! There are only two more spots left!!

From chicago Tribunne All-inclusive vs. cruise: What's a better deal? By Arline and Sam Bleecker Special to the Tribune November 8, 2009 With winter coming, an onslaught of new megavessels brimming with amenities and creative creature comforts again steams toward the Caribbean. In fact, so spectacular are these new ships that they essentially are destinations unto themselves, boasts Andy Stuart, executive vice president of Norwegian Cruise Line. But those big, brassy high-rise resorts at sea -- many taller than the Statue of Liberty, some too fat to fit through the Panama Canal and others so long they dwarf a football stadium -- come with novelties, such as a New-York-styled Central Park and a Coney Island-like boardwalk, and they arrive with heftier fares. Except for a passel of luxury vessels, the once all-inclusive-cruise concept is mostly as extinct as the dodo. In its place, cruise lines have installed a la carte cruising, in which your fare is just the starting point. Add gratuities, wines and spirits, spa treatments, photos, specialty coffees and pastries, shore excursions, the fine dining at a plethora of signature restaurants all with a fee, as well as myriad irresistible onboard doodads, and the cost of your cruise easily could double, if not triple. Take, for instance, the really grand dining options on the world's largest leviathan, Royal Caribbean's 220,000-ton, 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas, now on its way to Florida from a Finnish shipyard for its Nov. 20 debut in the Caribbean. Whet your appetite on Oasis' most exclusive dining venue, 150 Central Park, and you'll fork over $35 a person for dinner. Pizzas, salads, pastas, Italian sandwiches, braised-meat dishes and stews, all served family style at Giovanni's Table, will set you back $10 for lunch and $15 for dinner. Sample a selection of cheeses and an assortment of tasty tapas at Vintage, and you'll bloat your shipboard credit card. The popular Chops Grille, Royal Caribbean's signature steakhouse with views of Central Park, will add $25 to your onboard tab. In fact, a goodly number of Oasis' 24 distinct dining experiences carry a cover charge or a la carte pricing. And, should you hanker for room service in the wee hours, expect to pay for it. Choose a premium steak in the main dining room, and you'll pay extra too. On Oasis, you'll even have to pay for cupcakes. With this in mind, we wondered if a land resort might not get us more bang for our buck and serve as a viable option to a Caribbean cruise. Of course, comparing a land resort to a seagoing Caribbean vacation is, in some ways, like comparing pineapples and coconuts. Most land resorts don't have casinos on their properties or entertain you with million-dollar Broadway-style shows and Vegas-like revues, as will Royal Caribbean with "Hairspray" or Norwegian with Blue Man Group. Nor is sampling the Mediterranean by ocean liner ever going to compare to a week's stay in France or Italy or, for that matter, any European country. To test our thesis, though, we booked five days at Sandals' all-inclusive Grande Spa & Resort, one of three properties on St. Lucia, each permanently plunked on a gorgeous white-sand beach. Even though we stayed at one resort, all the activities and amenities on the others -- including 17 restaurants (most open to the sea breezes), 11 freshwater pools, a championship nine-hole golf course, basketball and tennis courts, catamarans, sunfish sailboats, aquatrikes, glass-bottom boat rides, snorkeling, scuba diving, windsurfing, kayaking and 22 bars serving unlimited premium brands, as well as champagne -- are available and at no extra charge. Dine where you want, when you want, with anyone you want and pay nothing extra. Zip. All wines, spirits and soft drinks are complimentary. So are all sports activities. So are all the pastries, crepes and specialty coffees and lattes. So is the sushi. Not having to reach into our wallets each time we were tempted by a special treat or captivated by an enticing menu at a restaurant on stilts above the bay or chose to sip margaritas under a dazzlingly scarlet evening sky was a relief from the nickel-and-dime environment so common now on cruise ships. Those weren't the only reasons we got hooked on Sandals. Silence and solitude stood high on our list. Instead of a crush of people on a ship's pool deck or crowds on the sports decks during a day at sea, we found ourselves floating in a calm pool just steps from the beach and with only a handful of other couples for company. And, at week's end, we didn't jostle down a gangway with 3,500 other passengers. A sprinkling of thatched-roof cabanas, hammocks and lounge chairs by the sea also beckoned whenever the spirit moved us. No one pressed drinks on us. There was no constant blaring on the PA system announcing an art auction or a seminar on precious gems or gold sold onboard for $1 an inch or pitches for shore excursions. At turndown on Sandals, our bed was more likely to be strewn with tropical flower petals than the sheaf of promotional fliers ubiquitous at day's end in cruise cabins. We also were not captives at Sandals. We could shuttle freely among the three resort properties in complimentary vans. Land and sea excursions readily could be arranged but at a fee. However, these weren't hawked. No staffers had their hand out. All gratuities were included, but it didn't dampen staff enthusiasm or desire to deliver prompt, smiling service. Just as important, our vacation at Sandals didn't break the bank. The least expensive accommodations (about the size of a minisuite on most larger ships) sport either ocean, poolside or garden views and ran about $350 a night per couple at the time we visited in midsummer. On Oasis of the Seas, a comparable minisuite category would run about the same per couple per night, excluding port charges and taxes, and would not be all-inclusive. So was it thumbs up for a land vacation versus a cruise? Decidedly yes. This time, we did what we always wanted to do on a Caribbean vacation: nothing, but enjoy a sandy beach, lovely accommodations and bountiful food at our own pace. As cruise lines try to duplicate the shoreside resort experience, some lagniappes are impossible to achieve. Chief among them for us was the evening we dined at the aptly named Barefoot by the Sea, a candlelit restaurant right on the Sandals beach. Sitting shoeless with our feet in the cool sand and serenaded by waves breaking gently under a moonlit sky, we thought of the cruise passengers who had sailed away from St. Lucia's harbor that day, and we toasted our good fortune at being on terra firma. All-inclusive vs. cruise: What's a better deal? -- chicagotribune.com

Quote: Originally Posted by TA Jennifer agrred- i did a site visit and the rsort is truly unique and wonderful! Mods- can you please delete the post with my terrible typing ? Thanks! Agreed- I did a site visit last fall and the resort is truly unique and wonderful! One of my favorite boutiques resorts.

agrred- i did a site visit and the rsort is truly unique and wonderful!

I hope that this doesn't get taking the wrong way! Since I responded to the one thread regarding rooms at Sandals I have received oodles (literally over 20 ) requests for room information and pics for both Sandals & Beaches from brides that have booked either direct with the resorts or with other TA's. You guys know I love you and will answer general questions if I have a spare few minutes -but this is really part of the in-depth service that I provide to my clients and that you should be getting from either Sandals/Beaches if you booked direct, or your TA. I know many of you booked prior to finding the forum and I feel really bad, but it wouldn't be fair to my clients to take the time & provide this information to everyone. These clients retained me because I took the time & expense to visit these resorts and have the knowledge and expertise to answer or can get the answers because of my relationship with Sandals, Beaches and Royal Plantation. Additionally, the time it would take to answer all of the requests I received would be time taken away from my brides- that’s not fair to them. So I decided that the only way to handle this is that I can longer answer the specific room category and placement questions for those who are already using a TA. If you have booked direct and wish to have me be your travel agent I can, of course, then assist. Again I hope that no one takes this wrong or gets upset!

This is going to be an excellent webinar ( no pun intended) for those still looking for an amazing resort to be married or honeymoon at ! They are adult only~only do 2 weddings a day ~ respond to emails within 48 hrs or less! Here is a recent review-http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/f77/excellence-riviera-cancun-wedding-review-very-long-51423/ Special discounts for webinar attendees ( can not already be booked and only applies to those booking with Sand & Sun Vacations). Hope to have you join us! Only room for 4 more! Quote: Originally Posted by TA Jennifer November 12th Excellence Luxury Resorts, Caribbean & Mexico • Vacation, Honeymoon & Destination Weddings Webinar Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/232728202 We're thrlled to have Excellence Resorts- join us to present their 5 star all inclusive, adult only Excellence Resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean ! --Excellence Playa Mujeres,an adults-only romantic resort nestled on two miles of powdery white sand beach, all inclusive luxury surrounds you in a setting of lush Caribbean beauty. The newest luxury resort destination in the Cancun region, Playa Mujeres is situated on an untouched 20-mile peninsula, secluded and serene but conveniently only 25 minutes north of Cancun Airport. --If you have a taste for luxury, romance and relaxation, then Excellence Riviera Cancun is where you belong. Situated on a secluded, pure white sand beach on Mexico's Riviera Maya, Excellence Riviera Cancun is a luxury all inclusive resort and spa in the classic Mediterranean style of stucco, tile and marble. Our adults-only world revolves around six meandering pools, the crystal clear Caribbean…and you. Here, in a setting of all inclusive luxury, we address your every need so you are free to create the moments you dream of, and memories you'll have forever. -- Excellence Punta Cana, we surround you with all inclusive luxury. This quaint, colonial-style all inclusive resort and spa is the ideal destination for couples seeking secluded romantic resort getaways. Nestled among palms on a 30-mile stretch of perfect white-sand Caribbean beach, Excellence Punta Cana is an all inclusive romantic resort where everything is taken care of and nothing is left out. Additional you will get to visit the amazing 5-star La Amada Hotel luxury hotel. Here you’ll have a comfortable home base of contemporary luxury. Stylish hotel architecture and decor, generous suites, spotless service, deluxe facilities, and of course, our secluded beachfront setting, all enable you to let your days here happen naturally.

I am finding that they are willing to work some items out for my brides regarding non Martha Stewart items.

Remmeber if you've signed up that the webinar is tonight- 7pm est . Anyone else that would like to join in please feel free to do so!