kate.com

Wow, that stinks. Do you have this girls email? Maybe you should send her an email like this post. Tell her what you know, how you feel, and how stressed out you are that she hasnt returned your call. Leave you FI out of it. Tell her that you love her no matter what (even if you are mad at her) Give her a little guilt trip. You can post it on this thread if you want some proof readers:)

Awww... that is so special!

Don't worry about it. I think it is nice that your cousin wanted to come, but I would just say what you just said (in not so many words.) "Thank you for wanting to be there on our special day. We decided to keep it to immediate family only for many reasons including financial..." or something like that. Be gracious but stand your ground!

I was thinking, when you girls get a chance could you post what you have decided on so far? It would be fun to know what your colors/theme are, flowers or unique touches, entertainment, etc. I have a planning thread on here somewhere, I'll post it on this thread soon for fun:) Oh and I was thinking of my favorite parts of the wedding day... Bill & I's favorite part is giving our toast and cueing the fireworks! They use ACDC's Thunderstruck which was perfect... nostalgic for our hockey and cheering days... ha. And the reception ended up in the pool at 11pm, which I was bummed bc I thought the party would be over but NO! We were in there for almost 2 hours dancing and singing in our wedding clothes. I lost my voice! Oh, and I suggested to Kate to bring a 2nd "trash the dress" to change into if you dont want to get your wedding dress wet. We had our TTD shoot the next day so I couldn't get my dress soaking wet. I just got it wet and full of sand the next day:) It's at the cleaners right now, I'll let you know how that goes.

Quote: Originally Posted by jenniebey Hey Ladies, Another PF Bride here. I'm getting married Nov 6th, 2009. We just booked about a month ago so I haven't really started on my planning with Lindsay yet. I've been focused on my STDs and website. I have to say I'm mostly stressed about filling the rooms as well. I know we'll get at least 40 people but I'm worried that people will want to stay elsewhere because of the price. I keep telling them that we're all paying a little extra for the intimate setting because the big AIs are just well...big. Kate - did you do a full takeover and did you have any guests stay at a different hotel? If so, was it awkward? Thanks for starting up this thread. So excited! We had one couple stay offsite bc they have a timeshare. They were pretty bummed that they missed out on so much! It did come up a couple of times, but by the time they figured transportation to and from, paying offsite fees to hang out it wasn't worth it. So they were either all in or out. Our guests were sooooo happy. Believe me, I was nervous too. But it was the best trip they ever had. Everyone became friends out of the deal too- young and old-er. If you want you can check out our website, we haven't updated it in awhile but you can cut and past some info off of there: katelynnandbill.com

Very cute!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Amber Hey ladies! Here introducing myself; I too will be a PF bride in 8 weeks! We will be getting married April 5, 2009. Kate, a few questions:What did you do for gift bags for your guests? What did you have to take with you and what did you get there? (seating arrangements, fans, itineraries...) What was the best part and what should I be aware of? We brought canvas beach bags for our welcome bags. We bought some great items from Dollar Tree that we brought with us: aloe, sunblock, mini squirtgun (this was the fav), playing cards, soduku/crosswords, mini loffahs, etc. I packed them in 1 gallon ziplocks- one per bag, one bag per couple. When we got down there we took a trip to Walmart (on monday after wrap meeting/hair trial) and bought tons of snacks. My DH had a good pt with the snacks, buy a bunch, they don't have to be equal. So when we got back to PF we divied the snacks so they were sortof equal. People don't care but snacks are good. PS, don't buy water. It is included and in each room too. Lindsay told me that brides have gone out and bought it and got back to say "duh." The beach bags were a highlight, but if you are trying to save space or money I think it is cute when brides decorate paper bags. So as far as setting cards, menus, etc. Lindsay can make them for you or you can bring your own. I brought the programs, welcome letter. I hired Mischka Designs to make custom maracas, placecards and menus. She lives in PV so she dropped them off at PF. She can make programs, welcome letters, etc. to. High recommendations. Soooo many "best" parts. But, what I was excited about was that kareoke went as well as it did- I totally did not expect this! So funny I wish we had a videocam!!! The fireworks! Seeing how impressed our guests were. Honestly, the only stressful part for me was filling the rooms. We were expecting 60+ and ended up with 37. Oh well! Totally worth everything!

Quote: Originally Posted by missdanelle haha.. More money or publisher do you not have? Mines more money! NIETHER!

Ok, I am attempting to answer all of your questions:) Quote: Originally Posted by Bunsie3 Hi Kate, I just viewed your slideshow and everything looked AMAZING! You can tell you were a very happy bride Wow! Lots of questions:) I am a very happy bride. The wedding was perfect! Seriously. I absolutely love how you custimized everything and am relieved to see there are other brides who strayed from their usual packages. Sometimes I feel like I might be driving Lindsay nuts asking to change things. I loved the chairs you used for your ceremony and reception...did they get new ones or did you special order them? I am bringing in my own table cloths and napkins and those chairs would look perfect with my black and white décor!! Did you bring in your own table cloths? If so, how did you transport them? I rented the chairs for $8 per chair. They used them for the ceremony, then before I could blink they were at the tables for the dinner. I love them! I brought the tablecloths with me. My mom actually carried them on in a roller suitcase... those suckers were heavier than they looked! Totally worth it. I don't think you would drive Lindsay crazy by making your wedding unique! She loves it. Just be nice and a little flexible too. Listen to her suggestions, she knows what she is doing. Do you mind if I ask what meal you chose for the wedding reception? Judging by your review, you and your guests seemed to really enjoy it. What about the meals you chose for the other nights? Were they as good as the wedding meal? We had the chicken/seabass dinner. It was out of this world. For the welcome dinner we did the taco bar and fried ice cream and the Mexican BBQ and cupcakes the other night. It was a total hit! People were raving about the food. No one got sick. Yes, the food is just as good as the wedding night. The main difference is that the wedding night is a plated meal and the others are before. So that helps make it even more special. All of the food was very fresh and light which we appriciated. I am trying to decide on wether we want live music for the ceremony and/or cocktail hour. How was the mariachi band? Did you pick what songs they played? Do they play slow, romantic music for the ceremony? When I think of Mariachi music it is more on the lively side but I am sure if Lindsay reccomends them for the ceremony they must be good. The Mariachi band was great, their outfits were really cool too! We did not pick songs... again, trust Lindsay. She knows what she is doing!!! It is such a special and very Mexican experience. Sorry to ask so many questions, I am just so excited to have someone to discuss these things with!!!

Awesome! Here's the place to ask. There was one other past PF bride on here that helped me out in the begining so maybe she'll chime in soon.

Quote: Originally Posted by missdanelle How is Mountain Cow to work with Kate? I seen online where you can download it for $15.00 I think but I was curious whether its worth it if I already have Microsoft Publisher & word & stuff. Good, but use pulisher.... way better- just more money and I don't have it.

Quote: Originally Posted by MaryS Kate, I love your programs where did you get the idea from? On a wedding blog somewhere... not sure where. We modified a template on Mountain Cow though.

Thanks guys! I finally searched for this thread... so warm and fuzzy. Love it!

There are several threads out there that ask questions about Playa Fiesta, but no threads for brides (or grooms) planning a wedding here! This is our thread!!! Hopefully we can get all of the information for weddings at Playa Fiesta linked to this thread... but lets start off by Playa Fiesta brides checking in. I'm Kate and I was married here on 1-23-09! The whole experience was beyond our wildest dreams! Here is my review: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t36446 We have another BDW member, another Kate, getting married at PF this coming friday, yay!

awwww. what a beautiful couple you make. And your son is SOOO cute! CONGRATS

this is so funny! hmmm.... maybe I'll put my pooches to work too. Times are tough~

Quote: Originally Posted by DB2B Congratulations Kate! The pictures are great- you were a beautiful bride and it looks like everyone had such a good time! And I'm glad PF is showing up on the boards. I can't wait for our wedding at Playa Fiesta in November! Did you use the hair and makeup people that PF suggests? If you did, would you recommend them? Also, were your guests okay with the price? With the tanking economy, I'm a little concerned some of our guests will come, but be grumbly about the price (even though I think it's a wash compared to other hotels + food and drink!)... Can't wait to see more pictures! I did hear a little about the price, our group was a little smaller than expected partially bc of the economy but everything turned out great! I used the hair lady and she is awesome! Bring pictures because she doesn't speak a ton of english, it will just make it easier. My hair looked exactly like th pictures so I was thrilled! I did my own makeup. I think because there are at least 5 of us Playa Fiesta brides we should get the PF thread up and running again. I will post in it tonight so be looking in the PV section. We can help eachother out there. Andi- not sure what you are looking for in a honeymoon, remember there will be a wedding group so it won't be as secluded, and we got a little rowdy by the pool- can't hear it from most bedrooms though because of the waves. I think it would be a great couples spot though! We cant wait to go back next year!

Just posting a link to my review of Playa Fiesta for any newbies! http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t36446

Ok girls, I worked hard for you and finished my review and a slide show of non-pro pics. Enjoy! http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t36446

For you ladies that are already married, in the middle of the planning process or those of you that only care about the pictures here they are! It is just a little slideshow that I put together of guests photos of the wedding day... of coarse I don't have even half of them yet, but I have kept you all waiting long enough! http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4e7a4d3...&blogview=true Playa Fiesta Beach Club & Hotel: A+ All I can say is “wow.†Playa Fiesta is incredible! Not only is the location breath taking, the hotel is gorgeous, the service incredible and the food is out of this world. We feel so incredibly fortunate to have hosted our wedding week at this unique venue. A boutique hotel with 32 bedrooms, we had the place to ourselves! The pool, bar and dinning room are so comfortable and beautiful. Everyone could be together, or get away very easily. There was a breakfast buffet every morning complete with made to order eggs. The bartenders had almost everyone’s name and favorite drink memorized on the first day! For sure by the second day The staff took extra special care of the bride and groom… I felt like a celebrity! I was told by one guest that our meal on the wedding night was the best meal of his life! I heard from everyone that the service was first rate. Basically Lindsay (WC) and the staff here make you look really good. That sounds funny but everyone said that it was the best wedding they have ever been to, or that it was like being at a celebrity wedding, they all were anticipating what would come next. To better explain this here is a little insight to our week at Playa Fiesta: Day 1: DH and I arrived at Playa Fiesta and our jaws dropped. The PF website does not do the place justice! We checked into the “Wedding Suite†and there was a huge bouquet of tropical flowers. We had dinner by the pool, and went back up to our suite and sat in our private Jacuzzi on our balcony overlooking the ocean. Ahhhh. Too good to be true. I know that I fell asleep with a smile on my face. Day 2: Sat down with our incredible wedding planner Lindsay and discussed the details of the wedding day. We also had a cake testing and hair trial. DH took me for a romantic dinner at La Palapa. We sat in the sand and watched the sunset while a mariachi band serenaded us. Day 3: Our guests arrived at Playa Fiesta. My favorite part was sitting down by the pool and watching guests arrive at the third story balcony! Everyone was so happy and excited. Our guests were welcomed by staff carrying all of their luggage to their rooms, a drink and chips and homemade guacamole! This was a favorite snack all week! Everyone was so impressed by their rooms, although none of us spent much time in them. We hosted a welcome dinner at Playa Fiesta with a taco bar that was out of this world. We also hired fire jugglers to help kick off the trip and it was a huge hit! Day 4: The guys all headed out early in the morning for deep sea fishing. They had a great time! They brought the fish back to the hotel and the staff prepared it for lunch the next day. The guys were very proud of that lunch and it was delicious. As for the girls, I didn’t plan anything… so we all enjoyed the breakfast buffet, lounging by the pool, playing cards, etc. A group of us decided to go snorkeling at Los Arcos/Mislamoya. It was beautiful and only cost $20pp. We hosted a Mexican BBQ that night and had karaoke hosted by the very talented head bartender/DJ Aldo. To my surprise it was a HUGE hit and a highlight of the whole week! There were no singers and it took about an hour to get warmed up but it turned into a big sing along. We went an hour passed what was planned, and no one would get off the “Stage.†So Aldo kept playing crowd favs and everyone kept singing along. A bunch of girls jumped in the pool with clothes on and it was a party! Day 5: Spa day. A complimentary 30 minute massage was included in each guests’ room rate. There was a schedule at the front desk all week for guests to sign up, 4 at a time. The staff was very professional, complete with music and incense. They set up privacy blinds on the sundeck under a huge palapa near the ocean. It was so relaxing to have a massage while hearing the waves in the background. Incredible experience. I want to go back! For our grooms dinner we took a coach bus into town to Si Senor. It was incredible! I highly recommend the bus… it was such a fun ride and really neat to arrive at the restaurant all at the same time. Si Senor put on quite a show; I will write a separate review for this restaurant. Everyone was greeted with a margarita… there were so many servers dedicated to our group and they were so friendly. We had our own room that was spacious, had its own bar and a great view of the city. There was so much food! First homemade chips and guac to order, then a seafood app, then these really cool ships that were on FIRE and had seafood displayed on it, then a Mexican BBQ plate with tamales, enchiladas, pork, beef and chicken. We also had a desert plate with 3 different kinds of desert. For entertainment there was a festive mariachi band and it was so loud in that room with everyone singing, clapping and the girls all got up to do the Macarena! THEN, this tribal dancer and drummer walks in with full headdress… you have to see the pictures to believe it, Peoples jaws were dropped! To top it all off, as we were getting ready to leave there was a huge display of fireworks outside the window. Not for us but it sure made us look good! Day 6: OUR WEDDING DAY! First, I was in the pool until noon, how cool is that?!. What an incredible day. Each night kept getting better and better and our wedding day toped them all. Everything was beautiful, beyond expectations. The flowers, décor, details were even better than what I had envisioned. Lindsay totally grasped my vision and made my day perfect… and flawless. We got married at 5pm on the terrace; I walked down the isle to beautiful mariachi music. We had a cocktail hour and the mariachi was there for most of it. We serve appetizers and blue margaritas with cherries to match the wedding colors. We were introduced as husband and wife from the 3rd story balcony that overlooks the pool area while U2’s “Beautiful Day†played. That was a moment I’ll never forget! The dinner was delicious; our first dance was on a covered bridge dance floor over the pool… gorgeous! We did our toast from an island in the middle of one of the pools and when I said the key word fireworks lit up the sky while ACDC “Thunderstruck†played. We had kept it a secret and our guests were in awe! Everyone was on the dance floor then we took it to the pool… yes, with our clothes on! (I had a 2nd dress I slipped on without many noticing… was a silk slip dress, don’t worry… I wore undergarments!) I was so worried the party would be over when people went in the pool… oh no! We were in the pool for 2 hours, until almost 1am! Aldo the DJ played crowd favorites and many of us lost our voices. The party kept going past 1am, but before DH and I went up for the night, we sang “Piano Man†in a circle… very memorable DH couldn’t believe how special the day was so when we got to our room we laid on the couches and just discussed the events of the day. It’s true, your wedding day goes by so fast! Day 7: Free day, we did a TTD shoot with our photographer Elizabeth Medina. We had so much fun and it was such a turn on- ha! Highly recommend this. Even if you don’t think it is your thing… you can modify your TTD to fit your personalities. Day 8: Go home  what a trip! We relaxed all morning poolside until it was time to go! Soaking up all of the sun we possible could before returning to winter weather! Wedding Coordinator Lindsay Burgess: A+ She has been incredible from the beginning! I always got responses to my emails within a couple of hours but many times in minutes! She is very organized and detailed. Our guests commented on her running around from sun up until at least midnight on the wedding day overseeing every detail. Each morning she would slip our itinerary under our door- which is so nice when you are playing host to 40 people. I didn’t have to think. My wedding day was flawless, how many people can say that?!. I am in awe of Lindsay and the Playa Fiesta staff!!!! I cannot say enough good things about them. DH and I hope that someone we know will get married there so we can see Playa Fiesta from the other side of the lens. Photographer Elizabeth Medina & Lauren A+ Well, we haven’t gotten any of our pictures back yet, but as far as a great photographer to work with, you can’t beat Elizabeth. She is so nice, and made DH and I feel so comfortable! She has such a great eye, and I am confident that I will be happy with the final product, can’t wait! Videographer Promo Vision: Again, haven’t seen the final product, but they are great to work with, very responsive and professional. I will update this when I see our video!

Mel, You are not going to want to leave Playa Fiesta:-)

Funny, I had just asked about this and so I searched and decided on "Smilebox" site. It is only free for the first 14 days then cost $5.99 per month, but figured out that on my free pic site you can post pics free but then to make a slideshow DVD it cost money. I just made the first draft of my slideshow, that you can burn to DVD or email for free. So far so good. I'll post it soon. So far I really like it. I think it would be perfect for kids! Hope that helps.

Quote: Originally Posted by nikkigard Kate - did you use promovision for photography or for videography? I know a lot of people have used them for videography but was wondered if you also used them for your photography as well? I just used them for video... he is waiting on me for some stuff so haven't gotten it yet- sorry girls. They put together a slide show with pictures of us growing up and together- cute huh? Did you ask him for samples?

Looks fantastic!

Yea Tracy! So glad it was everything and more! Working on mine too!!