Mishka Designs

Quote: Originally Posted by SoontobeMrsE When people refer to "Mexico Time" - that is what it means - things are a lot slower than we are used to. At restaurants and everywhere things are much slower paced. I think right now the only thing we are waiting on is mariachis - $700 for 45 minutes! I am going to see if my dad can negotiate the price down some. Wedding cake - we are just going to have the hotel do it because we could never get in touch with anyone anywhere else. Reception Dinner - we are going to just see if they can fit our group in at Fajita Republic in Nuevo Vallarta. We have tried to contact them and got no response. We are definitely going to take care of our WC! I am going to hook her up with an OOT bag filled with local stuff from here and a nice tip. She works her butt off! Yep and awesome! I always ask, when I'm invited to something down here, if they mean "Mexican Time" or "American Time" ... because if they mean "Mexican Time" then I'm usually sitting around for 45 minutes or so waiting for everyone else to get there! Getting no response is common (as you all have learned and/or are figuring out!). If it makes you feel better, it happens to us, too, which is why we have to go visit the place instead.

Congrats and welcome to the forum!!

Quote: Originally Posted by michelle08 Thanks for the insight...it is very helpful! It's ashame the hotel coordinators do not get paid more because they work their butts off !!! So what exactly do you do?? You just got married! congratulations!!! I know - they do work hard! I feel bad for brides who are trying to get a hold of them and also feel bad for the hotel coordinators because I've been with them when they are working and I know how hard their job is (I wouldn't want it FOR ANYTHING). I'm a designer - I just handle all things decor - sortof like a florist (we do all our own flowers) but with the added bonus that we do all the other decor as well (linens, favors, candles, etc etc) .

I've been reading through ya'all's posts re: coordinators and your hotel coordinators and, as I'm not a coordinator but work with them, I thought I would share with you some things about Mexico that you may not know. If you already know all of this, just skim over me . 1. Hotel coordinators: a). They get paid VERY VERY little. In fact, if you knew how little, you would be shocked (and may not believe me). And they work A LOT A LOT A LOT (I'm talking around 80 hours a week during the high season). In most hotels there are 1, maybe 2 coordinators for ALL of their events - and many of them have numerous weddings running on the same day. So, if they aren't as quick to reply to you, that's why. It's not their fault. It's the way the hotel system is set-up down here and how big corporations make their people work. Weddings, while big business, are generally not a huge priority for a hotel because, to be honest, while it may seem you're forking out the big $$, that's not generally how they (hotels) make their money. . Because a majority of people down here do not make a lot of money, the city, as a whole, runs off of commissions. When you pay big $$ for something, I guarantee you it's not your hotel coordinator who is making those big $$ but the hotel. So, your coordinator, in general (because I don't want to speak for every hotel), is honestly making her/his living money off of commissions and tips. 2. Private coordinators: a). Your private coordinator is not only your coordinator but also a glorified babysitter - and one you definitely need if your party starts to get even the little bit complicated. I'll tell you why. When I'm ordering something from a vendor that I need for a wedding design I have FOUR dates in mind before I order. 1. FIRST DATE: This is the date I give the vendor that I HAVE TO have something by, knowing full well that I won't get it by that date. I then have to show up (phone calls DO NOT WORK hardly at all here in Vallarta - most things take a visit), be told they don't have it (surprise surprise) and then I have to tell them I need it by the- 2. SECOND DATE: This is the date I would truly, really like something. But my heart isn't set on it because, quite honestly, I have a 50/50 chance of getting it by the date I want. I go to pick it up and, lo and behold, they don't have it. Now is when I start getting more frustrated and insist I MUST have it by the 3. THIRD DATE: This is the date that I MUST HAVE IT BY because the last date (the FOURTH DATE) is actually the wedding. I would say 9/10 I have what I need by this date and, if it doesn't happen, I get it by the next day or the following. I always schedule this date at AT LEAST one week before the wedding, to give me a few plus dates. So, that's just me, the designer - now imagine your coordinator has to do that pretty much with every single vendor!! I'm not joking or stretching the truth. This is how business gets done here. Sometimes you may find one coordinator is more expensive for some items than another coordinator - chances are, she/he has a more expensive vendor but one that you don't have to visit 3 times to make sure they will get whatever or be wherever on time and that's completely worth it! And, while you may get increasingly frustrated, the culture down here is, for the most part, unflailingly polite - so, even though one may be frustrated because things aren't getting done the way you want them to, getting upset doesn't solve anything - so, there are still a lot of "no preocupes" (don't worry) and "gracias" and "por favor" that goes around, even when I come to visit a vendor for the 2nd time and they still don't have whatever it is I ordered. Getting upset only offends people and then you'll never get what it is you need. I've told the coordinators that I think they should explain to their brides how business works down here, but they mostly don't listen to me. I just think, the more you know, the more it helps to understand and make communication easier. I know it can be uber frustrating - I was born and grew-up in the States, so I know how business is done up there. But it's just not done that way down here and, my first few years, were super frustrating ones, until I figured out "the system" so I could fool with it and still do what I do in a fab way, while working within a system that's just not set-up that way. I hope this was helpful and useful - any other questions about business in Mexico (or anything else) just lemme know .

Quote: Originally Posted by Yari Thanks for the update. SO was this earlier or later than last year? Hi you . Well, I'm not entirely sure. I checked my diary last year and the only thing I noted was that as of May 31st, 2007 it hadn't rained but that we had a wedding June 10th, 2007 and it DID rain. My guess is we're a little earlier this year than last year or I think I would have noted it down. .

Quote: Originally Posted by karahmia Thanks for all of the info! I guess I have great expectations but totally hear you, DON'T USE THE MEXICAN POSTAL SERVICE! I'm sure I can sort something out with my planner to have someone on her team take care of this for me. Thanks again! You're welcome ... glad to know I wasn't too subtle . LOVE Hacienda San Angel, BTW - beautiful place . Congrats! Any other questions, just lemme know .

Quote: Originally Posted by karahmia Thanks for all of the helpful info! All of your suggestions are really great! Do you think it would still be an issue if we decided to send a postcard? I thought the gift idea would be a stretch as well, per a suggestion from one of the other members. Also, do you know how much and how long it would take the postcards to arrive in the US? I'd hate to be back from our honeymoon and the cards just showing up. I don't want to be the rain on your parade, but please believe me when I tell you that YOU DO NOT WANT to send ANYTHING via the Mexican postal service if you want it to get there in this century. It is NOTHING like the US postal service (and, after living here for 5 years, I think ya'all should thank your postal carrier a gillion times over for getting you your email in a reasonable amount of time ). I did just have a thought ... what if you got the postcards, had them all filled out and gave them to someone reliable to post in the US for you? They could mail them out right after you were married, so that people would get them in a good amount of time. If you're planning on doing a photo (like a photo of the wedding), you could try Zazzle - I've used them for stamps before, although not for postcards - or I think flickr has a deal too with postcards - my point being, that you could upload the photos, order the postcards and have them sent out .... I think Hallmark has stuff like that too. That way you'll have a photo from here, and "sending" them from here, but utilizing the reliable US postal service. Now, if it doesn't matter when or how they get to your guests (and, really, you could make a game out of it ... whoever gets their postcard first and whoever gets theirs last (or never - give it a year) wins a nice talavera shot glass or something - that really could be a lot of fun - like "where is your postcard now" sortof thing on the web somehow) then go with the Mexican postal service. any other questions, just let me know .

This is just for you summer brides (this year or next), curious about the weather. We had our first "downpour" of the season which started yesterday around 7ish p.m. and continued on until early a.m.ish. Right now the sky is very very cloudy and we all expect it to rain again sometime this pmish .

Quote: Originally Posted by Team Gracey Okay, so we're going to have a large list of guests we're inviting to our wedding. Not all will be able to make it (around 250 guests will be invited) so we're having a reception back home later that month as well. We're wondering if we should have a memorable party favor for our guests that come to the destination wedding and that's it (since they did spend a nice bit of money getting there) or if we should have 2 different party favors. 1 for the destination wedding and 1 for the guests who attend the reception back home. Also, some good ideas would be greatly appreciated as to what we can get/make the guests, as we are on a budget. Here are some examples of party favors we've done for guests (in PV): sandalwood fans with accents: Mexico Chic! Sandalwood Fan Details on Flickr - Photo Sharing! hand-painted fans: Mexican Villa Simplicity-Fans on Flickr - Photo Sharing! embroidered napkins: Mexican Villa Simplicity - Embroidered Napkin and Fan on Flickr - Photo Sharing! embroidered hankerchiefs: Asian Mexican Soiree-Embroidered Napkins on Flickr - Photo Sharing! silver butterfly charms: Chocolate & Butterflies-Napkins & Favor on Flickr - Photo Sharing! talavera shot glasses: Romance in Mexico-Tequilla Favors on Flickr - Photo Sharing! local artist paintings: Classic Simplicity - Artists painting as favors on Flickr - Photo Sharing! hand-painted maracas: Cinnamon Twist-Hand Painted Maraca on Flickr - Photo Sharing! shopping bags: South of the Border Fiesta-Table Names on Flickr - Photo Sharing! metal stars: Moulin Rouge Elegance-Favors on Flickr - Photo Sharing! I could go on and on and on and on and on!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by tnery Mishja Design: Here is a link to learn about the misters I am referring to: Patio Misters: What to Know about Patio Misting | Cool-Off Misters come in all shapes and forms- I've seen them at restaurants, hotel pool areas, and there are some cheaper, smaller scale ones that I've seen at people's homes. They release a cool and sheer water mist to help bring down the overall temperature and provide comfort for the outdoors. I'm looking into other alternatives and will speak to my wedding planner (the woman who owns Villa Mia) about other options. Like I said, the best weddings I have ever been to are those wherein the bride and groom really took care of their guests comforts and needs and so I am most concerned about a great experience for my guests. What "fans" are you referring to and are there places in PV to rent them from? Are they "pretty" or will they clash with a formal wedding? I'm glad you're familiar with the Villa Mia as no one on this message board seems to have mentioned it. What do you know about it, esp. with reference to weddings? Are you a wedding planner? I went to your website but unfortunately, my Spanish is not good enough to understand it fully. Ahhh ... I see what you're talking about. I've never seen those in PV, but that's not to say they aren't available in PV. Before becoming too worried about the weather, I would wait and see what it's like one to two weeks out from your wedding date - I think, as long as you provide cool things for your guests to drink, fans, and, perhaps, umbrellas, you should be fine and I think your guests will have a great time. But that's just my opinion . Last year the weather was really nice the end of October. The year before it was warm. It just depends. I'm talking about individual fans - PV has a lot of sandalwood fans which you could dress-up with accents, or you could have hand-made fans which could be really pretty with your decor, depending on what you're doing (we do all of those things, if you want - or you could probably order from a company in the States). I have fans in my galleries, but here's more direct link to ones in flickr: fans with accents: Mexico Chic! Sandalwood Fan Details on Flickr - Photo Sharing! same fans on chairs: Mexico Chic! Ceremony chairs on Flickr - Photo Sharing! hand-painted fans: Mexican Villa Simplicity-Fans on Flickr - Photo Sharing! natural hand-made fans: South African Elegance-Ceremony Fans on Flickr - Photo Sharing! I have oodles more ideas for fans, but it just depends on the couple and the wedding and the decor as to what sortof design we choose to do/make. RE: Villa Mia I think it's an amazing villa - the only problem with Villa Mia is for your providers/vendors because there are oodles and oodles of stairs and it's hard hard work to get down and back up - I wouldn't be surprised if your vendors don't charge you a trifle more because of the stairs. Other than that, I think it has a great lay-out for a wedding. How many people are you expecting?? I have photos I took of Villa Mia when I went there to investigate for another wedding - so, in case you want some untouched photos of that villa, my link to that is here: Villa-Villa Mia - a set on Flickr I'm not a wedding planner - I'm a designer - which means I handle everything that has to do with wedding decor - from flowers to placement of tables, selection of chairs, placecards/escort cards/table markers, fans, candles, etc. My website is in English and Spanish - to read the English part, you just choose "enter", and not "entrar". I think this will take you directly to the English portion. Puerto Vallarta Wedding Planners :: Wedding Design Any other questions, just let me know .

Congratulations and welcome to the forum!

I don't know if this is helpful at all, but out of the 100+ weddings we've had here I've only seen 2 people pay for their guests travel expenses and those 2 people were celebrities. So, my answer would be, no, you are not expected to cover your guests' traveling expenses - I do not think that's the norm at all.

I think your idea is a great one, but I highly recommend you send anything you're going to send once you get back to the States. Our postal system is not reliable AT ALL (to the point that I won't let anyone send me anything - including my friends and family). The most "reliable" service we have available is DHL and UPS and, then, it costs a bundle to send things. We have a lot of really nice souvenirs for not a lot of money and you might be able to find something fun and representative of our area here that you can send out to everyone once you get home and, meanwhile, perhaps send out an e-card announcement letting everyone know you've been hitched. Or you could also have something made here for not too much (like hand-painted marracas with something painted on it that represents you with your names and date (approx $4 us), hand-crafted frames with vintage frida/diego rivera postcards approx $8 us), there are seashell necklaces/bracelets not too pricey (approx $2 us), there are little wood-painted animals with bobby heads which are inexpensive (approx $1-$2 us), you could get talavera pottery (approx $3-$4 us).... or, you could try this website Unique, Personalized & Popular Wedding Favors: FavorIdeas.com - they have oodles of other sorts of favors - anything from seashell luggage tags (which I love!), to sterling silver seashell book marks (also super cool). Just a few thoughts . Have any questions, let me know!

Quote: Originally Posted by tnery How does this apply to late October? My wedding is scheduled for October 25, 2008 at a private villa called the Villa Mia. Are there other things you would recommend to keep guests cool? Our ceremony and reception will both be outside. Are the chances for rain that high then? And the weather that hot? Do you know of a place where you can rent "misters." My biggest concern is that my guests are comfortable. Love Villa Mia - great villa! I would say that, by end of Oct, your chances of rain go down to 30-40% chances - normally we don't have rain at the end of October but you know how weather is . I also wouldn't think it would be overly warm. This year the weather broke Oct 13th and, from then on, there was less and less humidity each day. BUT, like I mentioned before, a few year's ago, it was hot and humid up through the end of November and we had scattered rain until February (but not the heavy downpours we get during the summer). So, you just never know. I, personally, wouldn't worry about it unless, the week of the wedding, there are scattered thunderstorms. Then I would think about renting a tent. As far as keeping guests cool - I think cold bottled water is great, as are fans. And, as someone else mentioned earlier, just keep your guys out of jackets or, at the very least, provide thin linen ones so they aren't so hot during the ceremony. I don't know what "misters" are? You got me curious!

Quote: Originally Posted by Jenn6603 I almost wanted to do PV that way for our wedding, except we don't want to cook, etc and we don't want to have to worry about our guests doing the same thing so we picked Dreams (an AI) so that we were only a quick cab ride away from Old Town! Jenn I LOVE Dreams! That's my favorite hotel to work at! :) Good choice!

Quote: Originally Posted by cabobridey Oh geez.... This thread has given me one more thing to stress about! We are having dinner in a semi private restaurant. After dinner we have rented the disco for 2 hours for speaches, dances cake cutting etc. So we are going to be totally out of the norm.... IS IT OK to have speaches and the dances in a location like this? We wont do speaches at dinner. Is this weird? i just thought it would be nicer to not have strangers listening in on our speaches... but now I am not so sure!! Ah what to do?!?! As for the wedding party dance... we are doing something slightly different. The members of the wedding party dont know each other very well... actually they dont know each other at all. So to cut down on the awkwardness we are going to have... #1 - Bride and Groom #2 - Groom and his mom... Me and my mom (Dad is not coming) #3 - Best man + Me..... Maid of honor and groom..... then everyone else can join in mid song. I don't think that's weird! Really, the best weddings are ones that you do following things that suit you best . The only recommendation I would have is that you only have certain people do speeches and you know the order they are doing them in, so your night of fun doesn't turn into a night of speeches.

Felicidades!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by ethrondson Not sure if this is directed at my little blurp, but the wedding party dance isn't with everyone else dancing. It is were the bride & groom, and the bridal party dance only. This is how almost all weddings that I go are done, but not sure if it is how everyone else does it. It is nice to get others input. Mishka Designs - I like the 2 orders that you wrote. I have never seen anyone do the first dance right after entering before, nor the cutting of the cake right after supper. Actually, the DW we went to a couple years ago cut the cake right after, but then we went to the disco for the dance). I am definately willing to try something for the norm around here. Actually, I wasn't meaning to direct anything to anyone, was mostly just thinking outloud (re: the group dancing). In all the weddings I've seen here, we've never actually had a wedding where the bridal party dances on their own! Can you believe that?! I think I have been to a few weddings in the States where that was done but it's been so long ago, I can't remember . In fact, I forgot all about that until you brought it up . Normally, when the couple has done a first dance upon entering, it's something the couple really wants people to pay attention to - since everyone generally has a cocktail in their hand and it's at the very beginning, there aren't a lot of distractions and it's sortof "the main" event - I can definitely see why a couple may not want to have that much attention (or vice-versa) . IMO, the weddings I think have flowed the best have been ones which followed more closely with Approach A. But, you know, it depends on the focus - if the crowd isn't a dancing crowd, then I think spreading things out a little more isn't such a bad idea as the party will be more low-key. The Crowd mood killers I've seen are definitely toasts which don't happen during dinner (or later in the evening when everyone is a little drunk). However, I was thinking the other day that toasts during cocktail might not be so bad.

When we were planning our wedding in DF, we sent out "save the date" cards but without an exact destination (although we did have a date) - so I don't think it would be strange at all to announce your engagment (congrats, btw!!) while letting people know you are planning a Jan 2010 wedding in Mexico.

Congratulations and welcome to the forum! I vote for Puerto Vallarta, but, of course, I'm a trifle biased .

When we came, we stayed in a condo and loved it, as we had the option to cook, if we wanted to - plus it was just nice to live in the "neighborhood" with other locals and really get a feel for the culture (obviously this was before we moved here!). Depending on your budget, I think Hacienda San Angel is a super romantic, amazing place to stay. I've been there a couple of times visiting friends and it just blows me away . I also really love Villa Premiere - it's beautiful inside and it's adults only, so it's a little quieter (although right next to Buena Aventura which is a kid magnet and, thus, noisy ). There are A TON of condos in Vallarta and it's just a matter of searching them to find the one that sounds great to you (and within your budget). Places I personally love to eat: 1. Brujos - amazing, traditional Mexican food. You must get the molcajete if you go there - it's amazing! My favorite dish. 2. Maria Candelarios - if you love tamales, this is THE place to go -and it's super inexpensive. My favorite tamale is the Oaxaquena. 3. Pipis - this is typical TexMex food but they give great portions, have amazing margaritas and the whole thing is super festive! 4. Majayote - this is a restaurant about 3blocks from me and they make THE MOST amazing carne asada tacos EVER. Super super yummy. For a tourist, I think: 5. Vista Grill - good food, amazing view but $$$. 6. La Palappa - this is located on the beach and a great place to go if you want to eat somewhere along the beach 7. Las Caletas, Rythyms of the Night - I put this under "food" because they serve dinner there along with entertainment - I've never been, but I knew the dance coordinator out there and saw several of her shows elsewhere and it's amazing! Great breakfasts: 1. Freddie Tucans - GREAT breakfasts - mix of American and Mexican breakfast and priced appropriately. 2. I don't have a name for this breakfast place but it is MY FAVORITE breakfast place - again located a few blocks from my apartment in 5 de Diciembre and DELICIOUS and CHEAP. It's this guy's house that he turns into a restaurant during the morning (from 8-12) - he has this beautiful little courtyard that you can sit at in the back and his food is so good, you won't be able to believe it! (seriously, not joking) - if you want directions, let me know and I'll send them to you. Hardly any tourists know about this place (which is super sad because it is amazing), but it's a GREAT find. Clubs to go to: Of course, this is all from a local perspective - a tourist might have a whole other idea . 1. JB - salsa/dance club that's SUPER fun and has a GREAT DJ. There are two of them, but don't go to the one in Ollas Altas. You need the original club (way more fun) which is located on our main street. Any taxi driver will know where JB is (and I would say all of them will take you to the original, not the new club). 2. Manana - super fun, gay friendly club - good music, drinks not too pricey and super festive - it doesn't get hopping until 12, however - just something to know. 3. Encuentros - this is my favorite place to go for a drink. They have great drinks and also offer little appetizers like this amazing little pizzas - all with fresh ingredients and perfect to eat for a snack before a night on the town. Great, laid-back quiet atmosphere. 4. La Bodequitta - I don't think a visit to PV is complete unless you visit here and get a Mojito. It's a cuban bar/restaurant and they have live music every night starting at about 10:30. Really great place. Things to do: Again from a local perspective . 1. I love taking the snorkeling cruise to the Tres Marias - I'm not fond of snorkeling by Los Arcos - it's smelly over there. 2. The Pirate cruise - I went on it once and it was super super fun. Of course, it's a booze cuirse (just fyi). 3. Ziplining - we went on the zipline tour to Eden, but there are a bunch of them - my husband loved this activity. Hope that was helpful - any other questions just let me know!

Quote: Originally Posted by eskinner I'm having the same dilemma. I have several immediate family that are professors and some are on semester schedules while others are on quarter. That means finals week is either the 2nd week in May or the 2nd week in June. My two choices for wedding dates would be the 3rd weekend in May or the 3rd weekend in June. Having the wedding in May means 2 of the guests will have to miss school during a critical time. My true preference is May due to cooler weather, but the best date to satisfy all would be June 20th, 2009. But I'm concerned about the heat in mid-June. My dad lives in PV so I've been consulting him on the weather and he pretty much confirms everything that's been said. His only other comment was that Nuevo has a nice evening breeze which could help combat the evening heat where PV has no breeze. I'm thinking of a late evening ceremony on the beach around 630-7, just in time for the sunset. Perhaps the heat isn't an issue at that time of night. Thoughts? -Elsa Your Dad is right - Nuevo does get a nice breeze (although some of the villas high up in PV get breezes too ... Villa Cresencia comes to mind, for example). My only comment is that you are running the risk of rain - so, as long as you have a back-up contigency plan in case it should rain (the end of June I would say your chances of rain are probably up around 70-80%) for your ceremony and make sure your reception area is covered, than I don't think that's a bad option. But breeze or no breeze, I'm sorry to say, it will be humid and it will be warm -with or without the sun. For example, I have my air conditioning running right now and, if I were to go run errands around town today, I would be sweaty by the time I was done. I think it's mostly important that you are prepared for that and, then, it's not such a shock. June 20th isn't that far away right now so I would hold off and look at what National and Local Weather Forecast, Radar, Map and Report says about the temperature and weather that day this year and then make your decision, because, more than likely, you'll get similiar weather next year . What about memorial day weekend in may - is that what you mean by the 3rd weekend - would they still miss a lot of school?? My mom's a VP at her school, so I completely understand the whole school schedule thing!

The lanterns and balls are a great idea - what's going to be costly, however, is the lighting structure. I doubt your villa has something like that which means that someone has to make it. Of course, your destination might be different than here in Mexico where we can't find a majority of the things and have to make, which might make it more cost effective.

Quote: Originally Posted by SoontobeMrsE Okay - what about us November brides? Are we out of the clear? We are having a beach ceremony at 5pm (around sunset) Any advice for me? You know, I would be highly surprised if it rained - but, last year, we did have scattering showers that lasted well into January. But I feel pretty safe to say that, if it did rain, it would be highly unlikely and not the norm and would be, more than likely, just a spattering of rain. It should be a lot cooler - this year the weather "broke" the weekend of October 13th. What happens every year is it gets hotter and hotter and hotter and then the weather "breaks." Although, the year before, I don't think the weather broke until December. In any case, I think (because you're from Denver) you're still going to find the weather fairly warm. I would recommend that you have fans and cold water available for your guests ... once you're out of the sun, you should feel a lot better, because the humidity shouldn't be as fierce in November (like I said - this year, from October 13th on, everything felt great). :)

Quote: Originally Posted by Yari Thank you so much for this! I am an October PV bride. I am ready for rain if it happens, but still keeping my fingers crossed. There is that old saying something about it being good luck if it rains on your wedding day. If it makes you feel better, it DID rain on my wedding day (although we got married in DF and had our honeymoon in PV) and I DO feel like it was lucky :). Smart to keep your fingers crossed, as I see you are a beg of October bride so it could go either way .