DB2B

Quote: Originally Posted by jenniebey I feel like there is so much to be done, but I feel like I'm making progress. Here is what I've done so far: Partial Takeover (20 Rooms) Nov 3-8 DE#2 BMs & GMs asked and accepted Wedding Website up and running (needs a few tweaks) Save the Dates arrived yesterday (will address and mail this weekend) Color - Kiwi Green and Chocolate Brown Flowers - Cala Lilies and Mini Cala Lilies Trip scheduled to LA to go dress shopping with BMs and that's about it. Oh, and we just purchased our airline tickets today. So excited. I don't know why this makes it seem more real, but it does! We're going for 10 days. Next on my list to do is start pulling together ideas for invitations, center pieces, OOT, and DIY projects. Jenniebey - we are the wedding right after you! Our stay is November 8th through the 12th, and we're getting married on 11-10-09 (Yay! it seems so close!). Kate - I love those runners too! I'm planning on doing something similar based on this Planning wise I am slooooow... My goal right now is save the dates. I used to feel bad about asking Lindsay if I coudl change things, but when I look at the slideshows, it looks like everyone had such beautiful, unique weddings! I love PF - did anyone else go down there and stay for a scouting trip? It was the highlight of our vacation! Adam and Lindsay are so fun and really sweet. Now that we've been there, I'm definitely telling our guests it's worth it to stay there. Price wise, it'll come out almost the same as staying at the Sheraton or elsewhere, but it is sooo much nicer - with open bar!

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!

Thanks for the input! I thought they both had great pictures on their websites. We decided to go with Michelle Turner in the end. I know she does all the shooting herself, rather than with and assistant like Beth does (probably the only downside), but I really love the pictures she shot of Playa Fiesta. And more importantly, they were the same price, but she provides an album credit - a plus given the current state of the economy! Very excited!

Welcome! I'm a November 2009 bride in PV as well! Congratulations! Definitely take a look around the forum - it really helps give you an idea of what you're looking for. And let me know if you have any questions, and I'll try to help. We just took our planning trip down there last month, and it was so much fun!

We're trying to decide on a photographer and it's either Michelle Turner or Beth Lloyd. We're getting married at Playa Fiesta next November. Both have gorgeous website portfolios, although it seems Beth Lloyd has more that are specific to PV weddings. Has anyone worked with either of them? Do you have any pros or cons? Do they have assistants? How long did it take to get your photos after? And if you haven't worked with them, how did you choose your photographer?

I don't know anything about Ricardo; my FI and I took a scouting trip last month (Nov 7-12), and we stayed at the Villa Premiere (and Buenaventura, since they are sister hotels). When I was planning everything, the WC at Villa Premiere was Fabiola, but I had a really hard time getting in touch with her and she never met with us while we were there. I had talked to the WC at the Buenaventura as well, but she wouldn't respond either and when I got there I found out she had quit. It sounds like they have a lot of turnover at both hotels. In my opinion, Fabiola was a little flaky as well - when I was trying to meet either of the coordinators when we were down there, the front desk dialed a phone for me and I spoke to Fabiola, the new WC at the Buenaventura, and I think Susanna (group sales?) on the phone but none were willing to meet. Is it possible to find out where Ricardo came from or his history? Or maybe pictures (we like pictures!!) I think it might be useful if you initially lay out what you expect from them (i.e. how rapid the communication), and make sure you keep in touch just in case. Just my opinion! I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer - Villa Premiere is a nice hotel and I know all the hotel WC's are pretty overwhelmed! I just wasn't impressed with the quality of service in comparison to the others we worked with. Good luck! And let us know how it goes!

When my Mr and I went on our site visit earlier this month we ate at both River Cafe and Daiquiri Dicks. We had lunch at Daiquiri Dicks, so I imagine the atmosphere would be slightly different. I wasn't that impressed when we walked in, but the food was delish - I had shrimp tacos and he had a fish sandwich which was surprisingly yummy (the words 'fish sandwich' just don't evoke enthusiasm in my brain!). I could see Daiquiri Dick's being fun because it is directly on the beach, 1/3 is inside seating, 1/3 is open air patio and 1/3 is directly outside (it was quite warm for lunch!). Was nice and not too expensive though River Cafe - I'm a huuuuuge fan!! We went here for our last night and the food was superb. Wine was good, dessert was tasty - and the atmosphere was amazing. To get to it, you head up the little bridge over the Rio Cuale, walk down some stairs, and it's directly on the river. We were given a table on a patio across a little bridge, directly on the river. Surrounded by the water, the trees, it's really nice. They have live music playing by the bar - I think every night - which is relaxing and not so loud you can't talk. It was more expensive though - I would say around $20-25 for an entree. I know they host dinners there, but I don't know if you order off the menu or they have a catering menu. Depending on your budget and what kind of dinner you're looking to have (Daiquiri Dicks is more casual), I woudl definitely recommend it though!

I definitely think you're justified in being upset, but I think you should consider their motivation before you act. If you know what their personalities are like and how they will take it (and if they're refusing to come just to be mean), I would say it's worth talking to them about it. If they can't come because of finances or health, or some other aspect outside their control, it might be rather uncomfortable if you confront them. If you want to get married in LV, I say do it, but you might have to accept that they can't afford it or won't make it for other reasons, though I can't conceive of parents missing their son's wedding out of spite. Of course, I have a different perspective on the situation because it's similar to mine. My Mr.'s parents don't speak English (they're Vietnamese) and his father is quite old and in poor health. He's informed me his dad may or may not come, but they have an understanding in their family and he doesn't mind and neither does his dad. I feel guilty over it, but we're doing everything we can to accommodate him and make it easier. Perhaps we're bad children/in-laws? But I've come to realize that the Mr is genuine, and I can't judge his family dynamics - I wouldn't want his dad to come and be miserable the entire time... OK... you can throw stones at me now - the guilt is washing over three-fold!

Oooh, I like! Especially the coral - they look great!

I second neen! You can definitely do it! And I agree, go by your clothes, not the scale. I inevitably "gain" weight when I work out because I build muscle, but it's so nice to get breathing room in my clothes! But you have plenty of time - 5 pounds a month might take a lot of focus, but what better motivation than your wedding! I can definitely relate with you though - my Mr loves me as-is (obviously!), but he's supportive of whatever it I need to feel my best. I suspect there's some ulterior motive there- he gets some perks when I feel hot! But I also know it can be discouraging...as evidenced by the many workout plans that have fallen by the wayside. Have you looked at sites like Sparkpeople? They have a group for brides, and I think it can be motivating to read the forums and know other people are fighting it just like me. But I think it's definitely do-able and un-crazy! Good luck!

hmm... I'm glad to see there's a range - I think it depends a lot on how many people are going (10 or 50)! It looks like we will end up spending around $20-25k, but we are subsidizing the travel and stay for a number of my Mr's family, and if we go with Hotel Playa Fiesta in Puerto Vallarta, we will pay for the dinner/entertainment for our guests. Plus, the one area I allowed myself to be extravagant was the ring - it's above the "suggested" 3% of our budget, but I'm going to be wearing it forever, right?! We've budgeted for the maximum number of guests, so I think it'll be less, but it doesn't include my dress (thanks to mi madre!) and I forgot about kennel costs for the pup... Still, our initial budget was $30k, so if we're below that we'll be happy! We plan to pay for everything with our airline card, but pay it off every month. It's a good primer - I'm in saving mode, so if I keep it up once this is over, I should be set for retirement!

Welcome! Congratulations!

Hi Kirsty, When are you trying to get married? I'm a November '09 bride too - in PV! I've only seen the Barcelo from the outside, but it looked really nice. We've looked at Playa Fiesta as well, and it's really nice (on our short list) but you definitely pay the price for it - we met with Hector and Priscilla (of Prisar Events) and comparing prices, let's just say the cost of the open bar is around 5x more at Playa Fiesta (for the wedding night). We didn't look at Dreams, but that's because some of our friends have already been to a wedding there (is that petty?!!) But I can say they definitely were in favor of the AI there and raved about the wedding - it's supposed to be really pretty. I would say it's probably close to $1600 if not over to stay at Playa Fiesta, but it depends on how much the plane tickets are - and how long you stay. The rate at Playa Fiesta depends on whether you take over the whole hotel or only partial, and then you have to budget in the 27% tax plus the dinner/entertainment package you choose, and of course lunch. I don't know if that's helpful, but hopefully it is! Good luck and let us know what you decide!

So we got back from our scouting trip in PV and Playa Fiesta was on the list... and on it's way to becoming THE place! I'm a little disappointed, because it looks like we missed our shot to get the date we wanted, but we (I) am trying to be flexible - no bridezillas here! But onto the stuff you're really interested in! I took lots of pics, so I"m going to try to post them, but I'm not sure it's working. I'm trying from Flickr - is there a trick to this?? Here goes! ** is not working - can someone help me?! Do I have to use photobucket? isn't it just point, paste, click?? I know you want pictures!!

Hi Melissa, Welcome and congratulations! I'm a November '09 bride too - it's only a year away!

Congratulations!! Welcome to the forum! Can't wait to hear about what you're planning!

Booooo I think those came up on my google search, but I was hoping the name was just a coincidence. While lovely for those who live there, the hotel looked like exactly what I was looking for! Oh well. Thanks Mishka!

Thank you all of you! I'm glad to hear that I'm neither the only type A nor the only one with issues! We are planning on meeting with an outside planner, and a few of the places (Las Caletas, Playa Fiesta) have their own dedicated planners who have been super! I was freaking out because I couldn't get reservations made for our site visits at hotels just for the lodging, but I think we're sorted out. Now I just have to do laundry and pack! Jamie, I agree - I wanted a less stress wedding, and I think I'm just anxious to get down there and settle things. Just two more days! Yippee!

I agree with Sloan and Erica053009! FMIL does not get to dictate your day! (it's easy for me to say this, of course, because I have a language barrier with mine, so it's pretty easy to let anything she says slide off my back!) I think that dress is gorgeous! I also think wedding dress shopping is overrated - it sounds like fun until you can't find what you want and start stressing out over finding the perfect one! Go for the fun dress - imagine how radiant you'll look in the pictures if you're wearing a dress you love! Even if it isn't whitest white!

Oooh! They're both gorgeous! I agree with JulieG - it would be easier if we could see picture of you in them. The other question is which fits your ideal wedding scenario better? #1 looks more formal since it has more structure, and #2 definitely says beach because it's flowy - I think either one will knock him dead!

Does anyone know if the Hotel Molino de Agua is open or closed? When I first started researching hotels in PV I saw the website and loved it, but then I read a 2007 article from the LA times saying it had closed. But the website is still up, and it's in a guidebook I read. Does anyone know if it reopened or if they just haven't bothered to take their website down?

We're heading down to PV for our scouting trip on Friday (eek!) and I'm getting close to pulling my hair out! How long does it take the hotels/people to respond to you? I thought I had everything set, trying to stay first around the Marina (in case we choose Las Caletas), then downtown (in case we do Hacienda San Angel) and then south near Playa Fiesta. But the Westin didn't respond at all, I had e-mails offering reservations at Villa Premier and the Buenaventura, but when I tried to send the dates for reservation.... radio silence! So now I'm trying to find places to stay. I'm not sure we should even bother with Villa Premier/Buenaventura, because I'm marginally type A (can you tell!) and I'm worried that working with coordinators who don't respond for weeks will stress me out. Has anyone else had this experience?

Hi beach_knot - Your post was from a bit ago, but I was wondering about the Westin. I tried to e-mail them about our wedding next year (and our site visit which is now next week!!!) and never heard anything back. I don't know if they are busy, if they are booked next November, or if they're just slow. Did they get back to you quickly or not? Hotels that don't respond drive me loco!!!

Thanks for the reviews! We're heading down to PV next weekend for our scouting trip and I'm definitely going to check out Velas Vallarta now! And, I have to say, I feel a little better now - we were going to check out the Marriott, but they are booked for the first part of November 2009 and asked if we could change our wedding date to Thanksgiving. I was rather bummed, but I'm glad we have another option now!

It looks great! I'm so excited - we're heading to PV next weekend for our scouting trip, and Playa Fiesta is one of the places on our list. Adam just sent me the new pic and it looks wonderful! Yay!