amandalsu

Here is another for the 2010 list: Amanda (amandalsu) - Villa Celeste, May 15th, 2010

Is anyone familiar with the Four Seasons Punta Mita? We will be staying 7 days at Villa Celeste in Conchas Chinas and thought about heading up to that area for a change of scenery for the honeymoon. I read somewhere it was the top resort in Mexico but you can't believe everything you read. By the way, I just got back from PV and the trip was great. Some things were closed or would close early but we got great deals on all the things we did do (like 30% off Vallarta Adventures). We were at a villa so we had a cook for two of the meals and didn't have to worry about finding a place still open for dinner. We enjoyed the lack of crowds and no one got sick (with the exception of several hangovers) from the trip. I had heard the Riu closed 2 of the hotels because of the cancellations. Sorry that messed up your honeymoon some. Hopefully you still found a way to enjoy it.

You can only purchase cancel for any reason insurance (the only thing that will cover a flu pandemic) within 15 days of the first deposit you put on any part of the trip (airfare, hotel, cars, etc.). I just got back from Puerto Vallarta (also went in March). I had called to check on it for this trip and my wedding trip next May. I wasn't able to get it this trip because I had booked airfare more than 15 days out. Even though I only wanted to insure the non-refundable villa that was booked less than 15 days out. I was able to get it for next year though and my very large non-refundable villa. With that said though, I am so glad we didn't cancel! We had so much fun on this trip. We went with a group of 7 and the only sign there was any kind of flu was that some of the bars and resturants closed a little early and nothing was crowded. It was awesome. We got amazing deals on everything we did because (sadly) everyone is so desperate for tourist income right now. We got 30% our canopy tour, a 40 minute water tax to Yelapa for only $10, and specials on food at resturants. A co-worker of mine went to Cancun last week as well and had the same experience. 1 person in our group coming from Seattle had his return flight cancelled right before he left but they re-booked him on another one later that same day. Lucky dog got to stay later than the rest of us and the villa let him hang out there all day until his flight because they didn't have anyone else checking in. None of my group or hers is sick. No one wore masks. We did practice hand washing but not as viligently has I have traveling around the US for my job. The flu is definitely slowing there and really hasn't affected the resort communities. I know PV has no confirmed or suspected cases still. The only place I would be worried about is the planes and connecting through Mexico City. Just bring lots of hand sanitizer with you and have a blast!

I met with both Dazzling Details and Prisar Weddings. Both proposals were similar in price and I had a really hard time deciding between the two. I finally made the decision based on the location I chose and who had recommended it to me. That would be Dazzling Details. They book up really fast and only do one wedding per weekend. I had to move the date back a weekend to secure her for May 2010. But with regards to Prisar since DD is already booked, I was really impressed with Pricilla and Hector. They picked us up from our hotel and took us to tour several villas in both Nueva Vallarta and Mislamoya (opposite sides of Vallarta) and even made us a reservation at a great place for dinner. She is Spanish and her English is not perfect but it is pretty darn close. We had no problems communicating. She had great ideas and was very open with me about vendors she suggested and ways to "trim the budget but keep a wow factor". From what I gathered from the discussions, she will allow you be to more hands on if you would like or has the ability to coordinate the whole event on your behalf. The only fair way I could think to chose was based on the villa I decided suited our needs best and who had recommended it to me. They are both great coordinators and I got along very well with both. My suggestion would be to at least speak on the phone with a few of the coordinators you consider if you don't have the option of meeting them in person.

We are getting married at Villa Celeste. We toured quite a few villas though if you have any questions about some in the area.

I use both the Redken line and living proof now. The living proof does not do much for definition but it definitely helps with frizz and the size of my hair (I tend to get the christmas tree shape) without weighing down the roots. I have decided to make it a part of my arsenol, which also includes a leave in conditioner and occasionally a cream with more hold than the Redken line. I don't think there will ever be a cure all to our frizz problems but this is the best stuff I have found to date. And I have tried most of them!

One additional note about Viva: Make sure you call the airline prior to heading to the airport. My flight back from PV was delayed several hours. They notified me via email but I did not check my email that morning or the day before. We had to take another cab back into town to eat breakfast and kill some time. The check in desk people were very nice and recommended a great place for breakfast and the bus root to take there. (We opted for a cab but got a deal because it was so early in the morning, there were no arriving flights) What were the ticket prices for next June? I have finally set a date for next May and was wondering if the prices would be very good this far out. They seem to be the cheapest at 90 days out. (As typical for most airlines) My trip in March was only 125 and my trip this May is closer to 150. One person in our group bought early and got them a little cheaper and a few bought later and had to pay more.

Well I gave it a true test in Puerto Vallarta this week. It was not a cure all but I don't think anything will ever prevent all frizz at the beach and riding in cabs with the windows down. However, it works better than any serum I have ever used and doesn't give you a greasy look (in fact your hair seems to stay cleaner longer). And rather than a "halo of frizzies", I had "escaped curls" that were smaller, but still pretty defined curls that would stick out of sides or top of my ponytail or clip. This was mostly caused by the windy cab rides and strong beach breezes. The bulk of my hair stayed much more defined and grew to less than half the size it typically does in these kind of conditions. Overall I would definitely recommend it but don't set your expectations too high. There is not yet a miracle cure for curly hair at the beach. This is definitely an improvement. You can easily add more of it to your hair when dry to touch up areas. The one for curly hair can make your hair a little on the stiff side like a gel if you add too much (I used it to slick back a ponytail for dinner) but has more hold than the straight one. The straight one makes my hair feel very soft and smooth. I have used both while wearing my hair curly. I haven't tried straightening it with either yet. It does not give you the shine of serum but you can wear a little serum in the ends of your hair if you think it looks too dull on it's own. It doesn't dull your hair, it just doesn't add shine. I haven't used any serum since I started using it. I hope this review helps and I would love to hear what others think about it.

I bought both the curly and straight version for med/thick hair. I used the straight last night but wore my hair curly. So far so good and we have 40mph winds today in Austin. It really controls frizz (an poofiness) with out feeling heavy like serums can do. They also say you can't use too much. I am leaving for Puerto Vallarta tomorrow for a week so this will be a real test for it. I will let everyone know the results when I get back.

Sephora is now carrying Living Proof No Frizz. This is a new anti frizz that is getting raves. It was developed by MIT students and controls frizz without serums. I have used it only once this week but got a ton of compliments on it. It was less frizzy but I live in Austin so humidy isn't usually an issue. It also helps repel dirt so I was able to go longer between shampoos (hence only using it once this week). I will keep y'all posted on how it works.

I am flying them to Puerto Vallarta this weekend. I got fares for 125/person round trip. I will let you know if there are any problems. It is a bare bones airline and I have been warned to not get to the airport to late. They only have 1 flight a day and only on 2 days a week. If you miss the flight you are out the money for that flight and if you have to get back before the next day they fly, you will be spending a lot booking on another airline.

You can upload any CDs you have to I-tunes and download those onto the Ipods. Just put the CD in the computer disk drive and the upload should start automatically. If not there is an import CD button down in the bottom right hand corner of the Itunes browser.

55 minutes is the norm for connections these days. I fly almost weekly and I rarely have a problem with that connection time. If I do miss the connection, I really miss it (by several hours due to something crazy with the first flight). I would suggest you check the US airways schedule from Philly to your destination and write down the flight numbers and times of the later flights. Then if you happen to miss the connection you can go to the guest services desk armed with that info. If the line is long because many other passengers missed their connection, call the US Air 800 number while you stand in line and you might be able to beat those in line in front of you to the seats on the next flight out. Also, when you check in for your first flight ask for bulk head seats if you are flying coach. These are the first row of the plane and you will deplane earlier than if you are in the back. They save these bulk head seats for assignment the day of the flight. If they aren't available just ask to be moved as close as possible to the front of the plane because you are concerned about making your connection.

I know two couples that were married in Mexico. One did the legal Mexican officiant and the other had someone ordained in the US perform the ceremony in Mexico. They both said having someone ordained from home is much better. The one with the Mexican officiant said they could hardly understand him, he showed up late and in jeans. Plus they had to take time out of the ceremony to sign all the paperwork and do finger prints. This really cut into their photograhers time. The one that had a friend ordained said it was easy to do online and they just had to file paperwork when they got home to make it legal. I don't have information on where to find info on being ordained yet though.

Well all I have done is target a date of late May 2009 if that makes you feel any better. I can't decide on a location much less a hotel so it is hard to move forward with too much other stuff. Now that I see how very, very far behind I am, maybe that will put me in gear! Why does airfare have to keep climbing so high!!!!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by DJsbride I'm trying to gather my thoughts before I contact the manager. At the same time I found out prices for the chairs I wanted with outside vendors for significantly less than what the hotel quoted me. So I'm going to try to work something out with them, but I'm really really upset. Be sure you check with the hotel about outside vendor fees. I have read several posts about the $500 fees Karisma hotels charge for outside vendors. I don't know what type of vendors these apply to but I don't want you to get another unwelcomed surprise from them. I have also seen several people comment that they have been able to get these fees waived. Good luck with everything. I hope your TA can get them staightened out.

I have never painted one but I would think you could use the projector to make a flat stencil that you can drape across the parasol and trace. Minor adjustments might need to be made but a lightweight paper or tissue stencil could be easily manipulated to fit the parasol. Then you could make a more durable stencil from that for repeated use. Good luck!

I voted for the Amsale. It doesn't need much alteration and already looks perfect on you. Plus take into account you considered cancelling the other dress because of this one. The detailing at the bottom reminds me of coral, very fitting for a DW. But if you can have both, go for it!

-The Tides - your niece has very good taste! That place is very expensive but one of the most beautiful I have found anywhere. I wish I could afford it too. Maybe 1 night of the honeymoon if I get lucky. Thanks for the information though. Good luck with the planning!

I am at the exact point your niece was! I am looking at Ixtapa too. Did you find any other places during your search that were contenders in that area?

Wow thanks for the warm welcome everyone! This is one of the best forums I have seen and there is so much information to sort through. I look forward to hearing about everyone's experiences and gaining some very useful information.

Name: Amanda Location: Undecided - Leaning towards Mexico Date: Shooting for around May 09