Mel&B

Crystal, you look gorgeous in your dress! Love the feather in your hair- it might be a flower. Well, whatever it is, it looks great. Magalie is right, you do look happier! Four days, that's so soon!!! Are you going to be there a full week before you get married? Enjoy every second.

Hi Everyone! I have a friend that is considering getting married in Costa Rica (or Riviera Maya). Can you recommend a great boutique-ish hotel for about 100 guests? The hotel would ideally host the wedding guests for the week and also be the location for the wedding. She is looking for a place that's little more intimate than a large all-inclusive, but also has a good rep for hosting weddings. Any suggests would be very welcome!!! Thanks!

Hi Everyone! I have a friend that is considering getting married in Riviera Maya (or Costa Rica). Can you recommend a great boutique-ish hotel for about 100 guests? The hotel would ideally host the wedding guests for the week and also be the location for the wedding. She is looking for a place that's little more intimate than a large all-inclusive, but also has a good rep for hosting weddings. Any suggests would be very welcome!!! Thanks!

Quote: Originally Posted by sabbott Magalie, thanks for the updated list! How exciting for all! We booked our flights as well, but I agree with Kate's previous post -- why have the flights to PVR been so crazy expensive!? Kate, congrats on your first YEAR of marriage. I'm sure you two have earned some rest and relaxation Be sure to update us with any new good restaurants, clubs or excursions that you find while down there! Also, I think you will enjoy meeting Blaire, Lindsay's new assistant. She wasnt there when you got married was she? Questions for all -- do you know anything about Sayulita? Nathen (the FI!) wants to go there for a couple days post-wedding at PF. But it looks like there aren't any hotels. Where did you gals go if you stayed around Vallarta? Second, did any of the past brides do the Mojito or Margarita Bar? Was it worth it? Happy Friday all! Oh, and on the mojito or margarita bar, my opinion is that's is not worth it. Those drinks are all free with your open bar package. Get something different! Is this for your D&E package? Try the fried ice cream! If you just want to add an extra treat, I'd go with some sort of desert or the new churros! Just my opinion, of course...!

Quote: Originally Posted by sabbott Magalie, thanks for the updated list! How exciting for all! We booked our flights as well, but I agree with Kate's previous post -- why have the flights to PVR been so crazy expensive!? Kate, congrats on your first YEAR of marriage. I'm sure you two have earned some rest and relaxation Be sure to update us with any new good restaurants, clubs or excursions that you find while down there! Also, I think you will enjoy meeting Blaire, Lindsay's new assistant. She wasnt there when you got married was she? Questions for all -- do you know anything about Sayulita? Nathen (the FI!) wants to go there for a couple days post-wedding at PF. But it looks like there aren't any hotels. Where did you gals go if you stayed around Vallarta? Second, did any of the past brides do the Mojito or Margarita Bar? Was it worth it? Happy Friday all! Sara, I'm your girl for the Sayulita info!!! I'm about to make my third trip to Sayulita in March. We stayed there for a week in 2008 (Bryan proposed in Sayulita), and we went there for one day during our honeymoon. I kinda wish we had stayed there the whole time. Now, I'm heading back on March 3rd for a few days to visit a friend. I LOVE Sayulita. Yes, there are hotels. There are no resorts or big, shiny Four Seasons-type hotels. On my first trip I stayed at Playa Escondida; www.playa-escondida.com It's a five to eight minute cab ride from town and a 30-45 minute walk (over boulders and on the beach). The main hotel in town is Villa Amor. If I were to go back for a vacation with my husband now, I think we would rent a house. Sayulita has a lot of amazing homes for rent right in, or a very short distance from town. I could write a short novel on all of my Sayulita recommendations, from places to stay, people to surf and fish with, place to eat, and so on- so send me a PM if you want me to email you all of the details!!! It's my second favorite thing to talk about (1st being Playa Fiesta)! We did stay in the area for our honeymoon- 3 nights at the RIU Palace. I don't recommend this at all. Again, PM for the details.

Yeah, Kate!!! I think you will have an amazing, super-relaxing, and fun vacation!

Hmmm, I didn't watch Jillian's show, but at this point I'll go out on a limb and say I kinda like Jake. None of the bachelor's have any personality, in my opinion, but I like the way Jake eliminates the girls who have no chance, aka Elizabeth & Michelle, instead of pointlessly keeping them around for another week. I boycotted this show for so long, but now it's back on my list of guilty pleasures! Ally was definitely portrayed a little differently last night- the girl definitely speaks her mind, but was she also kind of mean? I don't know- I don't really trust the editing.

Hmmm, I didn't watch Jillian's show, but at this point I'll go out on a limb and say I kinda like Jake. None of the bachelor's have any personality, in my opinion, but I like the way Jake eliminates the girls who have no chance, aka Elizabeth & Michelle, instead of pointlessly keeping them around for another week. I boycotted this show for so long, but now it's back on my list of guilty pleasures! Ally was definitely portrayed a little differently last night- the girl definitely speaks her mind, but was she also kind of mean? I don't know- I don't really trust the editing.

Kate, did you get my email? I may have sent it to an old address. Did you ever find reasonably priced flights??

Oh, by the way, my current siggy picture was taken during dinner. Our photog pulled us away for a quick pic. There's still plenty of light, as you can see!

Quote: Originally Posted by mlabbe Yet another random question - I fully trust Blaire, but my wedding is at 7pm! It feels quite late... If I estimate for a 30 minute ceremony, with the cocktail party that brings us at 8:45 for dinner (15 minutes after sunset, apparently). Does anyone else feel that this is weird? Or too late? Magalie, Don't worry about this at all! Our wedding was around the same time and we were two weeks before you (May 1st). PF has the timing down to a science, I promise! We have the most beautiful pictures (as the sun is setting)! Plus, I don't know who your pastor is, but I doubt your ceremony will be 30 minutes. They are usually only 15-20 minutes long. My advice is just to relax and enjoy the ride. Lindsay or Blaire will take care of the rest. . P.S. I think I had a similar worry in the back of my mind, but they really do have everything worked out according to the time of sunset.

If you want a resort with a great beach and near nightlife, I would suggest Dreams PV. The Nuevo Vallarta resorts are 30 minutes from the night life. Los Muertos beach is a really fun beach in-town. Also, check out Playa Fiesta if you are looking for a more intimate atmosphere. If you are strictly looking for a large resort, I'd go with Dreams PV.

My website is down, but I love our invitations. We custom designed everything, and we were able to include a mini-timeline of dinners on the RSVP Card. There was no way to include all of the pertinent info on the actual invitation. www.joceybellainvites.com

The distance from Puerto Vallarta to Nuevo Vallarta is about 30 minutes.

We got legally married in the states two weeks before we left for Playa Fiesta. We made this decision after speaking to Lindsay about legally getting married in Mexico. I think getting legally married there takes up a lot of time and energy (like a whole days worth), and we wanted to spend every minute with our family and friends. I think about 99% of PF brides get married at home first. My suggestion would be to take care of it beforehand so that you can devote your time and attention to your loved ones while you are in Mexico.

By the way, LOVE the churro idea! I wish I had thought of that!!!

The koozies were soooo cute! We lost and found our about 3 times. Sometimes I forget PF isn't my home and I just leave stuff everywhere. Oh, by the way, there is a lost and found by the pool! Anyways, the koozies rocked, and of course they will be my new favorites at home (after football season because my Charger's koozie is #1 right now). I'll upload a pic later on. Kate, I hope you can find something!!! The wedding couple from MN paid about $400 for their xmas tickets.

Hey Girls! We were informed about the 5.5% cc charge before hand- Mexico has so many different taxes and weird cc glitches. We actually had no "changes" come up. From start to finish, everything was exactly as quoted. Lindsay keeps meticulous records. My guess is that any changes may just be growing pains as they expand their staff.

Magalie, I just started reading your blog, and I'm hooked! I'm going to read more when I have time. I can't believe you are going to travel for two years!!! I am so jealous. Shreets, funny enough, I didn't take that many pictures at PF this time around. I have about 900 amazing professional pics of the resort, so most of the pics we took were in town. There wasn't a wedding going on while I was there because it was Christmas. The weather was unbelievable- I've only been to Mexico between the months of April and May, and I have to say that the winter is fantastic!!! The lows were in the 60's and the highs were in the 80's. Our flights were about $600, but we heard of other guests traveling from different areas for about $400- an awesome price for holiday travel to Mexico.

They look great! My favorite is the outer envelope that says "Save the Date." I'm sure your guests will be delighted to receive these!

Quote: Originally Posted by Kristine624 thanks everyone! you have been so helpful. were any of your guests upset about the 4 night minimum? i guess i am just nervous about forcing the 4 night rate on everyone, especially if they cannot commit to all 4 nights due to work/financial reasons. we are planning to invite 80 people and assume a 50% acceptance rate, so we would be on the cusp in terms of the minimum rooms to fill the contract.... Think of it this way, you're not forcing it on them because they do have a choice in the matter. They can stay with you at PF (of course, that is the best choice!) or they can stay at another hotel for less nights. We had some guests do that, and it worked out well. Some people just can make it for all of the package nights. I also don't think it would hurt to invite more people- I wish I had! It will help with your chances of filling up the rooms, and sometimes people you don't think will come will totally surprise you! *** One thing I want to let everyone know. If you are using little free-standing picture holders to hold up your Table Numbers, now is the time to buy them! I've seen so many different varieties at Pier 1, Bed, Bath & Beyond, etc. I bought mine in April of last year and there was nothing out there. I think the holidays help! I'm attaching a pic of mine to show you what I'm talking about, but there are cuter ones out there right now.

Quote: Originally Posted by Kristine624 Hi Everyone! I am falling in love with Playa Fiesta by the day looking at all of the great reviews and pictures. Everything looks stunning, and it sounds like the staff are nothing short of amazing. My one concern is the cost. Sounds like some things can get awfully pricey - Do you think we can plan a 4 night celebration with a few additional dinners for under $20K at this hotel? And, did anyone find a good deal on flights for your guests? (Group rates, or was the hotel able to help secure rates for the guests? They will be traveling from New England and the tri-state area) Thanks! Hi Kristine, Hi Everyone! We just got back from our "Anniversary" trip, and it was even more amazing the second time around! I never would have that it would be possible to have an equally awesome second trip, but we such such a wonderful time seeing everyone, relaxing poolside, chatting with Charlie at the bar, enjoying the tacos for two, etc... it felt like going home! Kristine, my feeling is that you could accomplish your goal. Do you have the wedding worksheets from Adam? It's really easy to plug in your "wish list" and estimate the cost. If need be, the cost of the dinners can be added into the cost of the rooms (which your guests will pay). I'm an avid ticket-price-watcher, and my new favorite is Bing Travel. You can monitor the cost of tickets from your area daily for a given set of dates. There are also services you can use that will let you know if a ticket you already bought drops in price, so you can get a voucher for the difference from the airline. Alaska & American both offer group discounts, but it's only about 5-10%. All you have to do is say that you are flying a group to your wedding. They will give you a group number, and your family/friends can book any flight the choose. Playa Fiesta won't be able to help secure group rates on flights, but if you need any more specific info on what I mentioned above let me know. There are also other threads on this forum that go into greater detail. Also, if you can squeeze in 5 nights I would do it!! The events won't go by as quickly, and I think everyone will have more time to relax and enjoy the ride. I hope everyone has an awesome New Year!!! Crystal, you are getting soooo close! How's the dress situation?!

December 2009 Melissa & Bryan (Mel& - 12/21/12/27 (Vacation!!!) January 2010 February 2010 Crystal & Brian (Monty Crysto) - February 12, 2010 March 2010 April 2010 Christa & Tyler (wieseelliott) - April 16, 2010 May 2010 Kodi & Carlos (kodi) - May 12, 2010 (promise not to leave the place a wreck Magalie!) Magalie & Travis (mlabbe) - May 16, 2010 June 2010 July 2010 - Resort closed - August 2010 - Resort closed - September 2010 - Resort closed - October 2010 November 2010 December 2010 Shreeti & Jon (shreets) - specific date undecided March 2011 Sarah & Noah (wsarah2107) - 3-8-11

Crystal, that dress is beautiful on you!!! It makes your shoulders and waist look amazing! I'm not sure what you are worried about, but it's very flattering!

I also stayed at the RIU Pacifico for my honeymoon. I wanted to get away from town and just relax for a few days. We stayed for three nights, and I have to say that based upon our experience, I will never go back there or recommend it. Occupancy was low, so the RIU chain combined all three hotels into one! They moved every person from the Jalisco and Vallarta to the RIU. I've never stayed at an adults-only resort because I don't mind kids, but staying at the RIU made me wish I had booked an adults-only honeymoon. It seemed like there were millions of kids in the pool and millions of people in general. We couldn't get a dinner res., not even for one night, and it didn't matter that we were on our honeymoon. Blah, it was a mess! I think it can be a very nice hotel when they aren't combining all three hotels into one, but I won't be taking my chances again! If I could redo it, I'd stay at Casa Velas (budget willing) or one of the Dreams resorts for the same price as the RIU. The good news is that we were still on our Playa Fiesta high, and we made the best of it! The rooms and the beach are lovely (thought I should add a couple of positives). We also went to Sayulita for a day.