rachiecakes

So those were the main vendors that Adam and I were concerned with. We worked with a lot of other professionals such as a florist and a guitarist who did lovely jobs as well. If you want reviews of those vendors I will post them, but I am now at the point where I am wedding fatigued!

Since we were having a destination wedding that many loved one would not be able to attend, Adam and I knew early on that we would need a videographer. Name: Ian from Blink and Sin Pictures Website: Blink and Sin Pictures What we really loved about our wedding video was that it wasn't a traditional video. It was more a video that captured the emotion and the feel of the ceremony without simply filming it. They created what was almost like a beautiful music video. I also loved though that they made sure to preserve the wedding vows and the ring exchange as simply a straight recording, because that moment was perfect enough that it shouldn't be touched. We also had an afternoon with Ian shooting what they call a "Lovebirds Story" where we walked around Historic San Juan and Ian filmed Adam and I bonding. It really was a lot of fun-- we got to fly a kite at the fort, and I got drenched in a fountain. Ian was there to capture it all. I found it helpful that Ian had some ideas ready for us to film, because I feel awkward around cameras. He helped put me at ease. I was also worried that having a separate photographer and videographer would lead to 'creative differences' as I had been warned about this by other brides. But Ian and Glen got along very well, and they consulted one another to make sure that both got the shots that they felt they needed. I would give Blink and Sin Pictures (despite their weird name, lol) a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

So we had the planner, and the ceremony location. The next vendor we booked was the photographer. Name: Glen Weisgerber Website: Glen Weisgerber - Fotografia Distinta We were lucky enough to get Glen for our wedding. Let me just say that Glen was a total pro. He was easy to communicate with online and quick to respond to emails, and he was also on time! He was also very friendly in person. He would give direction when we needed it but he made sure to be unobtrusive when needed as well. I was shocked when I saw the type of images he got during the ceremony because I had no idea he moved around so much! He was also very flexible and open to different ideas for the pictures. We also just loved his photographic style. He really captured the emotion of the moment. I would give Glen a 4.75 out of 5 stars. Below is a link to one of my favorite photos from the wedding. Picasa Web Albums - rachel.w.lilly

When Adam and I were looking for a location on the island, we didn't want something opulent. We had a budget, and we needed to try to stick within it. That meant that the Ritz Carlton, El Convento, and the El Conquistador were out, as lovely as those venues were. We just couldn't afford them. We ended up deciding on having the wedding at the Caribe Hilton, specifically the Hilton Atlantic Gardens. The room that we got was one of the Lagoon Villas. It had an ocean view, and it was very nice. From the other rooms of the guests that stayed at the hotel, the rooms range from very basic (and a little dingy, to be honest) to really nice. The problems I had with the hotel: The bedding smelled like fish when we first went into our room. That was quickly changed. The maid service showed up late on the day of my wedding. The hotel was very family friendly. That might be a plus for some, but it was frustrating for us. We are a young couple, and we are also night owls. Our neighbors, however, were not. They called in two noise complaints one night when it was just the groom and I in our room talking to one another. Combine this with the fact that the neighbors kids loved to wake up yelling and making a lot of noise at 6am did not help our relations to say the least. They do not have laundry services on site. This means that if you need to steam your wedding dress, you will have to do it with an old fashioned iron yourself or you can use the bathroom shower to steam up the bathroom. The staff switches around a lot. I had three different banquet coordinators in between October to June. No joke. You pretty much need to take a taxi or drive yourself to get into the historic district of San Juan. Nonetheless, there were things that I really loved about the hotel: The ceremony site was absolutely.gorgeous. No ifs ands or buts. It was also just what we wanted--- something ocean side, but NOT on a beach. I have a father who is in a wheelchair, and he needed some terra firma to get around. This, really, was the most important aspect of the hotel for my purposes. I was not disappointed. The fort at the location (yeah, the hotel has its own historical fort) is great for taking pictures. You cannot go inside the fort, but it makes a nice backdrop. The lobby area is also really beautiful. And I did not do this, but according to my new hubby the hotel has great snorkeling. I loved the pool area and the staff overall was very accommodating. We sometimes tried to 'bend the rules' a little bit (like staying in the hot tub after nine pm), and our behavior was mostly tolerated by the staff. They didn't want the hotel to be held liable for anything, but they didn't want to ruin our fun either. Oh-- and the hammocks on the grounds were to die for. So overall, I would give the hotel a 3.5 out of 5 stars. If I were just to rate the ceremony site itself and nothing else, it would get 5 out of 5.

So alright, I figured that I would have to start with the woman who made it all possible-- my wedding planner! This is the basic info: Name- Lisa Rodriguez Website- PR Wedding Planner When I first started searching for someone on the island to help me plan, I ran into a few hiccups. Lots of unreturned RFPs and I spent a good few weeks trying to work with one planner who just was not right for me. We didn't mesh well and the relationship felt very forced. Lots of changes to the contract without notifying me, etc, to the point where I just had to break it off and start my search all over again. In despair, I thought I would try one more time and type "PR wedding planner" in google and see what I get. And then I saw it-- a blog that was titled PR Wedding Planner. One I had not seen before. I read through her blog (yes, I spent hours reading through her entire blog) and I decided that I MUST contact this woman. She had a sense of humor and she was clearly dedicated to what she does. So I sent an email thinking "Well with island time, I might get a reply in a week." Wrong. I got a response the next morning. This planner spoke my language (literally!). I never had to wait more than a day, maybe two, for Lisa to respond to my queries. I also really appreciated how she would occasionally step in for me behind the scenes when working with vendors to make sure I was getting the best deal! We started planning together in October, and we just saw our project come to fruition this June. On the wedding day Lisa was on time and she went over the timeline with me to make sure that I knew what was going on when. She didn't waste a minute and immediately went to work and started to coordinate all of the vendors together. I didn't really have to worry about a thing, but she made sure to keep me updated. I think she sensed that I wanted to know what was going on even though I couldn't do anything! She also really rolled with the punches. For example, I had totally forgotten to develop a limited menu with the restaurant, and I left that task in her hands with a few instructions (some chicken and vegetarian options were necessary). I had also forgotten to set up a refreshment table at the ceremony site for the guests (that was a big whoops!) but Lisa managed to make it happen. All of my family members commented on how organized she was, and how she managed to make sure things got done without being obtrusive. So I would give Lisa 5 out of 5 stars. Below is a picture of Lisa with the groom and I.

Hey gals! The "PR Brides" thread was getting a big long, so I thought I would make my own little thread here. I just got back from my wedding/honeymoon in PR and I was so happy with just about everything related to the wedding that I wanted to share some reviews and pass on recommendations for the vendors I used. It's all about web2.0 feedback these days . So I'll be making separate posts under this thread for each vendor that I used. I know that I really wanted to find a post like this while I was in my planning stages, so I figured I would give a little back to the community. Plus I get to relive my wedding memories a bit longer!

Quote: Originally Posted by selaplanner Hi I am PR Bride - Hilton Caribe in January - look forward to sharing information with you ladies Hey Selaplanner! I am also having my wedding at the Caribe Hilton. My wedding is this June, so I'd be happy to share any info/experiences that I had with you.

Does anyone have ideas about where to stay in PR? Better yet, do you know of any "villas" in the vicinity? I think "villas" would be more economical because people can group together & split the cost. They can be located pretty much anywhere. I want my guests to be able to experience San Juan & other parts of the island. Thanks for any feedback!!! The only villas that I know about, are the ones at Villa Sevilla. I have no idea if they are any good, I haven't booked anything with them (but I am thinking about it for our honeymoon) Here is their website: Welcome to Villa Sevilla Guest House, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico Here is their tripadvisor page: Welcome to Villa Sevilla Guest House, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico As for other Inns in San Juan, I have heard good things about The Gallery Inn and The Coqui Inn. There are of course the more typical cheaper options like Holiday Inn, Howard Johnson. I would really recommend you by the Frommer's Guide to Puerto Rico-- they have really great advice and recommendations for where to stay in PR that fits ALL budgets.

Quote: Originally Posted by evie ratchiecakes-what exactly does a wedding coordinator do? I want to get one but am curious about what they do. I am also trying to pick a photographer etc..but cannot choose one. All of the different packages confuse me, they all have good photos on their websites, etc... I contacted an entertainment company to get quotes for a DJ and they haven't returned my call...confusing. Maybe the coordinator does all this? The coordinator is basically your go-to person before and during your wedding. Depending on their fees and what you want, the coordinator can be with you the whole planning process, or they can be someone who comes in a few days before the wedding, makes a timeline with you, and make sure everyone sticks to that timeline and the wedding day goes smooothly. Typically if you have a wedding planner there for the whole planning process, they are the ones who recommend vendors and initially contact them on your behalf. Coordinators oftentimes have long standing relationships with certain vendors and can get you a good deal for you money. The coordinator will make sure that your contracts with the vendors are standard and that you aren't getting ripped off. They can help you with research, and guide you with developing your wedding vision. Do you want a sunset wedding? Well you might need someone who lives on that island to tell you when sunset typically is at that time of year! I was seriously having trouble getting into contact with a particular vendor (much like with your DJ predicament). So I sent a quick email to my coordinator and she was right on it-- and sure enough after a couple of phone calls from her the vendors took my request for info more seriously. Since I am doing a DW wedding, I opted to have a coordinator with me for the whole planning process. I am not familiar with PR, and I don't speak Spanish very well. So I wanted someone there for me to help me find vendors and makes sure all of my contracts were standard. I also wanted someone there to make sure I didn't have ideas that were just way too crazy or unrealistic. My coordinator has been a huge asset for me-- a lot of vendors (especially florists and bakers!) in Puerto Rico don't have websites, so I need my coordinator to give me examples of vendors works for me to see. She also gives me advice to stretch my money further, like buying tiki torches myself and shipping it to her rather than getting the tiki torches through the florist. So the cost of a coordinator varies depending on what you want from them (full planning involvement, just recommendations, or just day of coordination). A coordinator who does the full coordination will typically cost you anywhere between 10-20% of your budget. I think its well worth it, and I am on a seriously tight budget. I'm a graduate student who lives on ramen noodles because of this wedding, lol! But since they do take up a chunk of your budget, its really important that you get along with your coordinator and you feel comfortable with them. Like I said in an earlier post, in fear of not having anyone else I almost booked with a coordinator I was NOT cool with. Thank god my fiance talked some sense into me and I kept looking! It was a real "aha!" moment when I found this coordinator. If you want referrals to wedding planners, often your ceremony site will give you recommendations. Or you can ask other brides for recommendations. And of course there is always google. I found my wedding coordinator through her blog. And as a side note, I totally feel you about the confusion that can come with different packages and photographers! Portrait style, photojournalistic style, fashion emphasis... that was tough for me to navigate through. I think it might help if you pick the style of photos you want before navigating through a bunch of packages. Do you want candid, or more posed photos? Funky, or traditional? Color, black and white, or a mix? Once you answer those questions, you can then look at the photographers and see which ones match those choices more. I hope my response helps you out a bit!

Quote: Originally Posted by KEE LAC Hello, I was wondering if you had a wedding coordinator and if so who you went with? Also what D.J are you using? I have just joined these boards, so I hope I am not breaking any rules here by recommending someone that I use as a vendor. I had a LOT of trouble finding a wedding coordinator when I first started looking. I sent out lots of RFPs, and some would respond, some wouldn't. There was also the problem with "island time." I almost signed a contract with one (who will remain nameless), but she kept changing the terms of the contract without warning me about it! Luckily we changed gears and began looking again. We finally found our coordinator, Lisa Rodriguez. If you google PR Wedding Planner, you will find her blog as the last result on the first page. I don't want to give a direct link because I am not sure yet if that violates any rules or not. I absolutely love Lisa thus far and haven't had any issues with her. She is originally from NY, so she is a lot better about the "island time" issue. I swear that she has a blackberry or something, either that or she checks her email unceasingly. So if you are still looking, you might want to contact her and see if there are good vibes between the two of you. Also, I haven't had my wedding just yet, so take that into consideration with my recommendation. Have you decided on a location yet KEE LAC?

Obviously I am a n00b to this board, so I thought I would post a little introduction (lest my account get deleted, ) My name is Rachel, and I currently reside in Atlanta GA. I am having a DW at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan , Puerto Rico on June 14th 2009! I have been looking for a community dedicated to DW brides and I am happy I found this place! Are there any other PR brides here?