Jananaz

Congrats and welcome to the boards. The Mayan Riviera is gorgeous, you'll have a great time! You'll find lots of tips here!! Happy planning!!

Welcome to the boards!! Once you pick your destination just find the thread on your resort/location and then you're set. Feel free to post any questions you may have. happy planning!!

welcome to the boards! congratulations on your engagement!!

Congrats, welcome and happy planning! All the best

Hi Zhenia! Welcome to the board and congratulations on your upcoming wedding. There are a lot of amazing places in the Mayan Riviera. Happy planning!!

Isn't Tungsten awesome? My DH loves his ring and it's withstood everything and still looks great!

Hi ladies, I got my dress made from Gianinarbridal on eBay. I contacted them directly to get a custom order. I tried to read a lot of reviews before deciding whether to go with them. I also tried on dresses at stores, but just couldn't find something perfect. I tried everywhere from David's Bridal to various boutiques with dresses ranging from $400 - $4000. A lot had elements that I liked, but elements that I didn't like, so I decided just to get one made. It was awesome because I could choose the elements of different dresses that I liked and they were able to put it together for me. I was really really happy with the way the dress turned out! The quality was great. My dress was white silk taffeta. The fit was PERFECT - I mean, fit like a glove perfect! It was kind of scary that they could do that just based on some numbers I sent them. Even with shipping, the dress was cheaper than the drycleaning cost of a wedding dress!! I would definately recommend this company. If you have any questions about my experience, please feel free to PM me. Oh, one small drawback was that I asked for a bustle, a crinoline and veil, and they completely forgot to include those in the order. By the time they shipped the dress, it was too late to get those added to my order. I mean, they also didn't charge me for them either, so it was all ok. But overall, my experience was very positive

Hi ladies, I got my dress made from Gianinarbridal on eBay. I contacted them directly to get a custom order. I tried to read a lot of reviews before deciding whether to go with them. I also tried on dresses at stores, but just couldn't find something perfect. I tried everywhere from David's Bridal to various boutiques with dresses ranging from $400 - $4000. A lot had elements that I liked, but elements that I didn't like, so I decided just to get one made. I was really really happy with the way the dress turned out! The quality was great. My dress was white silk taffeta. The fit was PERFECT - I mean, fit like a glove perfect! It was kind of scary that they could do that just based on some numbers I sent them. Even with shipping, the dress was cheaper than the drycleaning cost of a wedding dress!! I would definately recommend this company. If you have any questions about my experience, please feel free to PM me. Oh, one small drawback was that I asked for a bustle, a crinoline and veil, and they completely forgot to include those in the order. By the time they shipped the dress, it was too late to get those added to my order. I mean, they also didn't charge me for them either, so it was all ok. But overall, my experience was very positive

Quote: Originally Posted by swankster77 I did here back from Roser Pla who apparently is the Assistant Manager for Arrecife Studio... see page 205 of this thread. I posted the response I got as well as the 3 pictures they sent. I've since been thinking about bringing my own photographer from WI... does anyone know if this is still allowed? I sent an email to Jazmin but you know how that goes... I probably won't hear back for a couple days and I'm anxious to get the ball rolling! If you don't mind footing a long distance bill and you want a quick answer, you could try calling. When I tried calling early on to book my date, they put me through to Paloma. You might even be able to get your own WC on the line.

Quote: Originally Posted by Outdoor_girl1010 You know I am!!! Can't bet 20% off of Coach when they are already outlet prices. haha I'm such a sucker! I almost went for their Columbus Day sale. Because we all could use another purse right? Quote: Originally Posted by KJT1985 Ahahaha I really wouldn't consider myself a local. I grew up in Denver and just moved here in June. But I haven't been to the casinos yet. My fiance goes frequently though, he's very good at poker and likes to win us money. Haha. He never really does it for fun though, just for profit - kinda views it as his other job... But I'd like to go at some point! oh yea, you said you just moved. Are you liking it in Shreveport so far? it works out nicely that your fiance is a good poker player that is awesome. that would be the ideal job for a lot of guys!! I know nothing about poker or any gambling really. I played the electronic roulette at the Horseshoe which is pretty foolproof. I was more there for the free drinks ;P

So cute! I love these!

What a great thread! Thanks for sharing your lists ladies! I wish I had found this before my wedding Here's my list: What I WOULD Do Again: Bahia Principe Destination Wedding - DH and I went back and forth over having a wedding at home or away. I'm SO GLAD we ultimately chose a destination wedding. It was so nice to have a vacation, have a WC included in our package, and have a gorgeous backdrop. Custom Made Wedding Dress - I got my dress from Gianinarbridal and it was a custom order. It took a few months to make, but worth every second waiting for it. It turned out to be my dream dress and was incredibly affordable. Tim Cothran Photography - We hired Tim online and didn't meet him until we all met up at Cancun airport. I was a bit apprehensive about doing everything online to start, but he had stellar references and a great portfolio. It turned out we loved working with him and were super impressed with his work! We'd hire him again for sure! Poolside Reception - This was an extra for our wedding package, but it was worth it. The pools lit up at night looked so pretty and the decorations were beautiful. We also had lots of fun. An August Wedding in Mexico - Yes it was hot, but it was less busy and the prices were great! Getting There A Few Days Early - We got to the resort and Thursday and the wedding was not until Saturday. I'm really glad we had a few days to get settled and get to know the place. I think the time we had was a minimum - if you got there even earlier, it wouldn't hurt. Making Our Own Invitations - This was a lot of work, but we liked the way they turned out. We used printable kits and had the cards color laser printed at Kinkos, then we added ribbons and seals ourselves. DH and I did the design together too, with help from my parents for wording. It was nice to have a big collaborative effort! Wedding Cake PLUS Dessert - Tres Leches wedding cake and tiramisu at the wedding reception. Need I say more? Small Bridal Party - I think this is a personal decision and you should do what suits you best. We had one best man, one maid of honor. We kept things simple and our other friends and family were still happy to be guests. What I WOULD NOT Do Again: Spa/Salon at the Resort - In retrospect it was a bit silly of me to think that a complete stranger would know how I would want my hair/makeup, especially with a language barrier. I ended up doing my own makeup mostly anyways. I would recommend ladies just do some of your own practice looks beforehand, and you can probably do it yourself. Making Our Own Labels - We made our own labels for one item in the OOT bags, and it was such a huge task. We spent a lot of time and energy and the alignment would just not work. We ended up hiring MrsCronkright on Etsy to do them for us. She did a great job with our labels and our custom maps. Better to leave these things in the hands of professionals! Sand Ceremony - I'd skip it. During the ceremony it was nice, but everything got shuffled on the way home. It also took up a ton of room in our luggage. Looking back, I think our ceremony would have been fine without it. Welcome Dinner at the Resort - We did our welcome dinner at the resort, but if I had known then what I know now, it would have been a nice opportunity for all the guests to get off the resort and go to a local restaurant in Akumal. Not Bringing Pictures for Wedding Items - I forgot to bring pictures for my hair and bouquet and had to wing it. It made things a little more difficult communication-wise. Consider printing off photos and bringing them with you.

Your wedding is just a few months away! Congratulations!!!

Congrats!!! Happy planning! You will love the Bahia Principe!!

Hi Dawn, CONGRATULATIONS! I'm so glad you picked the Bahia Principe Tulum. We got married at the Bahia Principe Akumal and we had a blast! There is a great thread for Bahia Principe Akumal/Tulum/Coba where you'll find tons of info. As for photographers, we used Tim Cothran and loved him (he has great rates!) We brought him with us, and it seems like at the Bahia Principe you now either have to bring a photographer with you as a guest, or use the resort photographer. Best to ask some of the 2010 Bahia brides to get a status on that. Happy planning!! Congratulations!!! Feel free to PM if you have any questions.

What a beautiful wedding!! Congratulations!!

You look beautiful! What a gorgeous wedding- straight out of a wedding magazine Congratulations!!

Sooo glamorous! You look gorgeous. Congratulations!! I love your pink shoes btw!!

You looked so beautiful and you make a great couple I love the view from the Stratosphere!!

You look beautiful and you and your DH look like a really fun couple! Congratulations! Thank you for sharing your review!

Quote: Originally Posted by Outdoor_girl1010 Yea it is nice out here and has really good schools, so when we have kids we know that they will be in good schools. We both grew up out here. I love Premium Outlets. I dont go to Katy mills that much. That's a great point about schools. I think once kids are in the picture for us, we're going to have to move! I'm a big fan of the Coach outlet Are you on their mailing list? On holidays they do an extra 20% off coupon.

Quote: Originally Posted by KJT1985 I grew up in Colorado but my fiance and I just moved to Shreveport, Louisiana this summer for his job.... The south is...uhh...interesting. Haha. I went to school in Oklahoma so I was semi-prepared. I went to Shreveport with my in-laws in January to hit up the casinos... what a fun city! we tried to go to all of them, but I don't know if we succeeded. As a local, do you go much, or is it just for us tourists? My mother-in-law wants to go back bc she's a big TrueBlood fan lol

You look so gorgeous and you're glowing Quote: Originally Posted by YaelM Here is one of mine We had the most amazing ceremony and I love that u can see both our moms smiling

Those La Vie on Rose bags are awesome. I never would have thought to look there!! Thanks for posting

mmm rum cakes! those sound delish!!! any problems getting them through customs?