amybermuda

Quote: Originally Posted by dstinationdrmr This really sucks and I'm going to try to get them to do this also. I'm not as determined as you though. I can take it or leave it if they give me too much resistance. However, if I make some headway with my request I'll definitely keep you in the loop. I must say that if Amy didn't get what she wanted with the time she had to get it, I'm thinking we may be disappointed. It really aggravates me that we are paying so much extra (for the Sky Deck) and I'm not sure about you but I'm not really using the stuff that comes with it (i.e. the programs, bouquet, hell I'm not even using the officiant). I just feel like they could at least do this for us. If you already have them booked for the ceremony, you could try to negotiate on site to move them to the reception area - ie tell them you're wiling to pay more cash for the set up fees for the hassle of moving them. When you have your meeting with the onsite and Lomas coordinators, you pay any balance you owe (spa services, extras, etc) and you also have to pay their set up fee (determined at your meeting depending on everything you have for them to set up). The set up fee must be paid in cash. The rest of the balance I paid using a credit card (only Visa & MasterCard). The WCs probably pocket the cash - so maybe you can sweeten the pot for your coordinator who might be willing to bend the chair rules for a hundred bucks or so? Maybe worth the try??

Quote: Originally Posted by gingerlover36 Amy, my sister honeymooned there 1 year ago and she LOVED it. It looks gorgeous. YES! Thanks - that gets me even more excited!!! My best friend went to the Riviera Maya one and said they felt like they were famous there it was so nice. I can't wait. A week of relaxation!!! And after this week I need it PS - love the gingerlover name - did not "get it" until you posted the siggy pic - haha

Glad you got a good TA. They will make things easier for you. I just decided on a Honeymoon location! We are staying at the Excellence Playa Mujeres Aug 28-Sept 4. It looks so awesome. Secrets Maroma was about the same price, and thats where I thought I would go, but I really fell in love with the Excellence. I am using a friend's TA who is great, so much better than my crazy wedding lady. She said any sale any drop in price we will get, no need to rebook or anything. Have a great weekend everyone! I will be working on my planning thread this weekend. I need to do it now or else I will just forget everything!

Quote: Originally Posted by thefuturemrslutz Aw Amy!!!! I am SPEECHLESS!!!!! Absolutely beautiful and precious and so wonderful!!!! Lindz, I love your new siggy pic. You have such good outfits in all of them. How many outfit changes?

Amy, your pictures are amazing. You look beautiful and whatever made you both cry like that - priceless. The photos captured your love and commitment perfectly. Your TTD dress is amazing and I love the sexy pearls. Congrats!!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by gingerlover36 Question for past brides...or current...I am a huge emailer - much better with expressing myself through written word than speaking. However, I think I might get quicker responses if I call Miami direct. What method did or do you use? annnnd Do you think because I am 10 months out they might not be as responsive as if it was closer? I do like my girl she has been really sweet so far, and sometimes she responds the same day but lately its been 1-2 week response time. I emailed mostly but I also called once or twice a month. Anytime I did not get a response I would call. Plus its good to make personal contact. Also, try to ask for opinions - they might be faster to respond to a question asking them what they recommend. If you are asking for price quotes, they have to send them to Lomas in Mexico and Lomas has to get back to them, so it depends on what you are asking. If you are booking reception or ceremony locations - I would want answers to that pronto. But May/June is a busy wedding season so that could also be the reason? Here is someone else who helped me; you could try her too: Roxy A. Daniel National Sales Trainer Premier Worldwide Marketing, LLC Exclusive worldwide sales and marketing representatives for Karisma Hotels & Resorts 3191 Coral Way, PH 202 Miami, FL 33145 Tel: 786.497.5035 Fax: 305.445.1075

Quote: Originally Posted by KittenHeart Oh hey found some pictures of DH and I with the donkey AMMMMMYYYY!! So cute! Now, I have to ask b/c I had the same kind of moment yesterday, did you totally forget parts of your wedding and the pictures you took My friend posted these pics on facebook and I was like "wow I did get pictures with so and so and so and so...." I totally had forgotten all about it. I thought I was forgetting things b/c of too much tequila but really at that point I had 1/2 glass of champagne.... It just is so intense its hard to remember everything. Now I cant wait to get my pro pics to start remembering! Quote: Originally Posted by chong You might want to check the donkey part for your donkey cocktail party. I was told that the donkey is no longer allow in the resort... I know some people had the donkey present but now sure if they have changed the rule since then. The donkey is definitely still allowed at the resort. They will ask you in your planning meeting if you want the donkey or no donkey. I said - YES DONKEY! I think you Gazebo decorators need to check out Lomas's website. The exotic gazebo is $220 and includes 4 sheets of fabric. Point your WCs to this website and say this is what you want!!!! Exotic Gazebo 4 poles with sheer fabric, 2 large hanging corsages with 25 pastel or tropical flowers each one, and petals from 48 roses. Category Gazebos - List of products - Weddings in Cancun & Riviera Maya by Lomas Travel

Quote: Originally Posted by amandamarieb OMG, that's like the most amazing news I've heard in weeks. FI and I love champagne but just not in our budget to buy it for 70 guests. I'll def make that request onsite. Get the house wine & house champagne. I swear I love expensive wine and so does my Dad and his GF - and we all LOVED the resort's white and really liked the red. I wasted $$ by ordering "special" wine and no one even knew any better. Quote: Originally Posted by amandamarieb 2nd dress fitting?!?! Really? Am I like so behind? I've had my dress since January but havent done a fitting yet. Can someone advise me on timeline? Also, I guess I should find my shoes pretty soon so I can be sure that when i do get fitted that my dress isn't too short. Any of you ladies wearng a veil? What's my timeline on ordering one of those? My dress is lace and I might have enough fabric removed after my firts fitting to get one made...hmm...wonder how much that will cost. I borrowed a veil from my best friend and was going to wear it in pictures. I love those flying veils in the wind on the beach. I left it in the hotel room and never got the pictures I love. Oh well! If you go to a good seamstress, maybe they can make the veil for you while you get the dress fitted? I would definitely FIND a seamstress now; I dont think you need to be fitted yet, but definitely start looking for one and plan to decide 3 + months out. I cut it close and was cool about not having my dress until the week we left but other people started to make me nervous when they heard I did not have my dress back yet !! Quote: Originally Posted by MaggieandJay You have no idea how happy this picture makes me. I want to print in out and put it on the fridge so that when i get stressed I can look at it and say. Someday I will get a picture with the donkey. I know it is silly to be so excited about a donkey but for some reason he takes me to a happy wedding place when i am stressed. Oh I am so glad Maggie! No matter what people say and how annoyed you may get, you always have Filemon

Amy! Maybe you can delete Mark & I and photoshop in you & Day!

The canopy is probably 15 feet tall and 15 feet wide maybe? Beaz2be - keep hitting the "MQ" button and when you have all the ones you want to mulitquote highlighted, hit "Quote" button on one of the conversations and the reply screen will pop up with each one quoted in the response box!

Quote: Originally Posted by KittenHeart Yeah it's very easy to go sailing over your budget (like me, budget nearly tripled) so it's good you're doing this. My suggestion is to make sure your cocktail hour is long enough, I saw the donkey on my way in and loved it but by time my photos were done on the beach he was gone and I don't have have a single photo with him. I agree w/ Amy F!!! Or you could do pictures with your FI and wedding party before the wedding so you can actually attend your cocktail party! My schedule was: 430 - wedding 5-7 - cocktails 7-11 - reception I would push the wedding up 1/2 hour to 4pm and do pictures with the groups from 430-5 then pics w/ FI from 5-530/545.

Oh man - and you could have been ordering white & champagne that whole time BUMMER

Quote: Originally Posted by renee1811 AmyB, I meant to tell you earlier, I LOVED the dress you wore! I know you had two dresses, and I think you made an awesome decision--you looked gorgeous! Thanks Renee. I was very happy with that decision too! It was this one I bought later: B/c I decided I did not like this one anymore: Always trust your gut - my friends loved this dress on me but 6 months later I still had doubts and bought the new one. Which I loved!!

Sorry that last one was from DiscountMugs.com

I keep getting all these "deals" sent to me after I ordered everything from Discount Mugs and Office Depot and god knows what else.... So i thought why not share them with you all! I'll try to keep it up if I receive any more. Office Depot $15 Off $75 Coupon code 19876054. Expires 6/19/10. Valid in-store, online, and by phone. Excludes technology. Restrictions Apply. See below for details.* Discountmugs.com

Quote: Originally Posted by bigboponthebeach Yeah, I'm totally compassionate when it comes to personal issues but in the end.....business is business and one business you don't mess with is a bride's business. :-( I'm hoping she turns things around for you. I've been more of a nervous wreck than usual, so I think I'll just keep searching. I was pulling for a US photog now more than ever since I see how accomodating they are. Most of their packages include 2 hrs the day before, the day of (8-12 hrs), and a TTD the following day. I haven't seen any Mexico based photogs offer anything remotely close yet. Big business in every country, I guess! :-) I would totally suggest this! Then you would certainly get all of the pictures you want. I am still remembering things I wanted pictures of that I forgot - and I even had the Gold package w/ 8 hours of photos. The TTD is awesome b/c then you dont have to take so many pix after the wedding and you can mingle w/ your guests and get more wedding day pix with them. Probably the only thing I worry about is whether I got enough pix w/ family & friends.

Quote: Originally Posted by KittenHeart I'm glad you brought this up... room service will NOT bring you drinks. The only thing they will bring you is cans of Tecate or Tecate light. Even if you want house wine or champagne it's like $28 a bottle. A friend ordered few bottles for my bachelorette getting ready so this is how I know. If you want champagne just for the toast you can have that in addition to your signature drink which should be free for both. Its so funny how everything is different. They brought me 2 glasses of white wine when I was getting ready for my wedding. Even down there - you might order a salad one night and its just mixed greens and dressing and the next night it has avocado, tomatoes, cheese, etc! Quote: Originally Posted by dstinationdrmr I guess I should have mentioned that the reason she recommended these cardboard boxes is because they're less than half the price of the blume boxes we were going to buy. They're $3.49, only problem is figuring out how to pack them because they don't collapse. My mom swears she can make it happen without messing them up so cross your fingers!! I would do it for that price savings! And if your Mom volunteered, let her work her magic! Just bring a couple spares and some tape & scissors in case you need to do any fixes. I cant wait to see this! You should defo post a thread in DIY for other brides too. Such a great cost savings. Quote: Originally Posted by mmc1105 Hey ladies! I've spent hours reading about your experiences and have chosen AS for our wedding. Thank you SO MUCH for all of your pictures and advice so far, you ladies are awesome! We are waiting to hear from our TA, but have March 7, 2011 as our tentative date. YAY!! Happy planning to all! And congrats to the newlyweds Thank you and WELCOME!!!! Congratulations on your engagement & choice of a destination wedding!

Quote: Originally Posted by chong I have my 2nd fitting in 2 weeks. I lost 10 pounds already and going for another 10 pounds (if I can... 5 pound is more realistic). Horay!!!! Congrats! Thats awesome!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by daniepps I think I will have to go with the "past brides" approach and good luck to finding a honeymoon spot. Do you want to stay on the east coast of Mexico? What about Cabo? Quote: Originally Posted by taylorwd Maroma in the RM is consistently voted one of the top beaches in the world. That's where I'd go if I were you! We looked at some great intimate resorts in that area back when we were choosing. Aventura Spa is a huge resort. Do you want big or AB size again? Quote: Originally Posted by beaz2be Not sure if I did the quote right. I've heard that the Maroma is GORGEOUS and also the Royal Hideaway Playadelcar is to die for as well. (for what it's worth) Quote: Originally Posted by thefuturemrslutz Here is a suggestion: come to Le Blanc the week of August 7th and come to my wedding!!! haha It's a Palace resort like Aventura, but a step up. But yes, trip advisor can be disheartening sometimes...however, it is a good spot just to get names of different places. We were thinking about switching resorts, but decided not to. There are some really cool ones: Banyon Tree Mayakoba, Grand Velas, Rosewood Mayakoba, The Tides, Fairmont Mayakoba, Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita (my future bro-in-law just got back from here and said it was ahhhhhhmazing!!!), etc etc etc!! Also, Playa Del Carmen has some really cool boutique hotels...very unique! Oh wow thanks for all the suggestions. (and yours too Amy, I was too lazy to go to the next page and MQ). LeBlanc sounds super nice! Lindz I would totally crash your wedding too but I cant go until the end of the August - booo. Secrets Maroma sounds like a favorite on the boards here too. I might see where I can get the best rates. I really want a place that has the beach palapas and beach butlers like that had at AB. They were like heaven lying there. Oh - and did I tell you guys we had wedding crashers in mexico? These 3 people walked past the reception, did a double take, and came in for a dance on the dance floor! It was hilarious! We were like "who are those people?" and someone started laughing "wedding crashers!!!" and they laughed and I think took some pictures with my guests. It was hilarious.

Secrets are having a 50% off deal right now if you go to their website - its still over $400 a night though! I cant believe people would pay $800+ a night for a room there. It must be an amazing resort!

I think some of the girls pushed back and got them included for free. I feel like the more you talk, the more you get. You might not get anywhere with the Miami coords, but the Mexico ppl will sort you out. Pull the "past brides have done this and there was no charge" line as well. So, yes, I think I want to go back to Mexico for my honeymoon and really enjoy it. Adventura spa palace is booked solid in Aug & Sept (crazy). But there are some good deals on Expedia so I might just try to do a week somewhere - and not look at Trip Advisor. How does anyone book a trip anymore with Trip Advisor making you second guess every decision

Quote: Originally Posted by gingerlover36 I am so excited! I said yes to the dress this weekend Its so weird I feel now that this is really happening hahah! Yay congrats!!!! Its very surreal seeing yourself in a wedding gown isn't it? Post a picture if you have one!

Quote: Originally Posted by StephyD We're in the same boat!! We were thinking about going to Cabo for 3-4 days... but we have to look into it some more. It might cost us quite a bit of money since we'd have to get back on a plane from Cancun to Cabo... I definitely want something different for our honeymoon and I'm not sure I really want to stay in the Riviera Maya area for an extra week... Stephy I felt the same way before I went and now that its done I wish I would have stayed an extra week in RM. Its gorgeous there and the week of your wedding you dont get to relax as much and just enjoy with FI b/c there are so many things to do (just greeting and saying good byes took up entire days for us and we only had 35 guests). We stayed for 1 day extra and I totally regret not doing at least 4 or 5 days after everyone left.

Quote: Originally Posted by meghan What is the banana leaf? Those green leaves wrapped in circles under my flowers. I did not ask for it; they did it. They know what looks good - you dont have to ask!!! But, if you liked it, send it to the Miami coordinators and print a picture and bring it with you to Mexico so you can tell them during your planning meeting what you like. Quote: Originally Posted by MaggieandJay I can't remember if you said you didn't want to go to Mexico for the Honeymoon but good friends of mine go to Adventura Spa Palace every year around their aniversary and they LOVE IT! They even tried to talk me into haveing my wedding there Oh no, I know I should go somewhere new but I really want to go back to Riviera Maya. I'll check it out now - thanks! Quote: Originally Posted by MaggieandJay Thank you so much ladies for all the words of encouragement about the resort. It was just one of those challenging days when I let other people push doubts into my head. You ladies are the best! I am glad you feel better! I hope that you dont have too many more of those days. They will creep up on you though - I think its just natural when you are planning any wedding - even local ones. But rest assured, none of use past brides regret anything!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by bigboponthebeach Amy, I LOVE your bouquet (as well as the other photos you posted)....was it an upgrade and if so do you mind me asking how much? I'm pricing out real touch vs. Lomas flowers at this point. Beautiful pics!!! It was $50 - I dont think that was an upgrade... Actually I think it was supposed to be free but I wanted it to be 14-16 inches diameter so I had to pay $50 extra. The bridesmaids were all $50 and smaller than mine (10 inch diameter). All I said was orange and pink lillies & roses. They did an excellent job. There is a sticky on the Mexico thread w/ the flowers and when they are in season in Mexico. I went by that when choosing flowers, so I think that is why I got better prices.