becks1581

YEAH! We sent out our boarding pass save the dates yesterday and I've already gotten a few calls/texts from guests saying that they are by far the coolest save the dates they have ever received. It feels so good to know that they are finally out. Just wanted to share in our excitement!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Smidge I've just returned from my daughter's wedding at the Fairmont Mayakoba, and we used Vanessa Jaimes. We could not have been happier. Vanessa listened to what we were looking for, adapted her designs to fit within our budget, and delivered impeccably. I work with a friend who does wedding flowers locally, so it was difficult for me to turn over the reigns. On a destination wedding, it's what you have to do because you're working remotely. This has been a learning experience for me, and everything turned out beautifully. Here's my advice to anyone looking for a florist is a destination location: 1) Flowers are not an important feature to all brides, but if it is to you, hire a florist with the best reputation. Do your research, and hire the one that you think is the most reliable and most likely to deliver the look you want; 2) Describe a look and the colors you want for your floral pieces. We said "low and lush," "whites, ivories and greens," and "earthy, and natural." If you want tropical colors and "edgy sculptural," say that. Whatever works for you, describe it as best you can and share a limited number of pictures so it does not confuse your florist; 3) Don't get too specific as to flower types. Flowers that are readily available at home may be very expensive at your destination. At the same time, flowers that are indulgent at home may not be at your wedding locale. 4) Recognize that flowers are seasonal. As an example, tulips in the fall are possible, but they may be pricey. Also, accept that most destination weddings are in locations that are remote from most floral distribution centers, so listen to your florist to suggest flower types that she can get at a reasonable price; 3) Trust your florist. They know what works in the locale of your wedding. Tall arrangements may blow over if your reception is outdoors and open to ocean breezes, and standard votives, that are lovely in many stateside locales, may not stay lit when you are in a tropical environment.; and 4) As a destination bride, you are in a beautiful setting. You don't have to do too much, and flowers are by nature, beautiful. Don't sweat it. If you want to see what worked awesome for us, look at the second picture on Vanessa's slide show. This was our inspiration and why we hired her. The Baby's Breath baskets gave us texture and definition for the ceremony without taking away from the natural environment. If this is not your look, you can see that she's not limited here. Thank you so much for the reference and advice. I just checked out Vanessa's website and one of pictures that have printed out for ceremony inspiration is actually on her site. Her work looks great and very current...the baby's breath is perfect for us too b/c our ceremony site is very natural. Did you find that her prices were reasonable? I definitely plan to contact her.

I've been thinking about this too. These are really cute: Victoria's Secret - Glitter wedge flip-flop I envision changing into a 3/12 inch stiletto for the reception...the best of both worlds!

Quote: Originally Posted by anacj13 I"m headed for a site visit for Mermorial Day weekend to figure out the chapel situation and hopefully do a food tasting also. Who did you set that up with? We blocked a group of rooms for our guests. For the rest of the travel needs and when the group block is up we are using TA Dina who has been completely amazing. When we got to the resort we just asked if we could do a tasting...Allibe gave us the menu and had us pick 3 selections from each course. They prepared the meals for a tasting the next afternoon. It was really easy! Your travel/booking set up seems ideal! We have been wondering if it would work to reserve a block through the resort and still use TA Jill. I'm still a little unsure about guest deposits and cancellation policies b/c what Allibe has been telling us and what the contract says seem a little different. Do you know when guests have to pay a one night deposit, when they have to cancel by to avoid penalty and when we have to release unused rooms from our block? It would be so helpful to know your take on that info!!!

Wings--how lucky that your FMIL has a share in H3R! We're still figuring out the best way to book but either way, the save the dates are going out by Monday :-) We tasted 3 appetizers, 3 entrees and 3 desserts. I attached the menu. It was seriously delicious!! As far as the ceremony goes, it seems like most of that is sort of sourced out to the vendors...the rental company for the chuppah, the florist, someone for speakers, etc. I'm not sure if the officiant is included because we plan to bring our own. The resort only provides white folding chairs for the ceremony and the chairs and round (108cm) tables for the reception. I think that the folding chairs look nice so unless you want something special, you can probably avoid having to pay extra for those. As for cost, Allibe said that our fee for the ceremony would be whatever Luis told us so I'm definitely holding on to my email with the $350 quote! I took pics of the food at the tasting and I promise to get some of the photos up by the end of the week. Plate Menu.doc

Quote: Originally Posted by Eadon216 Yay! Glad you loved it. And I'm glad Allibe was so helpful. She's working on our contract right now. LOL your 60 person affair is massive compared to our 16! LOL...Well, 60 is what we're hoping for. We're about to send out 65 Save the Dates so out of 130 guests we figure about half will actually come. People seem to be really excited about it but I'm sure some things will change when it's time to put down the credit card!! Speaking of putting down the credit card, are you guys booking your block via H3R or are you using a TA? We were quoted pretty good rates from the resort with what seems to be a super cancellation policy but have previously been working with one of the BDW TAs. I'm still trying to figure out which method will be easier/cheaper for us and our guests.

Ana, that's terrible and I'm so sorry that you have to go through all of this stress. They should have never told you that the chapel would be open if it wasn't for sure! I do have very positive feedback from my site visit though and FI and I put a deposit down for our wedding. We got to the resort around 9am and they had our room ready for us. The front desk also called Allibe and she came down to meet us and to walk us around the resort/describe the wedding areas. The resort is gorgeous and has a very relaxed/upscale feel. I loved that it's not the type of place where chairs are reserved with towels by 9am. I definitely felt that it's a place where our friends and family can spend time together. The waiter service by the pool was great. There's a little make-shift bar set up down there and they didn't have the type of beer we asked for so one of the guys went to the main bar to get it for us. We gave him a nice tip and for the next two days, he made sure to keep some for us by the pool and would bring over 'dos cervezas' whenver we asked! The food was also spectacular. Allibe had the chefs put together a tasting for us while we were there and it was beyond expectation in taste and presentation. They did a great job, even suggesting wine pairings for each dish!! While we were there, Luis was doing a 500 person wedding! Apparently the bride was the daughter of a prominent Mexican politician. The party went all night long and we saw the bridal party still up with a DJ by the pool at 8am! Luis was up with them the whole time to make sure things were running smoothly. I feel like, if they can pull that off, my 60 person affair should be easy!!!! The beach...the sand is nice but the water is def brownish in front of the resort because of the mangroves. The rivers are gorgeous though and if you walk to the right of the resort for 5min you can swim in clear water so I don't think it's a deal breaker at all. We also went kayaking and it was really fun...just don't forget the mosquito repellent! Allibe also had the florist come and she showed us rental options. I had arranged meetings with Ivan from DJ Doremixx and Fernando Fuentes from the Makeup Pros. They were both great as well. SO...I'm obviously super excited about H3R. I can't believe there's a Riviera Maya resort that still has this kind of flexibility and only does 1 wedding per day. I'll post my pictures when I get a few minutes. Please ask any questions you have.

Quote: Originally Posted by anacj13 So excited your trip is coming up!!! Do you think you can take pictures of the Ceiba Jr Suite rooms? I saw the master suite overlooking the terrace but not the regular ones where our guests will be staying. I only ate at one of the restaurants so please let me know what the food is like when you get back! Also the beach:) I went when it was a little cloudy and the water all over the Riviera Maya was a little murky that day. I'd love to get any information you get!!! We are still waiting on approval from the Catholic chapel they have onsite. When we visited Luis said he expected approval by February and that we should be fine for our wedding...it is now April and no word I must say that is by far the most stressful part for me since that is a big reason why we chose the resort. I'll be sure to get all of the details and report back!!! Thanks Becks! I hope you have a blast on your trip!! Quote: Originally Posted by WingsofInnocence Hey Becks.. Was wondering if you have picked a photographer yet? and who you were going with? I think I found one that I really like, but have not committed to anything yet. You were planning on having a symbolic ceremony? Is that correct? Have you gotten a straight answer about what the fee includes? Let me know all your details! Ha ha! We leave tomorrow morning!! I'll definitely take pictures of the Ceiba Jr Suite rooms (we'll be staying in one) and will check out the beach and food. I'm really interested in seeing the beach since there's been so much talk of the water not being clear/blue. FI and I were just joking about eating two dinners one night so that we can check out more restaurants ;-) Wings--We are using Terra Dawn as our photographer. I actually found her through BDW but she's based out of DC. She's been a photographer for a long time but is just starting to get into destination weddings. You can google her and check out her work on her blog...I think she's incredible and I love the idea of having someone there to capture the entire weekend!!! I'll be sure to get all of the details and report back!!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Nicyx WHOO WHOO... WERE BOOKING OUR WEDDING TOMORROW!!!!!!! x That's sooooooo exciting! It's totally real now

Msredbird--Go right ahead! I'm so happy that you like the wording and I'm glad it makes sense to someone else. This has been challenging for some reason but I'm just happy that people want to celebrate with us!! When is your party? midnight--I explained our story at the top of this thread. We're doing a full wedding reception in Mexico. This is the party that my FI's parents are having in their hometown so they can party with their large and extended group of friends who aren't invited to Mexico. The fact that not everyone is invited to Mex is what makes it tricky...b/c it's before the wedding.

Thanks for the tip! I love World Market and def want to bring down a few parasols for pictures on the beach!!

I bet it felt SO good to get your save the dates out!!! Ours are almost finished but we're waiting until after our site visit to send them out. We leave for Mexico on Thursday!!! I can't wait...I'm excited for the wedding planning but also to enjoy the beach and the sun with FI. Yeah for DW's....and for being one year away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

msredbird--FMIL hasn't made invitations yet but is thinking that she might not need to actually 'label' the party. We talked about invitation wording that says something like, "They'll marry on the beach in Mexico...let's celebrate now!" (This also kind of eludes to the fact that all party-goers won't be coming to the DW) We also like the idea of using the phrase, "Becky and John are Almost Married!" Everyone will know what the party is for and be excited to celebrate with you!

They look amazing! This is a DIY project that my sister/MOH has taken an interest in doing for me so I'll have to send her a link to your thread.

Quote: Originally Posted by CeeCee76 Me and FI will be planning a family soon after the wedding mariachi’s stop playing. I’m in my early 30’s and he’s in his late 30’s, so we want to get started right away. I hope to have 2 before 40. You're so cute...I love the way you phrased that! FI and I will both be 30 when we get married and people are very eager to ask when we plan to start a family. I work around babies every day so I get my fill and FI is still kinda scared of kids...LOL. I think our dog will be an only child for a few more years

You did an awesome job and you and your fiance are SO cute. I really liked the upbeat music...it makes me want to go to Vegas too!!!

Welcome! You've chosen a beautiful place for the wedding!!

Thanks so much for sharing. Everything looks great and really unique. The flowers are gorgeous!!

Quote: Originally Posted by ~Angela~ I love your dress wendyjd! it will be nice in the hot weather and you can rock some sexy shoes! here is mine. i am going to die of heat in july! WOW!! I haven't checked this thread in a while and there are a TON of gorgeous new dresses posted. Everyone looks so beautiful! Angela--your figure looks just AMAZING in your dress. I love how there's a sash/band at the natural waist. I want to add something like this to my gown which also has a mermaid silhouette. Beautiful choice :-)

Too funny--I wonder if the wedding coordinators realize that we brides end up befriending each other and sharing information. I'm sure your sister is SO excited for an awesome post-graduation trip!! It's too bad we'll probably miss each other when we're there next year, I'd totally save you a seat :-) I'm so excited to go for the site visit! TripAdvisor has had quite a few negative reviews lately which I know I can't/shouldn't worry about but I know that I'll feel so much better once I see everything in person. I'm also meeting with DJ Ivan who we're already hired and with Fernando Fuentes to hopefully pay our deposit for hair and makeup. It's really happening now!!! Random question...has anyone gotten quotes for fire dancers during the reception? For some reason, I REALLY want to do this.

Quote: Originally Posted by WingsofInnocence Too bad you never signed anything in December.. you would have saved some money!! When are you doing your site visit? It is coming up isnt it? You will have to let me know what you think. My future mother in law did visit the resort in Feb.. and said Luis was very patient, etc.. So, I think things should be good! There really is no reception cost on the contract.. Contract basically just states the wedding fee and what it includes, what the wedding coordinator does, food and beverage and when the resort needs to know what you want, the venue, deposit and payments, cancellation, information on what is included in the all inclusive, and what it not included, information on additional charges (like being late, gift delivery, etc..) From what I understand.. I just get pictures to Allibe and she is going to get me prices on what the pictures of cakes, flowers, etc will cost.. Hopefully you will get some answers when you do you site visit, and you can give us all a heads up! Hope this helps a little bit? ha ha.. anymore questions, I will try to answer. When are you guys planning on getting married? Thanks for the info! We will be in Mexico May 6-10 so only a few more weeks to go! Our wedding date is May 7, 2011. Def let me know if you have any specific questions or want pictures of anything in particular. I'd be happy to do that for you guys!!

Quote: Originally Posted by michelle2011 Onto a good note now! Two of my closest friends have confirmed they are definately coming now and although i was going to wait till we are all booked up i feel i need a boost so i'm going to give them their "will you be my bridesmaid" cards tonight. We're having a girlie dinner so i've bought some bubbly and really looking forward to asking them ) Fingers x'd they say "yes".. lol. I will let you know what the outcome is tomorrow! That's so exciting and I'm sure they are going to be thrilled and honored to be your bridesmaids! I think that's exactly what you need...two great friends who are excited for Mexico and excited to be with you on your big day! I'm proud of your great attitude. Once you get to Mexico (cocktail in hand) all of the drama will feel like a distant memory!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by WingsofInnocence WoW! How long ago did you get this quote? I was told for a symbolic ceremony $800 and for the legal civil ceremony $1600!! Luis emailed me this quote in December so I'm sure that it's gone up since then. I haven't signed a contract yet b/c we wanted to meet and do it during the site visit. I'm sure I'll have to pay the $800 since we don't have anything signed. Too bad!! Was the cake included in your reception cost or was it extra? I'm trying to get an idea of what our itemized expenses will be. I'd love to see the format of your contract if you don't mind...no pressure though!

Quote: Originally Posted by Eadon216 I sent an email to Luis. From what I hear he's not exactly prompt with replying so I'll probably have to sit tight for a while. Awesome! He's been pretty prompt with me lately but that might also be because I'm on my way there in a few weeks :-) Let us know what you hear!

The images come out more proportional when you click on them. I LOVE dress #1. It gives you a killer hourglass figure. Gorgeous and totally HOT!