cjb0arder13

Sweet glory hallelujah That is wonderful news! I was going to have to reconfigure my whole budget to try figure out how much this thing was going to cost! This was me ---->

Thanks for easing my fears Meghan!

Taylorwd...I'm SO glad things worked out the way you wanted them to. They were seriously going to have a riot on their hands with all us AB brides! I'm ok with our reception being "semi-private"...we'll be the life of the party anyway Everyone else can just leave us alone! Hehe.

Lolo...good luck on your wedding! I am sooo jealous you get to go to Me-hi-co in just a few days. I hope it's sunny and beautiful and the alcohol is flowin'!

AmyKH...yay for your dress coming in!! I'm sure you'll look gorgeous in it...feel free to post pics

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

See what happens when you go away from the board for a day? Chaos ensues!

I have never second-guessed booking with my TA. Honestly, I feel so much better knowing that he's taking care of all the communication with my guests. Plus, he has contacts at the resort we picked, and was able to get us some "perks" on the wedding package.

I'm experiencing some slight drama with our resort...apparently they just raised the prices BIG TIME on the private banquet dinners...like, up to double the price they were before. I'm kind of freaking out that the costs of this wedding are going to just balloon out of control. But...we'll see.

That ring is gooorgeous! It looks really similar to mine. I'm like you...I didn't want a big diamond sticking out catching on things (plus, I'm klutzy so I know I'd get it caught on EVERYTHING or poke my eye out with it or something).

What I think I'm going to do is get a really thin diamond eternity band on either side of it. I have to try it out to see how it looks, and I haven't decided if I want the diamonds to go all the way around or just to where they stop on my engagement ring, but I think it will make it look like a wide® diamond band.

Oh, also...Tiffany says for a symbolic ceremony, we have to arrive at the resort two business days before the wedding day, but their website says one business day before. Honestly, it would be so nice to just have some consistency on what it is they're saying.

Gah I'm so confuuuuuused! Tiffany had said that I could do a private reception for $14 pp, Tiffany says "This dinner event includes a private area, private service staff, and private international open bar, round tables that hold up to 7 people, eating/drinking utensils and chairs with white covers/white bows."

 

So does this include the actual DINNER, or just the private reception (meaning drinks, tables, UTENSILS-gee, thanks!, and chairs)? Do I have to pay above and beyond that for the actual FOOD?

 

Pleeease help

Hi TA Jennifer...any plans on another Azul/Karisma webinar coming up soon?? I would loooove to attend Thanks!

Hi Tammy...can you tell me where I would sign up for this? I've looked around and I'm stumped. Thank you!

You have GOT to be kidding me. I would be livid too!!! Tiffany JUST e-mailed me yesterday, and said we could have a private reception for $14 per person, which includes a "private area, private service staff & international bar"...I didn't even bother to ask where this would be, since I just assumed it would be inside.

Sigh.

Ohhh thank you so much! Yes I totally love it. My only problem is that I'm a little TOO generous in the frontal region, so I'll have to do some adjusting with the front to make sure I don't flash anyone. Trust me, it's not something I'm happy about...I feel a bit tarty!


And I'm so glad you re-posted your dress picture. It is sooo beautiful! I love that style.

Actually, I got a new travel agent (my old one was terrible) and he recommended AB because he said it's very "boutiquey" feeling (read: small and intimate) and they only do one wedding per day. He didn't have anything negative to say about it. He said the beach is fantastic, the food is superb, service is exceptional, and they have a good kid's program. That sealed the deal for me! I love the fact that it's small, and should be easy to find my other guests.

It may be a bit more expensive than some of the other resorts, but I honestly looked at TONS of resorts and was so happy to pick AB. I don't question my decision at all.

You'll have to let me know what you think when you get back!!

Hi fellow 2011 brides-to-be! I know I posted back when this thread first started, and I had said that we were getting married in Puerto Vallarta...but, well, we changed our minds and are now getting married in Puerto Morelos at Azul Beach! Our wedding day is 1/31/2011 (a Monday) so we'll probably head over the Thursday or Friday before, stay 7 nights at Azul Beach, then go to Cozumel for a week for our honeymoon.

 

To say I'm excited is an understatement! I'm so glad to be booked, and our wedding day is less than a year away. I know it's gonna flyyyyy by. Lots of decisions to be made still.

 

Oh! And I bought my dress in October, too...it just came in last week. I'm so in love with it. I want to lose at least another 20 pounds (though 30 would be better) but it's a corset back so I should be able to tie it up tighter if I reach my goal.

 

Here it is:

 

Looking forward to reading about all your wonderful plans!

I'm so sorry Amy...I read about your struggles with the place selling out, and the hotel giving you the run-around...that is so LAME!!! Actually, that inspired me to send out my invites super early to avoid that same situation. We're not booking a block of rooms either, because honestly I can't afford to put a big deposit down for that many people, but I AM going to emphasize in my invites that people should book early. With my TA (who is great, by the way) all that's required to hold a room is $150 deposit per person, which locks in your dates. Then when (if) the prices go down later in the year, he can adjust and lock in at the lower rate.

And if people choose to ignore me and wait until last minute, I'm not going to stress about it. I'll make sure to include in my informational letter that if they don't book at our resort, they'll have to pay a fee for a pass for every day they want to hang out at our resort, including the wedding day.

I'm really going to try for as stress-free an event as possible. We just want people to come and have a good time, drink, swim, tan...all the good stuff! I really, really want to do the donkey cocktail hour after our ceremony...I think that would be a blast! I told my fiance about it and he was like "SOLD!" haha.

I didn't even see/notice the Sky Garden Gazebo location...I'll have to ask about that. Is it listed somewhere on the website? I've heard the beach can be a bit windy, esp in the time of year I'm going, and I don't want sand being flung in people's eyes...that would be a party foul for sure.

I do think a lot of the "add-ons" are pretty expensive, but I'm guessing that's the case for most resorts. I'm going to try to keep things as simple as possible to keep costs down. I'd love to just get a bunch of wildflowers from a market in Puerto Morelo for my bouquet and my bridesmaids, since the cheapest one from the resort is like $60...but I don't know if they're even available.

@Taylorwd...that's so inspiring. Can I ask...what did you do for exercise? That's definitely my sticking point. I do GREAT on the diet, but I just can't get motivated to work out!

Oh my gosh that's so exciting! April will be here before you know it. I hope everything is as beautiful as they make it look on the website. Are you getting married on the beach? Did you get the "free wedding" package??

Hey ladies! I'd love to join this group. I've got another 30 pounds to get to my goal...although I'd be happy with 20 I've been doing Weight Watchers for 12 weeks, and have lost 10 pounds, but I haven't done any exercise. Honestly, I'd rather set myself on fire than exercise.

 

My goals are: drink LOTS more water, start exercising!, and get back to tracking regularly.

 

I wish all of you beautiful ladies luck!!

Hello all you lovely ladies! I have spent almost the entire day reading through this thread...I'm home sick from work today I'm getting married on January 31st 2011 at Azul Beach. Tiffany (uh oh) sent me all of the paperwork/dinner/ceremony options today and I was immediately overwhelmed so I ran straight here to get some insider info!

 

I'm sure there will be many frustrations down the road, but I'm a really laid-back bride, so I'm just going to try to remember to enjoy my day. I want a big, fun, sassy party for all my friends and family.

 

Anyway, hello from a newbie in Washington State!! I have a feeling I'll be here lots

Thank you everyone! I will definitely join that thread.

 

@Exadiussgirl...I'm guessing we'll have about 20-25 people at our wedding, so fairly small (which is how I want it!). My travel agent recommended this place because it's really intimate...he says the service is top-notch, has a great beach, and great food!

 

I started making my invitations yesterday. We're sending them out waaay early, but since the hotel is on the smaller side, I don't want to worry about people not getting enough notice to book their room. I'm sooo not creative, but I went to Michael's craft store and they have so many beautiful things it was hard not to get inspired!

I am soooo excited. I FINALLY booked my wedding for January 31st, 2011. I am so relieved to have finally picked a resort and stuck with it. I swear, every time I thought I had a resort picked, I'd read something about it that either didn't work for my wedding, or just didn't sound good.

 

Now I'm just counting down the days until January! Hooray!

So I switched my location over to the Riviera Maya, because we want to honeymoon on Cozumel and that will cut down our travel time. I'm booking at Azul Beach for Jan 31, 2011...soooooo darn excited!

Thank you Maureen. That's a lot of really helpful information. I don't think she's ever really done a DW before, or if she has it's been awhile!

 

And I kind of had a feeling about prices not being out yet, which is totally fine...I just hate getting the run-around and being told one thing and then not being followed up with. If she just told me in the beginning that prices would probably come out in March, then I would be ok with that...I'd continue my research on my own end and just wait until that time.

 

Do you think I should send her a check for her time spent thus far, and find someone else to work with?

I'm in a bit of a sticky situation. My parents have a travel agent that they've used for lots of family trips in the past (especially cruises...apparently they're her specialty?). She's become a sort of a "family friend"...I've personally never met her, but my parents think she's the greatest. I thought...awesome, I'll use this travel agent because she's done so many great trips for my parents and I thought she'd really take good care of me while planning my DW.

 

Simply put, I think I was very wrong. I first got in contact with her back in September, when I decided on a DW in Puerto Vallarta. Bear in mind, I've never used a travel agent and I have no idea what's "normal" or not when dealing with them, which is where I need some help.

 

My wedding is January, 2011. I knew when I first decided back in September that prices wouldn't be out back then for 2011, but my TA assured me that they'd be out in January of this year. She sent me some recommendations for some places, and I started my research.

 

January rolls around, and I haven't heard from my TA. I'd been in e-mail contact with her in the interim, asking the odd question here and there about the process, and let her know that I'd like prices as soon as they come out so that I can get my STDs sent out to allow guests to save up $. Three weeks ago, I e-mailed her again to ask about prices. She said she would get in touch with her wholesalers, and get back to me early the next week. Well, the next week rolls around...Friday comes...so I e-mail her again and ask if she'd heard back yet. She calls and tells me that she forgot that she was supposed to get back to me, and that the rep at the wholesaler suddenly had to leave town for a family emergency, so my TA passed the details on to this rep's coworker to get a bid. She would have something for me by Monday.

 

Monday comes and goes...so Thursday I e-mail her again, asking if there was any word yet. She called me and said that she still hasn't heard back, she's waiting on three other wholesalers, and starts this long spiel about which wholesaler is picky about flights, etc etc etc. I really didn't understand a word of what she was saying because she was talking about these companies as if I was familiar with them, which I am very much NOT. Basically, at the end of the conversation she tells me that she'll definitely have prices by the end of next week.

 

So here is where we are. I feel like she's a bit of a flake, in all honesty, and I'm scared crapless that she's going to flake on some big detail and my wedding is going to be affected. I've told my mom about this, and she admits that the TA is a bit of a "ditz", but she makes it happen in the end.

 

Am I wrong to be nervous?? How do I get myself out of this awkward situation? I don't want there to be any hurt feelings or friendships ruined, but I also feel like I deserve a great wedding and to feel confident in the person helping me arrange it.

 

Your thoughts Sorry for the novel...I'm naturally wordy

Hey Sunshine! Welcome and congrats! Where in Washington are you from? I live in Marysville

I swear, every time I think I've found "the" place, I hear something about it that makes me change my mind, or it's too expensive, or...you get the picture. I'm hoping to have prices next week, and I think I'll make my decision at that point *hopefully* and stick to it

This is the most frustrating thing ever, isn't it?? I want to know the prices now!! My travel agent said she might be able to get prices from some of her wholesalers this month, so I am on pins and needles until they come out.

Wooo hoo congratulations! That's got to be a big huge relief!

 

I *hate* hard alcohol, so I'll leave the shot-taking to you and others But I will have a fudgsicle in your honor!