carolina24

oh my goodness, we really had such similar weddings!!! i got my hair flower at clairs too, lol!! great minds think alike! Briannarae23 ...I would definately find a way to have a reception. we had soooooo much fun eating together and dancing the night away, and it was our way of thanking our guests for spending their time and money to come celebrate our wedding. it might come off as a little rude if you just tell everyone to go eat and meet up later that night. maybe you could do a semi-private dinner at one of the restaurants like we did for our welcome dinner. we were charged $15 per person (including tax and tip) and still had tables set up for all of us to sit together. i chose the entire menu for that night b/c i wanted to print cute menus, but claudia told me i could chose the main entree and each guest could chose the app and desert they wanted. you wouldnt be able to have a dj or dancing in this case, but you could always go to the little club after dinner and party. our actual wedding reception ended at nine and everyone went upstairs to change and we all met up at the club and partied till 2am, we had a blast!! jana...the package calls for 90 mins to 2 hours, i emailed juan directly before the wedding and he agreed to come to my room 30 mins before the ceremony to take some "getting ready" pics. DH and I decided to add 2 hours to the package and we're extremely glad we did this!! we ended up with 150 printed pics and over 1200 on our cds! they are AMAZING!!!

Thanks!!! i LOVE LOVE LOVE our pics! Juan and Daniel are FANTASTIC!! yeah, it sucked but in NO WAY did it take away from the actual wedding!!! like i said, claudia made it all up to us and on our wedding night, she had the room decorated beautifully i know its easier said than done, but try not to worry too much...best advice: make sure you bring EVERY email down with you so that you can dispute things if you need to! we spent our HM in Secrets Maroma Beach (AMAZING!!!!) so I can't comment on a Dreams HM, but the 4 days we were at Dreams, we had a great time and the staff were soooooo nice and always willing to get you anything you needed! i bought everything for our centerpieces at wal-mart, garden ridge, michaels, and joann's fabrics and just took it down there. Cecilia had quoted me way too much for what i wanted, and we ended up saving more than half!! i really liked them and i got to make exactly what i wanted. i bought bubble-wrap at wal-mart for the vases and checked them in a suitcase. the flowers were in a carry-on.

ladies...since i started this thread, i felt compled to write a final message, lol! congrats to all of us!!! the last year has been amazing and for me, all of the planning and stress and worry paid off! we had a perfect wedding with our closest friends and family. the food was great, the pics are gorgeous our HM was perfect and best of all i LOVE being a wife!!!! i hope all of you are doing just as great and wish you all many many many happy sept anniversaries to come! love you!!! carolina, aka mrs t

We got married a week before the wedding at the court house and i can honestly say that i'm soooooo glad we did this!!! it was just us and our parents so it made it really romantic and meaningful. the whole time we were planning our wedding, i kept saying that i didn't want the courthouse to take away from the wedding in cancun and that it wasn't gonna be a big deal....but in the end it was a big deal. when the judge was talking and we started repeating the vows, it really hit me that i was going to be his wife, it was really exciting!! HOWEVER, this didnt take away AT ALL from the wedding!! I had been working on our ceremony for a while and all the planning, the dress, the waiting, it all made the cancun wedding amazing! i'm really glad i got to have both expiriences, and i didn't have to deal with the hassle of the "legal" part in mexico. i say go for it!! sorry, havent been on for a while!! 1. flowers....plumeria's wedding flower boutique. Roberta is AMAZING to work with!! she answered my emails right away and really took time to understand exactly what i wanted. there are a ton of pics on her site and i chose a bouquet and tweeked it to make it perfect for me. plus i love love love that i get to keep my bouquet forever! highly recommend!! http://www.plumeriasweddingflowerboutique.com/ 2. i tipped claudia AFTER the wedding took place. we gave her $100. we had negotiated the sound system for the wedding beforehand so we didnt pay for that (you MUST have this if you're getting married at the gazebo, MUST). I noticed when we walked to the lighthouse for our pics, that she had decorated the garden area for the cocktail hour with those big white flags that you see in some pics. i was told before that these were extra, but we didn't get charged...prob b/c of all the issues we had with cecilia. 3. Cecilia: i called ONE WEEK before the wedding to ask questions about an email she still hadn't answered, and this is when she decided to tell me that she wouldnt be there for the wedding! WTF!! she also told me that she would foward everything to claudia so that she (claudia) would know what was going on. this NEVER happend!! when we sat down with claudia for our meeting, she had the wrong time for our ceremony, which meant the wrong time for the cocktail hour and reception. she had our private welcome dinner scheduled as a rehearsal dinner on the wrong day; this meant she had to scramble to find a restaurant that would accomodate all of us and still be semi-private, since that is what we were paying for...she also had to make sure that they would make the dishes Cecilia and I agreed on b/c i printed specific menus for the guests. when we checked in, our room wasnt' decorated AT ALL like the pics you see on this forum. no towel swan heart on the bed, no petals, no bottle of champagne and fresh flowers on the table...NOTHING! cecilia failed to mention that this is no longer a part of the package and you now have to pay for the petals and such; if she had let me know, i could have opted to pay for this since i'd talked it up so much to my DH for a year....or i could have fought it since when we signed the contract it was a part of the package!! either way she should have communicated this! final straw: cecilia NEVER booked our dj!!! i happend to check my email at 1am the day of the wedding and i had an email from dj mannia asking me when and where our wedding was taking place!! later that morning once i woke up claudia called my room and explained to me that she assumed we brought our dj b/c cecilia never specified one. i explained to her that cecilia told me we could ONLY use dj mannia (even though i found a cheaper one) so obviously when i requested a DJ, i assumed that was the only one that would be booked!! claudia once again had to scramble to fix cecilias f-up and pulled some crazy strings to get the dj there on such short notice, i mean we're talking like 9 hours later! i know several brides on here have had great experiences with cecilia, but too many big things went wrong for me so as a former b2b, i would recommend that you switch to claudia, lol!! 4. i brought 4 boxes of petals (i think 300 count each) in white and fushia. but i did trade for extra petals b/c i wanted our guest to be given petals to throw at us and i wanted tons of petals on the aisle (it was super windy so many flew away,lol). like you know, i brought my bouquet so i traded the one in the package for 2 BMs bouquets. DH didn't want a bout, and neither one of our moms wanted corsages so i traded all of those for bags of flower petals. we ended up having tons of petals, it looked really great, better than the pics, lol! anyway, good luck with everything!! if you have any other questions, ask away! it just takes me a bit longer now to answer b/c im soooo busy at work and taking a class on the weekends, but i promise i'll get back to you

hey ladies i was getting ready to post my review after working on it for 3 hours with tons of pics and every detail and i got a message saying: error98834747 you don't have permission to post. I'm so pissed off right now. I know it's not any b2bs fault and i am truely sorry but i will not be spending any extra time working on another review. you can go on and check the resort section for my overall ratings of things and a link to the photog slideshow. in the end i'd do it all again; the wedding was amazing and i had the time of my life! can't say it enough, but juan navarro (and Daniel) and alex gonzalez (mike cantarell) were amazing! Jill Demers (TA) and Cancun Transfers (private transport) also amazing! if you have any questions, ask them on this thread, please don't PM me. sorry i'm such a downer, but i'm just really really upset about the review. like every mrs says...please try not to worry too much, in the end it all works out just the way you've dreamed it would...even better!!!

I tried to add Mike Cantarell Videography to the vendors review section and it wouldn't let me. I promised Alex that I'd write a review on here so.... I tried to write a review on BDW, but it wouldn't let me...just wanted to say THANK YOU for the amazing video. Alex Gonzalez was absolutely wonderful to work with. We could not be happier with the final product. This video is something that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. You've captured every moment beautifully. I love the video and the slideshow that you put together. Alex, you are extremely talented and I am so glad that you were there on our special day!!! Thank you again from the bottom of my heart! Carolina Tompkins

shae: i was looking for the pic you had of the gazebo with the fabric panels from ikea and it's no longer available...if you get this, could you re-post pretty please!! i really want some fabric for the gazebo and i remember thinking yours looked great, but i can't remember exactly what it looks like so i can give cecilia an idea, lol!! thanks!!

thanks for all the support ladies!! i've pretty much just let go of all the stress and worry about guests!!! Â omg, we're all coming and going and getting married... this is just crazy!!! Â when i started this thread last year, it felt like time would go by sooooo slowly! and now it's here and i feel like i need another two months to get everything together, lol! picked up FI's ring on mon and that was CRAZY--makes it real (not that it wasn't already, but you know). Â sooo, bachelorette/bachelor's parties on sat, FI's parents get here tues, we go to the courthouse fri, our parents leave for cancun sun, and we leave weds i can't believe it's all happening. Â we're all gonna be really busy these last few weeks, so just in case i'm not on here much till after the wedding....good luck and congrats to all of us!!! Â

definately get your TA on this!!! this is your wedding your talking about and you have to put your friendship aside!! there must be something she can do. maybe the BDW TAs can chime in on this one...post the question in a TA thread. either way YOUR TA is definately responsible for doing the leg work, that's what you get a TA for in the first place!!!

thanks ladies!!

make sure you check off EVERYTHING for the day of...shoes, dress, veil, shoes, hairpiece, flowers, jewelry, garter, under garments...i'm putting all of these things in my dress bag!! except the shoes but those will go in my carry-on. could you imagine if your luggage got lost!!!!! Â sooooo....one of my bridesmaids cancelled on me yesterday! THREE weeks before the wedding, WTF!!! i know it's a lot of money, but i gave them 14 months to plan and save for this trip. i told them each up front that if they thought there was ANY chance they couldnt afford it, then i would completely understand and i would miss them, but it would be ok for them to not be a BM. all three said, no we're definately coming no matter what. and now, so close to the wedding, one of them bails?? and this is one of my oldest friendships....we've been friends for 10 years!!i don't understand how you can commit to being in someone's wedding, not as a guest but a PART of the wedding, and then just say you can't go...three weeks before the event. Â on another note: i wanted to surprise FI with a business class upgrade; just got off the phone with Delta and the lady was trying to charge me $950 per person ON TOP OF the $350 we already spent on tickets!!! i'm sorry, but i've flown business class before and it is NOT worth $1300 for a 2 hour flight!!!! especially when the flight isn't even half full!!! when we went to cancun last year at the same time, they were offering upgrades at the gate for $70 per person (this was airtran though). has anyone ever tried to upgrade delta tickets at the gate?

awwww yay!!! congrats!!! :)

just like the girls have posted, it's not about your FI at all (unless, he's said something and then you do have bigger issues)...it's about you and how you feel about yourself. just remember you'll have pics of your wedding FOREVER!!! so, if you feel great about the way you look in your dress, then don't stress over those extra pounds. but if you're going to look back and say "i should have put the extra effort into it", then i say yes, you really do need to do it. Â over this past year of planning and looking at tons of wedding magazines, i've seen pics of brides of all shapes and sizes and no matter what, they look beautiful....it all depends on how YOU FEEL on that special day!!! Â good luck!!

1...dont' be surprised if people give you hard time, try to make you feel guilty, or flat out bitch about how "selfish" you're being for not inviting their kids. like the ladies have said, it's YOUR wedding and you don't have to have ANYONE there that you don't want to invite. just make sure that you are firm in your decision and dont back down!! trust me, i've had "friends" stop talking to me b/c I wont let them bring their "plus-one, met you yesterday, f*ck buddies"!! so you can just imagine how some people can be about their kids!! Â 2....you are not expected to pay for ANYTHING except food and drinks at the reception; whether you decide to offer a 6 course meal or just apps and cocktails is entirely up to you!! Â good luck with the planning

No, my resort (Dreams Cancun) doesn't charge for any set up. You give everything to your WC during your initial meeting and they take care it. I'm taking pics of how I want things set up so that we can have a visual...plus we have enough people going so that we can spread everything out b/t us and we won't get charged any overweight fees at the airport. Â it was worth it for us b/c we wanted to spend that extra money on things like photography and changing resorts for the HM. it just depends on how you want to divide your budget

btw ladies update on my horrible experience yesterday... Â claudia sent me an email answering all my questions. and gino also responded saying he will definately be at the rehearsal but it'll cost $60...small price to pay for peace of mind, lol!! Â also, the dreams people finally responded to the girl on fb so hopefully they fix things for her. Â well 23 days!!!

i also started thinking about all the tips and what to do about that and my mom actually pointed something out...here, you tip people that don't make money directly from the service you are receiving. ie servers don't keep any of the money from your food bill, hair stylists don't profit from the salon, etc....so you obviously tip these people. Â the photog charges a fee that allows him or her to make a profit from their services. this is the same for the dj, the videographer, the mexican trio, the minister, etc. Â we've decided to tip the WC, the waiters, and bar tender. we will however, include the photog and the dj in our guest list so they will have something to eat during the reception. Â what do you think ladies? and photogs/videographers feel free to chime in please!!

thank you so much chris!!! i really hope that everything youre saying comes true in a few weeks, so that i can come on here and reassure all future Dreams brides...right now it just looks bleak, espcially after what was just posted on fb by a recent bride. oh well, like you said I cant change anything now so I have to stay possitive!!! Â my cups came in yesterday and they look great!!! i'm working on my planning thread ladies and i'll be sure to post a link on here when i'm done (dont know about you, but i still havent' gotten used to the new forum) Â btw...just wondering if there are any new reviews from recent brides....might help calm my nerves, lol!! Â thanks again!!

ditto here...even my some of my "family" has shown their true colors. my mom's friend hosted a shower for me a couple of weeks ago and my aunt (moms sister) was an hour and 45 mins late AND didnt even apologize to me, my mom, or the hostess. then this past sunday my MOH hosted a shower and 10 people cancelled on her the day before. she had already bought food, arranged everything it was horrible!! i felt so bad for her. she was mostly upset b/c she felt like she had failed me somehow. i told her those people can shove it and ive cut ties with them. now theyre all asking me about the bachelorette party next weekend (of course they all want to come since there is alcohol involved) i simply told them that the invitations had already gone out and if they were invited, they would have already recieved one. sorry about the rant, now for the confession: Â i confess that yesterday i had a meltdown, first one in over a year of planning, and i was seriously considering scrapping the whole thing. family is bitching b/c of the recent incident near cancun, wedding coordinator SUCKS a big one; im really over the whole thing. ive been so excited about everything this whole time and now 3 weeks before my wedding and i just want to get it over with.

i forgot to tell you guys....my flowers came in!!! i LOVE them    Â

ladies we get married THIS month!!!! Â

here's the one cecilia gave [email protected] i haven't heard back from him yet though. Â as for your appointments, you should definately call. adrian dong at the salon has always answered my emails promtly. i've had my confirmation number for months now and in the email it says you (the guest) have to call and re-confirm your appointment a week before the wedding, using this number. Â btw ladies, i saw some of mikes videos on fb and they're awesome!! however i don't like how gino (minister) has the bride and groom hold the mic while they are exchanging vows/rings. he also walks all over the place which i assume is so that the couple is always facing the guests but that just not what i pictured. i want FI and I to face each other and have the minister behind us like in a traditional position. also the ceremony papers are hard to manage because of the wind, (and gino just has them in a paper folder) so even though i emailed my ceremony, i'm now planning on taking a laminated copy inside a hard binder for him to use. Â ANYWAY since Cecilia hasnt answered my emails in FOREVER, i called today (more about this later) to see if gino could be at the rehearsal the day before and to voice my concerns (the need for a microphone stand or a taller table for the minister to put the ceremony on while HE holds the mic). she says that if they use a mic stand, then it would show up in the pics...well guess what?? when the bride and groom are holding the mic WHILE trying to put rings on each other's fingers, the mic is obviously going to be in the picture!!! it didn't seem like she was too interested in my concerns. she kept saying that we could just switch the minister; which is NOT what i was saying. i mean we're paying all this money for stuff, including the minister's service (which in my case and many of yours, is simply showing up and reading something that WE completely wrote, especially since its a symbolic ceremony!!) and she can't even get the minister there the day before?? Â AND (this is the "later" part) i tell her that we get to the resort around 2 pm on sept 22 and ask what time we should have our meeting that day and she says "oh i'm probably not going to be here that whole week." WHAT?!?!? W T F!!!! i've been dealing with this person for over a year now and if i hadn't called today she wouldn't have even said anything about not being there. she's going to give claudia all of our emails and such, but come on!!! it's be nice to know when you're less than a month away now. we got off the phone and she emailed me right away to see if it was ok for us to meet claudia at 10 am....OH! MY! GOD! I JUST TOLD YOU FIVE MINUTES AGO THAT WE DONT GET THERE TILL 2 PM!!!!!!! and this is NOT a language barrier type of thing...I speak spanish! Â I have been soooo patient with dreams this entire time, but today was just too much ladies. if we werent so close to the wedding, i promise i'd be switching resorts...it makes me so sad to even write that but it's honestly how i feel; with 3 weeks until my wedding the whole situation really sucks!!

you looked HOT!!! mine's in 2 weeks and i still can't find a dress!!! ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

beautiful pics!!!!! congrats

hi ladies sorry it's been a while but i've been really busy with work and the wedding. i see questions have been answered, just wanted to give you my input...  1. the new pics are nice!! and you can definately use the chiavari chairs, but it'll cost you...cecilia quoted $3/chair!! as for pic #5 if you look really closely at the bottom right, you can see the tips of the barriers, just wanted to point this out so that we can make sure photogs know to use the right angle so that you see mostly the beautiful water. i also love the fabric; i was trying to picture what it would look like now that the pillars are so much wider than before. can't remember who's wedding review i also saw it in, but she got her fabric panels from ikea and they looked nice and were probably much cheaper than going through dreams!!  2. I don't have claudias email b/c i deal with cecilia but here is her's [email protected] i think claudia's is the same except without the "1" btw, cecilia hasn't gotten back to me either and we leave in 3 weeks!!! i'm over being stressed about it, i'm sure it'll all work out in the end  3. centerpieces...we bought everything here (wal-mart, joanns fabric, michaels, hobby lobby, etc) and saved sooooo much money!! cecilia was qouting $40-$60 per table and we got EVERYTHING for 6 tables AND the gazebo for $250!! it's a big pain in the ass to bubble wrap and pack everything, but it's worth it! i wouldn't recommend shipping stuff there b/c i've heard stories of things getting lost or stuck at customs, etc.  4. trades...not much help here b/c we're keeping almost everything, lol. but cecilia is giving us the sound system for the wedding since we're getting married during the slowest month. we are kind of "trading" flowers...  5. flowers...i bought my bouquet from roberta (plumeria's wedding flower boutique) they got here today and i LOVE them!!! i'll post pics in my planning thread. we aren't using the flowers included in the package as intended but we're still keeping them. ie, the bride's bouquet and the flowers for the sweetheart table will be turned into 3 smaller boutquets for my BMs. the bouts, corsages, and flowers for the ceremony table will be used as flower petals for the aisle.  on another note...i emailed the minister our ceremony script today and i got an email from mike (videographer) last week. everything's coming together, can't wait!! Â