Lindobride14

Hi my lovely ladies! How is everyone? I tried to catch up on the new posts, but just quickly scanned through them. We should be getting out profesional pics from Ivan Luckie any day now. He sent me a teaser bridal portrait this morning (my new profile pic!) Anxiously awaiting the rest -- especially our TTD pics! Mike Cantarell should be mailing us our wedding video any day now as well! Glad to see all the new brides! I'm Tara and we got married two months and two days ago (but who's counting) at the Del Mar. If anyone has questions for me, please don't hesitate to PM me. I don't have internet access at the new job, but I do check emails on my phone and it's easier to keep track of PM's than forum posts. Well, just wanted to send a quick hello! Take care, chicas. Tara

Hey Erin aka my fellow newlywed!! So glad to hear you had such a wonderful time! I cannot wait to see your pics. I don't have FB though so I hope you post a link to your album! SOOO friggin crazy about your best man!! What a freak accident! I don't know if I told you this, but we had a running joke that people were dropping like flies like the movie Final Destination during our trip as well! My mom rolled her ankle in the room the night she arrived and was unable to walk. The entire trip we had to push her around in a wheelchair. After thinking it was just a bad sprain, she just convinced her doc to order an MRI and found out she has a fractured cuboid (it's a bone in your foot) She is STILL off of work a month later. We almost killed one of John's groomsmen when we jokingly (all right, drunkenly) tried to hoist him up onto the wooden horse in the shopping center. We gave it a little too much lift and he flew right over the horse and landed on the pavement with a sickening thud. Then my brother-in-law's ears (both of them) mysteriously started bleeding. We were like WTF are you having stigmata? Hilarious. But I must say your Best Man takes the cake on injuries. He lost 15 teeth?!! Is he going to have to get a whole set of implants or what? Anyway, just wanted to send you a quick congratulations!! Best of luck to you and your husband (it's weird saying that word, right?) in your new life together! Tara

Erin- You said it very well. I was a wreck more times than I'd like to admit, so much so that FI was actually scared of me at times Haha but he was always there to lend the shoulder to cry on and to make my worries seem trivial. That's the man you marry. Although all us destination brides sweat things like travel costs, selecting the right resort, dress, flowers, photographer, the list goes on, the single most important thing is that you're making a LIFE commitment to the man you love. What everyone thinks of your wedding truly doesn't matter. I started repeating the mantra 'life goes on after wedding' whenever I got too David Tutera with my wedding planning. Erin, have a wonderful time!!! I know you will!! If a girl can't have an amazing time on a tropical vaca with all their friends & family that would never under any other circumstance all been on vacation together surrounding them, check for a pulse! You will look back at this trip and want to relive it over & over again, so savor every moment of it! Couple last pieces of advice: If any family member or anyone upsets you or brings you down while you're there, just breathe and let it go. I let my dad upset me over something and in hindsight let it stress me out way too much on our special day. Having that many people there with you, someone is bound to complain about something, the beds are too hard, the tour operator ripped them off, Yada, yada, don't take it personally!! And while it's fun being the center of attention all week, there will come a time when you get a lil exhausted and want some alone time with your man. Give yourself that time. Tour guests can amuse themselves for a few hours without you:) Can't wait to hear from ya & see your photos when you return! Safe travels! Tara Â

Sent you the link for the photos, Nucci. The hot apps during cocktail hour was an additional $6 per person. The sides we went with are detailed in my previous post. Yes, there's two open air restaurants at the Del Mar, but one's like a snack bar by the pool. If you're having your reception at the open air restaurant, it's the same one. Gosh, I can't believe our wedding was last week at this exact time!! Wish we could go back in time and do it again! Originally Posted by nucci Welcome back!!! Thats SO exciting!! Thanks so much for all the advice and i cannot wait to read your final review and see pics! I would love to see some of the pics you have now!! Can you email them to me?? [email protected] How much extra was the food during cocktail hour?? Are there 2 open air restaurants at the del mar? I know that's where our reception is but didn't think that was the name. What other sides did you go with?? YAY you're married!!!!

Hi Erin- First off DO NOT STRESS about the weather. The 10 day forecast was showing not just scattered showers but thunderstorms on almost every day before we left and the weather was perfect! It did rain the night of the rehearsal dinner (night before the wedding) but nobody cared because we were all inside eating at the Japanese restaurant. Other than that it was like 80 degrees and sunny for almost the entire trip. Bring a light sweater because it does get a lil chilly walking home from Galaxy at the end of the night LOL. The sides that we requested were a cubed potatoes with like a basil pesto in them and the veggie was a roasted tomato and zucchini with parmesan. We asked for these sides with both the salmon and the steak. However, when the steak came out, to my surpeise the sides were different. I was PO-ed at first but once I tasted it to was way delish. The cut of meat w.as more like a beef tenderloin, a thicker cut of meat that was extremely tender (almost like a pot roast) It was served over a bed of roasted potatoes and it was all covered in a yummy sauce. I really can't describe what the sauce was like but it was great. Everyone said it was the best meal all week. I don't think we had any cold apps. The shrimp cocktail served in martini glass was served cold obviously but I think that was an upgraded appetizer. I'm, not sure what you get with the standard cold apps that come with the weddig package. For the pres suite, when we called the front desk they day after the wedding to find out how much it was for an additional night, they said $300. We thought about it and said no thats too much and hung up. Then we called back a few minutes later and they offered $200 and we accepted. So definitely bargain with them! I tell you though, that room is so worth the money! We were staying at the Lindo for the entire week before the wedding and slipped the guy a $50 at check in and he winked at us and upgraded up to a "honeymoon suite" there. It was a standard room with an extra pull-out futon. Nothing spectacular at all!! Then the next day when my sister and some other family members arrived they put them in the rooms right next door to us which were identical to ours for no additional charge! We so got hosed! When my sister and I checked into the pres suite at Del Mar the night before the wedding, I was on Cloud Nine! I was dancing around the groom and taking pictures of everything LOL It really got us excited for the wedding the next day! You will be SOO pleased with DJ Doremixx,. He throws an awesome party! The only thing I should mention is that if you want a few slow songs played, make sure to tell him that. We danced our asses off all night, then at the end of the night, we were like "wait a minute, there were no slow songs." Some of the older crowd might miss that. Sucks about your favors! Hope you get it all straightened out! I had heard about things "diappearing" in the mail if you try shipping ahead. How annoying. Thats what a girl gets for trying to be organized and think ahead. Well, I hope you found this helpful. I will PM you the link and password for our pics. Tara

Hey Girls- I am completely shocked to here about this new photography company starting February 1st, especially seeing that I was just there! The $300 charge to PhotoCaribbean is not anywhere in the contract that we all signed, much less the newly imposed $500 fee. To be honest with you, we did not pay any $300 fee. I had heard previous posters say that Photo Caribbean was calling their room demanding their $300 (For doing absolutely nothing!!!!) They never called us and we certainly never brought it up. We DID have to pay a $50 guest pass for the photographer and his assistant on both the wedding day and the day after for the TTD session so they did squeeze a cool 200 bucks out of us. Maybe we just hit the jackpot because they got rid of the old photographers and the new ones don't start till Feb 1st. I don't know. If I were you girls though, I wouldn't make a stink about it on email. I would just avoid them once you're there. There is nothing in writing saying you owe this. They do not have your credit card number. I would just not answer their calls and not show up.

Hi ladies!! Well, we're back!! Our wedding was nothing short of perfect. It was a dream week. Every guest kept commenting on how the place is a paradise and they don't know how I planned such a beautiful wedding from hundreds of miles away. All I can say is: any worries you ladies may have about your wedding here, throw it out the window. It will be more wonderful than you can even imagine. I don't have time to do a planning thread or full review at the moment but I'll touch on a few points briefly: First, if you're getting married at any of the Iberostar properties, have your reception at El Faro, the open air venue at the Del Mar. It is the best party atmosphere and perfect ambience. I cannot recommend it enough. Second, whatever you do, GET DJ DOREMIXX!!!! Numerous guests were commenting that this was the best DJ they have ever heard. Our cousin was even inquiring what he would charge to fly him to Chicago for an event. He brings out props like masks, glowsticks and long skinny white balloons which sounds cheesy but really gets the party going. People that arent the most confident dancers like having a prop. I never left the dancefloor once. Not even to get a drink Haha. He's that good. Trust me. He transitions one song to the next in such a way that you never want to leave. Third, tip your chef before the wedding. THe food at the resorts is GOOD but it's not GREAT. Hey, it's an all inclusive. the chefs here do so many weddings that if you want preferential treatment you have to give them an incentive. We really wanted our wedding dinner to be a bit classier than the food we'd been eating throughout the week so we asked Karla to meet with him beforehand and we tipped him $200. THe food was much much better than that which we had sampled previously. THe steak was served over some roasted potatoes with a really good sauce. It was the best steak I had all week. Everyone remarked that the salmon was delicious as well. We really fought for some different sides other than the corn on the cob and baked potato they were offering and I'm very glad we did. If you dont' ask for changes to the menu they won't offer it. We also paid extra for hot appetizers to be served during cocktail hour and they were delicious. If you go this route, get the shrimp cocktail served in a martini glass with pico de gallo and lime, the chicken wings, empanadas, fried calamari, and mushrooms with cream cheese & caviar. They were all delicious. What else?? Oh, the romantic dinner on the beach was simply phenomenal. Those of you who did the Mac Daddy Package are in for a real treat. it was the most romantic date we've ever been on. Make sure to bring your camera. The Presidential Suite at the Del Mar is off the chain! We did not want to leave after our wedding night so we ended up paying the upgrade to stay in the Pres. Suite for our last two nights. I stayed in the Suite with my sister the night before the wedding and we all got ready there the morning of the wedding. If you're seeking an outside hair/makeup artist go with Trevor from Waves Playa and Adrian of Stying Trio for your makeup. My makeup looked amazing and stayed put even through the following day during our (very splashy) TTD session! PM me for their info. Lastly, If you havent chosen a photographer yet, Ivan Luckie did an amazing job. He is a true artist and takes very creative shots. I haven't seen any pro pics yet, but I am confident they'll be beautiful. If anyone's interested in seeing some of our guests' photo albums, I will PM you our snapfish photo share site. I wouldn't change a thing about our wedding. My best advice to you ladies is don't waste another minute stressing out about your weddingl Your guests will be telling you it's the most fun wedding they ever attended!

Hello ladies! Well, we leave on Sunday!!!!!! Can't believe it's here! It so doesn't feel real yet. OMG I'm such a wreck! We had a death in the family over the weekend. Our best man just bailed on us yesterday due to financial reasons (understandable but he handled it completely wrong) Another story for another day. Oh, and to top it off, the weather forecast shows rain almost every day we're there. AAAAH! I'm off all day today so I've been working on last minute tasks and packing of course. I think we will have 6 suitcases when it's all said and done -- Three for our clothes (combined) and three full of wedding crap!! Our favors are maracas which are pretty bulky and cumbersome to pack. They took up a full suitcase. Our placecards are starfish -- very breakable and not very space efficient either. Then all the OOT bag stuff . . . but oh well, that's okay, everything turned out adorable. If I wasnt on the brink of a meltdown I'd take photos of everything and do a planning thread. I'm just not that organized apparently I'll try to snap a few photos of everything so I can post when we return. I'll definitely give you girls a full review. Wish us luck!

Merry Christmas, ladies! Miss chatting -- started a new job on Monday and there's just not enough hrs in the day. Our wedding is in three weeks -- AAHH!!! Have a blessed and healthy holiday & new year. XOXO

Hi there, Can a mod please contact me about removing some photos I posted? I started this thread a few weeks back: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/thread/66041/my-bd-proofs-are-in-warning-you-re-about-to-see-a-whole-lot-of-me I need to remove the images because (like an airhead) I posted images that were proofs and have a "do not copy, do not use" watermark. I was just so excited to get the proofs and didn't realize I needed to wait for the photographer to send me the edited, final images before posting. Can someone please take these down for me or instruct me on how to do it? Many thanks!!

Hey! Thanks for asking! It was such a blast!! My sister did an amazing job. The suite was decorated in a "naughty or nice" theme. Guests either got me a naughty or nice gift and put it on the corresponding table. (lots more naughty haha) We had that spa company come to our suite and give us manicures, pedicures, and facials. Then we had a sex toy presentattion which was totally hilarious and I got like 200 bucks in free merchandise! After that we got ready and went to the club. We went to Enclave, which is a super posh club and played great music. We had a table with bottle service. The girls started writing down "tasks" for me to do on cocktail napkins. I had to perform each of these and get it on camera. First I had to do the tootsie roll with a guy. Then get a guy to buy me a drink, kiss a bald guy on the head, have a guy serenade me, have a guy dip me on the dancefloor. It was embarassing but hysterical. And in the process we met a bachelor party from vancouver and hung out with them all night! But enough about me, I cannot believe you have broken bones in your back, lady!! Omigosh. How did you fall? Which vertebrae are fractured? I have never broken vertebrae but I was in a very nasty car accident years back and I had a shattered pelvis (broken in 5 places) and 4 broken ribs. So I feel what you're going through. The road to recovery sucks. I bet it hurts like hell any time you cough or sneeze or laugh, right? At least that was my experience with the ribs. I imagine the same would be true if it's your upper vertebrae. I laughed out loud about the bride hat at the gym . . . hilarious. Good luck to you. You're one tough cookie! Sooo. . . I also quite my job yesterday!! What is wrong with me doing this 5 weeks before our wedding?!? But I was offered a position with the State of Illinois and I just couldn't turn it down even though the timing sucks. I was previously working as a freelance court reporter for a small mom and pop agency and I am super close with the owners. (They were actually planning on coming to Mexico for the wedding) As much as I loved working for them, I was in essence self employed, paid my own benefits. save for my own retirement, wouldn't have maternity leave, etc. etc. So I went over to their house last night announced (shaking) to tell them the news, and it could not have gone better. They were very upset, we all cried, then laughed, then had a few beers LOL! They wished me the best and said they understood and that I can always have my job back if I hate it. Im' just so relieved because this has been weighing on me a long time! This job I am accepting with the state is a real 9-5 job with government benefits, a pension, paid holidays . . . things I have never had in this field! So I'm being sworn in by the chief judge tomorrow at 10am! I can't believe this is happening! AHH! Quote: Originally Posted by radiochic10 Tara- How did the bachelorette party go!?

Hannah- I hope it's not snowing too bad in January, I want everyone to get there with no flight delays!! haha To answer your question yes, Reyna does handle Lindo weddings. Reyna is the wedding and event sales executive. She handles the sales portion for all five resorts. She takes your deposit and then once the contract and deposit are complete, she turns you over to our resorts's WC. Not sure why that portion was skipped in your instance, but hey, at least you have an extra grand in your bank account for a few more months. haha Don't worry. Lily and Mayra are fantastic wedding coordinators. I was sad to switch because I loved them so much. I met with Lily at our site visit in July and she's incredibly sweet. If you have things backed up through emails, my expereince is they will stand by their emails. I had an issue arise very recently and luckily it was all documented through email so there was no harm , no foul. I am glad that they do everything via email for that reason. That being said, if you wanna dot your I's and cross your T's I would call Reyna. I was having a bit of delay with emails when I initially booked so I bought a calling card and spoke to Reyna directly. I think that may give you the peace of mind you're looking for. Her direct number is 52 984 877 2800 ext.8009. Her email address is [email protected] Hope that helps. As for the perks you mentioned such as at Moon Palace, I've got no secrets for ya. I have heard of no special bonuses for guaranteeing X number of guests.

Hi girls! Just wanted to check in. Hannah, yes, you need to put down a deposit. I would email or call Reyna directly since she is the one that takes the deposit. I originally booked my wedding through the Lindo, and am now having it at the Del Mar, so I know from experience that both resorts do in fact require the deposit. If you need her contact info, you can PM me. Erin, I am right ahead of ya . . . we're getting married on Januaey 22nd! I dont know if you feel like me, but this week it dawned on me that we are at the 6 week mark until we leave and I thought to myself "Where the bleep did the time go?" With the holidays, it's totally going to be the blink of an eye, and there the wedding will be!! I have had all the big things planned for months, but I am finding that a lot of little things have snuck up on me. A lot of scrapbook-y type projects like making placecards, table numbers, tags for our OOT bags, welcome letter, photoshare card, favor tags, program fans . . . I could go on and on! I made a list this week and filled a whole sheet! In other news, my bachelorette party is this weekend!! It's gonna be a total blast. My sister's planning the whole thing. All I know is we're having like a pre-party at the Swissotel in downtown Chicago where we'll be spending the night. There'll be food, drinks, and she's having one of those "beauty on call" companies do spa services in our suite, manis, pedis, massages, etc. Then we're going to get ready and go out to some clubs. Super excited that one of my best friends is flying in from NYC. It'll be a really fun crew that's coming out. Cannot wait!! Oh, and the theme is little black or red dress. I'm wearing an incredibly tiny black and white dress!

Congrats! Its so exciting when guests finally book! Would you mind sharing the group rate you were able to secure? We tried going the group rate route and the savings weren't happey with the rate they offered, so our TA said we should book individually through funjet apple and other carriers. Just curious as to whether we would have been better off going with a group rate instead.

Thanks for the encouragement, ladies! It actually went really, really well. I was not uncomfortable whatsoever . . . and I'm happy I went with a male photog like you said, Bonnie. He had a great eye for positioning and posing. I cannot wait till I get the proofs on Thursday!! From the previews I saw at the shoot, I have a feeling I will be very pleased! If any of you are considering it, but are self-conscious about certain areas of your body, honestly JUST DO IT!! The way they position you feels ridiculous -- butt pushed WAY out, back completely arched, all your weight on left leg, move your hips all the way to the right, etc, etc. -- but seriously looks like wow!! That cannot be my body! I saw a butt shot of me that I could have sworn was Miranda Kerr! hahahaha . . . and trust me, I may be a small girl, but I have always had some cellulite/firmness issues with my lower body. They really know a woman's body and how to make it look its best! Really makes me wonder just how "flawless" these victoria's secret angels' bodies are in person. LOL I will post some of the PG-13 rated photos in a few days. Murmel, good look and have fun next week!