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hey guys, i just got back from mexico this past saturday. all i can say is eleane is amazing. it's not my place to talk about esman but it was very unexpected and definitely unfortunate circumstances in which he departed. we were actually corresponding with him up until the day before we left (we arrived may 21) and so i was very shocked when eleane found me at one of the restaurants asking that i give her my dress immediately so they could take it away for steaming. i will write something longer later but i just want to say that everything was amazing. the transition from esman to eleane was seamless and she was up to date with everything going on with my wedding. she was amazing and i can't thank her enough for giving me and my now husband the perfect day. yes, it's stressful and frustrating when you have to keep switching coordinators, but remember that if you're stressed, imagine what she's going through dealing with frazzled and upset brides! again, it was an unexpected departure and she's doing the best that she can, which i must say, was pretty damned good. just have faith that it will work out. i promise you that it will! again, our day was perfect, and i am so thankful to eleane for that. at the end of it all, we presented her with a card and a small gift to show her our appreciation for everything that she had done. she got all teary and choked up when she told us it meant so much to her to receive it because it's been so hard for her being alone and handling all this. remember, she's human too. (i know i read about the understaffing and i get that, but i just want to say it again, it was not expected!) i think i'm still really emotional from the wedding but just thinking back to that, i'm so glad i was able to show her our gratitude and appreciation for all the hard work and doing everything in her power to make our special day happen. as cliche as it sounds, (trust me - i hate cliches) it's not about the details girls. it's about marrying the one you love, and being surrounded by all the love of your family and friends. the details are great, but the day will not be remembered by that. people will remember you, and your love for each other. (yes, i know i want to gag reading this but it's true!) as you can tell, i'm a huge fan of eleane. hopefully she's been or will be just as good to you guys as well! anyway, just my 0.02.

Aww. I'm sorry I didn't post it earlier. It never occurred to me until later that people would be in the same predicament. And okay, I admit it, I'm a procrastinator. If you just bought it, is there any way you can return it? Or is it too late to cancel the rental? Not trying to push you at all, just figured it's a win win for us both if you wanted it! And yes, it took me a really long time to get excited that when I started randomly messaging people "MEXICO!" they thought I was crazy. I guess according to them I'm supposed to be excited a lot sooner but it only really started to get real last week at my fitting. I never had a bridal shower so there was nothing that felt "weddingy". And yes, I am so looking forward to my review. I have found this forum so helpful that I can't wait to come back and share what we did!! Congrats to you too!!!!

forgot to mention, we are there from may 21-28th and the wedding is on the 24th.. so for anyone who is there after the 24th. i know it's a slim shot but thought i'd put it out there!

hey guys!! we are flying out this saturday and i am officially excited!! our wedding is on may 24th and i think as of today, everything has officially been taken care of! just waiting for the day to come now! i'm not sure if this is the right thread to post in, but here goes. as my fiance and i are not big on dancing, we opted to bring a sound system that also acts as a microphone to be used during the ceremony as well as the toasts and speeches during dinner. it is a stand alone item that is used for outdoor events. http://www.ionaudio.com/products/details/block-rocker-2010-model - also known as the blockrocker! we will also use it at our bonfire. we figured this is much cheaper than getting the dj and sound system. the most important thing for us was the microphone. i am trying to find out if any brides that will be there after our wedding who would like to buy it from us for their use. figured i'd try to make my money back as well as save someone else the hassle of lugging one of these things down. we purchased it for $140 and would like to get that back. i think it's fair as it will have only been used twice and you save on the troubles of bringing it there, and also $20 that it costs to ship it as a second luggage. if anyone is interested, please let me know!! if no one is interested, i hope this at least serves as a good alternative for the brides who are in similar situations, just want a good mic option for both the ceremony and the dinner. thanks and happy planning.

Hey guys, Just thought I'd share what the standard Ceremony script is there. Esman just emailed it to me. I think we will be writing our own. Its SOOO long.. is this typical? I don't think I'll last that long in the sun!!! On a somewhat related note, we're doing personal vows.. any one else doing personal vows? If so, how long are they supposed to be? Mine's starting to sound more like a speech than actual vows... Marriage Ceremony Introduction I would first like to welcome you to Puerto Vallarta. You have chosen a very appropriate location for this wonderful occasion. We are here today to celebrate one of life’s greatest moments, to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to add our best wishes to the words that shall unite Amy and Jonathan in marriage. Just as two very different threads woven in opposite directions can form a beautiful tapestry, so can your lives merge together to form a very beautiful marriage. To make your marriage work will take love. Love should be the core of your marriage; love is the reason you are here. But it will also take trust- to know in your hearts you want the best for each other. It will take dedication- to stay open to one another; to learn and grow together even when this is not easy to do so. It will take faith- to always be willing to go forward, never really knowing what tomorrow brings. And it will take commitment- to hold true the journey you both now pledge to share together. Marriage is an affirmation of life, an undying commitment, a spiritual, emotional, and intellectual bond between two people. It is created from the purest of friendship, respect and love. The institution of marriage is not entered into lightly, because it symbolizes commitment on every level. Together you will continue to meet the challenges and obstacles of life head on. Marriage is also an adventure in the most intimate of human relationships. It is the mutual commitment of two people sincerely in love who share the same dreams about life. But more than that, it is the intimate sharing of two lives. It is a sharing that does not diminish but enhances the individuality of each partner. Your marriage does not mark the beginning of a new relationship; rather, it is an acknowledgement and celebration, of a relationship that has been flourishing since you met. You must remember that real love is something beyond warmth and glow, beyond the excitement and romance of feeling in love. It is caring as much about the welfare and happiness of your marriage partner as about your own. Love makes burdens lighter because you divide them. Love makes joys more intense because you share them. Love makes you stronger so you can reach out, and become involved with life, in ways that you dare not risk alone. You have chosen to walk through life together. There is no truer statement of love. The choice was not made by any one moment, but by being together you grew to realize that you belonged together and that you fulfilled each other’s needs. You have come to thrive upon each other’s presence, loyalty and wisdom. The foundation of your love is profound friendship. A friendship you have nurtured until at last you realized that you wanted to be together always. The commitment you make today will be the foundation on which you will build your life together. The Reading I would like to share with you a reading that I find describes what married life should be based on. THE ART OF MARRIAGE ~ Author Wilferd A. Peterson ~ The little things are the big things. It is never being too old to hold hands. It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day. It is never going to sleep angry. It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through all the years. It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives. It is standing together facing the world. It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family. It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy. It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways. It is not looking for perfection in each other. It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humor. It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow. It is a common search for the good and the beautiful. It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner. Declaration of Intent Jonathan & Amy, I invite you now to clasp hands, as you listen to your vows to each other. The hand offered by each of you, is an extension of self, just as is your mutual love. Cherish the touch, for you touch not only your own, but another life. Jonathan, will you take Amy, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, from this day forth? Will you love, honour and cherish her, in good times and bad, in sickness and in health? Will you forsake all others, and be true to her, for as long as you both shall live? (I will) Amy, will you take Jonathan, to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, from this day forth? Will you love, honour and cherish him, in good times and bad, in sickness and in health? Will you forsake all others, and be true to him, for as long as you both shall live? (I will) May you both remain clear and true, to the important nature of these vows, and may you return to them frequently. Your marriage should be about the reaffirmation of these vows, day after day, year after year. In the future, happy occasions will come, as surely as the morning. Difficult times will come, as surely as the night. Looking back on your vows will help your relationship and family to persevere through the hard times and dance in the sunlight of life. Presentation of the Rings These rings are a symbol of the unbroken circle of love. It is also a symbol of the sun and the earth and the Universe, of wholeness, and perfection, and peace. These rings mark a long journey together. Wear them proudly, for they are symbols which speak of the love that you have for each other. Jonathan repeat after me: Amy, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. With this I wed you, and commit my life to you. Amy, repeat after me: Jonathan, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. With this I wed you, and commit my life to you. Sand Ceremony Jonathan & Amy, today you join your separate lives together. The two separate bottles of sand symbolize your separate lives, separate families and separate sets of friends. They represent all that you are and all that you’ll ever be as an individual. They also represent your lives before today. As these two containers of sand are poured into the third container, the individual containers of sand will no longer exist, but will be joined together as one. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so will your marriage be. Amy and Jonathan, if there is anything you remember of this marriage ceremony, it is that it was love that brought you here today, it is only love which can make it a glorious union, and it is by love which your marriage shall endure." (Signing of certificate) (Final Blessing) And now, for as much as you have made your vows, each to the other, and have declared the same, by giving and receiving your rings, It is with great honour for me to now pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may kiss your bride.

Hi, I got quotes $300 as well. Granted, he told me that without asking how many people were going. This was just a few days ago. I'll let you know if that cost changes now that he knows we're having approximately 30 ppl. Hopefully not. I never really asked the price - more of asked him to confirm the $300 if anything.

I was having problems too but Esman has been great. I sent an email on Saturday and got a response today. Our wedding is May 24th.. not sure if that makes a difference.

hey guys, so good news to report. i emailed esman about our deposit and he responded the very next day saying he would process it. i'm not sure if it was the URGENT in the heading that did it or if it was him being so responsive but i'm glad that i can get answers when i need them. the actual deposit still hasn't come out yet but it's only been two days. and sarahben2011, sorry i don't know anything about the times either. i'm looking at having the same timing so hopefully someone can comment. our ceremony's at 4:00 actually..

uh oh.. now i'm really worried. a total of 26 of us booked and paid in full december 1st. nothing has come out on our card. okay i am sending an email right now!

hey sorry. i see how that was confusing. i was talking about dreams pv.. i haven't tried to contact Le Kliff. I guess I will email Esman and hopefully they will take the deposit. I'll let you guys know how that goes. Thanks so much!!

that's too bad that you won't be going with dreams... i was actually thinking about going with le kliff too.. i'm getting pretty frustrated with their lack of responses. i've sent two so far and no response - is there something you're doing that is making them respond? our wedding is may 24th so in a few months and they still haven't taken the deposit for the wedding. i know they confirmed the date is booked but i still feel a bit uneasy since they didn't take a deposit for the day. is my wedding still too far away for them to be taking the deposit? the other thing is that i was originally dealing with samantha.. i think she's the group coordinator. should i just be emailing the new WC Esman now instead? i honestly am pretty easy going about everything but the whole deposit outstanding thing makes me a bit stressed. i think the only reason i'm not going with le kliff is because i really like the gazebo at dreams pv.. and i think it would just be easier.. but who knows?!

Okay, maybe this is another newbie question but can't you just go to the beach yourself and just party there? Or does it become off limits or something? Instead of having like a dance/party after our reception, we were thinking of the bonfire and just having some music playing on an ipod and if people want to dance and 'party' they can still do so. I've never been to Mexico or an AE before so maybe I don't understand the concept.. does the place shut down at 10:30 or something?

Thank you so much gowiththeflow!!! I thought I saw that somewhere but it never was mentioned again! I will pm you my email! What a relief! The fiancée is livid about paying 500 for the photographer to come on site! And dreams2011 that's so great to hear!! I would so much rather the hotel do the make up as it's just so much easier. I know bridal hair and make up is included but does anyone how much it costs to have it done for your BM? I have 4 and only need hair since one BM is a hair stylist and will do hair. Again thanks guys!!! Were getting married end of May and I figured I should start looking into these finer details and stop holding off. Â

Hi guys, I know there was a thread about this a long time ago but I didn't really get a response to it and I've tried searching but nothing's come up. I recall reading somewhere that there is a $500 fee for an external vendor. I've been following this thread closely and it hasn't come up again. Can anyone that has recently gotten married confirm if that's true? If so, is it $500 for per vendor? We have booked our photography with Karla Benitez, of PV and for some reason, I recall something about anyone that is local only having to pay the day pass. Also, I was planning on booking a make up artist to come in and do all of my BM's make up. Surely, there's no cost for that? Would I have to pay a daypass for the make up artist to be able to come into the hotel? Sorry if these questions seem silly.. but I really appreciate any input anyone could give me with their recent experiences!

Here is the response I got from Samantha. (She replied within 24 hour so I gotta give her that!) Dear Mary, the reservations code you have is for an agency this number is is not yet on my system, a couple of months before the date the agency send the recaps with all the informations, they have secure the dates with us but we do not have “names yetâ€, explain in a way As I explain you before, you have your locations secure, we will apply the charge a couple of months before the wedding … best Samantha Navarrete Storey Now that say that in the context of her email, I'm wondering if that's what I'm doing... how would I get the confirmation number for the resort and not the TA's? I guess either way, the date is confirmed. Quote: Originally Posted by allyson779 So we were thinking the same thing... how it was so silly because we are trying to give them money and they wont process it! In the end...it was our fault! (I was super embarrassed) I kept giving the confirmation number from our package deal (that our TA uses) and not the confirmation number for the actual resort. So long story short they could not find us in the system....you might want to double check that you are giving the confirmation number issued by the resort.