bigboponthebeach

These came out wonderfully Amy and this was a brilliant idea!!!!

I stay away for about 2-3 days and it takes me two hours to catch up here! Ummm, yeah....lessoned learned and I won't let that happen again! LOL You ladies are BUSY! :-) Before I start responding, I have a couple questions for you previous brides: 1) How far away from AS are the local markets/vendors in order to purchase Mexican trinkets and such for the OOT bags? Are they within walking distance or is AS smack dab in the middle of the jungle as I read elsewhere? 2) When and how did you ladies chose your reception site, especially since they say there are two weddings per day? Did you get to select the site or was it chosen for you based upon your party size? Also, how do they decide which wedding party gets first dibs on the reception site? Thank you so much for helping me sort out the confusion that is settling in about the details. :-) Quote: Originally Posted by thefuturemrslutz http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...invites-61664/ These are beautiful and you did a WONDERFUL job! Quote: Originally Posted by chong Question... did you guys wear spanx under your wedding dress? My designer is telling me I MUST wear one in order to look flawless under the dress... but I am not sure where to buy one. He knows someone who sells nice spanx and costs around $200. Do you think it's too much? I don't want to buy a cheap kind and end up regretting when I see the pictures. Any recommendations? I bought a pair of spanx last summer for a wedding I was in at Nordstrom's. I'm not sure if that is near you but I know I paid less than $100 retail for the one that goes down to right above your knees and connects to your bra. Hope that helps you some! Quote: Originally Posted by amandamarieb Oh girls! I went away for three days and you left me with so much to read. I caught up and hit all of my multi quotes and then it didn't work. So much to say but will have to go back and do it some other time. I just got home from work and am baking cupcakes for my son's 1st birthday tomorrow. So bittersweet. The birthday, not the cupcakes:) In terms of looking for updated packages...I really use this site as my measure. One of you girls mentions a sweet deal, I try my luck and ask for it. Sp far almost 3k saved. Hoping they will let me downgrade to free wedding package which (after adding on flowers) should be at least another $500-600 saved. I know I'll spend it elsewhere, but better than throwing it away on "extras" I will not use. Happy Birthday to your baby! What a memorable milestone! I too am BEYOND appreciative for this forum and all that it has taught me! I haven't tallied up how much we are saving, but I imagine it is a pretty penny! I am a frugal girl, so I feel you on feeling great about all the girls here and their invaluable help and tips!!! Quote: Originally Posted by Mahalo79 Hello Ladies! Well, I just wanted to say hello and say that I am waiting for our date confirmation at Azul Sensatori, then it will finally be official and I'm so excited! I am so happy to be able to talk to other brides from A.S. My date would be April 25, 2011. I thought things would seem easier once I picked a resort lol, now we seem to have many more things to do, wedding packages, getting guests to pay on time to get the right rate etc. I feel like I might start driving my friends/co-workers and family crazy with wedding talk so i am happy to have this forum, you all know what I am going through! Welcome and Congrats!!!! Quote: Originally Posted by MaggieandJay NUMBER ONE! ADD me to the date list! I have in writing confirmation for 3pm on May 15th 2011 FINALLY!!! I am so HAPPY. Congrats on getting your date solidified, Maggie! I know that is a great feeling!!! Quote: Originally Posted by ~Nicole~ I don't know who was asking about Tiffany or what the story was behind her, but she was my WC and she was dumb as F***. Seriously I thought that chick was going to give me a stroke. Nicole, you get me weak! I love your honesty!!! Quote: Originally Posted by beaz2be PPS - It's my birthday today and I just looked at my profile thing on the side and my age has changed. BOO! haha Happy Belated Birthday, Beaz!!! Quote: Originally Posted by gingerlover36 PS my FI told me today that he hated the color combo I have been doing. Thanks love for this tidbit that would have been helpful when i showed you the color board 2 months ago! I luckily haven't done much but did have everything envisioned a specific way and got samples of invites and stuff like that. I'm sorry....this would have made me let out a loud obnoxious sound at him. LOL Not a curse word, just a peculiar sound. LOL Hopefully you guys can come to an agreement on a nice color scheme. I've actually recently seen a really nice blue and green beach wedding that I never would have thought of but loved. PM me if you want the link and I will scrounge it up again! Quote: Originally Posted by KittenHeart He said, "wow! It was really good, you should be a makeup designer!" I don't know what a makeup designer is but I'll take it as a compliment. That is too funny! MEN!!! Gotta love them! Quote: Originally Posted by Mahalo79 Thank you for the welcome ladies! I read about 25 pages of this thread last night and already am feeling better about planning. Now I am going to try to find some more info on the Free Sweet package?? I know I have lots more to read! Bear with me as I learn my way around here. We've all pretty much got the scoop on this now if you haven't got it covered yet. My TA said to qualify for that package you need to book a minimum of 7 nights for you and FI and also have 15 additional nights booked by your guests in any room class and you are golden for the Free package. Hopefully that helps! Quote: Originally Posted by *lyndsey* Hi All, I've been away on holiday for a week & have had to catch up with my reading on here! We booked our wedding at the beginning of May and sent the wedding pack away about 7 weeks ago....we were told it would take a maximum of 8 weeks but still do not have a confirmed wedding date. i am so stressed already, there are 40 of us in total flying out & staying in mexico for 2 weeks for the wedding. we have one big party for thr family and then others booked separately as couples. on the family booking 2 of my friends booked on it as they were both bridesmaids and it worked out cheaper for my sister to pretend one of her kids was in the room with them. anyway one of my friends has now told me she has to cancel (long story) its not really her fault but i think she should have thought things through more when booking. now there is around £800 extra to be paid as it messes up the rooms. my fiance & I will end up having to pay this i feel stressed out & my weddings not even confirmed! ahhhhh lynds x What day will your wedding day be? Quote: Originally Posted by MaggieandJay I am hoping this photo thing I am about to do works! I have 2 blind from birth poodles. Xander and Leonitis. Xander is the big one and Leo is the little one! We got them from a rescue here in Houston. We took Xander because I am a sucker for special needs. 3 years later the same rescue called us up and said we have another blind dog, would you like it. I don't dress them up very often but the Dog Groomer will do it during the holidays and take their pics for a small fee. She is going to take a pic of them in Tuxes for my favor card! Your story of your doggies just warmed my heart. Quote: Originally Posted by MaggieandJay I ordered my invitations today!!!! I am so happy with them. I must have worked on them for a total of 3-4 hours playing with font and wording and size but I really like them! Let's see 'em! Let's see 'em! ;-) Quote: Originally Posted by kortneysmith I am freaking out just a little. My WC was Cecile. After several emails with no response I called and they told me she was no longer with the company. I spoke with a man who said he was the manager and now I can not remember his name. Have any of you ladies dealt with him and if so, do you remembe his name? He said he was going to email me my new WC's info but I have not yet received anything. I tried to call today and was on hold for 30 min with no response. My wedding is in October and I need to make some decisions and FAST but can not do so due to the change in WC. Oh, what to do? There are a few of us in this same boat. Several of my emails have gone unanswered by Fabio about who we have been reassigned to since Cecile has departed. As I told another bride, I will be happy to share as soon as I hear who we've now got. In the mean time, I hate to say it.....but we've just got to excercise the virtue of patience as much as it sucks. :-( It will all work out, we will just lean on each other until the kinks are straight! :-) Quote: Originally Posted by mmc1105 Ohhh and Bop I forgot to tell you, I bought a Canon dslr at the beginning of this year... Don't even get me started on how much I LOVE it Giiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrrl, I am a Nikon feen!!! I refer to my DSLR as my second child. LOL I am very protective of it and I keep it nearby at all times. My daughter will tell me to kick back and relax with all of the photos of her. ;-) "Mom, enough please!" is pretty common for her, especially around soccer season when I deploy the rapid shot on her! LOL I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE cameras and even tried to enroll in a JC course this past semester but it was full. :-( Do not get me started on my love for DSLR's! LOL Quote: Originally Posted by beaz2be I'm not working with Faye, but for what it's worth finding out about the reception locations was the one thing for me that took AGES for a response. (well, felt like ages anyways... probably only a couple weeks) I am at the stage of trying to figure out where our reception will be held. How did you decide or arrive at your selection? Also, have you already had your reception location confirmed by your WC?

This thread was dead and then came back to life! LOL We too have informed our guest that they are welcome to stay wherever they please, however they are responsible for the day pass. Rather than spend $100 per person for our guests day passes, I would rather take them on an excursion or put that money towards hosting an activity for them. Since we are not asking for gifts, I consider a day pass their issue, not ours.

Beautiful pics! I love his deviation from the norm of beach shots and his creativity! I also love the pic of your hubby's face as he looked at your BD pic. Precious!

Wonderful Lindz!!!!! You are very cretive and talented! You did a great job and I'm sure your invites will be well received by your guests!

Great job! I love your logo as well as your use of the seahorse! Very nice work!!!

What a sensitive situation. I think jerseykitten's suggestion was great. Hopefully everything smoothes over prior to your AHR big day. I'm sorry.....:-(

You and your family are in my prayers. No parent should have to bury their child, so my thoughts are especially with your parents. May God or the Higher Power you believe in, be with you all!

I just asked this question in my reply to Chong, but in case it is glossed over....Does anyone know if there are any criteria or special requirements needed to qualify for the Free Sweet Wedding Package?

Quote: Originally Posted by beaz2be OH YES IT WILL!! As for the largeness of my group - I blame FI and FMIL... he figured that since it was in Mexico "no one would come... invite them anyway just to show the gesture that we'd like them to be there" hahahahah!! No one would come!!! raaaaaaaight. Seriously tho' I am excited about our large group - it suits us to have all our family and friends with us - and having a wedding that suits your personality is what it's all about right? oh gosh - don't get me started on my TA... she is NOT going to get my recommendations after this I don't think. She is not going above and beyond by ANY stretch. (grr. Sorry ladies; I'm trying really hard not to have a crusty day... not much luck tho) That's what having a wedding is all about....is having one that reflects you as a couple and if your family and friends are your circle of love, well then so be it!! :-) I think it is wonderful to share your special day with those that are near and dear to your heart, regardless of the number. It's all about the two of you and what works for you! We purposely chose to keep our count small because I wanted to have a reception, but I didn't want it to be huge. My father is one of eight and if we would have invited all of his siblings (as well as my Mom's) and their children and in some cases grandchildren, we would have paid a down payment for another home. Financially that was one of the reasons we chose to have a DW, is to minimize costs and avoid entertaining folks we weren't bananas about. LOL And my father's side has some that I am not bananas, nor crazy about! ;-) Quote: Originally Posted by KittenHeart Just try not to get frustrated and treat your WC like she’s on your side and you’re both together battling Loma’s (that’s how it ended up with Kiara & I) she helped me out SO much I invited her to my wedding, LOL  If you can get the two of you teamed up against them, they don’t stand a chance, so to speak. Be very polite, clear and determined with your wishes to your WC, just know that that is the person that speaks to your vendors on your behalf. Lots of photos help and follow up with stuff, ask for dimensions and photos etc. I asked for months to get the dimensions of the vases I was renting, only to get them a few months before my wedding to find out that they were FAR too small. I’m glad I persisted heavily on this or else I would have been very disappointed that my orchids stems would be shooting out of the vase, not submerged and no floating candle because the opening was too small. Toss any replies up here or PM them to me and I’ll give you examples of what I would say back if you want Also, you won’t have any trouble with hurricanes at the end of May, I promise, you’re in the clear! You’re welcome If you don’t like your TA now, it only gets worse. My biggest regrets was not switching TA’s when I originally wanted to and gave him “another chance†like my DH suggested. So if you’re unhappy, switch now! Thanks so much and I will keep all of this in mind! I will also possibly take you up on that offer if things start getting hairy. Now to just find out who has taken Cecile's place......;-) Oh and completely agree with you on the TA thing. We have already switched once and it made a WORLD of a difference. When our first TA used to call, I didn't even want to answer the phone and would make FI. I second yuor motion to switch if you are initially displeased! Quote: Originally Posted by chong No, I told me TA about the free sweet package and that I wanted that package for my wedding. She called Carolina (WC) and got me the package! Like I said... my TA is awesome. I go through her if I am not sure how to get it myself. She has been the best working the details out for me. Who is your TA? Did you go through Destination Weddings? That is what drives me nuts! My TA mentioned nothing to me about it until I mentioned it to her. At first she said it was not applicable to AS brides and then said she would have to review it. I pointed out to her that for once it was applicable to AS brides and I emailed her just the free sweet wedding pdf. She asked, "Where did you get this from, I didn't think this was available to the public yet." That really irritated me because it conflicted with her inital statement. Either you heard of it and you cannot disclose the details yet or you haven't heard of it, not a combo of both. I def didn't feel like she was in our corner at that moment. I asked her what the criteria was to qualify for it and she said she wasn't sure. This further annoyed me because she is a pretty experienced DW.com TA. I decided after that converstation that I would take it up with the WC and just push our TA out of that loop since she didn't seem concerned with assisting us. Do you know if there are any special requirements needed to qualify for the free sweet wedding? Quote: Originally Posted by dstinationdrmr I just wanted to point out how much I learn on here.... I was watching Top Chef Wednesday and saw the seasoning that AmyB is using for her AHR! Never heard of or saw it before this. I think it's because I'm from NO and we have our own local seasoning. Who knows? And, I watched Big Brother Wednesday (or maybe it was Tuesday) and one of the houseguests was trying to spell journeyman to win a challenge. I was like "I know what that is now!!" It's sad how the silly things make me happy these days. That is funny! And the sad thing is, when you start connecting things in your "real" life with those of the forum....when you say them out loud, like, "Oh, I heard about that on the forum!" people look at you like you're crazy. LOL I find myself referring to the forum frequently and my close family and friends look at me like I'm visiting the underworld. LOL

Great job! Everything is wonderful!

I'm beyond sorry to hear this and understand your frustration and disapointment. I totally agree with the other girls....think good mojo and YOU WILL find someplace even better to meet you needs and criteria! Best of luck to you!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by msmarmar123 Here's another promotion to ask your TAs about....mine just emailed me and told me that we qualified for a free room upgrade because we booked within 10 days of the Karisma webinar that we took. We are saving a little over $1000 on our room...PLUS...TA and Kiara are working to see if we can qualify for the Free Sweet Wedding Package...1 of the qualifications is 7 days in the Premium Suites...we are doing 14 days in the swim up junior and they are trying to get that approved...so..that would be another $2500 saved....This is a good day Thanks for reminding me of this! During the webinar I took a print screen shot of the webinar with the date and such so that I could keep it in my file in case the room upgrade ever became an issue. Great suggestion! Quote: Originally Posted by KittenHeart HAHA! I hope I didn’t come off too pushy, these freakin’ people sometimes are just so rote about the rules and nothing seems contiguous so I figured, eff it, I’m spending a lot, I’m bringing them a ton of business, I’m gonna get what I want. The key was being vague and overly nice. I’d love to plan your weddings, I want to get into it, just don’t know where to start! I think you need someone to fight for you and work out the logistics, how fabulous would it be if all you brides could just sit at home crafting and creating your beautiful day instead of having to argue with the rules and whatnot. You’re welcome! Haha, man I’d do the same thing if I were you! CSI is totally unrealistic but back in the day, good stuff! I love the First 48 too, I get so frustrated when they don’t catch them =/ Kiara is a WC in Miami, offsite, you do have to finalize everything with your offsite coordinator, basically filling out the spreadsheet which you can ask them to send you at any time. I saw like 50 different version of my spreadsheet. Kiara in Miami negotiated with Lomas for all the stuff I mentioned before. The onsite wedding coordinator can’t change prices but know you’ll be working with people from Lomas as your onsite coordinator. So work it all out with your offsite coordinator BEFORE you get there. Be vague and know that they are working for you. Tell them what you want. I told them I wanted the free wedding package and they gave it to me no questions asked. Don’t ask their opinion too much, they’re opinion isn’t the cheapest route. I’d trust Kiara because she was amazing and really gave it to me straight and worked hard for me. I didn’t tell her details and she didn’t ask. I’m also pretty sure that anyone could just walk onto the property and no one would stop them and ask for a day pass. For restaurants they just ask for a room number and your name, no wristband or anything, pretty laid back there. For integrity purposes I don’t recommend cheating them persay, I was honest and paid my vendor fees but they don’t need to know any more than that. I was quoted $250 for my Manzanita branch, I could have bought a Manzanita TREE for that price. I told Kiara, “no way, write them back and tell them I just bought one in downtown LA for $10†I’m behind, I need to do my review! DJ Mannia was good, he played a few songs I asked not to but it really wasn’t a big deal. They brought lights and set everything up and even brought a separate MC for announcements. I even found an expired promo for them and asked them if they’d extend it to me, which they didn’t but they discounted me a little just for asking, never hurts to ask Thanks for this advice. I didn't want to become pushy, but I will become politely pushy to save money and contribute those funds to other wedding related expenses. I have been quite timid throughout this process thus far because I didn't know what to expect and this truly feels like unchartered waters. I'm taking copious notes to get these plans all right. I just wish everything was more fluid and consistant and their answers were solid. But I digress, it will all work out! Quote: Originally Posted by msmarmar123 I'm pretty sure they changed that...because I think I was told that I was able to change my wedding package up until final payment was due. Thanks for sharing this! I will be using this sentence as I downgrade my way into the free sweet wedding package. :-)

Quote: Originally Posted by beaz2be I think it has to do with the different tour operators that book the trips from the 2 different countries. But seriously, why would they be almost identical packages but only the USA one was available at AS?! Hmmmm, very frustrating and I'm sorry to hear they are excluding AS from your options. Not cool...... :-(

Tons of pics and great ones at that! Thanks for sharing!

It all looks wonderful!!!! Thanks for sharing the links to your great Etsy finds! ;-)

Quote: Originally Posted by vlynnw that's very cute! Thanks vlynn! Quote: Originally Posted by hockeymom97 Thanks for posting the bigger picture. Very cute! Thanks hockeymom! Quote: Originally Posted by Lolita29 bigboponthebeach - the pic is much better and really like them. Too bad you're not that happy with them, but like i said before, i'm sure your guests will love them. They're really nice! Yeah, the printing on them just didn't look very professional to my eye and I kinda felt like we could have made them ourselves, but I digress...they are done and out! :-) Plus they were cheap so I am consoled in the pocketbook. :-) Quote: Originally Posted by Canadiansandy bigboponthebeach - much better pic! and i really like them! they are beachy and elegant at the same time, and i like the raffia across the front Thanks Sandy! I LOVE raffia and want it to be a big part of our theme. Thanks a bunch! :-)

Quote: Originally Posted by beaz2be Argh! I'm so frustrated (sorry if this is a bit of a rant). I've been going back and forth with Carolina about what wedding package we would qualify for, as well as promotions (since you ladies all mentioned the bride & groom stay free). So, she sends me the link. But it's only for USA brides. (I'm Canadian and although my fiance is American he lives here in Vancouver w/ me - but 1/2 our guests are coming from the USA... so I don't understand if we could still qualify). So... she sends me the link to Canadian promotions. And there's a GREAT Canadian bride & groom stay free promotion - - it applies to every Karisma hotel EXCEPT AS!!! aaaargh. I'm hoping that we might be able to negotiate out some kind of combo of the two promotions or something?!? Anyone around here had any luck with their negotiations with the WC's at Karisma? I just want what I think is fair - since it seems to be offered to almost every other bride. And I'm in kind of a bizarre situation with the Canadian/American stuff. Suggestions anyone? TIA I'm not help here, Beaz because I am in America, but I had a quick question out of curiosity.....why do the packages differ for Canada vs. America and why does it matter to them?

Quote: Originally Posted by KittenHeart This is the thing with this... it's not even really that true. Their policy is fluff and each WC for Karisma says a different thing. Amy Frommert (Afrommert) was told she couldn't have a DJ from Mexico, I hired DJ Mannia from Mexico and there was no issue and our weddings were months apart. I was nervous when I told the onsite coordinators about him but they accommodated him with no question and even let him onsite for a few hours the day prior to pick out his spot at my reception and he was treated wonderfully. I did pay the $500 outside vendor fee, but I'm POSITIVE after having been there now that you could hire a Mexican photographer, whoever you wanted for that matter. Do you really think that your photographer is going to show up at your resort ON your wedding day and they are going to say, “Oh you’re Mexican, sorry leave.†No way, that’s just not going to happen. Know this AS/AB ladies, when you work with your coordinator whoever they are, never ASK, never! Just tell them, "I'm bringing an outside DJ & Photographer, please make note on my details sheet" they don't need details they don’t need names or the color of your vendor’s skin. Another example, I wanted chiavari chairs, they quoted me and I said, "no, that's too pricey" and Kiara negotiated them down twice for me to an actual reasonable price for the chairs and pads on them. I got my cake negotiated cheaper as well. We negotiated my manzanita branch down 4 times as well. Managed to get my reception area approved regardless of the fact that didn't meet the minimum requirement of guests. Just know that the outside WC's jobs are to control and coerce you into using their vendors since they make more money that way but once you get to the resort, they pretty much won't say no and they truly bend over backwards for you. My whole philosophy while planning my wedding was to not really pay too much attention to the offsite WC, I knew if I was told something couldn't be done, I'd hold my tongue and mention it onsite, I got everything I wanted and more. So chin up girls, if you want it, know that it can be done! Okay help me understand the process here please.....I thought we had to finalize all of our details and payments with the Miami WC's prior to arriving? Is Kiara at AS or in Miami? I thought AS WC's had no say about prices and that was all solidified prior to our arrival. Help me understand here please, because I'm ready to start negotiating! ;-)

Quote: Originally Posted by daniepps My TA was notified and she notified me. I had Tiffany but now I have Fabio. Thanks Dani! I've been really curious about Cecile's whereabout, being that I have a pending email that went unanswered. I asked my TA about Cecile and and as much as I like her, she had no clue. So being my "NEED TO KNOW NOW" self, I emailed Fabio. Hopefully I will hear back from him soon. Quote: Originally Posted by murmel I feel for you and the male dominated enviroment. I work with over 300 men, to 27 women (13 which have only joined in the last 3years!). At least I don't have the military side of it, just the old boys club The shift work is always hard, but it just means when you have family time, you really take advantage of them! Oh Honey, I hear ya....the goold ole boys network is alive and kicking here! I've seen some stuff happen that I know I would have been disciplined for had it of been me. :-) I'm really professional at work and we have one guy who literally has personal conversations loudly in his office while having his booted toes up on his desk. Myself and another gal are always cracking up because we're like, "If we had our feet up on the desks hackling like hens, one of them would be in our office in a heartbeat talking to us about disrupting the work environment and maintaining professionalism." I just have to laugh about the stuff the good ole boys get away with. ;-) Quote: Originally Posted by KittenHeart Wow, that's so exciting... retirement at 46 I would have a field day with that one! I could totally see how that would be, primarily former military, mostly men and having to not "show your weakness" so to speak with being bubbly and trying to get them to view you as one of them instead of being a woman or having to treat you differently etc. If it's any consolation at all, I absolutely admire and respect you. I have always been fascinated by that field and am addicted to crime/cop shows etc. All D and I have been watching for the last two days are Locked Up, Locked up Abroad and Drugs Inc. haha so fascinating! I love seeing the process and learning the logistics of it all and procedure. The hours do sound terrible though, once I'm home, I'm home and no work will happen which is the perk of my job, there's no weekend work ever so I'm lucky. The official Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1st - November 30th They will let you know via your TA or you can contact Fabio Thanks Amy! I used to love those shows too and they too used to have me sucked in. :-) I can't watch too many of them though because I become overly cynical and make all these pessimistic comments during the show. LOL I sit there and dissect every little thing and I make comments like, "That's so fake or That is not real!" It drives FI nuts to listen to my commentary when he's trying to watch TV! LOL For instance, I can't watch any CSI's AT ALL! When they take a fingerprint and pull up a person's location and personal history on a large screen pc in 10 seconds, I always laugh! But I do dig Locked Up and I am a First 48 groupie!!! LOL Oh and thanks for the info on the hurricane season, how naive of me to not research this. :-( All will be wonderful though! And I emailed Fabio as soon as I realized Cecile is MIA. Hopefully I hear back from him soon. Quote: Originally Posted by beaz2be haha.... ditto the cheering up comment. Don't worry, Memorial Day weekend won't be BAD (it can't... it's our wedding weekend) As for the booking up fast, I think that ours might be one of the big groups they're talking about. Our TA just sent me our list and so far we already have 51 confirmed! But, I'm pretty sure that they also add pressure for people to book early by saying that the hotel's booking up. (I'm hoping anyways, because it would be so disappointing if guests can't come purely because of that). Yes, Beaz.....our wedding weekend will RAWK! I love that word for some odd reason! LOL You are on a ROLL with your group! That is wonderful and I'm sure you will have the best time! You don't have to worry about us taking up many rooms and I assume we are one of the smaller wedding groups that weekend. We only have 21 confirmed as of today, so you are packing 'em in! Quote: Originally Posted by amandamarieb Thanks ladies....well here it goes. Let me know what you think: I like them both! They have a very rustic yet modern color feel to them! Can't go wrong either way IMO! Quote: Originally Posted by msmarmar123 Question for everyone.....what did FI do during the planning process? I like being involved in everything ( I like making the calls..emails...the forums...looking things up) but I am NOT Type A at all...the other day he asks what he can do...and I was kind of t a blank...I let hom start looking for clothes for him and GMs...what else are "safe" things for him to do? I have assigned him tasks.....hate to make it sound like he is a child. But that is the only way I could tame his comments and involvement with things. I saw early on that he was going to cause me some irritation with his comments, so very early on, I picked out things for him to do. For instance, when I started looking at pictures of bridal gowns online and my BM dresses, he started making comments about what he thinks I should wear. I told him flat out, "You don't get to have any say so at all about my dress, so please don't go there." He got the point. I have since assigned him the task of locating and reviewing a DJ and their costs. He is also responsible for locating GM attire. And he is responsible for getting our life insurance policies updated. I only ask his opinion about wedding stuff if I really need it otherwise he will go on and on. Love him, but he is a talker. LOL Quote: Originally Posted by daniepps I really don't have anything else to do with the resort now. All my details have been finalized for about a month. Too bad the change didn't come earlier, but I really didn't have any problems with Tiffany though. LUCKY YOU!!!! How are you feeling being that your ceremony is right around the corner? ? ? ? ? ? Quote: Originally Posted by jazz04 Does anyone see anything different between the pearl and free wedding packages except the bridal and grooms flowers? I too didn't see any difference in the two packages aside from the flowers and a free 5X7 photo. If you are bringing or hiring your own photog, there really is no need for their free photo. And if you totla up the cost of flowers for a bride and groom, they in no way equal $950. Quote: Originally Posted by chong I also asked my TA to sort this out for me. She told me she got us the Free Sweet wedding package My TA is AWESOME! Really? You're TA selected that package for you? I asked our TA if we could have that package and we got this long, drawn out response about how she didn't know if it was applicable to previously booked couples. She seemed to think it would not be available to us because we booked 2 months ago or so. I'm really frustrated with the term of things and how things tend to be so undefined. Quote: Originally Posted by mmc1105 Bop, would LOVE to take courses in photography and graphic design... But for now I'm trying to get enough motivation to start my Masters I appreciate your view on Nursing! I am really proud of my profession, although a lot of times I wish I had a more flexible/artistic sort of job! I'm pretty sure I saw a few pictures of a beach reception at AS somewhere. If I find them, I'll definitely let you know! I'm right there with you! I am itching to tap into more creative activities! I find them to be very therapeutic and I just don't get enough fun stuff in my daily life. I bought a really nice Nikon and I keep saying I am going to learn how to use all of the features on it, otherwise I could have just bought a point and shoot. :-) Oh absolutely, I heart nurses! One of my BM's, whom I've been friends with since Jr. High, is a L&D nurse. Her circle of friends are mostly nurses and I've had several convos with them about their profession. They are all so dedicated, passionate, and knowledgable about their field and I have nothing but respect for nurses. They don't get enough credit IMO. Quote: Originally Posted by dstinationdrmr Does anyone know if I can request this guy?! I've heard nothing but great things about him and STILL haven't heard what's going on with Cecile. OMG!! I feel your pain. If I heard him say one more time, "It's just too much for me to process right now" or "my head hurts, can we talk about this later" or the best one "we have time, I'll go full speed in Aug" I think I would've slit my wrists I had to have a few tantrums and start picking overly expensive stuff to get him on board with planning. When I told him I was gonna order $9 wedding invites his headache went away quick! I emailed Fabio to see what is up with Cecile. As soon as I get a response, I will let you know. Your quotes about your FI made me laugh! Gotta love 'em! Quote: Originally Posted by ~Nicole~ Hi ladies! How's everyone's planning going? Hope none of you are driving yourselves crazy!!!! Wondering if you ladies can help me out? I'm in a photocontest. To win you have to get the most votes on fb. Here's the link: Moments that Matter Photography's Photos - 2010 $100 Favorite Photo Contest | Facebook. Click like on my pic (Nicole & Curt). Or if you don't like it, don't vote for me!!! Thanks ladies!!! xoxo Sure, headed over now to check it out and vote for you. Quote: Originally Posted by amybermuda Del Sol stopped accepting Karisma b/c Karisma stopped accepting them. It sounds like Azul/Karisma is relaxing their Mexican Photographer policy. Or at least that's what some of the past few pages of posts have seemed to me, so I would suggest you ask your WC what the current policy is and if you can use them specifically. When we were selecting a photog, I feel in love with Del Sol's underwater TTD sessions. I often wondered what happened between them and Karisma because that's a pretty severe business move to ban them altogether from your premises. :-/ Our TA took our photog choice to our WC and had she and Fabio put in writing that she was permitted to photograph our wedding as well as the terms of her stay. As many of the other girls suggested, I would have them put whatever their final decision is in writing because they seemed somewhat wishy-washy on what the "actual" policy is/was. Quote: Originally Posted by cjb0arder13 Ok, so I'm gonna talk about the photography thing, because it doesn't seem fair to me, and since I'm no longer staying at Azul Beach, I want to make sure the other brides are informed. Basically, I was told that I had to use either the resort photographers (which I didn't really like) or bring someone from the states with me and pay for 3 nights minimum. I was NOT allowed to use a local photographer from Mexico. I was told this was due to the contract they had with the resort photographers. I put up quite a fuss, as I really didn't like the resort photogs and felt like I was being steamrolled into using them. Plus, my contract didn't say anything about a minimum stay; it did, however, say there was a $500 fee to use an "outside" vendor, but that the vendor had to be approved by the resort first. So basically, they wouldn't approve anyone but their own photographers. After pointing out this discrepancy on the contract, Tiffany allowed me to choose a photographer off of an "extended list" that they use for their El-Dorado resorts. One of them was Claudia Rodriguez (who is fantastic!) so I chose her. She's moving over the Barcelo Maya Palace instead, and her rates are lower for that resort. I have NO idea why they would allow certain photogs for some of their resorts but not others. I just want to make sure that any brides that are thinking of booking at AB or AS are aware of the policy before they sign their contract, so they can decide if it's worth it to them. I still think both resorts are fantastic, but their photog policy kinda sucks (in my opinion) I whole wholeheartedly agree with you here! I wish I would have known about the photog issues and restrictions prior to booking. I'm not sure it would have changed my photog decision, but just to know their policy up front would have been nice. I'm over it now, but I cope with things better when people are honest and forthcoming about things rather than disclosing policies after you have me legally obligated. A good photog was second to a good resort for me, even more important than the dress, so I had a little heartburn as we went through the photog debacle. But it is what it is and we will all have fabulous weddings regardless of who is behind the lens! :-)

Quote: Originally Posted by MaggieandJay Ladies! I had to take a date change for my resort (Long Story) but moving from May 30th to May 15th! At least still in May! I will miss you that Memorial Day weekend, Maggie! I can only hope the other AS brides that weekend are as nice as you and Beaz.

Quote: Originally Posted by hockeymom97 The pic is kind of little on my computer, but from I can see they look really cute!! I like the bow too Quote: Originally Posted by Lolita29 yea, pic is really small for me too but from what i can see i like them. They came out really nice. I'm sure everyone will love them! Okay, I went in and pulled the image from the Etsy seller's site that we ordered them from and hopefully this size will be better. We put very thin square shaped self-adhesive magnets on the back and sent them on out! I'm not crazy about them, but since we didn't plan on taking engagement pictures and I basically described to the Etsy gal via email that I wanted raffia and burnt orange as our theme, they will do the trick. I can't imagine how difficult it will be to choose invites! ;-)

These came out great and thank you so much for sharing our vendor contact info with us!!!!

So I guess my question now is, how and when do we find out who our new WC is? Will they respond to Cecile's email or will they notify our TA who will in turn notify us?

Quote: Originally Posted by hockeymom97 The pic is kind of little on my computer, but from I can see they look really cute!! I like the bow too Thanks Heather! The bow is raffia but came out differently than we expected. (Not in a good way) I was going for a diffrent look, but it is what it is and I guess each STD is unique. :-) As for the size, I don't know what I'm doing here with images! LOL I used photobucket for the first time and when I initally dropped the link in, it was huge! I just knew one of the moderators was going to come by and spank my hand! LOL So I re-sized it and it was too small. I guess I need more practice with photobucket and the forum. ;-)