murmel

Hello ladies! Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe holiday season!

Hello ladies! Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe holiday season!

The Azul Beach, is one of the smallest of the Karisma resorts. So if you are looking for a private feel this is perfect. We had considered Azul Beach for our wedding, however they were still in the middle of renovations, and I didn't want that mess. So we choose their sister resort down the beach, the Sensatori (slightly larger at 440 rooms, and a few extra restaurants). I know they had started the renovations about 3 years ago, and the main parts (lobby, restuarants) are complete. I think they are still upgrading some rooms, but I am not sure. This should not disrupt much though. The Azul Beach is a family friendly resort, and so you should be aware they are very targeted to making a family vacation wonderful. If you will be travelling with adults only, you could also consider the El Dorado Royale. This is adult only, and hence a little more upscale and quiet. Overall, the Karimsa resorts are a great choice. My husband and I travel a lot, and we are always impressed by their service and quality of food. ( take what you see on TripAdvisor with a grain of salt. A lot of people don't seem to understand that things don't happen as quickly in Mexico, as they do here. Remember to relax and go with the flow. I could not have asked for a more perfect wedding. And it was so relaxing and easy going for me, not having to do any of the work once we arrived in Mexico. They seriously took care of everything for us. The online WC in Miami can be a little slow to respond, but once you are in Mexico, the on site WC are amazing and professional! They know how to handle a wedding!) Best of luck planning! And if you have questions, just ask.

Using a TA will save you a lot of stress! And if you go with a GI Travel agent, you are entitled to many extra perks! Including a dress rehearsal visit to the property...http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/a/wright-travel-agency-and-karisma-hotels-brides-dress-rehearsal Check out Wright Travel agency, they specialize in the Karisma resorts, and will be able to help you sort out all the details! The beach there is smaller than in some areas (they lost a lot of the beach a few years ago due to a hurricane). However the beach is beautiful, and the resort is stunning after being completely renovated about 2 years ago. The dress rehearsal is a great way for you to look at the property, taste the food, experience their fantastic service, and of course get away with your FI for a few days!

There are about a dozen different wedding locations at the Royale. If you click on my profile and go to the photo section, there are photos of all the ceremony and reception sites at the Royale (with the exception of the indoor rooms). I don't know much about the Maroma resort, I have not visited there yet!

You can not ship alcohol, unless you have permits and are willing to pay the customs and other fees. You might be able to bring some on the plane with you, as long as it falls under your allowable limit for booze (not sure what it is for Mexico). I would think you could buy them down there, but not sure exactly where or for how much. There are so many tourist shops around, I am sure you could make an arrangement with someone for lots of small tequila bottles.

It should not be very chilly at that time of year. But it might be a bit windy, so I am sure your guests would love the pashminas. If it fits in your budget I would think that would be great, but it is not necessary. Candles are beautiful. I would think travelling with them should be quite easy, just wrap them in bubble wrap to avoid breakage. My only caution for you- it is very windy at the resort (unless you plan an indoor reception)! I had tea lights, and they would not stay lit! So depending on the look, maybe try to find the battery operated ones. PPMay2013- not sure why there is an issue with your post. But thank you for passing on the info. For the bride looking for the price for the bonfire/smore party, she was quoted $16/person from her WC.

Welcome to the forum. You should really look at the El Dorado forum for more information and advice from brides. I have been to the El Dorado resort, and it can be windy, but not uncomfortable. Here's the link for the correct forum: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/7513/el-dorado-royale-edr-brides-post-here/3080#post_1844595

We ordered paper laterns from Asian Ideas in white, green and turquoise. They ranged from 8", 12", 15", 20" (I think). Had about 25 total. The shipping to Canada was pricey, but I broke it down and I think I averaged about $4/lantern. I live close to Toronto and even tried Chinatown for cheaper, but didn't have much luck in my colours (and they were about $2.50-5 each anyway). Just remember when ordering they will pack flat-but don't order any that will be wider than your suitcase!

Welcome to the forum! This is a great spot to get all the information and advice for your destination wedding.

Welcome to BDW addy! It is a fantastic forum with so much information and advice for planning your destination wedding I personally got married along the Mayan just about 2 years ago, and I can tell you it was amazing. In terms of your wish list, most resorts offer multiple locations for weddings (sand, gazebo, halls, etc.) so no worries there! I have travelled down there a lot with my husband and can suggest the following resorts to perhaps get you started. As a couple of pointers think about the following to help your decision making: - will you be using an adults only resort, or should it be family friendly - budget (how much are you willing to spend for the trip). Not that it will be exact, but looking at the prices currently to those resorts, will give you a base to start from (ie. is it selling at $900/week, or $2000/week) - is food quality important? Or is everyone just a burger and fries type person? - how many weddings a day does the resort support? Some will only do 2, others up to 8. - how far away from the airport is the resort? Do you want to be close to Cancun, Playa del Carmen or Tulum so you can shop easier, explore, etc.? So from there, here are a few resorts to consider: - El Dorado Royale (adults only) - Dreams (family friendly) (there are multiple Dreams properties next to each other, so you can use facilities from the different sister resorts) - Karisma's Azul resorts (Beach, Sensatori, or Fives) (family friendly) - Grand Pallidium (family friendly, with one adult only section) (similar to Dreams, multiple sister properties besides each other) - RIU's (mix of family friendly and adult only) - Excellence (adult only) - Moon Palace (family friendly) Once you figure out which resort you plan on using, I would suggest finding a travel agent who can help arrange the best possible deals and also take care of all your guests. With a large group you may also be able to get group rates or discounts from hotels. BDW has a great travel agency who only deals with destination weddings, so they understand what you're going through. And they get many bonus deals depending on the resorts. For more info you can click the link below if you're interested. Best of luck, and if you would like more specific information feel free to ask. Or you can review the resorts using the Resort Reviews section above.

I think I had about 25 lanterns, and it was not as full as the photo above, but it worked for us. We also made the LED throwies to provide some light inside the lanterns. As for the price of the bonfire, I am looking for the link and when I find it I will post it. I think it is something specific to the Sensatori. Personally I would do off-white shirts for the guys. A stark white shirt may make your dress seem muted. I don't necessarily think it will look bad, but you might wonder why they seem to be brighter in photos than you?

If you are having a reception on the beach, I know there is some light from the pathway just above. But I really don't know if there is much extra light provided, you may need to ask your WC specifically. As for mosquitos. I have never seen many mosquitos down there. 1) it is really windy, 2) they spray for them, so it reduces the population. However on the beach you should be aware there are "sand fleas". Little critters that are on the sand, and have a nasty habit of biting your feet and lower legs. And the bites are itchy-similar to mosquito bites.

It is such a personal decision. I know we have tons of video from multiple vacations, family events, etc. and I never watch them. So I figured I would also never watch the video of our wedding. But we did make sure to budget for a good photographer, because I love looking at photos. So it really depends on you and your FI. Or perhaps a lot of family can't make it and you want to be able to show them the wedding....then maybe having a video is useful. If a videographer is not in the budget, perhaps you could have a friend with a camcorder record the wedding. It won't be professional, but at least you would have something.

Welcome to BDW. I wish I could help tell you how to contact the wedding coordinators. However it is usually reserved for those brides who have already booked. To get more information on wedding packages, I would try their websites, or contact a travel agent to help. You can also look at the forums regarding the specific hotels you are interested in for advice. If you are looking for a travel agent, BDW even has their own to recommend, Wright Travel. Just type into the search bar above to get in contact with them. And if there is anything else we can do to help, just ask! BDW is a great resource to help you plan your dream wedding!

Love it! Super fun and sparkly Wow your FI has done an outstanding job! Looks super professional! Did he do the logo himself? Loving the deep purple tones. You will soon! You will need to reach the 150 post mark to be able to open up attachments, pictures, etc. But don't worry it won't take long.

I really wish I knew the rules for the US. I know in Canada, you need to 1) have the level marriage certificate translated to English- the resort should do this free of charge. 2) take it to town hall and have them register it. If not you are just legally married in Mexico, not at home. I would guess it would be similar in the States, but not sure. Call your town hall and ask what they need. As for the glass vases, there is also a Walmart in Cancun as an option. Worst case, once you get to the resort depending on how many vases you need, the local WC might be able to help. I know a lot of brides leave their gear (me included). You might be able to work out a deal. Our candles were lit, then re lit. But it was so windy it kept blowing out. I would suggest the battery ones.

Thanks Jen. The centerpieces are very expensive. However I am not sure if you could have someone bring in centerpieces without having to pay the outside vendor fee Depending on how many flowers you wanted you might be able to find a florist in Cancun and just pick them up and bring them back??? But unfortunately I don't have any experience with that. We got out of renting the centerpieces by buying large vases in Cancun for super cheap, and then just filling them with limes and water. Could you bring some real touch/or fake flowers with you to use? What are your wedding colors? Maybe we can figure out an alternative that will not cost you too much

There are no floats at the resort. Not even sure that they offer them at the gift store. I know we brought down a few air mattresses, tubes and had great fun with them. Other ideas for men's OOT bags: a baseball hat, deck of cards, snacks

Welcome to BDW! There are so many resorts to pick from, it truly does seem endless. If you want to try larger resorts (in the Cancun/Mayan RIvieria area) I can suggest the following: Grand Palladium (it's actually 5 resorts together...huge. They have a train/trolley and boats to take you around) Barcelo resorts Dreams RIU resorts (all are kid friendly) And some of the resorts are about $1500 including tax for mid July with Sunwing. All of these are large, high end resorts. But just take note, that some of these are so large that you will never find any of your guests. Perhaps that is what you want, but sometimes it's also nice to be able to meet up with your guests. If you want something a bit smaller, but with lots of activities you can try Azul Sensatori, Azul Beach. If you need help planning, feel free to ask questions and search the Resort Review section above. Also if you are looking for a TA, you can try BDW travel agent Wright Travel. All they do is specialize in weddings, and sometimes this also means they have bonuses to give to brides. (for example with Karisma resorts, you get a free cocktail party, and upgrade, etc.) Good luck with your planning!

Like Allie said above...it's only for the set up fee. And the reason is that the WC pay the staff with the cash to do the extra decorating. So it's a small bonus to all the staff who are setting up the chairs, tables, gazebo, etc. and then your extra decorations. And Allie....love the sly-ness of only bringing a maximum $250! Great idea.

My personal opinion, the WC who is in Miami has nothing to do with the set up or the fees. I would not even ask, or bother. Once you get to the resort talk to the WC onsite who will actually deal with your wedding. They usually are extremely helpful, and will help arrange a fee. Just be ready to pay them in cash, and be polite, and it will work out!

It's a personal choice. But usually people will tip a little, as they see appropriate. If you get great service, it's nice to show your appreciation.

Welcome to BDW Jennifer! There are so many wonderful resorts to choose from! I personally got married at the Azul Sensatori about 2 years ago and LOVED it. It has fantastic food and service, nice rooms, only about 440 rooms (so not to big) and a great kids club. Check out the resort reviews forums as well. And if you think you might be interested in an Azul resort, and want help planning try one of the BDW Travel Agents. They Specialize in Destination weddings and are a Karisma GIVC certified Travel Agency. They are also one of Karisma Hotel's top accounts so they have great promotions that are only available to them. You can contact them HERE! If you have not booked your date, you will definitely want to contact them so they can help book your Karisma Bride's Dress Rehearsal - 3 nights for $399 that no longer becomes available once you have booked your wedding date. You can read some of their reviews here: Wright Travel Agency ~ Destination Wedding Specialist Reviews HERE Good luck with your planning, and if you have any questions just ask, Murmel

Welcome to the forum Rhiannon! The Excellence is a beautiful resort, and you will really enjoy it. Check out the resort review and the forum for more ladies getting married at the same resort! Good luck with your planning! And should you need help with travel plans, You might want to try one of the BDW Travel Agents. They Specialize in Destination weddings. You can read some of their reviews here: Wright Travel Agency ~ Destination Wedding Specialist Reviews HERE Murmel