MellyD

Leah, Can't wait to see pics!! Who did you book for your photographer?

Hey everyone, My FI and I just booked our trip and reserved our wedding date and time at the RIU Paradise Island - We're getting married July 9, 2012! I'm soooooo excited and a bit relieved that that's taken care of! I would LOVE to hear from any other RIU Brides about experiences, tips, and pics! Thanks!

Hey Everyone, After much deliberation, I think that my fiancé and I have decided to have our wedding at the Renaissance Aruba in July 2012. We were going to go with the Riu, but his aunt went there and came back with a full report on their weddings that we were not so keen on. That being said, I have a million and one questions for past Renaissance brides... 1) How did you get your pricing for your guests? I received a group rate from Annie (group sales) per room per night but when I contacted my local TA, he advised me that the tour operators that he knows of the deal with the Renaissance Aruba, base their rates on the non-AI package, which is NOT what we want. We want our guests to have a choice between AI and non-AI but he's saying that it's basically not available for AI. (I hope that makes sense) 2) Did anyone not have a dinner reception on the island? We were looking at booking a package that's approx $3000 which included an hour and a half cocktail reception (along with a few other things). We're really trying to keep the costs down and from the research we've done, some hotels just block off an area of one of the restaurants so that you have a sort of semi-private dinner at no additional cost. Has anyone done anything similar? 3) Which photographer did you guys go with? This package we're looking at includes a photographer but we're open to other suggestions. 4) Which of the two sections did you stay at (Marina Hotel or Ocean Suites)? What helped you make your choice? Okay, so it's not really a million and one questions but I'll start with these! I'm sure I'll have a lot more as I go.... Thanks in advance for any and all help! Cheers, Melly

I am also looking into various resorts in Aruba for July 2012... I think our top choices are the Riu Palace or the Renaissance.... Any tips?

My fiancé and I got engaged yeserday!! (That still sounds weird, but amazing!!) We're planning a destination wedding; it's something we've been talking about for a while. That being said, he would like a "different location", something untypical (is that a word?). So we have been thinking Aruba, Bahamas, Costa Rica or something like that? We would like an AI with activities for our guests but the destinations mentioned above seem to not offer as much as your typical locations.... I'm super curious, how did you choose your location?