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@Elishah I can totally get where you're coming from. and I'm in agreement with Joyce from Dream Weddings. She was fabulous at helping us plan our vow renewal in October in Mexico just for the reasons you're talking about. We were a very small group and the resorts I looked at wouldn't accommodate a private reception setting. I thought I had a solution but it fell through so I opted to go totally off site for everything - our ceremony and a dinner afterwards. It was perfect! Don't get me wrong - the majority of the resorts are fabulous and do their best to work with whatever the bride's vision is but it doesn't always work. Going off site is a great alternative. If you're not happy with what they're offering you, then look elsewhere. What about another resort? Could that be an option? You're also right about the reviews of the venues you mentioned - they're all great. In fact if you do a search on this site you'll find a few forums to review. Jellyfish seems to be really popular. I've never been to the DR so can't help with any specific comments but TA Patty will be wonderful to get help from! Good luck!

Have you considered sending a "save the date" first to see if you get any responses back or hints from people that might be considering attending? It isn't foolproof but might give you an idea if people are thinking about it. Egypt is a really long way so it might be a bit more difficult to get people to travel. Destination weddings usually factor about 50% of invitees that will attend but since yours is even further you might figure a smaller number. You could also try asking people in advance if it's something they might be considering. Otherwise I would just send invitations as you normally would and see what happens. Good luck! That's a very interesting part of the world to be planning a wedding!

@ @@Meandhim @@snswedding2016 @krystalball Hey ladies! Really sorry I've been so MIA. Things have been a little busy and we've been travelling all over! I'm going to do my best to be there and can make it for 5 if I'm better. I'm battling breathing problems with a nasty cold so really hoping things are better by Friday. I really want to go!!! Will let you know by Thursday!

I think most of you know the journey Doug and I have been on since we got married. Getting to finally do something special for our wedding anniversary and celebrate that we made it was a big deal. It feels weird to do a review since it isn't our wedding but there are a couple of really good things we got out of the trip and if this makes something easy for someone else, then I'll have done my job. Air Transat We had no hesitation booking with this company. It's who we flew to Jamaica with as well as another vacation and it just works for us. We booked the upgrade again this trip which gives us prebooked seats, priority checkin, priority boarding and extra luggage weight. Just that alone for this trip was worth it. Doug was starting to freak out a bit over the amount of stuff going with us so the extra allowance came in handy. It's nice because with the priority boarding we got to get onboard before everyone else and snag an overhead bin for my dress and Doug's suit, then stand guard over it so nobody else could get near it! Our arrival in Cancun was a NIGHTMARE!! That's a word of warning to you brides out there that are flying soon. There were 4 flights that landed within a short time of ours and we were 2 hours just getting through customs! And there is no air conditioning!! I was almost in tears from the pain of standing so long. With the arthritis in my back I can't stand for any length of time so by the time we got to the counter I was about ready to pass out. Doug said next time we'll make sure we do the wheelchair route if it looks like it's going to be more than 15 minutes. The Cancun airport is under construction and in the several times we've been to Mexico I've never seen it as bad as it was the day we arrived. Just wall to wall people. If you have anyone that can't stand and there are several other flights arriving the same time as yours be loud about them needing assistance to get through. The thing is even when you get through the first line to get access to the country, then you have the second line of getting bags xrayed. That was another 30 minutes plus. We landed, on time, at 3:35 and did not arrive at our resort until 7pm. By then it was dark and we were starving. Coming home wasn't much better. Our flight was delayed along with almost every other flight scheduled so there must have been 2000 people in the departure lounges again with no AC. I think I looked and there were about 8 flights all going within about an hour of each other. We hit the jackpot with the international flights going too so it was mad chaos! Get something to drink once you're through security. You'll need it. That was the other nightmare again. The line ups for security. With the construction, there is limited space and sadly NEXUS didn't do us any good at that end. Valentin Imperial Maya I cannot say enough about our resort. It is spectacular! Doug decided he wanted adults only after our fiasco with Azul Fives and we are so totally happy we did. We wanted spoiled, pampered and no kids and that's exactly what we got. We had a "partial oceanview" and unfortunately that's what it was - partial lol But you don't spend a lot of time in your room anyway. We were in Bldg 1 so really close to everything we wanted, especially on the day of our anniversary. I didn't have to walk too far in my heels! There are several shuttles that cruise around but I didn't have far to go. With the exception of one night, which was really our own fault, we didn't have a single bad meal the entire week. The food is fantastic - even breakfast and lunch. Not a single complaint on our part or our friends. We loved it. There is a quieter area with its own pool but we stayed in the more noisy area just for the activity. They have loungers to float around the pool on if you can get one. The only thing that really irritates me is this business with snagging lounge beds early in the morning. Some of it is just so unfair, especially the people that snag one and then just never show up! But thank goodness I have an early rising husband!! I have pictures from the resort but Doug has a new camera and the mb of the pics are too large to upload. The only thing we didn't like at the resort was the bed!! Go figure! It was so overly firm that we both had major aches and pains waking up in the morning that we still haven't recovered from coming home to our own bed! Our checkin was fairly quick. The lobby is huge and they have all kinds of seating so you get to relax while you're waiting for your turn to check in and they bring you a nice cold drink and a wet towel while you're waiting. They're super organized with your luggage too. We were taken by shuttle to our room and our luggage miraculously found it's way onto the shuttle with us. We unpacked and then went searching for food. It had started to rain as we were landing at Cancun airport and it pretty much continued to rain off and on all evening and all night. Then when we woke up in the morning it was still raining. In fact it had rained so hard through the night that they were cleaning up some minor flooding along the gardens and sidewalks when we went looking for breakfast in the morning, which immediately got me worried!! Joyce at Dream Weddings I knew after the fiasco with Azul Fives and the fact that we were a really small group that I needed help with organizing something for our anniversary. We didn't have enough people to have a private dinner at any resort but I didn't want a semi-private deal either . We had that for our wedding in Jamaica and I wanted something private for this trip. I reached out to Joyce at Dream Weddings last year just after I came out of the hospital but with everything that went wrong I couldn't commit to anything until after test results were in and we knew if we were even going to be able to celebrate this year or not. Joyce was absolutely super about it all. She was pretty quick with email responses even when I got to be a total worry wart over things. Her ideas and suggestions were perfect for the group size that we had. I knew what I wanted and Joyce helped me get it. We had a miscommunication over day passes with the resort which is what caused the tears the morning of, but it all worked out in the end. I would definitely recommend Joyce if you're looking at something off-site from a resort, which we were. So I'll leave it at that for tonight. I've been so tired since we got back, hubby too. We're both having a hard time getting back into routine. I'll continue this tomorrow.

@vancouverpetunia Oh I LOVE the rings!! They're gorgeous! Well - can you say gorgeous about a guy's ring? Guess not... so yours is gorgeous and his is very nice and masculine! But I love them both! lol You so absolutely have to review Costa Rica please!! I can not wait to get there. It's on our retirement list. So is Belize. Third is Panama. Doug says we're going to start the scouting trips next year but that may get delayed a bit. I'm trying to convince him to go to the Gran Bahia in Mexico in April and meet up with family from the UK but we'll have to see... lol But I would really love to hear about what you think about the country and since you're going to be in the interior, what you thought of it. We don't want to be right on the beach because the heat is too high. I agree with @calgarybride2015 It's fun listening to everyone be excited about the trip. Enjoy it! It's so good to have the support! Good on the new TA that it's working out so far! Fingers crossed it stays that way!!

Beautiful! I wouldn't change a single thing! You're so close now! I hope it's everything you hoped for and more!

@JamieDonna Congrats and welcome! I'm so sorry you're already running into complications. Be prepared lol This may only be the start! Not to scare you off but I think every single bride here has had some sort of aggravation or disappointment over their wedding planning. But what you get is so worth it in the end! So just hang in there. I'm a Jamaica bride from October 2011. We were married at Gran Bahia Principe Jamaica, Runaway Bay. Transat was running the package and still is as far as I know. May is generally a lower price because you're out of peak season so you should be ok with your pricing. We absolutely LOVED the resort! I know some things have changed since we were there but there is an entire thread here for the resort so you could definitely do some reading. There are a couple of other popular resorts here that the ladies seem to like - the RIU resorts are nice as is the Rose Hall and of course the Secrets resorts but they might be a tad more expensive but worth a look. They are all available out of Toronto. I think there is also a new Moon Palace resort in Jamaica. I had a travel agent referred to me here that was great. He is GI certified which is for Karisma properties. He was always reachable and replied pretty promptly to emails. He's in Mississauga through a Marlin Travel office but there is no rule that says you have to actually get there. PM me if you want his contact info. We were super happy with his service and he actually had about 8 other weddings on the go at the same time so he's used to group bookings but we never felt like he was ignoring us. We were only 6 to travel, but then 2 cancelled 5 days before we were due to leave and our agent was super with trying to help us out with what the problems were. They couldn't be solved but not because of anything the agent did. It was all on the family member and solely their fault. Good luck! I know other ladies will chime in here. I would also suggest you do a resort review search on the site (up top tagged as "Resort Reviews") and go to the country or countries you're considering and look through the reviews. St Lucia is definitely on the higher end of pricing but Jamaica has a lot of options that might work out for you. I don't know what group size you're looking at but May is still a popular time of year for weddings so I would definitely try to get on it as soon as you can.

There are several brides here with weddings coming up next month in the Mayan Riviera. But just hunt on the internet. There is a Mexico weather website (in fact more than one if I remember correctly) that is pretty accurate in terms of what your temps will be. December is pretty good weather and the risk of hurricanes has passed so you should be ok. Are you having your legal wedding in Mexico, or just a symbolic? There was just a bride from the UK that was married in Mexico last month. @maybeoneday Could you chime in with whatever your requirements were?

@RandL2015 I agree with the others. Why would you pay for their day passes? Two weeks notice is a bit over the top! You're so close now! We were married in Jamaica 4 years ago and have tried twice to go back but didn't make it. We loved the island and the people! I'm sure your wedding will be amazing!!

@Nichole0878 I love your ceremony script! It's beautiful! I hope your wedding day is everything you hoped for and more! Hope the flight was a good one! Happy wedding week!

So the story of the travelling Wally bag continues..... It started with Tygrlily and the torch passed to me.... I've now passed it to @Meandhim It was a wonderful travelling companion.... Now the next bride will take the Wally bag on her journey and hopefully have a wonderful experience too.... JK couldn't resist a bit of silliness.

I used Styling Trio and they were AMAZING!!!! I would recommend them totally and absolutely worth the money!!

It's going to be gorgeous!

Congrats to you all! Well deserved I know! The advice and support you provide here just adds to the honours!

@Maggietron I hope tomorrow is as special as you dreamed it would be. Have a wonderful wedding day!! I hope you come back and post photos!

@@jes0912 The other ladies are completely right! I don't think there is anyone on this site that hasn't had the disappointment of cancellations or undecideds. It's frustrating for sure and just adds more stress. We went through it twice. But absolutely as long as the two of you are there, that's all that counts! You can't beat marrying the man you love in a tropical setting! I LOVE that skirt! It's gorgeous!!! The stacking rings are definitely NOT too blingy!! I think they look beautiful! And you can never have too much bling!!

@maybeoneday Great review! Thanks for posting and the photos are great!

@kcole123 @RivieraBride15 @MrsCtoB Thanks ladies! i got 2 teasers from our photographer so I'm anxious to see more! lol I've been sooooo MIA since we got back. Kristy - I'm so happy you stopped by! I wish you ladies would stop in and update on how you're settling in to married life! lol We had Samuel Luna as our photographer and he works with an assistant who is also his girlfriend Karla. I'll do a proper review but right now I'll say they are fabulous to work with - easy going, professional. We loved working with them both! These two links are from Karla. https://www.facebook.com/karladelarosaphotography/photos/a.135953013103932.16302.105248279507739/1076393832393174/?type=3&theater https://www.facebook.com/karladelarosaphotography/photos/a.135953013103932.16302.105248279507739/1075961782436379/?type=3&theater

@@snswedding2016 Steph everything is coming together so beautifully! Wow! I'm so far behind and have been so awol.... I'm so sorry about your mom. Dialysis is a big deal. Sending good thoughts and prayers. The thing to consider is that if she travels to Mexico with a pre-existing condition and something happens while she's there, any medical insurance won't cover any costs. We found that out the hard way. Not to be debbie downer but it's a serious situation and as you said, her health is the most important thing. it's so sad that it's all happening now so close to your wedding. Hugs! That dress for your legal is AMAZING!!!! And you're so tiny you'll pull it off fantastically! it will be gorgeous! I love Sean's suit for Mexico and since it's January I like the darker gray. Doug switched from the tan to gray and I really loved it. Love the music! It's just so elegant... lol Does that sound goofy? yes... but I can't think of a better word! You're getting so close now! Don't worry about reviews!! I looked at a couple too when we were first considering AF, right before Sofi's wedding and I thought "oh crap. this is not good" but as you said, you have to take it with a grain of salt and wonder why people can be so nasty!! You know what you're getting since you were there. Trust that. It will all be fantastic and your wedding will be gorgeous!

Great review! Thanks for posting photos! You're a step ahead of me lol I haven't done a review yet.... Hope all is well. Sorry I haven't texted. Been in a bit of a funk since we got home and busy with the job hunt. Congrats again! You looked gorgeous! Love your hair!! They did a beautiful job!

Congrats and welcome! The first question I have is do you have a good travel agent? That sounds like a wonderful trip that will need a fair bit of planning. The other tip would be to spend some time on TripAdvisor. It can be a great resource for reviews of hotels, restaurants, tours and things to do. We use it a lot. In fact my husband used it this past summer for a trip to South Carolina and is also using it now for a trip to the west coast next week. But you can look up almost anywhere in the world and get quite a bit of detail. Good luck and happy planning!

Weeeeeee!! Kristy!!! @kcole123 Hey girl! How's married life??? I wish you would stop in now and then and say hi! @@swalker7979 I've posted the link to Kristy's thread since it's so totally amazing! And her photos are absolutely stunning!! She wrote a great review so I'm sure you'll find tons of info that should be helpful. http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/topic/78626-kcole123-planning-thread-april-17-2015-melia-caribe-tropical/ As well, if you type in the resort name in the search bar at the top, you'll get several forums to read through. Good luck and happy planning!

@@gerber50 Congrats and welcome. I have to say you're the first bride I've seen here getting married in Nicaragua! What a wonderful idea! Unfortunately I haven't seen anyone post here with a photographer there. If you can't afford to fly one from the US, what about reaching out to someone in another country where the cost of a flight will be cheaper? As well, did you speak with any photographers in the US? Sometimes for paying their way, they'll reduce the cost of their fees. I remember speaking with a photographer here when we were planning our wedding in 2011 in Jamaica, and they offered to cut their costs by more than half to go with us to Jamaica. They would have stayed the whole week with us and taken photos of the whole trip, not just our wedding day. That might be something worth looking into. As well, have you checked the photographer reviews on this site? There might be something there worth checking. Good luck!

I checked Paper Lantern store. Their prices really are good as @@MarieSamSanchezPhoto said. They always have sales on too. We also did maracas from Amols. Easy shipping and good prices. I just added a small tag and each person got a matching set.

Wow - that's a gorgeous cake!