AllieH

what about getting them custom made? here's a thread on a company that many BDW brides have used for their guys' suits: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/topic/33554-custom-linen-suits-99/page-133

I did this too - my TA asked me to let everyone know that info. If there WAS a cheaper price, she'd try to negotiate it for the whole group. In the end, our rate was the best price. The only folks who booked outside the group were people who used their timeshare to travel. Two friends used the timeshare and stayed at our resort, the other 4 stayed at different resorts. So definitely put it on there!

The Karisma resorts also do Indian weddings. Adults only: El Dorado Royale/El Dorado Casitas Royale, El Dorado Seaside Suites, El Dorado Maroma Family: Azul Sensatori, Azul Fives, Azul Beach, Generations Maroma, Generations Riviera Maya check out their Indian Wedding Options (Lomas plans all the Karisma weddings).

Bambi - you aren't terrible at all for feeling that way. I'm sorry his family isn't more supportive and trying to find ways to attend. How does he feel about it...? FWIW - my parents were totally against the idea of the DW. we'd talked about it in general terms before getting engaged, so they knew it was a possibility. when I called to tell my parents we were officially engaged, they said at that time they weren't going. (yeah seriously - happy day, just crapped on by the parents...). they eventually changed their minds, and had a WONDERFUL time. but yeah, family sure can suck sometimes. And my sister refused to go at all - no matter what we did to try to get her there. I came to terms with it and just decided that we weren't the ones missing out on this occasion, they were. We got married, had an awesome time, and life goes on. We just made sure we talked about how wonderful it was when we got back so they knew what they missed (evil, I know). Hang in there lady.

aww Bambi - I can't wait to read more. I'm so glad you guys found each other again!

We've only gone down in the fall, but are going this summer - I can only imagine how hot it'll be! but many of the venues have huge ceiling fans to try to keep it cooler, plus there's usually a good breeze coming off the beach. I'd incorporate fans into your wedding planning. whether it's folded paper fans, or a program fan for the ceremony, those will be good for your guests. and a shaded ceremony location for your guests if your ceremony is outdoors would be best too. that sun can be intense! plus cold bottles of water and such. I'll pop back over here after our trip in June and share my thoughts if noone else comments on a summer wedding.

Tina - I'm so glad you enjoyed your stay, especially after all of the planning stress. I can't wait to see more about your wedding!

looks fantastic Lori!!! Love the gazebo. I had the same inspiration for my hair too - it's still my favorite.

gorgeous Nancy!! congratulations

welcome to BDW Regina!! a wedding in Brazil sounds amazing.

Hi MrsUpton! welcome to the group. The Official EDR/EDCR thread has a listing of all of the possible locations for cocktail parties. Are there any you're absolutely opposed to? If so, I would just request that it NOT be that particular location. You are correct re: bringing your own decorations. Have you thought about bringing an iPod with your favorite music in a "cocktail party" playlist? You could then rent the speaker ($250) from EDR vs. the DJ for 2 hours. Or you could also bring your own Bose speaker. Or you could look at it as the $850 is the cost for the cocktail in total (vs. free cocktail & paid DJ) - just depends on what's really important to you guys, and what your vision is for the cocktail. Is it just music playing in the background? Is it a dance party? My $0.02 worth!

Tiffany is 100% right - don't do anything you don't want to. And I mean anything. We didn't do a bouquet or garter toss either. Or toasts. No bridal party - just wanted it to be no pressure for our guests! I really believe that's one of the benefits of doing a destination wedding - a chance to a wedding that is 100% meaningful to you as a couple/family. Shoot, my bouquet was fake (and noone really knew the difference unless I said something!). I love flowers..but justifying the cost was a whole different subject. Like some of the other brides - the photography and food were our two priorities (and resort!). We were not planning to have a DJ either, but my MIL was generous enough to get that for us as a gift.

simple is perfect!!! I didn't do a whole lot, just wanted the beautiful setting (and our love for each other) to shine more than any decorations. I couldn't justify spending tons of $$ on flowers, centerpieces, place settings, lavish entertainment, etc. And honestly none of that stuff really matters. Do what makes YOU happy. It'll be beautiful and you'll have an amazing celebration that you'll remember for the rest of your life.

congrats and welcome to BDW!! I love Key West - what a great little island.

I made them ahead of time. I didn't want to spend a ton of our time at the resort making things or assembling stuff to be honest. The only thing we put together onsite was the OOT bags. I used a little piece of paper between the battery & the LED leads as a "switch" - just pulled the paper out to turn the lights on. They worked well for the most part, though the paper shifted on some of them during travel. Those ended up burning out before the wedding, but luckily I had plenty of extras. good lord - $850 AND $400 are both ridiculous amounts. Hopefully the onsite WC's will be more lenient. Is Lomas trying to get you to pay for the set up before you go...?

YAYYY! It's so close now. Your planning - WOW woman. so gorgeous. I can't wait to see how it all comes together. Happy Wedding!!!!!!

They charge me $150 or $200 for the entire set up - paper lanterns, table runners, our menus, the shells for the centerpieces, fans & tissues on the ceremony chairs and chair sashes. I don't remember the exact amount now! We paid in cash when we got onsite. I did the "DIY throwies" - little LED lights with hearing aid batteries. here's a link to the instructions: http://www.instructables.com/id/LED-Throwies/ They used fishing wire to hang the lights inside the lanterns. I didn't give them any instructions for hanging them - at that point it didn't matter to me really. But I do like the idea of clusters! Just explain that in your meeting with the onsite WC. I think the floating candles OR the bags w/ candles (or LED candles) would look great around the pool & walkways. I remember the pool being really dark, so something to light either the edges, or floating on top would be nice. I don't think they had lights on in the pool at night. Your day is coming up so quickly!!!!! YAY!

@@gallardo films - please review forum rules for vendors using this link. If you have a video from a wedding at EDR, the brides would be happy to view it. Please contact @ with any questions.

Our prices were for the resort only - since we had people traveling from many different locations, it wasn't possible to do a package with airfare included. So we posted prices for different room categories. our wedding website is still up if you're curious. It's on the "Getting there and Pricing" tab. If you happen to be a Canadian bride, packages including airfare are much more common. And I would definitely post those if they are available for your guests.

@@brownsugarbride - thank you!!! it was seriously the perfect dress for me. and believe it or not - I almost didn't try it on at all. it looked frumpy on the hanger. thank goodness my friend encouraged me to try it. the rest is history! the countdown is on lady, I really can't wait to hear how everything goes for you. Allie: I was looking through your old planning thread in preparation for writing my own (yikes!) and I was thinking about how much I liked your dress. Fab!

Hi Tania - Congratulations on your engagement! here are some answers to your questions: - which countries can you get married in with out having to jump through the hoops of blood tests, etc. I don't think Jamaica or DR require blood tests. As far as I know, Mexico is the only place that does in the Caribbean. - I have noticed a lot of people on this site our getting married in Mexico.., has anyone been or planning a wedding in Aruba? Aruba is a gorgeous island, though AI resorts there are somewhat limited (and more expensive than other locations). It's my opinion that Aruba is one of those islands where you can do a European plan or breakfast inclusive only, and be just fine. They have tons of restaurants, and depending where you're staying, many are within walking distance, or you can take the public transportation (bus). - if your planning a destination wedding is it proper to still have to stag/doe, bridal shower, etc? If you want to, absolutely!! There will be friends/family who probably won't be able to travel with you, but will still want to celebrate. - for the wedding party should we help pay for the fights, dresses/ suits, etc? That's totally up to you & your groom, and your budget. We chose not to have a bridal party, because we didn't want them to have to incur additional expenses for their attire. Some brides/grooms do pay, some don't. No rules.. - what is the protocall for gifts... Do we still resigter for gifts or do people normally not purchase gifts since they are traveling to the wedding? If you'll have family and friends who aren't attending, go ahead and register. You can also tell them that their presence at your wedding are their gifts, so impress upon them you don't expect gifts if they are traveling. Many of our guests both traveled and bought gifts for us - completely unexpected! Definitely find a travel agent to work with you & help you narrow down your options. Happy Planning!

here's mine!

definitely get a travel agent - they will help you narrow down your choices! @ is a Cabo bride, and Wright Travel Agency's TA's are DW experts. Tons of help there. You can contact WTA using this form. We debated between Cabo & Cancun. In the end we decided that we wanted to be able to swim in the ocean, which (we were told) you can't really do in Cabo. Gorgeous beaches, gorgeous sunsets, but too cold to be in. Ironically, the resort we chose doesn't have the best beaches (a bit rocky, to say the least), but at least we could still get in the water! Either way you'll love it. There are tons of excursions in Cancun/Riviera Maya - water-based (snorkel/scuba) or adventure based (zip lines, ATV). Good luck & happy planning!

Just an FYI - it'll be dark by about 5:30 in RM in January. We had a 4pm wedding as well, and we lost light fairly quickly after the photos. You may want to consider 3:30, depending on how many family/group photos you'll be taking!