AllieH

I really like the bouquets you made - those colors are gorgeous together.

yay morning planning thread entertainment!!! I was so excited to see it this morning. You've done a fantastic job with everything. I love the engagement story with the ring & the towel animals. HA. And that Shawn is a Ninja - that's hilarious. Tinker is right - he looks MUCH happier in the turquoise shirt vs. the white. and yes, better than the banana hammock..(I swear...BOYS...!) I really love the area at your resort where your wedding will take place. that palapa is perfect!!! can't wait to see more.

to each their own! that's why you get to choose your own dress. I've seen some fantastic short dresses. they weren't my choice, but I wouldn't knock anyone who decided to go that route.

We've used Cancun transfers twice - http://www.cancuntransfers.com their website isn't shiny or slick, but the service was great. We book through the website, and haven't had any issues at all. Private door to door service, about $80 for two people, round trip. Sometime we have to wait at the airport for 10-15 minutes which is pretty typical.

welcome to BDW! We also did the courthouse wedding (just the legal stuff) and then a symbolic ceremony at our DW. Our friends & family didn't know that we were legally married prior to the ceremony. No big deal! Finding a travel agent who is familiar with destination weddings is the best piece of advice to get you started. Then you'll want to get an idea of how many guests you might have so your TA can help find a resort that can accommodate the group (especially if you have a larger party!). Take it one step at a time, and try to enjoy every minute of the process. It's easy for me to say - but don't stress about it. It'll all work out...

@@NickiLynn1116 - I would confirm w/ your onsite coordinator when you arrive, so they'll have enough flutes on hand. We didn't set a strict timeline, but structured it around the dinner. For instance - we did our entrance/intros, said a welcome and thank you to our guests, and then had dinner served immediately. We cut the cake before dessert was served, and I forgot the toast, but that's where I would do it. After dessert we did our dances and then the DJ started the party. You could fit speeches in between courses, or after you cut the cake & toast. Then dances, then the party. I liked having the MC, because he kept everything moving along and made the announcements. We didn't use Mega DJ, we had DJ All Music. They had us fill out a spreadsheet with all of the cues for when things were supposed to happen, what we wanted them to announce, our requested play list, etc. If your WC hasn't given you one for Mega DJ, I can share the one we got and you can fill it out to fit you. Then just give it to your onsite WC... let me know - you can PM me your email address and I'll send it.

Hi EDR/EDCR Brides! Two notable additions to the Official Thread: #19 - Memorable Moments details, including links to look books for each collection. #20 - Symbolic Ceremony script (thanks @@ChiTiff!)

You'd need to book the DJ ahead of time. If you don't need the emcee, you can see if Mega DJ is available ($1,000). A general rule of weddings is that guests follow the bride's lead (and bridesmaids). So if you don't get up and dance, don't be surprised if your guests don't either... Many brides have done the iPod DIY version successfully. If you put together a playlist of your favorite dance/party songs, just let it play and don't stress about it.

yes - they can set up a head table for you depending on the space available. they have long tables available, and I have seen some Karisma brides with the imperial style dining (one long table for a smaller party). So no problem!

hi @@GingerBride & welcome to BDW. Here's some threads on the Barcelo for you - I'd bet you'll find the answers to your questions there. @@arogers315 - definitely recommend working with a TA (travel agent). If you're in the US, check out Wright Travel (link in my signature). They can help you narrow down your resort selection, get your guests booked and help you through the process. Most DW brides have found a wedding planner isn't necessary for resort-based weddings, but may be more useful if you're planning an event off-resort. Happy planning!

My mom & I were the only two getting our hair done, and we had 11am appointments for a 4pm ceremony time. Wish we had started earlier. We barely had time to eat, get make up done and then get dressed. My advice with a party that big is to start as early as you can. You can always relax in your room, get something to eat, etc. in between if there is any downtime.

yes, my TA shot me an email whenever someone booked as a courtesy. she knew I was keeping a spreadsheet of all the info. super helpful!

@@Lia33 - wow!! it looks spectacular on you. excellent choice!

Nicki - I'd suggest around 4:30 or 5pm. Then everyone can have drinks and go to dinner. If your gang is anything like mine, they were exhausted that first night and everyone crashed. Some of them may not be able to get into their rooms until 3pm... so doing it a little later gives everyone a chance to freshen up. Just my $.02 worth!

Hi Mandi - welcome to BDW! A quick search of the Cabo boards revealed some older threads about Cabo Azul, but I didn't see anything recent. You may want to search further there: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/38-destination-wedding-in-cabo/ I'd highly recommend working with a travel agent who has experience with destination weddings. Wright Travel is a great choice - you can contact them via the link in my signature. They can help you with travel planning as well as many of the wedding planning questions you may have as you choose a resort. I know @@TammyWright (owner of BDW & WTA) is very familiar with Cabo.

Marinah - the flowers are pretty! and I like the ball too, that turned out fantastic. love the laundry sign. believe it or not...my husband does his own laundry. I like it that way.....

Hi Azul Fives Brides! Have you seen this video of a spectacular Azul Fives wedding by @MikeCantrell? Karisma tweeted the link earlier this morning, and it just takes my breath away.

congratulations on finding your venue!

you can do 3 colors without looking like a rainbow. what about putting turquoise ribbon on the girl's flowers to tie that color in? or turquoise jewelry for them? with the deco, I would do what you've outlined - splashes of each color here and there. My personal choice would be to stick with 1 color for the chair sashes vs. alternate, but that's just me.

@@ReneeSpenser - everyone is entitled to their opinion. if strapless dresses aren't for you, then don't buy one. but kindly refrain from bashing other bride's choices or styles just because they don't fit with your vision. that's just unnecessary and mean.

so beautiful!!!!!!

If it's the only time that will work, and you really want Mexico, then plan it and strongly encourage everyone to get travel insurance. The odds are fairly low based on recent history that there will be a hurricane during that time, but there's no guarantee of course. Like I told you before, plan for the worst case scenario and hope for the best. Otherwise you may need to change your expectations and planning. It's August. It's the caribbean. It's hurricane season - those factors aren't going to change. Look at things that CAN change: the location (maybe a destination wedding in the caribbean isn't for you after all) or the timing (what about winter break or spring break?).

@@AdamB - welcome to BDW! I second Kim's suggestion of Karisma. Look at Azul Sensatori or Generations Riviera Maya in Mexico, or Azul Sensatori Jamaica. All three are family-friendly, have gourmet food, are all inclusive (with top shelf liquors, all restaurants included), and are large, luxury resorts. Here's a link to the Karisma resorts: http://www.karismahotels.com

Hi @@kamelia054 - welcome to BDW! Pack your decorations in suitcases and take it down with you. Commission friends/family/bridal party to take an extra bag (that you will pay for) if needed. I say this for several reasons: 1. The extra cost of 2-3 checked bags will be much less than shipping costs. 2. If you ship, there's a really good chance you'll have to pay import taxes to Mexico. 3. If you ship, there's a really good chance your stuff will not make it to the resort (be held up by customs). 4. The resort isn't able to store stuff for brides anyway. Get a roll of bubble wrap for the votives, or wrap them up in clothes. If the chargers are breakable, pack them with a foam plate in between (you can also do this with frames). If you have some really fragile items, consider packing them in a carry-on bag and make your FI carry it on the plane. When we went down, we had 3 suitcases of just "stuff" - decorations, favors and OOT bags. Coming back we packed the smaller suitcases inside the larger ones and condensed it down. We got a couple of 4 piece sets for $75 on sale, and while not high quality, it served it's purposed and then some. You could also get cheap luggage and leave it down there if you are so inclined.

Yes, they are from Davet Designs. I think they are the 2" ovals, or 3", but I don't remember exactly.