LPerry

Questions to some of the brides.... What was the rule for your hair/makeup vendors? I know my photog has to be a guest of the hotel, so he'll be staying overnight. But is it the same deal w/hair and makeup artists? I found someone for $180 for hair/makeup....but I don't want to spend another $150 for her to have to stay at the hotel. I guess I could use the salon...but for whatever reason I'm leery of that. I'm curious what everyone else did.

One thing I did find out from one of the travel coordinators is that, if you use the Complementary package, you can't use your resort credit for a la carte items or for upgrades...you pay for those out of pocket. If you want to use $1500 in credits, it all has to go to one package. Now, I will also say this...I've heard from lots of people that the travel coordinators say one thing, and then on site it's a different deal. So we'll see.

Love, Love, Love!!! Stunning, flattering, unique, yet beautifully understated. Perfect for a DW. If I had your figure, this is what I would have wanted to do!

SO glad you found this! I agree...seeing these make me so excited for our wedding at Beach Palace in July!

Chelsea....how awesome! I know people who've gone to that and heard it's an amazing event! Congrats! Really looking forward to getting together! Lucy

I'm down too! I'm in N Dallas and would love to talk weddings with people other than my friends and family, who are quite frankly tired of talking about it!

Ok...so I look like a hot mess in this picture...and the dress is clipped to me...but here's my dress!!! Ahhh! I can't believe I bought it. And I went by myself with no entourage, and just decided that was it. It was completely liberating, and I love it! I bought it where I swore I would NEVER buy a gown, David's Bridal. But if it works...it works, and I'm tickled. I'm going to wear a light petticoat for the ceremony just to give some lift to the pickups, and then take it off for the reception. 3:00pm in Cancun in July might be a TAD warm.

Ok...so I look like a hot mess in this picture...and it's clipped to me...but here's my dress!!! Ahhh! I can't believe I bought it. And I went by myself with no entourage, and just decided that was it. It was completely liberating, and I love it! I bought it where I swore I would NEVER buy a gown, David's Bridal. But if it works...it works, and I'm tickled. I'm going to wear a light petticoat for the ceremony just to give some lift to the pickups, and then take it off for the reception. 3:00pm in Cancun in July might be a TAD warm.

That's funny you say that Ally. We were in Santa Fe over NYE and passed by so many jewelry stores. I'd stop and glance at some of the rings and my fiance would look at all of them and say "Meh...yours is prettier". I know he's a bit biased...but I think it's sweet he's so vested in it.

Gorgeous! We got engaged Christmas Day as well! Congrats and happy planning!

Y'all are so sweet! Thank you. He DID do a great job! And bless his heart, I know how hard he worked to get it. We made a commitment to each other that we were NOT going into debt over this wedding, so everything is being paid for with cash. Every time I look at it, I'm overwhelmed. To have a partner who would invest so much time, energy, and money into me is something I've never experienced before. It goes a lot deeper than just being a ring.

Hey ladies!! We just got engaged on Christmas Day, and are all booked at Beach Palace in Cancun for July 28th, 2012.

Love it!! I am a halo kind of girl myself!

Thank you so much ladies! I'm so proud of it!

I just got my ring on Sunday, Christmas Day! I knew the proposal was in the works, but it was shocking and sweet, and my ring knocked me off my feet! My cousin and her husband own a custom jewelry store in Cincinnati called Soutmates Jewelery, and my fiance had been in communication with them for months. He helped with the design, and they hand made my ring. I can't stop looking at my hand! Knowing that my own family put so much time and care into making it so beautiful makes it even more special.

Lua....you and I are like soul sisters! My story is almost exactly the same...POF and butterflies included! Best wishes to you!

Yes...what a fun thread!! My fiance and I met on plentyoffish.com....which is kind of a horrible site and free...so you can guess the kind of riff raff that's on there. We both met our share of crazies. But I will say this, it kept my life extremely interesting, and fodder for comedic relief among all of my married friends. I'd just had a bad break up with a boyfriend and out of bitterness, set up a "I'll show you" profile one night after a few glasses of wine. I found my fiance's profile and thought he was adorable and sent him an email, thinking there was no way he'd respond. And a day later he did! So we exchanged emails a while, then I didn't hear from him. I chalked it up to the whole online "fishbowl" theory....you may catch one, but there's a ton more waiting to be hooked...and figured I wouldn't hear from him again. About a week later he sent me this long message about how he knew he'd blown me off, but he'd been burned and really didn't know if he wanted to jump back into dating and was afraid that the chemistry wouldn't be there in person but that he really liked me and how about maybe when he got back from vacation we could get coffee. Yes, it really ran on and on like that. I sent him one back that said he needed to chill out and that I wasn't looking to rush back into anything. Let's just meet and see what happens. A week later he picked me up for our first date...we went out the next night for our 2nd date...and the rest is history. Our relationship, while it started online, has progressed very organically...at just the right pace. He is my best friend, and that is the best feeling ever. I have one other friend who met his GF on POF, and they have an amazing relationship too. I'm glad the stigma of online introductions is falling by the wayside. I think we have a fun story and I love telling it. Who cares how you get to the door as long as you walk through it together?

It's so funny that I posted this on a Friday, and two days later on Sunday, he proposed with the ring! AHHHH!!! Now I'm official and it feels great! Good luck ladies, and best wishes in 2012!

Robin....how did this dress work for you? I would love to see photos! This is very similar to what I'm looking for, and I'm about a size 16/18. I'm afraid it's going to be too drapey and not structured enough to hold in and push up where I need it.

Finally! I found my people!!! Oh my goodness....I'm going through all of the above. This is #2 for both me an the BF, and he has a 9 year old son. We've been together about a year and a half. We're in our mid 30's...and we just "knew", or at least I did, very early on. When you've had the wrong one, when the right one is standing in front of you, you just don't need to go through the formality of the long courtship. It's like "Oh, this is how it is supposed to feel!". So I never felt a need to push, because we were on the same page. When the topic of rings came up, I said my cousin is a custom jeweler and I was not okay with him financing a ring. So poor guy is stuck paying cash. Ultimately, it's a much smarter decision...but timely because he didn't have $8K in his back pocket. But we're getting a much higher quality ring, and it's being hand made by my cousin which is so special. So I knew we were on track...I knew the plan...and I've been fine with it. The problem arose when a few months ago we started discussing the actual wedding. We realized when looking at the calendar that there were TWO WEEKS this summer where we could all get away for a destination wedding. When I checked availability at my 1st choice...it wasn't available. I said...holy crap...we need to book this thing! So a week later, he and I made the decision to book a July 28th wedding at Beach Palace in Cancun. We also had to start letting everyone know so they could book THEIR trips too. So yes...totally awkward trying to convince your friends and family to put down money for a destination wedding when there is no ring, and no proposal. Everyone kind of fakes excitement, but in the back of their minds, you know they're rolling their eyes and saying "You stupid little ninny". I feel like a wedding-obsessed, delusional idiot! I seriously can't wait to bust out that rock and say "How ya like me now??" LOL. I wish all of you the best of luck in 2012....and I know we will all be able to share our "moment" soon enough!

Sound like MY kinda party! Hoping mine is as laid back and fun!

Ok so I guess I'm the unpopular one here b/c I do not want to do a TTD. No offense to anyone who's done one, but some of them look so cheesy to me. If you're a size 4 and super cute, it looks great, but that is not our circumstance. (I mean, we're cute and all, just not in I'd-like-to-be-photographed-half-naked-under-water-shape) There's no way my fiance and I would even be able to keep a straight face, b/c we know it would look ridiculous. And who would we show the photos to? No one wants to see two chub-a-dubs rolling around in the sand with wet clothes trying to be sexy. I promise you...NO ONE wants to see that.

Hi ladies! We're getting married July 2012 at Beach Palace. I was also looking at Playacar or Isla Mujeres, but a good friend of mine in the travel biz has been to all of them, and she said Beach Palace hands down! I'm wondering if anyone got the information about the new Collin Cowie Wedding Collections? They are gorgeous! I'm hoping we will be on the Sky Terrace for the ceremony. We haven't decided on the reception/cocktail stuff yet b/c we don't know how many people are going. And I really don't feel like thinking about it right now. We're going to have a big party back at home so I don't think we'll be getting a dj or anything like that. You CAN use outside photography vendors at Palace resorts. They just have to be a guest of the hotel. My photog included the lodging in my quote. I'm booking Phoebe Landa (www.phoebelanda.com) and she's out of Mexico City. She is phenomenal! I got an incredible deal...8 hours of photography, 250 prints, 8 enlargements, and my CD + travel and lodging for $2200. She doesn't have a huge presence on this forum, which I think is a shame b/c she can put some of these Riviera Maya photogs a run for their money. Love this site!! Happy planning ladies!

I'm booking Phoebe Landa - www.phoebelanda.com for our July 28th wedding at Beach Palace in Cancun. She has three other photogs who work with her and I believe they're based out of Mexico City. Their photos are absolutely stunning...very natural and artistic, and I love the way they photograph children. After looking at SO MANY photo blogs, I just started thinking that some of them were trying too hard to be "artsy" and they were coming across cheesy. I wanted something different, and I think I'm getting that with this studio. With them, I am getting 8 hours of shooting, my full CD, online slideshow, plus 250 prints, plus 8 enlargements for $2200 (that includes the cost of travel and lodging). I couldn't beat that price anywhere. I haven't seen any mention of her on this forum. My fiance actually found her site through another Cancun Vendor website. Please check her out! I'd love to see her with a stronger presence on this board!

Congrats! I can't wait to see pics!