leahbecker

Sandy - wow! What a beautiful wedding day. Thanks for all your comments and sharing the slideshow. Love the music that is set to - did you walk down the aisle to that rendition of 'over the rainbow'? Soooo pretty! You are your husband look so happy, congratulations! PS. What stunning bridesmaid dresses! Love the yellow!

Tropic Lover - thank you for the wording for the family part of your ceremony. It is absolutely beautiful and I might borrow that... word for word! so nice! Thanks for sharing Welcome back Kleenotes and congratulations! Can't wait to hear all about your big day. Feel free to post pictures!

Thats so fun Kleenotes & Sandy... you'll get to meet eachother! I'm very excited for the both of you with big days right around the corner! I'm sure all the little details will come together for a beautiful, and memorable wedding day! @TeganandTyler - My wedding is Jan 31, 2013 so we are the same week! It sounds like plenty of the planning can be done when you arrive a the resort, but for now there are a few things to do. For instance reserving your ceremony/reception space, DJ, etc. Ceremony: There are three main options for the ceremony (Beach, lobby terrace, Rooftop Terrace). I chose the rooftop because it is quite a bit more private. and there is space to do a champagne toast up there as well. Reception: The reception can be done in one of the a la cartes, the conference space, or the lobby terrace. I've heard the a la cartes are more affordable options, but can't be guaranteed as private and music is not allowed. I've chosen the lobby terrace (as most brides do) for the privacy factor, ability to have a dJ, and you can keep the space until midnight. We booked a screen with projector for $350 USD and the resort DJ for 3 hours ($550 USD). I'm not sure about the Caribbean Grill for wedding set up, maybe other brides can help out with that venue. Menu & Flowers: If you ask Ana, she can also email you info on the menu options and flowers too just as an FYI. Or I can always forward you the info as well. I don't think this would need to be confirmed until November/December. Photographer: If you go with an outside vendor (which from what I hear is a must-do) there is a $300 fee plus $80 per person charge. I have heard it is very worth it to hire outside. I've heard good thigns and competitive prices from Sasha Gluck, Juan Navarro, Dean Sanderson, and Gonzalo Nunez. I booked Gonzalo. Hair/Make Up: I haven't booked any thing at the spa or for hair/make up yet, but I've heard they doing a very good job. Litzie, I think her name is, does a great job on the hair/makeup apparently. Any other questions, feel free to ask. the brides on this forum are happy to help!

Yay Sandy Borie! Are you our next OCT bride? Feeling all ready?

Has anyone negotiated with Ana when they are bringing their own officiant? We are doing a symbolic ceremony and the Paradise Package, but does anyone know if she would throw in any extras since all the legal docs/officiant wouldn't be needed?

AnaS- Wow Wow Wow Wow!! You look absolutely gorgeous on your wedding day. Love the hair, love the dress.. but mostly your photos show how incredibly happy you both are. Congratulations! Thank you for the detailed review. This is beyond helpful for all of us up-coming brides! Your decor and colors looked so pretty; and the church is absolutely stunning! Oh and love the tequila donkey. What a fun twist!! That dance floor is really cool too - can I ask how much that cost? Thanks again for a great review. It brings so much confidence in the resort!!

@SandyBorie and @TropicLover - Thank you both for the info about Villa Marina. It soundsl ike the lobby terrace is more private and allows music, so I think that' s where we will have our reception. Really appreciate the info! You girls are awesome!!

TropicLover - do you know how large the Villa Marina restaurant is? We are considering it for our reception rather than lobby terrace, but do you think it could fit 70 people? Thanks

TropicLover - Your photos are absolutely stunning. You look beautiful! Congratulations! Did you have your dinner/dance in the Villa Marina restaurant? What did you think of that reception venue compared to the lobby terrace?

Hi Ladies, I wanted to share some bouquet options with everyone. If you book the sunset, romantic, or paradise package these are some of the bouquets that come with the packages. Otherwise, they are $80 for bridal bouquet and $38 for bridesmaids. I have heard you can get custom floral arrangements for additional cost as well. Eeeek all these wedding details are getting so exciting!!

IchibanCowgirl - Thank you! We booked Gonzalo this morning. You're right, he's been fabulous and responding to emails and I'm already impressed that he wanted to add us on facebook and get to know us before our January Wedding. I'm glad to hear some positive reviews on him. I don't think we will be dissapointed

And your bouquet is so pretty!

Tropic lover- thanks for sharing the photos. I too wasn't sure what you meant by sand bags... But it looks like a tea light candle in a small brown paper bag or something. Anyway, they look awesome. I really love your dress as well. How did you find the heat in a full satin dress?

Has anyone used Gonzalo Nunez as a photographer. I would love to hear real brides' thoughts. Thanks!

Thank you so much for all the info! It's so great to see the hair salon do such beautiful work. Makes my anxiety meter go way down! Thanks for the tips on finding bridesmaid dresses in Calgary. They are beautiful. Again, congratulations! An absolutely beautiful wedding!

DJBandDJ - Thank you for sharing your album. Oh my goodness, loved them. What a beautiful wedding. Did you have your hair done at the salon? Gorgeous!! I am looking for Bridesmaid Dresses in a color very close to yours... can I ask if you got those in Calgary? (Would you share where?) Love them. Congratulations to you and your new husband!

@JBandDJ - All the best for an amazing wedding week! Can't wait to hear all about it!

@tropic lover - thanks for your suggestion. I was hoping $250ish would be a generous tip, so I'm glad you've heard that range is appropriate. So helpful! @modizzle- absolutely pay the vendor fee for an outside vendor for photography. I've heard fabulous things about Juan Navarro and also Gonzalo Nunez. I'm interested to hear what you decide... I haven't booked one yet, but my top pick is Gonzalo because his work is amazing and his level of service via email is so great.

Does any one know the standard practice around gratuities? We are doing the paradise pkg with plenty of upgrades and would like to recognize Ana's help. I'm just not sure how much to tip her? A few hundred dollars or 10 - 15 percent of our wedding bill?? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Modizzle - I think the OCT is a nice size, because they won't do as many weddings each day as a large resort like the Barcelo will. I also have 65-70 guests travelling, and am going with the Paradise Package because it accomodates 40 guests (then you pay an additional $45 per person for the private dinner reception etc). I think the OCT is also great for a bigger group because if you are like me and looking for a non-beach ceremony location, they have a few other options (Rooftop terrace/Lobby terrace) that accomodate large groups. You're right - there is no disco at the resort. But the sports bar/restaurant is open all night and that is where the party-goers usually go. It opens up by the pool bar, so not a typical disco - but apparently they have a dj and people dance. I have heard great things about the service at OCT, which is one of the big reasons we want to go there. Hope that helps.

Tropic Lover - Thanks for sharing the pinterest link, those hair styles will be gorgeous for the beach. That is exactly how I was envisioning my hair to look that day as well. So I'd love to see how yours turns out. Also, I love the idea of vintage videography. Will be fabulous! Such a great idea!

Loose flowing curls will look great on the beach, Sandy! I definitely want to use a videographer as well (for the ceremony and speeches at the reception too). Originally I thought of asking a family member to do it, but I think I am going to find a professional to do it. I think videography is imprtant, not only to revisit the memories but to share with family/friends that couldn't come to Ocean Turquesa. I'll look into Mike Cantrell as well. My wedding is still a ways away, so haven't confirmed a videographer yet. Let me know what you decide, Sandy!

How is everyone wearing their hair on the big day? I've heard it can be quite windy, so I was thinking a loose updo to keep hair out of my face. Does anyone have pictures or links to show how the hair salon on at the resort is? Have you heard any comments about that?

Those maracas are awesome, Sandy! What a fabulous idea!! (And so great that they can be sent right to the resort!) Can I ask how much Mishka designs is charging for the maracas?

Hi everyone. I'm looking to do the rooftop ceremony. I've heard that there are flashy paintings on the walls that really take away from the beauty of the rooftop location. Can anyone share their thoughts on this? Thanks!