JennyBenz

Hi KARD! I may not be a ton of help since my wedding is in Riviera Maya, but I had to reply b/c I have Celiac and know how hard it must be trying to accomodate to everyone with this. It's sweet of you to think of their special diet & that you want to have a little something for them =) For my resort, they actually make GF baked goods on-site, so I was lucky and didn't have to look elsewhere. But, check with your resort because they might be able to help you in getting some goodies for your guests! For my resort, they won't allow me to bring in "outside" food of any kind, b/c of health laws & regulations, so check w/ your WC before anything. I searched a little bit for anything GF related in Playa and nothing of use turned up. Wish I could help sorry =( Good luck!

TKUZMA- BEAUTIFUL PICTURES!!! You were a stunning bride!!! Can't wait to see more pictures =D

Thanks so much MK =)

Thanks ladies =)

JRACK- For me, I'm keeping my bouquet. I'm leaving it up to my BM's if they want to keep theirs. I'm sure they will, as it's a reminder of a special day! But I have heard some brides wanting to sell them when they return b/c they don't need to keep them. Quote: Originally Posted by jrack is anyone selling their flowers? or do you usually keep them as keepsake? Snoopy- I am SO excited to receive my order =) Angel is amazing to work with! She sent me some samples and the flowers are such amazing quality! My FI had no clue they were synthetic!!! You'll be pleased with their work =)

This is beautiful Meg!! I guess we all love that "thank you" as I'm using it as well [just different fonts/colors]. Thanks for sharing =)

Hi Ladies! I wanted to share my weekend project with you all =D SOO thrilled with how they came out!! These will be our centerpieces, the only thing missing is the table number, which will be written in silver marker on the heart. There are votive candles in each that will be lit, unfortunately I didn't have a long enough match to reach them LOL The jar to the right is actually smaller in person, I guess from the way I arranged them it looks bigger in the picture. I have pomander balls for our aisle decor, so I may see how it looks if I put one on top of the largest jar to add some splash of color- I'll share pictures when i receive my flowers in April for opinions! The luggage tag will be the escort/seating cards for reception- I will write the guests' names & table number on each with silver marker. Hope everyone llikes them =) Jenny

CONGRATULATIONS TKUZMA AND WELCOME BACK!!!!! I'm so happy to hear it all went so amazingly well for you =) You almost had me in tears with your review, so over the moon to hear about it all!! This just gives me more confidence in the resort & staff, and know it will all come together wonderfully! Best wishes to you & your new hubby =) XO Jenny

Hey girl! Same here, I feel like I'm doing so much, but then there's still so much to do! I'm making headway with all of the DIY projects but the most tedious task is getting all of our guests to book their rooms by March 1st deadline! I hear this is the most common issue with DW, so I'm trying not to stress but I am sending reminders all the time now =) I'd love to see how the chapstik labels came out!! I finished all the painting this weekend, it didn't take long at all! Thankfully =)

Hello lovely brides & brides-to-be!!! Hope you're all doing well =D Just wanted to check in and see how everyone's planning is going! I think I'm going to start my planning thread- I have almost everything ordered & ready to go! And I know it'll be hard to put it all together after at once, so is this a good idea to start now? I just received our favors from Factory 21- AMAZING!! We decided on insulated custom-printed travel cups, which will be very useful for our guests! I'll be sharing pictures of all the favors, stationery, and decoration I've received thus far! What are your DIY projects??? I'll be working on painting & writing out everyone's escort cards & table numbers this weekend. I'm also hoping to get all the materials needed for our centerpieces. I can't believe how fast time is flying by!!! Almost 3 months away eek! XO jen

Hey! I asked my WC many times to be sure I have it in writing, to avoid any issues once I arrive down there. According to WC, she said as long as they are a guest staying minimum of 3 nights at the resort, I do not have to pay the outside vendor fee. Since I booked the rooms for my outside vendors, their names will be on the rooming list we have to send to the WC, and under "relation to couple" I put "DJ -vendor" , etc. So as long as you make it known they are a paid guest for min. 3 nights you won't be hassled.I would ask your WC to confirm so you have it in writing. I plan on printing all of the many emails between myself & my WC so if the resort wants to pull a "well this is incorrect or that's not our policy" I have proof that it was confirmed.

Hey ladies- I completely agree with you both- it's ridiculous that they make you pay an outrageous fee that goes in their pocket for nothing and still want you to dish out another $100 for a 1/2 hour! Honestly, would the resort even know that you are meeting them in the lobby for a meeting? I feel like the lobby space is SO big that every employee is working like crazy helping guests to check in that no one will stop and say "wait a minute, are those guests having a meeting and if they are, did they pay for this?" Just my opinion- Also, in order to avoid all these issues & extra fees we just booked our outside vendors a room for 3 nights- which came out to less than the $800 fee the resort wanted us to pay. If it's not too late you might want to do that. My DJ is meeting with us the day he should be checking in, so that way he can check in and also have the meeting with us while he's a guest there- headache avoided

Hello lovely ladies!! First off- very warm wishes & lots of love being sent to those who have recently left or are getting close to their wedding date!!! I see this is a popular time for our forum, I can't wait to see how everything turns out for TKUZMA, DANICA, CHRISTINE!! Rachel- Welcome back and congratulations =D Can't wait to read your review & see pictures!!! SUEJEAN - Congrats!! Sorry I can't comment on the resort's DJ's as we decided to use outside vendor, djdoremixx. I have seen many posts on here from past brides who had nothing but great things to say about the resort's DJ's!! JMK923 & BIRDIE-- I am VERY surprised to hear that Lynda [who's also my WC] told you they don't allow outside vendors. The only outside vendor they will not allow onto the resort [even if you pay a fee] are florists & caterers/food services. We were able to book an outside DJ if we paid either the "outside vendor" fee of $800 or paid 3 nights for their stay. We did the 3 nights for both our DJ & photographer b/c it wound up about $400 cheaper to have them as guests. I don't like giving my money away to the resort, just to allow someone onto the resort! So just compare how much the stay would be for your vendor for 3 nights vs. outside fee, most likely it'll be better to pay for rooms. It also works out better this way b/c both photographer & DJ want to meet prior to the wedding day, so they'll be checking in on the day we have meetings arranged so one less thing for them to do on the wedding day My photographer even thanked me for booking her & her husband a room b/c they could use a mini-vacation during their busiest season! One thing I've come to realize is that the Karisma chain is known for changing their policies quite often- so perhaps ask her if this is a new policy and when did it become effective? I would definitely discuss this further with Lynda, as all the brides on here had no problems booking outside vendors. Originally Posted by suejean14 Hi Everyone! My fiance and I are getting married at AS on 6/15/13! I've been busy reading the pages and pages of all the useful information on here. Has anyone had any experience (good or bad) with the DJ's offered through Lomas. I saw that there are two different options DJ All Music and/or Mega DJ? Are these to be booked with your coordinator? I already have an email out to my coordinator but thought I would come here for any tips and/or advice! Any past experiences or tips would be greatly appreciated! Quote: Originally Posted by JMK923 Hi Brides! Wondering if anyone has recently booked DJ Doremixx? I read through some of the threads on here, and it looks like some previous brides back from early 2012 were able to book him and pay the outside vendor fee. However, I asked my WC Lynda and she said that they do not permit outside DJ services. What's this all about? Any input would be helpful! Thanks!! Originally Posted by birdie1119 We were thinking of doing an outside DJ too but were not sure if we should just pay the fee or if we could book him a room for three nights. Has anyone or is anyone planning on booking a room for the outside DJ?

murmel- I just read through the Sensatori forum you're working on- one topic made me a bit nervous- sand fleas on the beach!!! eeek My reception will be on the beach from 7pm-11pm, is this going to be a problem? I don't want my guests being bitten while eating their dinner yikes!

Perfect thanks so much murmel =) I was actually planning on giving the wedding party their gifts before we head down there, as you mentioned. My only concern now is if JetBlue will allow me to take both my wedding dresses onboard the plane =O One is a fitted gown, so it can be folded and put into my carry-on if anything; but my other one is very big [lots of layers] Do you think I will have a problem? If I put the two dresses in one garment bag, will they still let me bring that on board + a carry-on? Thanks! Quote: Originally Posted by murmel My understanding is you need to have reciepts for gifts (ie. OOT bag items, bridal party gifts, favours). Stuff that you will not be taking home with you, or will be leaving in Mexico. Depending on how much stuff you are bringing down (especially if you have a lot of the same items) they may ask to see reciepts for decorations (this is merely because they don't want you to be bringing stuff into the country with the intention to sell the items) For the most part, most brides don't even get asked. But it's better to be prepared, just incase your luggage gets searched. Hope that helps. If you have gifts for your bridal party- another option is to give the gifts to them ahead of time and have them bring them down themselves (plus they don't have to claim it then, since it's theirs-not a gift!)

You're most welcome!! We're all here to help anytime I know if I were in your position I'd want all the advice & help I could get! Hope it works out, keep us posted!

Hi Murmel! Question- So for customs, only gifts we have to claim, such as favors?? What about all decorations, do those have to be claimed too? Thanks! Jennifer

Hi!! I have been using only one website for all of my DIY stationery! They have the largest selection of colors & finishes! I'm sure they'll have what you're looking for http://www.paperandmore.com/

Hi Nicole! I'm SO sorry I only saw this now I've been overwhelmed this past month! Let me know if you still need the template. If you just need the basic outline you can download it on aylee bits website. http://www.ayleebits.com/templates.htm

TKUZMA--- I'm looking everywhere for you! I found some short chiffon dresses that come in champagne, but might not be the exact same color. BUT if it matches I'd say get a complementing color??? Take a look>> http://www.bluefly.com/donna-morgan-champagne-gold-shimmer-chiffon-woven-belted-strapless-pleated-dress/PRODUCT_FEED/320712801/detail.fly?gclid=CJKYg6fC_LQCFU-d4AodKmMAGA&partner=Gate_CSE_Google+Product+Ads_Donna+Morgan_Dresses&referer=ca_google_productads&PROMO=promo970009&cm_mmc=ca_google_productads-_-Donna+Morgan-_-womens_dresses_evening-_-320712801 http://www.dhgate.com/p-ff80808139d2f60b0139f77e88b41474.html?utm_source=GMC&utm_medium=Adwords&utm_campaign=eiffelbride&utm_term=143818233&f=bm%7c143818233%7c%7cGMC%7cAdwords%7c%7ceiffelbride%7cQL%7c%7c&gclid=CMbAhsXC_LQCFQSf4AodAgMAFQ this is very similar in style, not sure about color: http://www.jcrew.com/wedding/Wedding_Bridesmaid/silkchiffon/PRDOVR~29286/29286.jsp hopefully this helps =)

Congrats Rachel!!! Wishing you a wonderful time, enjoy it, and don't stress over a thing! It's your day, just roll with the punches and be sure to enjoy every second of it =) Can't wait to hear from you upon your return =) Hi Azulbride!!! I found a website that is absolutely amazing, they carry a large variety of products and the prices are very good! I was looking for beaded curtains as well. check it out =) http://www.save-on-crafts.com/cr6.html TKUZMA- OMG!!! I cannot believe they are not able to help in any way- especially when the dresses were ordered SO long ago!! They should not be giving you excuses, they should be offering to help any way they can. Is there a "need by" or "guaranteed to arrive by" date on contract? I would thoroughly look through the contract & see if there's anything else you can do- Not for nothing, this is your wedding day, how could they be a reputable company that doesn't care about getting dresses to the girls on time?! Sigh. Very sorry to hear this is happening- on a lighter note, I just bought the same dress!!! I LOVE them!! We ordered it in the petal pink, but they won;t be in until APril 25th which is too late.. OK have you searched high & low on internet? I feel there are online retailers that stock dresses & couldhave to you ASAP. Perhaps try calling local shops to see if anyone might by chance have that color & style on the sales floor as a sample? See if you could buy it from them and alter same day??? Explain the situation someone has to be able to help! I would reach out again to the Bill Levkoff offices and explain your disappointment- I think since it's their company they have to have a warehouse with stock selection- something's got to give!!! Worst case scenario, can you find local stores that carry similar styles OR go with swatch or a friends dress and find something at a dept. store that can match the other dresses. So sorry you have to go through this =( I wish you the best of luck!! I've been searching allover the internet for the dress that can get here by the time you leave- This one site MIGHT have it in stock, from what it's shipping policy says... Check it out, perhaps give them a call. They're basedhere in the US, in Massetchusets but ship all around the world. Maybe this will work out!! http://www.ultimatewomansapparel.com/Articles.asp?ID=242 Hi Amy!! Lynda sometimes takes a few days to respond tome, so don't worry just yet. There's a good chance it's available =) If you don't want to wait, try giving her a call! I had my reception locations changed [not my decision] I was told originally it was all confirmed then by chance I asked about the location details a month later and was told it wasn't avaialble so I'm on the beach instead.... so I had to completely change my decorations & plans, which was a pain but it all worked out =) You have plenty of time don't worry it will work out =) It's a good idea to wait until the day is a bit closer to start ordering. That's what I did, b /c I am very indecisive and would find a new idea every day! So I gathered all my ideas and started figuring out which we wanted to keep and which to toss. I just ordered everything this past week and can't wait for everything to come!!!

WOW!! LOVE!!! Job well done, your guests will love these! I was thinking of just going the Vistaprint route for pre-wedding brochures. I can't find enough hours in the day to do anything myself lately LOL I'll be sure to share once I have a preview ready =) I bought a Groupon I paid $17 for it and it's $70 worth of goods from Vista! Wahoo!

Hi Bostonbride!! I actually wrote about this somewhere in this forum, but who knows how long ago that was! I went with my FI last year to scope out all of the Karisma resorts and we actually stayed at the Fives. First off, the Fives is ABSOLUTELY amazing! The service, food, rooms, everything was 5 Star!!! We are having our wedding at the Sensatori because of two main reasons: The Fives is a very small resort, it's long & narrow. To walk from the rooms & lobby area to the pool & beach felt long- because we were walking to/from a lot! The beach is beautiful, but the water isn't very swimmable infront of the resort [very rocky/lots of shells & coral]. If you walk down a minute or so to a more "public area" the water is beautiful! BUT I will say there was a smell of rotten fish and I quickly learned it was due to the large fish heads & skeletons washing up =( I guess it's from the local fishermen. Anyways, here's the biggest reason we chose the Sensatori over the Fives- The wedding ceremony area on the beach at the Fives is directly infront of the infinity pool and in between chairs/on-lookers and next to the volleyball net. There was a wedding going on while we were in the pool- The handful of people there who weren't guests of the wedding, were surrounding the area and watching from in the pool [about 15 feet away]. So if you're looking for "private" & "intimate" that won't happen. But those are the only negative things I can say about the Fives. We went as part of the "brides dress rehearsal" package we heard about from our TA- And we got the ultimate VIP treatment! They knew us by first name, sent us champagne & chocolate & tasting spoons twice! They upgraded us to the penthouse suite! AMAZING! We had a rooftop balcony with BBQ, lounge chairs, a jacuzzi, and even bar area for hanging out or partying! If you are just beginning to scout locations - I'd highly recommend looking into this incentive- It cost us PENNIES I believe it was $300 for both of us for three nights - nothing more [besides airfare]! Also, if you want to see the Sensatori, all transportation to other Karisma resorts is free =) We chose the Sensatori over 6 other places we saw first hand while we were there. It's a large resort, but walking from one end to the other won't take more than 5-10 minutes. Everything is pretty central, so you won't be walking from one end to the other often anyway. The food & service was just as amazing as the Fives [and many more choices of restaurants!] The great thing about the AS is that it's separated into three sections, so it suits every guest's needs- a premium section which is an adults-only area, a family section, and a "general" section. We did a room block in the general section, but we do have guests who are using the group rate for other room categories in the family area or premium section. You have a great selection of areas for your wedding & reception, as I'm sure you've read about- the beach, roofdeck, indoors, outside patio of the restaurant- whatever makes you happy =) I'm SO excited to be getting married here, hope this helps you in making your decision! best of luck & congratulations =) Jenny