PuntaBride

All Riu's are the same. The buffet you can wear anything you like. All of the specialty restaurants have a dress code. Men must wear closed toe shoes and long pants. Woman - pants, dress, sandals ... anything really goes. Just no denim type thing. However, I have been to many Riu resorts and I have seen lots of people break the dress code and I have never seen someone get turned away. So, they are not too strict ... but best be prepared. Let me know if you have any other questions!

LOVE! Very Elegant

OH MY GOODNESS!! Are you kidding me???? So basically the price went down and you told them you wanted to take the price drop and they gave you a hard time? I would love to know more about this!

Don't feel behind. I sent mine out early because I wanted to know this far in advance what the cost would be and be able to relay this info to our friends and family so they could save well in advance ... making it more possible for people to come. I also knew by sending invites so early that a lot of people wouldn't be able to commit at this time, so I put on my RSVP "ask me again in 6 months". At that point I will arrange for another group rate for anyone ready and wanting to get a good deal! I've had a number of people select this, but I also have about 35 people who have already paid their deposits

Hi Lyssa, I forgot to mention this, I went to Marlin Travel (usually found in Walmart). They had a wedding specialist that I got connected with. When you get a group rate it is for 10 or more guests. Anyone who books this rate is guaranteed a one time price adjustment if the price goes up until 60 days before departure, which is a great bonus because they usually do go down $50-$200 dollars. Another awesome thing about Marlin is that you can use Airmiles. You can cash in 950 points for $100 dollars off your trip. So there are a few ways to bring the cost down. I had two different locations (Orangeville and Oakville) get group pricing for me for 4 different resorts and then picked the best one. So we are going to Majestic Elegance May 5th-12th for $1380, which is amazing for this resort! If you need any contacts the lady I am working with is amazing! So let me know

Yayyyy! I was so relieved when I got mine out. I have 35 guests who have already put their deposits in It's exciting getting the RSVPs in the mail.

Other thoughts .... Anyone else doing a symbolic wedding? What exactly do we need to bring to prove we have been married legally in our home country? In Canada you have to wait 10 weeks before you request a marriage certificate. That would mean we would have to do this more than 3 months before our destination wedding. I don't want to do it this far in advance. Any way around this dilemma?

You are probably looking for a 4 star resort. Try the RIU resort chain. They have 3-5+ star resorts. I've stayed at a bunch of their 5 star and always had a great time. Some of their properties have more than one hotel on site so guests can stay at whichever one suits their budget if you prefer to go to a more expensive one! Good luck!

Has anyone thought about using a DJ? I've heard good things about DJ Mannia, but am also wondering what the in house DJ is like. Anyone have an opinion on this, it would be very helpful!

Good stuff! You should get a response within 3 days. They are pretty good at getting back to you! If you are there the week of the 8th our trips will overlap! Good luck

May 9th at ME! I would send the coordinator an email immediately to book your date. It doesn't cost anything, but this resort does fill up fast. All you need to know is whether you are having a civil or symbolic ceremony. Everything else you can decide after. If you change your mind and go with a different resort you can just cancel. No deposit is needed.

Hi Jackie! Are you looking for an additional colour for decorations and flowers? Are the dresses a light champaign (like a nude) or darker? I don't think you necessarily need an additional colour ... I've seen lots of pictures with white flowers, etc. But if your heart is set on it I would do a shade of blue depending on the shade of champaign. You could do a royal blue or a light aqua blue, which will look stunning with the beach and ocean.

Think of the Elegance as 5 Star and the Colonial as 4 star. The Elegance has an adults only section "the club", but the rest of the resort is family friendly. I've heard from a friend that went to the colonial that the elegance has nicer decor and I think more restaurants. When I priced them both out it was a difference of $80 ... so I thought it was worth the extra money to upgrade!

I would love to get the list! Thanks in advance. [email protected]

I've seen some really nice photos of purple weddings for destination wedding. I think it's pretty and the cool colours are nice with the ocean! There are so many different tones of purple. You could go with a mauve or something on the more neutral side, rather than bright purple. Look how pretty this is ....

I would also love to get the prices. [email protected]

There is a forum on here about wedding colours. Check it out ... you might get ideas. Are you on Pinterest? I suggest going there and doing a "pink wedding" search to get some inspiration boards. For beach bags (or reusable bags) that are not personalized check this site out. Someone I know got pink ones. They fold up which is super handy and hold a good amount of stuff in them. You can order them in different colours and different amounts. Click on the "no imprint" tab. http://www.debcosolutions.com/EN-US/category.aspx?sessionID=db2d8015-e401-4751-afd7-80c06b9226db&categoryGUID=c71b0928-abe5-4641-858f-815773f6b30c&categoryID=NW4733&categoryLevel=3&fromCategory=TRUE My website was made at weddingwindow.com. You can make a free site or pay and get a bunch more colours/templates. There are some really good features on there. I emailed save the date cards in my wedding colours. You can do your guest list and contact address there. RSVP on the site. Do surveys ... the possibilities are endless. toddandmichelle.weddingwindow.com

Hi There, Email the resort. You can request they send you all of the information regarding the packages right down to the fine details. You can have a private reception and play music for your first dance. That is what I plan to do!

I'm going with nudes for the main colour with pops of minty/blue as the accent. All of bridesmaids are wearing their own style of dress in nude and I'm hoping to find a shirt for the guys in the blue. I think it will be nice and natural looking with the beach and ocean. Here is my inspiration

Yeah, it's the compromise you have to make when you decide to do the destination route - you know not everyone will be able to come along. It's so hard to please everyone. Everyone has an opinion whether it's asked for or not lol Where are you traveling from?