KaelaMcD

Quote: Originally Posted by Jennypert I totally agree. I was strongly advised to NOT ship anything to the resort. It is very likely that the items will not arrive. If you have friends pack and carry some items in their checked baggage, make sure they have receipts and that they pack the items. That way, they can answer any questions about who packed and what is included. I have heard that Mexico customs has started to be very strict about the $300 limit. The amount of the tax is probably not a lot but there is definitely an inconvenience and hassle factor if you get pulled out of line. Also, where did you buy your maracas? I really like that idea. Jenny I got the maracas off this website. http://www.amols.com/catalog/yellow-maracas They served as a cheap favor, made the tables look festive, and the guests loved shaking them all night to get us to kiss!

Quote: Originally Posted by tracey lynn Hi. The maracas you used are similar to the ones we bought. They look great! Did you have any trouble getting them through customs? Did you do carry on for those or checked bag also? Hi Tracey! I didn't have any trouble getting the maracas, or all the other "stuff" I brought through customs. HOWEVER (haha), make sure you have receipts. In my experience, after you collect all your bags, they go through another security type scanner to check contents. Based on that, some bags are searched. All of our bags were searched. All five of them... We brought 50+ maracas, plus lots of decorations and everything that I put in the guests welcome bags (so a lot of "un-normal" stuff). All that stuff was checked. The maracas literally took up an entire duffle bag (a big one) just on their own. Which was kind of comical walking through the airports with a rattling bag. :-) The Mexican customs did go through everything, and then asked for receipts which I promptly handed over. There's a Mexican law (look it up because I can't remember the exact details...) about bringing in more than a certain monetary number of what they call "non-essential" items. I think if it exceeds $300 per person, it can be taxed, which is why they want receipts. Worst case scenario, I doubt they would confiscate anything, but I guess you could get taxed without a receipt or if you exceed their max allowance. If it were me, I wouldn't ship anything...when I was planning I heard nightmares about brides who went that route. Things not arriving on time, or getting lost, or going to the wrong location. Again, it may work out fine, but I'd just be more comfortable taking stuff myself. That's probably the control freak in me talking! Ha. :-) Let me know if you have any other questions. Happy to help! Kaela

Hey Tracey, Congratulations! You will have a fantastic time at Azul Beach. Our wedding was last October, and it was AMAZING! If it were me, I'd arrange a private reception if you can. The beach is an option for 25 people, or I'm pretty sure you can do receptions at the Wave Lounge or the outside deck at Chil as well with that number (at least you could when I was planning). We didn't have an exact "wedding rehearsal" at all. Did any other brides out there? I just didn't feel like I needed one, but I'm sure you could make it happen. You can also just plan one, with your wedding party, impromptu. Are you having your ceremony on the beach? That beach gazebo canopy thingy is there all the time, so you could probably just walk through the elements of the ceremony pretty much any time you want. You will have a LENGTHY meeting with the wedding planners once you get there. Ours was the second day we were there, two days before the wedding. They went through every single element of our contract, and detail sheet from start to finish and make sure every aspect of the entire day is covered (including any other private events you might have). They were great to work with, and so accommodating! I'm not sure I totally understand your last question about the cocktail party. We had a private cocktail party the night before the wedding (in place of a rehearsal dinner) and we also had one after the ceremony at Wave Lounge. One was included as an incentive for booking with our travel agent, and the other we chose a cocktail package from the Karisma Banquet Catalog. Let me know if you have any other questions. I have LOTS of pictures from my wedding, and lots of pictures of the property. I took a lot when I was there because picturing everything was a hard thing for me when I was planning because we booked having never been to the resort before. Anyway, have fun! Kaela

Congrats Melissa!!! So glad you had a wonderful experience, and not at all surprised. We felt the same way about our honeymoon location, a little "let down." We were like, "Uhhh, can we go back to Azul Beach?!" Haha. Anyway, congrats again!!

Hey Amanda, I'm with all the other girls here, forget the closet, and go for the overhead bin space. We flew AirTran, too, and there was not a closet on the plane. Our flight was also full, but people were very accommodating and I was able to lay my dress flat in an overhead bin without having to even fold it. Mine was lace, so it didn't require any steaming once we got there either. It traveled great. I just assumed the dress would count as one of my carry-on items, so I just had it, and a giant beach bag with a bunch of stuff. I would suggest trying to stick to two just in case they give you a hard time about technically having three actual "items." You never know... Also, to anyone else planning, I have another quick tip. We checked four big bags, and both had two pretty large carry-ons each. That was a LOT to drag through the airport both in Chicago, and especially when we picked it all up in Cancun. Luckily, we had two friends on our flight that were able to help us otherwise we would have needed to get one of those carts. Also, if you have anything "weird" (like candles, or tiny sunscreens in bulk, haha) be prepared for the Mexican customs to rifle through all your bags and drag everything out (kinda embarassing...honeymoon "attire" hellloooooo! :-)). And don't forget the receipts so you don't get charged any duty! Last, if you're staying longer for your honeymoon, get someone to take all the stuff you don't need back. That way you're not dragging things like your wedding dress all over Mexico for the rest of your trip.

Originally I wanted to bring a tray, just like the one they had...and it just wasn't happening! There was just no way I could pack it! So, I rolled the dice and hoped that they would have something to help make the idea in my head come to life. Sure enough, they had that tray at the resort, and provided it, and set up all the name "cards" for no additional charge. You should be good. That is so exciting that you leave so soon!!! You are going to have such an amazing time...so jealous! We all want lots of pics when you get back. Congrats again, and have so much fun!

Originally I wanted to bring a tray, just like the one they had...and it just wasn't happening! There was just no way I could pack it! So, I rolled the dice and hoped that they would have something to help make the idea in my head come to life. Sure enough, they had that tray at the resort, and provided it, and set up all the name "cards" for no additional charge. You should be good. That is so exciting that you leave so soon!!! You are going to have such an amazing time...so jealous! We all want lots of pics when you get back. Congrats again, and have so much fun!

We did not provide a meal for the DJ. They were working the entire time, including dinner, they were playing great dinner music. I doubt they expect you to pay for their dinner, although it's a nice gesture. I'm sure if they DO expect it, they'll let you know! We provided a meal for the photographer/videographer, but that was because they were with us from 3pm-10pm. We worked out the charge for the meal with our coordinator in Miami, but I would recommend checking again with the coordinator's at Azul Beach once you get there...they had no recollection that we had requested this ahead of time. I can't remember the exact cost, but it was very reasonable, and was not the same "fancy" dinner that we served our guests. Hope that helps.

I had my bridal luncheon the day before the wedding. Yes, I used the free reservation included in the wedding package. Originally, we were going to use that for a rehearsal dinner, but we had more than 25 guests and with such a smaller-ish group of guests, we didn't want to not invite some people (especially since they come so far!). So we did a rehearsal dinner/cocktail party at Wave Lounge the night before the wedding, that all the guests were invited to, and I invited all the women to the bridal luncheon. My Mom, sister, cousin and aunt basically organized/planned the luncheon. They brought some decorations of their own, and gifts for everyone. They organized a few games for us to play. They did order a few floral arrangements for the tables, and they did that when we met with the wedding coordinator's when we first arrived. We had the luncheon at the Blue International Restaurant, and we had the entire inside completely to ourselves. I'm sure because it was "brunch" hour, I think it was 11am, it's much easier to make the reservation private. Not sure how well that would work if someone wanted to use it for an evening reservation... I think it should be pretty easy for you to have an informal brunch the day before the wedding. We were there in October, which is considered the "low" season, so I'm not sure how crowded it is other times of the year, but for a group on the smaller side, I doubt you will have any problems getting a table together. We had giant groups at every meal for four days straight and never had a problem! I can't remember what kind of make-up they had at the spa! I remember thinking that it seemed like quality materials during my trial, but I ended up doing my makeup on my own. I'd say I'm a little bit of a makeup snob (only a little) and after my trial, I just didn't think they could do $85 worth of a better job than I could do (I think it was around that price...). So I canceled the wedding day appointment and did it myself. Any quality foundation will be best. You want something that will last. I personally use Laura Mercier foundation and love it. I would recommend a foundation primer (Smashbox makes a good one) and even a finisher to "set" your makeup so that it will last all day. I'm pretty sure my up-do took close to an hour. It may depend on how elaborate the style and how much hair you have as well. This was my wedding day schedule: Sleep in! (Get a good nights' rest, you want to feel good!) 11am-Sat out by the pool with bridesmaids and other friends/family. 12pm-Quick lunch with family at Chil. 1pm-Wedding party came to my room to "start" getting ready (ie; laughing and having fun, drinking champagne ;-) I gave them a few gifts, we all had matching robes, fun girly stuff!). We had the honeymoon suite which was so nice and roomy! 2pm-Hair appointment (the stylist came to my room which I recommend so you can stay with the "party"). 3pm-Make-up, then dress and finishing touches (and the photographer showed up at 3pm, in both our rooms). 4pm-Pre-ceremony pictures 5pm-Ceremony 5:30ish-Cocktail party at Wave Lounge (we took more pictures, too) 7pm-Reception at Blue Terrace (our order was first dance, sang a duet, toasts, prayer and blessing, dinner, mom/son and father/daughter dance, cut the cake, done!) 11pm-Headed to Agave Tequila Bar for the after-party. :-) We did make a list for the DJ...I wasn't picky about what order the songs were played, but I had the time to list the ones we liked so I figured why not? He stuck to our list, and when he did play some that weren't on the list, they were a similar "style." We did give a few don't play suggestions and they definitely stuck to it. I wanted to stick with more universally pleasing music. You know, the typical classic wedding songs! You should see a page on the Lomas contract where you can add the songs, etc. On ours, that's also where you indicate what time you want certain elements of the reception (first dance, toasts, cake cutting, etc.).

Sorry for the delay everyone. I have been traveling! I am not sure I still have the menu/programs/welcome cards in the editable formats...I may have to do some digging...If I can find them, I'll send them your way. Just wanted to respond so you wouldn't think I was ignoring ya! I'll see what I can do.

Wow! Annoying!! Not even I can open it, and I posted it!! Geez!!! Okay, emailing it to both of you now. Let me know if you need anything else. HAPPY WEDDING PLANNING EVERYONE! :-) Kaela

Hey girls- Thought I would include the letter I sent to my guests here, as a pdf, so everyone could see it whenever they want! I sent this a couple of weeks before we left for the trip. I would include maybe a note about the dress code, I forgot to add that. I'm a big DIY person, so I pretty much made all the stationery for the wedding. Everything from table cards, to ceremony programs, to menus, to schedules in the OOT bags. If was super easy, and so much cheaper than hiring a stationer. It's a great way to save some money! Letter to Guests.pdf

Hey Amanda- I had two bolts of organza, 25 yards each. They just draped each over the gazebo, and it seemed like a perfect fit, with even some left over. So, you should be good with your 40 yard bolt. I would cut it in half, just use two, 20 yards each. I'm including a picture so you can hopefully get a better idea of how mine looked. I didn't go to the Wal-Mart in Cancun, sorry!

Erin-You are so welcome for the pictures and everything else. I'm so happy to help. I had such a great experience, I enjoy helping out other Azul Beach brides! You'll be happy to know that I did NOT bring those candles you refer to. They are part of the restaurant "decor" so I"m sure they'll be there for you too! The only light we brought were small votive candles (4 on each table), and the DJ had a few lights (when necessary) and the staff adjusted the restaurant chandeliers as needed, as well.

Amanda-I bought two bolts of organza from Amazon.com, and they come wrapped around a cardboard bolt (like you would see in a fabric store). I didn't cut anything, and I don't think they did at the resort either. They just tied/mounted the fabric to the gazebo. I took the cardboard pieces out, and carefully folded the fabric into the suitcase (it won't fit in a "normal" suitcase wrapped around the cardboard). It did travel pretty well (I was a little worried), it doesn't looke "wrinkled" at all in my pictures. If you're bringing tulle for chair covers, I would probably cut them ahead of time (if you can figure out how much fabric you need somehow). The only reason I say that, is that they might charge you more to have to cut/measure for you. They might not, don't hold me to that, but maybe. Either way, they're so accommodating, I'm sure they'll make it happen for you either way!

Hey girls! Sorry for the delay, I just sent you both the notes we sent to our guests a couple weeks prior to the wedding. I can tell you my experience with the amplifier. I rented it for our private cocktail party the evening before the wedding. We went with the amplifier because we weren't sure about how much the sound would project with just an ipod docking station, and we wanted to give a few speeches and allow guests to "roast and toast" us, and the amplifier includes a microphone. It was a great choice. The price actually includes a "sound guy" that worked out really well because he would turn the music up and down when people were/weren't giving a speech. We had the cocktail party at the Wave Lounge, outdoors, and I do think the amplified sound was a good choice, as the waves can be a little noisy! :-) I brought my own ipod and had created a playlist ahead of time. I included a lot of caribbean island style music, some reggae, steel pan hits. Fun stuff! Hope that helps.

Sorry I can't help on this one! All of our guests stayed at Azul Beach. I remember thinking that the day pass was really expensive! I think some of our guests looked into staying at another resort, adults only, but when they realized what the charge was for day passes (we weren't going to pay for them) they decided it wasn't worth it to stay somewhere else. That's probably no help...sorry. :-(

Amanda, Here is a picture of our floral centerpieces. It was a tough choice for me too, because they are expensive...I think mine were somewhere around $60/table? I did have them at each table, with the votive candles, and the table card. The resort, of course, sets out the place setting and linens, etc. I also made menu cards, place cards (ie; the names tied to the starfish), and had the maracas, all shown below as well. I think when the photographer took the pic of the centerpiece, the place settings weren't completely set, so it might look a little "bare" but it didn't once everything else was on the table. I think you're probably okay with the candles in the bowls. There was a light breeze the evening of our wedding, definitely not enough to blow out a candle. I guess that could change if it was windy...although, now that I think about it, they do have storm screens that they can lower if/when there is wind/rain. So, all that to say, you'll probably be safe! :-)

Amanda- No, I didn't use any table runners at the reception. I just didn't think it was necessary, especially on a square shape table...I only had blue votive candles around a floral centerpiece. I don't really know how heavy they were, but we didn't ship anything. We strategically packed everything in our suitcases (I think we checked four bags total, plus two carry-ons, including my wedding dress which I carried on) and just made sure they were all under 50lbs.