NJBride2014

I thought the prices for the photobooth were on the high side.  Especially since I keep getting Living Social deals for photobooth rentals here in the states for dirt cheap.  LOL.  

It is a little on the high side but I can see my guests really enjoying the photo booth and we have some credit we can use on it since we went to the 3 day site preview.  Would be nice to find a Living Social deal that would work in mexico haha.

Yes, because I fought them on this.  There was no way I was letting them get away with the 'ol switch-a-roo.  

 

I had tons of emails stating they were going to charge me $500 so they had no choice but to give it to me for the price they originally said.

Hmmm... I need to go back and look at my emails and see if I can find anything where they quote $500 vendor fee I've only seen $800 that I can remember. I booked last June so I'm not sure when the vendor fee prices changed. If I can find where it says $500 I'll definitely fight them on it.  These fees are really eating into my budget. 

@@newlyengaged13 are they charging you a $800 or $500 vendor fee for Doremixx?  My WC said it would be $800.00.

Ooo thanks! I didnt know there was a preferred vendor for hair and makeup that wasnt the salon at the hotel. 

Yeah this is a problem with palace too there were a lot of vendors I didn't know they offered until I saw them on this forum and had to specifically ask for them from my WC. The vendors she kept sending me seemed to be the more expensive one's. This happened to me with flowers I was quoted almost double by one of their vendors and then found out there was another vendor for the same flowers at a much cheaper price and I called her out on it and she came up with some excuse.  I saved about half of what she had quoted me originally for the same flowers.  

Yes, they signed the contract exclusively with Palace last year.  That's when I booked with them.  It was not announced until Adrian told me and had it reconfirmed by Palace.

 

Adrian is doing my hair/makeup and his team will be doing my bridal party and mother.  

I honestly didn't even bother negotiating since the fee was just so much cheaper.  

 

I didn't get the dance floor b/c I saved the money to get fire dancers and a cigar roller instead.  

 

I've seen the photos of the dance floor and think it looks amazing on the beach, but I think it looks kind of weird on the Sky Terrace (jmo), plus it's money I'd like to use somewhere else.

I agree with the dance floor on the terrace I'm not that sold on it but my fiance really wants it.  I would rather do the white wooden dance floor or no dance floor and add more lighting to define the area.  We are also thinking of doing the cigar rollers and maybe the photo booth.  If we nix the dance floor we can do both the cigar rollers and photobooth.....hmmm decisions.   

I was told that they would charge the vendor fee for makeup artists.  I have booked Styling Trio to do my hair/makeup and they have just signed a contract with Palace Resorts so you won't have to pay the vendor fee or even the day pass.  Check them out. 

I booked DJ Doremixx and even with the outside vendor fee it was still cheaper than going with one of the Palace preferred vendors.  I read tons of great reviews about them prior to booking

@@newlyengaged13 I reached out to DJ Doremixx too his prices were definitely better than JSAV and PSAV.  Are you also doing a dance floor?  Did he work with you on the price since you are paying the vendor fee?  Are you only paying $500 for you outside vendor fee?

@@NJBride2014

No sorry, I meant they waived the outside vendor fee.  The wedding coordinator sent me an email awhile back saying that if I was booking Del Sol the outside vendor fee was $500, then another email later said the fee was now $800 for 2014.  I freaked out and managed to find some documentation where it said I only had to pay for 2 day passes for the photographers and they honored that.  $200 for daypasses is much better than $800 lol.

It is so weird how they are not consistent with the outside vendor fees for everyone...After hearing that the fee is not really being enforced, I am now totally reconsidering hiring Tania Tagel for hair and makeup (I wanted to have her, but couldnt risk having them charge me $800! yikes).  Has anyone been able to confirm that only a day pass is needed for an outside makeup artist? 

@@shmanderz I know what you mean about the vendor fees they are really killers.  I would gladly go with their preferred vendors but I've been finding that they are more expensive than other outside vendors and by a lot and their work is not the style I'm looking for.  I'm going with an outside vendor for my videographer and I'm going to book them room for the night of the wedding to avoid the $800 vendor fee.  The videographer also worked with me and discounted his package by 10 percent which is a big help.  My next hurdle is the DJ, I want a fun party atmosphere so there has to be a good DJ.  The quotes i'm getting from both PSAV and JSAV for DJ and light up dance floor is about double what the outside vendors are quoting me and even with the $800 vendor fee or a room night I would be saving a couple hundred dollars.  I'm not sure what to do though I don't want to worry about the outside DJ having any problems setting up or bringing in his equipment and dance floor. At least with their preferred vendor if any problems do occur they handle it, with the outside vendor I'm on my own.  Did you book a DJ?  

@@meliss0981

I actually mananged to get Beach Palace to wave the outside vendor fee because there was a bunch of conflicting info in the documents I was sent from them...some said photographers only needed a day pass and then some documents and emails said there was a fee (Went from $500 to $800!).  I pressed the issue and they dropped the outside vendor fee...which was super awesome because Del Sol was a big chunk of our budget.

We paid about $4000 for 5 hours and had to have a 50% deposit down when booking.  We had originally requested Juan but a few weeks ago I was notified he left the company.  At first I was worried but then they let us know that Sol Tamargo would be photographing the wedding at no extra charge to us.  I am beyond thrilled!! Her work is outstanding    Photography is so important to us and we budgeted almost half of the budget towards it so I am super stoked that we are going to have some seriously kick ass photos

 

If you are able to get Beach Palace to drop the fee you should definitely try.  It is nice to be able to put that hard earned money towards the photos instead of a silly useless 

@@shmanderz so they also waived the day passes?  I'm getting married at Le Blanc and also booked Del Sol and was told that I don't have to pay the vendor fee but that I will need to pay for two day passes which is still $300.00 on top of what i'm paying Del Sol, it would be nice to get this waived as well.  I wanted to book Juan, he did our engagement pics and we loved them. When we went to book him for our wedding he was already booked we were a little bummed but I guess it worked out since now he is no longer there, wonder where he went?  We have Melissa for 5 hours and we got good rates because we booked her before they promoted her.  I'm excited to have Del Sol photograph our wedding. 

Bumping this thread to see if there are any new LeBlanc brides out there planning their wedding. 

You can always try the site magnetstreet.com they have very nice invitations and are always doing give aways and discount coupons.  They have from very basic to super fancy and will also send you a lot of samples and colors to choose from.  

Thanks Tammy, so what you're recommending is to book the group rate and then have people book air on their own?

That's what I did.  I locked in the room rates with my travel agent and I'm having my guests book their own flights.  Some people are coming 3 nights some are coming 7 nights and traveling from different airports/airlines.  This gave them the freedom to book their flights when they could find the best deal or use their airline points.  Its worked out better this way for me and my guests. 

Glad to hear that people have had positive experiences with Pre-Cana.  My fiance and I have decided to get married in his church before we go to Cancun.  The church ceremony is set for 2 weeks before our DW ceremony.  At first I didn't really get why we couldn't just go to the court house but my fiance really wants us to do it in the church where he grew up and where his parents got married.  I've come around to the idea and now I'm very excited to have our ceremony at the church with all our family who can't make it to Cancun in attendance. We meet with the priest who is going to marry us on Friday afternoon and then I believe we have to do an all day Pre-Cana class.  I was kind of dreading it to tell you the truth but it seems like most people have had positive things to say and learned a lot.  Now I have to plan a little after ceremony reception for the family who will be coming the church.  Also, I need to find a simple white dress, I guess this will be our AHR but before the DW.  This is getting a little stressful but I'm sure we'll pull it off and have two special days, kind of cool we get to be married twice!! 

@@NJBride2014 Thank you very much! Yes, I also find that a bit strange..

 

How did you work out the 2 day passes instead of the vendor's fee? I would like to do this as well! Also, were you only able to negotiate this for Del Sol or any other outside photographers?

@@MBK I knew that Del Sol had done a lot of weddings at Palace Resorts in the past and before I even booked my wedding I knew that I wanted to hire them as my photographers, I just loved their style that much.  I asked  LeBlanc what their policy was for Del Sol specifically and they said since they had a good relationship with them that they would allow a day pass for them.  I'm not sure if this is still the case with them as I think Palace Resorts has become much more strict about their outside vendor policy but I got it in writing that they would only charge the day pass fee.  

When I tried to go with an outside videographer and also do the day pass they told me that I couldn't and they said the vendor fee would apply.  I also found the palace photographers to be almost as expensive as Del Sol and not quite the right style I was looking for. Photography and videography is really important to me since after the wedding really that's all we have to look back on.

Is there an outside photographer you are looking at?  Maybe you can ask if you can also do the day pass, doesn't hurt to ask.  Another way to get around the vendor fee is to book your photographer/videographer a night at the hotel and now they are considered a guest of the hotel.  You still have to pay for their room but its still cheaper than the $800 vendor fee and you can also negotiate a cheaper price with the photographer/videographer since you are booking them a night.  I'm thinking of doing this for the DJ since their DJ is pretty pricey too.

Hi @@NJBride2014,

 

Just emailed you his package list. I have not seen his videos yet, and am also reluctant for the same reason.

 

Where are you getting married? I am having a hard time choosing photographer and videographer. I am getting married at Moon Palace and they have only a few preferred vendors. Carlos Pasten is one of them, and I like the fact that he does both photography and videography. The only other one that offers both is Sarani but she is a bit expensive.. not sure what I am going to do yet. 

 

If he posts a demo will you please let me know?

Thanks @@MBK for the package list!

I'm getting married at Le Blanc Spa Resort which is a Palace resort.  I wasn't a big fan of their photography choices so I booked an outside vendor Del Sol Photography and am paying for 2 day passes instead of their outside vendor fee.  I'm only looking at Carlos Pasten for videography I was hoping to hire someone from the palace preferred list to avoid having to pay a vendor fee but so far their prices are higher than what I would pay for an outside videographer plus their vendor fee.  I've been trying to get a video from Carlos for 2 weeks now so I can see his work I'm looking for more of a cinematography style wedding video and he says he does it but I want to make sure it's exactly what I'm looking for.  Other cinematography style videographers I've researched and reached out all had plenty of videos to view on their website so it's a little strange not to see any video on his website (not sure if that's a bad sign).  I know my wedding is 5 months away but I would like to go ahead and book it and have it done with so I can work on other things.  When I finally get a video of his work I'll let you know and send it to you.  

@@MBK thanks! My email is [email protected]. Did you get to see any of his videography work? He said he needs to create a demo so I'm waiting on that. Kind of would like to see his work before I make my decision. He's a preferred vendor at my resort but hard to decide to hire someone and put a deposit down when I haven't seen his videos.

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i love it. This is a awsome idea. You did a great job.

Great idea.  These look really nice!  It's so nice to not spend a ton on the wire hangers too... these look just as good, for a fraction of the cost!

Thanks!! I'm happy with the end result. 

This is what I wrote on my wedding website regarding no gifts.  You can add something like this on your invites.

We have not registered for any gifts, instead your gift to us will be attending our special wedding weekend!!

I just wanted to post my first completed DIY project and hopefully share some inspiration or ideas.  I always knew I wanted to get myself and my girls the cool wedding hangers from Etsy but didn't really want to spend over $100 on 9 hangers that really they are only going to use for the wedding.  I thought of doing the hangers and doing the wire name part myself but I didn't think they would come out that great and I didn't want to do this for 9 hangers. Then I found someone on Etsy who did vinyl decals for the hangers and bingo that's a much better and cheaper option for the same effect.  I bought the vinyl decals from https://www.etsy.com/transaction/182853456?ref=fb2_tnx_title and 9 sets came out to $27.00.  You can customize the decals with different colors and fonts to match your wedding style.  The shipping took a little longer than expected so I would order in advance so you aren't rushed to get the hangers done.  Next I bought the hangers I needed 9 one for myself, groom, maid of honor, 4 bridesmaids, and mother of the bride/groom. I found a pack of 20 good quality wooden hangers from Walmart for $12.00 (I have 11 left over) and coral ribbon from Michaels for 80 cents. Assembly was super easy and the instructions were very clear, I finished all 9 in under an hour.  I love the way they came out and think my girls will love them too.  The total for all 9 hangers came out to $39.80 so each hanger comes to $4.42 much cheaper than getting customized wire hangers for anywhere to $10.00 to $20.00 each. 

Here are some pictures of the finished product.

I'm a September 2014 bride but not at moon palace I'm getting married at Le Blanc which is also a palace resort.  Can't believe how fast time is flying. 

Hello everyone,

 

I am a Moon Palace bride looking to select a photographer and videographer for our wedding. Has anyone used or seen Carlos Pasten's work? Any reviews would be greatly appreciated. I am not clear on whether he does both photography and videography. 

 

Also, if there is anyone else that you recommend for videography that would be great.

 

Thanks in advance!

@MBK did you ever get prices/packages or get to see any of Carlos Pasten's videos?  I still have not heard back from him. 

I would like to get this information too. I emailed Carlos a week ago to get prices and packages on videography and still haven't heard from him. He emailed me last week to say he was out of the country so hopefully I'll hear from him soon.

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I would go for something other than Tiffany's. It's such a huge mark up for something silver. You can get a great piece of jewelry for the fraction of the cost.

My fiancés aunt works for Tiffany corporate and she can get me necklaces from the company store for about $40 or $50 bucks so it's actually a pretty good deal. That's the only way I would buy each of them one I wouldn't pay full price for 5 that would be too much. Lol

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Wow, that's very generous!  Good karma coming your way and lots of luck on your wedding planning. 

I sent my invites out 8 months before the wedding but 6 months before the rooms had to be paid off.  I think I timed it pretty well, a lot of people are booking now.  I guess with tax season underway a lot of people are thinking of a vacation especially since our NJ winter was pretty bad this year. 

So far these are the things I got for my girls:

1. White Havaianas flip flops 

2. Pinch Provisions Mini Emergency kits which doubles as little make up bags 

3. I'm going to order them robes

4. I might also give them each a nice necklace from Tiffany's.  (My fiance's aunt works at Tiffany's so she can get us a good deal)

5.  Also paid their room deposits $50.00 each. 

I'm treating them extra special because 3 of them are my sisters, 1 is my aunt and 1 is my best friend since 4th grade.  Making the trip to Cancun is asking a lot of them and they have been wonderful doing whatever they have to do to be there.  We are still working on the groomsmen not sure what my fiance wants to do for them I think we are purchasing their ties.  

I did the site inspection at Le Blanc (a palace resort) after I booked my wedding but since I knew I was definitely having the wedding there I knew that we would get the money back/credited to our wedding account.  So I'm not sure if you are a hundred percent certain it will be at Moon Palace or if you have other places in mind you could take advantage of the discounted rate and visit other sites to compare. If Moon Palace is your number one resort then at least you know you'll get credited back the money if you decide to book it after, so essentially you are only paying for your flights.

On my 3 day site visit I got meet with our on site wedding coordinator and do a thorough walk through of the entire hotel and see all of our options location wise.  We also did a food and cake tasting and met with the chef which was great.  I found the site visit helpful and worth it for my peace of mind to know that my wedding was in good hands.  If you can swing it and its in the budget I recommend it.  

As for you daughter, see if kids are free if they are then you are only paying $738.00 for the weekend (plus flight).  I think for us at Le Blanc we paid around $319 a night and now have $957 in our wedding account that we are using for extra entertainment at the wedding.  Also another tip if you go for the site visit it has to be 3 nights at the discounted rate and for us there weren't any resort credits that we could use so keep that in mind. Let me know if you have any other questions.   

@@rvalenka Planner1 did our tables, chairs, lounge furniture, lights & chargers and set up all the décor that I brought from home (runners, maracas, phototable, chair tails, candles etc). I also rented a few tabl

Vanessa Jaimes did our flowers, which were incredible. Planenr1 also does incredible flowers, but I hired them after Vanessa. Planner1 and Vanessa have done a bunch of weddings together before so it ended up working out perfectly. If you would like Arianna's email address- let me know! Both were a dream to work with!

 

@@AllieH thanks!!! We can not wait to get our professional pics back since everyones iphone pics are so awesome!

I see that you got married at Beach Palace I'm also getting married at a palace resort.  Was Planner1 an approved vendor or an outside vendor with the vendor fee? I'm trying to plan out my decor now and looking over the two choices they gave me Zuniga and Gama.  But if Planner1 is an option I would like to get more information. Thanks.