mystique517

Jennypert - Thank you! We really did end up saving a LOT of money by bringing our own décor (even with the additional baggage fee!). Let me know if you need any help. BeachBrideToBe - We chose the family style option for our menu which worked out really nicely!! The only items that were placed at the middle of the table were the salads and appetizers. The white gloved servers actually served the main courses (there were a LOT of options from chicken, steak, lobster, shrimp, veggie options). They also served the dessert individually as well. In my original meeting with the WC, I asked if they could serve crème brulee as a substitute to one of the desserts on the family style menu since my family LOVES crème brulee. The staff were so nice that they actually gave everyone crème brulee on top of all the other desserts on the family style menu. They didn't charge us anything extra for it.

Quote: Originally Posted by DeeDee2310 I love the colors you chose for your ceremony and reception! Where did you find the light blue sheers? I have been looking online for a while and can only find turquoise blue organza sheers on amazon! Thank you! I searched for awhile and ended up finding some great colours from a Seller on Etsy. His store name is FancyFabricStore It was decently priced too - A little under $3 per yard

Quote: Originally Posted by mystique517 I pretty much brought everything you see in the pictures with the exception of the crystal curtain and hanging flower corsage on the Sky Deck. we faced quite the mission when bringing everything with us. We actually ended up paying an additional $400 when checking in our bags because we were overweight. But that was our own fault because we didn't bother to ask our guests if they had additional space in their luggage (which a lot of them did!) But to be fair, the majority of the weight came from our OOT bags and all their contents. The chair bows and table runners were actually one the lightest/smallest items I packed so I don't think you should have a hard time transporting those. Also, for my centerpieces I bought custom table number luminaries from Etsy that were flat and easy to pack. The coordinators at the resort just had to roll them up and place a pomander ball on top of them which made them quite presentable. I also bought tiny paper luminary boxes (also easily packed flat) that were put together at the resort. Combine that with scattered tiny acrylic diamonds and the tables ended up looking rather beautiful without being over the top/expensive/difficult to bring with you. Oh and I forgot to mention - the chair covers are included in the skydeck package and for plaza zavas as well so you don't need to bring those!

Quote: Originally Posted by Jennypert I love the changes to the Sky Deck and don't miss the roof on the Zavas Plaza gazebo. My wedding ceremony and reception are scheduled there also. Everything you have looks beautiful and it's so simple and elegant. How much of the decorations did you bring with and what did AS (Lomas?) provide? I don't really want to bring crates of chair covers, sashes and table runners but . . . I pretty much brought everything you see in the pictures with the exception of the crystal curtain and hanging flower corsage on the Sky Deck. we faced quite the mission when bringing everything with us. We actually ended up paying an additional $400 when checking in our bags because we were overweight. But that was our own fault because we didn't bother to ask our guests if they had additional space in their luggage (which a lot of them did!) But to be fair, the majority of the weight came from our OOT bags and all their contents. The chair bows and table runners were actually one the lightest/smallest items I packed so I don't think you should have a hard time transporting those. Also, for my centerpieces I bought custom table number luminaries from Etsy that were flat and easy to pack. The coordinators at the resort just had to roll them up and place a pomander ball on top of them which made them quite presentable. I also bought tiny paper luminary boxes (also easily packed flat) that were put together at the resort. Combine that with scattered tiny acrylic diamonds and the tables ended up looking rather beautiful without being over the top/expensive/difficult to bring with you.

Quote: Originally Posted by kaleighMCL I am working with the WC Karisma assigned me. I bought white shears for the brown gazebo...lol - murphy's law. Who did you contact directly at the resort? maybe i should start working around my Wc? Yikes! I get what you mean - white on white is a little redundant I worked with Lucy and Denise at the resort - both of them were amazing and extremely accommodating. Unfortunately I don't have their email address but I recall them mentioning that past brides used to email them with any questions. Perhaps you can try calling them if you have a long distance plan?

Quote: Originally Posted by kaleighMCL Thanks for letting me know! your set up worked out great, but that totally changes the look of everything i wanted to do...I think i may have a lot of stuff to sell...since i bought everything for the other gazebo. Its really frustrating they don't tell you these things. I hear you Sorry, I know how frustrating it can be. I battled a TON of my own frustrations with my local WC and would recommend to everyone to work directly with the resort if possible.

Quote: Originally Posted by kaleighMCL ..to clarify - the gazebo on the SKY deck.... and your pictures look awesome - i can't wait to see more! Yes, they did renovate the sky deck gazebo - I didn't find out until I got there so you're right, you don't really get any updates on changes until you get there. When I visited back in April for the Dress Rehearsal it was brown. I also bought my organza for the brown gazebo and wanted it set up a little differently but I think it still worked out nicely with the white gazebo. They also have a built in aisle so you don't even really need an aisle runner.

Hi Ladies, As promised, here are a few pictures of the décor/set up of our wedding ceremony and reception! I'll post more with my review once I catch up on the hundreds of work emails in my inbox .... I'm not so happy to be back to reality right now!!!

Hey Ladies, I just got back from my wedding and had an AMAZING time!!!! The staff was so friendly and accommodating. Although I brought tons of décor, the staff still threw in some additional décor for free (ie. a crystal curtain for the skydeck ceremony, corsage). We had our reception at Plaza Zavas. I was initially concerned when the gazebo was torn down but they were renovating it while I was there and have already put up new poles and a beam all around the top to hold it in place The roof should be installed within the next few days. I was even able to have my string lights wrapped around the poles and the lanterns were hung beautifully! I will post pics as soon as I receive them but trust me when I say, it was absolutely beautiful! I can't say enough good things about the resort and the staff. They even helped us make some group reservations (something they don't usually do) and I'm really thankful for that. Also, on our last night some of my bridesmaids contacted our wedding coordinator to decorate our room. My hubby and I were offsite doing an underwater TTD. When we came back to our room, our string lights were wrapped around our bed and many of our decorations were re-used to create a romantic atmosphere in our room and balcony. It was something out of a fantasy!! I'm currently experiencing wedding withdrawal and I can't believe it's all over butI just thought I would post to let all you future brides of Azul Sensatori know that you are in GOOD hands and you made an excellent choice! Everything about the week was perfect. I will post a real review along with some pics shortly. Also, one thing I should mention - there were many things I wanted for my wedding that my local wedding planner told me I would have to pay extra for (ie. the crystal curtain, a basket for some pashminas, a candlelit dinner on the beach, etc). But once I got to the resort, the onsite coordinators got us most of that stuff for free. Keep that in mind when you're planning your wedding - sometimes it's best to deal with the onsite coordinators first hand and cut out the middleman when possible.

Hey Ladies! I have some family members who weren't planning on attending the wedding but are now beginning to feel left out. They're looking to book their trips however the rates at Sensatori are just way too high so they are considering staying at the resort next door, Secrets Silversands. I know there is a day pass that guests usually have to purchase if they are not staying on the resort (for all the other days except the wedding day), but my logic is that they could just walk onto the resort from the beach since Silversands shares the beach with Sensatori. That way they don't have to come in through the front gates at the resort. Have any of you inquired about this or had guests that did the same thing? Did you run into any problems with security or hotel staff turning them away?

Hi Lins1, I was debating between Dean and Ivan as well and ended up choosing Ivan. He offered some better pricing for the same number of hours + TTD session in a cenote (where they do the underwater photography). I also did some research on the rankings of photographers in the area and Ivan was ranked #6. I don't recall where Dean was ranked, but I don't believe he was in the top 10. If you have your own photographer, I would definitely recommend you using them for your wedding day and then perhaps hiring Ivan or Dean for just the TTD. Hope that helps!

Hi jswllms, I just got back from the Bridal Dress Rehearsal on Sunday and I must say, it was fantastic! Not only do you get a first-hand look at the resort and all the different venues for your ceremony and reception, but you also go to a seminar where the WCs discuss all your options with you (the different Karisma resorts, the wedding packages and promotions). You also get to taste the food, the cake and see the types of décor and spa services available to you through Lomas (which are a tad overpriced and you're probably better off bringing your own décor - but it's still nice to see for inspiration) I definitely feel a lot better now that I've seen everything in real-life. I like to be prepared so that I know what I can expect before I get there in November with all my guests - but that's just me Also, there's been a lot of talk on here about outside DJs no longer being allowed on the resort, however the WC at Azul (Denise) told me that we can have an outside DJ along with an outside Photographer so long as we pay the $800 vendor fee for each! So maybe some WCs are being misinformed?? It's been a little frustrating hearing all the conflicting rules, but I figure if the WC at the Azul Sensatori is telling me this, it must be true! Still, I have yet to get it in writing. BTW - I took a lot of pics of EVERYTHING and asked a ton of questions so let me know if you ladies would like any info from me!

Hi jswllms, I just got back from the Bridal Dress Rehearsal on Sunday and I must say, it was fantastic! Not only do you get a first-hand look at the resort and all the different venues for your ceremony and reception, but you also go to a seminar where the WCs discuss all your options with you (the different Karisma resorts, the wedding packages and promotions). You also get to taste the food, the cake and see the types of décor and spa services available to you through Lomas (which are a tad overpriced and you're probably better off bringing your own décor - but it's still nice to see for inspiration) I definitely feel a lot better now that I've seen everything in real-life. I like to be prepared so that I know what I can expect before I get there in November with all my guests - but that's just me Also, there's been a lot of talk on here about outside DJs no longer being allowed on the resort, however the WC at Azul (Denise) told me that we can have an outside DJ along with an outside Photographer so long as we pay the $800 vendor fee for each! So maybe some WCs are being misinformed?? It's been a little frustrating hearing all the conflicting rules, but I figure if the WC at the Azul Sensatori is telling me this, it must be true! Still, I have yet to get it in writing. BTW - I took a lot of pics of EVERYTHING and asked a ton of questions so let me know if you ladies would like any info from me!

Hey ladies! Does anyone know if we can have a fireworks show if we're having our reception at plaza zavas? I know some DJs have a small fire show during the first dance but I was wondering if we could have actual sky fireworks as well?

Thank you!! It's a Mori Lee I wasn't sure how I would feel about a dress that is SOO fitted but after trying it on I knew that it was the best dress for me. I'd LOVE to see pics of yours!

So far it looks like I'll have about 40 guests. I'm weary about Plaza Zavas because I don't know how private it will be and didn't want to pick the ballroom because I feel like it takes away from the whole idea of a destination wedding. I think Zocalo would be perfect so long as it's not too narrow. I'd love to see pics when you get back. and CONGRATS!

I just bought my dress for my destination wedding in Mexico in November 2013. I love it so much. It officially launched my excitement and now the planning can begin!!!!!!