TinkerSofi

We went with Octavio montes. I can't remember the exact quote but it's along the lines of $1000 for 4 or 5 hours. He also has cheaper packages for less hours. After shopping around for a bit we thought his prices were very reasonable and we liked his pictures. He has most of the prices on his website and you can ask him for more if you'd like. There's definitely affordable photographers out there, for the most part it is a tedious job to shop around for pictures you like, ask for quotes and then find out that you can't afford half of them haha but that's sort of the norm with any vendor. I know that the prices seem like a lot, but compared to local photographers $1000 is a steal. They also put tons of time editing the pictures and behind the scenes, it's not as easy as pressing a button. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm sorry that you're dealing with that. I think it is kind of unfair for him to put it all on you because at the end of the day you weren't the only one who made the decisions. Mi fiance also says that this is my wedding because if it was up to him he would be ok with not getting married, but that he knows it's important for me. I think the key is to always talk about things and just let him know how that comment made you feel. I find that sometimes people get scared and they lash out against the other person, saying pretty hurtful things, without actually realizing how hurtful they were. Maybe go over the costs again and see if there is anything you guys can cut down on to get closer to your budget. Sometimes you have to get rid of something that you really like but when you think about it you realize that you can do without. Maybe he agreed to certain things because it was easier than arguing about them and now that all the costs are going up he feels overwhelmed and wants to do something about it. It is true that most weddings will go a bit over budget but I also don't think you should spend your life savings to have absolutely everything you want. You're definitely not alone! We've had our arguments too about the wedding and I am sure they will not be the last. It's just a stressful situation to be in but that's why it's important to always talk things over and try to compromise as much as you can.

I am so torn on this one! I think the first look would allow me to cry my little heart out and then get it together for my ceremony (I'm definitely a crier haha) but at the same time theres the whole "seeing the bride before the wedding" tradition and seeing his face while he's standing there [emoji171] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We are having a semi private dinner for everyone the day after we get there, then the wedding and we might do a farewell dinner the night before we leave. Im also gifting our romantic dinner to my parents for their 28th anniversary (a day after ours) and I upgraded it to the dinner at the ocean pier . It will be a surprise so I'm really excited for that. I'm afraid of making "too many" special events and making people feel forced to attend everything while taking away from their vacation. We might go to an excursion and ask people to join us if they'd like. I also really like the smores party so I have to see if it fits our budget [emoji2] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think it's true. My mom got married at 23 but I will be 27 by the time I get married. I feel like I'm 20 [emoji3], that's what counts right? Hahah Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We thought the more time they had the more likely they would be to book because they have more time to pay it off. Most of our friends are just graduating from university or getting settled so they appreciated the time. But calgarybride2015 is right, those who really want to be there will be and others will find an excuse. There are still people who haven't Rsvpd or who aren't sure if they're coming. for now I'm going by them unofficially saying that they're coming and counting them in but I'll ask them closer to the date when I have to start making payments. I'm expecting about 10% of those who didn't book now to come up with an excuse later but that's the nature of destination weddings Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I agree! Maybe check out what your resort has to offer. I was really hoping for a good resort-approved photographer but the only one we liked was way out of our budget. Just keep in mind you might want to spend some extra money on an outside one. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I agree. Pictures for us were very important and the resort photographers of the two resorts we checked out really did not impress us so we knew right away that it would be an expense that we would Have to have Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk What a difference!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wow you and the whole weeding looked gorgeous! Great pictures as well Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@@KAT2015 absolutely! I think you get the best of both worlds, having both . I wish you the best with your decision and hopefully your sister will be able to understand that it's your choice and she should respect it.

I'll be wearing all my strapless bathing suits on the days leading up to the wedding and staying in the shade. I'm not big on suntanning anyway because I get really hot and can't stand it. I also burn pretty quickly so win win situation Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I agree! Oh I wish I could get a bonfire but unfortunately I only get one free 3 course dinner but it's good to know that it's private Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@@KAT2015 that's true, at the end of the day it is your day and every situation/relationship is different so you have to make the decisions about what makes you happy. I do believe that you will always regret decisions that you took to please others. In a way I'm glad I don't have sisters. I think there's more drama involved than having a brother haha. My brother just said that because he only has one sister he wants to be as involved as possible . I do see your point of your sister trying to grab all the attention and I think that would be a reason for me to reconsider. My brother used to do that when we were younger and I hated it so much.

My side of things is very different in many regards. I don't have a sister, only a brother that I'm so close to that we always say we should have been twins haha. He's part of my bridal party (my man of honor) and I wouldn't have it any other way. The way I see it, most friends will come and go, it's hard to find friends that you can remain friends through thick and thin, through life and lifestyle changes, even if you move a continent away. I've been there before. However your family is always there whether you get along all the time or not. I guess there's a lot of other background things going on that might affect your decision but I would be offended too if my sister isn't even putting me as part of the bridal party. I wouldn't ask to be the maid of honor, but if you're giving out titles to people, in my opinion, family comes first and I would be offended that I didn't make the cut for any of that. You guys can call me a drama queen, but I would feel really left out. Maybe my relationship with my family is very different and that's why I think so differently, but just my two cents Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk @@tygrrlily our numbers don't match, but I don't really care. There's 3 people on my side and 2 on my fiance's. There's also 4 girls and 1 guy. Basically they don't match on anything hahah.

@ The sky deck is right by the beach from what I've see on pictures. There's a building by the pool and it's on that building's rooftop. I put pictures of what it looks like. According to the info that my WC sent me, you can have a maximum of 120 people up there for a display dinner (that's what they call it, you can't have a plated dinner), or a maximum of 60 if you're also having your ceremony and cocktail hour up there. There is a surcharge of $15 pp to the menu that you choose.

thank you ladies! Our guests seemed impressed that we made them, but at the same time I doubt anyone would say "what awful invitations" to our face hahah!

I found that most people who said they will come will, even if they don't book with your group. I don't think I had anyone say that they were coming and then changed their mind. I do suspect however that for those planning their own trips, some will drop out for whatever reason (either they can't find something in their price range or something else comes up). Also, most will wait until the bitter end. Our official deadline was yesterday (with the actual travel company) and we still have people booking! haha. Thankfully our TA is super nice and still booking them with our group. We already went over the 30 people we reserved at the beginning so I'm guessing she got some more for us .

the beach will definitely be enough for 100 people but the only downside is that you have to rent a dancefloor which can cost almost as much as the per person surcharge for the sky deck. If you're having a DJ you also need to rent a platform for his equipment. I've been to a party by the beach and it can also be windy (just like the deck) but at least the fresh air is welcomed in the middle of all the dancing and the heat. We decided to do the terrace because we didn't want any of our wedding events right on the beach. That was actually one of the reasons that drove us to Azul Fives, that they had other venues for a large amount of people

I suggest you try and talk with a travel agent first. Maybe after you've narrowed down the country/area where you want to have it. I don't know if it has to be through destination weddings.com but I think travel agents can be very helpful in narrowing down hotels that have your "musts". To narrow down the place I just searched online for how much trips are to a general area. We chose Mexico because,aside from Cuba, it seemed the most affordable and my fiancé did not want to go to Cuba. We just thought we would have more people come if it was more affordable Good luck and happy planning! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I totally want to wear a garter but I think I'd be too embarrassed to get my fiancé to take it off in front of everyone haha! My dress is too tight and I'd feel like I'd almost have to lift it all the way up to get to the garter Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@@kmk2016 Hopefully! It's hard to get info from past brides. I hope I can stick around in the forum after the wedding and hopefully be of some help .

Any 2014 brides have any experience with the free events promotion? How does that work with choosing the venue and menu?

@@kmk2016 definitely! with our luck we would get stuck having a reception on the beach, which we really don't want. I'm hoping that because August is low season there I'd have more of a choice. I guess I'll ask LaurieLee and my WC for info on that once the number of rooms have settled.

Yeah I'm using the semi private dinner that comes with the free package as a welcome dinner for everyone so I don't know what I'll do with this one. I'm almost tempted to try and negotiate if they'll give me a free cocktail hour instead (it's still cheaper for them I think and more useful for me). I have to consult with the fiancé and see what we should do with it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ahh ok. That makes sense . Thanks Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk