brownsugarbride

You and me both! I do not want to spend a lot of money on an AHR either! Are there any municipal locations like a park or historical building that might work? Often, government-owned buildings can be a lot cheaper to rent. The more natural decor the venue has, the less you will have to spend! As for food, I think hors d'oeuvres are an excellent idea. I met one bride that had over 300 people at her wedding and could not afford a sit-down venue. She told me that she and the groom had served heavy hors d'oeuvres, and the guests were very full and satisfied.

Apologies...I accidentally posted the wedding guide for Dreams Riviera Cancun. The current NOW Jade wedding guide hasn't been updated to include the webcam service as far as I can tell, but if they offer it, I would assume that similar pricing would apply to AMR resorts in the same area. http://www.amresorts.com/wedding_guides/nojrc-wedding-guide.pdf

Jen- It appears that the resort is providing a webcam service for a discounted price since it is a new offering ($599$: http://www.amresorts.com/wedding_guides/drerc-wedding-guide.pdf

I am planning a wedding at one of the all-inclusive resorts in Riviera Maya (TBD). Although I am certainly not opposed to a ceremony on the beach, I would love to have a garden ceremony as an option. The only venue that I know off thus far with a garden location as an option is the NOW Jade, and I can't even get a clear picture of where the garden is situated. Has anyone done a garden ceremony at an all-inclusive? If not, is anyone aware of options for a garden wedding at an all-inclusive?

When I was thinking of getting married in my hometown in the U.S., I came across alternative seating arrangements such as the one in the article below. I'm sure some of these, such as rhe circular arrangement, are difficult to execute on the beach, but perhaps I'll get married in a venue that is open to one: http://downtheaislect.com/alternative-wedding-ceremony-layouts

I know that a lot of us here are worried over each and every detail of our special days. However, this article puts a lot of that into perspective! From brides who back out on the way TO the cermony, penguins who won't perform, and a groom who dislocates his kneecap, it gives you perspective on what the important things really are. http://www.weddingindustryexperts.com/w10.html

Thanks for posting this find, very nice. I *thought* I saw Chinese fire/sky lanterns in the video. I thought they were not allowed at the resort, or did I misread that?

These tips are fantastic! I really like it because it reflects my overall philosophy for my wedding: to think about the needs of my guests and ensuring that they have a wonderful experience. In the event that I end up at NOW Jade (or any resort for that matter), would you mind if I used some of these tips in a letter?

I've never heard this song or this singer before, but I love both of them! I think there won't be a dry eye In the house.

I'm slowly making my way through this thread, and it has been so helpful! I'm still trying to get a good sense of what the seaside ceremony is really like: http://www.nowresorts.com/jade/nojrc_enhancements.html#3 I absolutely love the looks of it, but I can't tell whether it overlooks the sea, where it is on the resort, etc. Has anyone gotten married there or can point me to pictures of someone getting married there? In lieu of that, has anyone taken pictures of that location that might be more helpful than the one in the link? I'd really appreciate any thoughts!

Congrats lorcas! I love that color combination!

One of the ideas I got from a recent bridal show was to have a function catered in a Asian restaurant. I really liked the decor I saw in the pictures on display, and certain ethnic foods such as Chinese tend to be cheaper on average in terms of catering. Just to give you an example of what I mean, I've linked to the actual restaurant below: http://www.madeinasiacc.com/

ETA: Bridal Guide has a number of boards dedicated to various individual color palettes (e.g. purple, green, rainbow): http://pinterest.com/bridalguide/

Futurefiler- One of my girlfriends is designing my invites, and she showed me an amazing looking color palette: navy blue, orange, and something else. I think I read that having more than 2 colors is always a good idea. Pinterest usually has some great ideas for color schemes. If you are on there, I'm happy to link you to my (secret for now) planning board. In lieu of that, here are a couple of options that I've been thinking of: http://blog.weddingpaperdivas.com/pantone-vivacious-inspiration-board/ http://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr.com/tumblr_kpcko7DyAO1qa1xr9o1_1280.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJ6IHWSU3BX3X7X3Q&Expires=1333047156&Signature=kYxQd%2FxVj362XfT8abCL2lge7L8%3D http://www.orientaltrading.com/peacock-wedding-table-numbers-a2-PT2052-12-1.fltr?Ntt=table+number http://www.wedideas.com/Natural_Touch_Callas_Orchids_Bouquet_p/bqppn006.htm

Tova- This planning thread is amazing, one of the best I've seen on here! I too, really appreciate your makeup tips for darker brides. I can't wait to see your photos and hear your report! (Oh, and more of your DIY decorations.)

We're definitely planning to make it legal here in the United States. It's less than $50 to get a license in my state, but I'm curious about the total cost of getting married in Mexico (beyond time costs). I love a bargain!

That's so funny that you are going with the Moon Palace! My future husband is very partial to this venue because one of his family members got married there, and he really enjoyed it. I think I prefer to do something smaller but I am definitely keeping MP in mind. I did talk with my travel agent yesterday about locations. After a very long conversation we decided to start with three of my top choices: Azul Sensatori (I hate their outside vendor fees!) , Dreams Riviera Cancun, and NOW Jade.

I have locs past the middle of my back, so getting my hair done on the resort will be verrry interesting! My travel agent said that to can send them pictures so they can figure out who can do my hair, but I will most likely taking myself off-resort to a natural hair stylist unless they have an ace in the hole that I don't know about! LOL I have gotten lots of inspiration from Munaluchi bride, and wanted to share: http://munaluchibridal.com/wedding-hair-inspiration-19-wedding-updos-for-black-brides/ These styles are so fierce! These headpieces are even fiercer: http://munaluchibridal.com/wedding-hair-bridal-headpieces-and-accessories/

Igerry-Those Jimmy Choos (choice #1) are giving me life! I love them! That dress is a stunner as well.

Chrestena-You look just lovely, and the site looks fabulous! I'm so glad that you had a wonderful day!

I'm glad you put your foot down and demanded that things be done YOUR way.

Tara-I'm not sure how far in advance you are flying in, but would it be possible for you to buy a few things there? There is definitely a Costco in the Cancun area (for example) and depending on how far it is, that might be an option in case you are facing issues with overweight luggage, etc.

Every single wedding planner that I've talked to that does destination weddings STRONGLY suggests bringing your photographer with you. One said that every bride she's had that has gone with the resort photographer has been disappointed. Now, I've seen a few brides on here that were very happy with their resort photographer. However, if photography is important to you, I think you're really buying some peace of mind by flying in your photographer. Hopefully I can convince FH to fly in the photographers that I want! LOL

This is such great information to have! Have you or any of the other upcoming brides been on a site visit yet? My travel agent was saying that NOW Jade is one of the handful of resorts in RM that she felt comfortable recommending without a site visit.