lastminbride

Hi FutureMrsSing, Thanks for the recaps on the site inspections. It helps a lot! Hellen

Quote: Originally Posted by DinaQtobe What are your other top choices? In November it shouldn't be too warm, especially at night. Now Jade has lots of great indoor options for receptions. The bamboo room is beautiful! Hi Dina, Somehow I had the NOW resorts (Jade & Saphire) off my list. Maybe I thought they did not accept kids or something. Website looks good. I will call them tomorrow! With a group of at least 80 guests, and the desire to have multiple private events (specially cocktail hour and private reception on wedding day), this option might get pricey. We'll see what they have to say. Thanks for the tip. Hope your planning is coming along well. H

Fantastic! Thank you!

excellent post with pics! thank you. How was the wedding?

I was *just* looking at them Lincoln! Nice picture! Do you have pics of indoor spaces with air conditioning. My group would be about 80 people +

Hi Dina, Great to hear you are happy with the Karisma chain. Azul Sensatori is a finalist. I just really dislike their low-celiing, apartment-complex-party-room-look ballroom. I'm having my reception indoors, for climate control and a bit more glamour. lost and stuck with zero time to spare (

Hi Britt - I know, MP was my winner, too. ( Azul Sensatori is a runner up - ballroom is very underwhelming though There will be kids in the group so it has to be kid friendly. Thanks and best wishes

Hi Dina, Thanks for your words. Yes, you got it about my heart being set on it. But the trust isn't there. And all my guests would have to go through that horrible membership booking office by phone to book. I can't imagine putting them through it. They'd probably just book through another channel and I wouldn't get my room benefits. I have nieces/nephews and friends with kids coming, so It has to be a family friendly resort. Thanks for the other recommendations though.

Jenvens - I had no idea I could hire a TA to book not through them, but through the hotel ! What a great idea!!! I will look into it. Thank you!

Dondon - I've read on here that Valeria is outstanding! Looks like you lucked out. Let us know how it goes and good luck!

Girls, shortly after my last post on Saturday, I got a much awaited e-mail from the membership wedding agent I've been dealing with with the list of all the benefits he had promised over the phone. The big ticket items were all missing and he reneged on having offered them! Also, since I'm less than 60 days in, I can't have a room block separated for me, but on a Monday he told me that Nov 23/24 rooms for my large group were available, and then THAT Wednesday (two days later) they were no longer available! Even without a room guarantee, only two days and they were no longer be available?! What if I would have confirmed and announced the date to my guests and they would call to book to only find that the rooms are not available (for members bc I could book many online)? Horrible. So we picked another date. He said 'no guarantees on room availability, but right now it looks good'. Can't trust that after what he said on the other date. My heart was set on Moon Palace, and I was so demoralized by all this. I was crying at my 3 dress shopping appts and totally out of it. Now I'm back to square one having to pick and book a resort. I already only had two months to plan, and two weeks were waisted by these people. What were your other resort finalists?

FutureMrsSing - thanks for all the info.

Thanks MrstobeD. Ladies - After weeks of negotiating and back and forth with them, and paying in full fir the presidential suite and cermony deposit, now MP has reneged on some of th big benefits they offered me. ( It's back to square one. ( picking a resort. The already short timeline is now even shorter! What were your runner ups?

Thanks

...and Azul Sensatori...but their ballroom has low ceilings and not very impressive

Thanks CGY. My top choice was Moon Palace, but I've been dealing with their memebership weddings office and came a hairpin closemofmbeing completely scammed by them. Second runners are Iberostar and Royal/Grand Caribe I'm looking for a venue with a great ballroom for the reception, great view for ceremony (preferably not right on the beach), and a family friendly resort for my nieces/nephews and guests with kids. Luxury all the way. About 100 guests. And wanting perks for bringing in those 100 guests. What were your finalists?

All the pics were so helpful. Thank you

Hi Lydia, What a fantastic post. I see that your wedding is coming up in a few weeks, and you must be busy. My father is ill, and we need to do our wedding asap to make sure he is there (hopefully he will fully recovery, but this is his second bout with cancer, and I want to get the wedding done as soon as possible). Anyway, I am now planning for my wedding in late Nov early December. I just spend TWO full weeks non-stop with the Membership Weddings dept at Moon Palace only to have all promises of benefits and extras magically 'evaporate' when it was time to sign a contract. Just terrible. I'm now back to square one and the time is ticking. Can you tell me what you didn't like about THE Royal? Feel free to e-mail me privately if you prefer: [email protected] Thank you! Hellen

Hi Deedee, Could you email me the attachments? I can't open them yet. Thank you!!! [email protected]

Me, too. I can't open them and I'd be so grateful if someone could email the docs to me: [email protected]. Thank you!

Hi Ladies, What made you go for iberostar?

Love it all. The OOT bags are great!

Alejandra. Ok. Thanks. What's the process in general with them? Are they the ones that try to sell you the wedding collections, etc..?

FutureMrSingh, Congrats on the Nov 1! You must be soooo excited! Who was your wedding planner? And, who's been assigned as your onsite coordinator? Thanks for all the great tips and general advice. I NEEDED to hear that! Wish I had read about mywedding before. Wrapping up the weddingwire one now...have to get it out/published right away. Yes, I will be patient with all the questions. To top it off, I booked through a friend's membership and will have to field a to of questions about travel. Yikes! Patience, breathing, counting... Because I'm less than 60 days out (57 to be exact), I never got a room block. Moon Palace told me some dates with good availability and it's all based on availability but with the member rates and perks. My guests will all have to all membership directly (no e-mail/internet booking), and will have to pay in full at booking time. It takes me 5 calls a day to get ahold of the guy who has to do the bookings. I hope my guests don't get desperate and just book online or with a TA. I won't get their room night counts towards my benefits. But, yes, I will put the deadline (for one of the membership perks) and to book right away. What is your DJ doing for equipment? I have acquaintances - one a DJ, one a photographer. They are both invited (not because of their work), but I wonder how I can bring it up to them if they are interested. Because there is friendship involved, it's a little messy to think about negotiating, etc.. Did you look at the photographers/DJs there, or did you decide to bring your own from the get go? Good tip on the waxing. Btw, can we make appts at the MP spa before we even arrive? (for my 7-night guests we get 2 free mani/Pedi's per room, and a big resort credit which can be used at the spa...we will be crowding the place!). Thanks again for taking the time to write to me. Good advice. Excited for wedding dress shopping today....hope the salespeople don't freak out about the date. All I hear is: "THIS year?? THIS year??? REally? This year??" xox, Hellen

Thank you so much, Dina! We have told our VIPs about the idea in general ...and that it would be in NOV. This was a week ago. I think most of them have come out of their faint spell. ha ha Anyway, the website (chose weddingwire) is our main form of communication/announcements. And, I'm going to print invitations early next week. I've dreamt of gorgeous invitations for years, and now will just have to go to Michael's and jazz whatever I find up. That's okay...being able to have my family at my wedding is more important than prettier invitations (-must repeat this many times!-). Great tip on the band/musicians, and rest of BP attire. My two MOH are coming with me dress shopping today, so I can mention it then to them. I signed up on the Knot, and it tells me I have 127 to do items overdue. Wow! What an adventure. Thanks, thanks, thanks! Quote: Originally Posted by DinaQtobe Congratulations!!! I am sorry to hear about your family illness, but I hope that your wedding will be full of celebration and love! Wedding bands can take up to 8 weeks to order, so that would be my recommendation for you to do after the dress. Also start looking for the attire for your fiance, and wedding party if you are having one. I used theknot.com for my website. It was fairly easy to use. Are you planning on sending out invitations, or using e-mail? I would get on those when you have a moment to breathe. You want your guests to be able to book their travel arrangements as soon as they can. The great thing about a DW is that the resort should take care of EVERYTHING for you, so really, you shouldn't have much stress as far as the actual day. If I can be of any more help, please let me know! I know you will have a fantastic wedding!!