vanessav53

Silk flowers/fake are fine. Real flowers are not ok to take into mexico. Make sure you keep the receipt for the bouquet ( and anything you travel with for the wedding) keep in an envelope in your carry on incase you get stopped at customs.

@CurlyKristen- The florist info is in my write- up but I used Riviera maya florist for all of my centerpieces and then I just used the flowers from the resort that were included in the divine package ( 1 centerpiece , my bouquet and the corasages/boutineres) the flowers from resort were beautiful but to buy more centerpieces from there was SO MUCH more expensive than going outside the resort. I've attached a pic of the centerpieces that the outside florist did for me ( she provided the centerpiece, lantern and wooden board ) it was exactly what I told her I wanted and the price was $65 for everything included ( lantern, wooden board and centerpiece)

I have a brand new roll of fuschia organza fabric that I ordered and never used for the wedding. It's a HUGE Roll of fabric ( I can get the measurements) that you can use to decorate the gazebo, tie around the cocktail hour high top tables,etc. I was going to use for chair sashes and cut the pieces myself but then realized I can just order organza chair sashes already cut so I never used. If anyone is interested I'll sell for $15 + shipping ( I paid $30 for the fabric online) Email me at Vanessa.vlahakis@@gmail.com if you want photos or have questions.

@@xtina6210 - I just sent the review over to your email address. Do you have the 2014 wedding pdf with all the basic costs in it? that's at least a good start. I sent some additional details but I would review that PDF in detail also to start to really understand what the costs will be.

@@KathyandEthan I used a travel company that booked a group rate for me which locked up the rooms so that they wouldn't sell out. I booked my wedding with only 6 months and booked 50 rooms so I'm thinking maybe another big wedding booked up some rooms? You should ask how many rooms they have left for your guests,etc.

I just got married in June. I went tanning at a tanning salon 4 times ( 7 minute stand up bed) to get a base tan. My dress was a very low U shaped back. I was so worried I would get horrible lines the week leading up to the wedding BUT I didn't get any tan lines. I wore 70spf the entire time and kept re-applying and I just made it a point not to "Lay out" in the sun without my cover up on,etc. It really ended up just fine since I got the base tan at tanning salon BEFORE coming to Mexico. I don't go tanning normally but it was worth it leading up to the wedding.

@@britt1125 - I sent over an email to you earlier this afternoon. Let me know if you did not receive! Enjoy!

We did an OOT bag and NO Favor BUT the OOT bags were expensive. I put a lot of things in there for the guests to use so I think I felt OK not giving a favor. We also had a cigar bar at the welcome BBQ so the guys took those/smoked those as their favors I gave all the women beach sarongs in their OOT which they wore around the resort so again I felt like I gave enough to show my thanks for them coming/traveling to mexico.

@ you will have to ask your resort what size the tables are before you buy the table cloths just to make sure as the resorts usually have two size round and 1 rectangle table. You should DEF buy them beforehand. I ordered mine on www.tableclothsfactory.com the prices are great and the quality was amazing. Another site is www.tablelinendirect.com similar site to the one I ordered from. My chair sashes were only $.29 each ( they charge you up to $5 per sash at the resorts) I paid $2.50 for a pack of 5 linen napkins and then for the table cloths I can't remember the price but they were ALOT cheaper than what the resort wanted to charge me for renting them. They have so many colors so you can match your wedding colors as much or as little as you want to.

I paid the $4/bag to have the delivered to each room. I thought since people were spending all this money and time to come the least I could do was have the bag waiting for them. Our welcome BBQ was on Friday PM and most guests arrived Wed so I didn't want to wait to give them to welcome bag since most were leaving sunday AM. I wanted them to use everything I put in the bag and it was so fun to see everyone walking around the resort using all the stuff ( including the bags) It was worth the $$ to have them waiting for them or to have them handed out when the check-in. I think it went a long way with our guests

I am selling my Wally 66' Garment Bag that I bought to transport my dress from NY to Mexico for my wedding. This bag has only been used once and is in excellent condition. My dress arrived in mexico without a wrinkle-- in fact I didn't even have my dress steamed before the wedding because it stayed perfectly in this bag. If you search online for this bag you will find it between $125-$140. I bought it for $125 on amazon.com I am only asking $75 plus shipping for the bag. Please email if you are interested Vanessa.vlahakis@@gmail.com

Ok Ladies I finally wrote my review: Here is it! I hope this is as helpful to you as the past brides have been to me. Please let me know what other questions you have. I'm so sorry I had to attach this in a word document. I just typed the whole thing up in word and went to cut/copy into this review and it won't let me copy/paste. Please send me your email if you can't open any attachments! I'm so sorry. I will try to figure it out but in the meantime the review is in the word document attached. Also I have so many photos so if you want more of anything specific just let me know. Happy to send whatever you need. re-cap wedding.docx

@@BrooklynBride29 - We had 82 guests at our wedding a few weeks ago. We got married on the beach terrace and there was PLENTY of room. As for extras yes, the cost does add up for anyone of the 25 guests that are included in the divine package but there are ways to keep the costs down AND compared to a wedding in the NYC area ( that's where I'm from too) it was MUCH more cost effective. You get more for you $$. We also did ALOT of the extras ( photobooths, cigar roller, live band for welcome BBQ, welcome BBQ,etc.) and I still felt when it was all said and done it was worth the $$ we spent. My friends said ti was the best wedding they have ever been to. If you want to email me offline I am happy to share some of the costs with you. My email is Vanessa.vlahakis@@gmail.com @Chrysta- You have NOTHING to be worried about. I literally am a type A control freak from NY I was freaking out before th wedding because the communication with the resort is SO limited. About 60 days before I was talking to Juan Carlos EVERYDAY and I showed up and met him a few days before the wedding. we reviewed the planning form and I gave him all the decorations,etc. that I wanted set up. EVERY Detail was FLAWLESS. I am not easy to please and I literally can't complain about one thing. He did EVERYTHING right. The wedding was gorgeous and I wish I didn't worry so much BUT I understand why you are worried. You are in such good hands. Please private message me for any specific details or if you are worried I can try to make you less stressed. Also one thing I would just comment on before I send my full write-up because I feel very passionately about this is the resort photographer. I hope that some of the other brides that used them had a good experience but I would not recommend using them. Luckily I heard similar feedback from other brides and I booked an outside photographer ( amorcito Corazon) who were amazing BUT I used the resort photographer for my welcome BBQ for an hour since it was included in my divine package. I received the pictures back and they were not good quality at all> My friends and family took better quality photos than the ones the resort sent me back. The pictures were not even of people, the ones of people were from the side so people weren't looking the direction of the camera and I just felt it was amateur photography. I feel bad saying that but this is your wedding day and your photos will last you a lifetime. It's worth the outside vendor fee ( It's only $65 day pass NOT the $300 vendor fee so that is good) Additionally in the package the resort gives you it's only 1 hour so you have to pay for the extra and they told me that any additional jpeg files that I need on top of the 24 included would be $17 per JPEG. Yes, $17 PER JPEG for one JPEG file. That's so ridiculous. So please my advice is be careful with the resort photographer. I'm sorry I'm being so bold and I hope that other brides had a good experience with them but this is my experience and I know how important photos are so I wanted to be honest.

Ladies! Just touched down back from my wedding at NOW Sapphire. WE are quickly unpacking/re-packign and heading to honeymoon tomororw but I wanted to let you girls know that you are in good hands at the NOW and that it was truly the most incredible few days of my life. I was NOT easy to please either. I was very skeptical that they could pull off all the details i laid out for them ( There were ALOT ) and they executed every single one better than I could have even imagined. Juan Carlos was amazing and stayed calm and worked with me through things that were bothering me,etc. I will write a full review later but wanted to tell youa ll that you will not be dissappointed having your wedding here! It was simply amazing. ALL the vendors I used were incredible as well. I used Amorcito corazon for my photography, MVP hair for my hair and make-up and then floreria rivieria maya for my gorgeous flowers. Again, I"ll provide a full write-up with photos,etc. later today.

I'm leaving wed AM!!! can't wait to report back to all of you ladies and help you! I am so excited wed can't come soon enough!

Ladies How's it going? I've been spending the day finishing up last minute things. I can't believe i just have a few more days to complete everything I need to for the wedding. I'm getting a little nervous about the weather. It keeps showing rain and storms for next week but I will try not to worry about it since it's out of my control anyway!

@GingerJ228- So excited for you!! Can't wait to see you down there! we will be arriving on Wednesday AM. I have to pack and get my stuff together this weekend!

Hi Ladies I leave in a little over a week for NOW Sapphire!! I can't believe it's really happening! I feel like I"ve been planning for months. If anyone has any questions or things they want to know about the resort,etc. I can find out and let you know when I return from my honeymoon. Also - once I'm settled back into to married life I can have a quick conference call for anyone who wants to ask specific questions about the resort,etc. I literally would have LOST my mind without this website and all the help of the brides on here because in the beginning NOONE was responding to me from the resort and I was trying to plan so much without knowing anything SO I want to make sure I pay it forward for all the ladies who kept me sane during the planning process. Send me some questions you want answered or if you want to see pictures of certain things/locations and then when I get back from honeymoon in early july we can chat via phone and I can answer anything you want me to!

I just finished my seating cards and the little medicine kits for the OOT bags. I also completed the wrapping for the sarongs that I am giving all of the ladies!!

@@GingerJ228 here is the list that Juan sent me for the list of available alcohol on the resort. Hope this helps ALL-INCLUSIVE.pdf

@@zeman321 - DO NOT WORRY! I know it seems weird but things wont get busy with the resort or the vendors until 45 days out! I am 2.5 weeks until the wedding and now things are crazy but prior to this I really was in a lull. I would say work on what you can now ( OOT bags,ordering other things you are bringing down,etc.) ALso when you ask about having the resort do the menus for you what do you mean? Do you mean a physical paper menu? I would assume they would overcharge you for that. I bet vistaprint could do something nice for a good price? I am not having menus. People had to order their entrée on their RSVP card beforehand so they know what they are getting. As for appetizers,salads,etc. I just figured it wasn't a big deal and I didn't have time to create them. OOOPS!

Hello Ladies- Did anyone buy their own liquor off site and bring to the resort? I wanted grey goose for the wedding ( that's what I like to drink) and the wedding coordinator said it's $150 plus tax for a 700ml bottle ( which is a SMALL BOTTLE) that just seems absolutely outrageous and I refuse to pay that. I wasn't sure if there was a service or anything that I can order and can deliver to resort,etc. Let me know.

@@JaxBchKay - did you talk to someone at the resort about the webcast and they said they don't have any options? We just found out today that my fiancés father cannot fly down to the wedding He had a bike accident two weeks ago and cracked his ribs and punctured a lung so doctors said he cannot fly for 4-6 weeks. We are so upset and I of course feel horrible for my fiancé. I wanted to see if we can Skype or webcast or something the ceremony so my future hubby feels like his dad is apart of this with us! I emailed the wedding coordinator even to see if he had any ideas. I feel so bad

@Jennypert- Thanks for ideas for itemizing receipts and having a separate envelope for each suitcase. Also it's a good point about what's in the suitcases is OBVIOUS It's for a wedding anyway so it shouldn't be an issue. Fingers crossed! It's my biggest fear but it seems like from reading all of the posts on here none of the girls had any major issues and even those whose bag got searched at customs was able to show it was a wedding and they were able to move through quickly after that.

Hi Ladies! It was a very productive weekend of wedding stuff! I am trying to gather my receipts for all of my bags. Some of the boxes only came with invoices with no prices. I am going to go back through ALL of my emails to try to find the receipts. I hope I don't have too many problems at customs. We packed everything up today and we will have 5 bags of stuff for the wedding. We are traveling with 6 family members so each of them will check an extra bag so it should work out just fine. What are you ladies doing? How many extra bags are you bringing down?