talicea7812

I've emailed my TA about the bride & groom free promo. I don't know if it will make a difference bc our date falls in the 20 rooms need to be booked category...but I told her other brides are getting it without the 20. We'll see what happens. As for my Florida planner...she continues to bring the suck. Five days now since my last email and still no reply.

I voted for you! good luck & congrats on making it this far

@@girlinthecity97 I don't know if my TA could help. Im very close to asking for a new coordinator but the reviews on here say they are all the same. As for decorating... my issue with paying is that im not asking them to do anything they wouldn't have already done. White linens & chair covers are included. What difference does it make if I bring my own & they are colored? If I was asking them to do some kind of crazy David Tutera type of set up, I would understand the charges. the reviews also say the mexico coordinators are awesome. I just don't want to wait til 3 days before the wedding to feel at ease about everything. So many things have gone wrong with this wedding already, I just need some control and security on some end.

if you don't have the private reception its just a dinner reservation. They don't allow you any decorations for that. As for flowers...im actually making mine. I don't like what lomas has to offer and what they do have is too expensive for basic flowers. You should look into fake flowers. My friend used fake lilies for her mexico wedding and everything looked great. Tonight I sent my planner a nasty email telling her that at this point I was planning on doing the private reception but I'm rethinking it bc of all the additional little charges. It really makes no sense to me. White chair covers, linens etc are included...but they want to charge me to bring my own stuff...which is the same as what they have just colored. So its not even a case of they need additional staff to set the items out. its just there way of getting more money. My planner typically takes days to get back to me but I will let you know. I also warned the planner that I am documenting and discussing all the difficulties ive had with planning this wedding on several wedding forums. Hopefully that will spark a change bc im sure they don't want the bad advertising. if she doesn't care that will speak volumes on how the resort views guests.

at this point we are planning on the private reception...ive already asked guests their menu selections...so I will be paying approx. 700 for the reception. Then they want to tag on the additional fees? I don't think so. I understand why we pay extra for the reception- extra staff but I can't understand why I can't have a guest do the decorations. My next move is to threaten no private reception. Either they work with me on the decorating or lose that money. We can have up to 25 ppl for the semi private dinner reservation. I think im right at that number for guests. So it will be up to them. Switching to a dinner rezo will save me a lot of money & they will lose the $$. Honestly I don't care either way. The wedding is turning out to be half the amount of guests we originally thought. so with only 25 ppl is it really worth it spending the extra money? It would benefit us just to save the $ bc we then save the xtra on dinners, decorations, music, etc. We are hoping to have a little something here back at home so what we save in mexico can always be put towards the AHR.

As for Azul...if I wasn't so invested already I would back out. I chose it in the first place bc a TA friend recommended it either Azul or Palace. I picked Azul bc it was a little cheaper. I wish I had done some research b4 locking in. All the reviews say that the florida coordinators are horrible and they nickel and dime u for everything. the mexico planners are supposed to be much better but I don't want to wait til days before the wedding to feel like everything is going to be okay. Plus, I don't like that they can't give me definite prices for decorating/wont allow guest to do it. As of now im planning on doing a reception but if they don't want to bend on these prices im just going to switch to the dinner reservation. Im paying $950 for the wedding. I think that should be enough to include the decorating. Im not asking for anything crazy. Some sashes on the chair, centerpieces that I will be bringing, napkins and menus that will already be folded and things to hang on the ceremony chair. Im not asking them to hang lanterns or drape the ceiling.

@@MandM2014 I just really lucked out with the photographer. I didn't like the approved one and started looking in mexico. there are some absolutely amazing ones out there but they are crazy expensive! and with the vendor fee they were totally out of the question. The only reason my FI agreed to my girl is bc I applied for a coaching position and got it. Every dollar from that is to pay the photographer.

@@MandM2014 My wedding is sooo close! April 12th! I should be in the final stages of planning but I am really getting no where. I chose a destination wedding bc it is cheaper than home...however, Azul is doing everything they can to make me spend more! For example: Lomas charges $4 to rent chair sashes. I found them online for .81cents. When I asked my planner about it she said we could bring our own decoration but Azul would charge up to $5 a person to set it up and guests are not permitted to set up. I think $4 a sash is crazy! we don't keep them that's all I want on the chair. I don't want the included white chair covers. The closer I get to my wedding the more I am regretting choosing Azul. Im sure it will be fine once we get there...im just frustrated with the process. I'm spending a lot of money to stay there & even tho my wedding is small...im still bringing ppl that wouldn't have normally stayed there. I have received 0 perks from the resort. - I don't have enough rooms booked for bride & groom stay free or other perks related to that - im not staying nights in a Jacuzzi or higher room to qualify for the free wedding package As for the photographer...it is my top priority. I looked at the approved vendors and was not happy. the pictures were mediocre. the one (the cheaper of the 2) didn't even edit photos until you got into the larger packages. Im actually going to fly in my photographer from home. Altogether im paying about $3000 for her. she lowered her package price by half bc im paying hotel and air. She is definitely the best decision I made when planning the wedding! another issue I ran into was hair and makeup. I wanted to bring in a girl from MAC. my planner told me that it wasn't possible. they don't allow them in the hotel and I would have to use their salon. Now my planner is a total ASS! just giving u the heads up. I asked for salon prices. she sends me a list that just has prices...no descriptions. so it says bridal package 1...$200. but I don't know what that includes. I also cant find any reviews on the salon staff...which makes me nervous. some of the packages are pretty pricey so I would like to know what others have thought in the past.

I am definitely not paying for my bridesmaids hair/makeup. while that would be awesome that would be all I could afford for them. I prefer to give them something that will last longer than the day. Plus, I have been in each of my bridesmaids weddings and they did not pay for my hair/makeup. make up application I would say is optional. Up to the girl if she wants to put out the xtra $$. Hair I def want them to do bc I would like it done the same for each girl...and I would like mine different. For example...if I do hair down/half up...I want all their hair up or vice versa.

I think it's per vendor... But not totally sure. I think photo/video ppl are the only outside vendors they allow. I am flying in my photographer from home. She modified her pkg price since I am paying hotel n air. Altogether I'm paying about $3000... Which is a lot but when I compared the prices to the approved photogs that about what I would have paid & my photog is amazing! Be careful with the approved ppl. Some pkgs don't include editing so they are basically the point n shoot pics (something anyone can do) The pics are the most important to me so the no editing wasn't gonna fly with me

@@ng2015 I have the same info...now I understand why u qualify. you've guaranteed them 20 rooms. I have 17 therefore it does me no good.

I would def get in contact asap. communication is slow & if your planner is anything like mine...she will not go out of her way to help you. half the time I will send several questions and she omits some...then I have to resend the questions and wait days to hear back. its so frustrating. Im sure she will make it a point to collect payments on time. Let me know how it goes with your planner. I may ask to switch

so this is the latest on my hair makeup issue I was told im not aloud to bring in outside vendors for hair/makeup. the day passes are for guests and they don't have access to the rooms. I was given the salon prices 90+ for hair...90+ for makeup. My worry is I've been to destination weddings and the ppl in the salon weren't all that great. the woman who did my hair last time didn't really do that great of a job. I had a side ponytail with a braid up top. I've done the same hairdo in the past and did a much better job! Same with makeup. the woman didn't do anything that I couldn't have done. The other bridesmaid was so unhappy she went back to her room and re-did her make up. I can't seem to find any reviews from brides who have used the salon...and that worries me! I have very tough to manage hair. I need a serious professional. On top of my naturally hard to manage hair who knows what the weather will be like- heat, humidity, wind? I need something that's gonna hold up. Im currently looking for local salons. At least they have portfolios that I can view.

@@ng2015 If you are getting married a year from now...how are you being awarded the bride and groom stay free promo? I was told 20 rooms booked in order to get that. If your wedding is still a year away you prob don't have ppl booked already? or do you? I could definitely use that extra little perk. @@girlinthecity97 I booked everything through a GIWC so that how I got a free cocktail hour. Not sure about other ways to get that perk.

Azul continues to disappoint... Wanted to bring in someone for hair and makeup. I'm my experience ppl working in the hotel salons are just okay. The last time I had my makeup done (dreams cancun) it wasn't anything special that I couldn't have done myself. Azul also charges $90+ for makeup!!! Same for hair. I actually do a better job with my hair than the person who did it for the last wedding. This really concerns me! I have very difficult to manage hair! I need someone who's a professional with lots of experience... Not just someone who knows how to work a curling iron

u should wear a veil. Most brides only keep it on for the ceremony so your pictures can show both. a friend of mine was against it for the longest time...but we convinced her that she should. After all was said and done she said shw was very happy that she ended up wearing it. she did get some really pretty pics with it blowing in the wind

Wow! that dress is amazing! and its gonna sparkle on the beach!!! u should be so excited! I too, ended up choosing a dress that is nothing like I envisioned. Originally I was also worried that it wasn't beach appropriate. In the end...who cares? The dress is beautiful! There is no such thing as being too dressed up! You are the bride u can do whatever u want!

one post away and I can actually see the pics on here

thanks @@csho

while I think maracas are cute (and ive considered them) I don't think they are worth the money. they are great bc they represent the culture of the country but when will ppl use them? I think they're one of the more pricey favors and they will go home with guests to collect dust. a couple years ago my friend got married in mexico and found maraca pens! They were great! super cute and practical. I still use mine and added bonus...much smaller and easier to pack for the plane

@@kdnolan a friend of mine was married in mexico and did the same colors. they will look great

in addition to your first song...anyone taking dance lessons/ planning out the first dance

love the champagne brunch idea

im thinking AHR bbq is the way to go

the blue shoes are the dyeable ones and the peacock bling is from etsy. the flip flops are also etsy...but I will be making them myself. I have all the stuff from other DIY projects. Etsy is charging $36 for the pair... Old navy $1- 2.50 (depending on when I buy) peacock feather- purchased 100 for $30 ( $3.30 a feather ) Rhinestone embellishment- .70cents so max for each pair is $6.50 if I do it myself same with the blue shoes. etsy was charging $175. Peacock embellishments- $38 Shoes- $50-$70 @@kdnolan