TAkathy

It really depends on the contracts arranged with a Tour Operator &/or Hotel. Sometimes, if a group's date occurs during a busy season, the commitment (and final payment) date may be several months in advance of the event (possibly 5 or more). The hotel keeps the room blocks open for a certain period of time but then wants the option to have unsecured rooms back into their inventory for other groups booking in that same time period. Guests may need to be nudged if they delay RSVPing or making deposits when they have RSVPd because they may not realize the importance of getting the payments done within the group block booking timeframe - and getting their flights arranged while there is still availability. No problem with a gentle reminder.

So sorry you have to go through this! For the already printed items - I would keep them. Could you just do some sort of overlay/sticker: of a wave or cloud with the new date OR a Capital "O" that says O Darn - we have a change in plans? Corny I know but you get the idea. I'm sure everyone would understand. And it's a unique way to draw attention to the new date. There are enough time, energy and costs involved in changing everything and re-grouping. I would keep it simple for yourself. Good Luck!

It is also important to check with the property if you are having the ceremony at a location where the package may include the services of a local photographer. They often have pre-arranged agreements with local vendors and there could be a fee for not using the one they have contracted with. In addition, there may be a fee for using an outside vendor - and it may vary depending on whether they are also on the guest list or not (staying at the property vs elsewhere)

So glad your wedding was everything you hoped for. I wanted to pass on a personal experience to add some perspective to your comments. I highly recommend having a Plan B ALWAYS. It's great to have a beach wedding as part of your vision but in a tropical environment, anything can happen and it's best to be prepared for it. My sister got married in Manuel Antonio in 2012. At Costa Verde in fact. In July - green season. She too, had her heart set on a sunset beach ceremony and really did not want to consider any other option. The problem is that it rains in Costa Rica (and more predictably during green season but it can happen at other times too). We worked with the coordinator at Costa Verde and arranged for a beach ceremony as well as a covered (Plan site on the property. There were 42 people including the wedding party. Early in the week, the skies were partly cloudy but no rain so we were hopeful and cautiously optimistic that she could have her dream sunset beach ceremony. But it remained cloudy and she had to notify the property by 9am the day of the wedding which site they should set up (The reception was already set to occur at one of the restaurants on the property). Because of the persistent cloudiness, she reluctantly decided on the Plan B covered wedding site on the property. 5 minutes after the brief ceremony the clouds opened and torrential rain began and continued for the next 12 hours. It would never have been possible to get everyone to cover from the beach had that been the site of the wedding and the beachside reception would have been destroyed. Even if a tent or covered area had been set up at the beach everyone would have been miserable. There is less rain in tropical areas at certain times of year but the point is, it is still somewhat unpredictable and it needs to be considered that the desired site just may not work out due to weather. The Costa Verde staff did a fabulous job and assisted my sister and her husband and their guests in every regard to helping everyone have a wonderful and memorable wedding, reception and vacation. Everyone raved about the entire week and all were very happy they made the trip.

How about if you and your husband begin the process during the ceremony and have guests contribute during the reception? Leave a small zip-lock bag with note card on each seat at the wedding with instructions to collect a small amount of sand while there. Then, during the reception, those who choose to participate can make their contributions. It could be a really unique "guest book" - they could place their note cards into an established book located at the sand vessel location. Just a thought.....

How confident are you in the staff to pull it together if you chose the 21st date? Obviously, the other ones are out. Are you having a legal or symbolic ceremony? Who is performing it? Are you in contract with the property? Have you made contact with their Wedding Coordinator? Are they just dumping the problem in your lap? Do you have a travel agent? This is really unacceptable and should be able to be resolved with the property accommodating to assist you since it apparently their error. What assistance have you received thus far?

Costa Rica is a beautiful destination but it can be described as "hard adventure" - it is still largely undeveloped. The touristy areas that are there can be tricky to get to and between as the roads are not all paved. Established transfer transportation is essential for a group or even individual travelers. Preparing guests for what to expect is very important. June/July is considered "green" or rainy season - it can rain torrentially and often does for a few minutes to several hours in the afternoon/early evening. Flight arrival and departure times are important as well. There are few All Inclusives in Costa Rica. With the size group you are contemplating, are you wanting/expecting to set them up in an All Inclusive? There are great places to eat and awesome food in CR but they can be hard to get to if located outside the area of the accommodations. Resort communities tend to want to keep guests there. Outside of the community, it may be quite a distance to anything else. 80-100 people is a large group to manage and satisfy when confined to a small area unless it is very well appointed with food/activity options. There are passport requirements and some civil requirements for marriages performed in Costa Rica so you will want to research these areas. They may also mean extra costs. Is there any particular reason you thinking the Guanacaste area? Where are the WCs located that you have gotten quotes from and are they affiliated with particular properties? That price seems quite high to me - it would have to include a LOT to make sense. The above info is meant to inform (not dissuade) you from proceeding with this beautiful country for your DW. Just some food for thought…..

Where are you considering in Costa Rica - what area and which property? Who will be performing the ceremony? Have you traveled to Costa Rica before? What month are you contemplating?

Very unique and nicely done! I love the twist and the color pop. And it's great not having to rely on flowers! Good job!

The corsage can be made so that either option can work - just ask the florist

Respectfully, when you hire a WC you are contracting that individual for the services they provide. You need to know what those services are and be fine with them providing them. It's a package deal. Once they begin working for you they will do what you have paid them to do. You may well be invoiced for a package - the total you are being charged. It may well not be broken down into its component parts. So you may not know what price you actually paid for each part of the service they provided. But you agreed to a fee upfront so, as long as: 1) what you end up paying is what you agreed to pay 2) you got what you expected to get there should not be an issue. My concern with the initial posting was the apparent assumption going into it that a service provider will plan to take advantage of the client and the situation ("it would be harder for the WC to put a percentage for themselves on top of that price. In other words, us not getting a price from the venue ourselves gives the WC more power to charge us whatever they think they can get away with") Professionals do not take advantage of their clients and there is a significant value-add when engaging with someone who is very good at what they do - it is a win-win for ALL. This is where the trust comes in - it has to be there or there is no working relationship.

It sounds like you don't trust the WCs very much that you have spoken with. If that's the case, you should do the whole thing on your own or find someone you trust to assist you and then follow their advice. This type of service is very personal and there should be a mutual respect on both sides for the job they do and the assistance they provide. It needs to start with mutual trust and respect - if that's not there, move on. Once you find someone to work with, let them do their job --- or do it yourself if you think you can do it better.

This is a tax through the Government and is standard in many international destinations, not just Mexico. There is a process for getting the tax refunded - it needs to be followed exactly with all the stipulations met.

All weddings are different. Each bride has her own idea of decor and additional items that she wants to personalize her ceremony and reception. You are paying for the space, the staff and the services they provide. But it takes time and manpower to provide the services you are requesting. There is almost no other way to do fairly it but price each item individually. When a property provides a service, they either have the materials available or they have a vendor that provides them. If you are bringing your own items but still want them to put them in place, they are losing revenue and using their staff so you will pay for that. It's really no different than a restaurant charging a corkage fee for a diner who beings their own bottle of wine for their meal. You could look at it as being "nickeled and dimed" but it is really under your control because you can decide how much extra cost you want to assume. Would you rather they charge a higher fee for all services and materials and not allow you to bring anything in at all? There are many things to review in advance before signing a contract with a vendor. This is one good example as they are all managed differently.

Beach weddings require a permit and have use restrictions so you will want to be aware of the requirements. There are some restaurants that can accommodate your needs but a great deal will be determined by the actual number and your budget because they all have a food & beverage minimum to which is added tax and gratuities. As long as you meet that, you can host the reception there regardless of how many guests you have.

Costa Rica is quite spread out and not entirely easy to navigate so it is important to be more specific about what area you are looking at. Even if the distance isn't great between locations, it can take a while to traverse it.

Even if you don't have a "rehearsal" it would be a very good idea to have the participants meet at the wedding location with the coordinator and have her explain who will be where and how things will go. The adults need to understand what is going to be expected of them because they will be taking cues from the music, etc but they need to know the plan. If something doesn't go as planned (and something ALWAYS comes up) they can work with it. It's much better to do this at the actual site rather than just sitting down and talking. Have fun!

This is a day for and event to celebrate where and how you wish - so go for it. It's unfortunate that people are sharing their negativity when all they need to do is decline the invitation. Many places in Mexico are very safe and welcome tourists. Of course there are places you and your guests should avoid. I would suggest arranging R/T shared transportation for your guests from airport to hotel so they can easily find their way there as that can be an anxiety-producing event when landing in any foreign country - particularly when you have to deal with time-share sharks. Regarding your sister and her baby - while it is very safe to take an infant to Mexico when standard precautions are taken (use only bottled water, apply sunscreen liberally and often, only eat fruit that has been peeled, etc), there is an important issue when traveling out of the country with a child who is accompanied by only one of the legal parents. It is suggested that the non-traveling parent sign a notarized letter authorizing the other parent to take the child over the border of the resident country. This documentation could be requested either entering Mexico or re-entering Canada. If requested and the adult is unable to provide proof of such authorization, there could be trouble. And both countries require passports for all ages crossing the border as well. Enjoy planning your wedding and try to turn a deaf ear to those who feel the need to share their negativity. This is about the two of you.

Congratulations on your engagement! You didn't mention when and where you and your guests are traveling from or where you are considering for your DW. Travel costs can vary substantially before you even get to the hotel and many people say they want to go but are very difficult to nail down with a commitment of deposit money and airfare when it comes time to pay. So, you may not have the issue you are concerned about.

Hi. Generally, If you have a "Symbolic" or "token" wedding in a destination location, it means it is not legally binding - you have are doing the legal part in your home country (either poor to going or upon returning home) so there are no legal requirements to meet in the DW location. The extra fees and requirements many other countries impose for the wedding to be legally binding in your home country and theirs is a reason many couples choose to go the symbolic or token route. It frankly is much easier and less hassle all the way around.

Hi Sara. Congratulations on your Engagement and upcoming wedding! TAs often have experiences with some, but not all of the properties in any given area so it is not surprising that you got many suggestions. There are as many options as there are couples searching for them and no one can have experience with every location and we tend to develop preferences based on our experiences with the property and staff. While it can be unsettling to hear these types of comments from someone else, realize that everyone has their own opinions, expectations and experience. So don't freak out solely on the basis of one person's comments - she may have had unrealistic ideas or a rare bad experience. On the other hand, it could be a chance to review your reasons for selecting the property and the sources you utilized to gather information about it in an effort to see if there is a common theme to her comments from others who have had their weddings there. First of all, RELAX and take a deep breath. OK - Now - Clearly there were things you liked about the GSP before you found that they offered a great rate. What were they? Was the price the only reason you and your fiancé finally selected it? What type of research and sources did you use to gather information about the property? How committed are you at this point? Have you made a deposit? Is it refundable? Is there an option to make a change if you re-considered and if so, how much time do you have? Have you checked this site (BDW) for other's comments or more complete reviews about the property? How professional and responsive has the hotel and wedding staff been in your dealings thus far? Have you had any reason to be concerned based on your dealings with them to this point? Would you be able to visit the property between now and then if you are still not sure? Considering that your wedding is less than 6 mos away now, it is important to nail down the details for the location. If you are still concerned about your choice after reviewing your reasons for choosing it based on new or additional information and decide to make a switch, the sooner the better. But it could be that you are experiencing a little bit of "decision jitters" that are being fueled by someone else's random comments. Once you decide, relax about it and have fun planning a wonderful wedding!

DEFINITELY book any vendor as soon as you determine who you want to use. They can only do so many weddings in a given time period and it is better to get them locked in with a known price to budget for. I would highly recommend have a wedding planner/coordinator for more than the day of the wedding. Even with local and domestic weddings it is key to have someone you work with all the way along in the planning stage. Then they have a good understanding of your vision and nothing is left to chance. The day of the wedding can be very hectic and requires someone who is very familiar with every aspect of the event to deal with the emergencies and questions that inevitably arise.

The reason the cruise lines establish a mandatory gratuity is because so many people don't tip. This mandatory gratuity is shared amongst some of the hardest working staff - cabin stewards, housekeeping and dining room attendants (but not Head Waiter or Maitre D'). Many of the cruise lines have decreased the wages they pay these staff members when they instituted the mandatory gratuity policy so it is really taking $ out of their pocket to decrease it - it is very reasonable considering how hard they work. As far as the wedding services, provide tips according to how satisfied you are with the service that was provided. There are standard tips as for any service of this type. I would recommend you carefully consider this aspect of your payment - these people work very hard and if they made your wedding experience memorable and wonderful, they should be properly compensated.

One important thing to consider since you haven't set the date yet is to avoid Spring Break time frame (usually March) since you don't want a spring break feel. If you pick the wrong time you could get just what you are trying to avoid if you select a property that is popular with the spring break crowd.

The challenge you could run into if you don't front the deposit for the block is that the rooms won't be available when the guests get around to committing. Then they may be forced to book at other properties and have to pay extra to attend your wedding. And you will not get extra amenities for the bookings you could have had. The other thing to consider is generally, the deposit $ you front is usually applied toward your reservation so you are really not losing anything and, in the long run, you'll be better off. When your guests book the rooms they pay their own deposit. It is a tight time frame but if it's the property you really want, you are not the only one so I would weigh the decision carefully with the end result in mind. If you were doing a stateside wedding, there would be more costs and deposits.