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@@andreaberretta Sounds like you have an outside wedding planner who is helping you negotiate with the Karisma coordinators. Is this correct? Because I was told by my Miami WC, Brigitte Castro, that the latest that private events can end is 11 pm. And I'm requesting late night tacos for our event. If you are using an outside wedding coordinator, are you paying an outside vendor fee? Or are you paying for a day pass for Lorena to be there during your wedding? I'm considering hiring an outside wedding planner. I'm just not sure how beneficial it would be. Because from what folks say on this forum, the on-site coordinators really take care of you, while the Miami ones do not. If anyone has any thoughts on having an outside planner vs. sticking to the on-site coordinators at the hotel, please share!

@@TinkerSofi Three nights' stay in a deluxe room will be roughly $600 opposed to the $800 outside vendor fee.

Thanks @! I'll try asking. I've been asking my WC so many questions about everything but not yet negotiating the big fees. I commend you on your great work. Did you negotiate by email or phone? As for the welcome bags, haven't figured this out yet. I'm guessing either we'll need to bring big suitcases and check them into the plane, or have family help bring stuff. For snacks, I may just get them there. I heard there's a Walmart in Cancun?

I'm late to responding to this thread, but @, how did you get the unlimited private events? I'm anticipating 150-200 guests. I checked the Karisma website for specials and it looks like for wedding ceremonies on a Saturday, the unlimited private events special does not apply. We're having the wedding at the sky deck, the cocktail hour on the terrace and Sky Lounge, and the reception at the grand garden area. Our welcome reception will be on the beach and our farewell brunch will be at Flavours Restaurant. I'm guessing since we're having our wedding ceremony on the sky deck that I won't be able to get the $1,700 fee waived.

Hi everyone. I've been looking at the DJ reviews on this website, but wanted to know specifically if anyone has hired a DJ that they know mixes old-skool hip-hop well. This may be a lot to ask for in the riviera maya, but thought I'd give it a shot. My brother and cousin are DJs, but I don't want them to have to work at the wedding. Coming from LA, being Filipino and my fiance being Indian, we both love 90s hip-hop and we love to dance. And we are a bit of DJ snobs. Was looking at videos from Disco Movil's website to get a sense of his mixing ability but there wasn't much on there. There was one video of a wedding where he played Rihanna and then played Bel Biv Devoe's "Poison." But it wasn't a good mix transition- once the Rihanna song ended, Poison just started. DJ Mannia has a good sample online, but the reviews have been mixed. Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

I'm reviving this thread as I'm looking for a henna artist for my wedding at Azul Fives. Did anyone end up hiring Veronica de la Paz? Wondering if anyone has samples of her work or would recommend her. Appreciate any feedback! I'm considering Inmar Body Art. Not traditional Indian henna, but closest I could find so far for someone who does it locally.

I'm reviving this thread now, as I'm looking for a henna artist for my wedding at Azul Fives. Karisma/Lomas has one vendor, but I saw samples of their work and it is NOT authentic Indian. Back in April, I did have the opportunity to meet Ingrid from Inmar Body Art and she did a quick simple trial on one of my hands to show me her mineral art. And even though she's not Indian, her technique is much better than Lomas' vendor. I could send a pic of my hand if anyone wants it.

Hi Ladies, Just sent the Save the Dates for our Feb 14th 2015 wedding at Azul Fives. Now getting into figuring out the details. Trying to customize our wedding while also trying to limit how Karisma nickle and dimes you for everything. Already deciding to use an outside photographer and DJ. I liked someone's strategy of paying for the hotel room for both, and then using the room for our guests instead. Now trying to figure out hair and makeup. I unfortunately don't have someone in my wedding party who could do either for me and I haven't read much on here about the in-house stylists. Any brides have feedback or recommendations? I'm debating on having my bridal party and me go into town to a salon to have our hair and makeup done so we don't have to pay an outside vendor fee. Has anyone done this and would recommend the salon they chose?

Congrats @@kmistry and all brides! My fiancé and I decided to have our Filipino-Indian at Azul Fives primarily since it's a smaller resort and they only do one wedding per day, but they can still accommodate a wedding of up to 200 people. Karisma is known for their food and they offer a small Indian catering menu. We're hoping to go back to Azul Fives before the wedding to do a tasting of the Indian menu, but we did attend the "Bride's Dress Rehearsal" which I highly recommend and we got to try the non-Indian good which was very good. Through Karisma's somewhat complicated wedding coordination group, they offer Indian elements for the wedding. However I want to have a henna artist and they only have one vendor. I asked to see samples of the artist's work and they haven't been able to provide me with any yet. If anyone who's had their Indian wedding at a Karisma hotel can provide insight or tips, I'd greatly appreciate them. Good luck with your wedding planning and let me know if you have any questions I could help with!

I ended flipping back to the riviera maya. But @@Kayla2015, I did speak with several planners. Yazmin of Sea Dreams, Kristin of Dazzling Details, and Luz of Sayulita Weddings were very helpful.

Hi fellow BDW brides- After first considering getting married near Puerto Vallarta and then switching gears to the Riviera Maya, my FI and I are back to considering having our wedding in early 2015 in Riviera Nayarit at a private villa. Wondering if any brides are getting married or have gotten married in Punta Mita, at either Villa Romance, Casa Tres Soles (El Banco 5), or Casa Amore. Or Casa Mis Amores, El Destino (Villa La Punta 9), or Hacienda San Pancho? And if so, how was your experience- did you work with a wedding planner to help negotiate and secure the venue? I've contacted Prisar (Priscilla Arminio), Mar Weddings (Gaby Zamora) , Sea of Dreams (Yazmin Gizeh) and Sayulita Weddings (Luz Ochoa). We anticipate approximately 150 guests. Any tips or recommendations would be highly appreciated!

@@Lilgabri03@@Lilgabri03 Thanks @@Lilgabri03! I'm probably gonna pay the 3 room nights for the photographer and DJ (in lieu of $800 each) too. And I highly recommend the Brides Dress Rehearsal. Such a great deal and it was truly worth it to see the venue options in person. Are brides still able to bring their own decorations or does Lomas not allow this either anymore??

Hi All! Congrats to all the 2014 brides! Just joined this thread and starting to plan my wedding at Azul Fives for 2015. Wondering if anyone decided on hiring at outside wedding planner, considering the cost for decorations and I've heard that the vendor options for the photographer and DJ aren't the best. Already pretty sure we're gonna get an outside photographer. I'm debating on if it's worth it to pay the $800 outside vendor fee to have a planner find the most cost effective choices for flowers, decorations, etc. Wish it wasn't $800 per vendor. Anyone have any tips on how to work around this? Would also love any recommendations for travel agents that work out a great deal for wedding guests. Appreciate the advice of more seasoned brides!

Thank you so much @@kmk2016 and @@bicoastalimages! This is very helpful.

I'm excited about having our wedding in Tulum and we're planning to organize a day of excursions before the wedding. Wondering if anyone could recommend a tour company or activities that are senior-friendly. My mom and a few other relatives can't do a lot of walking. I had wanted to go to the ruins but seems like this would require a bit of walking. I'm guessing a shopping trip to Playa Del Carmen could work. Would appreciate any other suggestions!

One more question for folks- For anyone who did a scouting trip prior to selecting a venue, did you hire a planner to show you to the various venues? Or did you scout them on your own? Trying to figure out the best way to do this. I appreciate your advice!

Hi! I'm new to the website. My fiance and I got engaged last month and we're planning to have our wedding in Tulum in January or February 2015. We're planinng to have 150-200 guests and it sounds like from doing online research that Las Ranitas and Ak'iin are the best options. Would like to hire a wedding planner since I don't want to deal with all the stress of doing research to find all the vendors. Are any of the ladies on here using a planner? I've read great things about Angelina at Las Ranitas. Only concern is that rooms at Las Ranitas seem pricey. And meals aren't included. Where are the brides on here having their guests stay? And what recommendations are you providing to guests regarding food options in the area? I haven't been to Tulum yet, but hoping to make a scouting trip next month. Appreciate any advice! PS I also thought that Essandpea's posts are really helpful. I'm Filipina and my fiance is Indian so we're planning to do a multicultural wedding.