BDABeachBum

@@dwbride2014 did you make an appointment to view your flowers from Flores Riviera Maya when you got down there to make sure they were what you wanted, or were you just brave and waited for them to show up? I think I would want to see a example of say a centerpiece to make sure it was what I wanted! I really want peonies for my bouquet and have picked to get married in April just so I can have them!!!! Also, did they put the centerpieces in the vases for you or did you bring them down? I'm thinking of gold vases and not sure they would have them there? Thanks!

Hey Beloved Brides! I'm considering this resort next year for our wedding, can anyone let me know why you picked Beloved over other resorts? For anyone who has been, was it a big deal not having much night life around? Thanks!

Anyone who has booked can you please tell me how many days in advance you had to arrive? We are considering having our wedding on a "off day" to ensure that we get the locations we want for our ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. My consultant at Palace resorts told me that on Friday and Saturday they hold a wedding almost every hour between 12-6.. That's crazy for such a small reort! I don't know how they even hold so many and where they put everyone! So I was told that because of this they cannot book a location for any of my events until two weeks prior to the wedding, which makes me really nervous! Thus us picking a week day....however we are told that we must arrive three business days prior to our wedding for a symbolic ceremony (so no arrival/travel day and no weekend days count) and four days in advance for a civil. So say we decided we wanted a symbolic and wanted to get married on a Monday, we would have to arrive the previous Tuesday! Seems like a lit to me, anyone else have any thoughts. Thanks!

@@dwbride2014 Glad to hear you had a great wedding there! This is one of my top choices (along with Azul Fives or Beach, Grand Velas or Beloved). I'm not too keen on the preset wedding decoration packages and have been trying for weeks to get information from the wedding consultant on options for decorations outside of the packages and have had no luck. At one point she said that I would have to book to see what decorations I could have....this seems really weird to me that you wouldn't be allowed to know what decoration options you have before booking your wedding there. Anyone on here have any information on the al a carte decoration options? Or any information about the preferred vendors that they use (something else they don't want to tell me before booking) Thanks!

Ah, darnit, squash my dreams! hahah.... well at least the fiance would be happy about the chocolate on chocolate

Oh fantastic!!!!! I'm really hoping for a chocolate with coconut filling (or vice versa) for one layer and champagne with strawberry filling for another! Why don't they advertise this on their website for the cakes????? It may sound silly but this makes me want to lean towards Azul Fives even more! Oh decisions decisions!

@@kmk2016 Thanks so much! Did they happen to mention about being able to do any filling in the cake? Don't bother to go back and ask, I'm sure you have lots to do anyhow! Was just wondering

The cake thing is ridiculous, I agree, especially if you are paying for it! I've wondered if they won't charge the outside vendor fee for a cake with filling since they don't offer it. I'm sure the baker will deliver it to the hotel so you won't have to go out and get it, and they wouldn't need to be on grounds so they aren't actually coming onto the property. If anyone finds out about this, please let me know. I don't want the airbrush makeup, I'm not sure how well it would hold up in the humid climate. I live on a tropical island and its crazy humid here and nothing stays on my face without some super professional high standard setting spray. I've been doing a bit of research on local area make-up artists that do hair as well (mine is unruly in the humidity) and would actually consider going off resort to have it done. I know this sucks but, hey, gotta look good for those wedding pics! I really want peonies for my bouquet and Lomas charges an insane amount for them, something like $75 PER peonie! Insane! Local florist don't even charge a third of that! Still trying to decide between Azul Fives, Grand Velas or Playacar Palace....Anyone else want to share why they went with Azul Fives??? Its so hard making a choice when you can't see the places!

@@reynbow. I've wondered the same thing about an outside planner, although I wonder if the resort would even charge the crazy outside vendor fee for that as well. I've read on here that a bride (from Azul Beach, another place I'm considering) used a outside florist and it was MUCH cheaper and turned out well. All she did was have so wine in her family or the groomsmen meet the florist at the gate to the hotel and then they brought the flowers up themselves in a taxi (the drive to the gate from the resort was around 2-3 miles from the road I think). she didn't have to pay the outside vendor fee, I think they just charged her a set up fee, which they will already charge you if you are bringing your own decorations, but I was told by my Karisma agent that this cannot be more than $250. I thought about doing this for my flowers as well because u really want peonies and Lomas charges some crazy price for them! I even thought if doing this for my cake as well, I was a specific flavor with filling (which the hotel doesn't do filling in the cake) and a specific design. Plus I've read at Azul Beach at least they don't let you take any if the cake away from the reception. I really want to have cute take away boxes for guests to take back to their room for a late night snack or breakfast the next day! I figured if the cake is brought in they can't tell me no. Same bride also had another makeup and hair artist come to the hotel and the waived the fee because the artist did airbrush makeup (even though she didn't use it) and the hotel did not offer that. They told her she would have to pay for a day pass but then that was even waived since the makeup artist wouldn't be eating there or using the facilities. I've read to try and find a photographer who also does videography so the you only get charged the outside vendor fee once... But even still it may be cheaper to pay to have them stay at the hotel. What the same geniuous bride did for that was " book" the photographer/video into the same room where there was only one persone staying so the price would work out to be cheaper, plus the photographer gave her a discount because of the crazy outside vendor fee. I feel the stress, I haven't completely decided on Azul Fives yet because of the vendor fees and Lomas, although it is in my top picks!

I like the idea of a beach ceremony and sky deck or garden/pool reception, but that's just me, I want my toes in the sand when we say our vows! Why is there such a high fee for the sky deck? And why do they charge you more per person to have the dinner up there? Seems a bit steep?

Oh mojito bar sounds awesome, I didn't really like the beach from what I saw on trip advisor though at Sensatori....and inter-property visits would be awesome as well, I'm actually a bit surprised they don't allow this

@@lhills, would you mind emailing me the pic please? I'm new on here and haven't reached the post count to view pics (ugh) .... My email is sd237005@@gmail.com thanks! also, does anyone know what the pack up rain options are.... I haven't been able to get a straight answer from any place I've been considering and really don't want to get married in a ballroom .... Would love a place that has an outdoor covered area .... Thanks! These forums really help!

@@kmk2016 thanks for the info! Is this the stuff they serve around the pool bar and other bars as well? I've read somewhere that they are building a gin bar as well which seems exciting, kind of like the tequila bar at Azul Beach

I think I've decided to go with A J.Crew suit in the blue Japanese seersucker for my groom and then have the groomsmen in the matching pants, white shirt and maybe a vest..... I thought j?Crew would be good because they can all just order inline or go to their store and pick it up!

is may be a seemingly silly question to some people, but I was just wondering to those who have been to the Azul or Karisma resorts what level of alcohol they serve.... I know it shouldn't matter but me and my friends like our cocktails and don't want bottom shelf stuff.... Thanks!

This may be a seemingly silly question to some people, but I was just wondering to those who have been to the Azul or Karisma resorts what level of alcohol they serve.... I know it shouldn't matter but me and my friends like our cocktails and don't want bottom shelf stuff.... Thanks!

Hey Azul Fives Brides! Azul Fives is in my top pics for spring 2015 wedding but am a bit Leary of lomas, their outrageous outside vendors fees and such. I like to hear all the clever ways brides are getting around this! I read on one if the Azul Beach forums that a bride had all of her flowers done from an outside vendor and just had them deliver them to the gate and her family collected them. She said she saved a ton of money on the flowers which turned out great and didn't have to pay the bogus outside vendor fee! Anyone else considered doing this??? Flowers are a big thing for me but don't want to pay an arm and a leg...

Hey Azul Fives Brides! Azul Fives is in my top pics for spring 2015 wedding but am a bit Leary of lomas, their outrageous outside vendors fees and such. I like to hear all the clever ways brides are getting around this! I read on one if the Azul Beach forums that a bride had all of her flowers done from an outside vendor and just had them deliver them to the gate and her family collected them. She said she saved a ton of money on the flowers which turned out great and didn't have to pay the bogus outside vendor fee! Anyone else considered doing this??? Flowers are a big thing for me but don't want to pay an arm and a leg....

@@talicea7812 Thanks for the info! If I go with Azul (have been looking for almost two months and can't pick a place, but that's a different story, hahah) I may look into the flower vendor you used as well! I really want peonies and the price lomas wants to charge for them is insane! I wonder if you brought in your own cake if they would let it leave the reception area, after all it didn't come from them....that is just so frustrating! I wonder if it's because they offer the service of them delivering a dessert to your guests rooms after the wedding....for the price of a sweet and a delivery fee....crazy! Do you mind sharing with me your invoice for generally how much your wedding cost?

I think I read somewhere (sorry can't remember where since I've been reading through sooooo much stuff) that Azul doesn't let you take any of the left over cake away from the reception!?!? Has anyone else heard or read about this.... And why the heck not! After all you paid for it! This disappoints me....would love to have little to go boxes for guests to take cake back to the room with them Has anyone had any info on possible getting a cake from an outside vendor and just picking it up at the gate (like with the flowers) in case they can't do the cake design you want?

I was interested in the Iberostar Bavaro as well but they told me that we had to be legally married before we come down for a symbolic ceremony (which isn't in our plans, we will be doing it after when we go back to one off our home towns for a reception since both of us are from different countries and live in yet another) this is the first time I've heard this from any DR resort....my contact at the Iberostar Grand said the hotels are risking it by not having you be married before.....risking what? A symbolic ceremony has no legal significance? I'm confused..... They did tell me no for wish lanterns as has every place I have looked into in DR

@@AllieH thanks! it helps to hear it from other people! I'm certainly hoping I will forget the stress and headaches! I keep telling myself that it doesn't matter where we get married because at the end of the day I'm marrying the love of my life, but then it really does matter to me, haha, maybe that's shallow? Still contemplating And trying to justify Grand Velas

I've definitely thought about shorts! We live in Bermuda so Bermuda shirts are the normal business and dress attire here....as long as they do t wear the tall socks with them I think it would look good!

@@AllieH I dont think you are being a negative nelly at all! I was actually thinking the single mom of the child would want a vacation and I've tried many options, the child is a must, no questions asked as per my fiancé. It is pretty frustrating to arrange a location around one guest as you said, especially when we will be doing two ceremonies.....one beach wedding which is what I want and will be bigger and one back where my fiancé is from in his church....sigh

@@acw271011, Thanks for the info. My fiance and I live in Bermuda, so trying anything on we would need to take a trip overseas (which also makes trying wedding dresses on difficult, ugh) for but all of the groomsmen live is different area of Canada. Will def check out the places you mentioned. Thanks for the info!