calgarybride2015

@@yycbride2016 You'll do great! You've got to live a little too don't forget! But a good compromise to indulge but to keep your bachelorette is check is fantastic but also surprising - maybe my friends are mean haha jk! What did you guys do? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hey! I think your dress is gorgeous. She did a fabulous job and it looks awesome on you With respect to hair -- I think what you do with it depends on how your hair holds in humidity. Most don't. Even Perian just mentioned her curls wouldn't hold either. I may consider an up do for this reason! For BMs. Why not just say you will pay their hair and leave it at that. Let them know makeup is available if they prefer it done professionally and give them the cost. I told my girls their options (self vs salon) and gave costs and all jumped on booking. No one was upset as for their weddings we paid our own too! I agree with Ann, if the men get a golf excursion you ladies should get something too for gifts if you want ideas - maybe a piece of jewelry for their dress? Or a little pampering gift pack of stuff for Mexico in a nice make up bag? A beach bag or swim suit coverup? Some have found sunglasses or watches cheap too! Hmmm or like the golf help pay for the excursion. With respect to tanning -- you should start soon rather than later. Depending on your skin tone it can take a while to build up time and thus a tan. You'll need 2+ months!! Good luck. It'll be here before you know it Heheh I realized I gave ideas before for the BMs. I'm sorry! And love those shoes. A slight different in color won't be noticeable as you've said since there is a gap! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ann has already. She did it last night. I can invite you if she didn't have you on her Facebook. (Deleted my name for trolls) will PM it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh look we are both in Calgary how fun! With weather like today I am sure you are dreaming of the gorgeous Cuban beaches. My biggest piece of advice, like I said above, is realize it's Cuba.... It's not as 'high end' as Mexico or the like, but it's so authentic and beautiful. I believe you will have a great time. can't wait to hear about it. HAHAHA I guess some of your family will feel at home. I am soooo glad my girlfriend gave me a heads up on that or I would have been shocked. You could probably almost fill the catamaran yourself with 50 people. I wonder if there is any way you could contact the company before hand and maybe get something private. Canto Del Sol (I think is the spelling?) did our catamaran trip which we booked thru the hotel. Also with Havana. I would probably try to speak with your wedding coordinator first or find the companies online to see what they can do for you -- 1 with pricing but 2 to keep you all together Good luck!

You are welcome.... Some pointers - - Cuba can't be compared to places like Mexico. Yes you've booked a fantastic resort but still won't be identical so just remember that. No Starbucks and the like which is what I love about Varadero. - don't bring gifts to tip no matter what people say. It just feeds the black market and scams there! - Cuba's currency is closed so you have to bring your currency and exchange there. I'm Canadian and it was 69 on the dollar - anyone who wants to sell you cigars or drugs is a scam. Only buy cigars from legit stores usually in malls or if your tour guide points one out - like other countries, use bottled water - off resorts you'll be hard pressed to find a toilet seat so be prepared to squat lol. Also they will want you to pay for toilet paper -- I always have Kleenex, wet wipes and hand sani on me to provide myself. Sometimes they try to make you pay to use the bathroom - if you can just walk past them - we did the catamaran, jeep safari, and day trip to Havana with Tropicana show - all fantastic. Catamaran and Havana my faves - a day trip to Varadero is perfect too. You can cab it but there is a double decker bus that runs the peninsula all day hop on/off for $5 cuc a person - night life -- in Varadero the Beatles bar or Calle 62 are fun. There are some actual clubs - like Havana club - but we haven't been Enjoy!! It's a gorgeous country full of fantastic people! Personally I haven't seen whiter sand or more turquoise waters Ohhh and most say you don't go to Cuba for the food. Our first time was meh but could find enough to get by. Our second time was at the same brand resort but a higher rated one and I really loved the food. I went to some a'la cartes twice they were so good. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Meant to say... Shawn and I are pretty easy going. Anything under $2000 PP, ideally under $1800 solely cause we've never paid more but are open for the right resort Typically for us it's easier to travel on breaks/holidays as the kids dad doesn't live here so they don't miss school but I realize those often drive up cost so we are flexible with whatever works for everyone. They'll be in grade 6 and I think at that age missing some school isn't going to hinder them!! My kids are on a year round calendar so tend to push normal holidays (i.e. This year xmas break ended mid January) Otherwise a beach, sun, sand and great times is all we care about Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@@TinkerSofi so nice to hear from you. Tell me more about school? I started back In September then got on full time with AHS so life has been busy! I was just throwing the Rui out as one we considered. Totally open to anywhere that's affordable lol. And that said as mentioned night life close by may not be necessary as we will have our own party!!! Since there would be lots of us I'm totally ok with adults only. Shawn and I went to one alone and found it a bit quiet - I think we were there during a geriatric convention though hahahah I told Shawn and he got all excited. He's like what if everyone invited friends too - we could have like 200 people bahaha ok stop dreaming Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Anything that's close! Akumal was not haha We looked at Rui Cancun for its proximity to the night club area of Cancun.... But I was solely driven on that so I'm sure there are some great resorts Temptations? Hahahah Kidding!!!!!!!!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No I haven't but know some who have and enjoyed it. Very beautiful. If I had a choice id rather stay in Cancun as I've never been and hear the night life is fun!!! But I do know Cancun sometimes can come at a cost. I did find some decent prices for January 2016 though. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Welcome and congrats I've been to Cuba twice. Once in 2014 and once just two weeks ago! We had no issues whatsoever and to us Cuba seemed no different. That said I have seen the reports and reviews of what you've mentioned but with your resort I think you will be just fine. It's a very highly rated brand and in Cuba a highly rated resort. Some of the issue is that their tourism is up but they can't handle it. We didn't feel this whatsoever. The service and the food were fantastic. We stayed at Melia Varadero which is the same brand as the Paradisus. A lot of the reports lately of people being sick were not in Varadero and mainly with a different resort brand. But it can and does happen everywhere. Just be prepared. I always prepare my gut before we travel and since its your wedding maybe even over prepare (for ours in Mexico I even got an rx for antibiotics just in case and did dukoral) typically I just do lactobacillus and pepto!! If you've never been to Cuba and want some practical pointers let me know I think you've picked one of the best for Varadero and won't be disappointed. Good luck Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've been told (and someone correct me if I'm wrong) that if you even get a VIP. wristband it does nothing. So I wouldn't get hung up on that part. Is the rehearsal dinner important to you? I didn't have it in my package but my WC on the down low booked one for us. You could ask? I think either package works well. Depends what you want -- do you wanna be inside all night or do you want the ambiance of being outside dancing? If I had to choose I'd probably go silver and do the cocktail party after for the fact I was outside. But if the gold package offers all you want and is more cost effective then that may make more sense. Sorry I wasn't any help at all. Let us know what you choose. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I posted on Facebook but will here too.... Happy wedding day!!!!! Hope your day is everything you've dreamed of and more. Can't wait for pics and to hear all about it Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Your ladies tastes may be too expensive for me Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Woohoo!!!!! In the double digits Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Awesome. I was born in Terrace but grew up mainly in Fort St John! Now live in Calgary. I was married at the Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya one year ago today Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Awesome love it!! @ haha mine is the same BUT I still have my obsession. So should you hehe jk Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Where are you from? I'm from northern BC and have lived in Prince George You got a great rate! I agree as well. That you'll never make everyone happy. So find something you would be comfortable paying and that's reasonable and you may be surprised We wanted to stick around $1500. Got just under for Toronto and just over for Calgary. We also were surprised and 41 people came We also would have everyone traveling and all that adds up so this seemed like the best decision. It'll all work out. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Welcome and congrats! I have never stayed in PV but I am Canadian (though I've done research on it we've just never ended up booking) I must be honest and say I've never seen an AI package as low as $800 even for the low stars - maybe a last minute sell off but that's risky in your case. Do you want an all inclusive? If yes I think you'd need to up your guests budget quite a bit. Having said that, if you get a group rate and are flexible with your week of travel and resort you may be able to get something between $1200-$1300 a person. But I think it would be safer to budget closer to $1500. This will limit your choices of course and then you also need to ensure its a resort that can fit the vision of your wedding unless you do that off site. That said a $12000 budget seems super reasonable even with resort/flight package included in that budget. You'll find a lot of resorts wedding packages include 10-20 people before you pay overages so you may get lucky there with your guest count. For our Jan 2015 wedding the cheapest quote I got was $1250 for the Grand Palladium in PV. Biggest piece of advice is to get a travel agent asap -- as you mentioned. Even better if they specialize in destination weddings and they can help you narrow down resorts based on your must have lists. And they can usually help you get all the wedding info you need too. I have a lady I used in BC but not from Vancouver. Hopefully a Vancouver bride can pop in to help. The site also has Canadian travel agents you could contact thru here. I am in Calgary so pricing may be different based on that but I feel fairly certain for an all inclusive you won't find $800 even with a better dollar. Good luck. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Same and also for food!

Hi Alex, I can't answer them all but I can try. When I got married (1 year tomorrow) it was a Wednesday and we got the palapa but I did hear they changed the rules They must do that Mayan dinner in there on Wednesday. See my answers below....

Yes that included the buffet for 45 people. Wasn't a plated meal which would have cost more. The buffet was nice for selection and second helpings haha!!! I actually crunched numbers off every package. I knew what I wanted for timing and extras and sat down and figured out each package and nothing was cheaper than doing free and adding on. Really just depends what you want .... And if the extras in the presidential package are something you would like Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You didn't ask my opinion but I'm jumping in hahahah! With the upgrade to palapa Extending reception to be 6 hours Cocktail hour Mariachi band DJ 6 hours Flower upgrade for me Extra bouquets and bouts Petals for flower girl Hair trial Hair and make up for wedding Golf cart Chair ribbons 2 day passes Hmmmmm what else did we add on Anyways it was about $5500-$6000 Canadian which was less than the presidential package and with that I would have still needed upgrades This was for 45 people and the buffet I think guest count plays a large role as it can up the price a lot. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I married here 364 days ago (tomorrow is my one year anniversary). We had no issues with our wedding or the DJ. I feel for Tara 100% and the struggles she encountered but for all you upcoming brides remember there are also plenty of positive reviews. Try not to stress yourselves out and enjoy this time as its over in a flash. Welcome to answer any questions. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

TEQUILA!!!!! Love it And holy crap that's a lot of food. Did anyone end up eating it? Glad you got the February flights sorted out geesh! Curious re names wrong on documents - I swear our TA emailed 5-6 times to check haha!! Sounds like it started off well and I can't wait for more. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yay!!! Today is the day you leave for Mexico. I'll be stocking your Facebook lol. Enjoy this special time and remember to slow down and take it all in. Congrats Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk