snswedding2016

@@Smellsey for us it was because AF sold out of Deluxe Rooms which is room type and price quote we had held. If Deluxe Rooms become available we should be able to get them at the price quoted with the taxes being a little more - I think. Our issue was more about availability at the hotel not with the seats with Transat - my TA said that getting the flight is no problem. We booked 14 months in advance but I think my week became really popular somewhere within our 90 days. Luckily pretty much all of our guests who want to come have booked already. Right now if we have a couple more people who want to come, I don't feel too bad if they can't get the price we quoted as they had 90 days to put down a deposit and had several reminders from me. Can you see my A-type personality coming through - lol! @@ashhtayy I'm assuming that your TA is suggesting that because the week you are booking for is already selling out. That's my only guess of why she would want you to pre-pay for everyone because she's worried your guests might not get a room you 'hold' it for them. Tough call - it's hard to get yes or no answers right away. I know how hard it was just to try and get guests to put down deposits within 90 days.

@ you can order it online although not sure what the shipping costs would be. I actually didn't buy it the first time, I loved it immediately but wasn't sure how much I wanted it. I kept thinking about it after I left and regretted not buying it so I went to another bridal show a couple weeks later just to purchase it LOL! Oh - if you are still thinking about it, I'm sure they will be at the spring bridal show!

@@SteeleTheSpotlight @@pddcmc Just thought I would share the ring cleaner I use and LOVE for those times you may not be able to get to your jeweller. I was at a bridal show this year and walked by a stand for this ring cleaner. Honestly I was a little skeptical of it working. Unlike a lot of cleaners this one does not have any of those harsh chemicals - that's what really sold me. They offered to clean it for me and thought I would give it a try. The difference was AMAZING!! It's a two step process. There is a cream product used to remove tarnish from the band of your ring (you should use it once a month max). The second step is to put in the solution (you can use this as often as you want) and they provide a little brush that you can gently scrub it with. It gets into all the nooks and crannies and cleans it to really reflect the light through your ring! You rinse it off in water and you're good to go! I'm totally hooked on this product and the best thing is that you can clean it at home in seconds anytime you want. I'm definitely packing this in my suitcase for the wedding! For those interested here is the link http://www.sunshine101.com/deluxe-large-kit

@@andreaberretta Congrats - you're wedding is coming up so soon! I think you are talking about booking directly through the hotel itself. It works a little differently for us Canadian brides as we book our packages with hotel and flight together so the deposit also holds the seats on the plane for us. It requires a little more up front planning and commitment from guests but in the end I think our packages for pretty reasonable.

@@ashhtayy I've been told by my WC from AF that the Zky Bar has either a live band playing or a DJ to play music. I've heard from a couple difference sources online as well about a DJ being on site. I think the thing is that there isn't one there at the club every night. In terms of holding seats and booking. My fiance and I had a fairly large invite list (well it felt large to us!) - 150-ish people. After talking it over with some other brides and my TA we estimated about 60 people would attend. We didn't have conversations with guests asking them if they were a yes or no but as soon as we announced our engagement we knew we wanted to do a destination wedding and roughly the time of year and so we based our estimated number on the responses we got from everyone. We ended up holding the 15 rooms (30 seats) with our initial deposit of $300 and then held an extra 6 'land only' rooms for an additional $300. We really couldn't afford to put down deposits to secure the rooms for everyone up front and also didn't want to be on the hook for holding to many and then releasing most of them. We are about a month after our deposit deadline and all our rooms are booked. We have 45 adults and 8 children confirmed - so our estimation was pretty close. That being said every group is different and we may have people that will continue to book and others who may not come through with their final payments (you never know). What time of year are you booking for? I know that our week sold out pretty quickly - right now the only rooms you can get are the 2 or 3 bedroom suites. Although I think AF sells out all the time it just depends on how quickly the rooms go. Not sure if that is of any help but that was my experience in the booking process.

@@pddcmc Love your ceremony script!!! So personal and romantic - it's going to be amazing! Also very jealous about you having family play live for your ceremony. It was my dream and it just so happens that my fiancé's entire family are string musicians - how perfect is that! Unfortunately trying to arrange for everyone to fly with their instruments is a logistical nightmare, especially when you start dealing with a cello (it requires its own seat)! We decided that it would be easier to have them record it and play. It makes me a little sad but it will still be a really nice personal touch. I'm really thinking about getting those fans too but like TinkerSofi - I don't think I can justify more shipping and custom charges especially because I just ordered my OOT bags from Oriental Trading. Should have made just one big order!

@@Smellsey I think it depends on what you are looking for. In my case my additions weren't too drastic (they are all flowers that are in season that they usually use and in a similar price range) so she made the changes with no extra charge. I originally chose from their options online - white tropical flower & light blue delphinium flowers. The more I looked at it the more the picture of it online was bugging me. It just seemed like a really outdated photo. The white flowers looked yellow to me. I also wanted to add in a splash of light pink (as I have some light pink accents). I described what I was looking for and my WC came back saying they have a bouquet option that is very similar. I brought up my concerns about the colours looking off and she said that the photos on the Lomas website really don't do the bouquets justice. She ended up sending me additional photos of the flowers and they looked WAY better. I essentially just changed it to ivory and light pink roses with light blue delphinium flowers. It was that drastic of a change but at least they are willing to work with you on finding what you want. I think the only issue you might encounter is if you want flowers that are not in season and hard to find in Mexico. I would then maybe suggest getting 'real touch' flowers. Before I sorted my bouquet options out I was thinking of getting a small back up 'real touch' bouquet just in case. I've heard many brides use them before and were really happy with the final product. You would also have a keepsake afterwards with fake ones.

I'm not really sure what the difference would be. I've only ever dealt with the WCs through Karisma (designers email). I would imagine though you would have better success just dealing with your WC. I think if you were dealing with Lomas directly it would still have to go through your WC at Karisma as Lomas is the vendor separate from the Karisma chain. This is my guess though...don't quote me on it. If you have an idea of what you want for flowers, send some pics to your WC and describe what you are looking for. I am getting my bouquet included with my decor package and pre-selected one of the Lomas options but then decided I wanted to make some changes to it. I emailed my WC with the inspiration photos I had and they are putting something together for me and keeping my pics on file for reference.

The first time I went to a DW as a guest I was a bit stressed about what to wear (more so than when I would attend a local wedding). I didn't want to seem to casual but I also didn't want to show up too dressy (since it was on the beach and all). When we decided to have a DW we wanted to help our guests with some suggestions. We don't really care what they wear as long as it is comfortable and they are not topless in their swim trunks lol! We simply put on our website "Beach formal attire" (to be honest I didn't know this was a term until I started asking around and googled it haha) and said no swimsuits or coverups please.

For me it was an easy decision. I didn't grow up with my father and we don't have a great relationship. I kept his last name (my mom gave me the option to change it when I was a pre-teen) because I always wanted to remember my heritage (half Chinese/half Japanese …yup not a common mix) and to remind myself that he was still a part of me regardless of how much he cared to be a father. I always knew that if I got married that I would happily change my last name, I knew I wouldn't feel like I needed that reminder anymore, it had served its purpose. My MIL wasn't expecting me to change my name and was shocked when I told her. Once I explained to her why, she realized that I really wanted to do it. She got all teary eyed told me how happy that made her. I also think it is kinda fun to have a name that might throw people off. People won't expect Mrs. Clement to be an Asian woman LOL!

Just used this Groupon this week for a custom stamp from Stampanda. We're using it to stamp all of our reception favours instead of having to make extra tags. You can also get self addressed personalized stamps or monograms. http://www.groupon.com/deals/stampanda-10-greater-toronto-area http://www.stampanda.com/ It covers shipping as well!

I was thinking of wearing it around my neck as well. I do that sometimes when I help my fiance with renovation work and I don't want it getting dirty. I don't like leaving it around when I'm not home. @calgarybride2015 like you I'm more concerned about it at the resort. I won't be wearing them in the water (I take my ring off when I shower, wash dishes etc. at home), also I have a friend's husband who lost his ring in the ocean on his honeymoon. I'm a little concerned about safety at the resort though...even in the safe. I was thinking maybe putting it in someone else's room safe so it isn't as obvious that it is in the bride and groom's room. Am I being too paranoid??

I agree that it is frustrating that us Canadian brides do not receive a lot of perks but after speaking with the Karisma rep in Toronto he explained why that is. We're really getting a much better deal on our travel packages than what the American brides have to pay. Their prices for hotel only are a lot higher and then you have to add on air fare on top of that. Transat being the only tour operator has done a lot to bring down the prices to make it more affordable for Canadians. The Karisma rep was telling me that even booking a package through him with a friends and family discount would still cost you more than getting a package through transat with a GIWC. He said that he can only get a discount on the hotel price, once you factor in the cost of the airfare the price just hits the roof. That made me feel better about the perks I'm missing out on. At least I know I have a really good price for my guests. @@TinkerSofi did I read somewhere that you're doing one of the memorable moments collections? The Vintage Elegance? The Karisma rep said that they just changed it so that if you're doing a memorable moments collection you get the basic Always and Forever package for free. I don't know if you have to be doing the collection for both the ceremony and reception or if it can just be one or the other. It's something you should look into you....saving that $950 would be great!! @acw271011 My photographer has done a couple of weddings at Azul Fives and he said there are some really beautiful spots to take photos in their new sections where they did all the upgrades. I don't think you need to book any spaces for photos unless it is a ceremony or reception location.

3.5 years for us too!

@@ashhtayy I couldn't agree more - timing is everything! We don't get many perks being from Canada although our package prices are a lot more affordable. I have had a really great experience with my WC from Karisma so far (*knock on wood*). She's been really on top of responding very quickly, she's friendly and is always able to answer my questions and if not she checks and gets back to me very promptly. I'm not doing a memorable moments collection and keeping it fairly simple but still wanting it unique and special of course. I wanted to substitute our dessert option for our set menu (we're doing a plated meal) and my WC was great about getting me other options. I've also sent her many reference photos for our colour palette, inspiration for flowers, seating arrangement and she's been great about adding in all of my notes and attaching my pics to the wedding builder online. Let me know if you have any other questions!

Toronto bride as well! Jan 2016 @ Azul Fives! So far 45 adults, 4 children and 4 babies!

I'm booked at Azul Fives flying from Toronto. I booked in Nov 2014 and got the every 16th person free but I'm not sure when they switched over to 21. Apparently some times they don't even offer credits. I guess it all depends on supply and demand.

@@dana1018 have you checked out the Azul Sensatori Brides thread? It is very active and has a ton of information, I'm sure you will be able to find the answers you're looking for. I'm not getting married at Sensatori but at their sister resort - Azul Fives. I would imagine the outside vendor fee is the same which is $800. Hope that helps! Happy planning!

My fiance and I also didn't really want the untucked look or shorts. We're going with pants, vest, dress shirt (rolled sleeves) and a tie. This is our inspiration but we're going with light grey (pants and vest) and a white shirt. The groomsmen will be in white dress shirts and light grey pants. Like this... We were going to go the custom route but kept finding bad reviews on places we initially liked. I ended up getting a 40% off purchasing from Moores from a Bridal Show and we found a nice light grey option. This also makes it easier as our groomsmen are in different cities.

@@Smellsey I'm so glad I booked in 2014 as well (we booked in November)! The dollar is killing me as I look at my resort bill I have to pay in USD...I'm sure you're feeling the same way. What ceremony & reception venue did you choose at AF?

Have you considered Azul Fives - the sister resort to Azul Sensatori? I was told it is usually a bit cheaper. I'm from Toronto as well and we got a pretty good rate. I'm getting married Jan 9 2016 and I know our week now is pretty booked up and the rooms that are available are getting pricey but if you're flexible with your dates it might be worth considering. I think a $10,000 budget is definitely doable it just depends on all the details you add on. I really like that Karisma allows you to choose from various different menus at different price points. You can do a plated meal from $19 pp or you can do a buffet - it really depends on what you have in mind. Happy planning!

@@TinkerSofi ya that's what I was worried about too. I'll ask my WC and see what she says. If we end up getting more confirmations then it would just make sense to start a new table but the way it is now, everyone fits except that one family and I don't really want to split up a family of 4.

Does anyone know if you can squeeze 10 people to the round tables? I know they are generally tables of 8 and I confirmed with my WC about adding a 9th but wondering if there were a couple of children at the table, could we squeeze in 10?

@racht33 I had a lot of what you mentioned on my checklist as well. We were hoping to keep the price point around $1500, we knew we wanted to go to Mexico, it had to be kid friendly, it had to great food and ideally we were looking travel in January 2016 (my slow time at work). I started my search in Nov 2014 and ended up booking within a couple of weeks. We found a great quote and didn't want to lose it. Most of my group is travelling from Toronto and the east coast but we do have some guests coming from Alberta and we did get a price quote for Vancouver as well. Our Toronto quote is great - $1630 and all of our west coast quotes are in the $1800-1900 range. We found for that time of year coming from Calgary or Vancouver, we couldn't find a cheaper quote. We ended up choosing Azul Fives but initially it wasn't even on our radar. Our TA told us about it and we fell in love with the wedding packages and the fact that you could basically create your own. A couple of years ago we went to a wedding at the Barcelo Maya Colonial and loved it. We quickly found that for our guest list we were budgeting for (estimating at around 60), none of the packages they offered suited our price range for the reception. The price per person over top of the free guests included were a bit crazy! After looking into Azul Fives we quickly realized that it met all of our needs: -Great Food (I've heard nothing be amazing things) - we have a few foodies who are not drinkers at all…including the best man who is the head of the culinary institute in PEI, talk about pressure lol! -Kid friendly - they have programs for babies, children and teens not to mention that they have just partnered up with Nickelodeon for family shows starting this summer! -It fit our budget for travel and the private reception I really relied heavily on my TA when our initial plan for the wedding didn't pan out. She was my sounding board. She even went as far as dealing with Barcelo directly to see if she could make adjustments to their packages to make it work with my budget. She also priced out a couple of other resorts (including Azul Fives) and broke down the wedding costs. It really helped to see a side by side comparison, what I was getting, what I wasn't and what I didn't need in the packages. I know it sounds like I booked really fast but I was on the phone with her for several hours every day for two weeks. The following week after we booked felt very strange not be talking to her daily haha!

Thanks for all your kind words! I'm trying to resist the urge to try the dress on every time I'm home. LOL!