TaraW

@@SammyMac Hey there! No worries! Not sure if people will experience the same issues with their WC's trying to change the reception locations on them. If you have it in writing then I think you are fine. I didn't have written confirmation for the reception for some reason, and I kept pushing for it, which prompted her response. I did find it weird that as soon as I pushed back she backed down. I think the resort tries to keep areas like Playa Azul open for possible large bookings unless they get a bride that is totally insistent! (like me! ) The planning is all done with the exception of our spa bookings that we do a month before. I have sent my WC a long list of questions regarding some of the finer details that I want to obsess about while I have nothing else to do! Haha! They could probably wait until the week before but why not get them out of the way (questions about reception lighting options for Playa Azul, specific details about my bouquet, etc. ) I'm also waiting back to hear if our paperwork is all in order or if we need to send some things through the Mexican Consulate here in Canada first. My WC was kind enough to present some documents that I scanned and emailed to the Mexican Judge ahead of time to make sure they don't need to be translated, etc. No sense in wasting money I don't need to spend! It's a bit of a pain if you've been married before (as we both have) because it adds to the paperwork. I'm still waiting on my dress as well (still 2 months away) and just trying to hit the gym as often as I can before it arrives I did send Martina at Best Moments a third and final email as well. I told her I was very disappointed in her lack of response to both my makeup questions I had asked and my worry about the bad review I read, and told her that it was way too many red flags for me and I certainly couldn't trust her enough with my big day if she just ignored me repeatedly, which I've read that she does a LOT of. Certainly not the way to keep your destination brides stress free! I have confirmed and booked with Beso Brides and they are awesome at getting back to me, have very competitive prices, great reviews and are super accommodating! They don't take a deposit either as they like to book their brides on a respect/trust basis which I think is rare! Otherwise that's pretty much it! How about all of you fellow Barceló brides out there (this thread is quiet right now!!) What planning stage are you on? How are things going? Anything you are stuck on, stressed about or enjoying about it all? Have your wedding dresses arrived yet, are your rings all ready to go and all of that good stuff??

It was definitely weird, and it got even weirder! I thought I was communicating with a female, but it turned out to be a male ... who followed up with another snotty email to me a few days ago!! We then got into this very strange banter back and forth where he kept insisting that he did answer my questions, even though he could clearly see the email chain. I even highlighted it for him and he would just respond like he was completely clueless. I ended it by telling him I would be sharing our interaction with my fellow brides and he was not happy, saying I was punishing him simply because we "weren't a good match" He just didn't get it at all, it was so bizarre! Anyhow thankfully I have had lots of really lovely conversations with companies, regardless of whether I have booked them or not. This was a bit of a one off situation and certainly would give me some pause if I was considering booking with them!! Just an update ... still no word back from Martina at Best Moments! I sent her that initial email that I told you about, then a second one a week later asking for her to get back to me soon .... and nothing yet! Between the lack of response and the really bad review, I think that's enough red flags for me!! @@SammyMac - that last update was for you!!

Me again!! I feel like I'm monopolizing this right now!! It's been an interesting few days and I wanted to share a few of my interactions during my planning: First off, I was in communication with my WC and she happened to mention that we were going to finalize the reception site closer to the wedding date ....HUH????? I sent her back a message to clarify and she responded telling me that Playa Azul already had a party of 300 booked in the evening of my wedding. I freaked a bit because I booked this date and Playa Azul a whole year in advance and nobody said anything to me at that time!! Anyhow I responded back and told her that the reception location was just as important as every other aspect of the wedding, and we specifically chose both the Strawberry Package and Playa Azul, and didn't want to find myself hating the choices that I was given "closer to the wedding day" in April when everything was booked up.I insisted that if it was being changed from my original location that I be allowed to confirm another location right away and not be moved again, and if this couldn't be done I would have to look at other venues because I wasn't going to have this kind of stress. She wrote me back right away and apologized saying she had made a mistake on the date, and Playa Azul was indeed available and I was booked there. I starting thinking that I had read somewhere of another bride trying to be moved from Playa Azul and they told her there was a party of 300 as well .... Coincidence??? I wonder if they keep this location in case a larger party books, and use this as a standard line with brides?? Anyhow just in case any of you are wanting Playa Azul and you find that they won't solidify the reservation .... Stick to your guns and insist like I did and hopefully it works out!!!! My second weird interaction was with MVP hair and makeup. I emailed asking about costs and when she provided me with a quote I let her know that I already had found a company that was slightly less expensive, so I was going to stay with them, and thanked her for her time. She responded back in a way that I felt was quite rude, asking me if I wanted a price or a professional, had I checked out the online reviews and what company was I already dealing with? I told her I was looking for both a professional AND a price as I was a bride on a budget and declined to share with her the other company's name. I also found her suggestion that I haven't done my research quite disrespectful. It's a destination wedding so of course I'm doing my research! Anyhow she offered me another lower quote and I asked some clarifying questions because she doesn't charge a flat fee so I wanted to know if it included travel costs, false eyelashes, etc. and I also asked what she recommended between false eyelashes and extensions given the climate. She answered me back but didn't answer all of the questions, so I asked them again. Then she answered the wrong question altogether and when I clarified myself she responded back that she wasn't going to answer my questions until I booked with her!! I was trying to factor in the costs of false lashes vs lash extensions before I committed to her quote, but I couldn't do that because she refused to respond until I paid her. I told her that if she couldn't answer a few simple questions then I wasn't going to hire her, and she then told me that we "weren't the right fit" which I thought was funny. Clearly we weren't the right fit when all she was focussed on was her bottom line and not willing to help me determine if her services would fit within my budget. Not the way to book a bride that's for sure!!! Anyhow just wanted to share the experience so be careful if you are dealing with them!! I have chatted with quite a few vendors (photographers, make up, etc) and they have all be quite lovely and happy to answer questions, and don't seem to want to insult you in the process if you thank them for their time and go with someone else! Either that or they don't respond to your emails at all like one of them has done recently Any other interesting interactions or frustrating experiences you all have had recently?? Hopefully not!! this is supposed to be a less stressful way to tie the knot isn't it???

@@JJ785220 Hi there, I tried all weekend to send the documents to the email you provided but they kept getting rejected at your end. I even broke them down to one document per email and it didn't work. Sorry!

@@SammyMac Thanks for that info - yes it does help! I went back and checked out the pics that my WC sent me way back when we started planning. You are absolutely right, it doesn't look like there are any trees around where they normally set up the tables at Playa Azul, so I think the pics I saw before were mislabeled. I'll definitely have to explore other options with my WC as far as lighting goes then, or look at a different reception location like Captain Morgan beach. I really liked the look of the palm tress all lit up as well!! I sent Martina another email an hour ago and I will let you know what she says. Like I said, I wasn't planning on holding one bad review against her (although it was alarming to read!) but for her to not respond to my concerns makes me even more hesitant to book with her!! @@SammyMac I didn't go with an outside vendor for the chair bows. We are using the turquoise bows as it matches perfectly. But I'd probably do the same thing and just go with white if you can't get a match. Did you look into buying your bows online and bringing them with you? I wonder if that would be cheaper than the outside vendor? Or go with white and buy some colour coordinated hand finds or something like that? Even though it may be windy we did purchase some white wood hand fans to place in all the ceremony chairs. I figured the guests would make use of them at some point in their trip. If you are curious about the bad review check out weddingwire.com. There are four reviews in total. Three positive ones all from 2014 and the bad review form June of this year.

Good question SammyMac! I was wondering the same thing, but not for the lighting, just for the distance away from the hotel. I think I saw some pics that shows a reception at Playa Azul and there are indeed treat in the area, just not as many. I'll see if I can track that down again. Hopefully a bride can help confirm that or not! I was also wondering if you've been in touch with Best Moments recently? I had contacted Martina to check out her services and asked her a few questions. Her prices are a little better than my currently company when I add a hair and makeup package (my hair is very short and almost not worth the extra money but I was looking for the whole experience) . I also mentioned the recent bad review she received from a bride in June (where she stood her up on her wedding day, nobody could track her down until hours before, and she didn't refund the money as promised) I told her it was concerning to me, but that I wasn't going to write someone off without having a chance to explain ... that was two weeks ago and NO response! You'd think you'd want to get back to a bride in that situation!? I am going to fire off another email to see what she says but I may just stay with my current booking because the savings isn't worth the stress. Have you heard from them recently at all?

@@JJ785220 Hi there and welcome! I absolutely agree with @@kimmyd2 that Barcelo has one of the nicest beaches in that area. We've stayed at a few in the Mayan Riviera, including Barcelo, and their beach is ABSOLUTELY why we are going back for our beach wedding and beach reception. There are some resorts that may be a little more luxurious, but at the end of the day we are going for the wedding we envision for ourselves, not what the hotel rooms like! Don't get me wrong, Barcelo is a very nice resort all around! There are indeed lots of extras that you can add, but if you are budget conscious and not having a huge wedding with a lot of people, I think you can happily stay within the package they build for you. Most brides seem to go with the Strawberry Passion package because it gives you the option of a beach reception. I think the 2016 costs for that is 4100 USD but it includes a lot of things. I commute to another city for work every week and don't have all of my documents handy right now, but I can send along all the documents, etc that I have so far when I get home this weekend. I don't have an updated 2016 wedding package price list because we booked ours under the 2015 prices, so perhaps one of the other brides here can help you with that, or just email the resort and ask for it because they tend to send that to you rather quickly. Good luck with your planning and we are here to help if we can !!

@@kimmyd2 @@Bcari16 @@SammyMac Check your emails!!!

Thank you for sharing this as it's something I've never really though of. We'll be sure to ask our guests to just be present with us in the moment during the ceremony and leave the photos to the professional!!

@@Stephanie2015 Thanks Stephanie! I do want to invest in the airbrush makeup though so that it will last through the day and evening, and my daughter/maid of honour is going to enjoy the spa makeup that is included so it won't go to waste! I'm in my 40's and don't have my 20 year old skin any longer, so I need all the help I can get Especially with all the money we are spending on photography, I don't mind spending a bit more to have a vendor come in. I've heard mixed reviews about the spa so I'm super happy it all worked out for you!

@@SammyMac @@Bcari16 @kimmyd2 No problem ladies! I'm not home until Friday mornng (everything is saved on my desktop) so I'll forward it on to you then. I was also considering Best Moments for my makeup but then I got worried with the most recent review I found (June) of a bride she apparently left high and dry! Yikes! That scared me a bit! I'm still considering her though because a better value than the company I currently have booked, but we will see ....

@@SammyMac - If you are planning on having some pics taken with your fiance before the wedding (first look) then it should be enough time?? That will be about an hour before and 90 min after. I guess it depends on how many guests will be there and what kind of pictures you are looking for. I've put the thoughts out to my photographer to see what she thinks but i'm still waiting to hear back. The reason we went with Playa Azul location is because it had this beautiful pristine beach area, and was far away from the action of the resort. I figured the wedding guests would be okay in the sun for a 30 min ceremony, although I did mull over the lack of shade issue. But since it will also be at 5:00pm, it shouldn't be too bad. We are having a legal ceremony, but we are also having a Shaman attend in full ceremonial dress/costume as well, so he would attract quite a few onlookers in a more populated area of the resort!! Well THAT was weird! I just heard back from my photographer about a minute after I posted above! I wrote her a week ago! haha Anyhow she says that 90 min should be plently of time for photos after the ceremony if we also take them before the ceremony, so I will keep my times as-is for now. I agree that 2-1/2 hours total is enough posing We also only have 20 people max coming so there aren't a ton of guests photos to take. I've also finished all of my planning with my WC!! Yay! Nothing else left to do now except the spa bookings a month in advance. If anyone is hoping to check out the dinner menu options, cocktail menu, bouquets, centerpeices, cakes, huppas, etc I have all the documents and can sent them along to your email if you'd like a peek!

Our Wedding Day timeline: (Nothing is set in stone just yet!) 2:15 - Makeup artists arriving at the hotel (planned for 2:30 start) 3:00 - Photographer arriving at the hotel and starting (Booked for 6 hours) (Also booked them a room for two nights instead of paying the vendor fee - saved about 100 that way and this was ok'd by my WC Estrella) 3:45 - First look photos with my fiancé and I (I really want the first time he sees me to be a more intimate time, not when all of our guests see me too! And it breaks up the long time we are "posing for photos" that my finace wasn't crazy about) Ceremony at 5:00pm (roughly 30 min) at Playa Azul Photos until 7:00 (sun and sunset photos) Reception on the beach 7pm -11pm (One hour added) I look forward to hearing from other Brides to see if there is any tweaking that I can do!

@@starbx123 Thanks for your post and for easing my mind about the DJ option! I was a bit worried about the quality of the speaker system they provide, by it sounds like it was fine! Did you happen to go with the dance floor at all, or if not, did you wish you had?

@@SammyMac Congrats on your upcoming wedding! I'll be there getting married a week before you and we will still be "hanging around" the resort on our honeymoon when you tie the knot too! I'm getting married at 5:00pm because it should be a little cooler AND we want to take advantage of both the sun and the sunset pics as well. I'll share some thoughts to your questions that you asked! Reception length - The one constant I have read on this blog from bride after bride, regardless of how big or small their wedding is, is that three hours is NOT enough time for your reception as it goes by quickly! We are having an even smaller wedding (about 20 people) and the one thing I am investing in is adding an extra hour to the time. After that we have the option of moving to the disco but I don't want to break up the party earlier if people are enjoying themselves. Adding that enxtra hour willl take a bit of the rush out I think. Reception location - it seems like brides tend to opt for the AC areas when they have elderly guests, etc that may need it more, but if that's not a concern for you then I think it's really about preference and what you envision from your day. If you consider a closed reception area without any windows then you could be just about anywhere for your reception instead of in Mexico ..... for us i think that we've all come to such a beautiful place for the wedding and I want to enjoy that fact right down to the last moment of our wedding day! I dont think I've read on here about any bride that has regretting their choice of a beach reception. Really its just about what you two want for your day! Decorations - I am bringing just a few things down to enhance the table a bit: our wedding favours obviously, some table scatter (gems) that I purchased inexpensively online, rhinestone napking rings that a friend gave me, a dozen beautiful glass votives, battery operated candles (given the beach wedding location!) and small mirrors for the table that I plan on leaving behind. I decided that because i'm not bringing a whole lot of extras with me anyhow, I didn't want to spend 7.00 USD each [10.00 CAN] to rent a small plain glass candle holder for a few hours when I can just as easily bring some more beautiful ones with me in my carry on and leave them for my guests to take home if they wish. It cost me about 30.00 CAN to buy everything and to get exactly what I want instead of renting what I don't really want, so that just seemed like way more sense to me! We may buy some maracas when we get down there for the "shake and kiss" (Cheezy I know! But better sounding then the clinking of the glasses all night! haha!) but that's about all we are adding. Again, it all depends on what you want for your day! Many brides bring lots of items with them to fully complete their vision, and I think that is totally fine and wonderful because that's what they want. Anyhow I hope this helps a llittle bit! I'm sure other brides can help you with your questions about the Spa accomodations and the live music, etc.

@@calgarybride2015 Thanks so much for the info! I should have figured there's an app for that We will definitely check it out, and I would appreciate any info your friends and coworkers could offer. It's tough to make these decisions so far away without a real sense of what it will look like when it all comes together. I won't sweat the small stuff, but the music and dancing is a key part of the night. @@CellineSouza Thank you for sharing all of your details, it was all helpful! I'm going with the airbrush makeup from an outside vendor, and letting my daughter/maid of honour enjoy the hair and makeup application I get with the Strawberry package. She will be happy to hear great reviews on that. Even with our small guest list we are also adding an hour because that is one thing I have heard consistently from Barcelo brides. I will check out the Disco Movil recommendation as well!! We have already chose the dark chocolate fondant (Estrella's recommendation!) to go with our vanilla wedding cake .... Thought it would be a good balance for dessert.

We still haven't decided on a DJ or not. With only 20 max people coming (only 13 confirmed right now) it seems like a crazy amount of money to spend. I'm Canadian, so we have to add about 30% exchange rate to everything, and since we would want to add an hour onto the reception 1100+for a DJ for maybe only 14 people?? Hmmm... Not sure if it is worth it, but we don't want to seem cheap either because those 14 people have still come a long way!! ! We've discussed bringing a loaded up iPod and having someone supervise it for the evening. We have a friend staying at a neighbouring resort that is coming to the wedding, and she is travelling with a large group of friends that don't know us. She's offered up one of her friends to come and help operate the iPod and we would cover the resort day pass and dinner for him to attend and party with us. I'd rather spend that money somewhere else like pay for a cocktail hour the night before as a reception evening, or in some other way that everyone would enjoy. We are also a bit concerned about the quality of the music system they will set up for us to plug in the iPod. Gawd, I just don't know! We are still quite torn! I would love to hear what you all think as outsiders looking in, but people still very much in wedding and thoughtful planning mode!!!

Hi Ladies, I had already talked to my WP about the resort fee, and guests not staying there that wish to attend the wedding. It's only the ones not at the Barceló complex that have to pay. I have four people coming from a neighbouring resort (non Barceló), and they have opted to book and share a room for the night ... slightly cheaper than a day pass x4, and gives them a place to get ready after a day at the beach, and a place to crash after the wedding if they want. I've also booked an outside photographer (playaweddings) and looking at Beso Brides or the Styling trio for my airbrush make up .... can you say vendor fees????? *sigh* @@CellineSouza, that's great to hear you liked Estrella! So far our communication has been great and thorough (although delayed) but you never know how that will be once you get to the resort and your wedding day comes! Beautiful dress pics as well!

Hi Yooyooo, We also had a switch in our wedding planners (I initially had Tania, and now have Estrella) She's pretty good about answering our questions fully though when I write. We are having a beach reception (weather permitting!!) and with only about 20 guests coming ourselves, we didn't know how to set up the tables. We finally decided to nix the head table idea and just make one large square table with 4-5 guests seated on each side so it's a more intimate setting, and everyone feels like they are part of the group. It think it looks nicer and works better than a long rectangular table where you have to lean in to see the people at the opposite end. Maybe that would work for you guys as well? I can't imagine that the resort would push the issue of where your guests are staying on your wedding day. I know when we stayed at the Tropical in the past (2 yrs ago), we spent some nights up at the Palace location with our friends that were staying there. The bar wouldn't serve us ... actually we didn't bother to try, we just brought our own drinks up and visited with them in their area and nobody said anything to us about not being allowed there. It's your wedding day! Other than any outside vendors where they want their fee to have them on site, I doubt there will be an issue for your guests. I look forward to other brides responses to your question about where your finance will get ready as I was curious myself if the resort will allow him access to an empty room for a few hours, or if we have to make our own arrangements.

Hi fellow Barcelo brides! My name is Tara and we are getting married April 15, 2016 (5:00pm) at Playa Azul. Can't wait!!!! We've chosen the Strawberry package because we wanted the option of a beach reception for our 20 guests. Hopefully mother nature cooperates so we don't have to move into one of the grills. But I've seen pics and read reviews, and that's not usch a horrible option i the end. After all, we will be in Mexico! Our wedding planner is Estrella. The experience so far has been a bit frustrating, but only because I often don't get a repsonse to my emails for 7-10 days, .... but it is what it is. Thankfully we book a year in advance so there's time. I just really wanted to get most/all of the decisions made early on and then not have to obsess about things for months on end, but that's my A type personality! I've really enjoyed reading all the best tips and advice on here over the last few months, and I'm sure I will continue to do so over the next 7 months as well!. I have decided to give my hair and makeup package to my maid of honor (my daughter) and I'm going to splurge for some airbrush makeup to last the day. If anyone else has the same wedding date as we do, and are willing to "share" either the Styling Trio or Beso Brides on that day, we could split the 150.00 cost to have them at the resort. Happy Planning ladies!