Azul Sensatori Brides - POST HERE!

[linaco80]

@@mrsgordoncomeondown you should be heading to Mexico soon, enjoy it!! I just came back and I wish I could re play that day all over and over again...it was magical!  Try to relax while you are there, I could not in the beginning thinking that I wanted all perfect...it was perfect

YAY!! congratulations!! 

Thank you :) it was amazing!!

YAY!! congratulations!! 

Thank you :) it was amazing!!

Hello brides! I asked for a floor plan of Plaza Zavas yesterday. I was told that i could discuss that with my onsite coordinator. That's wonderful but do any of you have one? I have my table seating assisgnents but i would like to know where tables 1 thru 12 are in relation to where i am sitting. I cant help but feel they don't "disclose" any information. Its like pulling teeh

Hey girl! Ok first you can sit up to 110 or a bit more in Zavas, they will accommodate no more than 10 people per table(usually 8 and they do no recommend less than 6) the tables will be around the gazebo. Honestly  you dont need a map, I can draw it for you if that makes  you feel better but it is simple. It will be around the gazebo because the gazebo is use for dancing. 

@@lauralc I also had 4 cancel last week ! Not sure if they reimburse you now I'm wondering the same thing , cause I think we should !

They will reimburse you depending on your contract, mine said that I would not get the money back if anyone canceled 60 days prior to the wedding so if anyone did I would have to pay, it almost happened to someone who was about to canceled last minute. We were going to lose the room plus I needed to pay for the room because I agreed to it in the contract

@@carrieandsam

Yes, many brides (like me) brought their own decoration. They will do it for  you or your guests and you can do it. They will charge you a fee, usually it is $250 BUT I was way more than that because I had 8 suitcases with me.

They will do it for you at a "set  up fee" that needs to be paid in US dollars cash (no room charge or credit card) and also they will allow you to do it yourself if you prefer at no cost and they will allow you to use their ladders for sure. If you or your guests set up the decor they can start around noon or earlier, they are really easy going down there and will work with you.

Plated vs. Buffet: I was on the same boat, but my gut said plated because to me buffet did not look right (the perception in the US is different about buffets) however, I do respect all opinions and think it will be up to you. Once you get there you will meet the coordinators and the chef who will make notes on all dietary requests and allergies, also you will have the chance to order (and pay) for your photographer meals, make changes to menus or add something.

Hope this helps

[BecomingaRiggio]

@@linaco80 hey girl!! Congratulations! I cant wait to see your pics. Im glad your week went perfect!! How was the food? You went with the surf n turf didnt you?

@@linaco80 did you take decor for your other events as well?

[acw271011]

Hello ladies!

 

I wanted to thank all of you for your advice and help through our wedding planning process! We had a wonderful wedding, thanks in part to ideas I got on this forum!

 

Here is my super long review!

Overall we are very happy with our experience at the Azul Sensatori. Some photos of our wedding can be found here:

http://abweddingrivieramaya.com/2015/03/28/wedding-m-and-r/

We chose the Azul Sensatori because we had a large group coming from all over the world that included a whole bunch of kids. There are direct flights to Cancun from almost everywhere, and the resort is truly and excellent place to vacation for all ages.

The wedding planning was quite frustrating at times. Our coordinator was Brigitte in the Miami office. She was always polite and professional. She actually had a lot of good ideas and advice throughout the planning process. However, we usually had to wait a week to hear back from her, and sometimes more. She also occasionally mixed up our details. I think the main issue is that they are overloaded with weddings and there aren't enough staff in the office. This irritated us, as they make a TON of money off us wedding couples, Karisma should be able to afford a few more staff.

One of the most frustrating things about the planning process is that Canadian couples are excluded from all wedding promotions. The official reason for this is that Canadian guests generally purchase their rooms through a package and so get a discounted rate. That was not the case for our group, we had guests booking directly through Karisma coming from the US, and just because we were Canadian we were not given the perks an American couple would have received.

Also, our wedding bill was in USD, which was a huge disadvantage for us.

We attended the BDR in November 2014 and I would highly recommend this. It was so helpful, and fun! If possible plan to go before you book your wedding. They were far more likely to accommodate requests from couples who had not yet booked their weddings than those who had already signed on.

The resort is fantastic. The grounds, food, activities and rooms are all wonderful. The best part of the resort is truly the people who work there. They are all very customer-focused.

The resort mixed up the room bookings for quite a few of our guests. We had singles staying in a room with two beds, and groups of platonic friends staying in a room with one bed. We also had guests who paid extra to stay in the adults only section, and ocean views, who did not get the type of room they paid extra for. We also had guests who requested "guaranteed connecting rooms" and were not even in the same building!

We checked in late on a Sunday night, but still the wedding concierge Laura was there to welcome us and make sure we were taken care of. She confirmed our numbers and menu for our welcome lunch and made sure we were feeling comfortable with our plans.

Our package came with a 40 person lunch or dinner at Spoons, and we used it for a welcome lunch. As always, the food was excellent and the staff was very helpful. We had guests with dietary restrictions and they were all served food they could eat, and enjoyed!

The staff at Spoons was fabulous, as always. Our guests were well taken care of during our lunch, which we appreciated. We could focus on visiting with them instead of taking care of them. The wedding concierge Laura also present for our lunch making sure it all went well.

Janet, the Lomas wedding coordinator facilitated our rehearsal the day before the wedding. She is always professional and can multi-task like I've never seen. If you have Janet taking care of your wedding rest assured every detail will be perfect!

I went to the Vassa Spa for my hair and makeup, as did the two Moms and one of my bridesmaids. Everyone looked gorgeous and were very happy with both the hair and makeup services. The front desk staff at the spa are also really helpful.

Angeles did my hair and makeup and it looked great and lasted all day, even in the heat. I paid extra for the airbrush makeup, and I'm not sure it was worth it. My bridesmaid who had regular makeup done looked great and hers lasted as long as mine did.

We ordered flowers through Lomas. We got two hanging corsages for the ceremony arch, a bridal bouquet, two bridesmaids bouquets, five boutonnières, and two corsages. They were all lovely. The boutonnières wilted quickly. If I had to do it again I would skip them or use an option that is not a real flower. The corsages and bouquets looked great the entire day!

We ordered a few decor items from Lomas but they were so incredibly overpriced we ended up bringing most of our decor ourselves and renting some from Love&Lace Decor. We were charged a set up fee of $250 but that was WAY less than we would have spent ordering our decorations from Lomas.

Our ceremony was on the Rooftop Garden (which is not a garden, nor is it on the rooftop). Janet did a great job of overseeing the set up, and it looked wonderful. It was hot, they turned on the fans and served our guests drinks which really helped. Luckily the ceremony was quick!

It only took one Google search for us to decide we were not using the "approved" Photographers. Caribe has a terrible reputation, and Matias Cano is so overpriced it was more economical for us to pay the ridiculous outside vendor fee of $800USD!!!! We negotiated that down to $500USD. Our photographer was PhotoStudioAB and we are so happy with our photos.

Our reception was at the Plaza Zavas. Janet, Berenice and Laura did a great job of setting everything up, and they were there throughout the reception to make sure all was well. It looked wonderful and we had a great time.

The staff at the reception was so amazing. All of our guests were so well taken care of. This was wonderful for us, as we could focus on enjoying the party! The service staff asked before taking the buffet away, and also made sure our Photographers had enough to eat and drink.

We used DJ AllMusic. Our DJ's name was Vulcan (I think). He did an excellent job. We bought the package that includes MC services and he kept things organized throughout the party. The package also included a bubble machine, glow sticks, and balloons.

We ordered the petite gourmet buffet for our guests, and everyone loved the food.

I wish I had ordered plated meals for my guests with dietary restrictions. There wasn't really a good entrée option for my vegetarian guest, and my guest with a seafood allergy was concerned because the tongs used for the fish were also used for other items.

The food was labelled clearly, and so most of our guests with dietary restrictions/preferences were fine with the buffet. If I could go back I would just order a few plated meals for those who needed them.

We also ordered a cake, we chose chocolate and vanilla. It was beautiful and delicious!

One final note, we were planning to use the "anniversary voucher" included in our package to return to a Karima resort but we never received it! We emailed Customer Service about that when we got home, but no one has gotten back to us.

We are so grateful to the entire team at the Azul Sensatori for making our wedding wonderful. All of our complaints have to do with Karismas prices and/or policies, not the people who work at the resort.

Congrats!! Everything looks wonderful and your photos are great!! Beautifully done!!

[Tallbride515]

@@acw271011 your wedding looks amazing! You were a beautiful bride. I love the shade of blue you chose.

 

Hi,

 

Have any brides gone without booking the private event cocktail hour that you pay for? What were your alternatives and how did that go over with guests?

 

Like a dummie, I ordered the private event because I thought I had to and didn't think I had an option. I even ordered a steel drum player for sky deck after the ceremony. It's expensive!!!...Food and entertainment.

 

And it makes no, sense because they are just going to eat again right after at the dinner reception at Zavas. I'm wondering if I could just use the promo event instead? Has anyone done this or know if this is an option.

 

I'm so frustrated with that Miami office, I don't want to give Karisma any more money if I don't have to. I feel so duped. Every task with them is a labyrinth.

 

Thanks so much.

Can any brides share thoughts on cake flavors? What did you pick and were you happy? How is the red velvet? Lemon? Vanilla? Etc.

 

Thanks in advance.

[linaco80]

@@Ydolem BEAUTIFUL!!!!  Congrats

@@linaco80 hey girl!! Congratulations! I cant wait to see your pics. Im glad your week went perfect!! How was the food? You went with the surf n turf didnt you?
@@linaco80 did you take decor for your other events as well?

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! I HAVE TONS of pics of Zavas and Vintage collection, I will post all (it has been crazy since we returned)

 

Food was beyond amazing!!! Yes had lobster and filet mignon. beside the reception decor, I brought small lanterns and sashes for the cocktail tables and also some Mexican souvenirs (Mexican hat and small tequila bottles)for the welcome dinner , I had about 30 of those and asked the waiters to put them on the tables, the welcome dinner alone is beautiful

 

Let me do a whole recap with pics...it was amazing!!!

Edited April 23, 2015 by linaco80

[BecomingaRiggio]

@@linaco80 PICS!!!

[linaco80]

@@Tallbride515

I had 2 layer cake (46 people) and there was so much left LOL cakes are delicious!!! 

top cake coconut and bottom vanilla rum (the best) you can add filling if you want and we did some butter cream...YUM!!!

Yes you can use the promo if you have it...you can also skip the cocktail hour for sure, your guest can go grab a drink or  head to the room to refresh. You can cancel or change things now if you want or if you have not paid. If you are not sure make changes (last minute) like removing the live band and put that money towards something else.

I paid LAST Minute for all (I mean last minute) I had a beach bomb fire booked with amplifier and that alone was lots of money and removed it 30 days before the wedding

@@BecomingaRiggio YES soon will do no professional because they are not here yet but from friends

 

ALL I can say girls is PLEASE RELAX they DO an amazing job (hands down) your wedding will be a dream!!! I think of that day as a magical day! 

Edited April 23, 2015 by linaco80

[LaurenR]

I have a payment date that shows in the portal, are strict with that? I'm annoyed because I barely get responses from the wedding coordinator (Ivis).

 

 

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[linaco80]

THIS IS A MESSAGE TO ALL OF YOU (FUTURE BRIDES) READ!!!

 

The Mojito lounge DOES NOT have a DJ any longer due to complaints from building 4 (family with children) the resort moved all to the Teens Breeze which is a game room (looks like a sports bar) during the day and club with DJ at night 

It is good to know because I had all my itineraries printed and welcome letters to continue the "after party at the mojito"  after the reception.

Mojito is open with all the 35 mojitos and drinks, but only jazz  more like a lounge, nothing to dance, it is ashame because it is beautiful and it has the space...I was sad while I was there BUT it is about the people you are with....and that made it for us  so we partied every night at the Teens lounge, even before the wedding LOL (do not do that) I was okay though

The teens lounge has the live music and DJ now.

The top roof has the shows at night for families and adults. 

@@LaurenR I think they are strict with the payments for sure. I paid later than they request (So I should correct "last minute") because I was going back and forth with flowers, cake, and the mariachi I wanted but did not want to pay until I knew I really wanted it. I was all about the money and still wanted a beautiful wedding, I looked at it as where I wanted to spend most of my money, so that is why I did not make payments on time, I needed to be 100% sure before I paid. 

ALL ALL was amazing...I can stop thinking about it

Edited April 23, 2015 by linaco80

[LaurenR]

THIS IS A MESSAGE TO ALL OF YOU (FUTURE BRIDES) READ!!!

 

The Mojito lounge DOES NOT have a DJ any longer due to complaints from building 4 (family with children) the resort moved all to the Teens Breeze which is a game room (looks like a sports bar) during the day and club with DJ at night

It is good to know because I had all my itineraries printed and welcome letters to continue the "after party at the mojito" after the reception.

Mojito is open with all the 35 mojitos and drinks, but only jazz more like a lounge, nothing to dance, it is ashame because it is beautiful and it has the space...I was sad while I was there BUT it is about the people you are with....and that made it for us so we partied every night at the Teens lounge, even before the wedding LOL (do not do that) I was okay though

The teens lounge has the live music and DJ now.

The top roof has the shows at night for families and adults.

 

@@LaurenR I think they are strict with the payments for sure. I paid later than they request (So I should correct "last minute") because I was going back and forth with flowers, cake, and the mariachi I wanted but did not want to pay until I knew I really wanted it. I was all about the money and still wanted a beautiful wedding, I looked at it as where I wanted to spend most of my money, so that is why I did not make payments on time, I needed to be 100% sure before I paid.

ALL ALL was amazing...I can stop thinking about it

How soon before the wedding did you make your final payment? I'm in limbo too and without their correspondence and answer to questions, I'm not paying.

 

 

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