What I would and wouldn't do again...

[rodent]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jtds2713 have a list of must-take wedding pictures for Juan Carlos - I think he missed a lot of the wedding details. I also did not have a bridal portrait in the room, no picture near the window. I also wanted more pictures inside the Sheraton since it was such a great resort. I think if I gave him more direction it would have worked out better.

I have read other brides saying that juan doesn't take many details pictures. I believe it's best not to give your photographer a big list of pics because you can inhibit creativity. But, when you look through several of their previous weddings & see that they don't tend to take a certain type of picture it can't hurt to ask for a few "must-haves."

I forgot to pack an invitation for a details shot, but I packed an extra program & some other extras. mostly as backup. But, once i started unpacking I realized i should put them to the side for kristie to photograph. I think it helped her get some details shots without having to waste time rounding things up. She just threw that stuff in a sack & ran out to the beach with it.

So my advice (and something I would do better if I did it again) would be to fill a sack with things you want photographed. Things like programs, invitations, etc. I've been in several weddings where the bride spent time trying to hunt down the details stuff with the photographer. So if you plan ahead you can save some valuable time & be more relaxed. I also wish i didn't forget to take an extra invitation so it could have been in the mix with the other things on the beach.

It was also really fun to see all my stuff have an adventure without me. I didn't know where my ring & programs had been until I saw the pictures.

But, then details like shoes, veils & dresses are not something you can throw in a sack. So I guess future juan carlos brides should just let him know in advance they want more details shots.

[ButlerGirl08]

What I would do again...

 

Destination Wedding

This was absolutley the best idea that we could have ever came up with. It was easier, more simple, and less expensive that what I would have thought and exceeded all of my expectations. Choosing a DW allowed only the close family and friends to attend because they really wanted to be there for us. It "weeded" out those who were just there for the show.

 

Riu Ocho Rios

The resort was gorgeous and was alot of fun. There was alot to do and the food variety was great. At first I was a bit uneasy because I was going site unseen, but after reading tripadvisor.com and from being on BDW, I was convinced that I had made the right decision. All Inclusive is the way to go.

 

All White Affair

I was so impressed with how the "All White Theme" played out. Everyone participated in it and it made the pictures look like everyone was a part of the wedding. As hot as it was, anything else would have made folks hotter and the light fabrics complimented with the beautiful background of the beach.

 

Doing my own hair and makeup

I thought I was going to be stressed, like usual, especially about my hair and how it didn't get along with the humidity. But everything was fine. At one point in time, I was just like who cares...the wind is going to be blowing anyways. And with the makeup, I absolutely couldn't allow anyone else to do my face...only because makeup is my thing. I was so comfortable that I did my mother's and 2 of my BM's makeup as well.

 

Using the iPod and Bose Soundock as the DJ

This was the greatest idea ever. We invested in the Soundock because it was something we always wanted and it was the perfect time to get it for the wedding (and we got a great deal at Best Buy.) We were able to take it with us wherever we set up. If we all sat at the beach or in the lobby we would have nice soft music playing in the background. Really set the mood.

 

Having a friend videotape

This idea was a good one as well. It meant alot more to me to have all of the uncensored and unedited takes because those are the funniest. It was priceless. When we got back to the states, a friend of ours took the footage and developed it into an actual DVD with the menus and music and was able to put our pics on in seperate chapters. Very nice.

 

Using Michael, despite what other's said

Michael the photographer was great and I was so glad I didn't go through the hassle or the extra expenses of bringing in another photographer. Michael did a great job and in the end his photoshop team offered me a great deal on some pictures.

 

Having very minimal decorations

I just couldn't see myself spending so much money on decorations when the ceremony is ON THE BEACH. It was so beautiful in itself that it needed no decorations. Besides, that's not what's most important. No one remembers that stuff...

 

Bringing my fake flowers from home

I made alot of things throughout this wedding, and my flowers are something I take true pride in. I got all my supplies from Michael's and Hobby Lobby and made a masterpiece. Whenever folks look at the pics, they always comment on my flowers and now I can have them forever.

 

Using a TA

This made alot of things easier because they dealt with everything and set everything up. I pretty much showed up and married my best friend. I couldn't have done it without my TA, they were awesome.

 

What I wouldn't do again

 

Bring so many clothes

I don't know why I brought so many clothes, maybe it's just me being a woman... but I could have done without half of those clothes because alot of the time I wore a bathing suit with a cover up dress... And as far as shoes go, I only really wore a few pairs...

 

Get the Jacuzzi Suite

I wanted the nicest suite they had, because of course it was my wedding/honeymoon. We should have just stuck with the deluxe suite because we did not use the jacuzzi on the balcony. However, we did use the tub in the room, but the Deluxe had one too...so that would have saved us some dollars.

 

Past up the chance to participate in more activities

We were so trying to save money, that we passed up on some of the things I said I wanted to do...like Parasailing for one. I wanted to do that so bad at first, but then once all the guests left, all I wanted to do was just relax with my hubby and drink Pina Coladas and tan...

 

AHR times 2

I don't really know if this is a "would do" or "wouldn't do." Right now it is a wouldn't do because I don't want to do it anymore now that the wedding is over and done. But I guess we will see on July 26th and Aug 9th if is is a true wouldn't do...lol

 

Other than those 2, there is nothing that I wouldn't do again. Everything was perfect and I am so happy that everything went so smoothly...

[quiche]

This is a great thread!

[castilloj75]

This is SO insightful- thanks for sharing your experiences so I can figure things out!

[melody]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jtds2713 Glad I did: have a list of must-take wedding pictures for Juan Carlos - I think he missed a lot of the wedding details. I also did not have a bridal portrait in the room, no picture near the window. I also wanted more pictures inside the Sheraton since it was such a great resort. I think if I gave him more direction it would have worked out better. Jess

IMO the ideal wedding photographer is a combo of portray and photojournalism photography. Sometimes, I see wedding pictures which are beautiful but they could have been taken anywhere and do not reflect the beauty of the resort which I think is a shame.

I know photojournalism is very popular right now but I love to see the traditional details pictures as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jtds2713 have a list of must-take wedding pictures for Juan Carlos - I think he missed a lot of the wedding details. I also did not have a bridal portrait in the room, no picture near the window. I also wanted more pictures inside the Sheraton since it was such a great resort. I think if I gave him more direction it would have worked out better. Jess

IMO the ideal wedding photographer is a combo of portray and photojournalism photography. Sometimes, I see wedding pictures which are beautiful but they could have been taken anywhere and do not reflect the beauty of the resort which I think is a shame.

I know photojournalism is very popular right now but I love to see the traditional details pictures as well.

Thanks to you all I will give my photographer carte blanche but I know the shots I want and will give pics of them.

[junebride2b]

WHAT I WOULD AGAIN:

 

RIU/SANDAL’S DUNNS RIVER: I am so glad I got married at the RIU with family and friends and then went next door to the Sandal’s Dunns River for our honeymoon. It was such a nice change of pace and it was nice to have different food options. The RIU is huge and fun and Sandal’s smaller and romantic.

 

SEAGRAPE RECEPTION: The beach reception was so nice and I highly recommend it. We booked the DJ and he made it a wonderful time. It was nice to have somewhere to go after our dinner that was private to my wedding. I put disposable cameras on the tables at the SEAGRAPE but the pictures didn’t turn out due to all the moisture. I don’t recommend those!!

 

STALK the RIU until I got my upgrade it was so worth it when they finally moved us from the Junior Suite to the FULL Suite!!

 

4:00 Wedding- It wasn’t too hot and wasn’t raining like it was earlier that day and the transition to pictures, dinner and beach reception was perfect.

 

 

WHAT I WOULDN’T:

 

NOT REQUEST THE REHEARSAL: I wish I would have requested a rehearsal for my wedding party we were all a little confused about walking out etc without a rehearsal.

 

FIND SOMEONE RELIABLE TO VIDEO TAPE: I regret not paying attention to who was videotaping the wedding. So my video is definitely shaky!!

 

AHR: Probably would have skipped it. Fun but nothing compared to Jamaica!!

[katrina]

we didn't have too large of a budget for our wedding (8k), but i certainly didn't want our guests to know that!! so this post is all about what got us the biggest wow with the least amount of money..

 

what i would do again:

 

- buy an evening gown instead of a bridal gown. my dress was light and comfortable and really suited our wedding. i think a big gown just wouldn't have been appropriate for what we were going for. and the best part was my dress only cost $260 but imo looked very glamorous.

 

- use the resort photog. we gambled with this decision and got lucky. he certainly wasn't comparable to the photogs on here, but we really like the photos and are happy with the price we paid for them.

 

- get a video. i walked away from the wedding not remembering a thing that just happened. a few of our guests brought video cameras but this video was much better quality. it was insanely overpriced however ($575 for 45 minutes) so this was a splurge, but all in all i'm glad i have a nice video to remember it by.

 

- get the mariachi band. this was our guests' favorite part, by far. and it also tricked our guests into thinking that we had a much more expensive wedding than we actually did. it was a 5 piece group and they just played their own repertoire, so i never had to think about ceremony music.

 

- go on a private honeymoon. we spent about $2200 of our already small budget on a honeymoon. sure, we could have had a private reception, or more flowers or a million other things for the wedding, but it was very important to us to have a real honeymoon just like we would have had we got married in nj. in mexico, it was impossible to have any privacy with 30 family and friends wandering around so we really relished that alone time.

 

- raffia fans! okay, this seems minor but i felt it was very important. we got married in july in mexico and ALL of our guests used the fans.. it was brutal and many of our guests said that the fans made it bearable! i think this was the best diy of them all and recommend it to everyone.

 

what i wouldn't do again:

- stess about the weather! it poured the first day we were there and so i spent every other day of the trip looking for signs of rain... but the reality of a dw is the weather is the one thing you canNOT control- so get over it!

[Christi]

Here's my list...

 

What I would do again:

 

DW/Dreams Los Cabos: This was the best decision we made! We have a timeshare at the resort and have been going there for the past four years and wanted to share the beauty of it with all of the people we love. Everyone said what a wonderful time they had and loved the AI concept (it was a first for many).

Buckets of champagne/water set up on the beach for after the ceremony: I loved that our group picture had all of our guests holding a glass of champagne and that we could have a drink/mingle and take a few pictures before our guests headed off for cocktails and we headed off for solo pictures.

Bouquet/Flowers for tables: my bouquet and table arrangements turned out beautifully…the colors were truly magnificent and definitely worth the expense

Rehearsal dinner: I’m so glad we had a RD so that all of our guests could get to know each other prior to the wedding. Everyone had a blast.

Hiring an outside coordinator: I’m so happy that I had Katie to take care of things. A few minor details slipped though, but overall, she saved me from major stress.

Cake and Dessert Buffet: The cake and dessert buffet was amazing. Everything tasted so yummy and we used the leftovers as wedding favors (I brought dessert boxes with me to use for packaging).

Arrive Early/Stay Late: We stayed a total of 10 days. We arrived 6 days prior to the wedding and spent it with immediate family which was nice. The only time I felt stressed was the night of the rehearsal dinner and that was because I had mixed emotions about the restaurant and I wanted everything to be perfect. Also everyone was meeting for the first time, so I was anxious about that too. We had 3 days after the wedding to unwind which was needed.

 

 

Things I would have done differently:

 

Take the time to research photographers: I like my pictures a lot, but after seeing what amazing photos other girls had taken, I wish I had taken the time to really understand what I wanted from the pictures. I gave Gilda an A+ in my review, but would change her to a B, knowing what I know now.

Panchos Restaurant for the RD – The service was impeccable, but the food was just OK and I regret not having it at Mi Casa and would have changed it to Mi Casa if I wasn’t going to lose my deposit.

Mani/Pedi Dreams Spa: Not worth it in my opinion – very expensive and all they did was cut, file and polish…the service was rushed and not at all like the spa mani/pedis I’m use to. I could have done my nails myself just as well as they did and it would have saved me a lot of $$

Schedule alone time with DH – we had family and/or friends around for the entire 10 days. I’m super happy they were there, but having a day or two to ourselves would have been ideal.

I would try to sneak in my bouquet – I loved it so much, but was worried about customs in the US, so I left in the room…

[photographerShay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TammyB TTD It was probably the one BIG thing I wish I did, if we had the extra money it would have been on the top of our list.

It's not too late! Hire a local photog and do it now that you're home Sure you may not have the beach, but if you have a good photographer then that shouldn't matter because you can still get some beautiful, hot, and aweome pics. In fact, let me know if you need help finding one cuz I know some folks in MI.

[Turtlebaybride]

This has been the most helpful thread so far, thank you!!