ILA Brides, what do you have planned so far for your big day?

[kevnanna]

Loving the looks of this resort!

[krishna69z]

So it looks like we've got a couple of us coming up for ILA... I'm seriously debating the benefit of bringing down decorations. Our colours are peacock blue & yellow.  Does anyone know what decorations Yahimara has down there?  We've only got a group of 25 including ourselves so I'm not even certain about doing table seating plans etc. 

 

Anyone else being offered the palapas as an option for the private dinner using the standard menu?  I'm really wishing that I had booked the private dinner last year when we booked our wedding.  Then the 8pm sitting would have been free instead of $15 pp, oh well.

The newest photos on the Facebook page from the resort photographer seem to be better quality... anyone heard anything about them changing photographers?

 

[Kelly62]

Hi RonNMel!

 

I am getting married on the same day as you at ILA ~ May 4, 2011 at 4:00pm.   I believe we are having our dinner at 6:30, but I had no idea that the disco didn't open up until 11:00...ah well!  So are you getting married on the beach or at one of the alternate locations?  Are you bringing down your own chair sashes?  I have to admit we decided to get married away as we thought it would be a lot less work (this is the second marriage for both of us) and I seem to be worrying even more about this one!! : )   We have about 60 guests joining us so I really want to try to make their stay as enjoyable as possible.  Are you bringing OOT bags?  Just worried about the additional weight in luggage.  I am also considering bringing down some decorations for the dinner table, but I'm not sure what they have available down there...do you have any insights?  The less I have to bring down the better, but I would hate to get there and find they didn't have much in the way of decor.  We are actually having a renewal of vows ceremony (getting married in private at home first) and will be writing our own vows and performing the sand ceremony as well to make the ceremony a bit more memorable.  We had planned on having a friend of ours sing as we came down the 'aisle'...but now I'm wondering if there is the ability to have a microphone if we were to get married on the beach. 

Any information you could provide that you have found in your search would be most welcome!  We look forward to meeting you and your new husband and hopefully sharing the dancefloor at the disco with all of our friends and family!

 

Congratulations!!  And let's pray for sunshine!!

 

Kelly62

[RonNMel]

Hi Kelly!

 

It's great to hear from a fellow May 4th ILA bride. :-)

 

As you may have read we are getting married at 2pm but having the late dinner. We will be somewhere between 30 and 40 people. Like you we are getting legally married here, but doing a symbolic ceremony there. We will also have the sand ceremony and write our own vows, though we haven't really done much preparation on that front yet. I do believe there is a microphone for the beach ceremony, but you should ask Yahimara about it. I know for us when we do have questions for her she seems to respond quicker to our travel agent. (Though it might be because our travel agent writes to her in spanish).

 

Just like you it is also our second marriage for both of us. However, unlike you, I'm really not stressing at all about the decoration part of it. Part of it is because it would bust mu budget to do it right. But Mostly I think it's because from what I remember of my first wedding, the centerpieces and stuff like that is really not what sticks out. Same for other weddings I've been to; I might say wow when I walk in, but the next day I'll remember more if I had a great time or not (dancing, eating, hanging out with friends/family). So we are not bringing anything at all. No chair sashes, no centerpieces, no extra flowers, nothing. Maybe a cake topper, but that's about it. Yes chair sashes look great on pictures, I'll just use whatever is available out there at the most minimal cost possible.

 

For OOT bags we bought beach bags at the dollar store and will buy insulated mugs. We will also create our own "welcome booklet" in which we will include a suggested packing list. That way all the stuff that we would buy for them for OOT bags "just in case they forget", they can buy themselves. Instead we will focus our money on something they won't think of, the mugs. We plan on visiting all our guests in the weeks before the wedding to hand all these out, bringing with us only the ones for out of towners (which so far is only 1 family).

 

I hope that answers your question. Feel free to ask me anything else.

I look forward to hanging out at the disco with you too!

 

Mel
 

Originally Posted by Kelly62 

Hi RonNMel!

 

I am getting married on the same day as you at ILA ~ May 4, 2011 at 4:00pm.   I believe we are having our dinner at 6:30, but I had no idea that the disco didn't open up until 11:00...ah well!  So are you getting married on the beach or at one of the alternate locations?  Are you bringing down your own chair sashes?  I have to admit we decided to get married away as we thought it would be a lot less work (this is the second marriage for both of us) and I seem to be worrying even more about this one!! : )   We have about 60 guests joining us so I really want to try to make their stay as enjoyable as possible.  Are you bringing OOT bags?  Just worried about the additional weight in luggage.  I am also considering bringing down some decorations for the dinner table, but I'm not sure what they have available down there...do you have any insights?  The less I have to bring down the better, but I would hate to get there and find they didn't have much in the way of decor.  We are actually having a renewal of vows ceremony (getting married in private at home first) and will be writing our own vows and performing the sand ceremony as well to make the ceremony a bit more memorable.  We had planned on having a friend of ours sing as we came down the 'aisle'...but now I'm wondering if there is the ability to have a microphone if we were to get married on the beach. 

Any information you could provide that you have found in your search would be most welcome!  We look forward to meeting you and your new husband and hopefully sharing the dancefloor at the disco with all of our friends and family!

 

Congratulations!!  And let's pray for sunshine!!

 

Kelly62

[emnicole]

Hi Kelly and RonNMel, I am also getting married on the fourth, at 6pm.  I know from reading the previous 2 posts that RonNMel doesnt plan on bringing any decorations, but are you Kelly?  Maybe if we have some of the same colors or ideas we could share some decorations?  I dont plan on bringing to much, but I would like to do chair sashes and maybe some other small touches.  My colors are blue and green.  Let me know if you are interested.

 

[Kelly62]

Hi Emnicole!

 

I was thinking of bringing down some chair sashes ~ my colours are aqua and ivory ~ but I think I will ask Yahimara first as I seem to remember seeing some in pictures from previous weddings.  I will probably bring down some table decorations for the reception..i.e. candles, seashells, etc..but I am worried about the weight in my luggage!  Like you I worry about what they have available...I am probably going to do my own flowers and bring them down because I'm not too fussy on the ones I've seen from the resort.  I am bringing down hand fans/bubbles for the guests at the wedding...and we are doing a sand ceremony as well as the regular ceremony.  I hate to admit it but I'm starting to stress...haha!

You can email me if you like at [email protected]

 

Congratulations and see you on the beach!!

 

Kelly