2011 Iberostar Brides

[Erinn314]

I guess my next question would be about a Photographer...There are soo many to chose from!  I don't want to wait too long though to book one.  Any suggestions?

[Hanna20]

I requested quotes from about 6 photographers! Our main concern was the cost because the Iberostar also charges a $300 penalty for bringing in external photographers and you also have to buy the photographer and their assistant a day pass! So in total you are paying $400 extra for pretty much nothing!

 

As far as which photographer you should hire, I would recommend looking at their work on their web sites and then emailing the ones you like to provide you with a quote. We ended up booking Vanessa Vargas because she was very quick to respond to my emails and questions plus she offered us a very good deal which I couldn't pass up!

 

You can find photographers from this forum or simply by googling "wedding photographer riviera maya".

 

Originally Posted by Erinn314 

I guess my next question would be about a Photographer...There are soo many to chose from!  I don't want to wait too long though to book one.  Any suggestions?

[Debbie1]

This is very lovely forums. Thank you for sharing with us.

[radiochic10]

First-I think it is so funny that there are 3 "Erin's" on here, all getting married at the same place!  

 

As for the photographer-here's a 'fine print' thing that no one will mention to you because they are in partnership with that "fotocaribbean" place.  IF a photographer is staying at the Iberostar for 2 or more nights, there is no 'fine' to pay for having that person shoot your wedding, even if he/she is a professional photographer.  This is a SUPER important point for us-as I had a tough time imagining some stranger taking pictures of the most intimate day of our lives..  I happened to get very lucky by having the best photographer I know offer to do our wedding in exchange for his travel expenses.  He'll take any pictures we want here in Boston ahead of time, the rehearsal dinner, and all things wedding for a 4 nights stay at The Iberostar.  He's giving us all pictures and all rights to them on both color and b&w discs.  And this is STILL more affordable than going with strangers at fotocaribbean.  I emailed them to inquire about video and they actually emailed back-in somewhat of a threatening manner-that I WILL be fined $300 if I use a photographer other than them unless the person is a guest at the hotel.  I already knew that, but I thought it was a bit rough for the first email inquiry about video-not photos...  I tell you this because most people know a photographer, be it someone in the family or someone who has worked with you/friend/family member in the past.  If the right photographer is as important to you as it is to me, check into a similar deal with that person. The worst he/she can say is 'no,' but at the end of the day-it's a free vacation, even if it's a 'working vacation' it's still a cool offer to make a photographer. :)Erin

[klc52379]

I completely agree with you!  I was so stressed out with the cost of photographers.  We ended up asking a family friend who has her own photography company if she'd like to be our photographer.  We're paying for her trip for a seven day stay.  She in turn is doing our e-pics, whatever we want on the trip, the wedding, and we get all rights & a CD of all pictures. She'll post the pictures on her company's website and Facebook page, which was fine by me. 

 

I feel like I've been out of the loop on here for months - this is the first time I've logged in a long time!  Sounds like a lot of us are around May/June  - I'm June 25th at the Del Mar.   I took care of all the big stuff - dress, save the dates, BM dress, photographer, DJ - a couple of months back and have been pretty lazy since. I did get my sample invites in from Wedding Paper Divas, so hopefully that will light a fire under me!

 

[Hanna20]

So I am very excited to say that we have finally nailed down our group rate and we now have 18 people with deposits paid!!!!! This is a very big step as I am sure you all know how hard it is to get people to put money down. We couldn't have done it without Becky who is a BDW travel agent! She is great to work with and she got us a fantastic deal with Air Canada vacations. My dress is in, our photographer is booked and now guests are tsrating to book too.... things are looking good!

[Lindobride14]

Congrats!  Its so exciting when guests finally book!

 

Would you mind sharing the group rate you were able to secure?  We tried going the group rate route and the savings weren't happey with the rate they offered, so our TA said we should book individually through funjet apple and other carriers.

 

Just curious as to whether we would have been better off going with a group rate instead.
 

Originally Posted by Hanna20 

So I am very excited to say that we have finally nailed down our group rate and we now have 18 people with deposits paid!!!!! This is a very big step as I am sure you all know how hard it is to get people to put money down. We couldn't have done it without Becky who is a BDW travel agent! She is great to work with and she got us a fantastic deal with Air Canada vacations. My dress is in, our photographer is booked and now guests are tsrating to book too.... things are looking good!

[Hanna20]

Our group rate is $1460/person (inlcuding tax). This is departing from Vancouver.... We also have the option of a one-time price adjustment if the prices go down between now and 45 days prior to departure. We thought that was a great deal (our goal was to be under $1500/person). As soon as we confirmed that rate we had 18 people give deposits and there are more to come. Our travel agent said that booking as a group meant that we would all be able to travel together, have our rooms close together and also reduce the chances of the hotel or airline trying to "bump" us in case their are any issues. She said they always keep the groups together.... Plus this way our guests can relax and ensure that their spots are reserved. I too was pretty frustrated with the group booking process at first but now it has all come together.... finally!!! I don't know when your wedding is but you can still ask your travel agent to request a group rate to see what it comes back at.... you never know it could end up being good. You only need 10 people for a group rate so if you still have people who have yet to book they may be able to take advantage of any good offers that could come out of it.
 

Originally Posted by Lindobride14 

Congrats!  Its so exciting when guests finally book!

 

Would you mind sharing the group rate you were able to secure?  We tried going the group rate route and the savings weren't happey with the rate they offered, so our TA said we should book individually through funjet apple and other carriers.

 

Just curious as to whether we would have been better off going with a group rate instead.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanna20 

So I am very excited to say that we have finally nailed down our group rate and we now have 18 people with deposits paid!!!!! This is a very big step as I am sure you all know how hard it is to get people to put money down. We couldn't have done it without Becky who is a BDW travel agent! She is great to work with and she got us a fantastic deal with Air Canada vacations. My dress is in, our photographer is booked and now guests are tsrating to book too.... things are looking good!

 

[Hannah5611]

Hello Ladies!!  I just ran a search to see if I could find some photos of Lindo weddings and I came across this website   I have read this thread and it has me a little nervous so I am hoping you all can help.  I am getting married at the Lindo on May 6, 2011!  We have 33 people booked right now, and we are expecting about 50-60 total.  It seems like you all are in contact with the resorts ....when I booked my date (back in April of 2010), I was told that they would not be in contact with me again until 3 months prior to my wedding.  I havent seen current prices, menus, or anything.  I did get pics of the reception venues back in April, but that is it....do you think I should reach out to Mayra and request menus and more pics?    Also, we are taking everyone on a private excursion the day after our wedding as our thank you gift to everyone...we were thinking about chartering a private catamaran - any suggestions?  ANY advice is much appreciated!  Thanks ladies!!

[Hannah5611]

Hi ladies!  I came across this site on accident, but I love it!  Now I need to figure out how to navigate through it!