Reality check?

[MrsShoreytobe]

Hi everyone!

 

I hope the planning is going well for everyone This is my first post in here, and I hope I don't come across as a "bridezilla" though my queries here

 

Going to try and keep this short (not one of my strengths lol)...

 

Got engaged last Saturday, and am over the moon about getting married to my partner. Being the type A, neurotic, lovely individual I am lol, I started looking into DW asap. This was something I started to envision for us over the past few yrs.

 

This past week we've gotten info out to our friend who will be doing travel/accom arragements for us. She is wonderful and I trust her to find a great deal. I unfortunately fell into the trap that many of us do when we envision the DW - we think it "will be cheaper than stayin  at home".

 

We plan on doing our wedding in Mexico. My friend provided a story for us tonight that made me you know what in my pajamas....She brought up things like extra dj fees, extra fees for more reception service after the 3 hr mark provided in their wedding package, etc...She stayed at the palace mayan, which was 5 star, and her wedding was 19000.

 

I have done some major searching on here and loved hearing about ppl's budgeting. With that said, I was wondering if some of you could share your honest feedback about the following:

 

- can we do a fun and well serviced mexico wedding for well under 20 grand? We have budgeted that each guest pays no more than 1500 (preferrably)

 

- we have 50 ppl we expect to come, are there resorts you know of that have decent deals for ppl this high? (I UNDERSTAND THAT MANY RESORTS OFFER THE WEDDING PACKAGE FOR FREE WHEN YOU HAVE A LARGE WEDDING PARTY. HOWEVER, THEY ALSO CHARGE YOU PER PLATE WHEN YOU ARE OVER THE DESIGNATED NUMBER IN THE PACKAGE)

 

- What are the "sneaky extras" you recommend watching out for? For instance, my friend's reception package offered 3 hrs of bottle service post reception. She therefore had to pay for hrs of extra service ($13/person!!!!) until 12am, because ppl obviously wanted to party on the beach beyond 9pm (reception was at 6)!

Furthermore, she had to pay to use the resort's generator when the DJ was playing. lol!

 

I've been quite emotional tonight as I begin to realize that I've painted a certain picture for my fiance that this DW would somehow be "easier and cheaper", when I now know this is not necessarily the case.

 

I am by no means a "debbie downer" but tonight I really wanted to get my concerns out to a group of individuals I knew would understand and appreciate how confusing this process can be! I am so thrilled to be getting married, and I know in the end my partner and I are what matter most.

 

I appreciate any and all feedback guys, thanks for reading!

[MrsShoreytobe]

Hi everyone!

 

I hope the planning is going well for everyone This is my first post in here, and I hope I don't come across as a "bridezilla" though my queries here

 

Going to try and keep this short (not one of my strengths lol)...

 

Got engaged last Saturday, and am over the moon about getting married to my partner. Being the type A, neurotic, lovely individual I am lol, I started looking into DW asap. This was something I started to envision for us over the past few yrs.

 

This past week we've gotten info out to our friend who will be doing travel/accom arragements for us. She is wonderful and I trust her to find a great deal. I unfortunately fell into the trap that many of us do when we envision the DW - we think it "will be cheaper than stayin  at home".

 

We plan on doing our wedding in Mexico. My friend provided a story for us tonight that made me you know what in my pajamas....She brought up things like extra dj fees, extra fees for more reception service after the 3 hr mark provided in their wedding package, etc...She stayed at the palace mayan, which was 5 star, and her wedding was 19000.

 

I have done some major searching on here and loved hearing about ppl's budgeting. With that said, I was wondering if some of you could share your honest feedback about the following:

 

- can we do a fun and well serviced mexico wedding for well under 20 grand? We have budgeted that each guest pays no more than 1500 (preferrably)

 

- we have 50 ppl we expect to come, are there resorts you know of that have decent deals for ppl this high? (I UNDERSTAND THAT MANY RESORTS OFFER THE WEDDING PACKAGE FOR FREE WHEN YOU HAVE A LARGE WEDDING PARTY. HOWEVER, THEY ALSO CHARGE YOU PER PLATE WHEN YOU ARE OVER THE DESIGNATED NUMBER IN THE PACKAGE)

 

- What are the "sneaky extras" you recommend watching out for? For instance, my friend's reception package offered 3 hrs of bottle service post reception. She therefore had to pay for hrs of extra service ($13/person!!!!) until 12am, because ppl obviously wanted to party on the beach beyond 9pm (reception was at 6)!

Furthermore, she had to pay to use the resort's generator when the DJ was playing. lol!

 

I've been quite emotional tonight as I begin to realize that I've painted a certain picture for my fiance that this DW would somehow be "easier and cheaper", when I now know this is not necessarily the case.

 

I am by no means a "debbie downer" but tonight I really wanted to get my concerns out to a group of individuals I knew would understand and appreciate how confusing this process can be! I am so thrilled to be getting married, and I know in the end my partner and I are what matter most.

 

I appreciate any and all feedback guys, thanks for reading!

[Yazmin De La Mora]

Hello Mrs. Shoreytore,

 

Well, if a DW could be cheaper it will only be because not all your guests will be attending, that will be the only reason because in Mexico (some items can be much expensive because we are in a touristic area).

 

If your friend got married in the Mayan Palace (time share and or european hotel) definitely was much expensive than if you get married in an all inclusive resort because AI offers very affordable wedding packages if all your wedding party stays in their hotels.

 

In order to keep the costs down-low for a DW in an all inclusive wedding you should consider that all your guests should be staying at the same resort.  Otherwise your budget could go up and you will realize it, only a couple of months-days prior your wedding date.  For that reason you have to read very carefully the contracts and policies of the hotels you are considering.

 

If you choose the right hotel and get all your guests into the same resort, you can have a beautiful wedding at a very low price so you can use the rest of your budget in items that can upgrade your wedding such fireworks, decor, flowers, music, lighting, etc.

 

Happy planning!

[Yazmin De La Mora]

Hello Mrs. Shoreytore,

 

Well, if a DW could be cheaper it will only be because not all your guests will be attending, that will be the only reason because in Mexico (some items can be much expensive because we are in a touristic area).

 

If your friend got married in the Mayan Palace (time share and or european hotel) definitely was much expensive than if you get married in an all inclusive resort because AI offers very affordable wedding packages if all your wedding party stays in their hotels.

 

In order to keep the costs down-low for a DW in an all inclusive wedding you should consider that all your guests should be staying at the same resort.  Otherwise your budget could go up and you will realize it, only a couple of months-days prior your wedding date.  For that reason you have to read very carefully the contracts and policies of the hotels you are considering.

 

If you choose the right hotel and get all your guests into the same resort, you can have a beautiful wedding at a very low price so you can use the rest of your budget in items that can upgrade your wedding such fireworks, decor, flowers, music, lighting, etc.

 

Happy planning!

[Mlite83]

You can definitely have a DW for under $20K -- just depends on what exactly you want and where you go.  We just had our DW at Now Jade (Mexico) in February. We had 35 guests (price per person from Toronto, with air and transfers for 7 nights was about $1450) and the wedding package we used was $3k.  The package was for 25 people so we had to pay an additional fee for the extra entrees.  Also we opted for a few extras that brought our price closer to $5500 but we decided what was important to us and went for it.  Also I thought our resort went above and beyond for us as Bride & Groom and did give us many complimentary items (or if that wasn't possible they discounted the price).

 

Our resort was very upfront with the fees (in my opinion), just read over the wedding planning guides and contract to be sure you know what you are getting and what costs extra. Picking a resort is the most difficult part (definitely get a travel agent you work well with!) - not all resorts are made equal, nor are the wedding packages...so you have to decide what is important to you:

• Resort - location, price, features, amenities, accommodations etc
• Wedding Packages - legal vs symbolic option, number of people included (and resulting fees for guests over that), potential locations (indoor vs outdoor options), services and events included, any "bonus" items that may help cut down costs or be a nice treat for you etc

 

I hope this is helpful - don't get discouraged - you can definitely have your dream wedding with a DW just be aware of details (as any bride - traditional or DW would need to be).  GOOD LUCK!!

[Mlite83]

You can definitely have a DW for under $20K -- just depends on what exactly you want and where you go.  We just had our DW at Now Jade (Mexico) in February. We had 35 guests (price per person from Toronto, with air and transfers for 7 nights was about $1450) and the wedding package we used was $3k.  The package was for 25 people so we had to pay an additional fee for the extra entrees.  Also we opted for a few extras that brought our price closer to $5500 but we decided what was important to us and went for it.  Also I thought our resort went above and beyond for us as Bride & Groom and did give us many complimentary items (or if that wasn't possible they discounted the price).

 

Our resort was very upfront with the fees (in my opinion), just read over the wedding planning guides and contract to be sure you know what you are getting and what costs extra. Picking a resort is the most difficult part (definitely get a travel agent you work well with!) - not all resorts are made equal, nor are the wedding packages...so you have to decide what is important to you:

• Resort - location, price, features, amenities, accommodations etc
• Wedding Packages - legal vs symbolic option, number of people included (and resulting fees for guests over that), potential locations (indoor vs outdoor options), services and events included, any "bonus" items that may help cut down costs or be a nice treat for you etc

 

I hope this is helpful - don't get discouraged - you can definitely have your dream wedding with a DW just be aware of details (as any bride - traditional or DW would need to be).  GOOD LUCK!!

[MrsShoreytobe]

Mlite83 and Yazmin, thank you both SO MUCH! Since making this post, things have cleared up substantially, and we are still in the process of getting quotes from our dear friend who is also our agent (so nice to know we have someone we trust to do the best search for us!).

 

Again, your feedback was so helpful. We most definitely will be having everyone stay at our resort, and have budgeted for 1500 for each guest. Mlite, we are in Edmonton, so it's neat to see what other fellow canadians are looking at for resorts and pricing!

 

We will be having a large party, and I do imagine at least 40 will show; which means more plates to be paid for individually I suppose, but eithr way, we are still waiting to get some quotes before we get too worked up;)

 

I've solidified a top 3 for photographers, we are meeting one company (2 girls who are best friends!) this friday, so pumped!

 

Again, thank you guys so much. I will be posting and following along closely here, I've been gathering so much info over this past week, it's so exciting!!!!

[MrsShoreytobe]

Mlite83 and Yazmin, thank you both SO MUCH! Since making this post, things have cleared up substantially, and we are still in the process of getting quotes from our dear friend who is also our agent (so nice to know we have someone we trust to do the best search for us!).

 

Again, your feedback was so helpful. We most definitely will be having everyone stay at our resort, and have budgeted for 1500 for each guest. Mlite, we are in Edmonton, so it's neat to see what other fellow canadians are looking at for resorts and pricing!

 

We will be having a large party, and I do imagine at least 40 will show; which means more plates to be paid for individually I suppose, but eithr way, we are still waiting to get some quotes before we get too worked up;)

 

I've solidified a top 3 for photographers, we are meeting one company (2 girls who are best friends!) this friday, so pumped!

 

Again, thank you guys so much. I will be posting and following along closely here, I've been gathering so much info over this past week, it's so exciting!!!!

[Yazmin De La Mora]

Originally Posted by MrsShoreytobe 

 

Mlite83 and Yazmin, thank you both SO MUCH! Since making this post, things have cleared up substantially, and we are still in the process of getting quotes from our dear friend who is also our agent (so nice to know we have someone we trust to do the best search for us!).

 

Again, your feedback was so helpful. We most definitely will be having everyone stay at our resort, and have budgeted for 1500 for each guest. Mlite, we are in Edmonton, so it's neat to see what other fellow canadians are looking at for resorts and pricing!

 

We will be having a large party, and I do imagine at least 40 will show; which means more plates to be paid for individually I suppose, but eithr way, we are still waiting to get some quotes before we get too worked up;)

 

I've solidified a top 3 for photographers, we are meeting one company (2 girls who are best friends!) this friday, so pumped!

 

Again, thank you guys so much. I will be posting and following along closely here, I've been gathering so much info over this past week, it's so exciting!!!!

MrsShoreytobe,

I am so happy to hear that things have cleared up and that you are getting started with your agent and photographers!  Good luck and enjoy all the planning process!

[MrsShoreytobe]

Originally Posted by Yazmin De La Mora 

 

MrsShoreytobe,

I am so happy to hear that things have cleared up and that you are getting started with your agent and photographers!  Good luck and enjoy all the planning process!

Thank u! I`ve been using this cite to its full extent over the past few days, I wish someone could just pick the resort for us!!!!!!!!!! lol