starpapaya

Hi Tagliatti, I had hair and makeup done for me, my 4 bridesmaids, my mom, and MIL. My suggestion: Keep hairstyling simple. Don't expect intricate designs to be well executed. If you are very particular about how you want something done, I'd recommend a trial first before the wedding day. Makeup: I think the MUA did a great job making me look my best. Adding falsies was expensive, it isn't included. Don't be afraid to voice exactly how you want to look. Sometimes makeup might look overdone but it usually looks better that way in professional photos. I ended up with some kind of eye infection/irritation... If I was better prepared, I would have brought my own makeup and brushes. Consider that if you can. Good luck!

Hi Carrie, I didn't have a problem working with the offsite WC. I had Marisol and it did take her a few days to respond to me each time but I began my communications early and was able to get everything planned. I would highly recommend visiting the resort and making sure you like it. We were not happy with the lack of service and meager portions. Onsite coordinator and hotel wedding coordinator weren't very helpful. The groomsmen took over executing the wedding and moving the timeline along so that everything was captured by the photographers/videographers before they left (we opted for half day package). We had a dispute with the hotel that was not resolved. The hotel manager told us to contact customer service manager Ana Pegler who never responded. Our travel agent ended up trying to negotiate for us. We were looking for over $3000 refund (bridal makeup resulted in eye infection, entire bottom tier of cake was not served, guests did not get individual slices- rather 3 large slices placed in the middle of the table to be shared, did not get everything as promised in the DJ/MC package including bubble and fog machine, wrong flowers used in wedding gazebo corsages) and the hotel only offered $500. Other issues: Over 40% of our guests had diarrhea/stomach cramps. Hotel would not accommodate double beds for non-couples, not even one of my friends who was 5 months pregnant, clearly showing, who was traveling with another friend. Groomsmen had to argue and complain in order to receive room service for the bridal party (they would not send more than 4 entrees even though there were 5 of them, 4 groomsmen plus groom) on the day of the wedding. At the end of the day, everyone still had fun and the pictures are beautiful... but that would have been the same regardless which resort we went to. Good luck to you and your cousin!

Hi Lauren! I got married at EDR last month. I also had the always and forever package. I had a total of 78 guests and we used our free cocktail hour before a free dinner which was our rehearsal dinner. We also had the sound system which we played music for the entire event and gave speeches/toasts. There was not enough food to go around during cocktail hour. I was too busy greeting and mingling with guests. My parents actually got sick (diarrhea for days) so they weren't eating but they observed the event and informed me that there was a serious lack of food being passed around. Some of my guests ending up rushing to another restaurant to get a second dinner since the portions were tiny and there's nothing open after 10 pm so your only option is room service which takes over an hour during late night hours. We ended up at Guacamayas pretty much every night because there's a guy making tacos there but he limits how many you can get. My husband got 2, I was able to get 3, but I've seen him serves others 4. These were delicious but very sad that at an all inclusive resort, there was so little to eat. My now husband actually lost weight from this vacation (we had a 7 night stay at Casitas). Pro tip: do not hesitate to ask for additional servings, order extra, make sure your minibar gets restocked! No food after 10 pm (room service is unappetizing) and they do not allow you to take food to go so plan ahead! Good luck!

Hi all! Less than 2 months til our big day and I'm trying to work out all the details now. I added all the must-haves to the spreadsheet and came up a little over budget so I'm trying to cut some costs. I know there's a lot I can DIY to save a good amount of money. Tbh, I'm not very creative/artistic/crafty so I've been relying on my friends to help me come up with the overall vision of my wedding day. I've been lurking on this forum for inspiration as well so thank you all for sharing! My ceremony location is going to be at Gazebo 55. According to the Memorable Moments package, they use 8 gazebo linens to decorate the gazebo. At $100 apiece for white ones, that comes out to $800. I know I can definitely bring my own for much less, even if I had to pay $5 pp set up fee. Did anybody bring their own sheers and if so, what length and width, and how many sheers did you use to decorate? Also based on recommendation of keeping things simple, I was thinking about getting rid of the chair covers and bows. I hope it won't look too bare without the extra decorations! I have small noisemakers for everybody to use after we are pronounced husband and wife (in lieu of throwing rice or blowing bubbles). Instead of printing programs for everybody, I want to set up an iPad for everyone to view before getting seated (I know this isn't traditional but would it offend anybody if they didn't get a physical copy?) Any other suggestions for reducing waste and saving money on the ceremony but still keep it classy? Thanks!