SarahL

Hey girls! I haven't written in a long time, but I just want to let you all know... I live in Mexico, and I can tell you that the swine flu thing is definitely nothing to be too stressed about. I'm in Monterrey (third largest city in Mexico - although far from PV)... I've lived here for seven years and I've never seen anything quite like this. My husband and I both work at the American School here, and although we have been on a mini-vacation due to swine flu for a week and a half, we can definitely tell you that it is safe to be in Mexico. Take typical flu-season precautions - wash your hands, avoid touching your face, skip the hugs and kisses and go for a little wave instead whenever possible. But really... it's nothing to freak out about and certainly nothing that should ruin your special day!!! Sarah

Quote: Originally Posted by brittbrodin Love the idea Kati!! I'm not a cake person myself, so we may do brownies?? I haven't talked specifics with Kelley yet, but Nicole is right, from the pictures I've seen of the other LC brides's cakes...they can do pretty much anything! Just send her a pic of what you envision and they'll make it happen. Roberto and I don't really like cake that much, but I never met a brownie I didn't like. Anyway, we asked Nicole if they could just put a brownie out instead of a cake. Since brownies are already part of the dessert buffet, it was included in the package cost. Cha-ching... lucky for us. Anyway, if you want to have just a brownie, DO IT! It's your day. Here's a shot of us cutting the brownie... Picasa Web Albums - Sarah Loring - Cutting the B...

Quote: Originally Posted by abandcraig I am starting to think about what I want to do for the table cneterpieces and wanted get some info. I know that Las Calentas provides linens but I am assuming they are just white. Anyone know what they do have available other than that if anything? I don't want anything over the top (or anthing that will take up too much space in the suitcase) but want something colorful and fun but don't want to buy something that they might already have available. Guess I could also email Kelley, but thought I would check with all of you first (I tried a search in the forum but wasn't very successful). Hi there! We didn't bring anything at all except our table names. Everything else you see on the tables came from them! They have lots of colors of table runners to choose from. I picked blue and pink during the walk-through on the day of the wedding, right after lunch and before I went to get ready. Keep it simple... it all looked gorgeous. Picasa Web Albums - Sarah Loring - Wedding Tables

I'm also REALLY surprised to hear all this... Nicole and Kelley were AMAZING when we were there, and I can't imagine what happened but there must have been a lot happening behind the scenes. It's interesting, but this really makes me think... we ALL have bad days at work, but when you're a WC it's practically not allowed because your bad day is supposed to be somebody else's best day ever. That's got to be incredibly difficult. I would say this for future LC brides... and Yari, I'm not addressing you or anyone else specifically so please don't take this personally... but here is what I think. A destination wedding is probably not a great choice for people who have tons of tiny details that they feel have to be perfect or their day will be ruined. Anytime you're dealing with things like travel, weather, a boat ride, tides, etc. then probably a few things are going to go wrong. If that is going to ruin things for you, then it's probably better to have your wedding somewhere a little more "easily controlled." In my particular case, I was worried because the boat arrived late... they came across four humpback whales on the way to LC, and stayed a while to watch them play and jump (COOL!!!! but I was still worried). I was nervous that we weren't going to have enough light for photos, but everything worked out fine. Some of the pictures were in a gorgeous late sunset, and others were dark and it just didn't matter. Even the pictures in the dark were still lovely... and more importantly, I am now married to the man of my dreams!!! Anyway, I hope that no one will be discouraged from getting married at Las Caletas specifically because of Yari's review. If someone wasn't 100% sure if a destination wedding was the right for them, then Yari's review could be super helpful in letting them rethink things... but my best suggestion to EVERYONE out there is don't sweat the small stuff. The most important detail is that you and your man (or woman) are going to be happy together! XOXOXO Everyone! Sarah

Quote: Originally Posted by abandcraig A question for all you you upcoming (and past) las Caletas brides. I just made the decision to get married there as well - we are putting the deposit down on Monday. However, now we may have to change our hotel choice. Where are all of you having guest stay at? We were going to stay at Barcelo Mismoloya but are now concerned that it might be too far to town (for those that want to venture in) and then the ride to the marina would be quite long from what I hear. Just wanted to get some advise from some other brides. I want to get everything booked now! We are learning heavily towards an all-inclusive but I think we are still open to any suggestions. We think we will have about 40 people and the hotel has to allow children. Thanks so much for your help!! Hi there! Roberto and I are Marriott people - we love to rack up those points! We stayed at the Marriott in the Marina area, as did a lot of our guests. On our wedding website in the accommodations section, we put four hotels that are all right in a row (relatively easy beach walking distance, in this order) - Velas Vallarta, Marriott, Melia, and Westin. No one stayed at Velas Vallarta (although I have stayed there once a few years ago and it's GORGEOUS), one couple stayed at the Westin, and then most of our guests were either at Melia or Marriott. Velas and Melia are all-inclusive, while Marriott and Westin are not. A few people made other arrangements outside of the marina area. We didn't do a room block or anything - people just made their arrangements and everything worked out great. From the marina area hotels to downtown is a short cab ride (around $8-10 US) or you can even take the bus for about a dollar if you walk a bit out to the main road. Getting cabs from the hotels to the marina was easy for people to do. We didn't really have any problems with the hotel except for some drama with our welcome party, which turned out great - I just waited a LONG time for the contract! Our wedding was in February, but then we just went back two weeks ago for a 4-day weekend (FREE with all the Marriott points we had racked up over the last year and a half), and it was great!!! Good luck to you and congratulations on your choice to get married at LC - you will be glad you did.

Quote: Originally Posted by Andi Does anyone have any insight for me on how some of your older guests did while at Las Caletas? I am sure it will be fine I just need some reassurance!!!! thanks! My 88-year old grandmother came to our wedding just four months after open-heart surgery! She was fine. I talked to Nicole in advance and she told me that they have these "all-terrain" wheelchairs, and some very handsome men who push them too. Ha! Grandma is a TOTAL spitfire and insisted on walking from the boat to the beach for the wedding (slowly, with my cousin Matt escorting her)... and then she did a blessing for us during the ceremony in both English and Spanish! What a rock star. After the wedding was over, she asked the very cute guys from Vallarta Adventures to push her back to the boat in the chair... they took about a 10-minute head start and made great time. Talk to Nicole or Kelley and I'm sure they can help you out. Good luck! Sarah

Mel is 100% right on-the-money. When I look back now, what I LOVED about our wedding was that I had such a peaceful, wonderful day... and in the planning process, I could focus on the things I wanted to and leave the rest to Nicole. I decided that the ceremony was the most important to me (I brought my own minister - a friend of the family), plus the music for the whole event - ceremony, dinner, and dancing - was important. I also wanted to have bilingual fan programs (English on one side, Spanish on the other), and I wanted specific flowers, and a giant brownie instead of a cake. I also made the table assignments, place cards, and table names. I also made cute OOT bags for all of the guests. Those were the things that were important to me. Those are the things that mattered, to me... Other than that, I just left it to Nicole. I didn't do centerpieces... there were tons of candles and on the day of the wedding Kelley showed me the table runners they had, so I chose a couple of colors. I promise you, no one was worried about it. Here was my day: 8:15 on the boat, 9:15 arrival at LC, 10:00 yoga, 11:00 massage, 11:30 beach time, 1:00 lunch, 2:00 champagne in the jacuzzi, and then I got ready... it was SO relaxing and SO "zen!" I was completely in my "happy place"... and when I walked down the aisle with my dad, toward my adorable hubby... it was perfect. YAY LC!!! YAY NICOLE!!! Girls - DON'T STRESS. Just enjoy it. You've picked the right place.

Quote: Originally Posted by tvt hey, does LC number your tables? Or do you have to bring your own table numbers? Hi there! Nicole asked us to make our own table arrangements. We didn't want to number them, because we thought it implied a sort of "hierarchy" (people at table 1 are more important than people at table 12) Anyway, we named our tables after drinks... our table was the champagne table, and then the others were Mexican drinks (sangria, margarita, cafe de olla, tepache, paloma, vampiro, limonada, agua de jamaica, horchata, michelada, chocolate caliente). It was fun. I'll try to attach the actual table cards, which I had printed and laminated. Good luck to you! Sarah Attachment 2228 TableCards.ppt

Quote: Originally Posted by kati it's been awhile for me.. been so busy. But do/did you guys plan on having all your guests staying at the same hotel. Or is everyone just saying where ever they want to stay? I am having a hard time organizing the travel aspect!! Hi there - We stayed at the Marriott, in the Marina Vallarta area... which was WONDERFUL except for the gong show of planning our welcome party (it turned out fine but I was super stressed about it). We put a few other area hotels on our website as well... the Melia, Velas Vallarta, and Westin. Most people stayed at the Marriott or the Melia, depending whether they wanted all-inclusive or not. (I prefer NOT... PV has AMAZING restaurants and all-inclusive makes me feel "trapped.") One couple stayed at the Westin, and then we had a few people at about 10 other hotels in the area... but it was still super fun. I know that a lot of people wouldn't have been able to afford the trip if we'd given only one hotel option... lots of our guests were at far less expensive boutique hotels. GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!! Sarah

I think we were lucky too... Roberto and I went to the marina a couple days in advance and bought the pre-paid marina tax tickets. We put them in everyone's OOT bags, which we distributed at the welcome party on the night before the wedding. At that party, we made sure to tell everyone to take a taxi to the marina terminal (that's where we took off from... I know some go from Nuevo Vallarta) and we told them not to be late or they'd miss the boat! No one had any trouble at all, and we had people at about 8 different hotels. When I arrived in the morning with my girls, Kelley was there and located us right away (I must have been obvious as the girl carrying the big white dress). Kelley took the catamaran back with the day tour group around 2:00 and she was there at the marina waiting for our guests when they were arriving. Roberto said they had no problems at all (except for his one poopy brother who is a big f-ing baby and came to Puerto Vallarta but didn't come to the wedding because he was mad about something with the hotel - ) Anyway... no problems from our end! Quote: Originally Posted by AnnR i must have got lucky! when we showed up with the one taxi full of the girls going early, Nicole was there to meet us so we never had to look for anything. then i didn't hear of any issues with the rest of the group either, but they all arrived by pre-arranged bus together, except for 2 other couples.

Hahaa... Roberto and I are going back (using our Marriott rewards points for a four-night mini-vacay and trip down wedding-memory lane!) in September! I definitely want to do the day tour at Caletas while we're there... and I want to find that bed!!! Roberto and I are freak wanna-be's! Ha!!! Quote: Originally Posted by starchild Heehee...yay, someone besides me found it! I was beginning to feel like a bigtime freak...Jaime & Martin are freaks too

We sent out STD's in September 2007 for our February 2008 wedding. We printed the address of our wedding website on the STD's, and enclosed a little magnet with the date of the wedding and the website address. Many people mentioned that the magnet helped them because they lost the STD card. On the wedding website we had hotel info, PV info, events info, our registry, photos, lots of stuff... it's still up if you want to check it. Good luck!

Hi all! For music, we used the DJ. He did a great job. We did provide CD's with music for the prelude, ceremony, dinner, first dances, etc. and then he mixed it up for the dance time. He did a great job of figuring out what the crowd wanted to hear and giving it to them... For the prelude and ceremony music, I found some recordings of songs that I liked on acoustic guitar. Here is our playlist... it worked out beautifully. Prelude: 1. Romance / Michael Soloway 2:57 2. Intermezzo / Michael Soloway 1:15 3. Trumpet Tune / Various Artists & Alex de Grassi 4:40 4. Dona Nobis Pacem / Peter Pupping 2:37 5. Air (Water Music) / Michael Soloway 2:23 6. The Baroque Period: Prelude, Cello Suite I / Peter Pupping 2:41 7. Dance Of The Spirits / Michael Soloway 1:29 8. Ave Maria / Peter Pupping 2:12 9. Air on the G String / Michael Soloway 2:25 10. Ode to Joy / Peter Pupping 1:20 11. Spring (Four Seasons) / Michael Soloway 1:17 Ceremony: 1. Canon in D / Michael Soloway 4:10 (for the wedding party's entrance) 2. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring / Bob Sirois 1:44 (my entrance with my dad) 3. I Will / Don Latarski 3:20 (Water ceremony) 4. In My Life / Don Latarski 3:11 (Water ceremony) 5. Prince of Denmark's March / Michael Soloway 1:00 (recessional) Dinner (the DJ has most of this music but this is what I brought): 1. South America Folk: Milongueo del Ayer /Peter Pupping 2:32 2. Flamenco Mexicano / Willie & Lobo 5:33 3. El Farol / The Peter Pupping Quartet 3:34 4. El Tubo / Willie & Lobo 5:53 5. Fragile / The Peter Pupping Quartet 3:23 6. Spanish: Romanza / Peter Pupping 2:39 7. Inspiration / Gipsy Kings 3:43 8. Pala Pala / The Peter Pupping Quartet 2:13 9. Vallarta Boogie / Willie & Lobo 4:16 10. Pacifico / Willie And Lobo 4:37 11. Hola Lola / Willie & Lobo 5:42 12. One Note Samba / The Peter Pupping Quartet 3:10 13.Bahia de Banderas / Willie & Lobo 4:01 14.Caminando Por la Calle / Gipsy Kings 4:22 15.Mediterraneo / Willie & Lobo 3:55 16.El Payo / Willie & Lobo 6:21 17.La Fiesta Comenza / Gipsy Kings 3:03 18.Mama Mia / Willie & Lobo 3:23 19.Moliendo Cafe / The Peter Pupping Quartet 2:34 20.Djobi Djoba / Gipsy Kings 3:26 21.Vista Bahia / Willie And Lobo 4:36 22.To the Night / The Peter Pupping Quartet 2:13 23.Fuegando / Willie & Lobo 6:19 24.Ole Cinco / Willie And Lobo 4:26 25.Bamboleo / Gipsy Kings 3:24 We also gave our guests a CD of some songs from the wedding as part of their favor bags. We gave a copy to the DJ and he played a lot of these at the dance and during the boat ride back... 1. I Will / Don Latarski 3:20 (from the water ceremony) 2. In My Life / Don Latarski 3:11 (from the water ceremony) 3. Suddenly / Soraya 4:03 (our first dance song, in English) 4. De Repente / Soraya 4:06 (our first dance song in Spanish) 5. I Hope You Dance / Ronan Keating 3:34 (my dance with my dad) 6. Waltz from Boda / Börje Sandquist & Mats… 2:28 (his dance with his mom) 7. Songbird / Eva Cassidy 3:45 (song we love - they played it on the boat) 8. Para Tu Amor / Juanes 4:09 (song we love - don't remember if they played it or not) 9. Better Together / Jack Johnson 3:30 (song we love - they played it on the boat) 10. Tu y Yo / Juanes 4:27 (song we love - don't remember if they played it or not) 11. You Are the One / Elliott Yamin 4:17 (song we love - don't remember if they played it or not) 12. Let's Stay Together (2002 Digital Remaste… 3:18 (song we love - they played it on the boat) 13. Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World / Israel Kamakawo'ole 5:08 (song we love - they played it on the boat) I would have loved to have the trio but it was a little pricey for us and people said that they loved the music. Feel free to use whatever you want from these lists, or do your own thing! It's your day. Do what makes you happy. Sarah

I found these great hair flowers... brought several with me to Puerto Vallarta and LOVE them. I wore one for the rehearsal, another for the wedding, and a friend borrowed a third one for the wedding. SO CUTE. Very realistic looking, easy to use. Flower Clips

I'll add my wedding website in case anyone wants to check it out... enjoy! It will be up until mid-July.

My cousin is getting married at ASP in January... can't wait! I'm in love with this forum ever since we started planning our wedding... now I'll be checking out this spot for the coming months, I'm sure!

On our wedding invitations, we put "Beach Dressy - Shoes Optional" for the dress code. We went barefoot for the ceremony, but had some "Just Married" flip flops to wear later. I kicked the flip flops off at the top of the stairs, just before I got to the spot where people could see me. Nicole left both of our flipflops under our table at dinner. It worked out great. There is NO WAY I could have worn heels!!! In the sand OR on the stairs. I'd have been on my butt in 2.3 seconds.

Hi Christina! That's fantastic that you already got your contract... I wish that had happened for me! I am here to "eat humble pie" as promised above and say that everything with the Marriott went really well! Rosario sent us a fruit basket when we arrived, and the party went off without a hitch. The service was excellent, the location perfect, and the food was very good. I would not have chosen the decorations, necessarily... wooden cacti and saddles... a bit tacky but honestly it was not a big deal at all. I think that the natural setting is beautiful enough without all that, though... but I was glad that I got the tiki torches and palm tree lights because those looked really cool. We had a beautiful suite and all of our guests seemed happy with their rooms, particularly after they talked to some of the other guests who decided to stay at other hotels with less comfortable beds. Love that Marriott bed! Overall, we had a wonderful week... but the stress leading up to the trip was very difficult for me. I would say that if the events department is responsive to you and willing to give you a contract in advance, rather than waiting until 2 weeks before the event to send it (and 3 days before you leave to finalize it)... go for it. I don't think I would have wanted to have my wedding there (Las Caletas was IDEAL), but it was great for the welcome party and wonderful for our stay. We were very comfortable and had a terrific week!

Hi everyone! We are back, and EVERYTHING WAS COMPLETELY AMAZING!!! Honestly, we have both agreed that it was the best day of our entire lives so far. It was like a dream… one that ended too fast! Roberto and I arrived in PV on Saturday, Feb. 16 and had a couple of days to relax. We stayed at the Marriott, and for those of you who have read about my Marriott drama, let me just say that once we arrived everything went perfectly. They had our suite for us (amazing), Rosario the event coordinator sent us a lovely fruit basket on Sunday, and the welcome party Thursday went off without a hitch. I still wish that there hadn’t been so much drama before our arrival, but everything went really well… thank goodness! Saturday night we had dinner at Barcelona Tapas… YUM! Sunday we walked on the beach, relaxed by the pool, and had dinner at a cute place called “Mi Querencia†which was good. Great tortilla soup! On Monday we ran around town… breakfast at Las Palomas – VERY good… went to the Mercado Rio Cuale (craft market) and found some great jars for our water ceremony, amongst other things. Made a trip to Walmart for some things for our favor bags, worked on making the favor bags, etc. We also stopped at the maritime terminal to but the tax tickets for our guests to go into the marina without having to pay or stand in line. BTW – Our favor bags came out VERY cute. We bought beach bags on Amazon (Harrington contrast tote – white with black handles) and printed little tags with our guests’ names on them to tie on. Inside we put bottled water with personalized labels, some snacks, a CD with music from the wedding and reception, a pocket-sized “Spanish for Dummies†book for the non-Spanish speakers, beach toys for families with kids, and a packet of information about the weekend’s events. I also included a list of all of the guests, how we know them, and which hotels they were staying in so that people could get in touch as needed. Each bag also included a little zip-loc bag with their marina tax tickets and some generic non-drowsy Dramamine. If you want to buy it in Mexico get “Vontrol†– nondrowsy generic version, inexpensive, and relatively low dosage… can be used by anyone over the age of two, and no one who took it had any problems as far as we know. Take it one hour before the boat for best results. Tuesday morning we had our meeting with Nicole!!! We had decided not to do a site visit. She brought the box that we had shipped in advance with our guest book, programs, table names, “Just Married†flip flops, beach bags, etc. etc. We gave her the place cards and the pictures of our parents (we each had a special empty chair on our side of the aisle – one for his late father, one for my late mother). Also the CD’s for the DJ to use during the ceremony, dinner, first dance, etc. She went over the itinerary for the day and answered all of our questions. Now… I cannot say this enough… Nicole is MAGNIFICENT. Every detail was attended to, every question was answered, every concern addressed… several times she answered the question that I was about to ask before I even had a chance to ask it. Give that girl BIG TIPS!!! (And Kelley too!!! I just didn’t meet her until the big day!) She is TRULY my fairy godmother. YAY NICOLE!!!! Just an FYI for those who were wondering about the walk for older guests… my 88-year-old Grandmother came, and she just had open heart surgery in October. Nicole said that they had two “extreme wheelchairs†and staff to push them if needed. Roberto offered to race Grandma. Haha. Anyway, my cousin told me that she walked almost the entire way anyway. I was worried after seeing the map of Las Caletas online, but it isn’t as big as I thought it would be which was good. The real “up and down†walking was up to the bridal suite and back… but even that wasn’t bad, although I wouldn’t ask Grandma to do it. The walk for guests is not too hilly. Sorry I am so scattered but there is just SO much to tell you all!!! Okay, so then on Tuesday afternoon my parents arrived and we hung out with them the rest of the day. Wednesday morning my bonus mom (Barb) and I had the manicure and pedicure of a LIFETIME at the Ohtli Spa at the Marriott. They were awesome. Roberto and my Dad went out for breakfast. Spent the afternoon by the pool/beach and welcoming more friends and family as they arrived. A group of ten of us went to dinner Wednesday night at La Palapa – ate right on the beach. Pricey but YUMMY. The lunar eclipse that night was very cool to watch. Thursday morning I went to breakfast at the hotel with my dad, followed by more pool and beach time. BTW – I wore 50 SPF sunscreen all week and still got a great tan. In FEBRUARY. Load up on that sunscreen, ladies! You don’t want to burn! Just an idea that I had, and I’m glad I did… I wrote letters to my Dad and Barb, and gave them to them during our “alone time.†Barb got hers when we went to the spa, Dad got his when we had breakfast. I highly recommend doing this. We got all of our tears out and so there was nothing but smiles on wedding day. Thursday night we had our rehearsal on the beach at the hotel, and then our welcome party. Rosario came out to check and make sure that everything was going smoothly, and it was. We had about 55 people at the wedding and most came to the welcome party. It was great to give everyone a chance to mingle… it made the wedding night more fun because people knew each other. My only complaint about the welcome party – so minor, but still – was the décor. They put out these wooden cacti and saddles and some other “Mexican†stuff that I thought was pretty cheesy, but I guess it was festive. I wouldn’t have chosen it myself but in the moment I didn’t really care. It was just fun to see everyone. I made an announcement to thank everyone for being there and also to remind them to please be on time for the boat. After the party, I went back to the room and packed for Friday, and went to bed around 12:30. I was worried I might not be able to sleep that night, but I slept like a log!!! The whole week I was waking up super early… I would get up to go to the bathroom and as soon as I realized I was in Puerto Vallarta and it was wedding week, I was wide awake and there was no going back to sleep! Thursday night I crashed and woke up about 5 minutes before my Friday morning wake-up call was scheduled. SO… THE GOOD STUFF!!! Friday morning, I woke up around 7:25 and took a shower and got ready to go. I wore my swimsuit and capri pants on the boat, with a long-sleeve shirt tied around my waist in case I got cold (although I didn’t really need it). I met “my girls†in the lobby… I went over with Barb, my sister Molly, my cousin Sarah, my sister-in-law Heidi, and three friends – Sofia, April, and Becky. Eight of us in total. We met in the lobby and took taxis to the marina terminal. Once we went in, Kelley saw me coming with my wedding dress and ran right over. She was so sweet… LOVE her! She skipped us right to the front of the line and got us all set up on the upper deck of the catamaran. We also got to meet her “honey†– Roger. Super cute together. We chatted all the way over… she also helped us make our massage appointments. The boat ride over in the morning was really calm – I thought the water was great and the boat was surprisingly smooth. We arrived at Las Caletas and it was absolutely BREATHTAKING. SO green… and the water was SO clear and blue and lovely! Kelley showed us where to go and a bunch of cute guys came and carried all of our stuff up to the Bridal Suite. We walked up there (maybe 5 minutes – largely uphill but not a terrible hike) and got settled in. It was GREAT. When you walk in there is a couch area to your right, and the bed with the beautiful net is just past that toward the back of the room. On your left there is a little desk, the bathroom (double shower, sink, closet, toilet) and past the bathroom there is an area to get ready. Full length mirror, counter space with more mirrors. There are not a lot of electrical outlets, so Nicole had told us to pack light on the hair appliances. For the eight of us, we brought two hair dryers (one with a diffuser, one without), two curling irons with different sized barrels, and one flat iron. There was an iron there at the suite. I brought a steamer and I really intended to leave it there as a little giftie for future brides, but somehow it ended up back in my suitcase!!! (Sorry girls!) In the back of the suite there was a little outdoor area with a hammock, and some stairs leading up to a jacuzzi. We had four girls in the jacuzzi at a time with no problem. They also had champagne and fruit waiting for us in the suite, which was lovely. At 10:30, Barb and Molly went for massages, Becky and April and Sofia headed to the beach, and I went with Heidi and Sarah to take a yoga class. It was just steps away from the bridal suite and it was SO relaxing. No crazy impossible poses or anything. Just focusing on breathing and relaxing. VERY nice. At 11:30 Heidi and Sarah and I went for our massages (GREAT!!!), while Barb and Molly joined the other girls at the beach. At noon, we went to the beach while Becky and April got massages. Down at the beach, there were lots of people swimming and kayaking, and they even brought over a boat with a sea lion that was swimming with people which was fun to watch. At 1:00 we had lunch… there was a yummy buffet. Try the paella!!!! WOO HOO!!!! They had a little bit of everything and it was great. For dessert I had a bit of chocolate cake… I even poured some Kahlua on it. YUM. We all sat around the table and talked about how we found our wedding dresses. After lunch Kelley took us over to the beach to talk about the set-up for the wedding. I decided to have the aisle in an “L†shape, so the chairs were facing the water more. I also asked for the pink and blue table runners. There wasn’t much to review, so it didn’t take long and then we were on our way back up to the suite. We started up the jacuzzi and Heidi gave me a fun little addition to my pedicure – she painted “I do!†on my big toenails, but the o’s were little rhinestones. Super cute. Nicole arrived and checked in with us, and went down to set everything up on the beach. One by one, we all went to take showers and get ready. The spa showers were also available, which helped accommodate our group so people didn’t have to shower together in the double shower. We’re close but not THAT close. Haha. I felt really relaxed and happy the whole day… never rushed or anything. I did my own makeup, and Heidi did my hair. She was also our photographer – I’m telling you, I have a great sister in law!!! I definitely recommend bringing some kind of little nightie or something comfortable and cool to wear while you get ready. It wasn’t hot in the bridal suite, but when you get the hairdryer going for a while it could easily get that way! We were really very comfortable though. I was a little worried about getting all sweaty while I did my hair, but that didn’t happen at all. I finished putting on my makeup and getting my hair done, and I put on the earrings that Roberto gave me for the wedding day… they match my ring (pear-shaped sapphires surrounded by diamonds). Barb let me wear the diamond necklace that she wore when she married my Dad, which was really special. I put on my dress at about 5:00 and we took a bunch of pictures. The boat was a little bit late arriving… maybe 15 minutes? I was worried that it was because the best man was late or something, but it was actually because they saw a group of four humpback whales on the way over! They were breaching (jumping up out of the water and splashing down) and flipping their tails. Roberto got one GREAT photo that I’ll share with you all… I’ll be anxious to see what the videographer caught! Yippee! When the boat arrived, Roberto and his brother went to the guy’s suite (above the dinner area) to get ready, while my Dad came up to see me. We talked a bit and took a few photos. Everything around that time is a bit of a blur… it was just so beautiful out and the water looked amazing, and I could faintly hear people’s voices as they headed down to the ceremony site. Soon it was time to walk down… poor Nicole couldn’t find me because I went the wrong way! Wait for her… she’ll come to get you when it’s time. I had my “Just Married†flip flops, which I wore down the steps until I got to the point where the guys get ready… I kicked them off there and went down in my bare feet. (Nicole put our flip-flops under the table for us at dinner so that we would have them later.) As I came down the stairs and saw the look on Roberto’s face, and how beautiful everything looked… it just took my breath away. The ceremony was absolutely incredible. My dear family friend Jane was the minister and she did a lovely job. We worked very hard to make it a true expression of us… we wrote our own vows, chose readings, etc. Everything was bilingual – Jane took Spanish classes for the last year, and said everything in both languages, I said my vows to Roberto in Spanish, and he said his to me in English, and two of our friends did the readings – one in English and the other in Spanish. We did a water ceremony instead of sand… an idea I had partly because my mother’s ashes were scattered at sea after she died, and it felt like a way of including her. If anyone would like a copy of our ceremony, I’d be happy to share it. Just send me a message. I notice now (in the photos) that the videographers were really RIGHT in the action… but during the ceremony I didn’t even notice them! After the ceremony there wasn’t a lot of time to take pictures – the light was fading… but the pictures we got came out beautifully! Then it was time to go up for dinner. Dinner was delicious… seriously, YUMM-O. Our brothers made toasts, then my Dad, and then we said a few words. We decided that the dessert buffet sounded GREAT so instead of having a cake we asked Nicole if they could put out a special brownie for us, which we cut ceremonially. We surprised EVERYONE with the fire dancers (SO cool!) and then had our first dance (“De Repente†by Soraya – also available in English as “Suddenlyâ€). Then I danced with my Dad (“I Hope You Dance†by Ronan Keating) and we could see fireworks off in the distance. Later everyone danced and partied and had a great time. One funny moment – a few months ago at my brother’s wedding, it was INSANELY hot and all of the bridesmaids jumped into the lake in their dresses. In the middle of the evening, my brother (the “mantron of honorâ€) came up and handed me his cell phone, wallet, and hotel key, and jumped in the ocean! The videographer caught it all – I can’t wait to see that. The photos are a little dark but it was SO funny. He warmed up by the bonfire afterward but was a little chilly on the boat ride home! Just about the time that we were feeling exhausted but exhilarated, we stepped over by the water to just take it all in, and watch everyone having a great time… the full moon and the stars so clear in the sky and the candles everywhere… they announced that it would be time to load the boat in ten minutes. We didn’t pay for extra time, but to me it felt like it was just right. Some of the older guests and people with kids were just winding down, and I’d rather have it end a little too early than a little too late… although I wish it could have gone on forever! Still, it was time… we loaded the boat and headed back to Vallarta. On the way back, the night was cool but not cold (I had a shawl that was enough to keep me warm)… and we saw another humpback whale! Incredible. We had a little receiving line as we got off the boat, and taxis were waiting to take everyone back to their hotels. Saturday we slept in and ordered room service breakfast… we finally emerged at the pool around 1:00. After spending the afternoon in the sun, we went out with some family and friends downtown that night. Sunday we had a bit of beach time, but had to leave around 1:00 for the airport to return home. And Monday… WONDERFUL timing… we got the keys to our NEW HOUSE!!! YIPPEE!!!! What a wedding gift. Everyone raved about the wedding… many said it was the best wedding they’d ever been to! I agree… I couldn’t have asked for anything better. It was utterly amazing. As I said before, Nicole and Kelley are extraordinary and deserve BIG TIPS and LOTS OF LOVE! Nicole and Kelley… if you are reading this, thank you again for everything. It was the experience of a lifetime and I wouldn’t change a thing. You made it the day of our dreams. Thank you. Also, thanks to Ann and Jamie and all of the girls here on the forum because you really helped make the experience a great one – I got answers to all my questions and felt so comfortable, largely because of you. I will post links to the full picture galleries soon so you can see ALL the photos… but for now, there are a few for you ladies to see on our wedding website. I’ll also work on finding a way to post the DVD once we have it. Lots of love to everyone!!! Sarah

LATEST UPDATE... We are arriving at the Marriott in three days, but as of today I have not received the final CORRECT contract for the welcome party. My event (welcome party) is on Feb. 21... one week from tomorrow. I contacted them again in early January to ask about when I would get the contract. They said that they don't do the contracts (BEO's) until 21 days before the event. I waited and waited, and finally on February 7th, 14 days before the event, I still hadn't heard from them so I emailed. The woman I was working with is no longer working there. If you read my previous post, this is nothing new. Anyway... I got them to confirm that our room is upgraded to a suite and that the welcome party will be on the beach patio. I want a VERY simple party... cash bar, chips & guacamole, veggies and dip, a few tiki torches and palm tree lights, and we'll bring our own iPod and speaker, I just need the outlet. I could throw this thing together myself with two hours and a Sam's club membership. But that's beside the point. On Monday, February 11, I received the BEO. They had added in a $200 sound system, which I didn't need. I asked for an updated contract but didn't receive it, and since we're leaving in three days I didn't want to wait anymore. I took the BEO she sent me and I crossed out the sound system and made a note that we were bringing the iPod & speaker. I emailed and faxed her the signed, updated BEO. Within five minutes, I heard back from her because she wanted me to know how much I would be charged for using the electrical outlet. Okay, fine, whatever... I just want it done... but the big question is this: Why can't they reply that quickly about anything other than additional charges? Throughout this process they have made it abundantly clear that they are only interested in commission, and since my party is not a HUGE one, they are treating me very poorly. (Although, who knows? I don't see any evidence that things would be better if I was having a huge party there. Maybe this is the service, or lack thereof, that everyone gets.) I sincerely hope that in a couple of weeks, I can come back on here and eat humble pie and tell you all that it was all absolutely wonderful... I would LOVE that. But they don't exactly have me feeling confident about their abilities, and the fact that I, as a bride, am having such anxiety about something that should be so simple and lovely... THAT alone is enough to make me suggest that perhaps others should take their business elsewhere. They have me feeling like a "bridezilla" and that really is the furthest thing from my personality. My wedding plans at Las Caletas are nothing but sunshine and butterflies... it's like butter! But the Marriott is seriously stressing me out over this silly party that should be SO simple... and it makes me sad because I've been a loyal Marriott customer for a while now. I'll keep you posted, and I promise that I'll give the Marriott CasaMagna Resort a BRUTALLY honest (positive or negative) review once I get back!!! Sarah

BTW - Any photo requests? I was going to try to take more of the bridal suite because I know people wanted to see more of it. Anything else that you want me to try to catch for you?

We leave ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!!!!!!!!! Our wedding is two days after yours, Roxie... and I don't know about you but I am having a VERY hard time being productive at work! Mentally, I am already in PV!!! I can't wait. We got lucky... we shipped a big box of stuff a few weeks ago but since we live in Mexico it only cost about $100... I can't imagine what it would have cost to ship internationally. I agree with the idea that you should ask a few guests to throw some stuff into their bags, if you can! Take care and maybe we'll see you there, Roxie! And I PROMISE... there will be details, details, details and GAZILLIONS of photos as soon as we get back! Sarah

Uhhhh... what if the wind blows? Is he comfortable flashing his stuff to all of his family, your family, friends... etc? If he's okay with that, and you're okay with that... then let him do his thing I guess!!! I know that my FI has had so little opinion about what he wants, that I have tried to honor any little request he's had. The rest of it is all what I want because he is just going with the flow!

Uhhhh... what if the wind blows? Is he comfortable flashing his stuff to all of his family, your family, friends... etc? If he's okay with that, and you're okay with that... then let him do his thing I guess!!! I know that my FI has had so little opinion about what he wants, that I have tried to honor any little request he's had. The rest of it is all what I want because he is just going with the flow!

Just to clarify - we searched and searched for a place to have our welcome party that would be within our budget but not on site at the Marriott, but EVERYTHING we found was way expensive. We want something SUPER simple (honestly, I would be FINE with just telling people to meet and hang out in the hotel lobby bar but the Marriott said we can't really do that) and everything else was just too pricey. I think I'm just going to let it slide, not let it get to me. If the welcome party is a disaster, we'll survive. Marriott sucks. Las Caletas is the part I'm excited about and that I KNOW will go well because of everyone here on the forum!!!