Lammy2609

We have "reserved" the church for our wedding next Feb, but still have a few concerns given all the conflicting information we have gotten from different WCs. Originally we were told by a WC that we had to book in person, and not more than 6 months in advance. Then we went to mass last November when we were in Vallarta, and we were told to come back 6 months before the wedding, like March or April (not exactly 6 months in advance). Then we finally decided on a planner who said we didnt have to book in person, and they were able to reserve the date for us. I did talk to 2 references who had also booked the church through this planner and not in person, which is part of the reason we decided on our WC. We were also told different stories about rehearsals and decor. The planner we decided to use says that we will be able to go in the day before for a rehearsal, and we will have access to the church before the ceremony in order to decorate. Other planners said that rehearsals and decorations were not possible. My only other concern with the church is the "English factor." We went to English mass and didn't understand a single word. The combination of not-so-great English skills, a bad PA system, and all of the fans mae the priest completely unintelligable. Some of the references I talked to said that they had the same experience during their weddings. At Our Lady of Guadalupe, you cannot request which priest will perform the ceremony. We may turn off the fans and hope for the best, or just opt for the ceremony to be performed in Spanish and I will have to learn my part. One of the WCs we met with recommended Our Lady of Refuge as an alternate church. She said they are easier to work with and you can choose which priest you prefer to perform the ceremony. I saw some pics online - it looks very pretty, but not as beautiful as Our Lady of Guadalupe. The most important first step is to get all of the paperwork together with your church at home. We had to fill our 2 forms ourselves, have 2 witnesses fill out forms, take a 200 question "test", provide recent copies of our baptismal certificates, and take pre-cana classes before our church could send everything to the archdiocese here in SF. From there, the archdiocese will send to the archdiocese in Tepic (NOT Guadalajara) and the archdiocese will send everything to the church in Vallarta. Hope this helps!

Hi there! I met with Zac at EM-Vallarta and was left with a similar impression. His cost per head was close to $200. Keep in mind that this does not include venue cost, ceremony costs, or transportation. They definitely mark up the price of food and alcohol, which was why we decided against them in the end. (Pacifico does not cost $40 a case in the US, much less in Mexico) Zac was very nice though, and I am sure they would do an amazing job. We decided to go with Michael and Eva at Vallarta Weddings, and so far everything has been great. One of the first ways they suggested we could cut costs would be to purchase our own alcholol, something that was not possible with EM. Zac did recommend Villa Premiere to us as well. The hotel is beautiful and we loved Evelina, however our villa is south of downtown, so we are having our guests stay at hotels over that way. Good luck! Let me know who you decide to go with.

This is great info, and good idea to include in your OOT bags! What else are you including?

Hi Deb, I will email you separately so I can attach the sample invoice I have from Zac @ EM Vallarta and price break downs from other planners so you can see how they compare. None of the planners charge per head, I just calculated it on my own after adding up all of the costs. As far as the Sheraton.... We really like it, but it's not as fancy as some of the other resorts in Nuevo Vallarta. We just like being walking distance from downtown. Also, we book through Expedia so we can stay in a studio with a kitchen in the timeshare building, which is separate from the hotel. We like having the option to cook. I think the prices through Expedia and other travel sites are quite a bit cheaper than what you pay directly through the hotel...it worked out to about $110 a night for the studio I think. Our last trip was $1700 total for 2 roundtrip tickets and 10 nights at the Sheraton. I think it would make a great wedding location. The outdoor space is really nice - 2 pools, palapas, etc. The beach is a little rocky, but fine for swimming. Thanks for the Los Milagros suggestion! Our favorite restaurant in PV is El Arrayan (we are contacting them about possibly catering for us) - .:El Arrayan:.

Hi Deb, We met with Zac at EM Vallarta and Weddings by Lana when we were in Vallarta in November. I also talked to Judy at WeddingsinPuertoVallarta when I first started planning. I finally decided on Michael and Eva from VallartaWeddings.com after speaking to multiple references. Here are my thoughts: Zac Puerto Vallarta Weddings, Event Planning and Catering Services, Weddings Puerto Vallarta - Zac was great and I would totally trust him to do an amazing wedding, but at $235 a head, I might as well get married here in San Francisco. And that didnt included the venue costs, transportation, etc. Lana Vallarta Weddings By Lana, Worry-Free Wedding Planners and Event Coordinaters in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - We met with Jorge and Ruben who work with Lana and represent Villa Celeste. We really liked them - they would have done a great job and made it authentic Mexican I am sure, but we decided against Villa Celeste - it was just too expensive, and none of the other properties they represent were large enough for us. Judy Home - www.weddingsinpuertovallarta.com - I liked Judy at first and was ready to book, but then she wouldnt give us any references, and didnt work with any contract. She was pressing us to send the deposit, and we just were expected to hope for the best. Not my idea of a professional wedding planner. Michael and Eva Vallarta weddings - we booked Michael and Eva after we decided that Judy wasnt right for us. So far things have been great, though they do take a while to respond to emails. References were very positive. We shall see what happens... Good Luck!

Hi Ladies, Finally joined the fourm after my future sister-in-law kept sending me such great info that she had found here (she was married in Florence in May, and has total post-destination-wedding depression, so she stalks the forum non-stop). I need help with catering in PV. I have spent some time looking around at previous threads, but it looks like many of you are getting married at resorts where I assume catering is included. We have opted for the villa route, and I am hoping some of you might have suggestions. We go to Vallarta every year, and avoid the touristy hang-outs like the plague. We stay at the Sheraton Buganvilias so we can walk into downtown and get out of the resort environment as often as possible. And we always rent a car and drive to different towns up and down the coast. We chose a villa so that we could have an intimate environment without any of the limitations of a resort wedding, especially concerning food. We are total foodies, and prefer an authentic taco stand on the side of the road to a lot of the poor attempts at fancy cuisine we have found in Vallarta over the years. We found a planner that we really like, but the catering options he sent us are disappointing. Everything seems like typical American wedding food - lots of Italian/French/Asian influence. I am not having 125 people fly all the way to Mexico just to feed them bad mushroom ravioli or fried wontons. My fiance's family is originally from Mexico, so they are expecting a real Mexican feast. I want ceviche and roast suckling pig and homemade tortillas etc. etc. I am waiting for more suggestions from my planner, but I thought maybe some of you had used a caterer/restaurant for your wedding or even rehearsal dinner that you could recommend. Thanks - can't wait to get planning with all of your help!

Hi everyone! My name is Erika, and I am planning a wedding in Puerto Vallarta on Feb 6, 2009. We have booked a villa and have the paperwork in progress for booking the church. Now we are looking into catering and I would love suggestions. The caterers our planner has suggested have very French/Asian influenced menus, and we want authentic Mexican food. Any suggestions would be more than welcome! Look forward to hearing from you!