bride2010

It's such a beautiful dress and it looks amazing on you. I think your hair down and wavy would look great with it!

Welcome to the forum! I'm a fellow Barcelo bride-to-be. Make sure you check out the thread on the Barcelo Maya Brides. It'll probably have everything you need to know about the resort. Might be a long read, but definitely worth it. Good luck and let me know if I could be of any help!

We didn't end up going the group booking route, but we did book through the BDW travel agent, Lindsay. She was absolutely great and very helpful. I looked around quite a bit, and she was very prompt to answer my emails and very thorough.

Wow, those are absolutely gorgeous!

I would definitely recommend Iberostar Varadero. I've stayed at a few Iberostar resorts, including this one, and they are by far the best when it comes to entertainment (especially when you have kids). The resort is beautiful and the beach was gorgeous. It is also quite close to the town of Varadero. I'm not sure about the price being under $1800 as it fluctuates depending on the time of year. I believe we only paid about $1500, but that was June last year. Good luck!

We're also doing 2 weeks and upgrading to a nicer adults only resort the second week. A friend of mine had a destination wedding last year and only stayed 1 week, and she always felt that that was her biggest regret. She was so busy on the days leading up to the wedding and spending time with her guests that she and her husband never really got to relax.

Wow! Thanks for sharing...everything looked great. I never thought of making DIY coasters. I might just add that to my ever growing list! Congratulations!

I personally love dress #1, but I also don't think dress #2 is too much for a beach wedding. I'm sure you'll look beautiful in either one. Good luck!

Quote: Originally Posted by islandbride317 Gorgeous, vibrant color, and such a fresh, youthful cut -- great selection! I will agree with MarieSam though, and just keep an eye on how much of their "girls" YOUR GIRLS are showing....kwim!? Too much of a good thing (whether it be cleavage showing, alcohol consumed, etc.) sometimes isn't the BEST thing in relation to your wedding! LOL. Surprisingly enough, the dress doesn't actually have such a plunging neckline when worn. I was worried about that too when I saw it on the manequin, but it all worked out. They all look super cute in them, but still modest enough for the occasion ;o)

The dress I ended up picking (I'm actually just going in to be measured and order it this week!) is lace as well and I never thought I would ever wear anything like it. I had a totally different idea of what I wanted, but my sister saw this dress and insisted I tried it on...just for fun. It was the first dress I ever tried on and I didn't want to take it off. I even tried to go look around after that, but nothing else compared. If you really love the dress, then I say go for it. Good luck with your decision. I'm sure you'll make a beautiful bride, no matter what dress you go with!

Congratulations! Sounds like you guys had a fantastic time. I hope you'll be posting your slideshow when Juan Carlos finishes it. I know I'll be waiting for it!!!

Great review. Thanks for sharing all your info. You were right in saying your photographers were amazing. The pictures were absolutely beautiful just like the two of you. Can't wait to see your TTD pics!

Welcome to the forum! I'm also a Barcelo Maya Palace bride. Like FutureMrs.D mentioned, check out the Barcelo Maya Palace Brides thread. You could probably find everything you need within that thread. Did you also check out the Unofficial Barcelo Maya website? They also have a forum in there dedicated just for weddings. Anyways, let me know if you need any help or answers to some question you might have as I also went down for a site visit back in April. Happy planning!

The pictures are beautiful. Congratulations!

Thanks for sharing!

Welcome to the forum!

Congratulations! Just a friendly warning: this site can be very and I mean VERY addictive...especially in the beginning...but so much fun and soooo helpful. I'm hoping you and your fiance find it as valuable as I do. Happy planning!

I actually think the dresses look good together just as they are. I don't think it should be a problem at all. Good luck!

That was an awesome story. I'm so happy for you and you guys look soooo cute together! )

Congratulations! I also had a fortune cookie engagement and actually got engaged August 3rd last year...so fairly close to your date )

Great news! I'm glad everything worked out!

I have to agree with everyone so far and pick #2 as my favourite on you. I also think #3is really elegant and romantic and I especially love the way it drapes on the back. I would pick that if that's the look you were going for. Good luck!

$1800 is a great price for what you'll be getting, but I have to agree with vlynnw. You definitely need to shop around first. I had no clue when it came to photographers when I first started, but after looking around a ton of work and portfolios, I started to develop what style and "look" I wanted for my wedding pictures...and everyone is different. There were some great and talented photographers whose work and style just didn't fit what I was looking for. So my advice is if pictures are important to you, definitely do your homework then gauge people's work (including your friend's) against the style you're looking for. Good luck!

I think dress #3 looked best on you, but I LOVE the back on dress #2. Good luck with your choice!

Thanks for the tip! I'm doing a search now to see if they have a store near me. Keeping my fingers crossed....