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Thanks jharwood! Congratulations to you too! Your pictures were amazing. I regret not hiring our photographer for a longer period of time because you got so many great before wedding shots. You looked beautiful! I wanted to add about the $12 menu that it is very good however we weren't crazy about the desert. It wasn't bad just not great so if brides chose this option they might try to change the desert out with a cheese cake or tres leches. Or if they are having cake they might want to try to sub it for a salad because it's hard to get people to eat cake after a desert like that. I am still so amazed by how great of a job they do. I'm ready to go back. I think we might go back for our first anniversary. You?

Well, we've been back from our Azul Sensatori wedding for 2 weeks now. I'm sorry I am just now posting my review. We got married on May 9th and it was absolutly amazing. My advice to all brides on the site would be to sit back, relax and pick from the list. Always remember why you chose Mexico for your wedding and know that even if all you have is your dress, rings and your loved ones it will be beautiful no matter what. Don't try to have an American wedding in Mexico just embrace the differences. Otherwise save money and get married on a beach in the states. First, the resort was fabulous and the customer service and food were out of this world. We have stayed at several 4 and 5 star all inclusives in the same area and this was by far the best yet. We were stressed about the swine flu but decided to keep our date and we only had 5 guests cancel so we ended up with 44 total. The resort was only at 10% capacity due to the flu so everyone in our group got upgraded rooms and we got the honeymoon suite with a fantastic ocean view. Some of the restaurants were closed at times but we understood and had great food all of the time. Elana was our on site wc and she was wonderful. We met with her and her team for about an hour our second day there and signed off on everything. She made everything happen the way it should and I had no worries. The entertainment team was awesome. Especially Jaimie and Laura who made our stay a lot of fun especially being on of the only groups there. I tried to keep my wedding cost down by chosing simple options that I felt would still be elegant and classy. We had the $2500 silver package and had our rehersal dinner for 40 at the Tapaz restaurant as Spoon was closed that night. The food was wonderful and the restaurant was very pretty. The resort personalized the menu for Mike and I which was a cute suprise. The day of the wedding I hung out at the pool until 1pm. I had my nails done already so I went to the spa at 2 for a toe polish change and hair. I brought tons of pics for hair but when I got there I decided to be spontaneous and let the lady at the spa do what she wanted and I loved it. We got married at 6pm on the beach by the pier and it was perfect. My flowers turned out great as well. The minister we had was Alina Monroy whom I would strongly reccomend as everyone was blown away by her service. We picked the vows that Tiffany Borrowski had sent us and they were perfect and moving. We also did the sand ceremony. We chose the $500/1 hour option with caribe photo and were very impressed. She brought our photos and cd's to us poolside before we left. Reception--We chose the Zocallo Terrace for the Cocktail party and the reception. It was perfect. We chose the cheese and cracker trays for the cocktail hour to cut cost...it was okay but not great however I don't think anyone noticed as they were having too much fun so I think the more expensive options would be a waste. We chose the $12 chicken meal option and everyone raved about it saying it was the best meal they had since they had been there. I rented vases from the resort and had the bridesmaids put the bouquets in them for decor and we brought votive candles to set around...then we had the resort take the flowers from the wedding and put on our table and cake table and I thought it looked awesome and wouldn't spend to much on decor as the resort itself is so beautiful and at Zocallo the ocean is the background. We played our ipod and it was perfect, no need for a dj. My dad slipped the Mariachi band from the restaurant $100 to sing 3 songs for us which was the perfect amount in my opinion. The cake looked just like the pictures and was delicious I did 2 tier for 20-30 people and it was still way too much as they serve desert with the meal as well. I'm probably missing something so don't hesitate to ask questions.... Please view our professional and non professional pictures at Snapfish: Share:Registration I hope you all enjoy your weddings as much as we did. Our only regret was not staying another week.

Quote: Originally Posted by dlindsay We're still planning for our May 23rd wedding with the hopes that this will start to die down. I've offered to write my guests prescriptions for Tamiflu. So far we've just had one couple cancel. I am starting to talk with my TA about am alternate. Any other May brides going through with it? Yes , it looks like we are some of the only ones keeping our date. We thought about changing locations but it was too much stress and trouble and extra money. We also thought to change the date but knew that we would have guests cancel if we did that as well. We decided this morning to go through with it. We feel that our chances are as good here as they are there to get this flu. All of our guest went to the doctor and got tamiflu. Most of them are excited except my mom which makes me sad. We had a pregnant friend cancel and a grandmother cancel. So we still have 45 guests. It's not the ideal situation but we are dealing with it and trying to get excited again after a very stressful week. I wish all of you luck and my heart goes out to all of you.

Quote: Originally Posted by yoAzul THANKS! This is helpful Any advise from brides leaving next week for MX? We leave next Wednesday and everyone is calling me to find out. I will send this information plus information on tamiflu. But they just issued a statement to not travel to MX unless extreemly nesessary. Has anyone postponed or even thought of postponing?

I never told Tiffany an exact number of guests before I booked Zocalo Terrace I told her somewhere between 45-51 and she suggested the terrace and the Plaza. I would tell her that there's a chance you might have a few people coming with a day pass so that would make it 50. Then when you get there work with the on site people and tell them those people may or may not make it but you will pay the difference if needed to get the terrace. I heard the WC's at the resort are very accomodating and make exceptions when you get there but you still need to get it locked in before you go. Tell her you know a bride that has 45-50ppl on May 9th that got the terrace(Ali Speed). I told her it meant a lot to us to have a private intimate space instead of being in the middle of a busy resort and that we have 2 elderly guests and small children that need close proximity to bathrooms so it was extreemly important to us to get the Zocalo. I hope this helps. Make sure you also print the emails she sends you with confirmation and bring to the resort. It will all work out, I promise. Every bride so far has had a wonderful experience so I'm not worried. Good Luck!

I am also confused b/c I have the zocallo booked and I have 48 guests. I was nervous that it would be too small but I liked the intimate setting better than the plaza. At 50 guest others were telling me it would be tight so I am wondering why she's telling you there needs to be at least 50. Perhaps you could tell her you will pay for a $12 meal for the other 12 non existant guests if you really have your heart set on it. It would be worth it. They nickle and dime us so much that at this point I think "what's another $1-200" to make it perfect. She seems to give in more when you keep on her about importance etc... Good luck.

Thanks to everyone on the forum for being so helpful. I really appreciate all of the advice. We will figure something out. Worst case scenario they will rent a house or try for another resort and get the day pass. It's just crazy b/c they were the main people we needed and wanted there and now we have all of our friends and most of our fam and missing 2 main components

I am in pacic mode!!!! I have 50 guest for my wedding....Most have booked! Unfortunatly the only ones that havent are my brother and sister and their families. They are the only one's bringing kids which is why we chose this resort over the El Dorado.... To make a long story even longer, they procrastinated and now the resort is BOOKED!!!! Are there any brides blocking rooms where the block might lift for MAY 7-12 OR 6-13 OR ANYTHING!!! HELP!!!! They are booked the 7-9th and our wedding is the 9th. Any help or room changes would be greatly appreciated. Also, Are any of your guests staying at other resorts and getting day passes? If so what does that consist of and do you have resort reccomendations that will take kids near by??

Does anyone have pictures of what the Zocallo Alfresco Terrace looks like when decorated for a wedding reception. I am currently booked for the Plaza but I almost think the terrace would be a bit more intimate. I also thought the food might stay hot longer and I like that bathrooms would be close as well. I would love to see some pictures and hear what decisions you guys made on your receptions and why. I also have 50 guests so I'm not sure if they would let us do the terrace or not? Ideas? Pictures? I would also love to see some of your plans/budgets if you don't mind sharing. My email is [email protected] if you don't feel comfortable posting it. Thanks

I am trying to pick my reception area and don't want it on the beach but can't tell from the pictures how the other locations are. Has anyone had their reception on the Zocalo terrace? I like the thought of this area being a bit more private perhaps but I don't see where people could dance and DJ set up etc.... any ideas or pictures would be great. Thanks.

Anyone doing the set menu for $12/person? I was wondering if this is still considered a "private dinner" so they still provide all tables, chairs etc.... I know it might sound cheap but I have been to several weddings and the food is hardly ever memorable and half the time I hardly eat at the reception (just drink and mingle/dance) so I don't want to do a full cocktail party and then a full formal sit down dinner(spending over $5k in food alone). I think it might be a waste of money although nice gesture as guest have spent a lot to come to the Wedding. Do you guys think it would be okay(not cheap looking) if we had people go straight to the reception/dinner site for drinks while were getting pictures...I was thinking of providing the cheese/cracker/cold apps for $150-300/tray while we're getting the pictures and the $12/person meal after....We will then have a DJ, dancing and drinks for the rest of the time. We could order more trays as the night goes on if needed? I want it to be classy and don't want to chince on things so if this seems tacky I would definetly spend the extra for the bells and whistles of a bigger formal meal:)

Wow...these budgets seem pretty steep if they don't include your trip cost and photographer cost. We are spending $4000 on our trip, $2000 on the wedding package....I'm trying to stay under $4000 for the photos and food for the reception if possible. We will have about 50 people. We are also getting the DJ for $1400? So I guess with our trip cost it will be between $10-12k. This doesn't include dresses, decorations or the reception back home. Our reception here will be about $8000 with food/music/rentals.

Thank you so much for responding so quickly. I would love to see them. My screen name is my email [email protected].

Sorry to change the subject but I haven't sent invitations yet and need suggestions and samples on what others have done ASAP. I did an emailed STD which has worked well. We are having a reception when we get back. I don't know etiquitte on who to send what to or if you send a formal invite to all even if they aren't going to Mexico. We get married in May and I want to have a formal invite sent out by the end of this month. Then I was thinking I would send a reminder STD mexico postcard when we get back for the reception.... I also struggle with the wording because even though it's a non traditional wedding I want the traditional wording as my parents are paying and I feel the need to mention them. Any ideas or examples would be greatly appreciated.

I think I fell off of the wedding date list. We are getting married on May 9th. Thanks.

Sorry i'm so long winded but just one more thing.... I stayed at the El Dorado Royale(another karisma) a year ago and it was an awesome resort. I would have gotten married there but we have a few couples bringing kids and it's adults only. I read some trip advisor reviews the other day just to see how they compared to this resort knowing that I would return to El Dorado no matter what the reviews said. There were several good and bad reviews similar to the Azul's. I think some people are just a bit more picky than others and you have to decide what's most important to you. We go for the ambiance, company, drinks, great ocean views and fantastic food. I believe Azul Sensatori will deliver these things and we'll deal with the rest.

I've been just observing these posts for a while and trip advisor as well and I have decided to stick with this resort. I think we might be jumping the gun. I have been to this area of Mexico 8 times in the last 10 years and I've stayed at 3,4 and 5 star all-inclusive resorts. There's never been a trip where we haven't had a single problem and they are always out of our control. I've had salt water come out of my shower, gotten a little sick from food, flooded a bathroom, lost my drivers license, had a purse stolen...the list goes on and on.... but I still love Mexico more than anyplace I've ever been... IT'S MEXICO, not the states and that's what we are signing up for. I think attitude is everything. I know that having 50+ people we will at least have one couple with a problem while we are there. However, the resort pictures are absolutly amazing and the food reviews are great too. I say we stay positive and give them a chance. Karisma has an excellent reputation which they don't want to ruin. I personally can deal with a little water in the bathroom and seaweed on the beach. We don't spend much time in our room or swim in the ocean so I'm sure it will be fabulous. We will be with our family and best friends with swim up bars, unlimited alchohol and great food so I know we'll have a great time no matter where we stay. I would suggest reading some trip advisor reviews from other 5 star resorts and then make a decision. I know this is the most important day of our lives but I think we need to keep in mind our laid back fun attitudes that made us chose Mexico in the first place. Good luck to you all no matter what you decide.

I'm trying to decide between a sit down dinner or a double cocktail reception. Do they include the tables, chairs and tablecloths with the sit down dinner? I know they only provide a few cocktail tables for those parties. I just thought that it would keep the party flowing better if we just had heavy appetizers rather than a full sit down meal. Any ideas or tips would be great. Thanks.

Quote: Originally Posted by AustinGirl I can't believe that there is no music allowed on the rooftop. I just emailed Tiffany saying that I wanted the rooftop and didn't hear anything about not having music. I definitely don't want that. We need the music and dancing! Did Fabio tell you this? This is how she responded to me....it is soooo frustrating trying to find the perfect place. I love the rooftop idea!!!! I don't think people will dance out in the middle of the resort Hi Ali, Thank you for your email. Unfortunatly we cannot reserve an area till 90 days prior to your wedding date. Remind me in February that you would like this to be reserved for you. Please keep in mind that you can have a maximum of 60 people for this location and it is for a cocktail party only. There will be 6 high tables and unfortunately there can be no music. If you have any other questions please let me know Tiffany Borowsky Wedding Coordinator

The resort is telling me there are only 3 options for the reception. One by the pool, one in the middle of the resort "plaza" and then the garden rooftop. I was leaning towards the garden rooftop as we were wanting heavy hors d'oevres and music/dancing in an intimate setting all night. I thought the other two options were too wide open to the resort. They said that we can't have music at the garden rooftop so that is a definate NO because we have to have music. Has anyone heard of other options for the reception. I am thinking of changing to a full sit down dinner as this is getting way more complicated than I expected. Ideas

I am going to email Tiffany today and call her on Monday to try to build a relationship. I will let you know if she's a better communicator than the other 2 have been.

Hi ladies...just fyi...I wrote Nancy a detailed email with questions a few days ago and here's the response.... "My name is Tiffany Borowsky and I am sorry to inform you that Nancy Kidder is no longer with Karisma Hotels." Just to let everyone know that it appears Nancy is gone and here's the information Tiffany provided... [email protected] Wedding Coordinator Premier Worldwide Marketing, LLC Ph: 1-866-KARISMA, 9am-5:30pm, est. Monday through Friday

Whoops, I'm still a newby here obviously...that was directed to "weddingchick" I didn't know how to send to her directly.

Hi, I just joined this forum and noticed that your wedding day is the same as mine... How exciting. I hope all of your planning is going well so far. Do you know any details of your wedding time or what you are doing for your reception?

Okay, here are the photos... there are two links... one is mostly of restaurants and the other is of a sky deck wedding. Enjoy! azspic(various areas of the hotel including restaurants and bars) azsskywedd (sky wedding that took place on Saturday, 11/1)