chloe55

Thanks for all the input girls! I love the first one, but haven't been able to find it anywhere. I had to order it into a store on some kind of loner program and it came in today! I can't wait to see it, but I'm waiting till Friday when my maid of honor comes in from Texas. The second one looked really boring to me until I put it on and now I can't stop thinking about it, so I'll have to see what I think when I can try them both on within a few minutes of each other. Kimmy - all the good things I heard about peridress were from this forum, so you may be able to ask some brides who actually ordered from there how their dresses came out and if they went the custon route. Try this thread - http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t36700 . Looking back through it, it looks like people also really liked zero-love and landy bridal which seem to be the same company. Good luck girl! I'd be interested to know how it turns out for you. I got a super cheap ttd on ebay, but I might consider having a replica made of my actual dress if it works out super well. jetsbride - we sent out save the dates right away when we picked a location. Right now the plan is to send formal invites about 2 months before our wedding, but only to people who we know are coming. I've got some pretty elaborate plans for them which include invitations and rsvp to all the wedding events and group activities and I think it would blow our budget out of the water to have them made for all 200 people we sent std's to. A separate invitation for our ahr will go out to everyone which we'll probobly send 2 month before the arh.

Our TA does a lot of destination weddings and she told us that she recently had a bride who asked her to add $50 onto all her guests trip and then give her the money so that it would cover the cost of her wedding. She also did not tell the people that she was doing it. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard that, but it does sound like this may be something that some people do.

Oh tylersgirl, I love the Rhianna Royale! It was definately a front runner when I was looking online before actually going shopping, but I can't find a store that carries it to try on. I can't wait to see pictures of you in it!

I love all your dresses girls! Shelk, my vote is for the flowy one with the flower. I can't decide between these 2... Maybe you guys can help me decide. Kimmy - did you check out www.peridress.com ? I've heard a lot of good things about them, and they can custom make dresses from a picture you send in. For 150-200, it couldn't hurt to see what they come up with.

Ok, so my TA emailed me back and said that the offer is a combination of what the tour operator she works with offers and also the agency she works for. She also said that we won't know exactly what our deal will be until final payments are recieved by everyone in our group. I'm not sure who the tour operator she works with is though. Apple Vacations? She did say that she can work with anyone from anywhere though, so if some of the girls who aren't too far along in their planning want to use her, just let me know and I can pass along her info.

This is from an email she sent me this morning ... The 21st rule. If you have 21 full paying people in a group weather they are staying 4 nights or 7 nights they are under the same group. There for you would fly and stay free. You just pay the tax. I would have to have 10 rooms under our agency to get this. If you have 40 people (children not included) then you will both go free. I just had that happen at the same resort your going to. I'll send her an email and ask if it's just through her or what the deal is and I'll let you know. She gets back to me pretty quickly, so it shouldn't be too long.

I'm glad to hear it's all working out Josie! I just talked to my TA and I'm pretty excited! She just told me that if we have 40 people book, Dave and I will get our flight and stay at the RIU for free. I guess there is some kind of rule where every 21st person goes for free. I'm happy about it, but I'm surprised I haven't heard about it from this site before now. I seem to be one step ahead of her on everything because of this forum. Is it too good to be true? Did anyone get a similar deal? I just don't want to re-evaluate our budget and have this deal fall through.

I'm a planner too! Which is funny because part of the reason I wanted a DW was so I didn't have to plan very much. Now I want more stuff to plan. I guess I'm complicated. I heard all those things about the cake as well, which doesn't bother me at all. I've never had a piece of wedding cake that I've liked. For our AHR, we're actually having a giant tiered creme brulee thing made by a friend that is a pastry chef. That should be interesting, she said there will be innertubes involved in the baking process. I hear you on the drinking rather than eating this as well! I wish we could see the flowers though. It looks like the options are roses or a tropical mix. The photography is actually the most important thing to me. Our grandmothers will not be coming to the wedding because of health reasons, and I'm very close to my grandmother. I really want her to feel like she was there with us when she sees the pictures. I really want a lot of pictures of all the things we do outside of the actual wedding and reception, and I don't think the resort photographer would be available for that kind of thing. So, thats why I'm so crazy about the photographer thing. I am dying to hear what she thought of the place overall though. I've been to the Riu Palace Las Americas before and it was really beautiful, the staff was great, and the rooms were really nice. That's a big part of why we chose the RPRM, but it is a little nerve racking to not have been to the place we're getting married.

Josie - That sucks! Maybe you guys could divide and conquer? Your mom could get in touch with all her random people and you and FI could split up the rest. It seems so simple to us, but for some reason people just don't seem to understand that there's a difference. I had a client a couple weeks ago who insisted he had been to the Riu Palace Riviera Maya in 2000. I tried to tell him it was built pretty recently and that he was most likely at the Riu Palace Mexico, but he just didn't get it. Unfortunately, this will probably happen to us too. We have a lot of people coming who will be on their first trip out of the country and a friend that really prides himself on his ability to find super deals on his own. I just keep telling people it will be better for everyone if we all book through the same person for the group rate. tylersgirl - That's pretty lame that they won't let you pick your location and flowers, etc. Do they change the options all the time? Or are they just too busy to deal with it? I feel your pain, I want to know everything now, and my wedding isn't for 10 months. So, when you get to choose everything 1-2 months before, do they send you photos of the flowers and cakes to choose from? I've seen what people have ended up with in their reviews, but it would be nice to have some idea of what the options look like before you get there. On a side note, I'm really excited to hear about msbettybernier's trip down to the RPRM! This photographer situation is really stressing me out.

Uh yeah, I meant Final Seal. Too much makeup on the brain.

I do makeup for tons of weddings outside of my job as an aesthetician at a spa. I mainly do airbrush makeup, which I would suggest as the absolute best for your wedding day. It makes you skin look flawless and stays in place all day. If you want to do your wedding day makeup yourself, definately get lots of lessons at makeup counters and sephora and practice a lot at home. By the time you've purchased all the makeup and spent all the time getting the lessons, you'll probably have invested a lot more than having an experienced professional do it for you though. I think I do a pretty good job doing my own hair when I go out, but I know for sure I won't be doing it on my wedding day. I'll be too nervous, and I want to make sure I look the best I possibly can in all the photos. Oooh, and I love Ben Nye Photo Finish!

Hmm, I just saw that my email to Rafa did not get delivered. It's too big I guess. Should I send it without pictures?

I can't believe I just saw this contest! An email is on it's way!

We're getting married at thr RPRM. We did look into The Royal as well and really liked it. In the end, we went with the RPRM because of the cost of the actual wedding and reception. We're taking the savings and spending it on a really great excursion for all our guests.

Ok, thanks everyone, I'm starting to feel better about the mysterious 'wedding pack'. I was freaking out a little bit that I didn't have a confirmed date and time. Msbettybernier - Thank you so much for looking into those things for me, it takes a huge weight off my shoulders. I could just imagine paying for a photographer to come down and then them not being able to take photos. Or dragging all these decorations down there that look crazy with what they've got going on, and not being able to use them. We were planning on doing a site visit, but I don't think we're going to be able to work it into the budget after all, so this is a huge help. Thank you! I'm not sure if I'll be staying with FI the night before. I really like the idea of having a slumber party in my room the night before with all the girls in my bridal party, but I'm worried I'll miss him too much. I think that's kind of the point though, isn't it? I am a little worried about him being a hung over mess if he spends the night before hanging out with his friends though. As far as the vow thing goes, we will definately be writing our own vows. We're actually playing with the idea of writing our entire ceremony. We're getting married at the courthouse here before we leave, so the ceremony will just be symbolic anyways. We weren't really planning on it, but it seems like everyone in the wedding (excluding me) will be wearing jcrew. FI will be wearing the 3 piece linen british khaki suit with a green tie, and his groomsmen are just going to wear the pants, vest and a white shirt. We haven't decided on whether they're going to wear ties or not. His bestman is his 9 year old son, so we still have to find something for him to wear. Here's the guys suits... Men - Baird McNutt linen suiting - Baird McNutt linen Aldridge three-button suit jacket - J.Crew My Bridesmaids are just going to pick whatever dress they like from there in the clover color. So far they all like this one though, so they might end up all getting the same dress (which I was trying to avoid)... Bridesmaids Dresses - Silk Ballerina & Halter Dresses, Short & Long Dresses - J.Crew Everybody seemed really surprised when we said no tuxes or suits for the groomsmen, but from looking arount this site, I actually think we're going more formal than most people. What's everyone else here doing?

I haven't been talking to any of the wedding coordinators. My TA told me that things would get answered much more quickly if everything went through her because of her connections. That hasn't turned out super great for us so far though because she doesn't seem to be getting any clear information and it's not coming to her all that fast. Also, I was told that our date was confirmed, but I know nothing about this wedding pack that everyone is talking about. Is that something I'm supposed to get once the day and time is confirmed? Maybe I need to start taking a bit more control. We're getting married at 5 as well, and just planned on having everyone go to the lobby bar. It was my understanding that they can make this semi-private for you. We're considering getting the mariachi band for awhile during this time. We were going to have cuban cigars and monogramed matchbooks as one of our favors and we thought this would be a good time to have them out. Anybody else have any good ideas?

Oh, and where the heck is everyone getting these inspiration boards? I don't think I'm tech savvy enough to make one.

We are doing a clover green, tan, and white. I keep loving other color combos though, it's actually driving me crazy. I just keep telling myself that if I went with any of those, I'd end up wanting something else the next week. I'm playing with having my bridesmaids all carry different color bouquets (like one will have all pink, another all yellow, etc.) just to incorporate all the colors I love.

Msbettybernier - While you are in your meeting at the Riu, would it be too much trouble for you to get some info about what exactly their outside photographer policy is? It seems alot of us are confused about it. My TA has suggested that she do all the communitcating with the Riu, and says that when she inquired about it, she basically got an email with the FAQ page of their website. It was my understanding that if your photographer is a guest of your wedding (I'm planning on having mine stay for 4 nights is she's permitted to take photos), they are free to take whatever pictures they like just like the rest of your guests. I think Jaime, who started this thread, had 2 guests that were photographers and they were allowed to photograph her wedding. Also, I didn't think they allowed photographers in with a guest pass, but now they do? Maybe it's because they took the photos out of the 2010 packages. It just seems like we can't get a clear answer, it would be interesting to see what they say when asked face to face. Also, could you please let me know, if you get a chance to go into both Boto Fogo and Chilis, what they're decorated like? Just the colors and the centerpieces they have on the tables, stuff like that. I'm trying to decide if it's worth it to bring additional decorations or if we could just leave them be. Thank you soooooo much!

Hey Kristy - I'm actually an aesthetician aka a waxer. I regularly wax all those areas you're having done as well as my arms. Take a few ibuprofen 30 mins before your treatment and bring a razor with you on your trip just in case. It's normal to have some of the hairs break, especially if its your first time, and those will pop back out within the 3 weeks. It may not be the most relaxing way to spend an hour, but you'll feel like a new woman walking out the door!

Hi Msbettybernier - I'm getting married at the Riu Palace Riviera Maya in February of 2010 as well, and have been encountering the same problem. My response to people who are concerned is that I have no desire to put those I love in danger and that I've been assured my multiple sources that the Riviera Maya is safe. There are dangers whenever you travel to another country, and it's always wise to be cautious where ever you go. I've explained that Tijuana is very far away from the Riviera Maya, but there were some recent incidents in Cancun, so that argument didn't hold water for very long. The bottom line for us is that the Riu Palace Riviera Maya is where we want to get married. We're hoping that things calm down in the next few months so people can stop being so concerned. We might consider a change of location if the situations escalates though. Good luck!

I found mine on ebay for $32. I would just look there regularly, you'll find something. Good luck!

So, I ordered a dress that I found on ebay with 5 minutes left to bid. It's brand new, and the girl just didn't want to do the alterations on it (it was too big for her). I put a bid in for $40 at the last second just to see what would happen and I ended up getting it for $32! I just got it today, and it's so much better than I expected! Here's the pic... and the link cause this picture cuts it off... David's Bridal - Satin Sheath with Pleated Empire and V-Halter I'm so excited, I just had to tell someone!

OK, for the life of me, I cannot remember where I heard about the fee for outside photographers. It could be for another resort for all I know, I found that information very early in my planning (before we had 100% decided on a place). But, I was able to find a few sources for info about booking a room for the photographer for the night. Unfortunatly I don't have anything concrete, as they are not the greatest communicators. I got all my info from other BDW users. Carrieo- I don't think it matters if the Riu sees through your plan or not. If you look at a user Evonut's review of her wedding, she says that she used Elizabeth Medina and paid for a room for 1 night for her and her assistant so they would be considered guests. This thread also mentions outside photographers at the RPRM... http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t26773-2 so does this one... http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t10970 Destinationbridegina- It just depends on what the rate is for that particular day. To get a ballpark fiqure, you could just look it up on their website, but it would prob be cheaper to book their room through your TA. If anyone hears anything different, please let me know. I'm bringing a photographer down from the states, and definately would not like it if they were prohibited from taking photos on my wedding day.

We're doing travel mugs and a welcome letter. In the letter it will say that if they forgot or need anything like chapstick, tylenol, antacid, bandaids, suncreen, aloe, etc., we have a lot and would be happy to provide them with whatever they need. Then, we'll just bring full size bottles of the pills and a few different kinds of sunscreen, etc. and keep them in our room. We didn't want to go through the expense and hassle of hauling a bunch of things that are really cute and thoughtful, but most likely would not get used by everyone. We are spending a good amount on favors instead though.