Butterflyf369

When I was down they told me that cocktail hour was all you could drink and the hor'douvers equaled three per person. In the end we didn't go with the hor'douvers and folks just ended up eating together at the sea side grill.

Great thread! I can't believe how many handbags your bringing down, LOL...BTW, I love your purple dress, so pretty. Congrats!

The plaza is beside the Mexican restaurant (behind the main building that faces the courtyard). They no longer do the entertainment in the courtyard. It's actually a nice set up and much bigger than the courtyard. I think it's new as I was there two years ago and the courtyard was still being used. Quote: Originally Posted by jerzygirl85 I just received an email from Landy stating that the nightly entertainment takes place in the plaza. Now where is the PLAZA!!! When I visited DT a few years back all the nightly entertainment took place in the plaza by the chapel courtyard and the sugar reef bar. Does anyone know if that's still the case?? Or is there a new plaza since they expanded the resort? I was planning to have my reception by the adult pool, but Landy said I could have the dolphin pool where its more secluded.

I found Aurora to be responsive but sometimes it took her about 1 week to respond. I also found it was easier dealing with the wedding coordinator when I got down to the resort as Aurora was very by the book and quoted me prices for stuff (i.e set up that the wedding coordinator didn't charge me for).

Hi, When we got to the hotel, we just asked that all our rooms be near each other. It wasn't a problem, besides the hotel is small enough that it's not that much of a distance between rooms. As to upgrade, we got it when we got to the resort. We asked and one my girlfriends piped up that we brought 19 people with us so they were good about it. P.S. Don't feel guilty, your guests will have a wonderful time.

Beautiful photos, thanks for sharing!

Sorry I only found this now. I also downloaded the templates and bought a 2inch punch from Michael's. It worked fine for me. BTW, although my guests thought they were cute, no one used them.

Wow, great pics! Your FI will love them.

We didn't have any issues with this at all. There is 1 pool open till 10:00PM but by our end it was deserted. We had our dinner at 6:00PM. Honestly there were weddings taking place everyday and not once did I see kids playing in the pool at that hour. It was dark by 6:00PM so that may have been a factor. Not sure how it would work in the summer months so definately worth verifying when you get down there.

I sent prewedding brochures and told my guests no presents. It worked, we didn't have to bring back anything except a couple of cards. People will give you gifts anyway...

Hi, Thanks so much. We ended up having our reception dinner by the Dolphin Pool. We had 1 long table and it was perfect and intimate for the group. Everyone loved the location as it was the best of both worlds, the view of the ocean on one side and the view of the pool on the other. As to lighting, there was lighting in the pool and Anabel arranged for some bag lanters on the floor (white bags with sands and candles in them). She also had 1 spot light but it was too much so we told her not to bother. We also paid for hurracaine candle holders with white candles so it set the mood perfectly. I did not go really overboard with decorations but what we did have included: - hanging floors on the huppa - drinks with straws and little butterflies - set up table with shawls and hanging branches with crystals - dinner- candles, shells and flowers scattered around When you get there, they can take you around so you see the different locations options and decide what you like. I made all the arrangements when I got down and they spent about 1.5 hours with me helping me decide. For myself, the location was perfect and it did not look like we were lost in a sea of empty space. I did think that floating candles would have added a nice touch but it you go this route, it's really just for the effect instead of the lighting. The only thing that was hard was the reading of the speeches. Mike's uncle held up one of the hurracaine vase. It was pretty funny. I was also really nervous until I got down there. It was really easy so don't worry, they will take care of your needs. Quote: Originally Posted by northernflasher CONGRATULATIONS ON BECOMING A MRS Can't wait to see your pics and review. Its great that things worked out better value than you expected. I have some questions about small, intimate weddings I hope you can help me with. We are struggling to decide where we want our reception and I need to email the co-ordinator in a fortnight with the details!! We are only having 15 people in total, how did you find having a small party in terms of your reception location? We are kinda worried that our single table will look a bit lost and lonely on a large terrace or beach or that there wont be much of an intimate atmosphere, did you feel this at all? We also wondered about lighting, when you say they put out your decorations for free did you string lights up or did you find the ambient lighting adequate. We were also considering putting floating lanterns in the pool. From your experience is this worth doing when we only have one long table (= one vantage point to see them from), do they set you up close enough to the pool to see them properly or is the pool so big that they will look lost and float away? Sorry for all the questions, times ticking and my nerves are shot!!! Thanks for the help

Hi Ladies, I got back and am now a Mrs. We had a wonderful time and will be writing my review and posting my pics. Anabel was our coordinator and she was really wonderful to deal with. I did find that some of the stuff that Auorora quoted me was completely different when I met with the coordinator: - Blood work- only charged $165 instead of $175 - No set up fee for putting out my decorations (There were only 19 of us) - We had our reception at the Dolphin Pool and went with the silver menu. We did not have to pay the $750 (wasn't even mentioned in discussions with Anabel) - All is all it worked out cheaper for us to go with the free package and add the upgrades Hope this helps. Thanks V.

Hi, I'm flying out with sunwing and they are fine with me doing a carry one. I checked when I heard about the restrictions. My girlfriend worked at the airport and said that you definately don't want check your dress. She recommends talking with the check in person when you get to the airport. Quote: Originally Posted by BellaBeachBabe Hi everyone I just phoned west jet and I was told that I am NOT allowed to bring my dress on as carry-on, instead it must be placed in my checked luggage! It was to my understanding that on all westjet flights I could. The man on the phone kept on saying "no carry on baggage at all...he said any travel to the US prohibits carry on baggage even though I kept telling him I am flying direct to mexico, not stopping in the US but he still said no?! I think I will call back tomorrow and ask to speak to the person responsible because there is no way I am risking losing my dress! That is the reason why I chose westjet and paid extra $$$. Has anyone heard different for westjet??

Oh, I love your dress, it looks great on you!

Ohhh, they are so nice. I love the colours. Rebecca made up a bunch of tags and my welcome brochure. She doesn't disappoint.

Quote: Originally Posted by crazyldy Wow butterflyf369 I am super nervous about this dinner option because we don't have that kind of money for 65 extra a person and i am getting married 5 days after you. We are not bringing the extra money down with us because I am counting on the 20 dollar a person menu. It is just over 2 weeks away and I am still having people get tickets and all I keep thinking is $$$$ I know what you mean. I've been so calm now I feel like I'm crashing. I'm only have 20 people including my FI and I so it's not going to be expensive. I just keep thinking how much much I'm saving by not getting married in Toronto. Aurora also mentioned in her email that if I wanted the $20 menu I would have to have an indoor reception at the Italian restaurant. It's a really nice restaurant so it's something you should consider. My girlfriend had her reception in the wine cellar of the Italian restaurant and it was lovely. She only had about 25 people so not sure if it's an option for you.

I got another email from Aurora today and the timing was so bad. I just got back from shopping and I'm a bit stressed. It's down to the crunch and I'm spending money like crazy. I didn't even consider the costs associated with make up, drug store items and incidentals like the limo. My FI wants to make me some comfort food but considering I just lost weight to fit into my dress, he can't win today. Thanks for letting me vent.

Wow, I got the same response when I asked about the outside reception. She didn't even mention the $750 set up cost. She's already sent me an email to inquire what menu choice I'm going with but I'm just going to decided when I get down there. Both sets of parents are coming with us to decide on the details. At first I was oh my gosh, but now I'm happy. Perhaps they will have better luck in trying to get a deal that I would have with my FI. Wish me luck, I'll report back when I return.

Quote: Originally Posted by AchiCAp0547 WOW, looks like it is going to be absolutely stunning. How did you mail the pre-wedding brochures to people? In the skinny envelope? Where did you find them? Thanks =) Thanks so much. I go the envelops from the Papery....not sure if they are outside of Toronto. I mailed the pre-wedding brochures to most of my guests and hand delivered a bunch as it was around the holidays (I needed two stamps). I got them in skinny envelops that were the perfect size for the brochures. The back had a tie wrap and adhesive. I placed a heart sticker on the backs that I also got from PaperMart. Hope this helps. I think I've got about 5 left over and will gladly send your way free if you'd like them. Not sure if it is worth it to you but may help. You can PM me if interested. Thanks V.

Quote: Originally Posted by amygirl1169 Oh and what were the 2 guests reasons for not wanting to adhere to the white dress code? (Just out of curiousity) Thanks so much! Michael's aunt just doesn't wear white and we're not too concerned.

Hi Ladies, I just posted my planning thread. Hope this link works. I'll post a review when I get back. I'm leaving on the 16th. http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...ad-pics-53628/

Dinner: Here is a mock up on how I want the dinner table to look. I’m not very artistic so hopefully the resort can help me out. I plan on ordering candles with hurricane vases from the resort. There will be white flowers and I got really cute starfish candles and shells on sale from Pottery Barn last summer that I will include in the layout. On each dinner plate there will be an envelop with a lottery scratch card and a Mexican peso. The stickers will say “Wishing You Riches†from Mr. and Mrs. B. Trainer: One of the best decisions I made was to get a personal trainer to whip me into shape. Bren was the best and was not only hard when he needed to be but really was involved in making sure I felt and looked my best. I lost 13 pounds working out with him and feel really good. If you can swing it, I really recommend a trainer if you’re looking to get in tip top wedding shape. Vendors: Here is the links to the vendors that I used. I was happy with all of them and would have no hesitation recommending them. Matches: Matchboxes gag gifts farts poop by dippylulu on Etsy Welcome name tags: Hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday by AmysPartyCouture on Etsy Hankies/Garter/Something blue tag: Molly and Mom by mollyandmom on Etsy Huppa Flowers: 'amor et pertinacia' Love and Determination by juliag1969 on Etsy Tags/Brochures: Allurements by Rebecca I’ll be sure to write a review upon my return and share my photos. If you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks again, the time has really flown by and I’m so excited to become a Mrs.! Vanessa

The OOT bags were really important to me. I felt so honoured that my friends and family are coming to the wedding I wanted to do them up really well. I’m worried about how I will transport everything but thus far, everyone is making room in their luggage for me. I think I had way too much fun with them but I’m happy with how they turned out. Inside the bags will be the following: -Two different OOT bags for the men and women -Weekend survival kit containing Advil, gravel, shout whips, band aides, condoms for the singles, hand sanitizer and hangover shower bar from lush -Coach wrist lists for the girls to hold their door key and money (every time I’ve gone to Mexico I’m always searching for someplace to hold all my stuff when I go to dinner or the bar so thought these would be great) -Suntan lotion, cards, sudoku, wine stopper, matches (cheesy ones specifically for the bathroom “Gotta Poo†or “Gotta Fartâ€- it’s an inside joke with my friends) -For the girls I also included lotion, lip balm (fav of fine), cake sugar scrub (fav of fine) and lingerie bags -For the guys, we got bubba kegs on sale -I also made up these door hangers I found on Martha Stewart along with these guest room number listings. -I also had Rebecca make up thank you tags and will hang them on the bags with blue ribbon when I get down there -I also had hankies made up for our parents. I got them from Esty and she did an amazing job. I highly recommend her. Ceremony: Our ceremony will be at 2:00PM on January 21, 2010. We went with Moments That Matter for our photographers and thus far they have been wonderful to deal with. For the ceremony, I plan on having white flowers along the aisle and on the huppa. I ordered these hanging flowers from esty so I will have the resort hang them. I ordered these crystals and plan on hanging them on tree branches on a table with the following: -Guest book I had made from Blurb (I hope it comes in time) -Pashimina scarves. Rebecca did the tags and I loved how they turned out Here is the ring bearer’s bowl that I had made on Esty. It says, “The Sun, Moon, Stars For you and our wedding dateâ€.

Invitations/Ceremony Program: Michael’s father designed our invitations so it’s really special to us. He did a wonderful job and we love them. As to the program, it’s a bit more than either of us expected but Michael’s father is pretty happy with it so we’re going to go with it. We’re both pretty easy going so will have a candle lighting ceremony as well as a wine ceremony. It will end with a seven blessing observance. Pre wedding brochure: I got this idea from the forum. Rebecca worked with me on the brochures and luggage tags. I owe so much to her. She took my ideas and turned them into reality. She was great to work with and I loved how everything turned out. My guests loved these and everyone is so pumped now. Welcome Dinner: We are having a welcome dinner at the World Café. It will provide an opportunity for us to give out the OOT bags and also have the guests get to know each other. I had these name tags made up and I think they turned out really cute. I will also have fortune chop sticks to honor my Chinese heritage. We also had a little game called “How well do you know Michael and Vanessa†made up. They were silly questions that guests gave to decide if it’s applicable to Michael or myself. We will be giving out presents to the top winners. I’ll be wearing a white dress with a flower that I’ve taken a picture of. Michael will also be wearing white.

This site has been an unbelievable lifesaver for me. Through this site, I’ve learnt so much and can’t help but thank all of you for your ideas and words of wisdom. It was so hard not to feel inadequate, so many wonderful ideas I wanted to do it all. After months of planning I finally realized that I couldn’t do it all, but what I could do, would represent who Michael and I are. Along the way, I met some great vendors who helped make my ideas a reality and also borrowed from a lot of you. I’m sorry I can’t thank all of you, but please know that I couldn’t have done this without you. So without further adieu, here is my thread… Engagement: I wanted a simply eternity band so Michael and I went shopping and I was so thrilled with the one that he presented me with on March 31, 2009. I was a bit tipsy after a night of drinking so it me a bit to soak it all in. Of course I cried! Shower: My mother threw us this amazing shower and had it catered. She gave out teacups with butterflies on them and wrapped them in Tiffney blue paper. It was lovely and Mike and I had an awesome time. One of the really cool gifts that we got was a money flower from Michael’s mother and sister. Yes, they are made from really money. Resort: I chose Dreams Tulum as my girlfriend had gotten married at the same resort and I fell in love with it. It’s not only beautiful but the food and drinks are to die for. I asked her if she was ok with me getting married at the same resort and she was thrilled. They are coming with us and planning on having a little honeymoon! Dress: I wanted something really simply and had decided on another dress but my mom thought it didn’t have enough bling so I went with this one. It was the right decision, of course moms are always right. It’s too big on me but in the midst of being altered. My jewerally will be min and include a necklace Michael got me. My mom is a hairdresser so she will be doing my hair. I will be wearing a veil and plan on going barefoot. I had this label made up that will be sewn into my dress. My garter was also from the same person on Esty. Groom: My FI just ordered his outfit from the intranet so we’re hopeful it comes in time. If not, we’ll pick something up in Mexico. Ring bearer: My FI’s nephew is our ring bearer and will be wearing this white suite with a white hat (he loves Mario Kart so the hat looks like the one Mario wears but in white) Theme: I’m getting married on the beach and requested that all my guests wear white. Everything will be white with tiffany blue accent thrown in. The white request went over really well and all but two people will be wearing it. I told them I’d Photoshop them in white. Here is the verse that went into the invitations surrounding attire: “As the Wedding Ceremony will be informal and casual, think in terms of “white chic casual†for the men, women and children. Vanessa will love it! Of course, Michael will love whatever his sweetie loves!â€