cjb0arder13

Hello you lovely ladies! I'm *pretty sure* I'm now a Barcelo Maya Palace bride! I say *pretty sure* because I haven't got rates yet (should have them tomorrow) but my date is on hold...4 pm on January 31st 2011!

 

Long story short, I WAS an Azul Beach bride, but we just found out a couple weeks ago that they're doing construction on the resort during my wedding stay. There was a lot of back and forth regarding construction dates, but we finally confirmed the other day that it will definitely be happening in January. So....definitely had to switch!!

 

I've read up on the thread but I'm sure I'll have a bajillion more questions for you fantastic Barcelo brides.

My colors are turquoise and lime green! Great choice

What the heck are you talking about.."not so skinny"...you look FANTASTIC! I absolutely love that dress, and it looks like it already fits perfectly. You are one gorgeous bride!!!

Meredith I totally felt the same way as you. I have SO many parts of my body that I absolutely hate, but I look at it this way: for some crazy weekend, my FI thinks I'm beautiful. I feel like it would knock his socks off to do this for him...he would TOTALLY not expect it, because I'm a total prude, and I want to surprise him. I'm going to do my BD shoot in October/November, which gives me a few months to whip my butt into shape and firm up some of my jigglies!

Thank you Amy!! I'm super bummed too. BUT the important thing is that I'm finding out early enough that we can make the changes we need to without completely screwing up the wedding. And I still get to marry the man of my dreams on the beautiful beaches of Mexico, so I'm beyond ecstatic about that! I was head over heels in love with Azul Beach, and yours and Wendy's weddings were SO beautiful and amazing there, but things happen for a reason

So our back-up plan is probably going to be Barcelo Maya Palace. It's a HUGE resort...the complete opposite of AB...but my TA has a lot of good things to say about it and I love that there are different options for the more budget-conscious guests. We'll just see where the road takes us!

I hope you gorgeous ladies have a great holiday weekend...don't set anything on fire with all the explosives around...I'm gonna keep my hose handy just in case!

Hello all you beautiful ladies! Man you have been CHATTY! I just spent the last hour trying to catch up on all that I missed. I took the last week off of work, and spent the entire time laying hardwood floors and painting my house. I am EXHAUSTED! Today is my first real day off and I plan on spending the entire thing in my pajammies, my booty firmly planted on the couch. My two dogs are keeping me company

 

So I'm most likely no longer an Azul Beach bride, either. They are giving us the run-around on the construction plans. First they told us that construction would begin in August and go through Feb/March 2011. Then they said nope...we're going to try to get done in time for Christmas....we'll have the final construction plans done on Wednesday (two days ago). Wednesday rolled around, and they said they needed more time to finalize plans. I'm just over it all. My biggest fear is that even if they say they'll be done by Christmas, they'll go over and my wedding would be smack dab in the middle of construction.

 

My TA asked for a quote for Sensatori, and they were "kind" enough to give us a "great" deal...$7 cheaper per person than our quote at Azul Beach. That's right, $7. There's no zero missing AS looks like a stunning resort, but honestly I'm just so mad at Karisma right now for this run-around I want to wash my hands of them.

 

So...not sure where I'll be getting married, but it will be somewhere in the Riviera Maya (since we've already booked our flights). You ladies have been the BEST support system, and I will definitely keep reading this thread to see all of the upcoming brides' weddings. Good luck to everyone!!!

Welcome and congrats!! Yeah I've heard really good things about the Sensatori, too...I'm just bummed because it's bigger than Azul Beach, and I was really going for the more intimate "boutique" feel.

But whatever happens, I'm just happy to be getting married in Mexico! And if we do switch over to the Sensatori, I probably will see you...we're flying down there on the 27th of January

That's what I'm thinking, too. I just e-mailed my TA back and asked him to try to get a better rate than they gave us for Azul Beach. Something tells me they're not going to do it. I've already started looking at other resorts just in case.

I tried to send you a private message to see what kind of rates they're offering you but it says you're not accepting them Would you send me a message if you're able to? I'd like to have SOME sort of bargaining power, if possible.

All right ladies...I feel like a bad BDW bride, because all I seem to post about are my vents!! Rest assured that I read the thread every day, I just don't always post (mostly because I'm a lazy beeyotch).

 

I heard from my TA today. Azul Beach will definitely have construction during my stay. They're starting in August.

 

They will be upgrading all of the Superior rooms, and construction will be happening most of the day.

 

My TA recommends me moving resorts (I agree), and Karisma has been kind enough to offer me a free candlelit dinner on the beach or a free couples massage if I move to Azul Sensatori. Never mind the fact that I would have had a free candlelit dinner anyway with my wedding package. No other perks would be offered.

 

I'm honestly at a loss for words right now. I do NOT want to start the search all over from square one, but at the same time I'm so angry about the situation and don't want to keep my wedding at a Karisma property because I hate the way they've dealt with this situation.

 

Any advice? I need wisdom!

Welcome and congratulations!!!

Yes, it's better to use a DW travel agent. Actually, the creator of this forum is one herself, and there are many other DW agents on this forum. There should be a banner at the top of the page...click on that and you'll be able to get in touch with one.

Haha totally! Too bad it's that way almost everywhere other than US/Canada. I remember going to Europe and seeing dudes walking around on the catwalks at the airport with MONSTER guns and kinda freaking out about it. We're sort of sheltered here in the good ol' US of A!

I'm with you. Honestly, the BEST strapless bra I've ever found was a $15 one from the Maidenform outlet. I'm sure you could find something similar or have it shipped to Spain. I've got...uh...a large upper region, so it's really hard to find a strapless bra that doesn't give me four boobs or, like you, end up down around my waist. The Maidenform one is SUPER comfy and fits perfectly!!!

I just have to say...all of you girls are the absolute BEST! I don't know what I'd do if I hadn't found this forum. Probably be stressing ten times as much!!!

 

I've been really, really lucky in that I haven't gotten a lot of the flack that everyone else seems to have gotten. My family is SUPER excited to go, and we talk several times a week about how much fun it's going to be. Of course, I've had the odd person say that it's really expensive and that they don't know how they're going to save up for it, but I honestly just try to brush that stuff off. I KNOW it's expensive. Just because they're invited doesn't mean they HAVE to come.

 

The hardest part for me has been seeing FI sad when his friends make comments about it. To be perfectly honest, this whole destination wedding was my idea. FI is a very outgoing, gregarious guy, and he has a TON of friends that he's still in contact with. I'm more reserved and private...I tend to have a few very close friends rather than a ton of acquaintances. I just couldn't see walking down the aisle with 300 people staring at me, most of whom I barely knew. I knew I'd be too nervous and worried about that factor to actually enjoy marrying the man of my dreams.

 

Fortunately, I'm the luckiest woman in the world, and Sean told me he'd marry me on the moon if I wanted to. He says that as long as I'm happy, he's happy, so he's really excited about our DW. I can tell that it breaks his heart, though, when one of his best friends tells him that he and his gf can't go because it's too expensive...even though they just bought a brand new $4,000 couch, $2,000 flat screen TV, and he buys himself whatever new toy he wants whenever he wants. Obviously it's not so much a money issue as a priority issue. That's what hurts me...to see him hurting. He'd never say anything, but I know it bugs him.

Janapana I absolutely love that dress. And you need to shut yo mouth about looking pregnant...you look absolutely fantastic!!! No way you've had two kids! It's a gorgeous color, love the shape..everything!

Thank you Wendy!! Honestly...NOBODY has booked yet, other than my immediate family (four rooms). FI's parents haven't even booked yet. Somehow, my TA reserved 10 rooms (not sure how, since we only have deposits for 5 rooms!) but I really want as many people to stay with us as possible. The bigger concern for me is the construction. I just really don't want to be walking under ladders and hearing band saws buzzing away when I'm trying to get my beauty sleep (aka...sleep off my hangover hehe) so that may be the dealbreaker for me.

No matter what, I know it's going to be a fantastic trip, so I'm not getting down about this. AB is absolutely beautiful and sounds like a wonderful place...but if it's not meant to be, something else is!

Yes yes yes! I totally know what you mean! My fiance is a big, strapping dude...6'3" and about 250. He's got a lot of muscle on him. He also works a physical job (he's a commercial electrician) but still...he eats like a beast!! I would kill to be able to eat like him. He never gains a pound. So not fair.

 

I'll just sit in my corner and nibble on my carrot sticks and drink my Vitamin Water...hee hee...

 

 

I'm going to take my dress in for alterations in October, I think. That means I have to be at my final weight so I don't have to get it altered again. Eek! Wish me luck!

Speaking of reading all the threads...I may have to go back and re-read!!! The whole time I was reading, I've been thinking of Azul Beach. Now, it's looking more and more like AB is out of the running I may have to move to AS...which would NOT be a bad thing at all, but I"ll have to re-think all my options!

 

Just heard from my TA. He confirmed that all the rooms are taken, and we've only got 10 reserved. I'm thinking we'll have more like 15 needed, so...chances are I'll have to switch resorts (especially because of the construction).

 

So I may switch to being an Azul Sensatori bride!! I'll hopefully have an answer by next week.

That dress is freakin' STUNNING! Love it!

I hear ya on the tummy issues. Except I have a nice layer of padding ALL OVER. I could practically fly to Mexico on my massive arm-wings...haha.

Thanks lovies for all the support!!! I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have all you fantastic ladies to vent to!

 

Michelle...you rawk that fake tan all over town girl! If your June has been anything like ours, a fake tan is definitely necessary. I haven't really seen the sun all month!

Thank you. I'm remarkably calmer about this now that I've had some time to absorb it.

Worse comes to worst, I'll just book elsewhere. We only had 4 rooms booked thus far, anyway...and I've been assured we'll get all of our money back if we have to switch resorts

Thanks so much for the good thoughts! Yeah, I will admit I had a moment of pure panic, but I'm feeling better now after 10 deep breaths

I have no idea why this wasn't brought up when booking. My TA wasn't informed of this until I pointed it out to him...so it's not like they're even telling the people who are already booked!!! I knew there might be some minor construction, but it's sounding like they're doing a major revamp of all the rooms as well.

So, I may have to move to the Sensatori...which sounds wonderful as well. I'm hoping that if that's the case, we get a HELLUVA deal on our rooms because of the situation. Silver linings!!!

Super sketchy! Yeah, my TA said he talked to one of their sales guys, and there will definitely be construction. The sales guy didn't know how intrusive it would be, but that's the reason no rooms are available. The positive to this is...at least I'm finding out more than 6 months before the wedding!

Drama drama drama girls!!!

 

 

I just got a call from my TA. I had e-mailed him because another bride (on the Azul Sensatori thread) had said that the weekend of her wedding was already fully booked. Her wedding is in March; mine is in January. So of course I freaked thinking if her weekend was booked, mine was certainly booked! My TA called and said that ALL weekends in 2011 are booked, and that this is because Azul Beach is doing renovations/construction in 2011. Apparently, pretty serious construction. At this point, my TA didn't know if it would be going on during my wedding or after, but there's a very good chance it will be.

 

So...long story short...I may have to change resorts! Aaaack!

ALL right all my fellow Azul Beach brides!!!

 

I just got off the phone with my travel agent. The reason there are no rooms available is because AB just pulled them all. Apparently, this has to do with the construction they're planning for 2011. I know Wendy (taylorwd) mentioned this earlier in the thread...apparently, it's going to be a bigger deal than we all thought. My TA has inquiries out to all his contacts at AB to find out how intrusive the construction will be, but he thinks this will have a major affect on bookings. We have 10 rooms reserved, but may need as many as 15, and he thinks it might be hard to get the extra 5.

 

So...I'm not panicking. I'm not panicking. I figure if I say it enough, it'll be true.

 

I should know something by Monday or Tuesday...if it's going to be a huge hassle to get rooms, or there's going to be massive construction going on around the time of the wedding, I'm going to book elsewhere. Which breaks my heart, because I'm in love with Azul Beach. But...I also don't want to wake up to drills and hammers every day.

Marysville is about 30-40 miles north of Seattle, so pretty far from you down south! I've never actually been to Vancouver, but pass through it all the time on my way down to visit my sister in Oregon (she lives in Eugene). Welcome to the forum!!!