Jessica4LUXE

I loooooove these two items I got from different Etsy sellers:

Here comes the bride sign:

Wicker/twine balls:

Ring bearer pillow:

Wedding tree (guests "leaf" fingerprints instead of signing a guest book):

Also, for all of those brides that are finding getting answers from Pilar frustrating, don't worry. I have done a number of weddings with her now and while the process can be maddening, I've only heard wonderful things about her from my past brides. She really goes out on a limb for my clients and makes their special day great Just be organized for when you arrive and I'm sure she'll execute it properly!

@KerriCornell: you're absolutely right! I also will often just rent vases from the hotel's florist to save my clients a trip into town or an errand. They will usually rent for between $10 (small ones) and $50 (very large ones). Still a savings!! And don't forget to pop your bouquets in a small vase on the tables for added decor!

These are such cute ideas!! I've also had clients get "Be my bridesmaid?" written on cupcakes for a tasty and sentimental treat Their bridesmaids loved opening the cute little bakery box and finding such a nice surprise!

Has anyone heard of or considered Zephyr Palace? STUNNING Not jungle per se, but still one of my favorite venues!!

http://www.zephyrpalace.com/?page_id=12

http://www.comfortstudioblog.com/blog/2011/4/8/carrie-david-zephyr-palace-costa-rica-wedding.html

Great questions and comments all the way around!! The only thing I'd add is the rates tend to be fairly low from March-June depending on where your destination!! As soon as you sign a contract with your Travel Agent, absolutely send out a save-the-date! It can't hurt to start looking at different designs now! You'll also want to utilize a wedding website so you can put the URL on your save the date and invites and have your guests refer back to it for important information instead of just emailing you each time they have a question

I would hold off asking anyone to be part of the wedding party until you have rates for the travel portion and they can decide if they can go And if they can't afford it, just make an extra effort in involving those special friends/family in things like choosing a wedding dress, shoes, making any Do-It-Yourself projects, etc Lots of ways to include people!

We also really like working with Claudia Rodriguez Photo Studio... great photos and super professional!!

http://www.claudiaphoto.com/

I personally LOVE Elizabeth Medina's work... you should have a look! She is amazing!

http://www.elizabethmedinaphotography.com/

@jnitschke I've used the individual LED's in the lanterns before and I think they're the way to go! The way the lanterns assemble these are easy to hang from the inside on the metal structure, and they last for over 8 hours.. plenty of time! You can also get amber colored ones so the light isn't quite as white/harsh.

I wouldn't give them the corset ribbon personally... I would take everything off! The beading should be a-ok It's not the steaming I'd worry about, it's the staff losing accessories and such.

That being said, if Valeria included set up fees on your budget, the onsite team won't refute it. Don't mean to worry you there!

Hi ladies! Just an FYI, that while Valeria can give you an estimate, it's the on site team that will determine your actual set-up fees for anything you bring from home. I would average approx. $75 to hang paper lanterns and then another fee for any centerpiece set up. Do you have an eager bridesmaid or niece that can be in charge of centerpiece/ceremony set up for items coming from home? If you do, you can cut some of the costs!

And just as a general FYI, the sound system you can rent for $250 is great and quite loud! And the DJ IS amazing... he includes a smoke/bubble machine, top of the line lighting for the dance floor, and they always include an English speaking MC. I sound like I work for the hotel, but I swear I don't! I've just planned weddings at EDR before and really love what they produce

@TheWolferts: we've used steaming services all over the Caribbean and generally they're great! In addition, I trust the EDR more than most because it's part of a boutique group. My only advise to anyone is to remove any kind of ribbons or items that could be "left behind" in the laundry. Literally only send the dress

Hi Ladies,

Is anyone getting married at one of the new Memories Resorts in Cuba? If you’re thinking about a destination wedding in Cuba, you should check out one of these fabulous options. To give you a little bit of background, Memories is a new resort chain with 5 hotels in Cuba: Memories Azul Beach in Cayo Santa Maria, Memories Paraiso in Cayo Santa Maria,

Memories Caribe in Cayo Coco, Memories Flamenco in Cayo Coco and Memories Varadero, which is opening soon in… you guessed it, Varadero!

All properties are Cuban 5-star resorts situated on white sand beaches surrounded by gorgeous blue water. And the most exciting news involves the wedding department – Sunwing Weddings by LUXE Destination Weddings has joined forces with these hotels to provide all brides wedding planning services. You no longer have to call or email Cuba to coordinate your wedding plans! Getting married at the Memories Resorts in Cuba is the new natural choice. Stay tuned for updates and news In order to help set Memories weddings apart, you will now plan your details in advance with a LUXE Coordinator in Canada. Feel free to contact me with any further questions!

Happy planning!

Jessica

Typically for destination weddings anywhere from a year/year and half is a good zone to send these out. You don't want to be soooo far out that people forget about it. Save the Dates are also a great way to direct your friends and family to your wedding website, where you can post updates on events, travel information, transfers, etc! But anytime in that timeframe is fine really and it does give them time to save their pennies!

Invitations typically go out 3 months before the wedding, but a lot of people are choosing only to do a Save the Date with their destination wedding these days, both to save on costs, and to save on paper/waste for the environment. If you're not doing a formal invitation, and are sending out your Save the Dates more than a year out, plan to have some kind of a reminder to your guests that can go out about 7 months prior, and perhaps another one 4 months prior. Even if it's just an email blast or evite you'll need to remind people about booking, and you'll want to get them excited about their trip!!

These are such nice ideas A few other things I've planned are to have a memorial candle or picture frame at the ceremony in their memory. One client of mine is taking a white lei of flowers and placing it in the ocean during the ceremony as a moment of remembrance for her mother. I've also had the empty chair at the ceremony with a single flower placed on it. Subtle but tasteful. One client of mine had a parent that passed away who looooved the Beatles, so they walked down the aisle to "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" which was super meaningful to them and their brothers. Such a nice way to remember those who can't be with you!

These are all amazing!!! Generally the hotels can do buttercream icing but not fondant (sooome can, but it's rare). Most hotels these days can do cupcakes and some now are even offering cake pops! The hotels will always offer you generic flavor options but if you have something neat in mind like amaretto, raspberry chocolate or even red velvet, go ahead and ask!! Can't hurt They will often expect you to bring decor items from home unless it's fresh flowers which they can do. I've had some hotels request that even things like white chocolate shells (similar to the cake above) be brought from home, so don't be surprised. Ribbon is a nice way to decorate each tier, and if you bring it from home, it's a guarantee that it will match your decor perfectly! You won't have to worry if they'll have the right "shade" of turquoise or pink for example. Just some "food" for thought!

Speaking as a wedding professional, I can safely tell you that soooo many of my clients do this! It's something to look forward to, a bit of special "alone" time and not rude at all! In fact, quite a normal part of the destination wedding experience! Some people just move to another hotel (think romantic and boutique-y) while others hop on a flight and go somewhere exotic! So many amazing resorts and locations!!

Hello! To answer your question on flowers, most likely the vases are rented so be careful If you or your guests take the vases and aren't allowed to, they will charge you for them, or they will track you down the next day which is the least pleasant way to spend your first day as husband and wife! I recommend announcing at the reception that your guests can take the flowers, but to please leave the vases on the tables. Or you can play a cute "give-away" game to see who gets to keep the centerpieces, and mention it at that point so it doesn't seem too obvious But the flowers themselves you can definitely keep and put in your rooms!

Speaking of centerpieces, don't forget as well that you'll have hand-helds (bouquets) that can be used throughout the reception as added decor! Most of the time the bride and bridesmaids put their bouquets down on their table or misplace them, but these are beautiful items you should incorporate into the rest of your decor! You can rent vases from the florist most of the time and use the bouquets for head table or sweetheart table decor, or you can have them lain on the cake table for an extra element of decor Either way, don't forget to use them!

Hi DRPrincesa,

I have attached a sample budget for a fairly simple wedding we had planned at the Majestic Colonial. I hope this helps

Majestic Colonial Sample Budget2 - 20 guests $3,624.72.pdf

Hi Colm226,

Absolutely not! It is very common pratice for us to do the exact same things for many of our brides. Even though you are already in destination, everyone couple needs a 'honeymoon'

A Mariachi band is money well spent in our opinion! They add so much to the atmosphere of the wedding and you won't regret it! Definitely a great experience for the whole group

In my opinion, depends on which event you would like most guests to attend.

If you would prefer as many people as possible attend the destination, then we usually recommend our brides send out the AHR invite afterwards. If you would prefer the destination part to be more intimate, then send out the AHR with the save-the-date!

Hi Jello,

All great options!

One of my personal favorite destinations to travel is Tulum. Out of your choices I prefer La Zebra, the the Be Tulum is my favourite! The vibe in Tulum is very romantic and European in my opinion. The only problem is that with a large group, most guests will likely have to be scattered across various hotels which can become difficult to keep organized on your own!

We are currently planning a wedding at the Round Hill Resort in Jamaica. They is something very old world and classic about this property. Not only is it beautiful, but the service is excellent. There is also the option of renting a private villa on the hill!

Have you considered The Caves in Jamaica? Definitely Rustic. Or The Viceroy in the Mayan Riviera (formerly The Tides)?

Hi Cateyedcutie,

My name is Jessica and I am the Director of Client Services at LUXE Destination Weddings. I am very surprised to hear that you didn't feel welcomed in our office? I would love to hear your feedback directly as it is important to me! Please feel free to email me directly at [email protected]

Thank you!

Jessica