Jessica4LUXE

Hi Andrea and Richard,

Congratulations on your engagement and welcome to the forum! LUXE has a variety of customizable wedding planning packages to suit your needs and budgets. I would be happy to discuss further if you have any questions – please know it would be our pleasure to assist you in any way we can! Wishing you the very best planning experience and please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.

All the best, Jessica

Hi Ladies!

Will any of you be attending The Wedding Co. at The Carlu next weekend? We will have a booth set up there, come and say hello and pick up our Destination Weddings magazine!

From our experience, it is typical of human nature to book at the very last minute! It can be very stressful for a bride to not have many people booked right up until the deadline date. I wish that guests would book sooner rather than later to save this stress

For any Toronto brides, there is an amazing Dollar Store that just opened here in Liberty Village! Probably the best one I've been to... may be worth checking out

Hi Olivia,

The legal requirements to have a civil ceremony in Panama are quite rigirous!! I have listed them below:

        Copy of Bride and Groom’s birth certificate (in long form).

·         Copy of Bride and Groom’s passport (all pages)      

·         Certificate of single status

·          Application for a Civil Marriage Form. You will both have to fill this out separately. You will need to fill out the Spanish document, and have it translated

In destination, you will need to provide the following:

·         Medical Certificate - issued by a Panamanian doctor within 15 days prior of wedding; the general medical examination must include the following lab tests: urinalysis, AIDS, blood test, V.D.R.L.

·         Existing passports.

·         Immigration Status / Tourist Card

·          2 witnesses who are fluent in Spanish. Could be 2 people working on site (at the Hotel) and they have to provide a copy of their ID.

Another option for you would be to get married at home and have a symbolic ceremony in Panama! This is often the route that destination wedding brides go as it tends to be the easiest

Happy Planning!

These are all great suggestions! Good luck planning!

Ladies, you are all correct about the seagrass - it's generally on the beach at most of the resorts surrounding the Puerto Morelos area (NOW resorts included). It washes up, and the hotels seem to have full time staff that work on cleaning it with machines, rakes, shovels, wheelbarrows, etc. But I don't think you'll notice it too much on your wedding day. Brides tend to worry about it in advance, including what photos will look like, but trust me, you will not notice - you'll be busy getting married. if you want that pristine caribbean beach, this coast is a bit more rustic looking but nonetheless beautiful. Don't fret about it!!

Hi Ladies,

I have to say that 99% of all destination wedding stressors come from friends and family. Do they not realize how stressful it is for you to hear these comments?? Ultimately it is your wedding. It is what you want to do and obviously this is the choice that is making you the happiest!

I truly believe that friends and family sometimes have no idea how negatively comments/negative feedback and advice can affect you. We at LUXE often find ourselves consoling brides and our hearts go out each and every one of you who are going through the same thing. We often decide to send out an email letting everyone know that if they have any questions/comments about travel, to take it up with us and leave the bride and groom out of it

At the end of the day, you will have the most amazing trip and amazing wedding with no regrets. Stay strong ladies!!!!

Agreed with the comments above. It's wise to consult with a professional if you are very picky, but you also need to know that nothing is "perfect" (i would always change a few things here and there with every resort - better beach, too big, too small, etc.) and that no matter where you end up, you'll have an incredible experience.Try not to overthink is the advice I have. And with Cuba, why not bring your photographer as your "guest??" This shouldn't be an issue. I'd be happy to discuss further with you...

Hi Monique,

Did you want to give me a call directly and we can discuss further?? I can be reached at 416.646.5794!

I look forward to hearing from you!

Welcome to the forum and great to meet so many Toronto brides!! Feel free to come by our Liberty Village office for one of our Destination Weddings Guide magazine!

Be sure to check out the 'Canadian Brides' thread in the chit chat corner also.

Happy planning!

Welcome to the forum Monique! We love to see Toronto brides on BDW! LUXE has an office in Liberty Village, feel free to stop by and pick up one of our Destination Weddings Guide magazine or even to just say hello!

Happy Planning

Hi Sarah,

If this really bothers you, sometimes it is best to find a planner. We have such great relationships with so many properties (Dreams included) that we are able to get a lot done before the 2 month mark. Otherwise you are generally stuck having to wait!

If you are looking for paper lanterns, we sourced a bunch of them in Toronto's Chinatown for around $5 each!

Hi Ladies,

With our process, we send out STDs as early as possible with either travel information and pricing or the information of your Travel Account Manager. Your guests are then directed to your TAM and there is a deposit deadline where they will have to commit to. This is done with some time before the actual wedding- how are you supposed to plan accordingly without knowing how many people are attending!? They also need to make sure that the hotel isn't going to be sold out if they wait until last minute. There are almost always last-minute stragglers and we accomodate them as best as possible when the time comes! It is important to us that we let your guests know that this is not a last-minute vacation, it is a wedding so it has to be planned in advance!

Invitations with a Destination Wedding are really just a formality. Since there are deposits, etc. you would know how many people are attending after sendign out the STD. Saying that, we suggest maybe only sending out the formal invitation to guests who have booked (this saves on cost) so they can have it as a keepsake! Many brides are opting out of sending out the formal invitation and just sending out an extra-special save-the-date!

Hi Gina24-

We are destination wedding specialists and our office is located downtown in Liberty Village. If you were interested, we would absolutely love to meet with you!!

 

Originally Posted by gina24 

Hi Everyone.  I just got engaged and we decided to have a DW.  I was wondering if anyone knew of a good Travel agent in the Toronto area that specializes in DW.  Still haven't decided on a place and I'm not sure where to start.  any advice would be appreciated. 

Hi AgnesL - Just an FYI, Secrets Cap Cana (Sanctuary) is no longer a Secrets property. I'd avoid this until the new management team works out the kinks, etc. Excellence Punta Cana is a great choice - I'm assuming you have adults only?? I'm a huge fan of the Riviera Maya as well - many good comparable hotels. DM me and I'd be happy to help further!

Congrats! I visited the HRH last year and it was so much fun! How many guests are you expecting? As it's such a huge property, the more the merrier! I'm pretty sure there is another thread about this hotel - I've seen it before. Good luck!!

There are many Catholic Church options in Dominican Repbulic! This is a very easy option.There usually aren't discounts on wedding packages but it's worth asking, I suppose!

One of my personal favourites is the St. Stanislaus Church at Casa De Campo in the village of Altos de Chavon (in La Romana). It's a very old church and really beautiful for photos.

If you're thinking of a resort in Punta Cana with onsite chapel, here are some options to consider:   (1) Barcelo Bavaro Caribe Beach    (2) Caribe Club Princess (3) Majestic Colonial/Elegance

Lastly, there are offsite chapels as well - if you like a particular hotel then there are offsite chapels that you can use as well! We'd be happy to help!

Hi Cherylming, you are right. Planning in Hawaii is a bit more of a challenge because of the time difference. How's your wedding planning coming along? Also, there are "newish" laws about beach weddings in Hawaii - do you know you need a permit?

I hear all of you! No matter what the relationship, these situations are not easy. Generally I always say that the "important" people will always make it to your destination wedding no matter what... but then it's still not always the case. People get pregnant, people hate flying, people don't want to go, people hold grudges... I've seen this scenario many times over. It's hard to please everyone's wishes. Could you offer to spend some of your wedding budget towards their trip (if they truly cannot afford it)? Many of our clients do this as a discreet way of making sure certain guests are in attendance.

At the end of the day, life is precious and too short to hold grudges. No matter how much this bothers you or hurts your FI inside (even if he doesn't admit it), be supportive of him and try and look at the bright side of things, focus on the positives of who's coming and how amazing your wedding will be!

I also recommend petalgarden.com! We've used them for some of our past weddings and the product they deliver is really good.

Flower petal aisle runners are beautiful but sometimes the quotes we get for a real petal runner (from the florist) is just way outside of our client's floral budgets. So ordering the freeze dried petals not only makes economical sense, they also don't risk shriveling away in the heat. AND you can get the specific color of your liking to match your wedding theme. Last good point, they are light to carry on board (which is something to keep in mind when you're considering bringing anything down - luggage weight is costly, especially on charter flights).

We love Pastor Rick! Definitely a LUXE preferred contact!!

I'm also a huge fan of Tensing Pen. It's very intimate, and there's such a wide range of accommodations at that property that there's "something for everyone"... Tensing Pen is also home to that famous "bridge" shot (see below) - although I'm not sure if any of you brides would be brave enough to walk that plank in your wedding dress??? Would make for some incredible photos though...thoughts?

Hi Aquamaniac,

They should soon be available at local travel agencies though I am happy to send you a copy in the mail as they likely have not arrived yet in Calgary. PM me and I am happy to send over!