gilmana

  @@gilmana Did you purchase the sparklers in Mexico? I just called Southwest Airlines, and they said TSA prohibits fireworks/sparklers on the aircraft..I would love to bring them but I don't want to buy them and end up having them be thrown out. Any other brides bring them with?

@@bluecastr1 My parents-in-law bought them in Mexico City and brought them to the Barcelo. I understand that you wouldn't be able to take them on the plane but maybe packed in your luggage?  I would double check.

Originally Posted by lilpbc 

 

Hi ladies, I.m currently in playa del Carmen and did a day pass today to barcelo. I met with Lilliane, one of the wc, and she showed us a few wedding location. I will post photo's of the location and where it's located when I return home in 1-2 days. The day pass was $77 usd and we were able to use the pool and buffets. It gave us an idea of the property, food, and beach area.

 

Happy planning to everyone!

One thing - just not to confuse people... the guest pass for the Palace is $95. So if your ceremony and/or reception is at the Palace, guest passes are $95.

Originally Posted by Slava 

 

is there a fee for bringing in an outside dj?

No fee, but you may have to have your DJ bring a generator, depending on where your reception in.

Originally Posted by june2013bride 

 

hello ladies

i need some advise with decor.  we are getting the strawberry passion package and im trying to figure out what to bring for decor.

does the hotel provide centerpieces, chair covers, runners for the reception?  anybody have pictures they could share?  what decor should i bring?  also does anybody know if flying lantern/chinese wishing lantern are allowed in the resort?  i would like to give guest one at the end of our reception to light by the beach.

 

thanks

They put candles on the tables and we had petals on ours - not sure if they always do that.  It was kind of strange because my WC came with a bag of rose petals.  Chair covers are bows - you pick the color when you arrive and I'm not sure about runners for the reception.  I had floral arrangements and the table names on each table - along with the menu.  Flying lanterns/Chinese wishing lanterns are not allowed.  We did sparklers and had no issues.  

Originally Posted by DiggityDawn 

 

I've read on this thread (toward the beginning) that the turf and turf dinner option costs extra. Does anyone know if it costs extra for the Strawberry package or is it one of the dinner options included in that package? 

 

Also wondering if anyone knows how much an extra reception hour costs?

 

Thanks!

The Surf and Turf does NOT cost extra for the strawberry package.  It is one of the dinner options included.  I don't remember exactly how much each hour extra costs - but I think its like $14/person.  That just basically covers the alcohol and bar service.  We did it and made sure that they did not charge us for the kids.

Originally Posted by amcoletta88 

 

Oes anyone have an update on the palapa at playa azul and know if its still standing or has been repaired?

It was not there when I was there in January 2013 and I had been there in January 2012 so I knew where it was but now it didn't look like it had ever been there.   

Originally Posted by Kristina610 

 

 

Dd you have to pay extra for your food changes? I like the idea having tortilla soup instead.

no, we didn't pay any extra for our food changes.

Originally Posted by Kristina610 

 

I need opinions on ceremony music!  I am torn between the violin and guitar??  I feel like the violin would be my natural choice but the guitar is different and might be really pretty if it is more like "spanish style" guitar.  Has anyone gone with these?? 

I got the violin... she was good!  Although I hardly remember her playing - at the moment it's the farthest thing from your mind!

Originally Posted by Kristina610 

 

Fireynurse, what did you pick from the menu? I just got this list and have no idea where to begin on picking...

We had the strawberry package but we asked for special requests.

I don't know what our guests had for the cocktail hour but we ordered the Mexican appetizers.

We had a caesar salad that was huge... Tortilla soup... surf and turf... and the dark chocolate fondant.

ALL of our guests said it was the best meal they had.  I agree - it was amazing.  I thought the lobster tail may be poor quality but it was delicious.  So much so that our guests went to the caribe restaurant the next night to get more lobster.  

For the kids they gave fish sticks or chicken nugget and fries.  

After dinner everyone said they were stuffed but a few hours later we had a taco guy come and serve traditional street tacos - some couldn't even try them because they were still stuffed.  oh an no one really ate cake - we had 2 tiers and we would have been fine with 1 tier.

Originally Posted by aholt1313 

 

I am getting married at the palace on july 5th. I was wondering if there were any words of advice.

 

I have planned most of the wedding (just finished the flowers) and am currently looking for an outside photographer and videography. I love all the recommendations on here so thanks!

 

As for the resort, we have been there 2 times before and love it. We are really excited...the only hick up right now...for those planning weddings...tell guests to book rooms asap! We are 2 and a half months away and there are no rooms avaliable at the palace....

 

for OTT bags... we are really wanting to do this...but I was wondering what type of things past brides have put in them???

 

Tell your guests to keep checking... we had some guests book at the Tropical because the Palace was full and a few weeks later the Palace was available and then the Tropical was full so they were able to move over to the Palace.  Also, a majority of our guests staying at the tropical/colonial were upgraded (for free) to the palace when they arrived.  Just keep checking!  

Originally Posted by FireyNurse 

 

 

Check with your bank/card provider about fees, we didn't have any issue with ours for the wedding, the exchange rate was great and no huge fees associated. when we previously went to Mexico and rented a place in town we were there for an extended amount of time and shopping like locals so we needed to use pesos. when we looked into our cards, my hubby's bank charged crazy fees for international card use on his debit card and mine did not. We now are both with my bank because of the ease for travel and cheap cost for international bank machine use.

Yes, I agree... all banks are different so future brides should check with their banks.  The exchange rates are great - just be aware of the fees.  We called our banks before and still had issues when we got there.  We did, however, use a capitol one which apparently does not have any foreign transaction fees - but double check just to make sure.  We also used our delta card to max out on miles.  It was our debit cards that seemed to charge the most fees - if I remember right and both were wells fargo visa cards.  

Originally Posted by Fitzgerh 

 

Oh this helps so much! Was it possible to have the wedding paid for before you arrived and pay the extras when you arrived? We are not trying to fly to mexico with all of that cash ahhh!

We were not able to pay anything before.  The good thing is, you can pay your vendors before you leave so the major cost when you there is just to the Barcelo.  We had our parents carry some of the cash and I would suggest you just spread it out among people.  Do NOT take $10,000 in cash - just you or you and your fiance.  You could get into trouble in Cancun with immigration.  But if you have the money spread out - shouldn't be an issue.  

Originally Posted by Fitzgerh 

 

 

Another question was this in usd or pesos? Did anyone have issues with currency conversion?

The prices are in Dollars.  I think the officiant has to be paid in cash... but the rest of our wedding we paid with debit & credit cards.  We got slammed with conversion fees.  If we had known then, what we know now, we would have tried to pay it all in cash or traveler's checks to avoid $100s in foreign transaction fees.  

Originally Posted by julienelson0713 

 

 

I would like to know this as well! I told my WC that I wanted a rehearsal dinner, which she said was fine, but we haven't talked about it since. She said that we could have a couple tables set up, with a set menu for our group. I don't really want anything special for the dinner, just a chance to get together and walk through the wedding itself. Does she contact a restaurant at the resort or do I?

We just told our WC what we wanted and she called the restaurant and told them how many people.  We told our WC when we were in Mexico - so a day or 2 before we actually had our rehearsal dinner... but our invitations already said the date, time and place.  Sometimes you just have to go with it.  

Originally Posted by missfreckles 

 

Okay its been some time since I posted anything. I have been so focused on little details.

 

I have a few questions that I can't seem to find the exact answer to even after doing a search.

 

1. Negotiation on price - I get that they have to make money however, I do feel they nickle and dime you. I am bring 80 guests to this hotel all staying at the Palace for 7 -10 days. Has anyone had any lucky negotiating on the prices for anything?

 

2. Am I just not reading all this information correctly...not only do they charge you $66 per person over 15 (strawberry package) but then they also charge $15 per person for alcohol ???  My WC really has never made that clear on my spreadsheet of the price.

 

3. This outside vendor charge...do I have to pay $500 for my Photographer and $500 for my Videographer as well?

 

4. I did read somewhere that I don't have to pay for Adrian and his team to come on site as he includes that in his price and pays them ?

 

5. Are the 3 hours for the ceremony enough? What are suggestions to keep the price down

 

6. Rehearsal Dinner - is this something I get or do I have to pay for this as well ?

 

Sorry I'm just freaking out and I'm only 32 days away from the Wedding.

 

I am very fortunate that my parents are paying for my wedding however I don't want them to get down there and be like WTF are all these extra charges.

 

 

So Brides that have recently been married there or anyone who knows an answer please HELPPPPP

 

Thanks

Sam

1.  Yes, we were able to negotiate prices/deals with our cocktail hour and we also got them to not charge for children for food or drinks... and something else that I can't remember right now.  Remind them that you are bringing all these people for 8-10 days.  And we were even negotiating right up until we paid.  

2.  Yes, it's $15/person/hour for alcohol... after your first 3 hours (I think).

3.  Our WC told us to tell the Barcelo Photography (the one you have to pay the vendor fee to) that the Photographer and videographer were together so we paid one fee - $500 and not $1000.  Had they known they were separate, I believe we would have had to pay $1000.  So, just say that they are one team.

4.  I can't answer that

5.  Your reception will FLY by.... we had our dinner at 6:00 and the whole thing ended at midnight and it went by like the blink of an eye.  I do know that some of our guests went to the disco afterwards.  We were so exhausted that we didn't join them.  We also had mariachis come from 11-midnight and we had a taquero come to serve traditional street tacos so those two things took up some of our 6 hours of party.  

6.  We did NOT pay for our rehearsal dinner.  We had like 45 people for our rehearsal dinner and because it was such a large group we had to have it at a buffet AND we had to do it right when the buffet opened.  They sectioned off 3 very long tables for us and it worked out great.  

Originally Posted by chrisdior 

 

Can anyone tell which restaurant is this best on the palace side? Thanks

If you want seafood - El Caribe

If you want a nice kinda fancy dinner - the french place, La Brasserie Restaurant

If you want lots of steak variety - rodizio...  

And which ever you choose - just ask the waiter what he recommends.  Everything we had was great!

Originally Posted by babysand 

 

Hey all, quick question – have you guys been asked to pay outrageous amounts for fees?  I know the $500 vendor fee, but I am having a wedding of 100 people and they want to charge me things like $14 per person, per hour for alcohol for any private event.  I also have to pay a table setting fee of $27.50 per person for the reception.  These costs are so ridiculous... has anyone else been faced with these types of ridiculous costs?  My wedding is costing more in fees than anything else.

Yes, we had to pay $14/person/hour to drink and then we had to pay $66/person above 15 guests... and don't forget most vendors require you to feed them so add them into your count too.  We had 6 extra guests as vendors but only had to pay the $66/each and not the alcohol because they were drinking water and soda.  If some of your guests are kids, when you meet with your WC, make sure she realizes that - I don't think we paid the extra amounts for the kids for dinner or drinks (which makes sense).  I never had to pay $27.50/person for a table setting.  We did play one flat fee of $55 (I think) for them to set up the decorations but we had a lot and things were hung from the ceilings.    

Originally Posted by lilpbc 

 

 

Thanks Gil.

 

Now is the $15 for the duration of the stay, per day, or per restaurant?

$15 per restaurant visit

Originally Posted by lilpbc 

 

Ladies, So I'm getting conflicting information from my TA and reading reviews here about dining option.  Does it still hold true that if you book at the Maya Beach/Caribe you can only dine at the buffets and restaurants at beach/caribe? If you book at the Tropical/Colonial then you can dine at beach, caribe, tropical, and colonial? Then if you book at Palace you can dine at all the below options unlimited?

 

Thanks.

That is correct.  Guests staying at the Tropical/Colonial can pay a fee of $15 for a Palace restaurant and I think $10 for a Palace buffet.  I don't know what the extra fees are for guests staying at the Beach/Caribe. We did have a welcome happy hour at the Tropical bar and we had to pay $15/person for those staying at the Beach/Caribe - in order for them to be there. The place is huge and we never really saw or hung out with guests staying at the Beach/Caribe so I really highly recommend having all your guests at the Palace or Tropical.     

Originally Posted by mrsnova 

 

Okay, here is my review! I wanted to write it while everything is fresh in my mind, sorry is is LONG! I wanted to give all the information and help I could because I found all the past brides SO helpful on here and hope I can do the same

 

 

Wedding Date:  March 1st, 2013

Resort: Barcelo Maya Palace

Wedding package: Mint Breeze

Ceremony: Playa Azul Beach 5:00pm

Reception:  Rancho Grande Grill 7:00-10pm

Wedding coordinator: Jacqueline

 

Overview: Our wedding was more than we could have ever imagined! Everything turned out perfectly, the staff truly know what they are doing, and I am so happy we decided to do a destination wedding. We had several people come up to us during and after the reception to tell us it was the best wedding they have ever been too!

No one really had issues checking in or out (two of my friends rooming together had been put in a room with one king bed instead of two doubles but they fixed it right away). I had no issues getting items to Mexico (we brought 4 suitcases!).

The weather was unusually cold, cloudy, and rainy the first few days we were there but NO RAIN on my wedding day and it was sunny and warm (at least during the day) the last days of our vacation.

 

Resort: The Barcelo is a beautiful resort! There is a noticeable difference between the Palace and the other resorts and I am glad we choose to stay there. We originally chose Barcelo because of the size and the different price point options, but all of our guests ended up staying at the Palace and I am glad they did because unless they stayed at the Tropical, the other resorts are pretty far away.

I have heard people complain about the resort being too big, but honestly we didn't mind because we mostly stayed at the Palace and there are shuttles to take to you to locations too far to walk. There is quite a bit of walking to and from the pool/beach and lobby but if you are young you will be fine. My grandmother had to get a wheelchair at times because it was too much for her.

The food was amazing! I have stayed at several all inclusive resorts in Mexico and Punta Cana and the Barcelo by far had the best food. We were seriously sick a few nights from eating too much!

 

The pool is HUGE and there is a separate adult and child pool, not to mention the several other large pools at the other resorts. The beach is gorgeous we some small rocks toward the end of the palace where the coral is but the rest is soft sand. Standing in the water you see a bunch of fish and turtles and you can snorkel right there. There are many activities like kayaking, paddle boats, water bike things, hobby cats, etc.

 

The only negative things I could say is the resort doesn't have a beach bar and it would be nice to have a snack bar where you could go up in your swimsuit and grab something quick and not go to the buffet, and they charge for room service (other all inclusives do not). Several of us did have issues with our air conditioner in our rooms, whether it was too cold or too hot..

 

Wedding: I can't say enough that everything went perfectly! I am a planner but tried to keep in mind that a destination wedding is different and you have to let some things go and just let it be ... and I am so glad I did because the things we didn't plan turned out even better than some we did!

 

My wedding coordinator Jacqueline was so great. She was pretty quick to respond to emails (about a week) and it got better towards the end of the planning process. We met with her the day after we got to the resort and went over everything again, making sure we were on the same page. You can seriously plan or change anything at that point! I gave her all of the items I had brought and she said she would set it up.

 

We were planning on doing a rehearsal and a dinner, but decided a rehearsal wasn't necessary. We had reserved dinner at the Caribbean restaurant (max 20 people) previously and they had a set menu, the food was very good! They put sombreros on us, sang us a song, and gave us a special desert for the wedding:)

 

I stayed with my sister the night before the wedding and my hubby and I decided to go to different buffets for breakfast and not see each other before the wedding. I was surprised I never ran into him and so glad we did it! The boys went to the pitch and put together and the girls got manicures at 11:00am. We did have a slight issue with the appointments at first but it was quickly figured out. The manicures looked good at first but chipped very quickly! I did my own hair and makeup but saw other brides in the spa and they looked really good and they use MAC makeup.

 

After the manicures we went back to my room to get ready (was done at 1pm for 4 manis). They were supposed to come steam my dress in my room at 11:00am but didn't arrive until almost 2pm!. This was really the only hassle we had. My mom was in my room waiting and called three times before they came up but luckily we had them do it early and it got done in time. It was only about $20 and they did a good job.

 

I was glad I started getting ready at 1:00pm because I wasn't rushed and we were able to order room service and have some drinks before the photographer came at 4:00. I did my own hair and makeup (with the help of my girls) and it turned out great and was glad I didn't spend the money to get it done.

 

Ceremony: All of the guests and the groom/groomsmen were picked up by a shuttle at 4:30pm in the lobby and brought to Playa Azul. They couldn't fit everyone in one shuttle so they had to make two trips and that set us back a bit. I was in my room waiting for the WC to pick me up (was supposed to be 4:55) and I don't think she showed up until 4:10 or so. I called down to see what was going in because I was concerned about it getting dark and didn't want the groom to worry where I was! Jacqueline said she was waiting for the confirmation that the guests and groom were there before picking me up which was why she was late.

 

Jacqueline showed up with all the bouquets and they were so beautiful, way more than I expected and exactly what I asked! She drove me, the photographer, my BMs, my mom, and mother in law all the way to the ceremony site but had me hidden. They had the groom keep his back turned until I was about to walk down and the music started, I loved this part! I was able to see his reaction and was definitely the most emotional part. Jacqueline told us all when to go, what to do, and say right then, no rehearsal needed.

I had the guitarist for the live music and wasn't able to hear any of it because we had certain songs played on the ipod for the BMs and me but I heard he was good and I was surprised that he could play pretty much anything I requested. They did a perfect job with playing all the music at the right time.

 

The officiant was awesome! We didn't have anything planned other than giving the WC a paper that had some things we wanted mentioned or to do during the ceremony. I was nervous about not talking to the officiant before hand and knowing exactly what would be said, but I guess he talked to my husband before the ceremony for a few minutes and asked him if he wanted a prayer and a little bit about us. He did such a good job of combining everything we wanted with what he normally does. We did a ring warming and had him saying a reading during this and it ended up taking a lot longer than we thought to pass the rings and he said "well their rings will be very warm with love, let me say another reading about..." and it worked perfectly!

 

We were very worried about the time of our ceremony and not having enough light for pictures but it ended up working perfectly (read more about our photographer later). I am SO glad I choose Playa Azul for the ceremony and a later time. It was very private and pretty much no one around. I saw many other wedding while I was there and it didn't seem very personal with a bunch of people around staring.

 

Reception: When we met with the WC beforehand she told us we would  be upgraded to an open air restaurant due to "all of the people". Wasn't sure exactly what she meant but wasn't going to question it! I saw some of the banquet halls at the resort and they are very nice but I was still excited to be outside and not pay extra:). The Rancho Grande Grill was right next to the ceremony site and although it is large and we had a smaller group, the sectioned off half it and it worked and looked great! We did not have a cocktail hour and sent the group to the outside bar the was right behind the grill for drinks while we took pictures (with the ceremony, toasting, and starting a few minutes late I think we were done about 5:45 so had a little over an hour before the reception started at 7). This was perfect for us because we had some pictures done before the ceremony and did want a bunch of pictures anyways (I was honestly sick of it after 45 min lol!).

 

We had our friend run our ipod and make some announcements. I am so glad I didn't pay for a DJ, especially with our small group (30 people) it wasn't necessary and I loved having my own music picked out (even though it was tedious!). I have had several people ask for a copy of the playlist already!

 

The decorations were great! I had everything very simple but loved the way it turned out. I brought candles, ribbon, and starfish and explained how I wanted it set up and Jacqueline did such a great job! We also had the flower centerpiece from the ceremony that was included and I rented vases for the candles and the bouquets.

 

The food was great! Better than some of the restaurants. We had the caser salad (everyone loved), minestrone soup, beef tenderloin, and caramel spring rolls (also lots liked). I wasn't able to eat much, partly due to a tight dress and excitement, but from what I tried it was awesome and heard all good things from guests. The presentation was very nice as well. We had a two tiered cake with cream frosting and pineapple and vanilla filling. No one really ate much cake because we were so full from dinner but it was pretty good (pineapple better) and looked nice. We mostly got two tiers because it looks better and was nice to have it the next day, but don't listen to them when they say each tier feeds 10 people..we had 30 people and hardly ate the smaller tier!

 

We did not add any time to our reception. Because we had a smaller group it worked out perfect to have dinner, toasts during dinner, first dance, father/mother dances, over an hour for dancing, and cut the cake. At the end some of the older folks were ready to leave and it made sense to move to the disco and not add time. We went to the disco and it was surprisingly really fun! You kind of get carried to in your wedding gear;).  The groom and I only stayed at the disco for a couple hours and headed back to our room but the rest of the group partied at the disco/lobby bar until 3am!

 

Jacqueline took all of the wedding items back to her office and we picked them up the next day.

 

The next day: We had breakfast in bed (SO MUCH FOOD) and our couples massage at 11am. Everything was on time and great. So nice to relax after everything! We had rose peddles and champagne in our room the wedding night, the next morning, and also when we checked in.  They also brought in the rest of our wedding cake with our breakfast and we brought it down to the lobby bar later that night for everyone to help finish!

 

Photographer: We caved and paid the $500 outside vendor fee to have Juan Navarro for our photographer and I am so glad we did. I wasn't impressed with the resort photographer online, but when we went into the office to pay the fee the pictures they had up were actually not bad, they should update their website! I had heard that they can be a pain, calling you over and over, etc. but probably because we paid the fee right after we met with our WC they didn't bother us. Because of the 3 night minimum during this time of year, it was cheaper than booking a room.

 

Like I said I am so glad we chose Juan. He spoke perfect English and was very personable and easy to work with. He knew I was worried about having enough light so really tried to get our pictures in and kept saying "I am sorry I am rushing, I just want to get your pictures in before its dark". He did several couple pictures first, then the group pictures, and finished off with more couple pics in the dark.

We did several beach pictures, some outside and night, and some inside. He showed us the camera as we went so we could see how amazing they looked! I told Juan ahead of time we didn't want a lot of posed pictures and wanted fun/romantic pics, that were in the moment and he captured just that! He directed everyone perfectly and my favorite thing was he had us laying in the sand and told my hubby to whisper in my ear what he was thinking when he saw me walk down the aisle:). He also had us hold hands and walk the beach telling us to talk and be casual....exactly what I was picturing for photos!

 

I am pretty sure (hard to keep track of time) he stayed past the three hours to get in our group picture and he even came back after he went to his car because we forgot to do a picture with our rings on a starfish like I had mentioned. I highly recommend him and he was pretty affordable, even considering the fee.

 

Trash the dress: On our last night we decided to do a mini trash the dress session on the beach. We just had our family/friends take pictures and it was so fun and glad we decided to do it! It didn't ruin my dress at all and was a great alternative to paying a photographer and everyone loved to be there to watch:)

 

 

 

OOT bags: We made OOT bags for everyone that had a water bottle, sun block, "wedding week survival kit", and welcome brochure. To be honest I think half of the people used them/looked at them lol. A lot of my friends were only there for a few days and were hardly in their room to really look at it. Most people loved the bottles for drinks to keep it cold and have larger drinks, and a few used the bags...but if I could go back I would have saved the time, money, and effort and just done the water bottles and paid for  a trip or something as a thank you to everyone

 

My bouquet

 

 

 

The cake & BM bouquet

 

 

 

The grill (reception location)

 

 

 

 

Playa Azul (ceremony)

 

 

The married couple

 

 

Trash the dress

 

 

 

You looked beautiful!!  incredible!  I'm so glad everything went as you has planned!  I feel like the weddings there are a dream!

Originally Posted by tiffanyhetzel 

 

You can book outside photographer but you have to book them a room. I just spoke with Ruth yesterday and I told her that I hired an outside photographer and she told me that I needed to book him at least 2 nights at the resort. The thing is.... there is a 3 night minimum so I am not sure why she told me 2 nights?  I asked her but she hasnt got back to me....

I think during the low season, you can book 2 nights and during the high season the barcelo requires 3 nights... but I would check different travel websites.  Sometimes you can book 2 nights from another site.  

Originally Posted by lescole44 

 

As far as I know from everything I have read you have to have the Strawberry Passion package to have a beach reception. No upgrades for the beach reception. I just read on the wedding packages attachment for 2013 that no outside photographers are allowed. Please please please someone who has been married there in 2013 tell me that this is not the case. I have read about the $500 outside vendor fee and have been prepared to book rooms for my photographer. I never noticed that little aside on the package lise until now (and I booked and put the deposit for my photographer this week!!)

I got married on the 14th of January - we had photographers, videographers, florists, DJ all come from outside.  They also had that notice in the 2012 package.  You can do the $500 fee or book 2 nights for your photographer.  

You are fine with your photographer. 

Originally Posted by Mel888 

 

Does anyone know if you can have tables of 10? or is the max 8?

It depends on where you are having your reception.  I had mine in the Coral Grille and the max was 8.  

Originally Posted by julienelson0713 

 

Hi Ladies,

 

What was your timeline like for the big day?? I'm trying to figure out how much time we will need between the ceremony (hopefully short and sweet, non-denominational minister) and the reception for taking photos? Our ceremony is at 4pm and I was hoping to start the reception at 6:30. Does that sound like enough time??

My timeline was as follows:

3:00 Ceremony (lasted 2 hours - was supposed to last 1 hour)

4:00-6:00 Pictures (supposedly)

5:00-6:00 Cocktail hour

6:00-midnight Reception

Where is your ceremony and reception?  If they are close to each other, I think those times are just fine.  

Originally Posted by julienelson0713 

 

I'm currently in the process of looking for an outside photographer....it's so tough to decide!! I have just not heard good things about the Smile Market/Kodak people! I looked on this site for other people's suggestions, then went on their websites and checked out the photos. Then I emailed different companies for a price list and we're starting to narrow it down. SO DIFFICULT!!! I have asked my WC what the process is for booking an outside photographer, but have not received a reply yet. I'll let you know when I do.

 

Hmmm...when did you book your wedding? Did you use a travel agent? My wedding is July 6 and I started communicating awhile ago. Who is your WC? My travel agent started communicating with them by emailing [email protected] (this is jacqueline's email) and then Victoria ([email protected]) started emailing me for steps of the planning process. Do you want me to send you the steps that I have received so far? That way once you are in communication with the planner you can have all your answers ready?? I can definitely do that!

 

Julie

Julie, 

I used FotoTakeIt for our wedding and the pictures are fantastic!  Good prices too and there are 2 photographers so when you are getting ready, there is a girl with the girls and a guy with the guys.

 http://www.fototakeit.com/blog/amity-antonio/

Let me know if you want me to send you the packet that they sent us.

Basically, you just book the photographer.  A few weeks before your wedding, you WC will ask you if you have booked the 2 hotel nights or if you are going to pay the $500 fee.  We found it was just easier to book whoever whenever and not wait for the WC response - everything worked out.  

-Amity