GinaP

Hey girls! I'm having a hard time deciding on a photographer. I'm undecided between Dean Sanderson, Ivan Luckie, or bringing my own from home. Believe it or not, it's actually quite a bit cheaper to bring my own from home. Our ceremony is at 1pm & I want the photog to be there when we're getting ready up until the beginning of the dances, so it would be 10+ hrs of coverage, which is quite pricey. I also really want to do a trash the dress session and am leaning more towards using Dean or Ivan for this reason. They're underwater pics look amazing.Does anyone have any recommendations on using Dean or Ivan?

Hi! Congrats on your wedding! Do you have any pics? I'm considering using Dean Sanderson, Ivan Luckie, or just bringing my own from home. It is cheaper to bring my own from home but i like the idea of using a mexican photog b/c they know the area and the trash the dress pics look unreal!! Was Dean worth the price?

Hey Girls! I just got a teaser photo from my TTD with Dean Sanderson and wanted to share! He really is AMAZING!

Hey Girls! I just got a teaser photo from my TTD with Dean Sanderson and wanted to share! He really is AMAZING!

Hi Ladies, I just wanted to share something with you that I found out this week...... I had fake flowers made for myself, bridesmaids and groomsmen as I found it to be wayyyyyyyy cheaper than going with Lamos. I was told if I email my pictures that would match the ceremony flowers with the flowers I had made. I also wanted similar flowers in the arrangements. When I sent in my pictures and they types of flowers that I have this is the responce I recieved: The flowers for the large hanging corsages and tall glass containers consist of tropical flowers (roses, lilies, daisies, and carnations). To add orchids or calla lilies, it would increase the cost of each corsage and tall glass container. The hotel can definitely match the colors of the flowers that you are bringing. Let me know your thoughts. I was a little mad because I feel like every time I turn around they are trying to nickel and dime me. I have not been cheap my ANY means with this wedding and even purchased the smores party for an additional $444.00. I just wanted future brides to know this and to be prepared because I was not. I dont mind having the lillies, but I really do not want the otehr flowers and I want everything to look somewhat cohesive. My whole entire wedding has been paid for I hate to have to give thme more money when we have brought so much buisness to the resort.

Hi Ladies, I just wanted to share something with you that I found out this week...... I had fake flowers made for myself, bridesmaids and groomsmen as I found it to be wayyyyyyyy cheaper than going with Lamos. I was told if I email my pictures that would match the ceremony flowers with the flowers I had made. I also wanted similar flowers in the arrangements. When I sent in my pictures and they types of flowers that I have this is the responce I recieved: The flowers for the large hanging corsages and tall glass containers consist of tropical flowers (roses, lilies, daisies, and carnations). To add orchids or calla lilies, it would increase the cost of each corsage and tall glass container. The hotel can definitely match the colors of the flowers that you are bringing. Let me know your thoughts. I was a little mad because I feel like every time I turn around they are trying to nickel and dime me. I have not been cheap my ANY means with this wedding and even purchased the smores party for an additional $444.00. I just wanted future brides to know this and to be prepared because I was not. I dont mind having the lillies, but I really do not want the otehr flowers and I want everything to look somewhat cohesive. My whole entire wedding has been paid for I hate to have to give thme more money when we have brought so much buisness to the resort.

Hey girls! I had my wedding two weeks ago! Everything went perfect!!! It was better than I,could ever imagine! My photographer Dean Sanderson was AMAZING! I highly recommend him! I will post pictures when I get them. Let me know if any future brides have any questions!

Hi Ladies Can anyone give me suggestions on tipping? Photographer? DJ? WC? ThAnks!

Hi Gina, I loved my makeup the lady at the spa did for me!  I bought my own MAC makeup as a backup because I was nervous before my trial, but didn't end up using it because the spa uses MAC, and they have an incredible selection of everything!  Trust me, you have nothing to worry about

Hi Dawn, here is an article my photographer sent me before my wedding that I thought was helpful- http://www.deansandersonweddings.com/blog/2012/11/the-very-best-beach-bridal-make-up-for-a-wedding-in-the-riviera-maya/  Hope it's of use to you!

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Hi Gina P!!  I will be there March 23rd as well! We are going March 23-30th, getting married on the 26th. See you at the swim up bar! 

Hi Ladies, I leave a week from Saturday! The time flew by! Lots of packing to do this weekend!!! Thanks for the advice and tips! Anyone that booked their DJ and photographer a room there to avoid the vendor fees, does it matter what day they check into the hotel as a guest? Thanks!!

I just received some teaser photos from Dean, and I wanted to share a couple of them with you!!! Hooray!!!!        

Hello again ladies!!! I am back after an amazing wedding week at the Azul Sensatori and a second incredible honeymoon week at El Dorado Maroma! I didn't want to ever leave:D As other brides before me always said, I now reiterate, none of you have anything to worry about! I was a bit of a skeptic before because I'm an obsessive compulsive perfectionist, but now I'm a believer that this resort has weddings down to a science, and they will do anything in their power to make your day an absolutely fantastic one! So now for a bit of a review... Saturday February 2 - Arrival Most of us (30 guests + bride & groom) arrived at the resort around 9 pm. The check-in process was a breeze.  We were all greeted with cold towels & champagne, and they directed us to one of the ballrooms for paperwork, which was full of sweets and more drinks. My groom & I were upgraded without asking to the honeyroom suite- OMG I hope some of you are able to experience this suite (to die for panoramic views of the beach & ocean! After a quick bite to eat at Spoon, we all gathered at the Mojito Lounge to hand out our welcome cards and beach bags. Our group took over the terrace of the lounge, and we had our own little private party. Make sure to try the mango & kiwi mojitos! Sunday February 3 This was a beach day for our guests. Chris & I ran around (a bit with our heads cut off) trying to greet the remainder of our guests and making sure everyone was happy. We visited his dad at Azul Beach, which was a nice little walk- again a reminder you have to walk past the nudist resort to get here. We ate the beach bbq for lunch (actually, most days we ate lunch here!) and it is fab- a great selection and great service as well.  Make sure to try the ribs. Dinner was at Zocalo (Mexican restaurant)- I think overall this one was my favourite (take into account that unfortunately due to commitments and time constraints, we never actually ate at either Tapaz or Le Chique). (Zocalo has fantastic tortilla soup & fish tacos at lunch). In the evening we had a crafting party with both of our families and wedding party back at our suite- we ordered in room service dessert, yummy! Monday February 4 Chris & I had to go into Cancun to meet with the priest that would be officiating our ceremony- this was a bit of a gongshow (we got dropped off at the wrong church, which in fairness, had almost an identical name to the one we needed to get to); however, the resort was very helpful in arranging for a private car with a driver for a return trip.  My aunt joined us, and the driver took her around to several local markets. Our meeting with the wedding coordinator team was at 3 pm.  Odette and her assistant Kristina were the ladies we met with.  Both were very professional, attentive and methodical.  We went over every item in our spreadsheets with them, and then reviewed the decorations that I had brought.  This process took almost 2 hours, but I was extremely pleased to know that they wanted to make sure they knew exactly what our vision was and wanted to know in great detail how things should be set up and how we wanted to day to run.  We had a ton of various decorations we brought, and the random amount we were charged for setup was $150. Only slight disappointment was that I had bought several dozen of various sized Ikea candles with me, but I was not allowed to use them because I didn't have candle holders, and they had none I could rent, so they went unused, and we rented their votives at the ridiculous price of $3/candle. We ordered room service dinner that evening as we were in a bit of a rush to get ready for our Smores Party which we had on the beach that evening from 7-9pm.  This event was a hit with our guests, and well worth the $15/person price tag.  The actual bonfire was puny, but that is the only slight complaint I had.  The selection and amount of treats was impressive.  We had our own personal bartender and about 4 servers and they did a great job.  It turned out that the fire dancer show started at 9 pm right next to our party, so that was an added entertainment bonus. Tuesday February 5 This was Chris & my day to "relax" and to try to enjoy the beach.  Haha, we still managed to find ourselves some tasks to complete and to try entertain various guests. As part of our wedding package, we were supposed to receive a 30 min sky massage.  Somehow, we ended up receiving a 60 min massage, even though it was inside.  Not sure how this happened, but no compaints from us Just a note to not expect an RMT equivalent massage like back home, but it's soothing nonetheless. In the evening, our wedding party had arranged a separate girls' and guys' dinner as a start to our joint bachelorette and bachelor parties.  The boys had a great time at Zocalo- the restaurant printed them a special menu for the event (at no charge) and gave them a tequila testing.  The girls met up at Zavas for dinner & drinks- the service was great, and they sat us at two long tables.  This was actually the only meal I really did not like during my entire stay at the resort, but no big deal.  After dinner, we all headed to Coco Bongo, which we arranged through the SunWing reps- just a small side note: we assumed we were headed to the Coco Bongo in Cancun, but SunWing only deals with the club in Playa del Carmen; no big deal, just a little bit of confusion. Mini buses picked up our group at 9:20 at the resort, and we left the club at 1:30.  The experience was totally worth the $50/girl and $60/guy. Wednesday February 6 I started the day off with my bridesmaids with a 60 min sky massage.  I ended up with the same masseuse as the day prior, and I asked him to apply a lot more pressure than previous, which was more of what I usually receive with my RMT. From 1-5pm I spent at the spa. I had a manicure & pedicure from 1-3 pm.  I forget the esthetician's name, but she did really nice work.  I have really short nails, and most esthetician's won't do a French manicure for me in Canada, but this girl did not even hesitate.  The polish on both my hands and feet lasted with minimal chips until the end of our honeymoon!  She also did my trial makeup from 3-4 pm.  They use MAC products, and they have a ton of colours to choose from.  She did a wonderful job, and was very receptive to changes suggested by me.  At the end, they even took my picture on their IPad, so they could refer to it again the next day. Zenaida did my trial hair from 4- ~5:15pm.  I showed her three different pictures, and she masterfully combined all 3 into a curly sideswept low updo, which I absolutely loved.  Again my picture was taken, so they could refer to it the following day. We had arranged to do a walk through of the ceremony with Odette for $50 through Lomas prior to arrival as we weren't going to see the El Dorado chapel until the actual wedding day.  She spent half an hour with us even though she had to run back and forth between 2 different weddings that day.  It was a bit haphazard, but it worked.  We then went with our families and wedding party to Sienna for a rehearsal dinner. Thursday February 7 - WEDDING DAY! I started at the spa at 9 am for makeup and then had my hair around 10:15.  I was done around 11:30.  The girls recreated my hair and makeup from the trials perfectly.  I think you can be rest assured that the ladies with do a fabulous job for you even without a trial- like I mentioned before, I am OCD about details, so I needed the trials to calm my nerves.  We paid for my bridesmaids and moms to get their hair done as well, and everyone loved their styles. My photographer, Dean Sanderson & his friend, Catherine O'Hara (who was visitng from Paris) arrived around 12:30 to start shooting details and us getting ready.  I could go on forever about how great Dean & Catherine were the entire day.  Their work is beautiful, and their attention to detail is impeccable!  I don't have any pictures to show with you yet, but the pictures we saw on his camera were so beautiful.  I would highly recommend Dean!!! We had two mini buses pick up Chris, his groomsmen and all of our guests around 2:10 for transport to El Dorado chapel. My bridesmaids, my parents and I were picked up in a limo around 2:20.  The ceremony was at 3pm and was about 50 min.  The chapel is simple, but so beautiful.  We had minimal decorations, and anything more would have been overkill.  They have AC built into the chapel, but unfortunately it wasn't working properly, so it was HOT! After the ceremony, we took pictures with family and guests until 4:50, when they were transferred back to AS. We stayed with our wedding party on Maroma beach until 5:50 taking more pictures.  If you have a chance to visit Maroma beach, go!!! It has been voted one of the world's top 10 beaches, and it is indeed spectacular! Our cocktail hour was from 6-7pm on Zocalo beach- Chris & I didn't attend because of photos, but our guests said the food was great, and the resort did an amazing job with the signature cocktail we had requested, a pear martini. Our reception was from 7-11 pm at Zocalo Al Fresco- the terrace outside of Zocalo restaurant.  I would highly recommend this location- it has a roof and blinds they can pull down if it gets too windy or rains, and it still has a wonderful view of the beach and ocean without actually being on the beach.  Only downside as with all outdoor locations, it can be quite hot!  I couldn't have asked for a better setup of the area and all of our decorations, if I had done it myself to be honest.  Odette and her team paid amazing attention to detail, and Chris & I couldn't have been happier.  Our wedding dinner was probably the best meal we had at the resort all week.  We had requested the Mexican guitar trio for entertainment during dinner, and they did a great job.  We also had a pinata, which was a huge hit.  We brought our own decorations for the cake; we really enjoyed the cake itself- 1 layer chocolate, and the other hazelnut.  The servers and bartenders were fantastic. We rented the amplifier system and played our own music off of playlists we created on our laptop, which worked out perfectly with our group size. It's so true what past brides say, the day itself goes by in a flash! So much planning goes into it, but at the end of the day, it is only a 24 hour period, which you can not prolong, so make sure to enjoy it!!! There were mini blips that happened, but overall I thought the day was just perfect! Friday, February 8 Breakfast in bed, which was part of our wedding package arrived at our room at 11 am. Food was plentiful, and it was presented in true gourmet style! Our couples' dinner on the beach was at 6:30 pm this evening- it's a 4 course meal in a private cabana. Second best meal of the week after the wedding meal! Not much else to say about this day- we were just so exhausted after running arround the entire week, that we slept for most of the day! Saturday, February 9 We changed the dinner reservation at Spoon that came with the wedding package into a brunch for a Thank You and Farewell for our guests.  They booked us in at 10 am at Zavas.  The food was endless and super yummy.  Service again was exceptional.  It was nice to see our guests one last time prior to them leaving to go back home and us moving to El Dorado Maroma for the next week. Well now, that is almost a novel!  If you have any questions, please let me know   I will post pictures as soon as I get them.  I am going to start working on my Wedding Planning Journal, but it might take awhile as I am back at work- I will let you know when it's done. One final note- my groom was skeptical about a DW when we first started planning, but at the wedding reception he turned to me and said he couldn't have imagined doing it any other way.  You will not regret getting married at Azul Sensatori!  AS holds a lot of sentimental value to us, and we hope we can go back soon on one of our first couple of anniversaries.  Oh, and if you can at all manage, try to go down to Mexico for 2 weeks! That first week just went by in a blur- it was nice to visit and introduce family & friends, but it wasn't until our 2nd week that we really got to relax and just breathe!

My WC (Lynda Gomez) told me that the vendor fee would cover the vendor and his assistant. So if my photographer brings an assistant it's $800 total for both.

Hi! I didn't even think about an assistant for the DJ! I am also having DJ Doremixx and I booked him for three nights. Is this going to be a problem? Do I have to pay a vendor fee for assistant? Ahh! I'm supposed to make my final,payment today, now I don't know what to do! Thanks for any feedback!

Hi everyone I also booked the DJ and photographer a room to avoid the vendor fee! Does anyone know if it matters what day they check in on? Can they check in on the day of the wedding? thanks!

has anyone decided on the flowers they're using (in particular brides who are getting married in march-ish springtime)? i just found out a lot of the flowers i lvoe aren't in season while we're there!

Thanks murmel! I'm keeping my fingers crossed and praying hard it works out! And on an off chance  if any of you ladies run into this dress (Bill Levkoff 165, Champagne, size 14 or 16) let me know! Thanks! http://www.billlevkoff.com/style/bridesmaid-dress/165

Hi Gina! I did the pick & choose menu for our EDR wedding. We had everyone choose their entree as part of their RSVP. I had a list of everyone's entree choices in excel that I gave the resort, and then also had the place cards "coded" with the entree choice. The orange starfish was one entree, the blue scallop shell was another, and then the blue trumpet shell was our vegetarian option (we had 2 vegetarian guests in our party). Here's a photo of the place cards I did: And then I forgot to tell the resort what the "code" was, but fortunately they had the list, and they used the name cards against the list to hand out the entrees. I had our menus printed with a thank you note on the back. The resort put them on each setting, wrapped in the napkin - it was a great presentation! Hope that helps!

Has anyone chosen the Pick and Choose Menu? How did you make your menus? Organize the list for the resort? Thanks

WOW!! LOVE!!! Job well done, your guests will love these! I was thinking of just going the Vistaprint route for pre-wedding brochures. I can't find enough hours in the day to do anything myself lately LOL I'll be sure to share once I have a preview ready =) I bought a Groupon I paid $17 for it and it's $70 worth of goods from Vista! Wahoo!

You can not ship alcohol, unless you have permits and are willing to pay the customs and other fees. You might be able to bring some on the plane with you, as long as it falls under your allowable limit for booze (not sure what it is for Mexico). I would think you could buy them down there, but not sure exactly where or for how much. There are so many tourist shops around, I am sure you could make an arrangement with someone for lots of small tequila bottles.

Hi ladies I want to give mini tequila bottles for favors, does anyone know if : 1. They can be shipped there 2. Bring on the airplane? Or buy them when I get there? thanks!