PPMay2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by bridemoonpalace 

This really great info! We keep coming up with items we didn't include in our initial budget. I'm going to use your numbers as guide and a checklist to make sure we didn't forget anything else! Thanks for posting!

Happy to help!  Good luck and let me know if there's anything I can do to help! xoxo

Hi everyone,

Since there seem to be some new brides, I wanted to link to my budget and planning post. One of my biggest frustrations while planning was trying to figure out how much everything would cost.Please feel free to check it out here: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/86529/budget-and-planning-thread-azul-sensatori#post_1914515

I recently added pictures from the wedding too!

Feel free to contact me with questions!  It WILL be a great day and Azul Sensatori does an amazing job. 

xoxo

Ashlee

One of the ways we saved some money was by not using flowers at the reception. (And the resort messed up on the flowers for me and my MOH, so we got a refund for that too.) No one noticed or every said a thing. I love flowers and completely understand if they are an important item to you. But, for those of you trying to figure out where to save, flowers and centerpieces are an option. Enough lights are included with the outdoor location area that minimal table lighting is needed. We used 1 hurricane lamp at each table with a starfish as the table number. We got two hanging corsages for the ceremony, but they weren't needed. The staff, without prompting, brought them over the to reception and placed them on the seating card table for added decoration. Also, the table runner you see on the seating card table was provided in-kind by the resort staff who set up the reception site. We neither brought it nor asked for it. These are just two examples of how the staff will go out of their way for you to make it a great event. And yes, at one point my new husband decided to throw me in the water..in my wedding dress. Here are some wedding photos from Sam Hurd Photography. 

Some photos from the second shooter, Doug Pettway, are here: http://www.douglaspettway.com/a-cancun-destination-wedding/

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Originally Posted by Marymack 

 

Thanks so much for the spreadsheet and the pictures are awesome!!!

Thanks Marymack! Good luck in your planning!

Here are some sneak previews from our second shooter/assistant photographer: Doug Pettway from Douglas Pettway photography:

http://www.douglaspettway.com/a-cancun-destination-wedding/

Doug was amazing to work with and one of the sweetest people I've ever met. We'd highly recommend him!!!

Originally Posted by Jess878 

 

Thanks for all the helpful information, very detailed.

Originally Posted by kimsing12 

 

This is AMAZING!! and so helpful!! 104 people!! Truly awesome!!

Happy to help! Good luck to you and congratulations!! xoxo

Hi everyone!  This may be more helpful to new brides just getting started in the planning process, but I've started a thread that includes my cost breakdowns. When I was planning, I really struggled to set a budget since all costs seem to vary. Please keep in mind that my expenses were fairly high for two reasons:

1. We had 104 people travel to Mexico with us.

2. I included every single cost that had anything to do with the wedding in my budget.

I'll include more information once I have pictures to go along with it. Until then, if you have questions, please let me know. Otherwise, here's the thread:

http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/86529/budget-and-planning-thread-azul-sensatori

Hope it helps

Originally Posted by april9639 

 

Also, did you tip the bartenders at your reception? I now this has been discussed a lot but I'm still trying to figure out how much cash to bring

Hi april9639.  I got married May 27th and fretted a lot about cash and tipping.

I did not tip the event staff the night of the wedding since that was specifically stated to be included in my package price. I did tip the two wedding coordinators Janet ($20) and Antonio ($10) though. My bridal party and I (4 of us in total) got our make-up done at the spa, and I tipped each lady $5. They did a beautiful job, and were very, very kind. I wish I would have tipped more, but I was almost out of cash at this point.

My husband and I also got massages at the spa, and since they were the best massages of our life, we tipped each masseuse $20.

Also if it helps, we left $20 for our room attendant at the end of the week, and paid about $100 in tips to bartenders and food servers throughout the week at the pool bars and restaurants.

Certainly do what feels right to you. Hope this helps

Vendor list:

Wedding Resort: Azul Sensatori

Honeymoon Resort: El Dorado Maroma

Photographer: Sam Hurd (Sam Hurd Photography).  Amazing, amazing, amazing. Pictures to come. Sam brought Doug Pettway as his second-shooter

Dress: The Sample Rack The ladies were very nice and genuinely excited to help me shop. They did push the sale a little bit, but that's their job. I bought a dress by Sincerity.

Dress Alterations: Nilah and Co.  Nilah is one of the least friendly people I've ever met. She will not give you the warm fuzzies. HOWEVER, I think she did a nice job, and I've been told her prices were very reasonable (?I find all alteration prices to be completely unreasonable, so this may be a personal preference). She is in the Philadelphia area.

Groom's Suit: Nordstrom

Rings: Drue Sanders

MOH Gifts: Essie nail polishes

Groomsmen gifts: Sunglasses in yellow, clear and color-blocked

Officiant gift: Map cuff-links  by Kathylorockskeepsakes   She was very quick, though she did forget to send me the proof of the cufflinks before she actually made them and sent them to me. Make sure you're clear on your communications with her.

Stationery: All invitations, menus, programs, thank you, and door hangers were from Vistaprint. We made specialty cards for our families through a GREATVendor,Holly Coy of Heart and Hope Designs.

Ceremony and Reception Decor and Flowers: Weddings by Lomas.  Very expensive, but more convenient for my needs. I wanted very simple and basic.

DJ: DJ Doremixx.  Our party RAVED about him.  Definitely worth the outside vendor fee.

Favors and Seating Cards: We bought customized mugs from Factory21. The vendor was amazing to work with, but the mugs ended up being kind of crappy. The ink design ran so by the end of the week, all of the mugs were just plain white. We also bought starfish bottle openers from Favor Warehouse. We also used them for our seashell seating cards.

Hair: Danita from Sugar House Salon and Spa

Makeup: Azul Sensatori Spa.  The ladies were WONDERFUL. We got massages there too and they were the best I've ever had (Augustin and Miriam).

Hi Brides-to-be!

One of my biggest frustrations when planning a destination wedding was that I had no idea how much things cost, or would cost, so I felt like I couldn't set a budget. Therefore, I am posting what we ended up spending in hopes that it helps some future Brides. Our priority areas were photography and music. I'm sure I've included more information than you will ever need, or you may ever include in your wedding budget, but I want to be as helpful as possible. For example, we got legally married in the states before we went to Mexico. While small, there were fees associated with that (and a small celebration after-- which I included in our wedding budget). Additionally, we had a "spa day" before heading to Mexico where I got my nails done and a wax and my husband got his hair cut. While to some people these are "every day" costs, I included them in our wedding budget breakdown because they were out of the norm for us. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions. I will also include planning details as soon as I get pictures back from the photographer.

And to those of you who think sharing money information is in poor-form, I ask that you please keep your negative comments to yourself. The one thing I wanted when I was planning was a budget breakdown, so I am just trying to help other brides who feel similarly. Your respect and kindness is appreciated.

NOT included in this budget:

1. Our welcome reception. Since we used our "Free" wedding reception as our rehearsal dinner with family, my mother-in-law covered the cost of the welcome cocktail hour.

2. Invitation postage and Table numbers. My mother covered these costs for us.

3. Transportation to and from the Cancun airport to our hotel was included in our room package.

If you think I've missed something or have questions, please let me know.

Hi all! Does anyone know how the Beach BBQ works? Is it a buffet or do the guests get served? I'm working on our menus and wasn't sure if I needed to provide instructions (e.g. Go grab your food whenever you're ready!).

Thanks for your help!

For the Beach BBQ--Is this set up like a buffet and guests serve themselves?  I'm working on the Menu cards and wondering if I need to provide instructions/a description or if just list what's being served is enough. Thanks for your input!

Originally Posted by bubblez 

 

Thanks for all the information murel.

 

Did you bring your own paper lanterns for the receptions?  If so, how much did the resort charge for setting it up? I want lanterns too and I want it to look like the picture below (so a lot). Do they charge per lantern or just a flat rate?

  Does anyone know how much it cost for a bonfire?

Hi Bubblez,

The quote for a smores bonfire I got was $16/person (from my wedding coordinator, Erika). Hope that helps!

Hi bubblez,

The quote I got for a smores bonfire from my Wedding Coordinator (Erika) was $16/person. Hope that helps!

Originally Posted by bubblez 

Thanks for all the information murel.

 

Did you bring your own paper lanterns for the receptions?  If so, how much did the resort charge for setting it up? I want lanterns too and I want it to look like the picture below (so a lot). Do they charge per lantern or just a flat rate?

  Does anyone know how much it cost for a bonfire?

Hi Azul Brides!

For anyone who has done a reception on the beach in the evening-- did you need to buy/rent extra lighting?  And how bad are the mosquitos?

Thanks for your help!!

Originally Posted by ELAINENYC 

 

Josephine - Love your pic!!! Thank you for sharing! You have such an amazing smile!! Can't wait to see more!!

 

tkuzma - Thank you for the compliment! I have been trying to lose these last 5 lbs....sooooo hard to get rid of!!!!

 

Jenny - I just reached out to the vendor on etsy.com, looks like I will be able to get the extra sashes on time. Can't believe I almost messed up!!  As for table decorations, I am just bringing down candles and lavender petals to throw on the table. We will also pick up maracas when we arrive in mexico. I am bringing down 60 pairs of personalized flip flops which is taking up sooo much room! On top of that I am bringing down 32 hand painted frames so my guests can place the photo taken at the photo booth in it. Then I have to bring down the groomsmen gift which is also taking up a lot of room. I think I might give these out before Mexico. Your thoughts? Do you plan on giving the wedding party gifts in mexico or beforehand? As for my flowers, I went with silk flowers, which I will hold in my hand. I am also giving each bridesmaid and my MOH, their bouquet to hold. As for my shoes, I am actually wearing personalized platform flip flops (about 3") for the beach ceremony. I am afraid if i wear heels i might trip walking on the plank. After the ceremony, I will quickly change into my heels,which is about 3 1/2 ". I am only 5ft tall so platform flip flops and heels are extremely important!!! lol.  I bought my heels from the website below. It was free shipping and no sales tax. The shoes were inexpensive and I really could not spend much in this dept since I had already spent so much on other things. How amazing you can design your own shoes!!! Can't wait to see them!! Please make sure you share a picture!! Would love to see it!!!

http://www.bridalshoesus.com/home.php

Elaine-- the flowers are beautiful! Who did you use for them?

The flowers are beautiful!  Who did you use for them?

Thanks!

Hi all! Not adding any new dates, just wanted to correct my date. Somewhere along the line it got switched to May 23rd (should be May 27). Thank you all for being so helpful!!! 

October 2012

larazach - October 3, 2012

LauraandBrian- October 6, 2012

jsal4 - October 12, 2012

November 2012

ElaineNYC - November 10, 2012

Jana Knitter - November 11, 2012

December 2012

jenya - December 8, 2012

janaahb - December 12, 2012

January 2013

evac- January 3, 2013

RachelTX- January 26, 2013

February 2013

tkuzma - February 7, 2013

Christined - February 12, 2013

March 2013

seatkins22 - March 21, 2013

April 2013

slarso13 - April 20, 2013

DawnDean - April 26, 2013

May 2013

kathryn83 - May 5, 2013

jennybenz - May 18, 2013

soon2bmrspetti - May 18, 2013

PPMay2013- May 27, 2013

Thanks for all the helpful info! I've added my date in blue

June 2012

2ndtimesacharm - June 26, 2012

July 2012

MishMash July 14, 2012

Miss1022 July 22, 2012

Starcamping- July 23, 2012

August 2012

September 2012

Jennaba3 - September 6, 2012

October 2012

larazach - October 3, 2012

LauraandBrian- October 6, 2012

jsal4 - October 12, 2012

November 2012

ElaineNYC - November 10, 2012

Jana Knitter - November 11, 2012

December 2012

janaahb - December 12, 2012

January 2013

evac- January 3, 2013

February 2013

tkuzma - February 7, 2013

Christined - February 12, 2013

March 2013

seatkins22 - March 21, 2013

April 2013

slarso13 - April 20, 2013

DawnDean - April 26, 2013

May 2013

kathryn83 - May 5, 2013

jennybenz - May 18th, 2013

PPMay2013- May 27, 2013

Hello Playacar Brides! Thank you for all of the useful information.  I have two questions that don't really seem posted anywhere:

1. What's the final price of what you all have ended up spending?

2. When you get the unlimited private events, does it include an unlimited number of people? Or do you have to pay per person for everyone after 30 people?

Thank you for all your help!!!

A