Kate G

Hi Brides, I was wondering if anyone has released those lanterns into the sky at their wedding and could tell me where you got the lanterns and all that you need for them. Did you just do a few or have one for all guests? Thanks

Hi Brides! Nice to see a more recent Dreams PV thread made. I am getting married there in two months (woohoo!), May 18th is our date. So I have a question and then also figured I'd share my experience in planning so far if it can be useful to anyone. My question is, what are you guys planning to do as a welcome/rehearsal dinner? We decided the bonfire was more than we cared to spend, but I am nervous that trying to get our guests together and eat all in one place may be hard. Any suggestions? So my planning has gone pretty well..I started working with Eleane last May right after we got engaged and have been going full speed ahead ever since! I am using my own photographer and videographer from the U.S. (this is what is costing the most but I refuse to not have amazing photos and footage of the day, so to me it's worth it!) We just finally got about all of our RSVPs in and we are expecting 30 guests. I guess it's a decent turnout for a destination wedding, but it is kind of disappointing that 70+ invitees won't be there on the day We are just going to enjoy it though because when else have we had 30 of our friends and family go on vacation together?! I have been working with an outside vendor named Tamara (Details Vallarta) for the decor. She has been absolutely amazing and I feel like she's given us a fair price for everything (she's doing our flowers as well). The only thing I am making is a garland to hang around the gazebo for the ceremony, and I am bringing my own maracas that I'm ordering from here: http://www.amols.com/catalog/view?page=1&ss=Maracas%2C&t=Fiesta%2C. Also making the welcome bags. We are using the mariachi band for cocktail hour (I downgraded from the Ultimate package to the Love package to accommodate for this) and are not using a DJ, just going to wing it on the iPod for the dancing. So we are pretty ready and getting excited as it grows closer each day! Good luck with the planning

Oh okay, I'm getting married in a couple months so have this planned already but that would probably be very helpful to someone earlier in the process!

What exactly would the Webinar entail? Sounds cool regardless!

I'm wondering about this too! I was so worried about us not having a DJ and thinking just my iPod wouldn't be enough during the reception to get people in the groove that I hired a mariachi band to actually play during the reception for the entertainment and to hopefully get people on their feet. But now I'm second guessing if this was right! Do you think they are appropriate dance music? Ahh.

Thank you sooo much! This will help me a TON!

Oh jeez...just read it and am now crying hahaha.

I am getting married at Dreams PV in May and we are having a symbolic ceremony (legal marriage will be in the U.S. when we return). Now that my wedding is 4 months away (whoa!) I have started to realize I have NO idea what the ceremony should include. Dreams will provide us with an officiant, but do they have things that they say, or are you responsible for providing them with every word you want said? I've only really been to traditional church weddings so don't really know how to kind of wing it in regard to our own program and all that. I guess it may be nice to have a reading or something but I have no clue what I would want read. And I didn't consider us having to write our own vows, but if we don't, does the officiant have vows for us to recite? Any help would be appreciated!

I'm getting married at Dreams Puerto Vallarta in May...does anyone know if they allow you to go around and deliver the bags yourself, since I know they charge like a $4.00 fee or something crazy to deliver stuff like that for you. I wasn't really sure about doing bags but after reading through this thread I think I will order some canvas totes and iron-on our wedding crest to each, and people can use that as a beach bag. Simple and easy and shouldn't be too hard to transport since the totes will be able to just lie flat. But yeah, I want the bags to be in the rooms for people when they get there as a little surprise, but don't like the idea of getting charged more than the bags themselves to have them delivered!

That's definitely true, those variables must be there! Yeah I am really happy for whoever will be able to come but so far the people that have made their travel arrangements are older...I haven't really had any friends book anything yet I just want it to be fun, but I guess once we are there things will just kind of play out naturally.

I hear ya, @Lizrmt. A few of my girlfriends will be coming solo so I hope this doesn't dissuade people from dancing!

Hi Brides, I have had this on my mind since I started getting into my wedding planning so I thought it was time to bring it to the boards and get people's feedback that have gone through the same thing regarding dancing at smaller sized weddings. I am getting married at Dreams in Puerto Vallarta next May. I have always imagined my wedding have dancing of course, and can't really picture it without it. However, the deeper I am getting into planning this wedding, the more I am realizing that since it is a destination wedding, most of the people we're inviting won't be coming. So far I have 17 confirmed out of about 100 total guests invited. So this has been worrying me because I just have such a hard time picturing the wedding reception (which will be on the terrace at Dreams) being really high-energy and dancey with such a small crowd! Now granted, the wedding is still over 6 months away and I'm sure that more than 17 will end up coming, but I would be surprised if much more than 30 to 40 attend. I don't doubt that the people that are there won't have a good time, but I keep picturing it being awkward when trying to round people up to dance. And what troubles me even more is that I am just going the playlist route, so won't have a DJ to possibly control the crowd and get the energy flowing. So my question for you all is: are you facing the same fears about dancing and "fun" at your reception with a small crowd? And the brides that have already experienced it, how has it gone for you? Am I overthinking this? I figure I'm going to be in Mexico with my closest family and some good friends, so how bad could it really be, right?

Hi Brides, So I know there has already been a thread on the whole 'DJ vs. iPod' thing, but from what I can see, it looks like the last reply was 4 years ago so I wanted to make a new one. Hope that's okay! So here is my dilemma: I am getting married at Dreams PV next May. After doing some research I heard some not so great things about the DJ that is provided by Dreams for the extra cost, and I didn't really want to risk that. At first I elected to fly one of my friends out to do it who is a DJ in San Francisco (wouldn't pay her but would cover her travel arrangements), but then some unexpected expenses came about and I felt like I couldn't really spring the extra money to get her out. So I nixed that idea and now am at the conclusion of using my own iPod/sound system and just wingin' it. I guess this scares me because of the 'winging it' part. I have heard of plenty of brides doing this and saying it works fine, but my main worry is that the flow of the night may be kind of weird. Someone won't be a 'dedicated' person making sure songs are played and stopped and I just wonder how this is going to go! Now we did ask my fiance's aunt if she would make some minimal announcements just to direct people's attention to whatever is going on, and she was more than happy to do it (she is very outgoing and fun), but I just worry about things not going right! My other worry is that it won't be as high energy. My fiance and I are not really into the gimmicky DJ stuff in the first place, but we don't want it to be totally dead because no one is kind of 'controlling the energy.' Know what I mean? Ugh this is really my main concern about the wedding, is how this piece is going to work. My other question along with the reception music, is the ceremony music. Any Dreams brides that can attest to how it went to get the correct processional/recessional songs played? Like, who makes sure this is happening? Anyway I am just hoping that there are some brides out there that have used their own sound system and can address my questions specifically. If you had your wedding at Dreams PV and did this, even better! The more info I can gather on the right way to approach it, the better I'll feel. Basically though there is no going back on hiring a DJ for us cos we just can't afford it at this point. So words of encouragement are always appreciated!

Thank you Jimmy! It is a shame there is so much ignorance about Mexico. I have been infuriated with the level of disrespect some of my extended family members have displayed over our decision to marry in Puerto Vallarta. They know literally nothing about the area and have singled it out simply for being "in Mexico." Unfortunately with people like this, they don't want to know the truth; their minds are made up and so unfortunately they will likely not be part of the big day. But we have to go on and have an amazing time anyway!

Thank you!

Thank you all for the information! I really appreciate it. Only thing I am having a really hard time getting past is the $300 charge to bring in an outside photographer. I'm already spending over 4 grand to get my photographer out here and use him and to think I'd be charged any more money on top of that really sucks. Do you guys know more about the photography they use? Are there examples of their work I could see?

That is definitely how I have been feeling! I have been spending the last couple hours on and off the computer looking back and forth and Dreams and Las Caletas and I am just so torn now! But thanks for the tips One more question if you don't mind since it isn't quite clear to me from their site...you pay extra for hair and makeup? Same for live music (like mariachi/trios)? One of the things I really like with Dreams is that hair/makeup and Mexican trio is included with our package, so I am just trying to get a feel for how much extra I would be spending to book Las Caletas. Thanks!

Hi everyone! I am scheduled to get married 5/18/13 at Dreams Puerto Vallarta. However, lately I have been reading a lot about Las Caletas and what an amazing location it is for a wedding. There is tons of information in this thread that I haven't had time to go through so I figured I'd make a quick post just asking some basic info about LC. From what I understand of it now, it is not a resort but just a destination, you have to get there by boat, it is pretty private/secluded, and that's about all I know! Is that all accurate? I guess my dilemma is that I have been booked with Dreams for a few months now and pretty much planned it all with them, so now I'm concerned because I am having second thoughts! I always pictured my wedding as a pretty private thing and I guess my main concern in what I've read about Dreams at this point is that it IS at a resort so privacy isn't guaranteed. Plus everything about LC just looks so beautiful whereas some of the pictures I've seen of where my wedding will be at Dreams I haven't been completely sure about. Ahh I guess I am just looking for any advice. Other main things I would like to know is how much is included in the wedding package with Las Caletas, since with Dreams you get a lot for your money. My fiance and I have hired an outside photographer and videographer we are flying out, so that isn't something we're concerned with getting, but I would like to know if hair and makeup, massages, music, that kind of stuff is included in the price to get married at Las Caletas. I would appreciate any and all info people can give! Thanks

Thanks Staci!!

Everyone is making such great points! Thank you all for your support...it's nice to have a place to come talk about these things and know people go through the same stuff.

Thank you! Great advice

Thank you so much Dana! That was all very helpful info

It is so terrible how people try to make you feel Thank you for the advice!!

Thank you Celina! That is what I have to keep in mind...that this wedding will be a great time for the people that are there and it will be that much more special having the people there that really WANT to come!

Thank you so much for your comment! It is definitely nice having a place to share and know that people understand!