Chrestena

Shayla- Your photos are gorgeous!! Thank you for sharing those I have missed you girls- I have been a busy little planner trying to wrap up loose ends before the wedding...I have some catch up to do on here. I'm so happy you had a beautiful wedding Shayla- it looks like the weather was perfect as well, so happy for you!!! I agree with kmmanthes- is there anything you can suggest that would help the day to go smoothly? Vanessa e-mailed me and said we cannot have an actual "rehearsal" the day before our wedding as she has 2 weddings the day before ours...but she said she can "tell" us how it will be...:/ Kind of worried about that, I would have preferred we could do a dry run, but I understand her not being able to leave her brides on the day of their wedding...I wouldn't want her to do that to me either! Shayla...did you have an actual rehearsal? And was Vanessa, or if you had another WC, with you on the wedding day to orchestrate everyone? Something I hadn't really thought about until she mentioned we could not have a rehearsal. Lauren- hey!~ I have missed talking to you! lol With regards to your OOT bags, I think that would be plenty, especially in light of the fact that you are filling it with thoughtful goodies! I feel badly for you that your friend is suggesting that it is not enough...the whole point of a destination wedding (at least for us...) is to have a relaxed, vacation-type, non-typical wedding. I wouldn't give it another thought! Kmmanthes- your wedding day is coming up so quickly!! I am right behind you as well...how is everything going?

Hello Ladies Lauren- Im so glad you had such a wonderful trip!! And I had to laugh at your reference to Monica's hair...lol...that is mine and my 3 daughters' favorite show. We have the entire series on DVD and sometimes spend a Sunday in bed watching them. The "Monica's Hair" episode when they went to the Carribbean is one of my favorites...as it got bigger and bigger. Im sure you wont look like that! lol. Sarah- Im not sure about the $20 extra...I thought that for the ceremony, the price only included cake, chairs and champagne for 8 people. Anything over that was an additional $20 p/p. I still have to clarify that with Vanessa. In fact, I'm behind in my e-mails to Vanessa and need to finalize some other things too! Thank you for the sparkler info Mikeycelle! I love those Chrestena

Hi Karen and Becci! Congratulations to you both on your weddings Becci - Karen is correct, you will hear from one of the coordinators (have you been contacted by anyone yet??) I had actually originally hired a TA, and, like you, I wanted to pay a deposit and reserve a specific date. Everytime I spoke with my TA, she had no information, so finally, I contacted the Grand Palladium myself and received a response from Vanessa within 3 days. I ended up not using that TA, and booked the wedding directly through Vanessa, and then hired a different TA to coordinate. This TA has been in constant contact with both me, and Vanessa and all correspondence has all of us cc'd in. You may just want to contact the resort directly at first...it worked for us! Portofino is beautiful! I'm so sorry, I don't remember what Vanessa said with regards to a set menu or not. The menu for the rehearal dinner, the flowers, the out of town gift bag delivery, and the table/chair set up are all things we will be discussing with her when we arrive 4 days before our wedding. When you book the Portofino, ask if you can have the private terrace...it is really pretty! Karen- your wedding will be here before you know it! I know what you mean about the costs adding up...I really tried to utilize as much of the All- Inclusive as possible. This resort is really beautiful, so there are so many places for you and your guests to go, and the decorations can be minimal as the natural setting is perfect. I was debating about the table centerpieces, and now I think i am going relatively simple. Our reception is at 7:30 at La Laguna which overlooks the pools, and they are illuminated at sunset with blue and green lights, so it really looks beautiful. I think the candles are all that is needed. (I hope!) And Im so excited for you to try on your dress! Mine isn't here yet..and I am starting to get anxious! I forgot what it looks like! you and I are in the same boat with regards to the music...I was originally going to have the iPod set for our aisle walking music, and we hired a Spanish Trio to play immediately following while we all have some champagne and mike and I have a first dance. Vanessa then suggested having them play the aisle music for 15 minutes, then they will stop as the ceremony takes place, then they can begin playing again for another 30 minutes at the ceremony site for our first dance/champagne with guests. I am more and more liking Vanessa's idea! I would love to have some spanish guitar softly playing as I walk the aisle. We are in Mexico after all...I may have just made the decision right here and now as I am writing this! Thank you for the link for the sand ceremony frames. I have been looking on Etsy as I would rather have a frame as opposed to a vase. Becci- I haven't heard anything about the Groom receiving a separate room...Mike is planning on staying in the room with his brother the night before our wedding, and getting ready in his room with the other groomsmen as well. As for the cocktail hour- you have some choices...after the ceremony, you and your groom/wedding party will most likely be taking your photos- your guests can either go to a private cocktail party that you have set up with your WC (Vanessa or Rocio) or go to any of the resorts lobby bars themselves but this wont be private. For the private cocktail party, you will pay a price of $5 p/p for cocktails only, or $14 p/p for appetizers and cocktails. You will have your own service for either of these paid -private- cocktail hours. You can have them at a few different locations, and you can have your first dance there if you choose, before you go off for your photos. If you opt to not pay for the private cocktail party with a personal service, you can have your guests go to any of the lobby bars, or any of the restaurants that are open. This is free as it is part of the All- Inclusive. I think Las Rocas does not open until 6 (??) And Im not sure if those prices I told you will be valid next year. That is what the rate is for 2013. Mikeycelle- I love the way you incorporated the vows into your OOT bags!! Very cute!! Everyone has such great ideas Glad I found you all! We are down to under 100 days. Yikes!! Claire- yes- clean eating! Nothing out a box, everything fresh, tons of water and fresh limes, lots of fish and fruit, and nothing artificial. You will feel great, and look even better than you feel! Now I have to listen to some of the advice from Mikeycelle and try the yoga! I run and am a former ballet dancer...but running is so bad on the knees. My knees are already shot from so many years of turnout, that I am looking for something less harsh to my body- everyone is telling me to do yoga so I think I better listen! Lauren- I am sure you are having a great time in Punta Cana- and getting lots of ideas for your wedding too! Night ladies! Chrestena

Oh my gosh! I just realized that the loooong post I wrote last night isn't showing up on here. Uh oh! Lol. See what happens when I'm on the computer late at night while having a glass of wine? Where did it go? lol. This is kind of embarrassing... I answered some questions and had some of my own too for you ladies!... I'll try to re-write it in a bit. I have to go help Fiance for a bit today with some work. Lauren have a wonderful trip!!! Chrestena

Ok- kmmathes- here is the e-mail I have for Vanessa, although now that I look at it, it seems to be a rather generic one, but this is what we have been using to communicate. [email protected] Hopefully you can connect with her! Hi Lauren! We must have both been on last night, but I didn't see the above posts from you! I think they hold them until they review them as we are new to the site. But I hope you have a wonderful time in Punta Cana!!! You can still eat healthy Or try! Most of all, just enjoy your time there girls, let me know what you can about the sparklers...I would love them too, but cannot bring them from home to Mexico...Thanks all!! Have a great day! XOXO Chrestena

Hi Ladies Oh my gosh- I have missed a ton on here in the last few days! First off- 87shayla- Congratulations!! I'm so excited for you that your wedding day is just a few sleeps away Please don't forget about us and come back and let us know how beautiful your wedding day was!! I feel like we have had so much time to prepare, and all of a sudden we are down to 102 days...it seems like there is so much yet to accomplish. All little things, but still so much! Mikeycelle- Congratulations to you too!! Mike and I are from New York too, although Upstate -on the lake, and we are saving so much money by having this destination wedding! We always wanted one, so luckily it worked in our favor Even with paying for 9 people to go on the trip (we have 5 children between us, and we are paying for our 2 photographers) and staying for 10 days, it is coming in well, well under. Good news! And your wedding is coming up so quickly too- the church is beautiful, I am thinking of having some photos taken there as well. I found some really cute hangars on Etsy- cute idea for all the bridesmaids. My bridesmaids are all my daughters and my soon to be stepdaughter( I have 3 beautiful girls, and my fiance has one beauty). I think I may call Del Sol for the videography. We are flying out our 2 photographers from NY, I didn't want to go with anyone else. Here are some of the Engagement pics she took... It will be nice to have the next group of photos she takes being somewhere nice and hot!! We are doing a TTD on the beach the day after the wedding. Lauren- your engagement pics are beautiful! ( I see no roots- lol!) And I saw your note on my wedding website:) Very sweet!! Thank you, and I did pop over to visit you on yours as well- and sign in too. You did such a great job on it! I love all the pictures, and you have such pretty eyes! .And thank you for the compliment regarding the children. All I can say is I work out like crazy person and eat very clean. That helps I did ask Vanessa about a microphone, but now I can't remember what she said...I do want one, because I personally love hearing the vows at weddings...we especially want to make sure our children hear everything. The only thing is, I have seen photos where the Bride and Groom are holding the microphone...I really don't want to do that. I want to hold Mike's hands- I'm going to ask Vanessa if we can arrange for a stand or for the officiant to hold the microphone. I just made a note of it. I went back through my FB pics of our vacation at The Grand Palladium and not one pic of a door handle! lol! I don't remember what they were...(was that you or Claire that asked that question?) I do want to tell you that the candle ceremony for your daughter sounds so beautiful, I know that will be such a poignant moment in your day:) Regarding the fans to keep cool...I was thinking of ordering some little hand fans that we print with something (maybe just the details of the day) for guests to use...not sure how much they will cool someone down, and I know I will probably be all sweaty! We are going to do the couples massages and we are going off to Cozumel for 2 days alone (my parents and brother and sister in law will be at the resort for a week, so they will be with our children). Other than that- since we travel alone so much, we really wanted this to be about the 7 of us blending our family. I am so, so excited for us to be married! Mike's kids and my daughters have wanted this for a long time Thanks for the cheaptotes info- and I LOVE your bridesmaids dresses! Great choice!! Claire-The church is so, so beautiful! I love it! I don't know what to do about my hair or makeup either...I'm like you- I have it done somewhere and I always end up "fixing" it. I would love to wear it down, as my fiance is partial to that, but with the wind- I dont know. Im small, and sometimes my hair being down makes me feel like less of a little pin-head. lol. I think I will book something for the wedding day, and also for one of the days we first arrive for a trial session. If I dont like how they do it, I can cancel the wedding day hair appt. I'm actually kind of stressed about the hair! My makeup will be ok if I do it. ( I hope). I will definitely check out the Vista Print info for the banners for the golf carts! Thank you! kmmanthes- Yes- you found the right post! Everyone on here has been so helpful to me! I feel the same way you do So nice to talk to girls getting married at the same place and hear your ideas and suggestions. I feel your pain..I'm slightly freaking out a bit myself- and I am getting married 4 weeks after you! I will go look up Vanessa's e-mail and write another post on here. I cant see it while I'm on this site, but I promise I will get it for you- she has been really wonderful to work with. I think you were asking about the 2 pm ceremony time. I'm not certain if Palladium only does one wedding per day- I thought it was one per time frame, therefore, if you chose the 4 pm ceremony time, another bride could not as the first bride would have her pick of ceremony location, photo opportunities and staff members at her service. I think that is why they tell you that you can choose your ceremony location when you arrive. If the 4 pm was already spoken for, the 2 pm would be the other alternative. I wouldnt worry too much about it though- 2 pm will be gorgeous, and you won't be rushed for photos, plus your guests can freshen up- it will be hot!! We booked La Laguna for a cocktail and appetizer reception as well from 7:30 - 9:30 FUN! Someone else asked about the White Party at Las Rocas, and I can't go back and look at a previous page or it wil wipe out all I've written here, but the White Party is, according to Vanessa, each Monday night. It is at Las Rocas which is an outdoor cocktail lounge at the saltwater pool at the beach. When we were looking for some place to have our Welcome Cocktail Party for our guests on the Monday before our wedding (Wednesday May 8th), Canessa suggested having it here as the White Party would be going on. Everyone wears white and there is music and drinks. I thought it sounded great so she put it on the books even though we aren't really paying anything extra- she just made note that we will need a golf cart or two to pick us up at the lobby and take us all there together and she reserved a table and a bed/cabana for us. I thought it sounded great! And someone else asked about the rehearsal dinner- and that too, we booked with Vanessa. Our rehearsal dinner will have less than 40 people so she said we could have the terrace of the Portofino for our group. Thanks for all the great convo and ideas! It's after midnight so I'm off to bed...I get lost in time when I log on here!! Very glad I found you all, and I am looking forward to seeing the photos of you ladies getting married very soon! XOXO Christina (Chrestena Uliana) Russian spelling for anyone who is wondering what that crazy spelling is all about in my screen name!

Hi Claire Congratulations! Feb 2nd is almost here- and I know you will have a wonderful time wedding dress shopping. Have you tried any dresses on at all yet? If not- bring tissues!! Especially if you will be with your mother and mother in law to be. It's emotional to be in a beautiful wedding dress, and with all the people you love The wedding survival kit is a great idea- so is asking people not to post on FB until you do! I didn't even think of that... I am browsing around on Etsy for a pretty hanger for my wedding dress, and also for a Just ~ Married Banner for the golf cart. And can I ask- is Gonzalo a photographer only or does he also do videography? I still need a videographer. Trying to watch some and see who has a style I prefer- hard to do because they are all good! The White Party was something Vanessa, the wedding coordinator, told us about. We wanted to set up some kind of welcome cocktail party for Monday night, which is when most of our guests are arriving (we're getting married on Wednesday, May 8th). Vanessa suggested having it at Las Rocas as they are having the White Party that night. It won't be private, but we will all be together in one area, and there will be music, and yes, she said everyone wears white. We liked it! Are you adding anything to the tables at the reception? Still trying to think if I'll be ok with bringing lots of candles or if I should add more. We have to keep suitcases relatively light- they charge for anything over 50 lbs. Have a great night- I'm off to find a videographer! ( I hope) Chrestena

Hi ladies We used "Plan To Get A Tan" for the Save the Dates, and put our wedding website under the locale so they can begin to plan for attending. (it's cropped out in this pic) And for the invites, which I just ordered, (Yikes! Were getting close!!) the look is the same, but at the top it says "Lose Your Shoes...While We Say Our I-Do's" and, like another bride on this thread- I also liked the wording "Sunset Reception to Follow" so there would be no confusion that we weren't having an AHR For the return cards, we chose: Yes!...Margaritas in Paradise...here we come! -or- We can't attend...but we will be toasting you from home! Hope that helps anyone! I based mine on an invitation I saw and loved in a bridal magazine and just tweaked it a bit Happy planning!! Christina

Hi Lauren! So glad you didn't mind the lengthy post! Yes, we made reservations for the rehearsal dinner with Vanessa. There was no charge for this, as it is in one of the resorts restaurants, and we are under 44 people. I think if you are more than 40, you must have these at one of the buffets. (if I remember correctly- I booked this so long ago!) We think we will be coming in between 30-40 people, including our wedding party (we have 5 children between us, haha, so we are like the Brady Bunch- almost!) and my brother and sister, and my fiance's sister are in the wedding too. If you want to see how I broke it all down, you can go on our wedding website- it is www.christinaandmichaelswedding.com (has to go in the browser, not Google). I have some photos of the resort that we took on our vacation as well We scheduled the cocktail party and the brunch with Vanessa as well. No charge for either! (yeah!) Las Rocas is on the beach, at the saltwater pool, near the rocky part of the beach (White Sands and Riviera side). I have photos of this on my wedding website as well- the pic with the outdoor beds with the white flowing linens and another photo with white lights winding around the trees- so pretty (and kind of sexy!). There is no food here, only drinks, but I wanted the adults to have a chance to have a few cocktails after getting settled upon arrival. The Grand Palladiums White Party will be going on as it is a Monday night-(meaning, according to Vanessa, everynoe has to wear white, and there is music). I thought- hey- even better! It's like a party for my guests that I don't have to plan Doing it this way seemed more thought out (the resort will also pick up everyone at the main foyer via golf cart or train, and bring them here together!) instead of just going somewhere on the fly. Plus, Las Rocas will be expecting our group. Same thing with the brunch- we have 40 booked for one of the buffets at 9:30 am the morning after the wedding. It just seems nicer to all have it all set up with table/s all together, and ready for us when we get there. I just really, really tried to utilize the "all inclusive" as much as possible! Believe me...it's very expensive to go with us, our 5 children, (teenagers- so they are adult rates), and our photographers. I want to make sure everything is beautiful, and everyone has a great time, but...I need to be smart! The luggage tags is a great idea if you are in the industry!! I love it! Mike and I travel so much that we thought it was fitting as well...but I ended up (again, trying to save money- AND- be festive) going on a website called Amols, and found these amazing 8" hand painted wooden maracas for $1.95 per pair. This means I can get one for every place setting for $40. I was stunned! They really are pretty too- they come in beautiful tropical colors, and have the word "Mexico" hand painted on them. I am getting an assortment of colors (coral, blue, yellow etc) and tying ribbon with message cards on them. (I am writing phrases of love in Spanish on cards I made). Yes, I said $40!! I was allocating about $300 for favors, so this was really great. I still have to find a beach bag for the Welcome bags. I want plain sail cloth, because I have a rubber stamp of the Yucatan Penninsula and want to stamp them with that. I don't want our guests to have a bag with our wedding date or names on them...I want them to use the beach bags as if they bought them for themselves. I love all the stuff you are putting in yours! Especially the welcome book with phrases! That's awesome! We're putting mini Tequila bottles, fresh limes and salt, with a funky margarita glass per person (Im doing one bag per couple- but 2 tequila shots and 2 glasses per bag if it's a couple), flip flops for the ladies, Tylenol, Mexican candies, and sunscreen. It sounds kinda boring, now that I write it! Maybe I'll work on that, haha. Oh, there is an Itinerary I'm sticking in there too. I know what you mean about the wind...I remember when we were there, every pic on the beach I looked like I was in a tornado. I wanted a veil, but I think I won't bother- just like you said- it's such an expense for something Im just going to take off. I like my hair down, and so does Mike, but i think if it's whipping around, I might be better off with it pulled back- I don't know. This is actually the thing giving me my only anxiety! My stupid hair- go figure. Yes, we are writing our own vows, and reading them. I am Russian, so I asked Vanessa if we can have a symbolic Russian Hand Tying incorporated into our ceremony and she said that's fine (my mother will "tie" our hands together with a Russian rushnyk (hand embroidered cloth) to symbolize unity. I'm glad they will let us do this, if not- we would have done it at our reception. Mike is Italian, so for him, we will just eat a lot of good food! (ha ha). You and Tye sound like Mike and I! I talk, and he is quiet! ( I even wrote that on our website) He is nervous to say them out loud, but it is so beautiful when I go to a wedding and they are personal vows! My mother told us to write a love letter to each other, and instead of giving each other the letter...use that as the basis for the vows you end up writing, since the letter is written to that person and from the heart. I thought that was a beautiful idea We didn't go for a DJ either...I am just enlisting my 3 teenage daughters to create the playlist- and one of them will work it. Im not too worried about that- we are all dancers and will dance to anything- We'll just use any current music we like and we'll be good to go. The Senor and Senora signs are on Etsy!! Very cute!! And, is the website you are referring to for the men's clothing, Island Importer? To differentiate your groomsmen, they could wear ties in the solid Turquoise, and your fiance could wear a striped one or vice versa. Or, he could wear a jacket. The groomsmen could wear colored bouttionere's and your fiance could wear a vibrant colored one to match your flowers- or he could be the only one with the bouttionere. Mike wants to wear a sand suit and a pale, pale lilac colored linen long sleeve shirt. (his mother recently passed, and lilac is her favorite color). The rest of the men will be wearing the same pants and shirt, only the shirt will be white. Our girls are wearing a coral short chiffon strapless dresses (my daughters, and Mike's daughter- 4 girls!) so with my flowers being tropical corals, whites and purples- I think the coral, lilac, and white dressing will work...God, I hope, lol! It sounds very bright, but- I want him wearing the lilac for his Mom too The TTD is great! I think you're right, when you go Destination, these pictures are just so gorgeous! I am not getting another dress for the TTD. This is it- I'm wearing it, and most likely ruining it - but the truth is...I was married before (very young- age 20) and never, ever, ever, even tried my wedding dress on again. It is STILL in my closet. To have these pictures on the beach, in this beautiful location- Im not even worried about ruining my dress. It is the day after my wedding, and my bridal salon actually said- if I let it air dry, it might not be totally ruined- and if it is, that's ok too... it's a $2000 dress, and I honestly just want to roll around with Mike, on the beach, in it! You only live once!! The cenote sounds amazing too- If you go with the Brideses Dresses (I cracked up too!) site- you're probably ok- the Cenote pictures are mostly underwater and the dress is so manipulated by the water, I don't think you could possibly even realize it is an inexpensive dress- no worries! I still don't have a videographer- do you have one? Any suggestions?? Help! No, I don't think the additional $20 is for the reception...if you are paying for a sit down dinner at $50- $60 p/p that is your cost. The additional $20 p/p was for the wedding ceremony. They need the additional money for a larger cake, more champagne after the ceremony, more chair set up, more table set up, linens, service people etc. This is getting scary- I just logged on the Knot, and it told me I'm down to 119 days. Yikes! And ask Vanessa about picking up guests in the golf carts for specific events, especially the ceremony! She said as long as they all meet in the lobby at a specific time, she will send over carts to get them. I love that idea Let me know how it's coming! And if you see any cute beach bags, let me know! What are you using?? Chrestena

Hi Lauren Yes, Vanessa has been really wonderful...I was worried planning from so far away, but she is really good at getting back to me as soon as possible, and on the few occasions where she hasn't been able to, she had someone else let me know she was on vacation. Very nice! Congratulations to you too!! Very happy for you and your fiance!! We had the "lull' in between too, there was a flurry of activity when we became engaged a year and a half ago...then there was really nothing to do for all these months, besides order my dress and the bridesmaids dresses...now all of a sudden there is another flurry of things to get done. Favors ( fun maracas or luggage tags...I don't know!) , shoes, veil (or no veil!...flower??) , gifts for the bridal party, the actual invitations (we sent out save-the-dates months ago with our wedding website on The Knot), Welcome Bags, my fiance's suit, the sand ceremony jars, candles for the tables, the videographer, putting together our music playlist, photographs for our entrance table, our chair signs (Senor and Senora!), I am decorating our Champagne flutes with flowers, our vows, starfish for the chairs lining the aisle, a basket of cigars to pass out before directly before the ceremony for the gents, and hankies for the ladies, etc...ahhh! I thought I was pretty calm, but I think we are down to about 125 days now, and I can't believe it's that close! It seemed so far away for so long, lol! I wanted to get married on the beach, but my fiance Michael, really liked the Punta Emilia wedding arch...we saw it on one of our walks on the beach, and he mentioned it then too. I think he just wants some cover from the sun! ha! I love them both, so I'm fine either way- but I think because he really thinks the arch is beautiful, I will go that way. The good news is, they don't make you decide 'til you get there- the bad news is- I need to decide so I can have it printed on the itinerary that will be in our guests Welcome Bags. I think the arch it is As for the 2 1/2 hours in between (5 pm - 7:30 pm) I'm still debating exactly the locations... I dont know!! The wedding is at 4, the reception at 7:30 ( I asked Vanessa to push it a half hour later so it will be getting darker and I can use candles). We are only doing a 2 hour h'ors d'ouvre reception. We can still have a DJ by doing it this way. We are at La Laguna from 7:30 - 9:30...then we will move to the disco, or to Las Rocas...really anywhere. We opted to do this because we are having a cocktail hour after the reception, with food too. We just don't know where! I am SO GLAD you liked the idea of the Spanish Trio doing the first dance right there beachside...I love the idea too! Champagne, and a little bit of dancing with the Spanish music sounds so nice- with the sea right there. I love that idea. They play for 45 minutes, so Vanessa suggested using them as the music to walk down the aisle (15 min), then the remaining half hour at the cocktail hour, but I didn't really like the video she sent me of their music as "walking down the aisle" music! I love it, (when we were originally getting married in our homestate of New York, we hired a Spanish guitarist for the cocktail hour- we love that music- so romantic!) but I am not sure they will get it quite that way that I envisioned for walking down the aisle, so we figured we would have our music on iPod for the processional, then switch to a fun first dance song with the Trio. I don't know...:/ That actually seems really complicated so I may have Spanish-y music all the way. As long as it's soft, sexy, and romantic, and not, La Cucaracha or something...haha! After the first dance at the ceremony site, Vanessa gave some suggestions for a "cocktail hour". One was the Sports Bar, which sounds terrible, but after looking through this thread, there is another couple that had the same fear, but had no choice but to book it (it was all that was left), and it looks really pretty. There is a fountain outside, and it looks nothing like a sports bar. I think it is near the church. They had their first dance there, with the Spanish Trio. This is $14 pp, hand passed apps and a bartender. It will be one hour only. The other alternative, is to not pay anything, and have guests go directly to the lobby bar or any of the other bars- there won't be food, but they could go anywhere on the resort really, and get food. I think I will do the actual cocktail hour with our own personal service. Seems a bit nicer for our guests to enjoy this while we are taking our photos. The reception is going to be for 2 hours at La Laguna, beginning at 7:30 p.m. with hand passed h'ors d'ouvres that we were able to choose, and cocktails, music, and dancing and toasts. Guests will have time in between the cocktail hour and the reception to go for a walk on the beach, go back to their rooms and have a siesta, or continue cocktailing it! We are having a sit down dinner at Portofino for our rehearsal dinner the night prior, which includes all of our approx 40 guests anyways. My thinking was, for the rehearsal dinner, all of our guests, as they are from out of town, will be there, it will be more quiet, and probably be a slower service. We won't have music there, or dancing, but we can have toasts, and a nice longer dinner. For the reception, I want everyone up, dancing, grazing on food and cocktails, and having a party! Plus, it saved us money to not have a sit down dinner, so we can have the cocktail hour too! I hope I made the right decision! After the 2 hour reception, we will head to Las Rocas, or the dance club...really anywhere and continue That is great news about your family members expanding their families, lots of beautiful babies! but yes- that does put the pressure on to find a photographer! We are actually flying in our photographer and her assistant from NY. She has done our engagement photos, and she is great. I really wanted her to come, and she finally agreed to, so we are footing the bill for her and her second photographer's trip. In return, she is shooting us at the rehearsal dinner, the entire day of the wedding (one photog for Mike and the guys getting ready, one photog for us girls getting ready), the reception, and the next day's brunch. She is also doing the day after Trash The Dress shoot in the water on the beach, early morning. I am still, however, looking to book a videographer- I have looked at a few local ones. I have to pick one this week. I've been lazy about that! We have invited 75 guests (and they may bring a guest), but we know many of them won't attend. At this point, we have 30 confirmed, and we are guessing about another 10 for a total of around 40, so we have $14 pp for the cocktail hour, and another $14 pp for the reception. Not bad! We are paying $1,900 to fly in our photographer and her second shooter, but that is in lieu of the photography charge. There is no charge from the Palladium to have them shoot our wedding, as they are not really outside vendors, but our wedding guests who are staying for a week on the resort. Keep in mind, that the price of the actual "wedding", is only for, I think 8 guests (maybe 10? I can't remember). Any number of guests over that is an additional charge- kinda stinks- but I think it's $20 per additional person over the allocated 8. (this includes you and your groom and your wedding party). Also, the chair set up is an additional $4 to have the white chair covers- I like this look so we opted for it). I have heard that they really are good at the planning of the weddings, and the actual orchestration of the day. Good to know!! That way, brides can relax The flowers we can pick when we have our meeting, and the table set up etc as well. I know Vanessa said we can arrange for golf cart transportation for the wedding events- we are having a Welcome Party at Las Rocas 2 days before the wedding, the rehearsal dinner at Portofino on the terrace the day before, Wedding Day, then a brunch the following morning. She said the golf carts can't pick up everyone individually, but if everyone meets at a central location (lobby etc), they will pick up and transport everyone. I think that is so nice! And now i just forgot I need a "Just Married" sign on the golf cart! Let me know the timeline of your wedding...maybe Im doing this all wrong! LOL Sorry so lengthy - I need help figuring this all out! Sincerly, Chrestena

Hola! First time writer on here, but am having so much fun reading through these posts...lots to read! We are from New York, and our wedding is booked for May 8th at Grand Palladium in the Mayan Riviera...are there any other brides around that time frame? Vanessa has been absolutely wonderful to work with, and for a really chill bride, I am starting to get nervous now that we are into January! We have been to this resort on vacation before and this is why we chose it...so to any Palladium bride who has never visited it before...I promise you, it is really, really beautiful! We are pretty much done, except for the things that have to be done a few days earlier...(we are arriving 4 days prior, and staying for 8 days following). I am going to go back and read some more posts, and look at some more pictures...but I wish everyone a beautiful wedding!! Oh, and a question for everyone...we are trying to figure out the timeline that works best...any advice? Our reception is at 4 pm, and we have a Spanish Trio booked. Not sure if we should have champagne right there on site, while the Trio plays, or use them at the cocktail party in between. Either way, we will have them play a first dance for us, with romantic Spanish music, directly after the ceremony. Just wondering if it makes sense to stay by the beach for the 45 min we have them, and continue drinking champage, then our guests can go on to a cocktail party while we take photos. Our reception isn't until 7:30 pm....any suggestions?? Thank you!