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Oh my! There is just so many resort to choose from, do I need a planner or not? What to do first? Once the engagement stage passes, comes wedding planning. Many of you brides get into that overwhelmed stage where you just don’t know where to start? what hotel to choose or figuring out if you need a planner or not. Lucky you!! I am going to show you, how to kick overwhelmed in the butt and enjoy your wedding planning! Communication You and your fiancé should sit down and talk through what you are envisioning for your wedding. This is the initial stages so play around with ideas, more so hear pay attention to what fiancé likes too. Also draw up your budget estimation. Get in touch with a professional, such as a wedding planner or travel agent, wedding consultant etc. Figure out this part with a professional help or someone with experience. You want to make sure you have a wedding planner or consultant who has knowledge, make sure you have a great connection /vibe with them, especially since you are going to be trusting them with such an important task. Ask them as many questions as you can. What destination and resort would work for you, make sure you point out your requirements you are looking for with a resort. E.g are you looking for a family friendly resort? An All-inclusive resort? Or a resort with tons of activities? Sandy beach. What group benefits you could find? Break down the wedding planning into mini tasks. Once you choose your destination and resort or private location, you want to decide between you and your fiancé, who is going to do what task. This is also the time to decide if your bridal party will be doing some DIY if necessary (delegate). Best result comes when you take care of 1 task at a time. Resort booking make sure you are 100%happy before signing any contract and have read all fine prints. Decide on wedding location, choose are you hosting your wedding at a resort or off-resort? Choose your photographer, choose a package that works with your budget and select enough hours DJ make sure you get some reviews, enough to get you comfortable. Décor and florist this part usually drags a bit but its ok, communicate what you are looking for and share pictures to help communication. Cake, best option is choose your design and flavors. Favors, draw up how much you would like to spend on this part don’t go overboard. Welcomes bags, same rule apply as favors. Any extra you may want (bridal party gifts if you choose) Inspiration board You and your fiancé will choose your theme, and colors, be sure to visit some your top wedding pages such Pinterest for inspiration this will help you, especially to communicate with your location virtually on your vision. To avoid confusion on tones/color scheme etc. Research is great, but make sure you do not overdo it, to avoid overwhelming yourself. Create a wedding website This is going to be the best way to communicate with your guests throughout your wedding planning. Make sure you include your travel agent´s information, to help your guests with any question in terms of accommodation etc. This will help you to only focus on your wedding planning. Between your life and work, what are the suitable times to do your wedding planning task? Do you have more free time in the morning? Or in the evening? That you could do some planning? If you prefer weekends, then set some free time over the weekends. Whatever you do not over plan. Months will go by quickly, well at least that is how you will feel, with a simple spreadsheet it could be a word doc /PowerPoint to tick off your task and keep track of payment. As much as is this all new to you, important factor is your day is going to be so special, in fact it will be more that you have imagined ! Take it all in and don’t forget to say “I do”. Happy Planning! Hugs Joyce http://www.dreamweddingsrivieramaya.com/Home_Page.html
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We are having our wedding in Huatulco Mexico in January. The resort's wedding coordinator does not speak the best of English and I find when I email her I can only email one question at a time or else she does not fully answer them. She is not giving me any direction of where to start my planning, or what I need to plan. Can anyone give me suggestion of things I need to confirm with her or question about? I did today find out about my flowers but I am so overwhelmed with all of this I don't even know where to go from here. I did not expect this type of experience when planning a destination wedding, I thought the wedding coordinators would be more helpful. Thank you
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We have been planning to have our Spring 2016 wedding at Akiin Beach but I'm finding myself overwhelmed with many things. I wanted to stay away from a "resort" wedding and wanted the more private intimate options that Akiin would be able to give us. Now with all the overwhelming details and trying to figure out accommodations for our guests we are reconsidering all inclusive resort options. We are looking into Iberostar Paraiso Lindo but based off their "wedding packages" I don't see any anything for a reception or different decor options/choices. If anyone has any info from personal experiences I would love to hear!
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Can't decide when to have your wedding photographer begin shooting on the Wedding Day? Here are four reasons why your photographer should start shooting during the "Getting Ready" portion of your Big Day. -- Document the Details: If you're like most brides, you've spent tons of time carefully picking out the little details that will make your wedding look picture perfect. The bouquet, the shoes, the hair/makeup look, the veil, the jewelry, the garter, even the undergarments under that perfect dress. When you have your photographer present during the 'Getting Ready' portion of your Wedding Day, he/she will be able to capture all the beautiful details that make you a vision to behold. Collect all your details and give your photographer enough time to photograph these things one by one. -- Capture the Excitement and Anticipation: There is honestly nothing like the electricity in the air when the bride and groom are getting ready on their Wedding Day. Emotions range from excitement, nervousness, anticipation and tons of emotion. And because you're so "in the moment," you often forget the little things that happen in between the rush of getting ready -- like the tears, the laughter and the incredibly touching moments that make the day so special. Having your photographer there to capture it all is a great way to relive and remember all the emotions. Some of my favorite moments as a photographer take place during this time of day because feelings are running so high. After all, it is truly your last few moments thinking as a singular person -- after the Wedding Day mostly everything becomes "we." -- See What Your Sweetheart Was Up To: It's pretty fun to be able to see what your soon-to-be-spouse was up to on the Wedding Day. Yes, you could very easily call them up or send a barrage of text messages back and forth. But there's nothing quite like seeing your sweetheart's Wedding Day shenanigans in photos! -- Remember Your Wedding Day Story as a Whole: If there's any advice I give to my brides when it comes to the Wedding Day, it's to enjoy every moment on your Big Day because it will go by in a blink. All those months and hours of wedding prep culminate into one day. And trust me when I say, that day will pass faster than you want it to. With adrenaline and excitement running so high, the events of the day will fly by and before you know it, the celebration of your life is over. I cannot emphasize enough how much you will love having photos that capture the highlights of your day from beginning to end. It's a complete look at your Wedding Day story, and I promise you, you will cherish those photos for a long time! - - - About me: I am a former BDW Bride AKA as MarieSam and was addicted to this forum as I planned my own wedding in 2009. Since 2010, my husband and I have been wedding photographer/small business owners of MarieSam Sanchez Photography -- a husband and wife photography team based in Southern California and documenting love all over the world.
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DISCLAIMER: This is way too long and overly detailed, so Godspeed if you plan on reading it all! It started out as my wedding review of the Now Jade, but turned into me unpacking and reliving the best day of my life. We stayed at the Now Jade Riviera Maya from Sunday, June 14 - Sunday, June 21 with 55 guests (57 including us). Our wedding was on Wednesday, June 17 on the pergola. We had our cocktail hour at the mix bar, and our reception at Castaways. My husband and I then went to the Hard Rock Rivera Maya for four days, until Thursday, June 25. Pictures by Photos in Cancun: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10155723382210293.1073741847.508850292&type=1&l=d36589a522 (Keep in mind that none of these have been edited yet) Trash the Dress: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10155723733905293.1073741848.508850292&type=1&l=0de529af7e Slide Show (a nice highlight of all the best parts of the day): https://animoto.com/play/VKP4n1xcGe3c4E1RCq11lA?autostart=1 Sunday, June 14: Check In: When we arrived Sunday, the Riviera Maya was at the tail end of a big tropical storm from the week before and it was raining, so the lobby was pretty crowded when we got there. We had a total of 55 guests (plus the two of us) and almost everyone came on the same flight and took a big bus to the resort, which made it even more crowded. It made me feel a little stressy, so I was VERY thankful when they whisked us, my parents, and one other couple from our group to the preferred lounge to check in, which was a breeze. I can’t speak for how check in went for everyone else, but I didn’t hear any complaints. We were a little early and all had to wait a little while for our rooms, but everyone walked around and got a bite to eat, so it was no big deal. Cocktail Hour: I requested to have an area blocked off for our cocktail hour in the evening but that didn’t end up happening, which really didn’t matter since it had stopped raining by then, and everyone just congregated in one area. We had servers bringing us drinks all evening, which was nice, and some people bellied up to the bar. I handed out our welcome bags and everyone was so surprised! (As destination wedding brides, I think we all think that people expect to have a welcome bag, but they really don’t and think it’s so awesome when they get them!) I included tumblers, aloe, SPF chapstick, playing cards, a key card holder, bubble bath, emergency kits (made for me by the wonderful Stacey, who I met on this site!), and the itinerary for the week. I don’t know how many people used most of the stuff, but the tumblers and the key card holders were a big hit, based on how many people I saw with them around the resort. A lot of people aren’t sure if they should get wrist coils or lanyards, and based on how I saw everyone using them, I would recommend wrist coils. Monday, June 15: Wedding Coordinator Meeting: I got an email from Pilar several weeks before saying that my wedding coordinator would be Carla, but it turned out that Pilar herself was our actual wedding coordinator. I’m not sure if they just switched things around for scheduling purposes, or if someone asked Pilar to take care of us personally. (Long story short, my dad produces a local entertainment TV show in Cleveland, and they often take viewer trips to different destinations where people get to go on vacation with the hosts and they do an hour long episode all about the resort. They did one at the Now Jade a year or two ago, so they always try to schmooze us a little when we’re there, so ANYWAY, I think that could be why we ended up with Pilar). We brought all our decorations with us and showed her what we had for each part of the wedding, went over the bridal party order and who would be walking with who, reviewed the script a little, talked about chair bows and the table setup, yadda yadda yadda. It was very easy and made me feel a lot better, since I was worried that I was underprepared - she asked questions, I answered them, and everything was settled. Piece of cake. Tuesday, June 16: Rehearsal: As I mentioned, there had been a huge tropical storm the week before our wedding. Other than when we arrived on Sunday, the weather was gorgeous for us the entire trip - not a drop of rain! There was, however, a TON of seaweed on the beach from the storm. I’ve been to the Now Jade several times and the beach has always been lovely, but it was literally covered in 6 inches of seawood all the way down the coast. They had begun to clean it that day, but I was still a little nervous since we were supposed to have our ceremony on the beach. We had our rehearsal there anyway, with our whole bridal party, ring bearers and flower girls, and parents. She walked everyone through how to walk and where to stand and all that jazz. Being there made me a little nervous about the location, though - beside the seaweed, the beach location was RIGHT in front of the adults only pool. I was worried there would be some drunk idiot watching our wedding from the bar screaming stuff at us or something. Definitely not a lot of privacy. Later, my parents went to see Pilar to pay the bill for the wedding (God bless ‘em), and they told me she asked if I wanted to move our ceremony somewhere else. Ours was at 5, and she said that even though there was a wedding at 4 at the pergola, we could stil have ours there, as long as we didn’t mind if it possibly started at 5:15-ish. Me and my FI talked about it and decided that was the best choice. We were a little sad we wouldn’t have our toes in the sand, but I felt a huge weight off my shoulders as soon as we officially made the switch, since I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about the seaweed or the spectators. And even though we had already had our rehearsal on the beach, everything went perfectly smoothly at the new location. Rehearsal dinner: I had planned to just have everyone meet in the buffet for an informal rehearsal dinner at 8 pm, but at our planning meeting, Pilar asked me if I wanted to move it up to 7 pm and have it in the ballroom off the lobby, where they were having a Mexican buffet. I said sure, and we passed the info along to everyone. It turned out to be amazing! There were all these lovely round tables set up with linens and centerpieces, an amazing and huge buffet, and the BEST mariachi band I’d ever heard serenading each table! Even though she reserved us six tables right up front, there was hardly anyone else in the room. I think people thought that I had planned that special for our rehearsal, and I didn’t correct them! It turned out to be such a blast. I know they do that every week (not sure if it’s always on a Tuesday like it was for us), but I’d recommend finding out when that is and having your whole group go - it’s great! Wednesday, June 17 (The Big Day!) I woke up feeling surprisingly relaxed and calm, and all by myself - my FI had slept in a different room, of course! One of my bridesmaids brought me coffee and we sat on the balcony for a while, and then all the bridesmaids and our moms (most of whom were there, my mom is best friends with all my best friend’s moms!) went to breakfast at the French restaurant on the terrace. It was relaxing and lovely. We had on our cute little matching tank tops, and my friend made us all “butt veils,” which were hilarious. At one point I saw my FI from behind, but he was far away and didn’t see me. That was the only almost run-in all day! After that, my friend’s mom did yoga in the pool with some of the girls while me and my sisters-in-law watched from our terrace, which was right over the adults pool. Hair and Makeup: Okay, this is the only part of my entire experience that I can’t rave about. They brought me into the ‘bridal suite’ (which was just a little room) with my sister-in-law, while my other friend got her hair done in the outer room. The two stylists were talking to each other incessantly, to the point where I could barely get a word in edgewise to either her or my sis-in-law. It wasn’t an overly pleasant experience. Three out of my five my bridesmaids got their hair done, by two different stylists between the three of them, and they all looked GORGEOUS. Their hair was absolutely fabulous. I had a different stylist than either of them, and my hair was just okay. I didn’t feel like it looked very similar to the picture I showed her. Looking back at pictures, though, it photographed well, and accomplished my main goal, which was to have it securely up and away from my face so it wouldn’t be blowing around in the wind, so I can’t complain too much. I would HIGHLY recommend that all brides getting married outside near the beach have their hair up. I literally couldn’t imagine 1) how hot it would have been and 2) how much time I would have spent pushing it back off my face from the wind if I had worn it down. All my bridesmaids said the same thing. While long loose hair is pretty, it’s just not practical in the sea breeze! Then there was my makeup - the same stylist who did my hair took me over to get my makeup done. It was just kind of a table in the middle of the room with random makeup bags and cases all over the place. It didn’t look very professional. I showed her a picture of Kim Kardashian’s wedding makeup and told her that’s what I wanted, and showed her all the professional makeup I brought from home (if you’re getting your makeup done there, I’d highly recommend bringing your own). She looked a little overwhelmed, and I was nervous to say the least because, not to be mean, but her own makeup didn’t look so hot - her own heavy black eyeliner around her whole eye in extremely jagged lines was stressing me out a bit. She went to work, and again, the whole time was conversing with the other stylist, who was just hovering around, but this time it was clear that the other stylist was instructing my stylist what to do every step of the way. I could hear them talking about colors a lot and she kept gesturing and pointing to show her what to do, and telling her what colors to use. Honestly, it seemed like she had never done anyone’s makeup before in her life, and the other girl seemed to know what she was talking about. I almost stopped and asked if she could do my makeup instead at several points because I was starting to get very nervous! She actually did take over at the end to put on my false eyelashes, and then seemed to correct and fix a few things when she was done. The end result was...not good. They only used some of my makeup, and what they used of their own was very coppery and brassy, not at all what I wanted. I went back up to my room, where all my bridesmaids were waiting, and was like “Guys, this looks awful, we need to fix this.” In true bridesmaids fashion they all started gushing about how beautiful I looked, but I told them this wasn’t the day to lie to make me feel better! Then I got “Welllllll…...maybe we need to take off some of this brown eyeliner….” and then we went to work. Basically I just went over their makeup with my own, and it turned out fine. All in all, that was the biggest “crisis” of the day, and it wasn’t a big deal, so I can’t complain! To summarize, I think most of the stylists do a great job with hair at the Now Jade. Makeup...I can’t really be sure. If anyone can think of a polite way to request NOT to have someone, I would try to avoid Gina for hair and makeup. Flowers: I LOVED my bouquet and my bridesmaids’ bouquets. I know nothing about flowers and wasn’t really picky about the type, so I just sent Pilar a picture of the colors I wanted, and they turned out perfectly! The Ceremony: The ceremony started around 5:15 instead of 5, as Pilar said it might. The setup was so incredibly lovely. I loved the rose petals in our colors along the aisle! The only decorations were our chair bows (which I just rented from there - I know they’re too expensive, but I just didn’t feel like dragging them down with me), the aisle flower petals, the flowers on the table at the front, and a seashell garland I brought from home. They also added some lanterns along the aisle that I didn’t rent, so that was either from the ceremony that happened right before ours, or maybe they just always use them to hold the aisle runner down. I was worried about not having enough ceremony decorations before we left, but I loved the simplicity of it, and with the gorgeous pergola and the ocean in the background, there’s really no need for a bunch of other decorations to make it look wonderful. Both of my parents ended up walking me down the aisle (although the aisle was actually very small, not even really big enough for two people, so I kind of had to walk ahead). I was planning on having just my dad walk me down the traditional way (we’re extremely close and I’m a total daddy’s girl), but my mom told me just a few minutes before we were to head to the lobby, he asked her if she’d walk with us since they raised me together and did such a good job...and then started crying and had to walk away! I think he was just too emotional to do it all by himself! My mom wanted to make sure I was okay with it and said she wouldn’t mind at all if I wanted it to just be my dad, but of course I didn’t mind, and I’m really glad we did it that way and that they gave me away together. We had the violinist as our musician. I honestly never even laid eyes on her, but she sounded lovely! Our officiant was adorable, although honestly, I’m pretty sure he had never read our script before right then. We realized we had made the first part waaaaay too long - he read it extremely slowly, and with his thick accent, some of it was hard to understand, but even though it dragged on a little long at first, I really didn’t mind. It gave me some time to calm my nerves, gaze at my almost-husband (who was GLOWING, so cute!), and look out at all our friends and family. Plus, it’s just a quirky little part of getting married in Mexico. We read our vows from small Moleskine notebooks in our colors (pink for me, orange for him) which was a semi last minute decision for me, but I think it ended up looking nice. We each wrote our own vows, and while I thought mine were okay, my husband’s completely blew everyone away. There was truly not a dry eye in the house, especially my own. He told me later that he had only finished them the night before...typical! Cocktail Hour: Right after the ceremony we went down to the beach bar and everyone got their glass of champagne as they walked down the stairs (they even had shirley temples ready for the kids). I got to hug everyone as they walked by, which was really nice. I saw the food off to the side and the signature drinks floating around, but after that we went off to the garden area to take pictures. The beach was still overly seaweedy for the pictures to look pretty so all of our family and bridal party shots were in the grass, but that’s okay. Photography - Photos in Cancun: This is the part that I couldn’t wait to tell everyone about. I hired Photos in Cancun for our photographers. They’re a husband and wife team who live in Cancun - Lorena is from Mexico, and Dereck is from Canada. I picked them because a) they were by far the most reasonably priced I had seen during my research they had wonderful reviews about how fun and easy they are to work with and c) they give you EVERY SINGLE PICTURE on a USB right at the end of the night! How can you pass that up? They came up to the room around 3:30 as we were getting ready. Immediately I noticed that there were three photographers instead of just two. Dereck introduced himself, and informed me that he had accidentally been punched in the eye by his poodle (true story!), and showed me his eye, which was very red. He said they had brought along a third photographer who they work with all the time, just in case he had to give his eye a break, to make sure they wouldn’t miss anything, at no charge at all to me. I was impressed right off that bat! Despite his eye injury, he was taking pictures every time I looked at him, so I basically just got a third bonus photographer! They were taking pictures constantly in our room, and we have a ton of adorable candids. Throughout the entire ceremony, they were so discreet that I didn’t even notice them, but they captured so many amazing pictures. They even took a picture of virtually every person in the audience, which I thought was a really nice touch. Taking pictures with everyone during cocktail hour took a really long time since we had such a big group, and my mom was pretty insistent on getting a ton of family pictures since there were so many of us there. It turned out we only had 10 minutes left for bride and groom pictures, which kind of bummed me out, but I thought we still got some nice ones so I tried not to worry about it too much. I had a 7 hour photography package, so they were scheduled to stay for some of the reception but not all of it. I was rushing at one point to find my husband to take some pictures of him taking off my garter (which we did off to the side) before they left, and Dereck stopped me and said “Don’t worry, we’re in no hurry to leave, take your time.” I’m not sure exactly what time they left or how long they were there, but I’d say it was definitely longer than 7 hours! Again, I barely noticed them the whole time they were there, but they captured EVERY moment. The candid reception pictures are some of my favorites. As they were leaving, Dereck told me that they felt bad that we didn’t get to take many couples pictures (even though it wasn’t their fault at all), and asked if they could pick us up later in the week to take more pictures! WHAT?! I couldn’t believe it. We communicated a little over the next week, and they ended up driving all the way out to our honeymoon resort, the Hard Rock Riviera Maya, the following Monday. They live in Cancun, which is about 30 minutes from the Now Jade, and the Hard Rock is about 40 minutes even further than that, so they drove at least an hour to come get us. Then they drove us all the way back to a beach in Puerto Morelos (30-40 minutes) to take pictures there, then drove us into Playa del Carmen to that beach, and took some pictures in the shopping area in Playa. They got some amazing and beautiful shots, and worked SO hard - it is very clear how passionate they are about what they do. You can see 1000 (out of the 2500 pictures they took!) here. Keep in mind that these haven't been edited yet (and they don't even need it, they look amazing!) We get to pick 180 pictures for them to edit. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10155723382210293.1073741847.508850292&type=1&l=d36589a522 (Keep in mind that none of these have been edited yet) Here's a slideshow they made for me too that highlights the best parts of the day, if you don't feel like slogging through 1000 pictures!: https://animoto.com/play/VKP4n1xcGe3c4E1RCq11lA?autostart=1 They took pictures of us for over 3 hours, and then bought US a beer after! Are you kidding??! They worked for free for us for hours, and then bought US a drink! I still can’t get over it. As we were walking back to the car, they were just expressing how much they love what they do, and how the most important thing for them is making sure that their client’s have the best experience possible, and that it’s not just about a set number of hours or buying a set number of prints. Dereck also explained why they give you ALL you photos at the end of the night - “There might be a picture of you and Uncle Bob that’s a little out of focus so I delete it, but maybe you haven’t seen him in 10 years and that would be an invaluable memory for you. Why should we decide what pictures are worth keeping?” Their attitude towards their work is truly inspiring. At the end of the night when they drove us back to our hotel, my husband tried to give them an envelope that had an $100 tip that I had brought with me (although honestly at that point after all they had done, I was embarrassed that I hadn’t included more), but they even tried to refuse that! They just kept saying that it was their pleasure and how much they enjoyed spending time with us. But we insisted, and they gave us huge hugs goodbye, and told us to call them next time we were in Mexico to have dinner with them. I could go on and on for days about how amazing Dereck and Lorena were. They were one of the very best parts not just about our wedding day, but our entire vacation. If you have yet to hire a photographer, stop looking right now and hire them. I promise you won’t be disappointed. The Reception at Castaways: If any of you have seen some of my posts during the last year of planning, you might remember that I was constantly worried that I wasn’t going to have enough decorations. I was an extremely low-maintenance bride (or maybe just lazy). I am not a DIY person AT ALL, and just don’t have an eye for those Pinterest-perfect itty bitty details. Being on BDW and seeing all the adorable decoration projects everyone was doing always kind of stressed me out and I always felt that I should be doing more, but it just wasn’t my thing. Here’s what I brought with me: -Pink and orange chinese lanterns -Seashell placecard holders and place cards -Menus -Water beads and underwater LED lights (we rented vases and used the bridesmaids bouquets as our centerpieces) -Seashell garland (from the ceremony but they moved it to the reception) -Best Day Ever cake topper -Card box -Table numbers -Guest book -Mr. and Mrs. glitter block letters We rented orange table runners from the resort, and they also included the lanterns from the ceremony, which I didn’t pay for. Even though I didn’t bring a ton of stuff, everything was perfect and beautiful. The setup was totally perfect. In retrospect, I’m so GLAD I didn’t waste a ton of time and money on elaborate decorations. I barely even noticed half the stuff I did bring! I feel like a ton of decorations might be necessary to spruce up a big plain reception hall at an at-home wedding, but the open-air restaurant was so beautiful and awesome on it’s own with the ocean in the background that all the natural beauty was plenty of decoration in and of itself. So that’s another big piece of my advice for future brides - don’t stress out about the little stuff. Everyone is having too much fun to notice, and it will look beautiful no matter what! Our bridal party danced into the reception and it was awesome. My husband and I entered to cold fireworks, courtesy of Disco Movil, and were dancing, fist pumping, and twirling around. Everyone went nuts. It was epic! Our first dance immediately followed, which I wasn’t expecting, but I ended up liking it that way. Our bridal party all stood off to the side which I really liked, too. Then came the father daughter/mother son dances. The mother-son dance was hilarious - they danced to “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive” and were just being goofy with it, and by the end they were all just conducting the whole room as we sang along. It was so precious. Then came dinner, which was delicious, and served SUPER fast - I was very impressed by all our waiters. We had salad, lobster bisque, and guests could choose between beef and salmon, and chocolate souffle as the dessert. I would recommend any of it. They got all the kids’ meals right, and even met my request to give my sister-in-law just a plain chicken breast with a side (she has Celiacs and is gluten free), and she said even that was delicious. After that we did speeches. My husband cousin and best man went first and gave a very warm and heartfelt speech. But THEN, my two best friends went up front to give their speech and made me come up with him. They grabbed the mic from the DJ and handed him and iPod and pulled out their scripts. They started with a speech full of funny and embarrassing stories (we’ve been friends since first grade, so there are a lot of them), and then the music to Copacabana started to play….they had written an ENTIRE song about us that they sang and danced to! The chorus went “At the Now Jade Riviera Maya, the hottest spot on the playa…” everyone was dying laughing. Then “Hot Hot Hot” started playing, which we had a dance routine to from cheerleading in 8th grade (!), that somehow I managed to remember most of, and we all danced together to it in front of everyone. It was incredible. I have the best friends ever! The rest of the night we just partied the night away. We extended our reception by an hour, and even though it’s expensive (especialy for 57 people), I’m SO glad we did - three hours would have been way too short, and we were having way too much fun to leave at 10 pm! Most people were on the dance floor the WHOLE time just having a great time while the drinks flowed (and flowed and flowed) from the bar. I was having too much fun to even bother holding a drink - I had a glass of wine at dinner, and a lass of champagne for the toast, and that was it! I think I was definitely the most sober one in the room, and I’m so glad I did it that way. I can get tipsy any night, but I only get married once, so I’m glad I can remember every moment! I LOVED having our reception at Castaways. The only ‘bad’ thing I can say is that it was very, very hot - but even so, everyone loved feeling like they were outside, even with the heat, and it just gave it such a fun, tropical atmosphere. I peeked at a reception at the bamboo room the next day, and while it was nice, I liked the vibe of ours so much better (plus it wouldn’t have been nearly big enough for the size of our group). So, if you’re worried about heat, don’t do Castaways, but if you don’t mind the heat and want to be outside, I’d definitely recommend it! Our wedding day was truly one for the books. Obviously I hoped an expected that it would be fun and special, but it exceeded my expectations a million times over. Everyone had SO much fun that we still can’t stop talking about it. Everyone said it was by far the best wedding they had ever been to, and all my friends had made up their minds by the end of the night to have a destination wedding. Everything went perfect and I wouldn’t change one single moment. Trash the Dress: We used the hour of photography that came with the Divine package for a trash the dress session on Friday. I brought another dress (clearance at David’s Bridal) with me for that. Our photographer, Alejandro, was wonderful, and the pictures turned out great. An hour DEFINITELY wouldn’t have been enough for the day of, and the pictures weren’t quite as high quality as Photos in Cancun, so I’m glad I hired outside for our actual wedding pictures, but the hour of photography is great for a trash the dress! (Pictures: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10155723733905293.1073741848.508850292&type=1&l=0de529af7e ) The Weather: My next big piece of advice - do not even bother checking the weather the week before you leave. The week before they had the big tropical storm, and EVERY DAY had a 90% chance of rain. I was totally freaking out. Turns out, we didn’t see a single drop of rain the whole time we were there, other than our arrival day, which no one really cared about anyway since we were busy getting settled. The weather on our wedding day could not have been more perfect. In a tropical location like that, the weather can change so quickly that the forecast is pretty much pointless, so don’t stress about your weather! The Vacation: Our whole group had an absolute BLAST at the Now Jade and are already talking about going back next year. Even though we came with a huge group of people from different parts of our lives who didn’t know each other, everyone was great friends by the end! It was hilarious to walk by and see see my husband’s great aunt having dinner with my best friend’s mom. Everyone sort of hung out at the same spot at the pool, started up our own pool volleyball games, rubbed sunscreen on each other’s backs - it was so heartwarming to have so many people we love so much all in the same place having so much fun. Even besides the wedding part, the vacation itself will always be one of my most precious memories. I know there are some bad reviews on Trip Advisor, and I have NO clue what any of them are talking about - I love that resort! It especially blows my mind when I read people saying bad things about the food - I think that’s the best part! All the restaurants are amazing, ESPECIALLY the Italian. I think the resort is the perfect size, too - not too big, not too small. It’s also great for kids - the four we had with us LOVED the kids club and all the activities, and went jumping on the big trampoline thing every day. The drinks are great, food is great, entertainment is great, service is great, rooms are great, pools are great, everything is great! When I read the bad reviews, I think people are just expecting something different….are there nicer hotels in the Riviera Maya? Yes...but they also cost 3x as much as the Now Jade! If you and your guests want a total luxury experience and money is no object for anyone, sure, you could go somewhere a little more upscale, but I think the Now Jade is a great price and a great value for a large group. When we first started planning, we expected to only have 30 guests, but when everyone saw how reasonable the price was, which included airfair, our number literally doubled! All in all, don’t pay attention to the bad reviews - the resort is great. The Honeymoon: After seeing everyone off to the airport the following Sunday (which was so sad - I just wanted everyone to stay with us!), we headed off to the Hard Rock Rivera Maya. I don’t think that resort would be for everyone, but we absolutely loved it. There’s music playing constantly, live bands by the pool, and fun entertainment all the time. It’s definitely more of a party resort, so if that’s your thing (and it’s definitely ours) it’s great, but if you want something more quiet and relaxing, this place probably won’t be your first pick. The great thing about the resort is that you get a ton of resort credit, based on how long you stay, that you can use for a bunch of stuff, including the spa and excursions. You still have to pay 20%, so it’s almost like an 80% off coupon, but it’s still a great deal. We had $750 of resort credit, that we used for three massages (I got two in on our last day since we had so much left over), two deluxe pedicures, and hair styling at the salon (for my second photo shoot). So all in all, we paid $150 dollars for all of that. You can’t beat that! The food was great too, and we loved looking at all the memorabilia. We stayed there for 4 nights, so we were in Mexico for 12 days. I’m so glad we took the time to stay longer - it was nice to have some time to ourselves to unwind from the wedding. At Home Reception: We had an at home reception on Sunday, June 28 - only three days after we got back. Crazy, I know, but we didn’t want to drag the whole thing out forever. It ended up being great. It was a casual, graduation party-type vibe, that lasted from 2-6, with chicken and brats (I’m Polish!) and cookout food, a live band (but no one really danced), with everyone just talking and mingling. Many people who came to Mexico were there, but not all of them, but it was a nice way to celebrate with the people who couldn’t go to Mexico. *** IN CONCLUSION, I had the best wedding ever. Way better than I ever expected. I would give anything to do it all again!
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The 'rustic' wedding style is one that continues to grow in popularity. And thankfully, instead of having to search and high and low for all those rustic touches to compliment your Wedding Day, Etsy has everything you need and more to give your wedding that rustic look. From rings to decor and details, to groomsmen gifts and even your Wedding dress -- there is a "rustic" category to cover all your needs! Click here to view some of the best rustic details Etsy has to offer for your Wedding Day. Wedding Finds is a BDW feature that will highlight special little finds or ideas that may help you along during your wedding planning journey. If you have a special wedding find to share, feel free to add your suggestions in the comments section! - - - About me: I am a former BDW Bride AKA as MarieSam and was addicted to this forum as I planned my own wedding in 2009. Since 2010, I have been the proud owner of MarieSam Sanchez Photography -- a husband and wife photography team based in Southern California and documenting love all over the world.
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Hello beautiful brides, I know that brainstorming for the OOT bag can be frustrating and also challenging, so many ideas and counting how many days are left to the wedding day can be a nerve wreck!! If you order too soon: you might change your mind, specially if you find something nicer and better later where you might be regretting because you spent money already and changed your mind (this is the most common situation while planning) If you order too late and wait for ideas: you might miss good sales, deliveries, colors, items available etc.. OOT Bags and Favors: I feel that this will depend on what you want to spend and how crazy you want to go (with the details). There is not right or wrong to spend too much or too little, because each bride doing either or will have her own justification..which is understandable! What was important to me for the OOT bags-favors: The colors, logos and the designs matching my entire wedding theme were my big dream!, I was doing tons of research. I starting placing several orders online and spent good money in the begging. When my orders started arriving I realized that I did not have a wedding theme or any logo with colors that matched anywhere . I was very concern and the orders were disappointing because I had spent good money already. I wanted to have my own logo,same designs, colors and my wedding theme displayed EVERYWHERE, , basically ALL matching. My colors were coral and aqua. All on my wedding day came beautifully and exactly how I dreamed it and my OOT bags were just what I planned on every single design. I am good at designing and I love to create ideas for decor and all that fun stuff , since I have a brother who is very skilled, I asked him to sit down with me and start creating a "Lina & TK" wedding theme...it would be our design displayed EVERYWHERE. brainstorm on what I envisioned. We used our suite design program (reason why I do not have templates ) PLEASE!! ask any questions you may want...I would LOVE to create an entire wedding theme for a bride I do finance LOL and discovered how much I love this this is just pretty far from what I do for a living! more than happy to help! it is exciting! Yes!! we got tons of ideas from this website which I am very thankful for. all pics below are DIY and MORE ... The real hard work started to make my dream come true...welcome bags and some pics of decor too Now all designs come true: Bubbles for the ceremony fans with programs (all customized with logos) Spanish and English (Had to do it in both languages) all would match my decor I made these rings inside the survival kit signage FINALLY ALL MATCHED ON THE MOST AMAZING DAY OF MY LIFE!!! PS. Please open each picture attachment-thumbnail if you decide to view it BIGGER!! they appear small because I have attached so many lol ALSO if you want to review my entire planning thread PLEASE check it out it might help you with some ideas!!! Love, Lina
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Starting to panic... It wouldn't be too big of a deal to me if I had planned for all wedding events to be indoors, but I didn't. In fact, I decided against having a ton of flowers (1. we can't take them home with us. 2. I won't get to enjoy them very much afterwards...I'm pretty sure that the time we spend in our room will not include enjoying flowers. 3. the scenery is so gorgeous that I didn't want people to oogle at the arrangements rather the natural beauty) and decor because of reason #3 above. BUT, if we have to move everything indoors...WHAT DO I DO??? It won't look like a wedding at all!!!!! Oh my goodness, I'm ready to cry!
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Part 2: Ways to Save When Planning Your Destination Wedding
MarieSamSanchezPhoto posted a article in Planning
When people ask me why I decided to get married in Akumal, all I have to do is show them a photo of the beach I got married on and that pretty much wraps up that conversation. One of the best things about having a destination wedding is being able to share your little slice of paradise with your guests. So when it comes to finding ways to save while you're planning your destination wedding, it can be summed up in three little words: KEEP IT SIMPLE. Yes, I'm talking to you extreme detail bride. You who wants to match your flower colors to the exact hue of your reception decor and centerpieces ... and shoes for that matter. (Full disclosure: I was that bride. Yep, me the extreme detail oriented bride ) All that said, here are a few ways you can cut down on the costs of planning a destination wedding. Use all or some of these ideas, but most of all, choose what works best for you. And if you have any other suggestions to give, please share them!!! -- Cut Back on Decor: I cannot emphasize enough the need to remember that your destination location is going to be epic. A sight worthy of traveling hundreds/thousands of miles for. A beautiful location worthy of a vacation, but so amazing it warrants being the place you say your I Dos. If you're getting married outdoors -- especially on the beach -- you don't need to deck out each corner with decor. Save those pennies by letting the scenery speak for itself. -- Keep Your Flowers Simple: This ties in with the tip above. Choose flowers that are local to the area so they are bountiful and easily accessible, helping to cut down on costs. You may also want to consider using artificial flowers for bouquets and boutonnieres that you can purchase at home and bring with you. Then, double purpose those bouquets by popping them into vases on your reception tables to serve as centerpieces. Flowers are beautiful ways to add color to your ceremony and reception, but you don't need much to impress. Remember, keep it simple! -- Serve a Simple Wedding Cake: If food is your thing, feed your guests well! But after serving them a delicious meal, think about keeping your Wedding Cake simple. Wedding cakes can be elaborate and fancy, but more details usually means a higher expense. If you want a beautiful cake for photos, consider a small decorated cake for you and your hubby to cut for photos. But then serve guests with a simply frosted cake without all the fancy details. Cake is delicious with or without the pretty decor -- trust me, I have the thighs to prove it Check back soon for the next installment of Ways to Save! - - - About me: I am a former BDW Bride AKA as MarieSam and was addicted to this forum as I planned my own wedding in 2009. Since 2010, I have been the proud owner of MarieSam Sanchez Photography -- a husband and wife photography team based in Southern California and documenting love all over the world.- 1 comment
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Lovely & Splash Partner to Offer Free Wedding Websites
MarieSamSanchezPhoto posted a article in Planning
Loverly and Splash have teamed up to offer brides free wedding websites designed to help keep them organized while also making wedding planning easier and fun as they approach their Big Day. The websites offer the ability to post wedding info, collect guests' addresses, take RSVPs, food orders, and share the couple’s love story. After the wedding, the platform can pull Instagram photos from the couple's designated hashtag so that the celebration's images can be found all in one place. The mobile-friendly, customizable websites are offered in five themes, keeping specific bride types in mind: modern, boho, vintage, classic and elegant. Brides can also add extra features to their sites by paying for upgrade options. To get started on a wedding website, powered by Splash and Loverly, click here.-
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Hi all! Do you guys think it's absolutely necessary to have a wedding program? It just seems like one more think I have to worry about getting designed and printed and taking down with me....plus my FI runs on a bit of a last-minute basis so I'm afraid to put the groomsmen in print since there's some of his friends that *might* end up coming who he's want in the wedding (*facepalm*) so I'd probably have to wait to do them until the last minute. Would it be a big deal not to have them at all? Will people think that's weird? I'm thinking that maybe it's not as necessary since we'll all be together for a few days so everyone will at least kind of know who the wedding party is....what do you guys think?
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Hi Brides! I'm getting legally married one week before we leave for our Destination Wedding. I'm Catholic and wanted my marriage to be recognized in the church, so my ceremony will be in my church by my priest. Our parents, siblings, grandparents, and a few aunts and uncles who won't be at the DW will be in attendance. I'm struggling to figure out the balance between respecting the importance of this ceremony from a religious and spiritual standpoint, without making it feel too much like the "real" wedding. I want the entire thing to be as simple and straight forward as possible so we feel like we're really getting married at our DW, but I also don't want my priest to feel like we're not taking it seriously, or that we're not regarding it as us ACTUALLY getting married. Have there been any other brides who have had a church ceremony before their DW (especially Catholic brides since there's a little more protocol to follow)? How did you handle this? What all did your ceremony include/not include? I'm wondering what wedding traditions we should participate in and leave out - do we exchange our real rings? Does my dad walk me down the aisle? (That feels like a HUGE deal to me and I know it'll make me emotional, so I don't really want to do it twice). Do I wear a white dress? I think all of this would have been a little easier if we had had the legal ceremony after our DW, but with my parents being very conservative I thought that everything should be official before we start "acting" married. I definitely see the appeal in just going to a courthouse and signing papers...I wish I could do that, but having my marriage recognized in the church is just too important! Any thoughts would be appreciated
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A wedcast is a webcast of a wedding that allows family and friends of the couple to watch the wedding in real time on the internet. It is sometimes used for weddings in exotic locations, such as in Cancun or the Riviera Maya. This is very beneficial for persons for which it is very expensive or difficult to travel to see the wedding in person. This way they can be present and enjoy the wedding real time. Wedding Webcasting in Cancun and the Riviera Maya is offered by Cancun Live Weddings, which is a video production company specialized in Online Broadcasting of events.
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Beach Wedding Cake Topper Beach Wedding Cake Topper Cake topper - etsy - LandscapesNMiniature Pam is wonderful to work with! I am anxiously waiting for my cake topper to arrive. Pam messaged me and said to let her know if there is anything I don't like. I'm sure I'll absolutely love it, but wow! Talk about customer service! Bridal Hair Piece with Rhinestone Centerpiece etsy - PetalBlushLove This is the stock photo, I ordered mine in off-white and I'll post a photo once I receive mine. I was referred to Bridgette by another bride, and now I am referring her to anyone interested in a hair piece. I told Bridgette that I have a fitting on March 10th and sure told me she'd make sure I had it by March 1st! Bridgette also sent me photos of fabric to help me decide which color would be best for my dress. Gown Details Getting pinned for first fitting. I am actually using the headpiece Elizabeth by Love Veils and Accessories for my belt/sash. I purchased earrings by Malis Henderson Jewelry. They are teardrop style, and surprisingly not heavy, so I can wear them all day and night. I'll post a photo of them once they come in. Tumblers We ordered ordered blank cups from discountmugs.com. We found a coupon on retailmenot.com so that was exciting. Cups should arrive by March 3rd. I think we are going to purchase stickers from etsy. Mini Beach Balls Fans Both were ordered from http://www.orientaltrading.com. I also used retailmenot.com and got $5.00 off purchase and free shipping. These are supposed to arrive around March 4th.
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Its been over a month since my wedding and I finally went through some of my decor and am ready to sell it and hopefully help another bride out. My colors were Turquoise, Coral, Champagne with touches of gold. I can take payment via paypal, shipping is not inlcuded. If you have any questions please let me know. Thanks!! Turquoise, Coral and Gold Mr. and Mrs. sign. $20 3 4X4 Gold Frames. (I used them for my table numbers) $10 5 Gold votives candle holders. $10 7 Gold lace Candle Holders. $15 Turquoise Beach Themed Tray. $15 5 Clear Pillar Candle Holders. $5 Set of leftover Coral, Gold, and White ribbons. $7 Gold Curling Ribbon. $2 Gold Lace Wood Frame for DIY Photo booth. $10 16 Gold and 12 Clear Candle votive holders $15 (Clear votive holders not pictured but they are the same size as the gold ones) Turquoise, Coral and Champagne Table numbers 1-8 with some crystal embellishment. This was second set I never used. I put them in gold frames and displayed them on each table. $10 Bride to be sash and bridal veil used for bachelorette party $10 4 Gold 5X7 Frames $5 3 Gold 8X10 Frames $5 Mini paper cutter for small projects $2 3 Paper punchers. 1 Straight lace, 1 Corner lace and 1 round corner puncher. $5 each 39 Clear plastic loops for luggage tags $4 14 sticks for drink stirrers or DIY Photo Booth props $1 20 Wavy Jumbo Wood Fan Handles $5 Leftover Black Cardstock Paper $3 Leftover Green, Yellow, Blue and Red Cardstock Paper $3 6 Champagne Sequin table runners. They were used on tables that sat 8-10 people and were long enough to hit the floor on both ends. $120 for all of them. 60 Coral Dinner Napkins and 59 gold napkin rings (I lost one with all the packing and unpacking L) $60 14 Maraca tags that say “Shake for a kiss” and 7 blank tags. Free to whoever wants it.
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I posted a topic earlier in January but I am just curious to hear how long it has taken for OUTSIDE vendors such as Event Planning/Decor Rental companies and Florists to respond to an email. ( http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/topic/78580-secrets-maromaplanner-1-events/ ) First let me say that I understand that things aren't the same here as they are in Mexico but I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences with similar situations. I have about 5 months and plenty of time until my wedding, but am trying to plan everything out as we go to keep our budget in check. I was referred to Gabi at Planner 1 Events/Canteiro Flowers and it is taking them quite some time to respond. Since they are an outside company and do not work for the resort where I am getting married, it is concerning to me that it takes multiple weeks to hear back regarding simple questions. Considering what I've seen for their pricing, I would hope their customer service would be a little more reasonable. Does anyone has any experience working with Planner 1 Events/Canteiro Flowers? I have also received quotes back from Marvin at Maya Florals (who has rave reviews) and Laura from Premium Flores. Both seem wonderful to work with and are very timely in returning my emails. Thank you in advance for your suggestions and help!
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So, I am planning on wearing a mermaid/trumpet gown for my ceremony and then changing into another (less expensive),shorter, less formal dress for our reception so I can really party and dance without being so restricted. Our reception is on the beach. I love both dresses and will have photos in both. I'm feeling like it probably is a bit excessive but the second dress isn't that much and I will be able to wear it again. My fiancé is fine with it because he knows how I love to dance. And he wants me to enjoy the reception as much as possible. Hopefully people won't think I'm being too much of a diva. If we were marrying at home, I still would do a change... Is anyone else doing this?
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Hi Everyone! This is one of my first posts! Have any of you ladies had your wedding reception at Castaways. I'm trying to figure what to bring as far as décor. Its hard to figure out exactly what I need since I'm not familiar with the entire space. I've seen a few pictures here and there. But I haven't found a FULL view of the CASTAWAY restaurant. Im also considered about that space being too large? Is there different table arrangements we can do? What did you girls bring with YOU Your help is appreciated!
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My fiance and I were originally scheduled to have our wedding of ~100 guests at the Hilton Los Cabos on October 25, 2014. Unfortunately Hurricane Odile hit 5 weeks before our wedding date, and we were forced to cancel it. As added insult to injury, we found out our wedding was officially cancelled from our guests who had received cancellation emails from the Hilton, before we were even notified. After much deliberation, we decided to keep everything the same and just push out the date. We did this both to ease the burden on us as well as the people of Cabo who were displaced and their livelihoods largely compromised from the impact of the hurricane. We worked with the Hilton to schedule a new date: May 9th, 2015. We had all of our vendors switch the dates, informed our guests and had a new reservations site for them to book their stay, which many of them already have along with their flights. Today, we just received an email that now the reopening of the hotel won't be until June 1st, 2015, meaning they can not host our wedding. We're beyond devastated and heartbroken, a second time around. What was supposed to be a lovely, quiet Christmas is now a somber scramble to figure out how to put the pieces back together. I'm still reeling from shock and completely at a loss for what to do next, so I wanted to post here to hopefully get some feedback and advice from others who can probably think more clearly right now. Our thinking is we have to keep the same date and location of Cabo, since so many guests have already booked their flights, and unlike previously with the Hurricane, will not be able to get refunds for their tickets, and many of our wedding party also has had to make huge sacrifices to be available on these dates. Also, we expect now that this cancellation is the result of the resort and not a natural disaster, people are going to be much less flexible in terms of moving things around. I'm hoping for the advice of all / any of you on some of the following: We had chosen the Hilton because it was elegant, but the cost / room was still reasonable for our guests. We had a group rate of $169/night. Does anyone have any advice for other resorts that are of a similar standard? Looking online it seems that any other resort that is on par with the Hilton as far as quality and and beauty costs at least $300/night. (We're also very aware that many of the Cabo resorts will likely be booked already for a Spring wedding, which only adds to our complication) We have all of the vendors booked (and rebooked) but I'm concerned that alternative resorts may not allow us to keep the same vendors because they have 'vendor lists'. Has anyone had a similar experience as this? Are resorts willing to waive these types of constraints in the face of extenuating circumstances? I'm concerned a lot of the money we've put down for deposits may be lost for good, but am hoping that's not the case Though previously I wasn't planning on using one, I'm entertaining the thought of hiring a wedding planner to help us navigate some of the ambiguity. Any thoughts / experiences with this? If you think it's a good idea, any recommendations? Any alternative thoughts / ideas / etc. of what we can or should do? Any ideas are welcome Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer, and my apologies for any typos as my eyes are swollen half shut from all the crying :-(
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Help! Destination Wedding Planning - Renaissance Aruba
lwalsek posted a blog entry in lwalsek's Blog
HELP!!! I am in the very very beginning stages of trying to plan a destination wedding. My fiance and I want to have our destination wedding on Renaissance Island through Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino. Does anyone have any tips or guidance on how to first approach planning this? My fiance really wants to get an idea of pricing before we dive in commit, but at this point, we have no idea if we'll have 10 or 50 guests. Should we get married legally in the US first? Wedding party? Is it a lot to ask people to come to your wedding that is being held out of the country and then ask people to commit to being IN the wedding? Has anyone dealt with Renaissance Aruba? Are their vendors for flowers, photography, DJ, makeup, etc., worth it? What are the pros/cons of working with a travel agent? Do you really need one? Should I try to block off rooms for my guests or give them all of the information to make their own travel arrangements? Any tips or advice on how to begin with this would be great! Laura-
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Is anyone getting creative for their wedding programs, specifically a beach wedding? I am on the fence whether or not I want programs. On one hand they are nice, but they are also pricey...and people tend to toss them afterwards. Thanks!
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Hi all, My finance and I will be getting married April 2015 at the Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort. I've always envisioned a laid-back yet elegant beach wedding, so I'm super excited! We'll have a beach ceremony at 4:30pm, followed immediately by cocktail hour for guests while we take photos (we decided to book with Saab Weddings--which I'm really excited about), dinner from 7:00pm until 8:30pm at the resort's open-air restaurant, and then the dancing/reception and maybe bonfire outdoors again on the beach from 8:30pm until 10pm (unfortunately outdoor festivities must end by 10pm at this resort) My question: is 1.5 hrs enough time for the dancing portion? I'm especially concerned because we'll be spending quite a bit extra to have a dance floor, DJ, bar, seating and decorations outdoors for under 2 hours. Has anyone had any experience with a "beach party" dance reception? We plan on doing traditional 1st dance, father-daughter and mother-son dances, but more than anything we want people to have a great time under the stars. I've been thinking about trying to make dinner just one hour, from 7pm until 8pm, so we could at least squeeze 2 hours out of the night. Unfortunately we can't make dinner time any earlier. My life would be much easier if I just decided to have our dance party at the resort's disco, but I really wanted a beach party and don't want to give up on that idea (yet). Any ideas/feedback would be much appreciated!
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My Mayan Wedding Ceremony, An incredible Experience to Remember for the Rest of Our Lives… Thinking of what to do to surprise my guests and to make our wedding weekend unique and unforgettable, the idea of having a Mayan ceremony crossed my mind. However, I was having doubts since I had never experienced being in a Mayan ceremony before and I didn’t know what to expect. We were getting married in The Riviera Maya, during a very important year for the Mayan culture so we decided to go for it, although I never imagined the big surprise it would be for me and my husband…..it turned out to be the most incredible experience that we could have as a couple!! You have to know that for the Mayans, it’s a sacred ritual that is done to connect the souls of the couple, and be in touch with our creator. All the elements are involved in a spiritual practice where their mind is ready to receive the positive energy for their future life together. We arrived at the beautiful Le Reve Hotel & Spa at sunset time around 6 pm in September 2012, since I wanted the ceremony to be more spiritual than a party celebration, we invited only family members for a total of 30 guests (parents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunties, and grandparents). I was wearing a casual dress and wasn't very worried about hair or makeup since I was saving the “vavavoom effect” for the wedding itself the following day. Our guests were welcomed by the “saumadora” (a Mayan girl that was using incense and the sacred copal), and a card with a short explanation of what was about to happen so we could get everyone into the Mayan ceremony mood. We then walked down to the altar holding hands, “our first walk as a couple and with the intention of joining our lives together”. At the altar the shaman welcomed us with the copal and He honored the 4 natural elements. The altar is where the spiritual part of the ceremony took place… it was represented by a circle on the sand that contained all the important elements of the ritual: flowers, cacao, corn, rice, beans, pumpkin seeds, rose petals, and obsidian stone. All of these elements contribute to be immersed in the atmosphere of spirituality and connection with nature and the 7 directions. For the Mayans, the earth represents our mortal body, the water is our blood, the wind is our breath and the fire is our spirit that never ends. That’s why the principal element of the ceremony is the fire; which is used in the incense, the sacred copal and torches. The ceremony was performed by a Mayan priest called “Shaman” in a Mayan language. However, he was doing the ceremony with another “Shaman” that was translating to everybody in Spanish step by step and explaining all of the meanings (it can be done in English too). The ceremony began with a ceremonial blessing for the 7 universal directions. Everybody moved together with the Shaman in the same direction: east, west, north, and south. Also up; (for cosmic energy), down (for mother earth), and the center, the bottom of the couple’s hearts. After this, the Shaman took the offerings of the altar for the couple to exchange their vows. During the ceremony we could feel the magic of the moment. We were surrounded by all our beloved, in front of the sacred sea, with a sunset light slowly changing to a gorgeous full moon and every word we were listening to was reminding us of the love we had for each other and the blessing of being together at the right time, in the right place, accompanied by the murmur of the sea and seashells instruments. I had tears of joy and happiness as the shaman asked us to look into each other eyes and feel the love…that was a precious moment that I can´t put into words. At the end of the ceremony we walked to the water and offered the seeds to the sea, at that moment I couldn’t be happier and I realized that from that moment our lives began as a blessed couple. It was a very intimate and magical ceremony, not a religion, not a protocol, it is something that you truly want to do as a couple; you want to be blessed in a more profound way. That’s why the ceremony guides you to being grateful for the universe, and for every living creature. During the ritual you realize that all these elements were combined in a certain way to help you find your beloved one…beautiful life circumstances! After the ceremony all of our family told us how wonderful and special the ceremony was, they had never experienced something like that before and they were very grateful to be a part of it. Besides it was a surprise for them because we invited them for a family dinner and never mentioned that we would have a Mayan ceremony. We ended the night by having an amazing dinner at Le Reve Hotel & Spa gardens right in front of the sea, enjoying the full moon and love from everyone. A very special night getting ready for our wedding the next day….. Arlenis not only chose Le Reve as her wedding venue but she is also the Wedding Coordinator at this resort. To learn more, visit the Le Reve Sponsor Page on BDW.
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The Hidden Secrets of a Destination Wedding, Revealed!
GauchoSteph posted a article in Decor & Details
Up, up, and away to your big day! But wait, not too fast. When you're getting ready for a destination wedding, you have to take a few extra steps to ensure that your wedding must-haves will arrive at the right place at the right time. The last thing you should be worrying about is missing bags and lost or stolen items. To alleviate the stress of a mishap, think BDW more than ever: Best Destination Wedding…Of course! But in this case, it stands for Baggage, Dough, and Worries! Baggage Keep your bags light and small enough to take as a carry-on. Because you’ll be getting on a plane for your destination wedding, and going someplace far away—perhaps even out of the country—traveling light is the best way to save money and ensure the safety of your belongings. Clothing, hair products, and accessories can add up in unnecessary pounds and hike up your baggage fees. To avoid paying steep prices, consider buying your toiletries and any other generic products once you have arrived or have them shipped in advance. Dough Use global wedding retailers like LightintheBox.com and Milanoo.com to ship your remaining essentials. Bridalholics’ best kept secret is online coupons that can get you deals and discounts up to 80% off on thousands of wedding items. For example, you can rack up the savings with a Light In The Box Coupon Code to score extravagant accessories, without paying retail prices for them. There’s no limit to the selection of wedding goodies you can find online, with a huge selection of everything from veils, shoes, and satin handbags for as low as $30 a piece. Worries Leave your worries and your prized possessions behind. There’s no reason to take your bling with you when you can find costume jewelry that sparkles just as brightly as the real deal. Keep your jewels safe and sound at home, or in a safe deposit box, and instead opt for less expensive fashion accessories that stunt double for the real thing. There is always a risk of getting your suitcase lost or stolen, stock full of your high-priced essentials before reaching your wedding hot spot. That’s why it’s important to pack only the items that you can afford to lose, take everything else (including your dress) in your travel carry-on, and get the remaining items shipped to your wedding destination for safekeeping. Stick with these simple housekeeping rules and celebrate your upcoming nuptials stress-free and as happy as can be! Have a BDW tip of your own? I’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts below.