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ATTENTION ALL PAST AND PRESENT BRIDES & GROOMS -- we would love to interview you and feature you and your wedding on BDW! In order to qualify, we need you to thoroughly answer our questions as well as provide as much planning and wedding pics as you can. We would love to feature 2 weddings/brides a month. If you are interested in participating, please let me know here by commenting on this thread. *** At the end of the year (from the date of this post), we will chose 1 bride that was featured and give them a $250 (either in the form of a giftcard or paypal!) *** This is open to all BDW members (vendors, mods included!) -- so spread the word to other brides!!! This interview and feature will be posted here on BDW and may be sent out in the newsletter! Here are some past Featured Brides: Jessica @ Aventura Cove Miriam @ Azul Sensatori Rashedah @ Iberostar Rose Hall Shawn @ Gran Bahia Principe Stephanie @ Missions De San Jose del Cabo Anuniti Cortney @ Paradisus Punta Cana Stephanie @ Atlantis Paradise Island Erica @ Carnival Liberty Eastern Caribbean Cruise Janette @ Grand Sirenis Akumal ----------------------------------------- Ok, here is how to submit your application to be a FEATURED BDW WEDDING! PM Me (MarieSamSanchezPhoto) with the following information AFTER YOU HAVE GOTTEN MARRIED with the subject line "BDW Featured wedding application": Bride & Groom name (If you do not feel comfortable with your full name, first names are fine): BDW Username: Wedding Date: Hometown: Wedding Location (Resort Name, Villa Name, City & Country): This part should be 1-2 paragraphs answers for each question. Why did you choose to have a destination wedding? Why did you choose your location? Colors and/or theme? What made your wedding special? or what makes your relationship special? Vendor list: Photographer, videographer, florist, hair/makeup stylist, wedding coordinator, bakery, wedding dress designer, invitation company, DJ, etc. (include any other pertinent vendors you think other BDW brides may be interested in) Include: any links to related BDW reviews you may have posted. Or if you've posted any post-wedding items you want to buy, sell, trade? Please include a picture of you and your new husband (wife) and other pictures including wedding location and wedding details. Thanks again!

Hi! I'm very new to this site, I am newly engaged and my fiance and I are planning a destination wedding in the Iberostar Rose hall, Jamaica in May 2016!! We were wondering if anyone has been there before, done their wedding there, seen anything or has any suggestions! We are so excited and there is so much to do! Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks! Danielle

Hi Brides! I am getting married NEXT WEEK at Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach in Cabo San Lucas, and am in a bit of a panic over who to tip & how much! The resort is all-inclusive, and the wedding was booked as a package deal, so I'm not really sure what the protocol is. I assume I'll need to tip the bartender/waitstaff/DJ/coordinator - but have no clue how much! I regret not thinking about this earlier, or budgeting for it... What have other brides done in all-inclusive situations? -Kari

I'm looking to hire a DJ for my wedding and reception in Montego Bay. I'm thinking that outside DJs might save me some money. Help please. Any recommendations or suggestions??

Hello my fellow brides! Planning my Cabo wedding has been a lot more than I ever expected or thought I'd signed up for. Though I’d been a long time lurker on this forum, I only originally posted back in December 2014 to share my heartbreak of having my wedding cancelled as a result of Hurricane Odile and then re-cancelled due to the venue not being ready when they promised to be. http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/topic/78505-cabo-wedding-cancelled-twice-advice-needed/ As everyone on this forum knows, having a destination wedding can be scary with so many things out of your control, and having to somewhat blindly trust whatever information you can find. I depended on many of the opinions and feedback I’d read on these forums (and a few times just blind luck) and ultimately it all worked out as the most perfect wedding I could have ever asked for. As a result, I wanted to pay it forward to all of the other brides out there in lurking mode. I based many of my decisions and choices on what other lovely brides have shared, and I couldn’t have been happier with the results. So here it is….My full reviews for my 2015 Cabo Wedding Location: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Date: May 9th, 2015 Number of guests: 75 people Accomodations: Grand Solmar Lands End, Playa Grande and Solmar All-Inclusive Ceremony/Reception Venue: Grand Solmar Lands End, Lands End Terrace, Playa Grande Beach Flowers / Decorations: Through the Grand Solmar Lands End Wedding Coordinator: Alana Duran and Erika Quiroz through the Grand Solmar Photographers & Videographer: Enrique Morales, EM Weddings DJ, Equipment and Lighting– Victor Daniel De Alba, Teeven Technology Event Entertainment Violinist – Violetta Poletek - www.caboviolin.com Hair & Makeup: Suzanne Morel Welcome Cruise: Cabo Mar Accomodations: Grand Solmar Lands End, Playa Grande and Solmar All-Inclusive (review on location, food, rooms, etc.) Solmar collection is actually 3 different resorts in the same area which all had very different price points, and flexible all-inclusive options, which are all easily accessible from one another either by walking or taking the countless shuttles available throughout the resorts. This meant by offering the choice of any of these accommodations to our guests, we could still be all together, but not have to burden any of our guests with hotel offerings that were completely out of their price range. My husband and I only stayed at the Playa Grande and the Grand Solmar, so I can only speak directly about those two, however our guests that stayed in the Solmar All-Inclusive said it was perfectly lovely, the rooms were large, the beds were clean and the food and alcohol was good. A few mentioned the bathrooms being a bit dated, but they certainly didn’t consider this a reason to not stay there. Also, anyone staying here was completely permitted on the other properties, so it didn’t prevent them from being able to spend time with all of our other guests. The vast majority of our guests stayed at the Playa Grande, and that tended to be the default meet up / hang out spot for everyone regardless of resort. It was an active, young and fun resort, with tequila volleyball among other poolside activities and music playing, though not so loud you couldn’t hear yourself think. It proved to be the best option for most of our guests so they could socialize by the pool without worrying being disruptive. The Playa Grande also offered an all-inclusive option that about half the guests took advantage of, though my sense is you probably end up breaking even either way you do it. They offer 2-for-1 happy hours by the pool starting at 2PM. The beds were incredible comfortable, the rooms were super clean and each room contained a full fridge, microwave, etc. so you were also able to buy your own groceries and prepare your own meals, if that’s what you wanted. I mainly only ate at the pool bar and at breakfast but the food at both was excellent. The drinks were delicious (I heard a few complaints of not enough alcohol but the staff was happy to remedy this if brought to their attention). There are also signs that explicitly prohibit ‘seat claiming’ by coming down and dropping towels on the chairs first thing in the morning, which I very much appreciated have been to so many other resorts where that is an on-going frustration. Even in May, there seemed to be an abundance of seating available, and so this was a non-issue. The Grand Solmar is most exclusive of the three, and the much more elegant. It was perfect for my bridesmaids and I to get ready in the day of and stay over our wedding night, the grounds are beautiful, it feels very private and quiet (despite ongoing construction to build a new lobby and fix some hurricane damage). The staff was excellent, so friendly, so helpful and just an absolute pleasure. In my opinion, all of the resorts would be worthy of 5 stars within the price points they are in. The kicker above all else that made this collection of resorts even better was that it is right next to downtown. A 5-minute walk from the Playa Grande puts you right in the Marina next to Senor Frogs. Our guests were extremely grateful for this, as it made Cabo much more accessible than it would have been had we had our wedding somewhere in the Corridor like where we original planned. Ceremony / Reception Venue: Grand Solmar Lands End, Lands End Terrace, Playa Grande Beach Possibly one of the greatest blessings in disguise in replanning this wedding was discovering the Grand Solmar Lands End as our venue. The Lands End Terrace where the ocean meets the lands end rocks jutting out of the sea is so unique and breathtaking. The location of it relative to the resort also is somewhat remote and extremely private, so you don’t run the risk of random resorts guests wandering through your wedding or voyeuristically sneaking a peak. The lighting, sound equipment and general set up are all critical to maximizing this amazing space (all of which was executed flawlessly, but I’ll get to that in later parts of the review) but there is so much natural beauty here, and along with the gazebo, there is very little that needs to be added to make this perfect. All catering, drinks and the wedding cake were handled through the resort, and it was all better than I expected. When the guests arrived at the cocktail hour on the stunning Don Luis terrace, servers were waiting with trays of drinks and hors d’oeurves and giant smiles on their faces. The one limitation of this space was you cannot play music after 10PM, which effectively meant our dance party / reception was over at 10PM. I knew we wouldn’t be ready to call it a night at that point, so I asked if we could possibly have a bonfire on the Playa Grande beach. Though I’m not sure if this was something they had done before or not, they were super amenable to making it happen, and the end result was one that blew my expectations completely out of the water. The resorts organized the shuttles to get our guests back over to where the bonfire was happening on the beach. They had laid out beach chairs in a perfect circle around the fire, with Mexican blankets to help people stay warm. There was a small s’mores station where people could pick up their marshmallows and the chocolate was pre-melted onto the graham crackers so once the toasted marshmallow was placed on it, you had a perfect, non-messy s’more. They also set up a small tiki bar to continue the drinks flowing until Midnight. It was the perfect way to wind down and end the night Flowers / Decorations: Through the Grand Solmar Lands End As I mentioned, the natural beauty of the space is so great, we needed very little in terms of decoration to complement the space. Something worth mentioning is the Grand Solmar is generally more restrictive about working with outside vendors that aren’t part of their approved set. Due to the extenuating circumstances I had faced, they were much more flexible with me, but when it came to flowers they insisted we go through them. For what it is worth, I don’t think this is as much them trying to maximize their profits, as it is them wanting to provide a truly immaculate wedding, and feeling more confident in their ability to do it versus a 3rd party vendor they have less control over. I gave them the proposal that I had from an earlier florist and they were able to replicate it completely to my vision at the exact same cost. As part of their standard set up, they provide beautiful tiffany chairs for the ceremony, white table linens were pinwheel table cloths (I believe that’s what they are called) which added a nice, understated touch of elegance and white draped material and a white runner for the gazebo. I brought light teal cloth napkins from home, and the look was perfect. As far as the bouquets and boutonnieres, they also arrived just as expected and were absolutely stunning. Wedding Coordinator: Alana Duran and Erika Quiroz through the Grand Solmar The vast majority of my experience was with Alana, who had helped me out through the beginning always, answering my emails thoroughly and promptly and giving me honest and direct answers so properly set my expectations. She never said “We can’t do that” or “That’s not allowed”. She always took time to develop some thoughtful alternatives and would talk them through with me. She was very professional and just truly lovely. Given we planned our wedding at the Grand Solmar, sight unseen, she had to work to make me feel very comfortable and confident that things would work out, and she successfully did that every step of the way. A few weeks before the actual wedding, she got another wedding coordinator role that offered her more international opportunities that was something she was interested in perusing. She seamlessly handed everything off to Erika, who I immediately felt at ease with, and who executed my entire vision to a tee. I think I hugged her about 15 times the night of our wedding. Photographers & Videographer: Enrique Morales, EM Weddings Since I’m writing this only days after our wedding I haven’t yet seen any of the photos or video Enrique shot, but I have no doubt the pictures are going to be amazing! Picking a photographer is always challenging and I looked at tons of online portfolios before selecting Enrique. Not only did his style of capturing candid moments really appeal to me, his videography samples had me getting emotional over strangers wedding videos. I also appreciated his super-quick response times and professionalism. His dedication to his work and creating a quality product is immediately apparent when you read other reviews of him on this site. And I experienced it firsthand in working with him. Months ago I created a pinterest board of some of my favorite wedding shots that I shared with Enrique to give him an idea of some things I’d like to capture. In the days before my wedding and on my wedding day, I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to hear him referencing those photos from my Pinterest board and how we were recreating them. Not only did he review that collection which I’d carefully curated but he had actively and thoughtfully considered how he could recreate each of them. He obviously takes his job of giving the bride exactly what she is after very seriously. The team we had included 2 photographers and 3 videographers, all mic’ed up to each other to ensure they are in the proper locations and capturing the most important moments. The fact that they are all in contact like that also worked well for coordinating our wedding party and getting everyone where they needed to be. Even though they were everywhere, I never even noticed them. They camouflaged right in! For the posed photos, Enrique gave great and explicit directions on body positioning to take the best photos and was incredibly efficient. He knew the exact time that we’d get the best light for some beach photos, which ended up allowing me to spend even more time with my guests during the cocktail hour and the reception. One thing I really learned from all of this is that all of the clichés are true – It is really the best day / weekend of your life and it goes by way too fast , like blink of an eye fast, so I am so excited I’ll soon be able to relive it through Enriques beautiful work. A consummate professional through and through, I’d recommend Enrique and his team to all Cabo brides. DJ, Equipment and Lighting– Victor Daniel De Alba, Teeven Technology Event Entertainment Victor and his team were excellent. And really on top of everything. When I mentioned the rocks at Grand Solmar and how Alana said they might need special lighting, he immediately set up an appointment with her to go visit the site and discuss their options, which he then followed up with me on. Besides just the lighting and the DJ equipment, he also provided the equipment for our ceremony and our violinist, asking us all the details we hadn’t even thought of, like if we needed a free standing mike, so our officiant wasn’t holding too many things during the ceremony. And the music at the reception was so good! Perhaps even a little too good! During dinner, one table got up and started dancing before we’d even been able to do speeches, because the music was so good. However Victor quickly corralled them back, and soon enough they were able to break it down for real. When I gave him our Play / Don’t Play list I explained that the ‘To Play’ list wasn’t an explicit ‘Must Play’ but more directional to help him get an idea of what we wanted, and he did just that. He was playing songs that I wouldn’t have even thought to add to the list or had never even heard of before, but they were just perfect and the dance floor was packed all night long. He did an excellent job of mashing up one song into another to transition them. Just really exceeded my expectations in every way. Violinist – Violetta Poletek - www.caboviolin.com Just lovely. We only had her for an hour for the ceremony and immediately before and following it, but she was a complete breeze to work with. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when I walked out to her version of 1000 years. Hair & Makeup: Suzanne Morel My decision to use Suzanne Morel was an easy one based on tons of excellent reviews, and photos upon photos of the beautiful brides and bridesmaids she or her team had worked on. I originally contacted her months in advance and she set up a phone call, asked for photos of what I had in mind, photos of my dress, etc. to get an idea of what would work the best. She was very through with scheduled check-in calls planned in the months and weeks leading up to the wedding. I worked primarily with Jennifer on her team, and she was great to work with. They were extremely flexible, accommodating new requests from my bridesmaids to also get their hair done only days before the wedding. They were also incredibly efficient. They planned start time was 9:30AM with the plan to be completely done by 3PM, and even with a few extra services thrown in, they were completely out of there by 2:30PM. All of my bridesmaids commented on the quality of their work as well as their speed. They asked how I was able to find them and I told them it was from these forums. J Welcome Cruise: Cabo Mar Many guests, including my husband, said this cruise was the best part of the weekend. We had a 3 hour dinner / sunset cruise with an open bar for all of our guests, and it was outstanding. The DJ was playing great music and had everyone dancing all night, the drinks were delicious as was the food. Several times the boat would stop and point out some of the landmarks, like the Arc de Cabo, and give the guests an opportunity to take photos in front of it. Even better, they kept a head count of how many people had gotten on so we knew we weren’t leaving anyone behind. This was also one of my favorite parts of the entire weekend because we got to spend even more time with all of our closest family and friends, and it required virtually no additional work on our part. Besides booking and paying for it, CaboMar handled absolutely everything else, and they did so exquisitely. The boat is a catamaran, so it was a very smooth ride, but I’d still recommend having some Dramamine on hand for the one or two folks that just might not do well on the water. If any brides-to-be have any specific questions about any of these vendors, feel free to ask! Best of luck with your planning!

We are getting married in Huatulco January 2016. We are trying to find some services but not having the best of luck, maybe because Huatulco is not as popular as other areas - hair and make up for the wedding - photo booth if possible - excursion or tours for our family and friends Also any advice on things to do and what you love about Huatulco! Thanks

Hi There, My fiance and I are having our wedding at Grand Solmar Land's End this November 2015. When we looked at the price breakdown, their cake cost is $1400. From what we've learned through visiting multiple resorts, that price seems a little high. So we are considering using an outside vendor for our cake - despite a $200 outside vendor fee. Has any bride run into a similar costly situation, and if so are there any good recommendations you can give? Any tidbit info is much appreciated! Thanks!

Hello all, My fiance and I are planning our destination wedding hopefully early next summer. We were looking into Jamaica and there are some really nice places. Currently, we looked into Round Hill and the Rockhouse. We plan on inviting around 90 people (big Italian family), but realistically think that only half will show. There maybe a child or two, but adult only venues are plausible. Also, we prefer almost anywhere in the Caribbean, Jamaica is not a make or break deal. Our budget is for around 20-25k. Roundhouse quoted us for 35k and we never got an accurate quote from Rockhouse. My question is can anyone provide a place where I can get the most out of our money? Your responses are greatly appreciated! Thank you!!! Mike

Jhankarlo and his team absolutely blew away our expectations for our wedding photographer. His communication was excellent, always responding to our emails and phone calls. His English was perfect as well, which was a blessing for all of the planning we had to do before making our way down to Mexico. We had 8 hours of coverage with Jhankarlo for our reception and ceremony, which was the perfect length of time for us and our guests. Jhankarlo is incredibly creative, and that certainly comes through in his photos - they are just the BEST! We also did a trash the dress shoot at a nearby cenote 2 days after the wedding - it was so much fun! Jhankarlo and his team had such great attitudes and were always there to help us find the right light and pose. The photos he took that day are absolutely incredible and we will cherish them for the rest of our lives. What an incredible gift! Before finding Jhankarlo, I had contacted over 10 photographers in the Riviera Maya. Not a single other photographer came close to the skill and value that Jhankarlo and his team offer. We could not be happier in our choice of wedding photographer. Thank you SO much, Jhankarlo, for everything you have done for us!