Stressed Aruba "newbie"

[kfady529]

HAHA wow that put a new meaning to Island time! I haven't booked anything yet it is all so overwhelming and i like them all i seriously don't know how I am going to chose. I'm a little scared because I feel like no one has done it @ the Divi!!

Originally Posted by traceysteve 

Hey, thought you would get a kick out of this. I got a response back today from Divi, following up on my wedding request. She replied to an email that I sent her, from April 22nd! I'm already booked for the Westin, probably have been since the end of April, with deposit down, menu finalized, etc. etc. Hahahaaa!! I just laughed. We're getting married in less than 3 months. Did you book with Divi?
 

 

 

[traceysteve]

I honestly loved what the Divi offered...the buffet was fantastic, lotsa food! I did read a review online somewhere about someone that had their wedding at the Divi, she loved it, and the planner. Honestly, is they had gotten back to me, I would've booked there. But, now that I have finally booked, I don't care where it is, you just need to make a decision. Good luck!
 

Originally Posted by kfady529 

HAHA wow that put a new meaning to Island time! I haven't booked anything yet it is all so overwhelming and i like them all i seriously don't know how I am going to chose. I'm a little scared because I feel like no one has done it @ the Divi!!

 

 

[kfady529]

I am in proses now finalizing everything with the Divi i figure where ever it is it will be amazing, and sine I have invested all my time on this one place I might as well just do it! And I love the out door dinner your day is coming fast cant wait to hear all about it when you get back!! Are you staying @ the Westin for the entire stay?

[traceysteve]

Ohhh...I'm so happy that you are getting somewhere with Divi. I felt the same way about leaving the Westin, I had invested about 2 months worth of work. We were originally planning on staying at the Westin, not all-inclusive, but our TA found us a fantastic deal for the Riu, which we couldn't resist. Unfortunately, the Riu has many stipulations to have a wedding there, including a % of your guests need to be staying there. No worries, I felt like it was a bit of a wedding factory, just churning them out. So, as it turns out, we are not staying at the Westin at all, at this time, but are considering staying there on our wedding night, just to be away from everyone! ha! Please keep me posted. Have fun! And yes, my day is fast approaching, but I feel less stressed now that the wedding stuff is almost sorted.

[Jnadair]

Welcome to the forum!!

[ronsoliman]

 

COngratulations on your engagement! We shot a wedding in Westin Aruba last August 2010 and April 2011. Aruba is aaammmaazzziiinnggg!!!

 

We also went to a cave that has a light coming from the ceiling and it made gorgeous pictures.

 

Ron Soliman, Destination Wedding Photojournalist

www.ronsoliman.com

 

 

[carrieb258]

Congrats on your engagement 

[dominiqueamber]

Congrats! I have no experience with Aruba but I know you can find your answer if you look in the Aruba threads or search the resorts...any other wedding related questions I'll be happy to answer or find the answer to... I really like the idea of finding a resort with an event and making that your party- I think your guests will find it smart and classy! Happy Planning!
 

Originally Posted by valdawg20 

I am planning on getting married in Aruba August 2012. I have been researching so much stuff that my head is starting to go into overload. I am looking at the Marriott, Hyatt, Manchebo, and Occidental for starters. I have a very strict budget and I wanteed to know if anyone give me any advice about how they were able to have a beautiful wedding at any of these locations without breaking the budget? Also, did anyone do a wedding at these locations and did not do a tradtional reception (ie plated dinner/music) and instead did something else? Just curious. Thanks!!!! -Valerie

 

[jmastr05]

This thread started out with a question about how to save on a wedding at Aruba. Here are some of the things that I did to keep control of my budget.

• I wore flip flops instead of heels. The ceremony was on the sand and the whole island has a beech vibe. (We also chose flip flops as our wedding theme). The options for flip flops are limitless and much less expensive than a regular shoe. (Same thing for my husband).
• I didn't wear a veil. It's so windy in Aruba that my wedding planner advised against a veil. I wasn't planning on wearing one anyway. Instead I bought a flower hair pin that I ordered from Amazon. I think it cost $30.
• We used the bridesmaid bouquets as the center pieces. We had vases with water and clear marbles at each table. Right after we all had our grand entrances at the reception, the bridesmaids walked to a table and dropped their bouquet in. So the centerpieces essentially cost us the $10 rental fee per vase.
• We went light on flowers and decoration in general. Aruba is so beautiful that you really don't need to dress it up. No corsages. No boutonnieres. No throwing bouquet. The arch for the ceremony only had a white drape on it (no flowers). We ended up having fewer guests come than we expected, so we did "splurge" on a colored sash for every chair at the ceremony. However, originally, we were only going to have sashes on the chairs that line the aisle. At the reception, we opted for a colored overlay on each table instead of sashes on each chair, which ended up being less expensive for us.
• I bought my pearl jewelry from topearl.com. I was a little worried that this site would not be legit, but figured I was willing to gamble the $50 I was about to spend. The jewelry was really nice! The $50 included 2 necklaces (wasn't sure which length to get), 2 pairs of earrings (wasn't sure of which style I preferred), AND shipping! I think the delivery time is a little long though, so take that into account.
• I ordered the welcome bag items from minimus.biz, soap.com, and orientaltrading.com. These sites have pretty good prices! Soap.com offers free shipping on orders over a certain amount. Even if you don't buy that much for your wedding, it's an on-line drug store. Everyone can use shampoo, tissues, moisturizer, etc.
• I'm not very crafty, but I made my own save-the-dates. Many on-line stationary sites will give you a certain number of free business cards, and you only pay the shipping. They have tons of designs, some of which are really attractive and colorful. Instead of your contact information, enter your wedding information. Vistaprint.com is the most popular of these sites. Staples sells magnets that are business card sized and have a sticky side. So all you need to do it peel the back off the magnet (like a sticker) and apply the business card.
• I chose a in invitation that is simple, but one that I really liked. Most people are going to throw it away anyway, so I didn't feel the need to spend a lot of money on the invitation. Also, instead of adding all of the additional inserts (reception card, directions, etc), I directed everyone to my wedding website. So the shipping was the standard amount for a letter. (Shipping adds up!) Here's a link to my invitation, which can be customized with many different icons and font colors: http://www.invitationsbydawn.com/Wedding-Invitations/Destination-and-Beach-Wedding-Invitations/2660-DRWA04945-By-Design--Invitation.pro.
• If you have the time to wait before making certain purchases, then sign up for e-mail notifications form the company where you plan on making these purchases. They'll send e-mails about upcoming sales that you can take advantage of. But this means starting to shop around early.
• I did without a lot of the non-essentials. No toasting flutes. No cake topper. No cake cutters. Another benefit of this is that you will have fewer wedding supplies to transport to Aruba and back.

 

Hope some these suggestions help!

[mandijacole]

Congrats and welcome to the forum!