tinkerdanz

Hi! I'm very happy I found this forum, altough it seems a bit dead nowadays compared to when ILA first opened (I read the whole 36 pages of it!). Let me introduce myself : My name is Annie-Danielle and I'm getting married to my cuban fiancé, Karel, next February! ...or January, or March... I am waiting confirmation from my best friend/MOH to book. (she is that important. Her presence and that of my witness/bridesman are the 2 single most important ones! ILA is a sure thing though. I will have the chance to be back in Cuba this fall, but I'm not sure I'll be in Varadero... we might still go over to look things over and speak with GIselle. Things are slightly more complicated having half the guests being cubans, but it should be just fine! I've asked to join the FB group (ILA brides) but I'm still waiting to be accepted. So far I think there will be about 30 guests (with half of those being "day-passes" cubans), I was thinking of doing 10 days in the hotel while my guests will be doing 7 days... that way me and Karel can have a 3 days "honeymoon" (since that'll be it). I'll be in Cuba before the other guests anyways, unless we have to do the wedding early January. So far we are looking at a terrace ceremony and palapas dinner-private party. Our people won't be particularly young and I know my family is definitely not the type to just say "hey, great, let's join the hotel guests in the disco!". If they want, they will be able to on every other night of the week... I want to keep our reception private and special for that one day. Has anyone done a cocktail hour for the time between ceremony and dinner, while you went to do pictures? Or is it simply not necessary since the guests can just go to any bar of the hotel... and who cares if, for that small period of time, it's not private and planned? With my small budget I'd be tempted to go that route but I'm curious if others did something different. One last question : A friend of mine offered me an MC. As in, she knows a professional MC guy, who does radio ads and voice-over work, etc. She would pay for him to come, everything. ...But is there really the need for that in a ILA wedding? Wouldn't it just feel silly to have an MC? Did any of you have one? Thanks!