Planning Your Destination Wedding at Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Mazatlan

Photo courtesy of Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Resort

While at Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Mazatlan last week, I was thinking that engagement season is upon us. The most popular time of the year for wedding proposals seems to be between December and February. As well, this is also the most popular time for Wedding Planners to get inquiries. Many couples often start planning their wedding not long after the engagement.

View of free form pool by the beach - Photo courtesy of Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Resort

I spend a lot of time touring resorts in tropical destinations to make sure that my clients are choosing the perfect destination wedding, honeymoon, or romantic getaway. I just got back from Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Mazatlan and think this is an amazing resort for a destination wedding or honeymoon. Starting in January 2011, this resort will offer all-inclusive as well as European meal plans.

Photo courtesy of Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay

This extraordinary luxury resort is set on 20 pristine acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the new and unspoiled areas known as “Nuevo Mazatlan”. With its neoclassical architecture, reminiscent of Old Mazatlan, and a magnificent landscape of vibrant gardens, palm trees, and winding streams, this breathtaking resort is a natural sanctuary for your soul.

Looking toward the main building from the beautiful landscaped grounds- Photo courtesy of Muriel MacRae

I would highly recommend a beautifully appointed master suite which offers 973 square feet of space to relax, entertain, and enjoy paradise. These luxury suites feature a kitchenette, a private bedroom with bathroom, and an extra bathroom in the spacious living room that opens to a private terrace with a spectacular ocean view. You do not need to worry about drinking the water as the resort has an on site treatment process, through which the water undergoes extensive purification to make it safe for drinking. In addition, the hotel is built with US standard electrical outlets so you do not have to bring a converter. A complementary shuttle runs hourly during the day to the sister resort, Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan, where you can enjoy the restaurants and pools at the city location. Resort amenities at Emerald Bay include an adult pool, a huge beachside pool, outdoor Jacuzzis, the new Spa at Emerald Bay, driving green and lighted tennis courts. Amidst the sounds of native birds, you’ll relax below 150-year-old mangroves that surround a free-form pool, stroll along the shoreline by the bay, sport fish, and enjoy any number of nearby water activities.

The new spa - Photo courtesy of Muriel MacRae

Pueblo Bonito offers ceremonies and reception packages to make your wedding planning easy and stress free. Whether you are having a private ceremony for just family or a gala bash for hundreds, Wendy, the wedding coordinator, will coordinate every aspect and assist you in making your decisions.

Wedding at the Garden Gazebo - Photo courtesy of Carlos Medina Studio.com

 

The resort offers one wedding per day so that you do not have to worry about sharing your wedding venue with another couple’s wedding. Amidst the luxurious gardens, terraces, and endless beach of Emerald Bay, you will find the perfect location for your wedding ceremony and reception: the Garden Gazebo, Cordelliere Esplanade, Bistro Poolside Esplanade or the beach.

Couple under the Garden Gazebo - Photo courtesy of Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Resort  

Reception on Cordelliere Esplanade - Photo courtesy of Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Resort  

Outdoor area of Bistro Restaurant - Photo courtesy of Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Caption

Reception by the water - Photo courtesy of Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Resort  

Weddings in Mexico are legal ceremonies recognized throughout the world. The “Civil Ceremony”, as it is known here is performed by a judge and is equivalent to a ceremony performed by a Justice of the Peace.

Getting married in Mexico has the following requirements:

A minimum of three working days are necessary to process your documentation.

•     Completed application forms
•     Copies of passports
•     Original birth certificates with raised seal or a notarized copy
•     Driver’s license or other photo ID
•     FMT tourist permit, issued upon entry by Mexican Immigration
•     2passport size photographs
•     Blood tests, a waiver may be signed if the couple has been living in in a common-law relationship for a minimum of six months

Newlyweds  on the beach - Photo courtesy of Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Resort   

If you would like help planning the perfect wedding or honeymoon at Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Mazatlan, I would be happy to help you. Call Muriel at 403-477-0643.

Photo courtesy of Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Resort

--------------------------------------------------  

Muriel MacRae, owner of Del Sol Travel and Del Sol Destination Weddings, is a travel consultant and wedding planner who specializes in destination weddings and romantic getaways to tropical areas such as Hawaii, Costa Rica, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific. Located in Calgary, Alberta, she plans destination weddings and honeymoons for couples in and around the Calgary area and throughout North America. For more information about planning your destination wedding, honeymoon, or romantic getaway, please contact her at travelinfo@delsoltravel.ca or phone 403-477-0643.

Tis’ The Season For Engagements: How To Get Started Planning Your Wedding

Christmas is fast approaching! Between the holiday shopping and decorating your home, it really is a magical season, filled with family celebrations and get-togethers with friends. It’s a time when people are naturally brought closer together and look favourably towards the future. Therefore, it only makes sense that it’s also the time of year when more couples get engaged than any other week of the year.

Christmas is a wonderful time to get engaged! Make sure, however, that you know how best to start your wedding planning to avoid costly mistakes. – Photo courtesy of Mark 11 Photography 

Newly engaged couples will rejoice in the holidays and be eager to share their good news with family and friends. People will admire the ring, and for most couples, they get caught up in the excitement and want to begin planning their big day right away. Unfortunately, with all that enthusiasm, many couples make some costly wedding planning mistakes by making decisions and commitments before they are really ready to do so.

Here are some ideas to help make your wedding planning go much smoother:

1.    Determine The Budget: How much money do you have to spend? This is the first and most mportant   question that needs to be answered before you do any wedding planning, or worse yet, put any deposits down. Are parents going to be helping, and if so, how much are they willing to contribute? What are you able to contribute? The amount of money you have to spend is going to shape the way your wedding is going to look and feel. You don’t want to get locked into a venue that you can’t really afford or overspend on your flowers so you have to cut back on everything else.

      To figure out your budget, begin with the following:
      a)    Start with when you want to get married and count how many months that gives you to save.
      b)    Multiply that by the amount that the two of you are able to contribute and save each month for the              wedding fund.
      c)    Add to that any money that your parents are able to contribute or savings you might have that you                want to use.
      d)    Subtract maybe five to ten percent for over budget items.
      e)    Voilá – you have your wedding budget!

2.    The Guest List: There is no point of planning on an intimate family celebration when Mom and Dad’s initial list of attendees of immediate family and close friends is over one fifty. Sit down together and with both sets of parents and begin creating a list of possible guests. This isn’t the final version, but will give you an idea of how many people will be in attendance. Once you have this figured out, this will also help you determine the size of your venue and how many people it will have to accommodate. It’s also a quick way to figure out catering costs and whether or not you really want that big wedding, as big weddings usually equals big bucks!

3.    Create Your Vision: As well, this is something that is usually a work in progress, but you need to at least start with the feel you want for your wedding. If the idea of getting married in the garden in your parent’s backyard sounds appealing, you will want to find an intimate reception venue that will match. As well, you would want to make sure that your wedding is scheduled for mid- to late-summer, allowing the flowers to bloom and for the garden to look its absolute best. Some types of weddings are really dictated by the time of year and/or the venue selected. It’s a good idea to start thinking about what you both want your wedding to be like in order to make other decisions that will ensure your wedding plans match your vision and ideas.

4.    Hire A Wedding Planner: There is nothing wrong with planning to do a lot of the work on your wedding yourself, but one of the most common things I hear from others when I tell them what I do, is that they wished they had hired a wedding planner when working on their own nuptials. For most couples, they are planning a wedding for the first time where as a wedding planner has the experience, the contacts, and the expertise. She can not only save you time, but also suggest ways to save money making it a win-win situation for everyone. Having her on side right from the beginning ensures that your wedding will be a success. If you don’t think you can afford the full wedding planning services, at least consider hourly consulting so the planner can keep you on track, make suggestions for you to follow through on, and still give you some of that expert advice that will make your planning your wedding so much easier.

Being engaged can be a magical time of your life. Keep the magic alive and thoroughly enjoy the process of planning your wedding by making good decisions right from the beginning. – Photo courtesy of Edward Ross Photography

Getting engaged is such an exciting time! Make sure it’s a process that you both can enjoy from beginning to end by making sure you take the first few steps in the right direction.

If you need assistance in planning for your upcoming wedding, or just want some advice along the way, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@creativeweddingsandoccasions.com.or info@delsoldestinationweddings.com

--------------------------------------------------  

 Cathy MacRae is a certified wedding and event planner, and owner of Creative Weddings and Occasions and Del Sol Destination Weddings. Located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, she plans wedding for couples in and around the Calgary and Banff area, who want a wedding that is a unique and personal reflection of them. She is also a destination wedding specialist, working with couples who desire to wed in various picturesque dream locations throughout the world. For more information about planning your own wedding or for advice from Cathy, please contact her at info@creativeweddingsandoccasions.com.

Five Things to Keep in Mind When Planning Your Destination Wedding

When planning a destination wedding, you may plan to get married in a lovely tropical location and think there is little else you have to do to get married. Often, you will choose a resort which has an on-site wedding coordinator and opt for the all-inclusive vacation package which includes flights, accommodations, ground transportation to and from the airport, food, and alcohol. Many resorts offer a free wedding package. Sounds great so why should you have to worry about anything else? Here are a few other things that you might want to think about.

1) Read the fine print about the free wedding or the wedding package you are selecting. The free wedding often includes a location for the ceremony, cake and champagne for the wedding couple and two attendants, a bouquet and a boutonniere and sometimes not a lot more. Couples often think that if the resort is all-inclusive, that they can have a reception for 30 to 40 people at no extra cost. This is usually not so as there is usually an extra charge for each guest attending the reception above the maximum guests indicated in the wedding package.

2) Don’t try to save money by not buying medical and cancellation insurance. If you do have a medical emergency, you want to be sure that you have good medical insurance. You never know what can happen as was shown when the Grand Riviera Princess exploded.  Also, realize that if you have a connecting flight and miss your flight due to bad weather, delayed flights, and/or mechanical failure, that the air carrier does not always take responsibility to find you a new flight. You could lose a lot of money if something happens so you cannot get to your destination or you miss your wedding.

3) Get your guests to book early rather than wait until the last minute to plan their trip.  I have dealt with too many guests who are frustrated and upset because they waited too long, missing the direct flights, and ended up with layovers or even over night flights because they didn’t book when they got the Save the Date invite. Travel agents can’t help you find a flight if there are none left even if you are in the wedding party. Sometimes the costs go up, especially as the packages and/or flights get closer to being sold out.

4) Realize that if you ask for a group rate for 40 people, the airlines sell different categories of fares on each plane. Your group quote will be priced by adding all of the different fares together and then averaging the price so that all of the guests pay the same price. Some guests get upset if they can find a price on the internet at a later date which is much cheaper than they were able to get at the group rate. You may need to give some serious consideration as to whether or not you want to get a group rate for your guests in the first place.

5) Finally, are you willing to deal with planning your wedding from afar? Some wedding coordinators will return e-mails and phone calls immediately, but far too many of them will not respond after the initial booking has been made for the wedding. I have even had some who will not respond before the wedding has been booked. Many big resorts do not want to talk to future couples until the meeting which is usually planned for a couple of days before the wedding. This is the consultants’ time to up-sell you and they are masters at doing so. Remember, they work for the resort, not you.  A number of resorts have many weddings per day and deal with so many brides during a month that they do not want to talk to you ahead of time. One way to get around this problem is to avoid the cookie cutter wedding and hire a destination wedding planner who will help you plan your dream wedding in a tropical location from the beginning to the end with the elements that you personally want, not a package made for the masses.

--------------------------------------------------  

 Muriel MacRae, owner of Del Sol Travel and Del Sol Destination Weddings, is a travel consultant and wedding planner who specializes in destination weddings and romantic getaways to tropical areas such as Hawaii, Costa Rica, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific. Located in Calgary, Alberta, she plans destination weddings and honeymoons for couples in and around the Calgary area and throughout North America. For more information about planning your destination wedding, honeymoon, or romantic getaway, please contact her at travelinfo@delsoltravel.ca or phone 403-477-0643.