Found: CUTE suit

 Barreling toward Mexico...T-minus 12 days and counting...and of course, that last-minute freak-out hits.  "I'm going to be there for 7 days and I have...2 swimming suits?  Ack!!"  This always leads to a harried internet search for reasonably-priced and reasonably-styled, modern swim gear.  Not too easy when you can't try it on.  And this year, I was determined to get a swim suit skirt.  Tricky business, that is, with my other requirements in place (the cute, non-grandma look is somewhat hard to find with a skirt bottom).  But triumph emerges from the land of JCrew!  (and at 30% off, who can say no? not me...)  I got both pieces in 'bright eucalyptus.'  Does anyone else have recommendations on sweet suits?

How to Adapt

Literally. My sister wrote me yesterday and asked whether we need to bring along plug-adapters for the trip to Mexico. Uhh....honestly, I had not yet thought about that. Dang. So, I did a little basic research and discovered the following:

1. Electrical sockets (outlets) in Mexico (Estados Unidos Mexicanos) are very similar to the electrical outlets found in the United States and Canada, and if your appliance has a North American plug, it's possible that you won't need any adapter at all in order to plug in there.

2. Sometimes though, if you have an item that has a 'grounding' agent (aka, that third plug below the other two plugs) it will not fix into the plugs in Mexico.

3. Therefore, bring an adapter so that you do not find yourself languishing without a hair dryer for a week.

4. Electrical sockets (outlets) in Mexico (Estados Unidos Mexicanos) usually supply electricity at between 110 and 120 volts AC. If you need to plug in a U.S. or Canadian 120 volt appliance, or an appliance that is compatible with multiple voltages, then an adapter is all you need.

5. However - here again it is important to consider what kind of voltage your appliance can take. You may need a voltage transformer in order to handle this properly.

6. Moral of the Story: Bring it all, to maybe need it.

You could go all-out and purchase something like this Samsonite Dual Wattage Converter/Adapter








Or, just forget the converter (the more expensive component) and get the adapters, like this Lenmar AC5 World Traveler Plug Set. If your appliances can handle the voltage differential, this should be all you need.







Do the research before you go, and you won't find yourself with unnecessary headaches on your vacation. Oh, and ask your little sister for ideas on other things you're forgetting in the whirlwind-wedding-fog of the last 30 days prior to your destination wedding. :o)

SMB Tip Number 83: Cancun Airport

A colleague of mine just returned from her honeymoon in the Riviera Maya, and having flown into and out of Cancun airport, had a few tips to share.

First - the food in the airport is ridiculously priced (2 burgers, 2 onion rings, 2 shakes at Johnny Rockets = $33). Eat elsewhere if possible.

Second - walk past every person IN the airport who tries to give you a ride or persuade you to talk to them. They are selling timeshare presentations. Your ride is OUTSIDE the airport with a sign that has your name on it.

Third - plan to be delayed at Customs coming into Mexico. If you are bringing a mass quantity of items (say, for a wedding...) place copies of your receipts inside your luggage, with a note written in Spanish explaining that the items are for a wedding and that you do not plan to sell them in Mexico.

More tips to come!

SMB Tip Number 82 :o : Cash Flow

A recent SMB bride wrote me today with some great insider information. If you believe you would like to have some cash on you during your trip to Mexico (pesos or dollars), get it prior to arriving at the resort. SMB does have an ATM on hand, but apparently it works only sometimes, and the front desk will charge you a whopping 10% fee (wow!) to withdraw money from your account. While you may not believe you'll need any cash, we have learned from countless blogs, forums, and emails, that a few dollar bills here and there can encourage things to happen more quickly (or, if you forget your sunscreen and need to purchase that $20 bottle from the gift shop, you won't have pay international credit card fees in the process). Just a little tip from the world we'll enter in approximately 65 days!

I get by with a little help from my Friends...

Planning a wedding in Mexico has its ups and downs, ins and outs, and half the time I feel completely behind and alone in the process, while other times, I know many people who are willing to help and do so without even knowing it. Today is a gracious kind of day! Not only am I super happy to have a full Saturday without too many obligations on it, but I am also very thankful for my friends and family.

At this point, our 'people present' guest count for our Mexico wedding is 32 warm bodies. I have no idea how that happened, and I completely did not expect that many people to make a priority out of our wedding day (and a Mexico vacation in August...c'mon people, I'm realistic too). How amazing, especially in a year of economic recession, heightened concern for the drug war violence in Mexico, and crazy exaggeration of the "swine" (H1N1) flu by the media (many of the businesses in that country are suffering greatly due to travelers changing plans and heading to other countries for vacations). I often joke that we picked the worst possible year to have a wedding in Mexico, but at this juncture I believe it will be a wonderful experience for us, and for our guests.

In this same vein, in response to my earlier posting about my hair-flower-obsession, a friend took some time to look on the internet for similar hair pieces. She found 3 options, all of which were amazingly close to the original, and it means so much that someone would spend time to help me in that way. Here is a picture of the one I chose to purchase, for a mere 23% of the cost of the other flower! It was found at "Wedding Factory Direct" and I will update this post when I receive it in the mail, and include a full review of that vendor. Hooray for gracious Saturdays!

Don't Drink the Water

Yes, it's the name of a Dave Matthews song, but it's also a pretty important rule to remember when traveling through Mexico. A friend was kind enough to share some suggestions about "things your guests might want to know" after a recent trip to Mexico. For example: don't drink the water, and if there are large bottles of water sitting on your bathroom counter at your resort, use those for brushing your teeth and rinsing your mouth. I've heard people say they used the resort water to brush their teeth and didn't become ill, and have heard still others say they became ill because they drank a beverage that had ice cubes in it.

Another potentially strange-to-some-Americans tip is this: look for signs that indicate whether or not you can flush your used toilet paper. It sounds gross to a certain degree, but the sewer systems in Mexico are different than those here in the U.S., and some cannot handle paper or other objects (including feminine products). Public areas are likely to have signs posted to this effect, but many resorts will not - when in doubt, just ask someone. Some water systems go to the ocean and it's always nice to do your part in keeping the environment a bit cleaner. As a side note, it might be a good idea to bring a deodorizer or air freshener for the bathroom in your room, as the bathroom inevitably smells like...a bathroom. :o)

Be prepared to be hassled by timeshare agents arriving at the Cancun airport, particularly after you have cleared customs and are making your way to the curb to find your resort taxi. They will ask you questions that make it appear as though they are your resort's taxi service, only to suck you into signing up for a timeshare presentation in exchange for something cool-sounding.
For example, my friend and her husband ended up sitting for about 5-6 hours in a presentation (always go to the early morning presentations so you can have the rest of the day for fun) but got tickets to Xcaret and Xel-ha out of it - about a $200 value. So just decide in advance whether you'd like to be party to something like this for the sometimes-cool freebies, and keep your head low until you get outside of the airport if you are not interested. Your resort taxi/transfer service will always be outside the airport, and will almost always have a sign with either your last name or resort name on it. Accept no imitations.

And speaking of airports....the ride to the resort from the airport is usually anywhere between 20 and 40 minutes. The lines at immigration take approximately 30-45 minutes, depending on the day and time you arrive. So - if you need to use a restroom, do so before you get in the car or shuttle bus. Your bladder will thank you.

All for now...more tips to come!

Mexican Wedding Traditions...

Every culture has its own traditions that accompany a wedding celebration. Certainly, the FI and I have both talked about various traditions from our respective cultures (Swedish, Norwegian, and Korean) and how we might incorporate these into the festivities. For example, in Norway, the bride might wear a crown of silver jewels and bangles that make noise to ward off evil spirits. In a traditional Korean ceremony, hand-carved wooden wedding geese are given to the bride and groom as a symbol for a long and happy marriage. I thought also to look at some traditions from Mexico. Some of these traditions include: the guests at a Mexican wedding have a lovely old custom of forming a circle around the couple in the shape of a heart, and the newlyweds will then dance their first dance together within this circle of love; a rope (sometimes a rosary or wreath of orange blossoms, fertility symbols) is wound around the couple's heads in a figure eight as they take their vows; the wedding cake is usually a fruitcake soaked in rum; and, the couple may hit a pinata during the reception, which then showers gifts of candies onto the guests. With all of these options, how does one choose which elements to incorporate?

Oh Inspiration

I have talked about Inspiration Boards before, so I won't go on and on about them, but suffice it to say, I love them! I still haven't figured out how to make my own beyond squares of all the same size in Picasa...if anyone knows please leave a comment. I probably just need to try harder to find out, but my attempts haven't yet been successful.


So our new color scheme is poppy, aqua, and white. If you have visited the website, you already have figured this one out. However, it is somewhat difficult to find a pre-made board that I really feel exemplifies what I want for the wedding. So - here are two. If I could combine various elements of both, I think that would be close to the look I want to have. I think.

Update on SMB: Tubs on the Balconies

Alrighty...the news on the cute little tubs that are on the SMB Preferred Club Room balconies is in...

"It is not a little whirlpool tub on the balcony but a soaking tub = just a tub with water - no jets -"

Yup, that is all she had to say. But still, I think that is helpful information for any of you who were considering that particular feature to be a make-or-breaker. More soon, I hope!

Song of the Week

The past week has been crazy! Very little time for blogging or wedding-related things...well, we did put together much of what is going into our Save the Date packets, so that is 'something' at least. In other news, we are "this" close to choosing a photographer to fly down to Mexico with us, and are just in those last grueling stages of "what ifs" that make it incredibly difficult to choose. Hopefully my next post will be titled "We CHOSE a photographer"...cross your fingers.

Song of the Week! Mexico, by James Taylor. This video cracks me up because of the era in which it was filmed...have a listen/watch.

Fave Song of the Week

Every week I try to come up with a new song that emulates the feelings that a wedding in paradise might bring...I'll post these as we move forward and would love to hear suggestions from you too!

Ivy - Edge of the Ocean

Secrets Maroma Beach finally opened!

That's right folks, just when you thought it might not happen...it did! Our wedding resort is officially open to guests! I hope the grass grows in before next year...hee hee.



Secrets Maroma Opening Day, August 11, 2008

Inspiration Boards

When a modern bride is planning her wedding, she often turns to the internet for information, shopping, tips, and inspiration. My personal inspiration originally came from an idea Christopher had about our Denver-wedding-theme (a grand Hollywood theater gala).

Obviously, that theme is out the window because we are now headed to MEXICO.

HOWEVER -- I still desire to be inspired about my wedding and the feeling that it will instill in my guests. The 'theme' for our wedding really is 'beachy elegance' or 'beach glam', and I would very much like it to reflect some of the non-tourist culture of Mexico. I'll be shopping for items that will go into guests' welcome bags in Playa del Carmen the day we arrive (if all goes well), because I'd like guests to feel a bit more of what Mexico has to offer (than just the resort property).


So, I, like many others, have turned to the internet for inspiration. For anyone who doesn't know, there are these absolutely cool websites solely devoted to wedding style.

<-- I made this one!

My two faves are Snippet & Ink and Style Me Pretty. I found so many amazing ideas on these sites, I thought I would share them here too! (click to enlarge)

boards courtesy Snippet&Ink

Who'll Stop the Rain?

So...it's been about 24 hours since we officially booked our wedding trip to Mexico. Today was a day of reflection, and anxiety, and excitement...did we pick the right place? Was Mexico a good choice at all? Will our guests think we are crazy for thinking they can come to this destination wedding in the middle of hurricane season!? That one really got me thinking. Particularly because I made the mistake of watching television tonight...something I do about once a week. I record all the goofy wedding shows (Whose Wedding is it Anyway?, Married Away, Rock the Reception, Say Yes to the Dress) so once a week I sit down with a bowl of popcorn and indulge in a show or two, no commercials attached thanks to our DVR. But - tonight I just happened to pick a show that was reviewing a wedding on Little Palm Island in the Florida Keys, and they were getting married in AUGUST, and a hurricane nearly forced them to cancel their nuptials. NEARLY. But it was enough to make me have a minor panic attack about our choice of month and locale.

Really, we chose August not because we enjoy the heat or needed a summer wedding, but because both of our mothers work in the school system, and August would be a reasonable month for them to get away (plus a few members of our bridal party too!!). And, being hurricane season, rates at a 5-star all-inclusive resort are lower than if we were going in say, February. *sigh* Still, at the end of the day, I feel good about our choice. I think it is going to be an amazingly fun time, and no matter what happens, as long as Christopher and I are married on August 8 (hurricane or no hurricane), we'll have accomplished our goal. (We would just rather have NO hurricane...I'm putting that order into the gods, and doing a rain dance, and I might check in with Buddha and Jesus too, just to be sure I have covered the bases...)

Oh...and I found out the opening of Secrets Maroma Beach has been pushed back yet again to August 8, 2008. Wonder how many brides planned their 08-08-08 wedding there??? Honestly, after all of the reading I have done, it seems pointless to book at any Mexico resort within 1 month or so of it's scheduled opening...just never seems to go as planned. But - one perk for those who did book there - I have heard that people are being given free 7-night stays at the resort next year if they are unable to stay there this week. We should have signed up for that!!

Maybe the new opening date will work out, and be a good sign that by NEXT August 8, the resort will be open and functional. Maybe. Crossing fingers (and toes).

resort selection through the eyes of a researcher

So...I think everyone knows that I research things...and generally this is a good thing. However, sometimes things you'd rather not know should remain...unknown.
*you wonder, where is this going?*

Well, the time has come for us to choose a resort at which we will host our Mexico wedding. We've established a number of different requirements (both Christopher and I have our list of 'must-haves') and attempted to hold various resorts against these to see who would fall out, and who would remain a possibility.
Needless to say, there weren't many resorts left after we finished that process!

The resort 'chains', if you will, that hung around were Secrets Resorts, Excellence Resorts, and the Le Blanc Spa in Cancun. We have determined that because the Le Blanc Spa is a bit more subdued and chill, we will be spending our 4-night honeymoon there following our wedding at one of the other resorts (or...we might book a cruise if we can, but this is just a thought at this point). So we are down to Secrets and Excellence.

The Secrets Resort line actually owned Excellence up until last year, so it wasn't too surprising that both resorts fared well in our choice matrix. The Secrets line has branched out, building and opening two new resorts in the area (Secrets Silversands, and Secrets Maroma Beach). ALL are 4.5-5 star, all-adults, all-inclusive properties in the Riviera Maya region (south of Cancun). All contain at least 6 ala carte restaurants, and have at least 6 bars of differing types (swim-up bars, beach bars, night clubs/bars, piano lounges, cigar bars, spa bars, oh my!). All have nightly entertainment on-site, and a variety of activities included in the daily room price (including kayaking, snorkeling, sailing, water aerobics, beach volleyball, archery lessons, tennis lessons...). All provide 24-hour room service...included as well.

So, now it is on to examine their actual wedding packages. Because these resorts were all influenced by the same presence at one point in time or another, the packages between Secrets and Excellence are pretty similar. One of my "must-haves" was the inclusion of some type of additional food and drink IN the wedding package that the resort offers (so, a cocktail reception or dinner reception included in the package price). I found this to be the crux of the wedding package debate - and the reason that most of the other very-nice properties did not make our list (e.g., El Dorado Royale, Le Blanc Spa, etc.). Both Secrets and Excellence include a wedding reception AND wedding dinner in their silver and gold level packages - for up to 20 people. After 20, you pay by the head. I feel pretty good about this kind of deal, mainly because at all of the other resorts, you pay per head after just 1 person! The other 'very cool element' to each resorts' packages is that the groom is given a separate room the night before the wedding...we thought this was very sweet and would add to the wedding experience.

But how to differentiate between Excellence and Secrets? Two of the properties are established (Secrets Capri and Excellence Riviera), and two are brand new, just opening in August 2008 (Secrets Silversands and Secrets Maroma Beach). Maybe price? We definitely included price in our matrix, mainly because we want this to be a possible trip for everyone on our guest list! But after speaking with a travel agent, AND working up prices all over the internet, it doesn't seem likely that price will help us decide. They are all just too similar.

Stay tuned for the next chapter in the saga, where I attempt to come up with more seemingly nonexistent differences...and maybe we'll make a choice!! SOON!

The First Post

Aah!! The first pre-anniversary of our August 2009 wedding is creeping toward us...and I finally decided to try blogging. I anticipate that this blog will be a venue through which family and friends can read about the "Misadventures of Mindy and Christopher." In the future, we'll add stories about our "potential-family-members" (aka, children), and stories about our crazy dogs, I'm sure. The next major event for our family is, of course, our wedding in Mexico. Stay tuned for more information about the resorts we are considering, the wedding packages that come with these resorts, and all of the finer details that go into planning a wedding from 2000 miles away!