Any Eldorado Seaside Brides??

Hi Everyone,

You have another EDSS bride in the group! We've booked for January 2010, and I have been freaken out a bit about it, but I have read a few posts on here and seen that a few members have gotten married recently and were very pleased with the resort! Thats great to here, a bit of weight off my shoulders lol. Its hard to know what to expect when you are organizing from so far away. Looking forward to chatting with all of you:)

OKay okay...this weekend I'm going to write my review! I need to : ) I've been bogged down with AHR planning and thank you card writing! More details to follow....with pictures!

Tracey! So exciting, how was the fitting...I got a bit stressed out after mine (did I make the right choice?!?) and a little bummed that the picture of me in the dress in my mind didn't match the picture of me in my dress in person. I hope you aren't feeling that way....but even if you are you're normal : )

Send some pics!

And yes, Maiden name is the way to go, but the WC should lead you through all that and will tell you how to sign your documents (exactly like your passport!)

I ordered plain vases that the resort filled with water (3 square vases of different heights per table). Vases came in at $7 USD per vase. The tallest vase was reserved for a bouquet (we had 6 tables - enough for my bouquet and the 5 BM bouquets to serve as the main flowers) and the 2 smaller vases were filled with fake flowers (I had bought from Walmart for $4) submerged in water. I brought a bag filled with fake flowers that matched the flowers in my bouquet. In the end you couldn't really tell they were fake...and I didn't end up with one photo of the centerpieces. In the end they cost $126 (6 tables x 3 vases x $7/ vase), nice but I probably could have done less. We also brought our own table numbers that they added to each table.

I printed out a table chart and the WC greeted each person and told them where they were sitting. It worked out very nicely.

I cleared all of these small pieces with Lomas so no extra charges were incurred (make sure to confirm this during your meeting so that you don't get charged extra fees by the WC), That said...they are doing all of the set-ups themselves, so be sure to thank them (in money and words) for all of their hard work.

Okay...some people may shake their heads, but I made my FI board the plan with me when they call all the people needing extra assistance, with small children etc. I waited until all of the needy people got checked in, and then got on the plane. That way we could reserve an entire luggage compartment for my dress and his suit. Shameless, I know. But we got a full compartment on the way there and back.

We also made sure to close the door to the compartment to stop people from putting there stuff in our compartment....and kept an eye on it to tell people it was full. We didn't have any issues and the dress was fine (we also got our clothes steamed by the resort - cost about $20 for my dress, his suit and 3 shirts). Well worth it (you can book through WC)

That's BS! Don't pay it......wait to fight it while you are there if you are getting nowhere with Lomas. That's insane. They did covers for our ceremony and our wedding for no cost...AND the Lomas contact told us that decoration was included in the private event fee.

No cake.....and no one even noticed! That said...everyone I spoke to said they don't do cake well in Mexico....their idea of cake is a flatter blander version of our cake. We did a Mexican flan (part of the $11 meal) and it was great. And I was prepared to hate it....!

I'll have to look through my records...BUT here is what I have on me right now:

Ceremony:
Free Sweet Wedding package (booked swim up and had 37 guests)
Blood tests - $250 US
11 extra chairs - $88 USD
White sheer fabric for gazebo - $75 USD
Total $413 USD

Flowers:
BB7 Bouquet (did not look as advertised) - $50 USD
5 bb6 Bouquets for BM (withed and dead - waste of money) - $250 USD
Groom buttoniere B1 (different version came - ugly!)- $25 USD
Total $325 USD

Photos:
Brought our own photog for hundreds of dollars more than resort cost. Best decision for us.

Welcome Dinner (used our wedding reservation that came with free package)
5 extra dinners @ $25 USD/ person over 30 - $125 USD
Total $125 USD

Wedding Dinner:
Set course menu 1B, 37 @ $11 - $407 USD
Vases - 3x7x6 - $126 USD
Total - $533 USD

Reception Dance
Sound system for 4 hours (Ipod hoockup) - $250
2 Extra hours of music - $50/ hour + $2/person/ hour - $248 (it did rain and they only charge us for 1 hour...but this is the price they quoted us)
Tiki torches and bag lights - $135 (waste of $, think they do this for free regardless)
Total - $633 USD

Extras
Spa (wedding hair for me) - $60 USD
Steaming of suits and dress - $20 USD
Total - $80 USD

Total: $2109 USD, with conversion to CDN dollars came in more around $2600. We paid for it all on our own and we wouldn't change the way we did it, was well worth the cost...especially for what we go. That said - I would be more detailed on the flowers when ordering and wouldn't order chair covers (we got them for free) or tiki torches.

Okay...again...sorry for the super long post. Hope the details help everyone.

Okay...I bet you're all sick of posts from me... but just wanted to welcome you! Good luck with the planning - Hopefully we can answer any questsions you may have!
Cheers!

Hey welcome welcome!! Its nice to see more brides choosing the same resort! As you can see a couple in our little group here have recently got married there and have tons of insightful information!!!! Welcome... this forum has been a life saver!!

And Jen! Thanks for all the info!!! It seriously has helped me out tremendously and now I know what I can fight for!! I will be thinking of more questions cause I know I have them but can't think of them at this very moment!!!

Hey guys, I was trying to upload some pics of me in the wedding dress but it keeps telling me the file is invalid... how do I do it?? Can you guys help me out Thanks!!

Thanks for the welcome ladies, you are going to be great help for me I can already see! Jen (SoonToBe?), I think...from what I've read in the posts, are you the one that had Jon Rennie for a photographer? I seen his pics and if you are the right person, I seen some of your as well and they are beautiful! If you don't mind me asking what you paid for him, to fly out and all. I'm still looking for a photographer and I loved the TTD at the cenote. I would love to do that! Sorry hope I'm not being to upfront right off the start. Thanks! Oh and my name is Jodi

Hey guys, I plan to write a full review one of these days, hopefully once i get some of my photographers pics...

 

I didn't have a cake either, and no matter what Lomas says to you when you get there changes can be made to the menu, the setups, everything! I wish i could go back and spend the last 4 months relaxing instead of trying to figure out all the details, because the amazing wedding coordinators do all that for you!!!

 

Tracey, i wouldn't commit to paying for any of the chair covers/bows until you get there. Jen is correct, they give them to you free (white for the ceremony), white and gold for a private reception. We were totally happy with that touch.

 

Before we left we were planning on spending the $1500USD on renting a tent. I am so happy we decided not to do this. Honestly, as hard for us to believe as it is, it would have taken away from the wedding. We are so happy to have not wasted that money! We did however rent the dance floor and that was a total joke. It is essentially plywood on the sand and they charge $500USD for it. Do not waste your money, honestly. It also is way smaller than they let on, 30 people max could crowd on to the large floor.

 

I should mention however, that though i loved our wedding, i did see 2 weddings during the week that were definitely not up to my standards. Both did their ceremonies down the beach (in the permanent and the portable gazebos). We were going to do the portable gazebo, but you really don't get any privacy there. If you care about privacy the dock is the best place. We had absolutely no looky-loos! I got my dad to go out and save the beds close by that morning, and we had such a private ceremony. Both also did not have a private reception, and both had the majority of guests staying off the resort. The night-life at EDSS is not raging, and so as soon as their dinners were done, both brides and about 20 of their guests (10 each maybe) were hanging around the bar. Both looked dissapointed.

 

I only say this because you should plan activities, dancing, games, etc to make it exciting in the bar if you are going the free and non-private route. It will be amazing, but this is the part i would put some effort in to.

 

Hmm... i just wrote more than i intended! Feel free to PM me for my name and check my facebook pics or email me directly for more info! I would love to help you guys out too!

Wow that was a very informative letter Carolyn! Thanks for that!

The only thing I think I will be purchasing ahead of time is the bows for the ceremony as I have told Valeria already that I want red satin bows and yellow organza bows on the chairs for the ceremony already. And she has actually given me a deal on the setup fee for those.. but as far as paying for them the second time I will deal with them when I am down there to see if they can simply move them over to the private dinner reception area... which yes we are doing by the way... makes me feel better about that choice with both of your comments on it! And now I will have to come up with some activities and such for after the dinner to keep the mood going... also did you get yours longer than 10pm as Jen's did? I was hoping to extend mine as well..

 

And by the sounds of things I won't be renting the dance floor now either.. its good to have brides with the experiences who can shed light for future brides! Thats a good idea about booking those beach beds right next to the portable gazebo.. I may have to get some of my early riser guests to go and save the couple for us!

 

And also I would love to share my wedding dress with you gals... any ideas on how I upload the pic?? Is my file to big or something Help!!!! lol