lambert13

Welcome! from a Riviera Maya groom to be! Love the loteria card you put in the post. I was thinking of using one for our announcements or invites.

My favorite substitute for ice cream is Haagen Dasz Mango Sorbet. Made with real mango and fat free. Way better for you and it tastes so so good. Reminds me of being in Puerto Rico and getting mango right off the tree.

I found these on a Dreams forum and figured I would share with everyone here. Salon prices look ok, but the Spa packages seem a little high.

Not quite the same thing, but I bought my suit for the wedding on Ebay and had no problems. I buy stuff all the time on Ebay. For customs. Ask the seller what they can do for you about customs costs. Some people will be willing to mark the item as a gift which eliminates or greatly reduces customs fees.

Glad to help. Now my current mission is finding a deserted beach for us to spend the day at. I dont want there to be anyone for miles in either direction. I have one contender about 30 miles North of Cancun so far and a few near Soliman Bay in the Riviera Maya.

Welcome from another NY guy. Dont have much more to add right now....but welcome.

My favorites are... Weight Watchers snack cakes. one point each Fruit of any kind Kashi Go Lean oatmeal or cereal Sugar free Werthers candy Guacamole Karen got me started on the weight loss kick last year. I feel so much better than I used to and I have lost 35 pounds so far. Snacking was my downfall before, but now I snack just as much but on better things.

Good info! We are looking into incorporating some Mexican Wedding Traditions in our ceremony as well in the spirit of our destination wedding.

I got bored so I decided to list all the stuff I have bookmarked on my computer and in my brain to try to help everyone out. There is so much to do and see in the Riviera Maya and Cancun, that it would be a shame to not leave the resort. Lots of stuff for wedding guests to do in order to keep them out of your hair. I will add stuff as I go over time also. Riviera Maya & Cancun Resource list Info sites: Cancun, Mexico. Your Complete Cancun Vacation Guide Helpful site with info for hotel comparison & info, nightlife, restaurants and everything else Cancun. Great forum too. Riviera Maya Hotels, Resorts, Rentals: Mexican Caribbean Vacation Great Riviera Maya site with info for lodging, dining, activities, Mayan ruins, beaches, aerial photos and much more. Great forum too Can-Do Maps and travel guides Hands down, the best maps/travel guides for the area. I own almost every map Laura & Perry make and I would not go there without them. They are part map, part travel guide. Playa del Carmen, Mexico's Virtual Guide Book : Playa.Info The definitive Playa Del Carmen website. Everything you need to know and a great forum. Mostly Maya Everything you could ever want to know about everything Maya. From ruins, to language, to culture, to rituals and much more. IslaMujeres.info - Isla Mujeres Mexico Homepage The best Isla Mujeres site I know of. Reviews and info for just about every restaurant, hotel, guesthouse and activity on the island. Cancun South the opinionated travel guide to the beach towns South of Cancun Mexico Including Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Akumal and Tulum Opinionated site with info about the Riviera Maya. Lots of reviews, info and tips. In particular, their rental car tips are very informative. Sac-Be, the travel guide of the Riviera Maya Lots of great info with an emphasis on eco-tourism and environmental issues. Great map section as well with hotel locations Activities: Riviera Maya Mexico Xel-Ha Ecological Water Theme Park One of the most popular parks in the Riviera Maya. Snorkeling, lazy river, snuba, food, and more Cancun Mexico - Xcaret Park Eco Archaeological Theme Park natural Cancun tour The other big park in the area. Animals, snorkeling, lazy river, cultural shows, and more Selvatica Full & half day tours. ZIp-lines, snorkeling, cave diving, ruins, cenotes and more Hidden Worlds Cenotes Park - Cavern Diving and Snorkeling - Tulum Mexico Cave diving & snorkeling. Karen and I went there last year and had an awesome time. Aktun Chen - Information Cave exploration tours. I have heard fantastic things about Aktun Chen, and plan on going there this summer Adventure Travel Cancun Mexico - Alltournative playa del carmen, cancun, camping, excursions Mayan ruins, zip lines, bird watching, Sian Kaan tours, whale shark viewing tours, camping, etc. Other ideas to look into are fishing tours, Sailing tours, dinner cruises, ferry over to Cozumel, reef diving, ATV tours, etc. Mayan ruins Chichen Itza. The biggest and most well known in the Yucatan. 2.5 hours from Cancun and the Riviera Maya Tulum. Well known site overlooking the Caribbean. About 1.5 hours from Cancun, 45 minutes from PDC Coba. Tallest pyramid in the Yucatan. Huge site with excavated ruins, unexcavated and everything in between. Bike rental available. 2 hours from Cancun, 1 hour from PDC El Rey. Minor Ruins site right in Cancun's hotel zone. Worth a look if you don't want to leave Cancun Muyi.l Ruins site 30 minutes south of Tulum. Relatively unpopular site for some reason. Most days you will have the place to yourself. Xel-Ha. Minor ruins site right across from Xel-Ha eco park. Another unvisited site. Intact murals, frescoes and hand prints on some structures El Meco. Site just north of Cancun. Another unvisited site, with sections still being unearthed. View across the bay to Isla Mujeres Shopping: Cancun: Plaza la Isla LA ISLA, Centro Comercial y de Entretenimiento, Shopping and Entertainment Center beautiful open air mall with canals running through. Lots of stores, botiques and restaurants Kukulkan Plaza Kukulcan Plaza 2 story mall in Cancun with lots of stores and restaurants. Luxury Avenue shopping with high end stores like Fendi, Coach, Burberry, Cartier, etc. Plaza Flamingo Bienvenidos a Plaza Flamingo Cancun. Mexico The lower class mall in Cancun's hotel zone. margaritaville is there though. Plaza Caracol caracolplaza.com Decent mall with a mix of stores and restaurants Coral Negro Flea Market a nightmare to some, and heaven to others. Expect to bargain or you will get ripped off. Mostly tourist aimed souveniers. These are the main ones in Cancun. there are quiet a few other places to shop including some strip mall setups, downtown Cancun and other various markets Playa Del Carmen Walmart, Costco, Sams....they are all there. Grocery Stores a plenty 5th ave is what most people go for. All types of boutiques, shops, bars, restaurants, studios, galleries, tattoo studios, and everything else along its length. Don't forget to explore off of fifth though. Other areas. Anywhere that tourists tend to go will undoubtedly be accompanied by someone selling something. Souvenier shops are everywhere. Little towns like Akumal and Tulum have all the usual along with some neat handcraft stores. Dig around a little and you will be surprised Restaurants/Hotels I will not even attempt to tackle this beast. All of the sites above and of course, Best Destination Weddings, has more than enough info. My picks....... Dining La Habichuela. Cancun. Wonderful Yucatean Cuisine in a garden setting. La Dolce Vita. Cancun. Best Italian food in the area. Outdoor seating available overlooking the lagoon Babes Noodle House. Playa Del Carmen. Great food at even better prices DOn Karonte. Tulum Pueblo. I might be biased, but I had the best night of my life there. Lucy's Tacos. Akumal. Simple taco stand in Akumal that has the best empanadas and tacos on Earth. Oscar Y Lalo's. Soliman Bay. This is where some of the Corona commercials were filmed. Damn good food and drink too Activities Hidden worlds. Snorkeling in a cave filled with 20 foot deep crystal clear water is an experience you will not forget. Not for the claustrophobic. Sian Kaan Biosphere. Virgin beaches, lots of wildlife and a whole lot of nothing. DOlphin Swim. I DO NOT SUPPORT THIS AT ALL!!! I WILL NOT HELP ANYONE FIND OUT ABOUT IT. General Tulum beach road. Magical area with cabanas lining the beach. On top of cliffs in places. I stayed at Cabanas Copal last year for a night. No electricity, no music, no TV, no lights. Just me and Karen in a cabana overlooking the Caribbean waking to the sun rising over the windowsill of the cabana after a night on the beach under more stars than I have ever seen. Truly the most romantic, sensual, relaxing inspirational experience ever.

Karen and I are getting married on July 4th which is the earliest day available of our 2 week trip due to the 3 day rule. We kind of thought it would be cool to have fireworks on our anniversary every year. We are not bringing anyone down there with us which makes some of it easier to decide.

My absolute favorite is Don Karonte which is in Tulum Pueblo. It's really nothing fancy. Average looking place, with good food. But the service and the atmosphere created by the people who work there was amazing. We stayed there for almost three hours and were hugging the waiters and rising shots of tequila in unison with the staff on our way out. The experience is definitely what you make of it. There were others there who were not having any fun at all, and the staff treated them accordingly and just did their job. Both of us love meeting new people though and it comes through in the way we interact with others. Some people there just got a good meal with good service. We had the time of our lives and got invited to a festival later in the week (that we could not get to because of time). Other favorites down there are Lucy's Tacos. A small taco shack in Akumal that serves homemade ice cream and the best tacos on the planet. You get a ton of food for under 10 dollars for 2 people La Habichuela. Wonderful Yucatean cuisine in downtown Cancun. A little expensive, but well worth every penny. Plus, it gets you out of the hotel zone and into the real Cancun. Pcao's Tacos. Roadside taco stand near the entrance to Puerto Adventuras. I love street cart food. Period. If you dont mind the thought of roadside tacos, this place will blow you away.

Quote: Originally Posted by MagsieMexico Good thinking, a few people said they had found it easy and successful just to request the new building. Dreams Tulum sounds so perfect in so many ways, but I'm just worried it is a bit of a gamble, and I would feel bad if some of my guests were paying a lot to come to my wedding and got stuck in a room wtih no hot water and under construction! I know for you there are no guests, so that makes it a bit less of a worry... It does sound so perfect in lots of ways! I have heard mixed reviews on the old sections. Some people have had a bunch of problems like you said, but some others were fine. I guess it matters which room in particular you get sometimes. Fortunately for us, we are not very picky when it comes to the room. Hell, we paid to stay in a place last year with no electricity, no lights, no services and sand floors. Best night of my life.

Quote: Originally Posted by MagsieMexico Jason, I've read a lot of reviews about the 'new' vs the 'old' building at Dreams, that if you get the new one, you're fine, if you get the old one, you're stuck with no hot water and other problems. Have you heard about this? Is there a way to be sure you're in the new one? Thanks! I have heard the same thing. My plan is to hope for the best, and if that does not work, a twenty in the palm of the hotel registration desk clerk usually does the trick. I also plan on taking advantage of being able to say we are getting married and then on our honeymoon the whole time we are down there.

We chose Dreams Tulum for a number of reasons. 1. Location. We love the town of Tulum, snorkeling, cenotes, Mayan ruins, Akumal and everything else around there. Being a 10 minute drive from my favorite restaurant in the world is a big plus. 2. Price. Very reasonable room rates 3. Wedding staff. I heard nothing but good about Sandra the coordinator there, and so far it has been true. Other resorts in the running were, Secrets Capri, El Dorado Seaside Suites, Akumal Beach Resort, Bahia Principe, Dreams Cancun, Mezzanine Tulum and a few others. Things have gotten easier and more complicated at the same time. The big decisions are out of the way now. But I go into ADD mode when I am planning anything and obsess over details. We felt the big decisions were the resort, photographer and type of ceremony to have.

I used Paypal as well. Its probably a good idea to ask them if they will accept another form of payment and suggest something like Paypal. With the way the postal service runs in Mexico, the chance of an envelope with cash in it actually getting to them anyway is pretty slim.

Before we chose Dreams Tulum we made a checklist to compare the list of about 10 resorts we had it narrowed down to. We listed our biggest requirements like all-inclusive, type of beach, location, wedding services and prices, availability and cost to stay there. We eliminated a few right away and finally landed with Dreams Tulum as our choice. Also, talk to a travel agent to get their opinion too. They can fairly easily come up with price lists and comparisons for different resorts.

Thanks for the compliments on the blog stuff Lizzy. Much appreciated. If you PM me your email address I will send the stuff over to you. I am not sure if I can send attachments through the PM system here.

Personally, I always like seeing Kilts. Got a little of the Scot in me too. But, it is your wedding, if you can get him to wear what you want him to wear without a family war, go for it.

Quote: Originally Posted by lryates76 Have you guys talked to her about details of the wedding or reception? I have not gotten into any details with her yet. Also, she only has 1 photog....are you guys using her photog or are you hiring an outside source? Soooo many questions! If you have more details other than the package information, could you PLEASE send it to me?? Our next step is to talk to Sandra about the details for the wedding and reception. Since it is just the two of us, we are not putting a whole lot of thought into it yet. All we want is a simple ceremony with a private lunch afterwards for the two of us. We decided to hire an outside photographer. We first asked Sandra about their policy with that, and she said its OK. We ended up going with Vanessa Vargas. She offered us a great price on a package suitable for just the two of us. I am a photographer myself, and she was the only one within our budget that really impressed me. The samples I have seen from the resort photog did not impress me at all. And they are fairly expensive for the package you get. I would definitely send out some emails to area photographers asking about package prices for what you want. You could probably get a better price and a better photographer. Right now all I have as far as info is what Sandra has sent me. Just the package info, reception setups, gazebo decoration, legal forms to fill out, etc. If you need any of that I will gladly send it to you. All my other info is just maps and webpages saved for things we want to do while we are down there.

As far as I know the packages are the same no matter what type of ceremony you have at dreams. The difference in cost comes from the price of the blood tests, translation of documents, marriage license, witnesses, etc. If you are not doing a legal ceremony none of those extra things should apply. The package prices do not include any of that stuff anyway.

Yep, Karen and I are getting married at Dreams Tulum on July 4th of this year. Congratulations, and let me know if I can help at all.

Talked to City Hall in my city today. They said the same thing as Albany. Have to have a separate ceremony to get the name change. I just emailed the NYS department of health to get a definitive answer. Is anyone else here from New York that might have some different info? Anyone here already married from New York?

Both of your answers are what we thought too. I think we just have to talk to more people at the city and get all the answers we need

Karen and I are getting married at Dreams tulum this coming July 4th. We are having some problems determining what we have to do when we get back to legalize our marriage and get her name changed. The city clerk here said we would have to get a marriage license and have a ceremony (small quick one) to be able to change her name. Does anyone know anything about this? Now we are thinking that if we have to have a civil ceremony here to get her name changed, we might not go all out with the ceremony in Mexico. It will be just the two of us down there anyway. We dont like the idea of spending all the money on translations, applications, blood tests, witnesses, etc. if it wont be enough legally back home here. We would still do some sort of ceremony, just not a legal one. I appreciate any help you guys can offer.

Another option is to use people at the resort who may have already been married while they were there. I have heard of some long lasting friendships created this way. Not somoething to count on, but it could be special if it happened.