TATrisha

Oh yes, and as for the deep sea fishing... i have never gone, but I have heard good things about www.pescamaya.com, however it's also good to know that deep sea sport fishing in January is supposed to be pretty bad (as in no catches), so you might want to prepare the boys for that.

How exciting Kristi! What time on the 11th? That's the day I fly in... so you know I'll need to hide in the bushes and spy on you a little!

The thread has been updated with some new prices as of Nov 1, 2011

Thanks to Ariel I have updated the Official thread with the new prices for the three civil ceremonies. Don't forget to send me your wedding dates and locations so I can add you to the bridal role call!

Andrea, it's been almost 4 years since i got married, but I HATED my pedi. I wish I would have just did the pedi before I left and didn't get it taken off down there and redone. Perhaps they are better at them now? lmadore, the beach is rocky. Little coral in the sand. I didn't find it too uncomfortable and honestly, not very many people swim in the ocean. A few, but most people are either snorkling in the ocean or swimming in the amazing pools.

Lyzzie, i love your hair! It turned out beautifully!! And congratulations!! Megz, I cannot wait to see your photos and hear all about your big day! Ariel, for makeup, do not use mineral makeup. It reflects bad in photographs. I would recommend MAC and then using the finishing spray on top. It helps set the makeup and makes it last all day. And I definitely sent photos of what I wanted my flowers and cake to look like. The flowers turned out beautifully. The cake... well... not as beautiful, but it tasted delicious! And I didn't pay extra for the cake so honestly, I didn't really care! You can see pictures of them all and find out about other brides on the official thread for the GBP. Also, I'm traveling to the GBP in 21 short days!!! Does anyone have any requests? I plan on doing a walking tour similar to the one I posted from Dreams Cabo. And of course I'll have the wedding photographs that I'll be taking, but does anyone have specific requests?

Congratulations Megz!!!! Definitely post a review, and pictures, and if you don't mind sharing, how many photos you got and for what price. I think a lot of people would love to know that information.

Hi Emily! Welcome to the forum! I'm a previous GBP Akumal bride and it was absolutely amazing! April is the perfect time of year in the Riviera May and I have absolutely NO doubts that your wedding is going to be AMAZING!!! Let me know if you have any questions! Happy planning! Trisha

Megz, I know you won't read this, but best wishes! I cannot wait to hear how your dream wedding day went! It'll be amazing, I just know it! StylishNC, 1. That book is HORRID for photos. You'd think they'd update that! What I did for my wedding was found a bouquet that I liked. I liked the colors and I liked the general idea of the flowers. I emailed it to her. It was orchids... it was insanely expensive. So then i went to plan B and found another bouquet that I liked and sent it to her. She was able to create something very similar and didn't cost extra. It was perfect. I just used the knot (gasp) photo gallery to find a bouquet that I liked. 2. You will have to book the golden club to get an ocean front room in the Akumal section. A few of the other buildings have partial views, but trust me... NOTHING like the golden club rooms.

You're so welcome! I'm glad that I can help out! You use an ala carte dinner for your guests if you have the dinner in the restaurants. It won't necessarily be private but not many brides have complained about it being crowded or not feeling intimate. As for the drinks, that's not really what you're paying for. You're paying for the dedicated staff and service since it's a private bar that wouldn't normally be open. However most of us went with the cheaper bar option as there is a bar nearby and most guests didn't want anything special for those few hours anyways.

Jasmin that is an amazing prize! Congratulations to you and Miguel!!

Awesome review Crystal!! Congratulations!!

Megz, For makeup, usually MAC is the way to go. The only suggestion I have is DO NOT use mineral makeup. It looks great in real life, but it's terrible for photos. It has reflective qualities in it which basically makes it look like light beams coming out of your forehead! Typically a photographer will notice this and place you elsewhere, but in the sun of Mexico, it's not worth it to try.

I'm glad you're finding the thread useful! I will be at the resort in January. I'll try and see if I can spot a Mayan ceremony and take some pictures for you.

best wishes!!!!

Jemma, that looks beautiful! I'd be really careful though. It's hard enough to walk in the sand, but then you add a fabric runner and it might be even worse. You would definitely have to be barefoot.

Oh Fally! I hope your eye clears up soon! But you're right, better now than at at the end of the month!!! Andrea, I didn't have a welcome breakfast, but we had a welcome dinner at the buffet and I'd assume they'd be handled the same way. The wedding coordinator just had them block off a section of the seating area for our group. It was very nice of them. When we were there the breakfast buffet at the Akumal activity pool was awesome. It's the italian resturant come evening, but they serve breakfast too. Not many people knew about it, so it was always emtpy. If the WC isn't willing to organize your group in the big buffet, I'd recommend just setting a time and having everyone meet at the little buffet.

It might be only symbolic weddings that they do on the weekends. When I got married the weekend wasn't a choice. Or perhaps Saturday was but Sunday was NOT an option. But I know that Saturdays were booked very far in advance.

Crystal, I've been thinking about you and it must be such a relief to have your parents there and able to report that everything is okay! Best wishes to you!!!

I cannot believe how quickly your weddings are coming up!!! So exciting!! For the poolside reception, they had a table set up for my guest book. I gave it to the WC when we had our meeting and they had everything all set up. Along side the guest book were our place cards. We didn't do a basket for cards, instead everyone just handed them to us or gave them to our parents. People felt more comfortable with that, since no matter how many times you tell them that Mexico is safe... you know everyone is still leary.

Good morning Andrea, Nope, the prices will differ based on what Country you get married in and what property you stay at. Sorry.

Cynlee These look like standard sheer drapes actually. You can kind of see the pocket at the top. When I came up with the measurements for the fabric I brought down I guessed that each section of the hammock location was 8 feet wide. I think it was more like 10, but that should give you an idea.

The Hammock Location faces east (if I'm not mistaken), so as long as you get married past noon, the sun will be behind you. So the only time you'll be squinty is during the recessional, but just smile at your hubby and you'll be fine! Also the reason why sunset pictures don't work at this resort, the sun sets over the land, not the water!

http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/75549/official-gran-bahia-principe-riviera-maya-thread#post_1663892 I tried to write as much details about the restaurants as i could. Gran Torguta - Round and square tables (the round ones seat 6, the square seat 4). Can be pushed together to have a table of 10. White table clothes and little vases with flowers in them.

Andrea, I haven't really seen any pictures of lanterns used during a reception at the Bahia. I've definitely heard people talk about bringing them, but I haven't seen them actually used. On the official thread that I created I'd quickly go through all the linked photos just to be sure, but I don't recall seeing any.