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I'm so glad everyone is enjoying my review. I have to say that recently they started playing ads for Riu Resorts on the TV and the ad is shot at the Riu Palace and each time we see it my husband and I talk about how amazing our wedding was and that we would do it there again. We really have no complaints....except maybe for the DJ but I think he just had a bad day. Somewhere earlier in this thread is the info to check out out pictures on the kodak site. There's a ton to look at if you want ideas of the wedding photo quality of Mango Productions or also pics that friends took around the resort. So enjoy those. As for booking which was asked recently. If you're doing a wedding during a high season I would book as far in advance as possible. Talk to the WC about this and her time frame. I got married during the low season and we reserved what I thought I wanted but the final decisions weren't made until the day before. I still think the morning of my wedding I was deciding beach vs gazebo since both were open for my wedding time. But if you're getting married during a high season this will NOT be the case. I had everything booked, including my hair appts a few months before - but that's more my style anyways. Happy planning to all of you! I wish you wonderful weddings and I would definitely recommend the Riu Palace for your special day.

FYI I had no problems going through customs with my bags. We taped a wedding invite inside each bag carrying OOT bag stuff just in case they had questions about the items and their purpose. Of note, customs has changes in the past few years. It used to be that you walked through and pushed a button that turned red or green and if you got red your bags were searched. Now, they put it through the x-ray machine only. There are no buttons to push and not a single person from our entire flight (which was full) was stopped or had their bags searched. So, I would say customs is NOT any issue at all. We booked our flights so long ago that they new baggage info didn't apply to us so I can't comment on that. Check the date you bought your tickets if you already have. I think it states if you bought your tickets 2 months before the date the new laws went into effect (which would be May) you get to have 2 bags per person and 2 carry ons. We did ask people to bring stuff for us since many people were only staying 3 nights and didn't need to bring a ton of stuff. My wedding planner brought an extra bag and I think paid $25 which was rather reasonable. I say, bring as many bags as you need and pay an extra $50. In the end you'll be happy you have everything you want there, nothing too smashed, and extra room to bring back anything you purchase!!! FYI - 2 groups of guests booked a trip back to the Riu this winter. That's how much people enjoyed the resort!!!! We also just booked a trip to Mazatlan for Thanksgiving - that's how hard it is to come back from such a wonderful trip!

I haven't had time to post pictures yet. Our pictures are HUGE and need to be re-sized and such. Sorry for the delay. I'll try to post a few soon. As for the questions..... We had about 40 guests. This was a great size! It was large enough to be fun, yet small enough to manage and do group adventures. Our wedding was on the beach at 4:00. We had the Caprice package, which was the perfect choice for us. The photos we got were by the hour, not included in the package. I think we bought 4 hours worth of photography. I think that answers the questions. Don't hesitate to ask more. For those of you who are really interested in photos we have had many friends post them, and I even added 100 of the professional ones on the kodak website. There are of course a ton of photos of our Friends which you would have to sift through, but there are pics of room, the resort lobby, pools, wedding area, etc. So, if you have time if might be worth a gander! And, there are a 100 professional ones of us. Feel free to check it out and/or share it.....we've given the info to tons of people. Like I said, you might have to sift a little to find what you're looking for. Enjoy! kodakgallery.com e-mail = [email protected] password = mexico

I just got back from my wedding in Cabo. We booked shuttles for many people to the resort for $20 each. Those who didn't get it together in time to book this too a shuttle they found at the airport for $15 per person, or some came alone and took a taxi for $35. So, transportation is not an issue. You can always find it and it was actually rather reasonable since the airport is way out in the middle of nowhere. We have NO taxi issues the entire 2 weeks we were there while all the "strike" issues were happening. The only issue I ever saw is that one say we were on a shuttle (which is different from a taxi there) and they wouldn't allow it inside the resort gates to pick people up and the people had to walk to the gate to get in....which really wasn't a huge issue. So, while I know that the strike issue is anxiety provoking.....we were there for 2 weeks and took taxi's almost daily and never had an issue. Hope that helps soothe any anxiety about transportation!

Ok here it is girls......I didn't proofread it so I apologize for all the errors you may find! After reading it you'll have a hard time believing I'm a doctor I'm sure!!! OK it's long and there are no pictures at this time. As you can see by my profile I'm a "noob" so I don't do much on here and haven't figured out how to post pictures. But my tech dork husband will surely do it for me one of these nights so stay posted for pictures. Please write with any questions!!!!! Riu Palace: A+++++++++ This resort is fabulous. I had read reviews that made me nervous before going. I have to say that I have been to several AI resorts and this is the best one I’ve stayed at. It was impressive. The food was outstanding. The buffets are larger than any I’ve seen. And, the restaurants that you have to get reservations for are well worth the 30 minute wait we put in each morning. The Japanese restaurant and fine dining were our favorites. Todd thought he food at the Fine Dining (Sir Lawrence) was better than a $200 meal we had in San Jose del Cabo!! I could not have picked a better place to be married. The only negative is that this resort is large, so sometimes it was difficult to find people. However, we were given a “block†of rooms. They also upgraded everyone in the wedding party from “garden view†rooms to “ocean viewâ€. On the night of the wedding ever single person came back to a room covered in chocolates, rose petals, etc. It was nicely done! People enjoyed the hotel so much that 2 couples have already begun planning a trip back this winter. Riu Santa Fe: For those of you wondering about this place, we went over here a few times to visit some of our guests that were staying there and also to eat. This place is really nice. It was much more than I expected it to be. The food was wonderful. Our guests that stayed here really enjoyed it. They were able to come over w/o the day pass fee for one day and we paid $70 for each person on the day of the wedding. Presidente Intercontinental in San Jose del Cabo We stayed here for 6 nights just to try something different while were in the area. I have to admit that as soon as we got here we were dying to go back to the Riu. It’s no half the resort that the Riu is!!!!! However, if I had never been to an AI resort before I probably would have found this one very nice. I’ve just been very spoiled, especially at the Riu! For instance, all the good meat (steak, shrimp, lobster, etc) cost extra money. While, at the Riu all of these (except lobster) were seen regularly at meals. We even had filet mignon at dinner one night at the Riu at Sir Lawrence. Like I said though, we had been spoiled at the Riu – which tainted our perception of this hotel. However we did eat in San Jose del Cabo at La Panga Antigua and Tropicana which were both expensive, but wonderful!! WC - Daniella: A++++++++ This woman is very busy, which is why it takes a while to get responses from her. But, trust me, she has it together. She pulled everything off fantastically. A lot of the planning details don’t get formalized until you’re there (which made me really anxious), but this was not an issue. She was always available and was present at the wedding and reception. She was very fair and negotiated things for us with vendors. We only had one misunderstanding – which was likely a language barrier (this was about food). She is a perfectionist which is great to work with, soothed my anxiety! For instance, The flowers arrived and they did not meet her expectations so she sent off from flowers from another company that same day. (I’m not sure how to explain how good she was but am willing to answer any questions you may have to assure you of her abilities. Please note she does 3 weddings per day with only one day off per week – she knows what she is doing!!). Welcome Dinner: Mexican Terrace. This was good. The Mexican Restaurant serves good food and it was intimate. I wish I had chosen something more private, but this was sufficient. We stayed much later than we were supposed to and no one cared! OOT Bags: These were a hit. I didn’t take any pictures of them unfortunately. We handed out sling packs to each single male, and palm leaf purses to each couple or single woman. Instead were a custom koozie, large stadium cup for alcohol drinks at the resort, tissue, lotion, several medications, personalized chapstick, playing cards, gum, gummy bears, personalized M&M’s, maracas, tri-fold brochure we made with wedding info, Spanish phrase booklet, bookmarks, and who knows what else. They were fully stuffed. People loved them. They all used the bags throughout the weekend. The biggest hit was the stadium cups. People got drinks that were easily 5 times the size of a normal resort drink when using them. Also, strangers at the resort were jealous of them and even tried to steal some of them. So, these are a definite “must do†at any all inclusive resort. We gave each person 2 so they could toss a dirty one and not worry about cleaning it. We did ask the resort ahead of time if we could use them – so they were “approved†but they said this wasn’t necessary. Beach Wedding: A++++++++ This was great! We considered changing the location to the gazebo at the last minute but I’m SO glad we didn’t. (Had watched a wedding there 2 days before and enjoyed that location too) I was worried the cruise boat would get in the pictures, and it didn’t. I was also worried that the sand would be too hot, that on-lookers would yell inappropriate things out, etc. Instead we got a crowd for 50+ people form the pool clapping, no cruise boats, cool sand, and fabulous pictures from this spot. The arch was decorated our colors and looked really nice in pictures. We had a trio play which every one really enjoyed – I don’t recall what they looked or sounded like of course! The ceremony was done by a woman in Spanish and translated by my high school friend into English. My friend changed words around so that it sounded better, read a poem Todd wrote for me, and even did some other special readings and things of her own. There is a TON of flexibility here. It was a legal ceremony. After the wedding we became celebrities around the resort. Everyone was incredibly supportive. Couples told us how they loved the poem while quoting it, servers brought champagne to us at all meals, etc. It was great!! Reception in the English Garden: A+++++++ This was a great spot for the reception. It’s very private. The only problem here is that there is no breeze so we were all sweaty and hot. But, after several “Sex with Carlitos†shots no one really cared (Carlitos was our bartender for the night). The food was AMAZING. I’m not kidding here. We had the best meal anyone had ever had at a wedding. People talked about this for days. Ok, so here’s how the language problem unfolded. For those of you who have seen the list of meal options (3 columns) this will be helpful. We thought you pick one column and then people will be given a menu and pick what the want (the beef, chicken, or veg). This is NOT the case. You are supposed to know what each person wants 1 day before the wedding. So, we had the choice of deciding form them or calling everyone to ask. Instead we opted for the buffet (which I was initially against). But we got the “hog buffet†or so we called it. It had an enormous amount of food. But the hit was gigantic lobsters. They were the largest ones I have ever eaten. They were amazing! There was also steak, crab, shrimp, chicken, you name it…..at $55 per person. It was totally worth it. We had 36 people and you’re supposed to get the buffet if you have 50 people and they wanted us to buy it for all 50 at first. After discussion they let us buy the buffet for 36 and did it. This was the best “mistake gone right†ever! This error turned o8ut to be one of the best parts of the whole wedding!!! DJ: B----- OK, our DJ sucked. There’s no way around this one. We had all of out songs on an ipod, and printed on a list for him. All he had to do was play it and he didn’t. He played some of ours, and some of his. The sound was bad, screeching noises in the middle of the first dance and all. He was 2 hours late due to showing up inappropriately dressed per the resort dress code so my US wedding planner did all the announcing and music in the first section.. But, by the end of the night he did well and made it up to us. In the end, no one really noticed and everyone had a blast. Also, Daniella refunded us the DJ $$ because he was late and was horrible! Photos: A++++++++++ Mango Productions I have to start by saying that I was not excited to use these people. I wanted some of the fabulous photographers that I’ve seen on here (like Juan Carlos, etc). However, my US wedding planner and parents thought this company did a good job. This company works for the Riu and there are a few different French photographers that work together. And now, my parents can say “I told you soâ€. The photographs are fabulous. We were given a copy of each photo, and several CDs, which each have all 710 photos. The pictures are outstanding and much better than I thought they would be. And the very best part about it was that we had the pictures in our hands less than 24 hours after the wedding!!! Many brides have to wait months, which I was not willing to do. We were able to get all of our friends and family around a laptop the next afternoon to view the pictures with us. This was really neat! Nothing better than instant gratification! Safety: I know people were worried about safety after the Riu Santa Fe incident. I felt very safe while I was there. The property is gates and all employees are searched upon shift change. It’s so tight that when we came back in the taxi we would each have to show the wristband before entering. Sometimes they didn’t allow certain shuttles in due to high security. There were police and staff security at the gate throughout the day. I had no concerns with safety. The room was also safe. No one in our party had anything stolen. We used the save at all times for anything of value. In addition we brought locks for a suitcase for large items that could not fit in the safe. I never felt that our items had been touched or moved and our maid was very friendly. Activities: 1. Glass bottom boat to lover’s beach: water was too rough on some day to go to it. The water on the little glass bottom boats is very, very choppy! Several guests felt sick - FYI 2. snorkeling – Spent $50 each to go on the boat and no one on the boat say a single fish. There were 9 boats in the bay that we pulled up in. I’m not sure if this is normal, but I would warn you to have low expectations. 3. wave runners – 7 guys rented these on our wedding day while the girls got their hair done. They LOVED it. We reserved them the day before and they brought as many as we needed. They were located right in front of the hotel. Price was $45 for 60 minutes. They took them all the way out to the arch. All in all, the trip was fabulous. I would definitely recommend the Riu for a wedding without any hesitation!!!! So, for all you girls that are worried about this resort, I hope I can reassure you! And, just to put it in reference…..I come from a family that travels the world and has seen numbers of resorts. Our expectations tend to be high. Even my mother, who is impossible to impress, loved the place! Please do not hesitate to ask me any questions. I think that’s the best way for me to address anyone’s questions or concerns!

FYI - my guests that are staying at the Riu Santa Fe have been told they can come over for dinner, the wedding, etc w/o a fee. This is a favor they do as long as you ask nicely. They said if they ask the right person they can go over all day and use the pool to. You just have to be nice, and likley a tip goes a long way?!?!

Yes, we're very excited. We leave on Tuesday and tomorrow is our last day of work before the trip.....so it's a very exciting time! I believe 80% of our people are staying at the Riu Palace. We're having 40 people and I think 2 groups are at the Riu Santa Fe and I have a relative that lives there so he'll stay at his condo. Personally, I think they claim the 80% rule to get business and if it doesn't work out it's not the end of the world - so I hear. Now, would I bank on that....NO. But, my US wedding planner told me many times not to worry about the 80% policy and that if all else failed we could throw a little extra money at them to hush them up. Upgrading means, or having open bar will usually make up for the 80% at places too. (As long as they make enough $$ off you, it all works out). But, it doesn't appear to be an issues for us. I really can't imagine that they will refuse to marry you when the day comes and 80% aren't staying there. Also, please note that the group rates for the Riu Palace are not very expensive. Obviously, I'm getting married during the low season. But, the garden view suite is $100 per night per person. When you consider all food and alcohol are included, that's a deal in any vacation spot! As for details, please don't stress. In Mexico everything gets done at the last minute. And, their system works. A lot of girls are freaking out that they can't get it all planned, and get the WC to write back about everything ASAP - and it's several months before their wedding. This is typical. It's a laid back culture and considering they do 3-4 weddings per day.....they are busy and they know what they're doing. As for bows the Riu gave me pictures of each possible bow and color. I think there was gold, silver, yellow, red, blue, and a few others. My colors are red and white but the red bow was horrible so I'm opting for silver instead. Also, if you're worried about color, $25 of tulle of your wedding color from a local shop would be easy to transport and yiled predictable results....always something to consider! Any other questions....shoot them on over! I'm happy to help. But, I'm sure my reviews will be even more helpful in a few weeks.

Yes, don't forget to call your credit card companies and tell them about your travel. ALso, check the rates they charge. You can use credit cards at most any store or restaurant down there, so cash isn't that viatal. However, most credit cards charge 3% on top of the the exchange rate. And, ATMs typically start at $5.00 for US fee, and then a Mexico fee at the machine. So, taking some cash is important, but if you don't it will be easy to get cahs or pay for things in other ways!

I'm getting married at the Palace. But wanted to let you know that these sister sites work closely together. So, at the Palace I have a choice of about 5 different bows for my chairs at no extra fee. They once said something like "If we don't have it we can get it from the Santa Fe or another place as needed". So, they really work with you to accomodate you. So, I think it's about communicating what you want. They do great with pictures. I sent pictures of what I wanted my hair to look like, exact flowers, etc. And It sounds like they can match just about anything. The Renova spa is doing hair for all of my attendants, family members, and me on the day. FYI - they tell you to schedule these things when you arrive, but I scheduled it 2 months in advance to make sure I got the times I want since there are several weddings in a day there. I leave exactly 1 week from today, so I'm sure I'll have tons more to share when I get back. FYI - some of our guests are staying at the Santa Fe so I'll have feedback on both resorts.

I have to say the idea of an outside WC is a good one. I have a WC in the US that I used. Everything together it is costing me $1800 (that's her work in the US, flight, and 3 nights hotel). She did a lot of the comunicating with the WC in Cabo and I believe she got a faster and more direct response than I would have gotten. And, for $1800 I don't have to stress out, make the phone calls, or fill out a lot of the paperwork. We have had no complaints about the resort as of yet. Let us remember, it's a big day and every woman wants it to go perfectly. So, our expectations are high....so, every review is subjective and based on a person's perspective and experience. Also, we must remember the culture is more laid back. No one is in a rush there. 3-7 days to respond to an e-mail is "normal" there. Not everyone carries a blackberry in other countries! And, it's ok to call them everyday until you get your answer. We learned with the Riu WC that stalking her via e-mial and phone showed motivation and drive which facilitated timely responses. The WC came to learn that if we did not get an e-mail response within 24 hours, she would then be getting a follow-up call. It didn't take much before we shaped her behavior. *Big tip to others who want a better resposne* Also, you are not able to swim in most of the beach in Cabo - unless the conditions are ideal. And, even then it is not an ocean for beginners. They do have private wedding areas at the Riu for the wedding and for the receptions. Good luck with the choice. There are a ton of wonderful resorts out there. I'm sure you'll make a good decision either way!

Listen to your gut. If your'e that uncomfortable with what you've heard about the Riu then I wouldn't book it. Imagine how much you'll worry and feel you need to double check things if what you've read has influenced you. However, I also feel that any situation is what you bring to it and make of it. I am getting married there in less than 3 weeks and I don't have one bad thing to say about the resort. I'm neurotic and the laid back culture has gotten to me at times and the WC agreed to let me pick things in advance and plan more than is usually done to make me feel more at ease. So, my experience has been nothing like what I have read. Now, how it all goes down when I get there may be another story......one which I will tell in a few weeks! Good luck! Remember, it's supposed to be an exciting time so don't make it more stressful than it has to be and listen to your gut

Does anyone know if there is a service to steam/press your dress upon arrival at the Riu Palace in Cabo? I just got my dress today and it's rather wrinkled. I figure I'm better off waiting till I get there with the flight and all. I've read all the links about packing and traveling with your dress but I'm wondering if anyone as specific info about Riu Palace and services for this? Thanks in advance!

I am also having a legal ceremony - exactly one month from today! I am having one of my oldest friends translate it to English. She is changing some of the words so it won't be a pure translation. She is also adding a reading and possibly something else. They are pretty flexible on the ceremony....with the exception that it must be done in the native language if it is to be legal. Hope that helps. I think it's kind of fun and festive that it'll be in Spanish and then translated!

I can't beleive I stirred up so much emotions. Glad to know i'm not alone here! FYI - this girls was always known to be "difficult" but I never thought this would happen. It's her personality and I should have seen it coming. After talking with my MOH and other BM I've decided to sit on it for a week and see how I feel. Both my fiance and MOH have said that would call her to tell her she is no longer int he wedding....so I'm very thankful for the support I'm getting from everyone. But, it's still hard. I'm not good at cutting people off. And, today I learned that she is going through all kinds of medical problems. SHe's lost 2/3 of her hair and her thyroid has stopped functioning. So, I'm sure her stress level is high. While this does NOT excuse everything, I am human and want to take that into account. Our health plays a huge role on our emotions and ability to functioning. So, perhaps I should re-evaluate the situation and talk to her some more. ANd, perhaps she's freaking out about being a bit bald in the pictures?!?! Maybe she really doesn't feel comfortable being in the wedding with what's going on in her life? Who knows! I just don't want to act impulsively and I do not want to regret any decisions I make! Thanks for all the comments and support! Did you guys see the spin off thread about use of the "c" word......such drama I've started!!!

OK so here's the update girls. She got her dress. Go figure!!! And now the other 2 (I have a total of 3 girls in the wedding) were told they won't get their dresses in time. Apparently Watters and Watters was lying to them when they said it was in the mail and the tracking reported it was in Texas a few days ago. I'm telling you....never order from Watters!!! So, she has her dress and everything is solved. But, I'm still really upset and hurt. And now, I'm in trouble with her because I didn't acted excited enough when she told me she got the dress. She said, "I'm hurt that you weren't excited for me". WTF? My one dress problem just doubled into 2 missing dresses and I'm supposed to throw her a party 'cuz she got her dress?!?! Especially after the way she demanded I shop for her?!?! So, now the drama continues......I was called manipulative in attempting to get her to go shopping. She also called me a bully and verbally abusive. HUGE words!! And just to give you a bit of background....I defintiely have a strong personality but I'm a clinical psychologist and empathy is my strength so these words definitely do not characterize me appropriately. And, instead of calling me to tell me this she IMed my fiance and told all of this to him - she's met him 3 times. So, now I'm pissed that she was so socially inapprorpaite as to say negative things about me to him and cause triangulation. UGH! So, really the question now is do I not only drop her as a BM but as a friend? Should I really be ok with this? Upon talking she was NOT empathetic. And after I told her it would be very inappropriate to contact Todd again like that she said she would anyways because it made her fel better, despite irritating me. DRAMA!!! I don't think I'm confident enough to kick her out of the wedding or end the friendship....but I have a feeling in a few months after the next incident with her I will be and I'll be stuck with her in the photos. I feel stuck in some decision making limbo place. And I fear that I"m stressed and emotional and not looking at it logically so I don't want to make any impulsive decisions. How did some simple dress problem get so out of hand?!?! It was left that everything is ok with her, but I'm still upset. I just can't seem to let this go. Perhaps because she said yeseterday she was going to terminate the friendship if it weren't for my fiance........I'm not sure why his words are so powerful to her?!?! So, that's the update. Drama, drama, drama. Thanks for the support and for validating my position. But it's not as simple as ditching her as a BM. We have a lot of mutual friends and I don't think I can handle the stress of the backlash right now from other friends and family...and I'm just not feeling that confident about it (don't want to be impulsive). UGH - what a mouthful.