Rhonda

Quote: Originally Posted by Jodi20 Hi! We're being married on May 20, 2010 at the EDR so it's so nice to talk to you all! Our dilemma right now is that we aren't having a private reception (we only have 5 guests). But we do want a first dance and a father-daughter dance. EDR said they would let us do that at the gazebo directly after the ceremony but we're afraid the Ipod thing might be a little tacky. Rhonda, you seem pretty classy to me so what did you think about the Ipod on the beach thing? was it nice? Jodi, I don't think the Ipod is tacky at all, but, I understand your concern. We used the Ipod for the ceremony and it turned out great! Keep in mind, EDR is very professional and they have all the right equipment to make it just what you want. Good luck!

Quote: Originally Posted by CanadianLindsey Originally Posted by Rhonda "Photographer – For photographer, I chose Citlally from Claudia Rodriguez. She is one of the EDR approved photographers. Although I haven’t seen any of our photos yet, she was very sweet and a pleasure to work with. She even extended her stay so that she could get photos of the cake cutting, which I thought was so nice and definitely not necessary. Spa- I was booked at the Casita Spa for my nail, hair, and makeup appointments on the wedding day. I had Erika and she did a great job! I was a little nervous about what to expect, but, she did exactly what I wanted. I brought a picture of my hairstyle that I had done at home and she did it exactly how I wanted (even better). For makeup, I only said I wanted “natural looking†and again, she did it perfect! My mom, sister, and bridesmaid also got their hair done and all came out great too!" Hi Rhonda! I was wondering if you would mind if I asked a few questions about prices? How much was the make-up and hairstyling at the spa for you and your mom/sister? Also for the photography, what package did you choose and was it worth it? My FI wants to just rely on guests photos and disposable cameras we are giving as placeholders at the reception, but I still think we need some professional help! I just need help convincing him it's worth it, so any info you have would help me! Thanks! Hi Lindsey, The prices for makeup and hairstyle were $85 each. The photography package that we chose was the "Special" one and I definitely think it was worth it. Citalli did an amazing job! We also have pics from our guests but I think Citalli did a great job capturing the emotions of the entire event, which is something that is hard to do as a guest. Everyone comments on how amazing our pictures are and I would highly recommend using a professional. Here is the link to my slideshow if you're interested. Let me know if you have any other questions! Rhonda & Mark | May 2nd 2009 | El Dorado Royale, Riviera Maya Mexico

These are all really cute ideas! Here's what we did: We've been together for a total of 10 years (not including our 3 year break) and we needed exactly 10 table #'s so it worked perfect! So, we labeled each table number with the year that we've been together and then put an interesting fact about us during that year. For example, starting with 1997- the year we met... 2000- the year we moved to California together....all the way to 2009- the year we got married! Everyone loved it and made it so personal!

We stayed at Matachica Resort on Ambergris Caye for our honeymoon. We absolutely loved it! It is a very small and private resort. I can tell you more if you're interested. Are you looking to get married there?

Quote: Originally Posted by punkie569 Thanks for the great review. We just booked November 10th, 2010 and I've just started to work with Valeria. Just wondering if you had any pics from the cocktail hour at Gazebo 55 you had? We were thinking of doing the same thing since we are having our ceremony there as well. Did you and your guests think it was worth it? Congrats! That's very exciting! I have one pic of the cocktail hour that I can email you if you send me your email address. I definitely think the cocktail hour was worth it even though my husband and I barely got to enjoy it because we were with the photographer. It was perfect for our guests because it was so convenient right after the ceremony. I don't know what they all would have done while we were away. We had a solo guitarist at the cocktail party, which, I heard was good, but, not sure if it was worth to have or not. Hope that helps!

I dont think so. My florist brought flowers from the US and they got confiscated at the airport. He ended up buying them downtown at a local florist.

One of our guests, who is a florist, brought flowers from home and they got confiscated at the airport So, at the last minute, he ended up going to downtown playa to get flowers once he arrived. They weren't exactly what I wanted but it was ok. I think he just found a local florist.

I don't check in on this forum too much anymore, but, I liked reading about what other people are up to after their weddings. As for me, I'm definitely happier NOT planning a wedding. Although I had fun while doing it, I guess I didn't realize how stressed I was until it's been over...I feel so much more relaxed and my sleep is amazing! Now, I'm obsessed with finding a home to buy and hopefully starting a family soon!

Hi, I got married there in May. I had the same concern as you. But, I didn't think it was a big deal when I got there. I got married at Gazebo 55 and there were no visible sandbags. I didn't go in the ocean because the waves were too big anyway, but, several of our guests were swimming and jumping off the sandbags. We enjoyed the pools there a lot more, but, you could definitely swim in the water.

I have 3 pairs left over if you would like to buy mine. PM if you're interested.

I agree! This is a great thread! I have so many memories, but, these are my top: 1.) Sharing a moment with my Dad right we walked down the aisle...he started telling me how he remembers when he sent me off on the bus to kindergarten...I just started to lose it right then. 2.) Hearing my song, "I'm yours" start to play just before walking down the aisle and saying to myself..this is it! 3.) Seeing my husbands face on our wedding day for the first time as I walked down the aisle. 4.) Seeing my mother in law right after she fell into the pool at the reception! 5.)Our first dance 6.) Feeling so grateful to have all those people at my wedding in Mexico

Quote: Originally Posted by allisonmpls CONGRATULATIONS, Rhonda!!! You looked gorgeous. Can't wait to see all of your pictures. I'm getting married at EDR on 5/15/10. I can't wait! :-) Looks like you picked Gazebo 55? I need to email Valeria back with my selection. Did you check out the other options when you were on site? I think I'm leaning towards 55. Also, I'm trying to decide whether or not to do the casita suite... did you think it was worth it? I just can't decide. Thanks!! Allison Hi Allison, You're right- I chose Gazebo 55. I liked it because it was a little more private than some of the other areas, but, also, we had a pretty large group, so it was one of the bigger areas too. I also liked the Fuentes gazebo which is the newer one...that one has a lot of greenery (overlooking the ocean)...it's also very nice. I definitely think the casita is worth it. The rooms are a lot more spacious than the junior suite. The only thing for me was that I didn't spend enough time there to really enjoy the privacy of the casita area. Plus, I think it's almost the same price if you book the casita with the free wedding package or if you book a different room + wedding package. So, I think you might as well get a bigger, nicer room. Let me know if you have other questions! Good Luck! Valeria is so sweet to work with.

Quote: Originally Posted by ebredhawk everything looks absolutely beautiful! i can feel the sand between my toes just looking at your pics! if you don't mind me asking.. where did you get your flower petals from? the white/pink combo is exactly what i need and i've been stuggling to find the perfect ones! They are called carousel roses. I ordered them from the resort. My friend who is a florist advised me to get these since I also wanted the white/pink combo look. Hope that helps!

My professional pictures and slideshow came in this week! My photographer was Citlalli Rico from Claudia Rodriguez Photography. She is so sweet to work with and I think she did an amazing job! We got almost 500 pictures in total, but, here are a few of my favorites:

We stayed in the Casita area. The room is definitely bigger than the junior suites and you have extra perks. All the rooms are really nice at EDR so you can't go wrong, but, it is nice to splurge if it's your wedding. The only thing is that you are separated from most of the other rooms (which could be good or bad). Our room was in section 25 which was the closest to the rest of the resort and perfect for meeting up with everyone. I'm so happy we chose the casita area, I only wish I had more time to utilize it. In terms of cost, from what I remember, it was the same price (or similar) to book the casitas for 7 nights and opt for the free wedding package verses paying for the wedding package and choosing a junior suite.