antonia321

we did this -- Dinner, then during dinner speeches/toasts, dances, then cake cutting with explosions/fireworks after. Then we gave a little speech thanking everyone for coming and after the music started and the dance floor was opened up for the party. Worked out very well.

Quote: Originally Posted by heidi&alex Thanks so much for your great review, Antonia! It's a great help for us Royal girls! Congrats again... you looked beautiful on your wedding day! Heidi! Only a month to go! I'm so excited for you! also, I saw you're using del Sol photography. fyi - I didn't have to get them a day pass, I just added them to my reception guest list. Matt and Diego just went to the front desk asked for Ivan and they came in with no problems. Also, make Chef's Plate reservations soon after you arrive. It gets filled up fast and you have to reserve days in advance. Invite me to your wedding so I can go back! LOL!!

I'm in the process of putting them on-line and will post them on this thread when I do!

becks - i'm watching clips from our wedding reception right now when everyone's dancing and he's just so fun! He even flashes all the lights to the beat of the music!

Carlos was my DJ and he was AWESOME!!! I just wrote up my review today and there was a section about him. "DJ - Carlos Martinez from Mannia Cancun: He was FABULOUS!! My DH is so particular about music and wanted certain music played at certain times. He even gave Carlos a list of “banned” songs. Carlos was perfection and his timing was spot on. He kept the party going and the dance floor was never empty. He worked with us on lighting needs and even got us our explosions. He also surprised us with tons of balloons to get the party started. We were worry-free music wise. Our guests loved him, too! HIGHLY recommend." http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t20293

here is my review all! http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t20293

just updated this thread to share my review! http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t20293

March 29, 2008 Ceremony @ Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Catholic Church The Royal Playa Del Carmen Cocktail @ Gazebo Reception @ Beach Choosing Playa del Carmen: I remember right after I got engaged, I knew I wanted a DW. Choosing a place was so overwhelming! I don’t think I could be happier with choosing this location for our wedding. It is such a fabulous yet completely charming town with a beautiful beach. We had close to 100 guests flying in from all over, the US – East Coast, West Coast, and Midwest, Canada, Europe, Philippines and Australia. I had expected most people to fly into Cancun airport, which they did. But were surprised to find that guests found deals flying into Cozumel and even Playa del Carmen airport… who knew? A handful of guests had been before and were excited for a reason to come back. But for most people, we picked a new vacation spot to explore and were very happy that we did! It was a beautiful place that was easy for people to get to from all over the world. Our guests also varied in range, from my 10 month year old niece to grandparents but majority of our guests were adults - our friends and family members. There were lots of things to do in the town for all ages, shopping, nightlife, eating, just walking around, and hanging out on the beach. Also, many close-by activities for day trips – diving, snorkeling, visiting ruins, swimming with dolphins, etc. Choosing The Royal Playa del Carmen/Real Resorts: How guilty did I feel for picking a 5 star resort for my wedding? And an all-inclusive, adults only one at that!! “Hi! Spend tons of money traveling then stay at this really expensive resort that I chose – oh and by the way, its high season!†I have to say that Real resorts were WONDERFUL working with us. We negotiated with them directly and got a great deal even though it was high season. They have three resorts walking distance from each other in Playa del Carmen. The Royal and The Gran Porto, which allow kids, are directly across from each other and next to each other on the beach. We offered our guests 3 different places to stay with various price ranges. While 75% of our guest stayed at The Royal with us, the option was there for those with tighter budgets or children. Location, location, location! I don’t think it gets any better than the Royal. It was just one block from 5th Avenue but still on the beautiful beach. People could easily meet up and be entertained. No cabs to the town, walking everywhere. I had a small group of guests staying at one of Palace resorts in their time share and they had to take a 20 minute cab ride each time to meet up with everyone. Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Catholic Church: Our ceremony was held here. It is a very beautiful, modern church right off 5th Avenue and about 6 blocks from The Royal. Black marble floors and open-air feel made the church need little decoration. If anyone wants more information on working with the church please PM me. My mom did most of the church dealings. My uncle is a Catholic priest so he flew in and married us. We didn’t use a local priest. Originally, we were going to play a CD for our music but there were issues with the sounds system. Anyway, one of our guests surprised us with musicians so we had live music in the end. The acoustics were wonderful. Traveling: We traveled with Delta from DC with a stop in Atlanta. I hand-carried my dress and also brought two boxes with 70 mini-lanterns. All the airline staff was so nice! I think as soon as they saw me carrying “the dress,†they knew I was a bride. They hung up my dress, gave us champagne and were very friendly. I also didn’t have any problems in customs in Cancun with the boxes. I said they were wedding favors and they let us through. Best Day Shuttle: We recommended this shuttle to our guests. We took it with no problem. Some guests had a great experience and some did not so I’m on the fence about recommending it. You might just take a cab. The Royal Playa del Carmen: Check-in was a breeze and we were greeted with cocktails, a welcome sign for our wedding group and our names flashing on the flat screen. All of our guests got their rooms, no over-booking with them, thank goodness! There were minimal problems, like not getting a king-size bed or rooms still being cleaned but they were accommodated quickly when addressed. A few guests arrived late due to airline issues and their rooms were given away, but they were upgraded when they arrived. Lucky them! WE LOVE THE RESORT!! We were treated like Royalty and the service was wonderful. And our guests had a blast! Rehearsal Dinner: We had a rehearsal dinner for about 50 people at The Albatros at the Gran Porto. They sectioned off a little area for us. Not super cozy but we saved money by not doing it outside of the resort like we had originally planned. Hair & Make-up @ The Spa Azul: My sister, aka, MOH booked our mani/pedis, hair & make-up trials and for the wedding day via e-mail in advance with the spa manager. I highly recommend this because the spa gets booked up. They did my hair beautifully but I ended up doing my own make-up. I didn’t really like how they did it but I wanted to try. – just a little side note for nervous brides, I did have a little breakdown while they did my hair, both times. I was getting nervous and emotional. The ladies at the spa are so used to it and were so nice. When the tears started coming, they brought in champagne, tissues, coffee, called my mom to come in… super sweet! Zulma Dominguez, WC: She was wonderful and super sweet. Even though the ceremony wasn’t at the resort, she was super helpful. She had our flowers delivered to the appropriate rooms and set up our video package. I wasn’t overly concerned about the centerpieces since it would be dark. I just wanted orange tropical flowers. Walter & Ivan, Reception Coordinators: We had been working with Walter via e-mail but he was out of town for the wedding. Ivan took very good care of us. The Wedding Day: The ceremony was at 4:30 and the Church wasn’t air-conditioned so it was warm for those in suits. They had fans blowing but I think it was cooler outside than inside. After the ceremony, a Mariachi Band was supposed to be outside the church playing music while we took pictures then be in our procession to the resort. The band ended up going to the wrong church. Luckily, one of my guests found a group of street musicians to be our musical accompaniment for our procession down 5th Avenue. That was probably one of the coolest experiences. People on the streets and in restaurants were clapping for us and saying “Felicidades!†and tourists were taking pictures. It was a lot of fun and super memorable for everyone! Cocktail in the Gazebo area: Beautifully set up. There was a full bar- they even had blenders - and lots of food, 4 cold apps and 4 hot apps. As you entered you were handed a signature drink. We had a table with name cards attached to mini-lanterns. We took pictures during this time but enough time for us to enjoy the cocktail, too. Reception on the beach: We had a shoe table when entering the reception area for people to take off their shoes if they wanted before entering into the sand. There was someone directing people to their seats. We did a buffet dinner, which I wanted for a social atmosphere and more time for dancing. The buffet offered a wide range of food and they even did a dessert table for us. It was impressive. They also made a great copy of a picture that I sent for our cake. We got the tres leches flavor and it was delicious. We had big dance floor as well as lounge furniture. My dad requested a podium for his speech and they had it there for him and on a platform, too! Lounge Furniture by Events & Wedding Cancun: It was definitely worth the expense and set such a cool scene to the reception. It was too windy for the bamboo centerpieces and green pillows to stay on the tables and furniture so we didn’t end up using them. If your reception is at night and is windy, you might want to hold off on those extras and save your money. The furniture was rarely used for lounging. We all ended up dancing and jumping on top of it! DJ - Carlos Martinez from Mannia Cancun: He was FABULOUS!! My DH is so particular about music and wanted certain music played at certain times. He even gave Carlos a list of “banned†songs. Carlos was perfection and his timing was spot on. He kept the party going and the dance floor was never empty. He worked with us on lighting needs and even got us our explosions. He also surprised us with tons of balloons to get the party started. We were worry-free music wise. Our guests loved him, too! HIGHLY recommend. Matt Adcock – del Sol Photography: Matt and his assistant Diego were AMAZING! Having a destination wedding, I really wanted first class pictures since many people would just be sharing our experience through them. WOW. Everyone has been raving about them. You really feel like you’re experiencing the day in the pictures while still being artistic and stunning images. I said it before and I will say it again - He is worth every penny and I really feel like he and Diego really went above and beyond what I expected. My only real complaint was there were hardly any pictures of my mom, which made me and my family a bit sad. She looked so beautiful that day. He gives you about 500 beautiful pictures but not all of my guests were in them. Part of me wished that we did take pictures with every table just to make sure we had everyone. Luckily, there were lots of camera happy people there to share photos to help fill in the gaps. I guess the most important thing was that my husband and I looked awesome. And we really did!!! YAY!!! Juan Alfredo Salcedo – Just Video: We booked these guys through the hotel and got the complete package. Initially, I was going to not get video and put the whole budget into photography but my older cousin convinced me otherwise. He said, the day will go by so fast and there is so much that you’ll miss. Hire a videographer, you won’t regret that you did but you’d regret it if you didn’t. The quality and editing isn’t the best and the songs were a little cheesy but I’m glad we did it! They captured everything! I’m laughing and crying during it. They shot all of my guests and also gave me more footage that I paid for. I got two DVDs just 4 days after. In Summary… I truly had the most wonderful experience of my life. My DH and I were so happy with our DW. We hope we get invited to one as fun as ours! I think guests might have even had a better time because they didn’t have the wedding nerves and hosting stress that we felt. There were little hiccups on the way, like the church sound system not working and Mariachi band not showing up. But guests stepped in to make sure that didn’t ruin anything for us. There is definitely more that I can say but all in all, I highly recommend The Royal!!! I’m envious of those about to take the plunge, good luck and let me know if I can help! Let me know if you need any contact info, too! If you haven’t seen it already, you can check out our slideshow! del Sol Photography Wedding Photojournalism

wow!! such a FABULOUS wedding!

My DH bought my e-ring and wedding band in the diamond district. He is def. the researching type and said he ended up getting a great deal. Also, he was happy about the fact that he didn't have to pay taxes on the ring. When you buy it, you can have them ship it to you out of state to avoid paying them. I think it saved him $1000+. This place was reccommended to him by his friend living in NYC. Leon Zoland & Son 75 W 47th St. New York, NY 10036 http://www.zolands.com/

I was a bridesmaid for a destination wedding in Italy and living in Amsterdam at the time. The bride called me up a few weeks before the wedding and asked if I could be maid of honor because her maid of honor might not show up. I can imagine her panic now being a bride! I said OF COURSE and I am HONORED! And for the next couple weeks I was totally there for her. The maid of honor ended up coming but I was thrilled to be asked and know I helped her out for that short time... more for her sanity's sake and piece of mind. It so hard to feel like you've been let down. Unfortunately, these things happen but you guys could be having someone else be a special part of your day. If people are flying so far out to celebrate with you, then someone will also be more than thrilled to be an actual part of it. And be in all the pictures!

there are so many great things on this site. if i had found this before i got married i would have had a field day!

welcome! I had a Catholic ceremony also. If you have any questions, let me know!

Quote: Originally Posted by athena Wow!!! Your wedding was amazing!! Thank you for posting your pics. We will be there in December for our wedding. Are there any tips or suggestions for brides at the Royal? Thanks again, & Congrats!!!! Athena! You are going to LOVE the Royal. The staff is just so wonderful and my guests were so happy with the decision we made. You really feel so spoiled when you are there. I'm actually in the process of writing my review since I now have my complete photographer pictures and watched most of our video. So I'll have lots of tips for you! Look out for it!

Thank you! It was love at first sight with that dress... probably faster than with my husband! LOL Its by Carolina Herrera from her spring 2006 collection.

Quote: Originally Posted by Matt Adcock Tanya, You are so beautiful and we absolutely loved your wedding day! Thanks for sharing all the emotions with us! Cheers to Tanya & Tim! mateo Mateo!! I am LOVING ALL the shots! I just got my complete wedding album from Matt today via e-mail (still waiting for the CD) and I was just blown away. There are so many beautiful pictures I am seriously stunned, even more than I was with the initial slide show. Is there a way to do a wedding album for our coffee table with 500 pictures!?!?! When I got the favorites slideshow I was thinking -- oh, these must be the best. but no, they are ALL fabulous. For all of you who are thinking of booking Matt. BOOK HIM! He is worth every penny ... and maybe your first born... ok i'm kidding

Quote: Originally Posted by starchild A photographer in L.A. recommended myphotopipe. They are SUPER cheap. He said photographers he knows get prints from there and mark them up like crazy for clients who turn to them for prints. I'm doing my prints/photobook with them. I'm willing to bet the quality is better than snapfish/shutterfly/etc. Anyone here use them or know anything about them? If not it looks like I'll be the guinea pig ) myPhotopipe.com - The online print lab for serious digital photographers nationwide. Hi guinea pig!! ;P how did your iphotopipe.com pictures turnout? so curious!

RM/Playa del Carmen is such a great place to have a DW!! My guests loved me for it! good choice!

I know a lot of wedding photographers use this site. Has anyone ordered pictures or had an album done from here? Their prices are super expensive so I'm wondering if its actually worth the money. I read some terrible reviews of them on-line from brides complaining about their prints not being high quality, orders taking forever and poor customer service. Hope to hear back so I can pass on the info to my guests and family that are anxious to get some prints!

We used bubbles and it was very cute! The kids loved them! Our guest had fun with them and kept blowing them throughout the reception.

very cute! I love Betsy Johnson! For help on top, I highly reccommend these... Cleavage Cupcakes! they work WONDERS her look, shapewear, bra inserts - bliss

Hi! During my entire stay there, which was a little more than a week, I only saw 2 weddings ceremonies and 3 receptions, not including mine. There might have been more but honestly, I didn't notice. Even if they say up to 4 weddings a day, that doesn't mean they actually have them. I think mine was the only wedding reception and wedding that day.

Hi Sophie! I just got married in a Catholic Church in Playa del Carmen. It was walking distance to the resort and just a couple blocks away from 5th Ave. I had family come from all over and all ages. You can check out my wedding pics to see the church. The Church was called Nuesta Senora del Carmen del Sol Photography Wedding Photojournalism

Quote: Originally Posted by CarrieRN You and your photos look fabulous! Looks like a perfect wedding day! Where did you get your shoes? I love them! Thank you!!! Here are my shoes! Lindsay Page They were actually comfortable enough to walk through the town but they came off at the reception.

Quote: Originally Posted by Rogers Hi Antonia! I saw your pictures. They were beautiful! Were the weddings that you saw at the gazebo fairly private? Or could anyone walk up? Amy If you can see from the pictures, our cocktail was in the gazebo area. The photographer took an arial view of it although its dark. They definitely block off the area when there is a wedding or events. You can see weddings going on if you are not part of it, but its a very classy resort that's not overly crowded. People are very respectful and will give your party space. Elizabeth Medina and del Sol Photography (Matt Adcock - my photographer and Sol -- his wife) have shot several ceremonies there and you can get a good idea of the space from their shots. If you find Becky, who just got married there last month as well, I'm sure she could also give you a good idea also!