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Hello Ladies, We have been back to reality for about a month now, and it is time for me to thank and give back to the community! I have not been very active in the forum, but I learned more here than from any other source. Without this forum, I don't know how I would have been able to plan a wedding from far away. We had a 40 person wedding at Al Cielo hotel in Xpu-ha Bay (between Tulum and Playa). We stayed in Tulum at the beach, a 30 minute drive away. This wasn't our ideal situation (stay in the same place as the wedding), but it worked out great. Al Cielo Hotel: A+ Al Cielo is a small rustic place, exactly what we were looking for in Tulum and could not find. It was small enough for our group to have the place to ourselves, and very well staffed and professional. The WC, Donaji, made the whole experience a joy. She is super sweet, truly professional, capable, reasonable and calm. Donaji and I emailed on average every 2-3 days for 3 months prior to the wedding. She is very attentive to details and will entertain any suggestions or questions. It is obvious that she has extensive experience in putting weddings together and can deal with any issues that come up. I put my faith in her and she really came through. The only outside vendors I hired were photographers, everyone else was organized through her. The food was excellent and beautiful, the staff was fun, friendly and extremely helpful. The dessert was to die for (semi-frozen chocolate parfait), and we chose not to have a cake. The drinks were delicious and strong. The folk trio was amazing. Everyone loved them and wouldn't stop talking about them. We also had a guitar soloist during dinner, who was also great. The DJ was excellent (one friend said he was the best DJ he's ever heard at a wedding!). The ceremony went off without a hitch. Donaji was always on top of everything and if something was about to go wrong or happen too late, she would step in quietly and fix it. We forgot to order a corsage for my aunt, and she was able to add one to the order 24 hours before the wedding. Also, I found out a guest wanted to sit at a different table just before the reception. I let her know, and it was done in less than a minute. We had a Chinese tea ceremony right after our ceremony, and Donaji set up a beautiful separate area complete with red decor. I hadn't imagined anything so beautiful. If there is anything negative about this setup, it would be that you cannot micromanage every last detail. Donaji gives you every last choice and option you desire to make and more. There were a couple of tiny details that I noticed weren't exactly as I had imagined them (a certain shade of flower color or the type of grass outlining the aisle in the sand). No one but me could have noticed. To everyone else, everything looked perfect. And, when I got there, I didn't care. It was gorgeous. del Sol Photography: A+ (slide shows below) I fell in love with Sol and Matt's work immediately. I felt that their photos conveyed emotion and captured moments in a way that I didn't see in others' work. I stalked them and when I found out they weren't available for our chosen date, I changed my wedding date to fit their schedule -- it was more than worth it. Sol and Matt are not only adorable individually as well as in a pair, they are an excellent photographic dynamic duo! Energetic, talented, always surveying for the best shots. I loved watching them work! And I loved working with them. They are fun and serious at the same time. And the results! It seems like they captured just about every moment that (for me) went by in a blur and was over way too quickly. They were everywhere and I don't know how they did it. A couple of days after the wedding we met them for a stress relieving and super fun TTD. Since they live in the area, they know amazing spots and are highly skilled at making it look completely secluded even when it's not. The cenote we went to was kind of crowded on the day we were there. They were great and professional and as other people around us were watching, they unobtrusively but effectively cleared people out of the camera's way. I am not the most natural person when a camera is pointing at me, but I felt so at ease with them, and very comfortable. And not just at ease - it was a blast!! We had so much fun and if there was anything we felt like doing, they would take the idea and add to it, so it was a creative, dynamic pretty much amazing experience. I had such a fun time swimming in my dress - I didn't want to leave! My hubby agreed that it was really fun and the perfect antidote to the stress of wedding planning. And the photos - I have never looked so good

Hi ladies, Any more recent suggestions for hair and makeup in Playa del Carmen? A salon recommendation would be great, or someone who could travel to Tulum or Xpu-ha bay (20 min south of Playa del Carmen)? I've also heard of le BLEUE in Playa from my WC, but they seem very expensive. Thanks!

Hi Maura, Here's an article my friend found yesterday. Riviera Maya: Clausura Profepa los dos principales hoteles en el Parque Nacional Tulum I used google to translate, but maybe you can do a better job. Thanks!!

Does anyone have an update on the government seizures of hotels in Tulum? I heard a rumor that Eurostar Blue Tulum and Ana y Jose are slated to be closed. Any info is much appreciated!

Thank you Maura. This is so intense for those of us planning our upcoming weddings in Tulum. Would you consider making this thread into a sticky? I want to monitor this very carefully. Thanks!

Quote: Originally Posted by neen when are you planning to get married? there are two great bungalow-style non-AIs on riviera maya, but they are both due to close around april 09, but if your date is before then, they may be good options...one is the shangri-la caribe which we seriously considered but dropped off our list because our wedding was too close to their original closing date neen, can you tell us the name of the other bungalow-style non-AI that you know about? I love the look of the sangri-la caribe, and I'd love to check out the other place too! Thanks!

Hi Debbie, I'm just like you. We went to Tulum last year and loved it. We decided to get married there, then decided that it was too rustic for our guests. Recently we decided "so what" and next week I am going back on a scouting trip to pick out a place for real. As I am planning, I'm feeling the pull of the AIs, because no one will complain that there is no AC or that there isn't enough service. Also, having a one stop shop sounds appealing. However, I'm going to try still. I am considering giving guests a couple of AIs to pick from if they'd rather stay there, but I really did want everyone in close proximity for the hang out factor. The closest I've come so far to a small AI is Esencia, which someone (Sarah?) just posted about. It's gorgeous, but I'm not prepared to ask my guests to spend that much. I'll share whatever knowledge I come home with. Also, I hope that someone out there with more Tulum experience can throw some ideas our way! Good luck! Michelle

Hi Ladies, I'm going for my one and only scouting trip next week to Tulum. It's a last minute trip so I'm not very prepared yet. Any suggestions from more experienced scouters? I am making appointments to see Ana y Jose and another small place, Cabanas La Luna. Does anyone know of other places on the beach in Tulum that are conducive to a smallish wedding? Any suggestions on what to ask for at the meetings and what to bring (for planning)? I am going to try to do a tasting at each place. Thanks for any and all info and help! I'll report back anything useful that I learn. Michelle

For the record, I have decided against Journey's End Resort (and we are not able to go this weekend). If anyone is considering Belize and Journey's End, just check out TripAdvisor first. I am finding that I trust visitors who have been (they post pics too!) far more than the resort websites themselves. So, back to square one!...

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I will definitely check out Houston and Miami. I'll report back anything I learn!

Thanks for posting all that info, Heidi! My fiance and I are considering Belize and may actually make a quick last minute trip there this weekend to check things out - if we can get a flight!! Does anyone know a great place to get last minute flights to Belize? I'm loving the Journey's End Resort right now...

Hello all, I'm Michelle, engaged for over a year, but we are only just beginning to plan. We are thinking of an autumn wedding on the beach, but that's about as detailed as we've planned so far! Hopefully we'll get lots of great ideas from everyone here! Michelle