SunnyBride

We leave tomorrow for our wedding on the 29th! I can't believe how quickly it's come. Our ceremony is at 4 and we have about 40 people coming. I would like to do a receiving line after the ceremony, but am just worried that if it takes too long, we'll run out of light for the photographer, because I think the sun sets around 5:30. Should I forgo it and just talk to everyone at the private reception?

Quote: Originally Posted by HaleGrifa Hey Sunny Bride Not long now before we depart for Mexico. My group departs on January 24 for our January 29th Wedding. How has planning gone for you? What have you pre-booked? Who is your WC? What time & location is your ceremony and reception? Wishing you all the best ~ See you in Mexico Ciao Laura Hi Laura, I'm getting SO EXCITED!! Most of our guests are meeting us there on January 24th, but we're leaving this Friday, so just under two days to go. Planning has gone pretty well. I'm working with Lily, and she's been really responsive and easy to work with. We've got the flowers, centerpieces, cake, etc all arranged, along with equipment for a slide show (we're inside in the Ballroom Carey). How did that stuff go for you? Who was your wedding coordinator? We'll have a welcome dinner on the Sunday night, because some family members don't arrive until then at the Italian restaurant (El Mangar?). I can't remember the name right now. The ceremony is at 4:00 on January 29th at the Tucan Gazebo - same time as yours, I think? Are you going to the disco later in the night after your reception? We'll have to keep an eye out for each other. Best of luck with your wedding and your trip! Janet

I found out yesterday morning that my aunt has unexpectedly passed away. She is my dad's sister, and I can tell that he's really upset. We all leave for Mexico this Friday - my parents spend the winter in Phoenix, so they'll fly back to Vancouver for the funeral Thursday, leave that night to fly back to Phoenix, so they can catch the flight they originally booked from Phoenix to Cancun. There isn't anyone else from my dad's side of the family coming, but I would still like to do something to acknowledge her just for him. What do you do in a circumstance like this? Has anyone had experience with someone passing away unexpectedly so close to their wedding?

LOL - too funny!

With the photo packages, for anyone who has already been to the Moon Palace, does the photographer usually take some family/bridal party shots and then just the bride and groom on their own? I'm trying to set out a wedding day itinerary and want to make sure I tell all the right people when they need to be around for photographs.

This is exactly why this forum is so useful - for giving us brides a bit of perspective! I think I was getting a bit carried away; your responses make me think this isn't such a big deal. I guess I was just trying to imagine this at any wedding I've ever been to (none of which were destination weddings) and it seemed so out of place to me.

Quote: Originally Posted by Dana_C Hey ladies! Does anyone know if MP has you sign something (like a cute certificate etc.) if you do the symbolic ceremony? I still want to have those pics and sign something since we won't be telling our guests that we'll be legally married before we go down... We are doing the exact same thing, and my wedding coordinator told me that there will be a symbolic certificate that we'll sign at the ceremony.

We have about 40 guests coming to our wedding in Mexico; On my family's side, one of my parents friends 60th birthday is January 29th, which is the same day that we're getting married. At the reception, during the dinner, Mom wants me to have the emcee announce her birthday and have everyone sing Happy birthday. I don't think it's appropriate, given that it's our wedding dinner, though I would be fine having the emcee acknowledge that it's her birthday (just no singing). I think it detracts from our wedding day! What are your thoughts? Am I being unreasonable/bridezilla? Would you do it??

Thank you guys for posting about what to tell my guests - it is definitely helpful to know that the restaurants don't take reservations, and where to get the entertainment schedules, etc. We are also getting the 'Promotion' package where you get the two free tours included as a part of your week. Does anyone know if the tours fill up quickly, or if it's possible to reserve a spot in advance? We had wanted to do the Tulum tour with the snorkeling in the afternoon as a group activity. I talked to the resort to see if I could reserve a block of seats and they said that everyone has to be at the hotel before we can book. I don't want to suggest it as a group activity and then have people get turned away if the tours fill up quickly...does anyone know how that works? Thank you so much for your help!

Hi Ladies, I was looking for a bit of advice from anyone who's been to the Moon Palace before. We leave for our wedding in 2 1/2 weeks (yikes!) and I want to put together a little welcome letter that I'll send to our guests about a week before we leave. I was going to include 'useful information', for instance that you should bring biodegradable sunscreen, and how to book a airport transfer to the hotel, but I'm wondering what other kinds of things I should mention? Does anyone know if it's hard to get into the restaurants so you should make your reservations right away, or where you can go to see the nightly shows, etc., etc.? It's hard doing this having never been to the resort. If anyone has input, I would be so grateful!!

Hi Ladies! We booked a civil wedding ceremony with a group package, so that when we had 10 rooms booked we would get a free cocktail reception, etc. Now we are thinking about making our ceremony symbolic, and getting married here first (but not telling anybody). Does anyone know if you get the same group deals with a symbolic ceremony as with a civil? I don't see why it would matter, but you never know, and my wedding coordinator hasn't gotten back to me yet...

Quote: Originally Posted by SunnyBride Hi Joy, How long are you reserving the ballroom for? Are you planning on having your guests stay there for the whole night, or moving over to the disco at some point? We are also booking into one of the ballrooms for a private function, and I want to start all the dances there, but I can't decide if we should pay extra and stay there all night or just book it for about four hours. I know if you book an outdoor location you have to close it down by 10:30, but just wondering what other people in indoor locations are thinking... Thanks Joy! That definitely helps. It's good to get an idea of what other people are doing... So, if you end up going to the disco later, will you keep your dress on? For the other brides-to-be, are you planning on wearing your wedding dresses to the disco later? I can't decide if I should change or not. Do you know what you're planning for a group event? We were thinking about choosing one of the free tours and doing that with everyone, but I'm not sure. On the Knot, they suggest not doing anything that would take more than three hours, and I think a lot of the tours take longer than that...

Quote: Originally Posted by ErikDaGenErik hi! we're having a ceremony at 2pm and this is how our day looks so far: 2pm - 3pm Catholic Ceremony (full mass for an hour) 3pm - 4pm Pictures formal and candid at Chapel Gazebo and wedding party 4pm - 5pm Photo session with newlywed bride and groom (this may overlap with the previous photo sessions 5pm - 6pm Cocktail Hour at Chapel Garden or Terrace 6:30 Full Reception and party at Ballroom (we're giving people 30 minutes to change for teh reception and/or walk to ballroom. we were going back and forth debating whether to have teh ceremony at 2pm or 3pm, but decided with 2 pm so our day is not so packed together just in case we need more time for pictures. most of the receptions ive been to have an average of 2 hours between ceremony and reception. this is also the max # of hours guests should wait for teh reception, per Brides Magazine. hope this helps! Hi Joy, How long are you reserving the ballroom for? Are you planning on having your guests stay there for the whole night, or moving over to the disco at some point? We are also booking into one of the ballrooms for a private function, and I want to start all the dances there, but I can't decide if we should pay extra and stay there all night or just book it for about four hours. I know if you book an outdoor location you have to close it down by 10:30, but just wondering what other people in indoor locations are thinking...

Quote: Originally Posted by amduran I think for the actual ceremony, the CD is the only option. I had to pick 5 songs and burn them on a CD. I changed the order a bit from what they recommended. My songs coincided with the following 5 activities: 1) processional (bridesmaids/groomsmen), 2) bridal entrance, 3) sand ceremony, 4) cutting of the cake, 5) recessional. Since we were in Mexico, I really wanted mariachis... so I had them come in at the beginning of my reception (not during the cocktail hour). As far as hearing the music, you are on the aisle/walkway for such a short amount of time (even shorter in the other gazebos) and there is so much going through your mind that I am not sure how loud the music was. I vaguely remembering hearing something, but I can't really say how loud it was. I really don't think it is a big deal because everything happens so fast... Inside the gazebo, the volume was not an issue. I know that in the information I got they said to pick four songs for the CD player. We aren't planning on having the cake cutting there, or having a sand ceremony, so would I just pick one for the processional, one for the bridal entrance, and then a recessional song? How long were people waiting in the gazebo before you got there? I would like to have some music playing for people while they are sitting and waiting for us to arrive, but I'm not sure if that's an option. Did you have champagne at the gazebo after the wedding? Is there any music playing for that? I would pose these questions to my wedding coordinator but I STILL don't have one assigned, and I'm less than two months away now!