ltl_leah

I was married there a month ago and it was absolulely perfect. You will be blown away. I wrote a review if you haven't read it yet. It's Leah's Royal PDC Review May 6, 2009. Let me know if you have any questions or need any help. Congratulations!!

Quote: Originally Posted by olsontco Which package did you choose from The Royal? I love the idea of having the dinner included for my guest the night before the wedding. thanks so much! Your wedding looks amazing! We chose the Classic Wedding Package. Because we paid more to have a private wedding reception, Zulma said that we could still get the private dinner in a restaurant that was part of the package. They have a set menu to choose from, though.

Quote: Originally Posted by TightyWhitey We used an outside vendor for photography but didn't do a TTD. However, what we did was pay for Elizabeth and her assistant to stay overnight at the resort. Booking a room for her there was cheaper than paying for a room in Playa del Carmen and then paying for day passes. Checkout the next day wasn't until 12pm so if we did do a TTD, we would have had plenty of time. We had the new Luxury Package and made use of the resort photographer as well; I wasn't happy with the quality of their photos and was really glad I hired someone else. Nonetheless, the package came with 24 photos and we picked those out. Any additional photos were $10 each and they took 88 in total. Stephanie, when we met with our WC, I mentioned that we were having an outside photographer for our wedding and she never ended up charging us for day passes. We actually should have been charged for 3 day passes because we had the photographer, the videographer, and his assistant. Zulma never mentioned a thing about paying extra and we were all prepared to pay it. I'm really glad that I didn't have the resort photographers for my wedding because I found them extremely annoying. They kept bugging people relaxing by the pool to take their pictures. And, it wasn't just ONE picture they wanted. They wanted all kinds of poses. I just wanted them to go away and buzz off!

Quote: Originally Posted by Playa2009 Leah, beautiful photos!!! I visited The Royal 2 days ago, and agree that the gazebo view is absolutely gorgeous! How many did you have at your reception? I'm trying to figure out how many could eating/dance there comfortably. I'm also trying to get an idea for the pricing of outside photography vendors - Would you mind sharing about how much Cecilia charged for the photography? Thanks and congrats!! - Alisha We had 10 of us total at the reception. I know they offer round or rectangle tables, depending on how many people you want to fit in the gazebo. I think it would still look great if you had to fit 20 or more people in the gazebo for dinner and then have the dance floor set up right outside the gazebo. I picked one of the photo packages that Cecilia offered. It was a package that offered 4 hours of service for $1000. I also paid $200 extra for a CD with all the photos. Also, she gives you at least 70 copies of prints, which not every photographer includes. She also offers videography for a discount because she works with a partner. I got a really nice video of our wedding for $400. He was there shooting with her for 4 hours.

Quote: Originally Posted by allison&kevin Really sounds wonderful Leah! COngrats! I am looking forward to getting married at the Royal now even more! Any key differences you could highlight of what you saw/experienced for the reception on the beach vs. at the gazebo? We were originally going to have it on the beach, but we saw a wedding reception set up in the gazebo and we changed our minds immediately. It was too beautiful to NOT have it there. The beach is very windy, especially at night. We just didn't want to deal with all the wind. Plus, I don't think you would be able to hear the background music as well. The gazebo has speakers on the outside of it and the sound system was great.

I did manage to post some of the professional pics on my review thread. My photographer was Cecilia Dumas and I love my photos. I am still trying to figure out a way to post my video. http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t43372

I finally was able to get some photos on here. All the files were too large and I had to make them smaller.

Hi Ladies, I know it's been a while since we got back, but I finally was able to do a review. We were waiting for our video so we could include it our review. Until later, Leah http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...372#post819436

Leah’s Wedding Review The Royal PDC May 6, 2009 6:00pm at the gazebo Resort: We definitely made the correct choice. I especially wanted my family and friends to be impressed with the resort and The Royal did not disappoint. Let me start off by saying that the Swine Flu was probably on our side and worked to our advantage the entire trip. Capacity was never over 38% the entire week so we had impeccable service. We had reserved an Oceanview room before arrival, hoping to get our free upgrade. We could not upgrade until we had spoken with our WC and she got us the upgrade to an Oceanfront room. All rooms are almost exactly the same, but with different views. We had nightly turndown service and we ordered room service for breakfast quite often. There was only one occasion where we had to wait over 30 minutes for our food. You can choose from a pillow menu if you like a certain pillow and they have aromatherapy oils that smell pretty good. My family and friends were in awe the entire time of their stay. They couldn’t stop saying how amazing everything was. My aunt and uncle have traveled to a lot of places, including Paris, and they said that they’ve never experienced a place like this before. The food was very good everywhere. We never had a bad meal. Chef’s Plate was very impressive. We caught a tuna while deep sea fishing and Pelicanos cooked it for us for lunch on our wedding day. It was fantastic; the best tuna I ever had. My parents were so excited over this place; they bought a timeshare the morning after we arrived! They want to come back every year! We decided to honeymoon in Cancun at the Royal so we could compare it to the Royal in Playa. We liked Playa better because the food was better, the service was so much more personable, and the environment was more inviting. The beach is big, lots of chairs, and lots of soft sand. It’s a beautiful resort. Airport Transfers: USA Transfers. I feel that we received a great deal through this shuttle service. We had 8 of us arriving to Cancun at the same time and the price for a round trip private shuttle was $125. It went straight to the resort and the driver even offered to stop for beer. The ride took about 45 minutes. We were very happy with them. Check-in: Checking in was a bit confusing for the staff because there were 4 couples and we had all checked in online the previous day. Some of us had the same last names and that appeared to make things confusing for them. They greeted us with cold towels and a drink. The bell boys divided up our luggage and carted it to our rooms for us. The concierge helped to explain the amenities of the resort, such as the restaurant hours and dress codes. Wedding Coordinator: Zulma Dominguez. She is the sweetest woman ever. I heard that there should be no worries before you arrive at the resort and everyone was right. She had everything together. We had our blood samples taken ($170) and chose our flowers and cake. Zulma took the CD we made for our song choices for before and after the ceremony. I recommend putting together a collection of at least 10 songs because your guest will have something to listen to while they wait for the ceremony to begin and for music while photos are being taken. It would be a good idea to keep your witnesses at hand when you meet with your WC because they have to sign documents and show their passports. The day of the ceremony, Zulma came to my hair appointment to deliver my bouquet and came to my room before I walked down the aisle. Ceremony: Civil. We chose the civil ceremony at 6:00 pm with a judge located at the gazebo. The judge was a very nice woman and spoke very good English. The steps were difficult to ascend because the red carpet makes the steps shorter. My dad really had to help to prevent me from stepping on the hem of my dress and falling on my face. The judge had a very nice reading and the ceremony seemed as if it lasted between 15-20 minutes. You have to put a finger print on the documents and sign them, along with your witnesses. I loved the time we chose because it wasn’t really hot and the sun was beautiful. The gazebo was a perfect location. There didn’t appear to be many onlookers and gawkers on the beach. When I was walking down the path through the garden with my dad, there were some people watching from their balconies. The said, “congratulations†or “you look beautifulâ€. I really didn’t mind that they were watching. I asked Zulma how much it would cost to get the marriage certificate translated to English and she told me the Mexican Consulate charges $150. I decided to get that done back home. Photography: Cecilia Dumas. I had read many review of her work here on BDW, so I was convinced that she was going to be perfect. Communicating with her my email throughout the planning process was easy and helpful. I was very excited to meet her. She’s very friendly, cute, and energetic. I was extremely nervous while getting my hair done in the salon. I didn’t want my mom with me because then I’d be all emotional. Cecilia arrived and kept me company in the salon, while taking pictures. She noticed my nervousness and did a great job distracting me. I don’t know what I would have done if she wasn’t there to keep me company. While taking photos, she is very easy to follow. She seemed to have good ideas for amazing photo opportunities. Cecilia is also very open to your ideas and must have pictures. She knew that we were honeymooning in Cancun, so she dropped our pictures at the resort. We looked at them for hours. They are that amazing. We paid the extra $200 for a copy of the pictures on a CD. Well worth it. There are so many pictures that she takes, it was nice to see them all. I enjoyed how she would get an amazing photo and she’d get excited and just have to show us it on her camera. She is worth every penny. I can’t stop looking at my photos! Videography: Benjamin Solis. We chose to get a video made at the last minute. Cecilia offered a discount if we booked photography and video together. We had to email Benjamin our songs after the wedding. We just received our video in the mail yesterday and we loved it. He did an excellent job. I definately recommend him. Reception: Gazebo. We chose one of the new wedding packages that allowed us to pay extra for a private 3 hour reception. We saw a wedding dinner set up in the gazebo the night we arrived and thought it looked gorgeous. When we met with Zulma, we chose our entrees and cake flavor. We received a 4 course meal that included a shrimp salad, asparagus soup, seafood stuffed chicken breast, and strawberry pie dessert. We chose a tres leches cake and it was big enough to feel 20 people. Everyone though it was very good. They set up a private bar, sound system, and light up dance floor. I had my Ipod hooked up to play music on shuffle. It was really amazing and very fun. The service they gave us that evening was first class. Excellent, excellent. Rehearsal Dinner: Maria Marie. With our new wedding package, we could have a special dinner in one of the restaurants anytime during our stay. We chose to have a dinner the day before our wedding in Maria Marie. This place is beautiful and the service was exceptional. We chose our food from a set menu when we met with Zulma. We had spinach soufflé, tenderloin steak, and nutella chocolate cannoli for dessert. All of the food was amazing as well as the restaurant environment. Flowers: Bouquet, boutonniere, centerpiece for altar. I chose white calla lilies for my bouquet and the boutonniere and a centerpiece for the altar that included birds of paradise, ginger, roses, and oriental lilies. It was absolutely gorgeous. I got the inspiration from the extremely large flower arrangement in the lobby. I looked at the photos that Zulma had for bouquet choices. I wanted the calla lilies, but didn’t like the green leaves around the flowers. I asked Zulma if they could leave those off and they did. I liked them better without all the green. They took a bunch of lilies and tied them up with a white ribbon. You can choose which color of ribbon you want. Hair and make-up: Rosa from the resort salon and Erica from MAC on 5th Ave. Zulma booked me a hair appointment when I met with her for the day of the wedding. I took a shower, walked to 5th Ave. to the Ultrafemme where MAC is, and got my makeup done. I got back to the resort at 3:40 and went straight to get my hair done. I had a make-up trial a couple days before and liked it a lot. Erica does a really good job and she asks you how you’d like to look. Rosa did an excellent job on my hair, despite the language barrier. One of the spa people came in to translate. I was told that the salon had pictures so that you can show them exactly how you want your hair. I found that the only pictures they had were from high class bridal magazines. I had to ask my mom to bring down the pictures I brought, “just in caseâ€. Thank goodness I had them, or I may not have liked my hair. Cecilia also helped me explain to Rosa how I wanted my hair. She was such a big help. My hair and make-up stayed fresh throughout the evening, even through the wind. Part of my curls did fall a little flat, but it didn’t look bad. Overall, my wedding was everything I wanted and more. I would definitely recommend the Royal to any couple looking for a place to get married. They do a fantastic job and will cater to your every need. I can’t wait to go back.

Today's the day! Found out that we are the only wedding today!

Hello, it's Leah, reporting from the Royal in PDC! We arrived on Friday and it's been wonderful and perfect. Anyone who is coming here soon has nothing to worry about. The resort is absolutely gorgeous!! My family can't stop gushing about it. My parents were already planning a trip back here next year, the morning after we arrived!! We met with Zulma yesterday to go over our plans. She is the nicest, cutest thing ever. She took care of everything. Girls, if you were planning on getting one of the "new" wedding packages, I suggest bringing a copy of the package from the realresorts website. It helped her to figure out what was included and she took a photocopy of it. I suggest getting one of the new packages, you get so much more. Plus, the judge or minister fee is $100 less than previously posted. When you have your scheduled meeting with your WC, make sure that you bring your witnesses and their passports/tourist cards to the meeting. They have to sign paperwork, as well. We have no complaints so far. The staff is wonderful, food is great, and the resort is not even near full capacity. It's nice to get a section of 8 chairs by the pool without any problems. I was still nervous on the flight here, with the the whole "outbreak" thing going on, but once I got here, I felt as ease. They have hand sanitizer stations at every restaurant, which is such as good idea. No one is wearing masks. There were quite a few people wearing them at the airport. The airport appeared very slow and there weren't swarms of people everywhere. No worries! We had reservations at ME Cancun for our honeymoon and I just got an email saying they will be closing due to low capacity. We have to find somewhere else to stay. On the bright side, we can probably find great deals at fabulous places because of the cancellations they are facing. I'll check in later in the week to give you a progress report. Take it easy, girls!

Hello everyone. I still plan on leaving for Mexico tomorrow morning as planned. Out of the 12 of us that were going, only 2 aren't able to go due to the outbreak. My FH parents both suffer from health problems and the doctor strongly recommended they not go. Luckily, they took out the insurance and will get a refund. It is sad that they can't be there to see us get married. I had a better day yesterday. Still on the fence as to how I feel today. I just got a call from work saying that I can't come back to work for 7 days from when I get back. I'm not entirely mad because I work for the federal govt. and I'm sure it's coming down from DC. I am a bit irritated from it, though. I get to take sick leave, so that's good. Well, I guess I get an extended vacation out of all of this! I reflect on if I should have just kept our original date of Sept. 10, 2009 for our wedding and wonder if things could have been better that way. Then I think, if our wedding was in Sept., we probably have our wedding ruined by a tropical storm or hurricane! I guess I can't win either way. There's no sense in thinking about all the "what ifs". I'm so sorry to hear about all the brides who have cancelled their weddings. My heart goes out to all of you. I was not going to bring my laptop to the resort, but since I know many of you would like to hear what's going on while I'm there, I will bring it along. Good luck to everyone and wish me luck while we're there!

I am a big ball of stress right now. I leave on Friday morning. At least my family and friends who are attending are taking the flu thing in stride and aren't completely freaking out. I work for the federal governent and my "big wig" boss emailed me yesterday about going, saying I should make alternative plans. I'm getting a lot of grief from management about going to Mexico. They can't tell me I can't go, but they are definately causing me stress. My family is being very supportive. I am trying to get myself to believe that the media is sensationalizing the outbreak. I just hope that it doesn't get worse by Friday. istephiez: I am also wondering if the resort offers any type of cancellation policy without penalties. I am so close to my arrival that I doubt that they would give a full refund.

I am very panicked because I leave for Riviera Maya on Friday. I don't see it getting better by then. Hopefully not worse........