Graciela

I got married at the Valentin Imperial May May 8, 2009 and chose this hotel on the fact that it had a beautiful onsite wedding chapel! The resort is just the perfect size for a destination wedding: not too small for your guests to be bored, and not too big for your guest to get lost from one another. The service is amazing. Perfect location in between Cancun and Playa del Carmen so your guests can do the party thing in Cancun (if they want) or choose to go for a stroll in Playa Del Carmen which is only 10 min away. Feel free to check out my wedding pics as our photographer (Del Sol Photography) took many photos during the ceremony as it was a catholic ceremony with all the trimmings. Good luck in your search! Im sure no matter where you choose, it will be a beautiful wedding!!! 05.08.09 Graciela y Jamie | Wedding at Valentin Imperial Maya | Photos by Vincent

Quote: Originally Posted by t777a Graciela i saw a dance floor at the reception, was that extra ? Yes the dancefloor was extra. I hired an outside DJ for my wedding. DJ Dorremix (Ivan Gomez) who I highly recommend. I wrote a review for him if you would like to read it. His website is http://doremixx.com/ and you can email him at [email protected] or [email protected]

Hello Ladies! As promised, here are my professional pictures from our wedding! We got Marco Cossu to do some pics during the reception (which is included in the Unforgettable Package - 36 pics) but if photos play an important part in your wedding, which they did for me, I highly suggest DELSOL Photography. Vincente did our pics, he's a bit cheaper then Sol or Matt but in my opinion just as good. Our slideshow: 05.08.09 Graciela y Jamie | Wedding at Valentin Imperial Maya | Photos by Vincent All 352 pics: ..:: Pictage | Registration ::.. (You have to become a member to this website, just click "other") Just want to send out a congrats to Hailadam and Soon2bePowers! Glad to hear that your weddings were everything you hoped for and more!

We hired Doremixx as our DJ for our wedding at the Valentin Imperial Maya on May 8, 2009. I had the opportunity to go to Cancun several times with work so I met with a few DJs to see what they had to offer. When I met Ivan Gomez I knew he was the DJ I wanted! Such a professional business person! He will email you a list of all his songs and even a list of suggested songs for 1st dance, father and bride, cake songs, etc. Ivan can even download a song if he doesnt have it and within minutes he can play it for you! A few "wow's" I have to mention about Ivan....I emailed him in the middle of the night once to tell him I was coming the next day and he emailed me back...in the middle of the night! Another time I texted him to see how big the dance floor was we were renting (because we were doing a choreographed 1st dance) and he texted me back within 5 min! I HIGHLY recommend him to keep the party going! His price is very reasonable for what he has to offer. Ivan came with a helper to help him provide the excellent service I was confident we were going to get from hiring him. His package comes with an abundance of items (sevices, cordless microphone, robotic lights, cold fireworks (great for 1st dance!) neon bracelets, balloons, masks, etc. etc. His website is http://doremixx.com/ and you can email him at [email protected] or [email protected] Muchisimas Gracias Ivan!!!!!

Hola amigas! Basically there are 4 "outside" locations you can choose for your reception: 1. La Terrasa (The Terrace) next to La Hacienda (mexican) restaurant - This is where I chose to have my reception and in my opinion, the nicest. Hidden in a corner part of the resort where no other guests can get to unless they come along a path to this area where the waiters will stop them from entering. We had made friends with alot of the guests staying in the hotel previously (since the hotel was so empty due to influenza) so we just kindly asked them to return after the speeches and they are more than welcome to join for the dancing afterwards. Perfect for a party over 20, less than I would choose a restaurant, gazebo or lobster pot. 2. Gazebo - stunning wedding like gazebo located next to the chapel. We had our cocktail/appy hour here after the ceremony which was perfect since we got married in the chapel. It is very open so not very private but I think it would be quite charming for a smaller wedding (15-30) with the right decorations. Plus the gazebo lights up at night so its very beautiful for pics! 3. Lobster Pot - An area attached to the Mar y Tierra restaurant which is located next to the beach. In my opinion, more low key but with the right decorations it could look nice for a smaller wedding (under 20) Nice thing about it is its close to the beach. The next 2 are for larger weddings: The Beach: I saw some pics of weddings they hosted on the beach, tent and all. Looked very beautiful but I think it suits more larger weddings (50 and up) The Plaza: The square in the middle of the resort. This area is very public but would be great for a large wedding and 50 and up. And of course you can choose to have your wedding in any of the restaurants which I would suggest for smaller weddings (10-20). I hear the french restaurant is a nice venue but it was closed the night we went to eat there. Coordination of my wedding: In think we can all agree that we have been through a few different wedding coordinators at the VM. I had went in February for a visit and went through all the details (ceremony/reception location, flowers, wedding cake, etc.) when I arrived they had no recollection of that paperwork. 3 days before, I called them to let them know I was coming just because I was sure they were having cancellations. They didnt relay the info to eachother and when I arrived she was surprised to see me. This was the first thing gone wrong and I could go into every detail of all the others but at the end of it all I look back at my wedding and am thankful I HAD ONE. They got quite a few things wrong with what I wanted and not to mention alot of my decorations "went missing" after the wedding but I have to keep on reminding myself of the others that had to postpone or reroute their wedding to another location. JLRJen: If you can afford to get a outside WC, I would highly suggest it. Either that or have a forceful MOA to make sure they are doing what you want. Especially if you want to make sure every detail doesnt get missed a WC will make sure of that for you. My mother, God bless her, had to run around the day of my wedding making sure everything was getting done because all my bridesmaids didnt show up due to the influenza and my MOA showed up last min. I wish we had better coordination and then my mother would have enjoyed the day more.... As for the good.... We hired DELSOL Photography for the wedding....wow! So happy we did!!! Vincent was our photographer and in my opinion just as good as husband and wife team Matt and Sol and a bit cheaper. Had to pay $100 to get him and Paco (his helper) in and that didnt include their dinner though! Had to pay $65 each for them to eat basically our food what we had leftover, whatever, we are just happy to have hired him. Didnt get to see the pics cause he wouldnt let me nor my hubby see them cause if will spoil the surprise but our fam did and they say they were amazing!!! We will get them in late June. DOREMIXX was the DJ I hired for the music. I had the opportunity to go to Cancun several times with work so I met with a few DJs to see what they had to offer. When I met Ivan Gomez I knew he was the DJ I wanted! Such a professional business person! I emailed him in the middle of the night once to tell him I was coming and he emailed me back right away! Another time I texted him from Canada to see how big the dance floor we were renting was (because we were doing a choreographed 1st dance) and he texted me back within 5 min! I HIGHLY recommend him to keep the party going! His price was $650 for 5 hrs which included an abundance of items (sevices, cordless microphone, robotic lights, cold fireworks (great for 1st dance!) neon bracelets, balloons, masks, etc. etc. His website is http://doremixx.com/ and you can email him at [email protected] or [email protected] Thats is for now girls, think Ive rambled on too long. Feel free to send me a private mess if you want to know more!

Hello Ladies!!!!! First of all I would like to apologize to all of you for not being involved in the forum when I too once was a newbie with lots of question about the Valentin and RM. I got married at the Valentin last friday and it was AMAZING!!! I highly encourage those who are deliberating on canceling because of the flu virus to NOT CANCEL!!! I too have been effected by this horrible virus when every single one of my friends had to cancel their flights including all my bridesmaids. We had a guestlist from 45 down to 20 but I realize that it was OUR day not those who were supposed to attend. My heart goes out to Colby and others who have no choice but to move their wedding to another location.....Im so sorry you are going through this after all your hard work! But to those who CAN still have their wedding in the RM....dont cancel! Once you are down here it feels like all the huge the media has made is ridiculous and you will still have the wedding of your dreams!!! Again, I apologize for being a stranger, after all I was the one who started this forum a year ago. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the Valentin and I will be more than happy to answer your questions. Good luck my Valentiners!!!!

I havent planned anything with Guadalupe yet...I plan to do a visit down there sometime this month or next which I told her that I will be doing. I would like to check out some of their decorations otherwise I will be bringing some down myself. From what I have heard you do all the flowers, wedding cake, menu, etc. the day you arrive at the hotel. Im going to try to do it earlier so that I can spend more time with my guests. So far I have just put the $800 deposit as well so think thats pretty standard. Have you decided on a photographer? We are going with Delsol Photography, they are amazing and come highly recommended. Pictures are very important to me as well hence the reason we decided on Delsol. Quote: Originally Posted by soon2bePowers For those of you who are for sure getting married at the Valentin, what have you planned so far with the WC? I have reserved my date and put down a deposit. I have yet to pick a location, discuss flowers, discuss a menu, have any of you done any of that?

Let all of us know if there is any way of getting a child in for our wedding day at the Valentin. I would really like to have my nephew at the event and Im having the guilts for choosing a resort that doesnt allow children. There must be a way....

They do decorate the reception for you depending on which wedding package you purchase. There are several nice places on the resort you can choose for your reception. This all depends on how many guests you will be having. For a smaller group the gazebo is very nice and for a bit larger the terrace is absolutely beautiful with a fountain in the middle! I did a site visit back in July and fell in love with this place! They do allow outside vendors including an outside photographer, you just need to pay as if they were a guest - $100 which is very reasonable since some other resorts I know charge $400. For any future Valentin Brides out there who would like to use the chapel for a Catholic wedding I have very good news! My WC Guadalupe sent me an email a few weeks ago and I would like to share it with you all! "I am very pleased to inform you that Father Bernard who officiates the weddings her with us has given us the OK to have masses here in the year 2009. Our little chapel is now more than ready for your coming event. I hope we can continue your plan to get married here" So if you are planning for a religious ceremony for your wedding I highly recommend this place! I searched all the resorts in the Mayan Riviera which had on-site chapels and this by far is the most beautiful one in my opinion! Good luck ladies and to Amyrak: I know your wedding is coming up very quickly....I would like to wish you a beautiful most memorable wedding!!!

Have you checked out Trip Advisor? Theres a ton of info plus the travelers pics will give you a basic idea of the grounds of the resort. Guillermo is right, you can basically make the decisions of your ceremony/reception when you get there. I plan on going there a few times before my wedding to go over catering, decorations, religious ceremony, etc. but only because Im lucky that my job sends me to Cancun quite a bit in the winter and I just dont want to hassle with this stuff on my first day there with all my family and friends present. I had to pay a $800 non refundable deposit to book my wedding there but maybe because you have confirmation from your TA that you are for sure staying there thats why you didnt have to put a deposit down. Good luck with your planning and lets keep in touch!

Hello Everyone! I just got back last night from a 24hr layover in Cancun and the Valentin Imperial Maya and it is everything I thought it was going to be and more! Im a flight attendant for a canadian airline and work on an on-call basis as I am fairly new. So when crew scheduling called me on friday night and told me I had to go to Cancun saturday morning I nearly hit the roof! Just what I have been wanting....a chance to go and check out the Valentin! Guadalupe was supposed to be off at 1pm that day but she kind heartedly waited for me to arrive until 6:30 and showed me the place until 8pm....bless her! The chapel is as beautiful as I envisioned it would be and the gazebo is right next to it for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres after the ceremony while you get your pics done! Lelly, I totally agree with you about the terrace....WOW! I love that its private and with the fountain in the middle I think it will be beautiful. Of course with no hesitations I booked my wedding date there....YEAH! May, 8,2009 Soooo happy! Guadalupe says that if you want a priest to just give you a blessing ceremony that its not a problem, you will just have to go to the courthouse afterwards and sign the documents after which I am cool with as long as I have my ceremony in THAT chapel. I didnt take many pictures because by the time I got there it was pretty dark and my pics were not turning out but FYI: Before I went I saw tons of pictures on Trip Advisor so I basically had a very good idea of the resort. You just search "Valentin Imperial Maya" and look under "traveler photos" There must be over 100! If anyone else out there is considering this place to have your wedding, consider no more! I highly recommend it! Please feel free to contact me if you would like any further info! Im booked....Yeah!!

Wow Lelly, that great information! Thank you so much, your input is so appreciated! I am in the exactly same situation as you are in relation to wanting my ceremony in the chapel as well to have a catholic wedding.....how sure was Guillermo in saying that they wont be have catholic weddings on the resort amymore? I am IN LOVE with that chapel and havent considered the ceremony anywhere else. I did a site visit in Playa Del Carmen in March and checked out those churches in town and didnt like them....too touristy there. Guadalupe, the wedding coordinator, has assured me that I CAN have my wedding in the chapel and is asking me for and $800 deposit but I dont feel comfortable giving her the deposit unless Im 100% sure that I can use the chapel. Have you given your deposit? Are you still planning on geting married at the Valentin? I saw pictures of a reception in the terrace area and I agree that it looks beautiful, what about the gazebo....do you think they could fit a wedding of 50 people there? And then she has told me that the restaurant the Lobster Pot would be the other option.....did you see that? I apologize for all the questions but so excited to hear more about your visit! Thanks again for your info and keep in touch!!

Thank you so much for all the info! Much appreiciated! Ive been doing lots of research on this place at it looks stunning but am discouraged on mishaps I have read on Trip Advisor as well. Im hoping to go and check it out in the next couple of months. Have been trying to book a date with the WC but she hasnt replied to my email in over a week! You would think for a new place they would be trying to gain a good reputation and be on top of things. The sad thing is that I have pretty much decided to go with Valentin because of the beautiful church and the price of AI for 1 week there. I have a date booked at the Iberostar Grand Pariaso on May 8 as they have a church to use there as well, but, to stay there for a week could cost my guests up to 3k as opposed to Valentin up to 2k so thats why Ive decided to change locations. Just a little frusterated because Valentin WC hasnt got back to me when Ive got the WC at Eurostars Blue practically begging for my wedding! Ive read on Trip Advisor that the service there is over the top so thinking of having my honeymoon there. They seem to go that extra mile in making your dream wedding but no church so that means no. Lelly, Im attaching the photos that Guadalupe sent me for you. You must be there right now so hope your having a great time and look forward to your info/photos when you get back!

Dear Lelly, Nice to know there are others considering this resort as its very new and agree with you that I dont think there has been many weddings there yet. I am so exicted for you that you're going there this week to get some info on the place and would greatly appreciate it if you can share some with me! Guadalupe is the coordinator there and so far has sent me some great pics but I would like to see the restaurants where the reception could be help. Let me know how it goes! Take care and enjoy the RM!

Thats so funny...Im in the exact same dilemna as you and have narrowed my options between the Iberostar and Valentin Imperial Maya as well! Weird! Leaning more towards the VIM because of costs. Are you planning to use the chapel as well? Would love to share info with you....lets keep in touch!