Ashleykmorgan

The Forum has a ton of great information on resorts and every resort has mixed reviews, so i know how terribly hard it is to decide. I actually went down to Mexico before my wedding to pick a resort, I visited Dreams, Moon Palace, Catalonia, Beach Palace, RIU, Paradissus and Palladium and I chose the Palladium...I am super super hard to please, a micromanager, super anal and it pleased me, which is saying alot. Below is a link to my pictures from Del Sol, Matt shot my wedding, he is amazing. I got married in the garden gazebo, right next to the Chapel, they finised the chapel the day before my wedding, It is BEAUTIFUL, it takes your breath away, it is honestly one of the most gorgeous structures I have ever seen, its this open aired church, with an amazing waterfall outside of it, super super pretty, you WILL NOT be disapointed trust me. Ashley + Nathan 06.12.09 | Ashley and Nathan | Grand Palladium | Photos by Matt I would be happy to answer any questions you have. I had my reception in La Laguna, there is also Gran Azul which is exactly the same they are just on different sides of the resort, Laguna is on the White Sands/Riviera Side and Azul is on Colonial/Kantenah side. They both overlook the pool, both gorgeous. There is an extra cost to having your reception in Azul or Laguna, but with 80-100 people that will be your only option, it will be around 50$ per person, depending on the meal you choose. Why dont you send me a list of your questions and I will answer them all. I will also find you some more pictures. you should also check out Palladium Addict | Palladium Addict | The Original Fan Site of the Grand Palladium Resorts, Hotels & Spas. Tons of info here, check out their Forum, it is frequent guests of the resort, so lots of great information. Let me know what else you need! I did a TON of work for the wedding, OOT bags, my own programs, pre-wedding mailers, centerpieces, everything....so just ask!

Quote: Originally Posted by YaelM Your pics are AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and i love love love ur dress! Thank you so much! I actually added the sleeve a few weeks before the wedding...IMO it made the dress. You looked beautiful!

Thank you so much everyone for your kind words and comments!

Quote: Originally Posted by NaM Thanks for posting this review. I completely agree with everything they are AWESOME! I used them at my wedding on November 21 and am waiting to get my pictures back and absolutely can't wait. I hope they come out half as gorgeous as yours, you looked stunning!!!! Thank you for your kind words!! I am sure your pictures will be amazing! Congratulations!

I know we on The Forum hear quite a bit about the talent of Del Sol, but time and time again they deliver amazing and breathtaking photos. I was honored to have them shoot my wedding, and feel so blessed Matt and Sol were able to capture the beauty of our wedding day and ttd shoot. Pre-Wedding Choosing a photographer was very difficult for me. I had already determined that I would allot a large portion of the budget for photos because in the end they are what you have to remember your day. I did A LOT of research on BDW on photographers, I can’t even tell you how many online galleries I went through over and over, but I was always drawn back to Del Sol, for so many reasons. I originally booked Diego one of their associate photographers for the wedding and Sol for the TTD. But right around my wedding date Diego actually left Del Sol, so Matt covered my wedding, which was the best wedding gift I could have ever gotten! The whole Del Sol team was great to work with leading up to the wedding, I know how busy they are in the spring and summer but they always made sure to answer my emails and even my phone calls. About my wedding time they added an office manager, Melissa who absolutely rocks, she will make sure you have all your stuff in order before, during and after your wedding; it was great to have a contact to go to with questions. Wedding The wedding was at 4pm, and Matt arrived in the lobby about 1.5 hours before, his associate photographer went to shoot the boys who were playing pool in the bar near the gazebo. Matt arrived and was a breath of fresh air, it had been a CRAZY morning due to some issues with the Apple rep, my mother was completely distraught about it, I won’t go into details but it lead to quite a bit of tension in the room while we were all getting ready. Matt arrived, very excited and started shooting away, I really had no plan for locations to shoot, etc. But Matt had it all under control, he made me feel so at ease and confident, he even tried to get all the girls to smile and laugh, he was great, my grandmother thought he was the cutest thing ever. It was about 8 million degrees on the wedding day, and I am pretty sure I sweated off all my makeup, but Matt managed to make me look amazing in his photos, they shot from all different angles and really captured those moments that I didn’t even think about, moments that you didn’t even realized happened until you look at your photos, these are the best moments. After the ceremony we headed to the saltwater pool to take some group shots. They turned out amazing, even though it was super windy. I had a few requests for traditional shots and Matt got them all, he even captured an amazing arial shot, which was the one thing I wanted since I started planning the wedding, it is now printed huge and on the wall in my living room The bridal party and the hubby and I then just headed down the beach, stopping along the way to grab drinks and just celebrate, then Nathan and I broke off to take some photos….I don’t know how he does it but Matt seemed to capture Nathan and I in are “us†moments. I really wanted some photos with the sunset, and evening light such a beautiful backdrop for photos, and of course Matt delivered. These are some of my favorite photos, so romantic I am serious when I say my heart still skips when I look at these particular shots… Matt and Rodrigo (who was also very sweet) stayed through the dance; Matt charmed the pants off my Grandma. He made sure to get shots of her reading the poem that my Grandpa wrote for her when he was in Vietnam, my mom read this poem at our ceremony, I am glad he did this, they are photos that we will always have of that moment… Matt is so talented it is ridiculous, I could go on and on…but I will move on to my ttd shoot with Sol TTD Okay….so it is the morning of the ttd shoot, actually about 2pm as that is when I woke up… I was absolutely violently ill, like could not get out of bed, ill….We were to leave for the shoot in an hour, and people, I do not get ready in an hour….I almost considered cancelling the shoot, the shoot I had been looking forward to for months. I knew how amazing Sols’ work is, and that is the only thing that I would have drug myself out of bed for. I somehow managed to throw some makeup on, and curl my hair. We got in the cab to head into Playa and I threw up into my purse the whole time, as for some reason we couldn’t pull over. We arrived and met Sol, who was soooo sweet. I told her I was feeling ill and she bought me some soda crackers and 7 up…. I threw up a few more times, and had a major case of the cold sweats, seriously it was awful… I sweated off all my makeup and was totally pale (well, pale for me, I am Greek so generally have a dark skin tone) I could not even walk; we had to just sit for about the first 20 minutes. Sol was so patient and reassuring. I felt so bad for her, I know it must be difficult to try and shoot beautiful images of your subjects when one of them is trying not to throw up. But somehow she managed. The beach she took us to was beautiful and there was a rainbow, she got some AMAZING shots with the rainbow. She was so kind and motivated me to just tough it out, that she was capturing great images, Sol is really what got me through it. Sol’s style is beautiful and vibrant; she is equally these qualities as a person. I am so glad we did the ttd, even though I was so sick. Post Wedding Ahhh. The day the pictures arrived. I sat at my desk frozen; I couldn’t wait to see them… I started clicking through the slideshow and tears filled my eyes. It literally felt like I was back in Mexico, on my wedding day..The pictures just brought me right back there. I clicked thorough them hundreds of times, just crying…. My eyes glued to the screen. They were so beautiful and indescribable and you could just feel the moments through them….they were priceless. They still give me the goosebumps when I look through them. I forwarded the link to EVERYONE… peoples comments were the best to hear, most of them commented they were the most beautiful photos they had ever seen, I still get compliments about them 6 months later. I had an at home reception in August after our June wedding and Del Sol worked so hard to get me my photos by then so I could display them. I had 8x10’s everywhere and people were just awed, they would just gather around the picture area, jaws dropped. Wow was pretty much the general consensus. I would just smile and say “I know….†So you can about gather from this review what my thoughts are on Del Sol….Best decision I made about the wedding (besides the groom) Honestly they will deliver, your photos will be amazing…and you won’t worry about a thing. The talent Matt and Sol possess is truly a gift, and they are so consistent in their work, this is reassuring for brides. Do not hesitate; don’t think twice, the Del Sol Team is the way to go… Here is my link 06.12.09 | Ashley and Nathan | Grand Palladium | Photos by Matt

Thank you:) and to answer your questions. My girls did their own hair, I wanted them to look like them, no updo wedding hair, they were cool with it, and I think they looked great. I am obsessed with hair so I used Doranna, a hairstylist I found on this site, she was hella expensive but to me worth it because I am a total hair person and I knew if I loved my hair then I would be happy. I would totally recommend her, she was AWESOME her website is Doranna Hair Stylist - Freelance Italian Hair Stylist - Playa del Carmen - Riviera Maya - Cancun - Tulum The reception decor I brought most of it myself, the lanterns i made my dad lug down in this huge suitcase, the table runners were actually a wallpaper border that i ordered online, the vases were bought at the wal-mart in playa, the bride that got married the week before me and I split the cost of them, we brought down floating candles for inside of them. I also brought the tea light holders and tea lights, but the hurricane candle vases were the resorts, and were really pretty. Any other questions email me at [email protected]

Thank you:) and to answer your questions. My girls did their own hair, I wanted them to look like them, no updo wedding hair, they were cool with it, and I think they looked great. I am obsessed with hair so I used Doranna, a hairstylist I found on this site, she was hella expensive but to me worth it because I am a total hair person and I knew if I loved my hair then I would be happy. I would totally recommend her, she was AWESOME her website is Doranna Hair Stylist - Freelance Italian Hair Stylist - Playa del Carmen - Riviera Maya - Cancun - Tulum The reception decor I brought most of it myself, the lanterns i made my dad lug down in this huge suitcase, the table runners were actually a wallpaper border that i ordered online, the vases were bought at the wal-mart in playa, the bride that got married the week before me and I split the cost of them, we brought down floating candles for inside of them. I also brought the tea light holders and tea lights, but the hurricane candle vases were the resorts, and were really pretty. Any other questions email me at [email protected]

I was married at the Palladium in June so I will share with you what my costs were, as far as I know not much has changed since then, but again, I cannot be sure as costs with Mexico weddings change all the time. Your options for reception are: 1. Reserve space in one of the restaurants for your group, everyone will have to have the same dish, you will need to tell Rocio in advance what this dish is. You cannot have dancing or music here, and it will not be private, they will section off space for you. As far as I know, there is no additional cost for you to do this. 2. If you want a cocktail hour it is to take place immediately following your ceremony, the cost for this is 15-20$ per person, depending on if you do just beverage service or appetizers and beverages. This will take place where your ceremony took place, not after dinner. 3. If you want a private reception with a dance you have two options, neither one are on the beach, it will be Gran Azul or La Laguna, they are beautiful areas overlooking the pools, Laguna is on the Riveira side of the resort, Azul is on the Colonial/Kantenah. This will cost you a per plate fee depending on the menu choice, but I believe minimum is 45 or 50$ per person. If you want music you can bring an ipod and use their speakers, which alot of brides do, or you can hire a dj. You can have this reception from 7pm-11pm. I think I answered all of the questions, I know Rocio takes quite a while to respond, and it is super annoying waiting for answers, but trust me once you get down there she has it all under control. Below is a link to my professional pictures from del Sol, you can see the ceremony and reception site and tons of other stuff. I got married in the Garden Gazebo and had my reception at La Laguna with a dj. ..:: Pictage | Registration ::..

I researched on the Forum for a while to find the most highly recommended DJ and DJMannia were definately up there with the great reviews. I started emailing them a few months out from my wedding date and they always responsed almost instantly, which I know we brides love! We emailed back and forth up until the wedding, they were extremely thorough and wanted to make sure that they were doing everything they could to make the day a success. Armando was the man that I corresponded with through email, he is the Operations Director. Last minute we decided not to do our slideshow and they were totally accomodating, not charging us even though it was in our contract. When I arrived at the Reception there were about 4-5 DJMannia employees all dressed in khaki pants and black shirts looking pretty sharp. They had everything all setup and dinner music playing before our guests arrived. Armando made sure to find me right away and run through the schedule of events to make sure it was what I wanted. They played the most beautiful dinner music ever, nothing generic, it was really great versions of popular and classic songs, but versions i had never heard before, it was so soothing, the dinner music was one of my favorite parts of the evening. My family was supposed to wait and do toasts until the end of dinner but people kept getting up and wanting to talk lol and Armando was right there with the microphone and turned down the dinner music so they could speak. When the dance started they ran throught the playlist with me and let me know what kinds of music they would be playing. My bridal party kept running up to them with requests and they always accomodated them. What is great about Carlos (the main dj) is that he would mix the music so it would transition smoothly instead of just skipping one track to another, so the music literally never stopped. It was fabuous, the dancefloor was full the whole night. DJMannia was one of the best decisions we made, and I would recommend them to anyone, they are great to work with prior to the wedding and totally professional and great during your wedding. DjMannia is one decision you will definately not regret!

I researched on the Forum for a while to find the most highly recommended DJ and DJMannia were definately up there with the great reviews. I started emailing them a few months out from my wedding date and they always responsed almost instantly, which I know we brides love! We emailed back and forth up until the wedding, they were extremely thorough and wanted to make sure that they were doing everything they could to make the day a success. Armando was the man that I corresponded with through email, he is the Operations Director. Last minute we decided not to do our slideshow and they were totally accomodating, not charging us even though it was in our contract. When I arrived at the Reception there were about 4-5 DJMannia employees all dressed in khaki pants and black shirts looking pretty sharp. They had everything all setup and dinner music playing before our guests arrived. Armando made sure to find me right away and run through the schedule of events to make sure it was what I wanted. They played the most beautiful dinner music ever, nothing generic, it was really great versions of popular and classic songs, but versions i had never heard before, it was so soothing, the dinner music was one of my favorite parts of the evening. My family was supposed to wait and do toasts until the end of dinner but people kept getting up and wanting to talk lol and Armando was right there with the microphone and turned down the dinner music so they could speak. When the dance started they ran throught the playlist with me and let me know what kinds of music they would be playing. My bridal party kept running up to them with requests and they always accomodated them. What is great about Carlos (the main dj) is that he would mix the music so it would transition smoothly instead of just skipping one track to another, so the music literally never stopped. It was fabuous, the dancefloor was full the whole night. DJMannia was one of the best decisions we made, and I would recommend them to anyone, they are great to work with prior to the wedding and totally professional and great during your wedding. DjMannia is one decision you will definately not regret!

Up to 8 people is free, after that there is a 20$ per person fee, and the beach location is not private, although it is secluded you will see onlookers and beachgoers.

Okay, for you brides who are obsessed with your hair, I have the stylist for you in the RM/Cancun/Playa area. Her name is Doranna and she is fabulous. I am the type of bride that knew if her hair wasn't perfect, that the day would not go well. I am hard to please and Doranna was AMAZING! Below is my review. I will post a pic when I get my pro pics back, for now you can visit her website. Doranna Hair Stylist - Freelance Italian Hair Stylist - Playa del Carmen - Riviera Maya - Cancun - Tulum I was very nervous about having someone I have never met style my hair for my wedding. I am very particular about my hair, and knew that if I loved my hair on my wedding day, that the whole day would be a success. I didn't want a traditional updo, I wanted something special, and something "me". I found Doranna online and I am so glad that I did. Doranna came to my hotel room the day before for a trial. Doranna listened to all of my requests, asked alot of questions to make sure she was doing what I wanted, and took her time with the process to show me different options. The next day Doranna came back for the wedding and had researched some options the night before as she knew I wanted something special, she studied my requests and all I can say is WOW. My hair turned out absolutely amazing, I don't know how she knew the perfect style for me and my dress but she did. My sister and mother both cried when they saw the finished product, they couldn't believe how perfect it was. I kept looking at myself in the mirror from all angles and smiling. Doranna is truly talented, I would recommend her without a doubt, if you want to ensure your hair looks amazing then absolutely go with Doranna, she will take all the stress away and make you look just like the vision you have in your mind.

I agree!! DONT DO IT! I just got back from my amazing DW last week, and have my AHR in August. I totally want to cancel it, I already had my perfect wedding day, i don't need to do it all over again for people who didn't come to my wedding... I am DREADING it and already tried to cancel it, but we would lose our deposit...

I am actually doing this as well. We just got married last week in Mexico with about 30 guests, but one of my grandmothers and quite a few aunts and uncles were not there, so about one hour before our At Home Reception begins we are having a vow renewal for just family and close friends in the garden outside of the venue. We are using our pastor. Most pastors have a special vow renewal ceremony already prepared for use. We are going to recite the vows we wrote for eachother. I am going to wear my dress again. After this little ceremony we are going to have a champagne toast at the site and have photographer snap some family pictures. Basically, try and make it feel like a real wedding for those who couldn't or woudln't come to Mexico.

I know you have already recieved alot of responses, but I will post anyways. It really stressed me out too, the room blocks, travel agents all of that, but trust me that hotel is not going to be so full that last minute guests can't get a room. We just had our wedding at the Grand Palladium last week, not too far from the Barcelo. What we did was got a travel agent, put her information in our invites and encouraged people to book early (mostly so we could get an accurate guest count) and then let it go from there. Guests totally varried, some booked right away and some were last minute, we did send the occasional "reminder email" to get people moving. The travel agent did have a cut off date of 30 days prior to the wedding. I know the costs can add up, and everything seems so expensive, but people expect to pay when they go on a trip, no one thinks it will be cheap or free, so don't stress, your guests will make it.