maxandkatie

Hola! My husband and I just returned from our first trip to Dreams Tulum since our wedding last May 09. We got back on 3/6. Everything was fabulous! It was very crowded this time for us as last year we were there during swine flu which spoiled us because the resort was so empty. Just a reminder that during the days if you want to sit by the pools or on the beach with everyone in your wedding party, you MUST get there super early, by 9am to reserve chairs. By 10am there was not a chair available. Just throw some magazines or books or shoes on the chairs. we reserved chairs before we went to breakfast at 8am and there were definitely some reserved already. I did notice they were building this sort of wooden deck just south of where the wedding gazebo is. It looked like it is going to be for private dinners. It was being built close to the woods/jungle. There were stairs leading up to it. Again, it was in the early stages of being built, so I'm not sure exactly what it is, but it really looked like it might either be for private dinners or maybe it will be an outdoor massage thing. Thought I'd give you all an update on that. Also, the temperature during the day averaged about 79-80 degrees and at night it averaged around high 50's-60 degrees. It was actually quite chilly in the mornings until about 9:30-10am and at night from 6:30/7:00pm on. I had to throw my jeans and hoodie on one night it was so chilly. It was very different from my May 1, 2009 wedding where it was almost 90 everyday and the nights were warm. Just a heads up on that for brides getting married in the month of February 2011 and beginning of March 2011. Pack a few sweaters and long pants. We did see one wedding at the resort and I felt so bad because it was so chilly that night (50 degrees) and they were sitting outside eating. They also had this music video thing playing on the beach on a big screen and it was quite loud. I'm sure the wedding party heard it. So, just confirm with the WC that there will not be any loud movies or events going on close to your reception. The reception was at the activities pool. We didn't even want to eat outside that night at the caribbean party it was so chilly so we ate inside at one of the restaurants. One last thing....don't forget BUGSPRAY! If you are like me and the bugs like your blood, bring bug repellent and also anti-itch relief cream for when they do get you. It would be cool if you are making welcome bags to throw some in there for your guests. They do sell bug repellent at the resort but it is quite pricey. I think that's it. The resort is still the same beautiful place I remember. We actually got to go to the Tulum ruins this time. They were closed down because of swine flu when we were there last year. Very beautiful. Highly recommend seeing. There is also a snorkeling excursion where you go to three different drop points (2 cenotes, one outside and one in a cave and the ocean) that is quite amazing. They can book it at the hotel for you. It was a ton of fun. Everyone is so friendly at the resort. The entertainment staff will peer pressure you into participating in all of the activities. They are a lot of fun. Best, Katie

Quote: Originally Posted by L&A2010 Yes please! I would also love to hear about anyone's recent experience with the make-up application and who they used. Another beauty service that nobody ever talks about is manicures/pedicures for beautiful wedding hands. On the first page Sunbride said all brides were NOT happy with this service. Is this still true? Trinidad was my hair and makeup person in May 2009. She was really great. Made my hair really pretty and my makeup very natural, made my eyes look fab. a little heavier makeup, might need to soften a bit, but overall very great. Not sure if she is still around there or not. You can always email the spa and ask if she is still there. As far as mani/pedi's....NOT GOOD AT ALL! It was like they never painted a toe or nail in their lives! And they did not speak english very good or at all. They did not know how to buff and file either. I would suggest getting it done before you get there if you can. My MIL and SIL just got their nails painted and they were very displeased. It looked like a child painted them! So, my recommendation would be to do it before you get there.

Quote: Originally Posted by jerzygirl85 Does anyone know or heard how much a cab from the airport to DT costs? One of my guests is flying in solo and the transfer company wanted to charge him the 2 person minimum of $110!!!! My husband and I just got back from Mexico on 3/6. We took a cab from Iberostar in Puerto Morelos to Dreams Tulum and it was $65 plus a tip. Iberostar is about 15 minutes from the airport so it's probably at least $80 or so plus tip for a cab from the airport to Dreams Tulum. Renting a car one way might be an option for him. I think we found one online for $75. For those on here who are thinking of booking a group trip to the Tulum ruins from the resort, a cab is $7 one way plus tip. Also, to get into the ruins it is $51 pesos ($5) and you MUST pay in pesos. You can also pay for a guided tour, which is more, but we did not do that. They have little boards with information written on them that tell you about the different ruins.

If you check out my links, we used the resort photographer. We love our pics! Let me know if you have any questions. Best of luck to you in your planning! Quote: Originally Posted by Amymarie I am having a hard time finding pictures taken from the photographer at the resort. Does anyone know of someone who has used this photographer or a page number on this thread with pictures. Thanks,

Cheri, You are right, the natural surroundings are definitely enough. I did not add any additional decorations such as lanterns, chair sashes, table runners, etc. I was already taking enough stuff with me and to be honest one reason I wanted a destination wedding was so I didn't have to do all that stuff! Our backdrop is the ocean. It is amazing! I did make personalized luggage tags for each of my guests that served as the favor. If you get there and decided you want to add something they have sashes you can rent and flowers you can use for center pieces. BUT it is absolutely not necessary. What I love about weddings these days is that you can do whatever you want! It will be beautiful any way you do it. Good luck to you! Katie Quote: Originally Posted by Cheri Hi girls! Are there any brides out there that do not plan on bringing decorations?? I am so torn. I honestly wasn't planning on bringing anything from the get-go, but now I'm seeing all these reviews and it seems as if most bring stuff with them (i.e. lanterns, candles, chair sashes, table runners,etc.) I don't want everything to be dull, I was just hoping the natural surroundings would be enough. Any thoughts

I can relate for sure. 2 of my best friends sent their RSVP that they were coming with the dates they were coming and everything. A month and a half before they still haven't booked but assured me they would. 2 weeks before the wedding I kept pestering them to get me their information and they finally let me know that they were not coming. 2 WEEKS BEFORE! I was very upset, especially when I learned that one of them booked a trip to Vegas 2 months after my wedding. The excuse she used not to come to mine was "It's too expensive and I just don't have the money." I guess she had enough money for Vegas. THere were other issues with people procrastinating on booking, but we just kept bugging them until they booked. We also had 8 people cancel the week of the wedding because of swine flu. I got married on May 1, 2009 (almost a year ago!) so I can understand how you are feeling. BUT let me assure you that just because certain people will not be there, it will not matter. It will be the best time of your life. We had such a blast with the 25 of us that ended up there and I wouldn't change a thing. I would do it again in a heartbeat with the same people. And let me share this with you...people regret not going. Once they saw the pics, they wished they would've been there. Also, we did NOT have a bridal party. We had 2 flower girls and 2 ringbearers and that's it. If you look at my review I believe I posted pics on there. If not PM me and I will share a link with you. You are going to have the greatest time. And don't worry about the number you send to the WC. They let you change up until the day before. Trust me, we had to change ours a few times as we found out more poeple were not showing. Hang in there. It's YOUR wedding. Quote: Originally Posted by AchiCAp0547 Hi All, Just want to let everyone know, I'm not sure if anyone else had this question but I did... Aurora sent me the wedding packet where I need to fill out all of my information before the wedding. One of the parts was- I needed to fill out an excel of all of my guests attending, and their flight info. I have had a lot of problems with both mine and my fiance's family/friends either 1) never sending back their RSVP and we need to keep calling them to get an answer or 2) they sent back the RSVP but never booked, now a year after we sent out the invitations the price has gone up (obviously) so now they don't know if they are going to come or not. So we don't really have a final head count for me to send back to her. So I asked her, if I put a name down as they are coming, but then don't actually end up coming, do I need to pay for their plate? (We have AROUND 45 people coming, but I don't know exactly) She said no, we can give the final count once we get there and pay then. I see all of the pictures of the weddings here at Dreams Tulum, and everyone for the most part has bridesmaids and a bunch of family there with them. It's hard to explain what my fiance and I have gone through with our family and friends, but to make a long story short- we have no bridal party, some of our closest friends couldn't be more Inconvenienced, and aren't even coming, While others are complaining- "why are you getting married so far away this is soo much". (the weddings of our friends we've been in, we've never "skimped" on them, always gone above and beyond and given more than we could even afford) The only family members that are coming are our parents and his brother, all of our Aunts and Uncles, my sister and brother, think its ridiculous that we're getting married in Mexico and don't want to get their passports or have any desire to go to Mexico so they're not coming. I just wonder if anyone had this problem, I hope not, but I hope I'm not the only weirdo who isn't important enough to most of the people in my life? Don't get me wrong, we do have a handful of people who are excited, practically my whole office is coming because they're excited to go to Mexico and drink tequilla. Thank goodness or else we'd have no guests at the wedding. I'm so sorry, this isn't the place to rant about these things, but just yesterday my "best friend" from college EMAILED me she isn't coming because she waited too long to book and now it's too much $. My best friend... good thing we decided against the bridal party. Sorry again for ranting, I'm just at a loss.

Krista, Thanks for your kind message! Everyone, including our judge lady who married us, said it was just beautiful! We did a symbolic ceremony. I found all of the lines on the internet. I took bits and pieces from different things that I liked. I would check with the WC at Dreams Tulum to see what you are able to add to the legal ceremony. I would think you would be able to add a personal touch to it as long as the "legal" part remains the same. Feel free to use any or all of the ceremony we used. That's why I posted it on here because I searched all over the internet for the right lines for ours. Let me know how it works out with the legal ceremony. Best, Katie

Natalia was my planner and she was awesome. Very accomodating, helpful, understanding and willing to go above and beyond. Everything turned out perfect.

Quote: Originally Posted by Butterflyf369 Hi Everyone, I'm excited to say that after months of deliberation, I'm finally booked at Dreams Tulum. My girlfriend got married two years ago at the resort and I fell in love with it. It was great to be part of this forum and learn from all you wonderful ladies. Here's my information.... Username:Butteflyf369 Names:Vanessa and Michael Date & Time:January 20, 2010 at 2:00PM Wedding package:Paradise Wedding extras (through the resort): Not yet determined Outside vendors (cost charged by vendor and any fees charged by the resort): Type of ceremony:Civil Coordinator:Landry Number of guests:estimated 25 Ceremony location and time:Beach- January 20, 2010 at 2:00PM Cocktail hour location and time:TBD Reception location and time:TBD Photographer:Not yet finalized Videographer:None Review (link): Photos (link): Video (link): Planning thread (link): Wedding website (link): Special arrangements / activities: See my review for …. Congrats, Vanessa and Michael! Welcome and have fun planning!!

Quote: Originally Posted by amyc Thanks for the info on the welcome cocktail hour! I'm wondering if maybe that'll turn into more of a rehearsal dinner now. It seems like some brides had a rehearsal before the wedding but some didn't. Would you recommend a rehearsal? Is this something I need to request or do they just assume that there will be one? Amy Amy - There is not really a need for a rehearsal before the wedding, but for my ceremony we had a few young kids involved so it was good practice for them. We had 24 people in our party. We only had the actual people involved in the ceremony meet us to rehearse and then everyone else met us at the World Cafe for dinner. You do need to request it with the WC.

Quote: Originally Posted by purrfected Katie, I love your vows. I think I just might have to steal them!!! No worries!! I stole them from somewhere online!! LOL!! I'm glad I can help, it was hard finding words that were right for us.

Quote: Originally Posted by Chanti Thank you so much!!! This is very helpful. Getting married at Dreams Tulum in 28 days from today and just now we started thinking about the ceremony and vows... Glad I can help!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Lonna14 Same thing just happened with me!!! Landy said I cannot have Seaside grill because I only have 30 people!!! Therefore, they have moved me to the Dolphin Pool Terrace??Thoughts anyone?? At least we don't have to pay the private fee or pay for a dancefloor. I'm thinking of having the cocktail reception on the beach then moving to the pool terrace....I did call Landy out on this, as well as the back and forth with the bonfires. Remember how after the closing they said bonfires were out...then, someone went down rite after and they were on....and now of course, they are back off!!!! so annoying!! I'm now just getting excited to get down there and enjoy it instead of waiting and worrying..I know it will be great no matter what:)) I saw many a dinner by the dolphin pool while i was there and it looked really great! I don't remember if any had a DJ or not, but it will be great at this location. The pool is lit up at night and it looks really pretty. I did not have an aisle runner either for the beach ceremony...definitely not needed at all, unless you really like it. It was really awesome to walk down the aisle in my barefeet! They have a little and when I say little, really, really, really small pit that they dig and throw a few branches in to make a bonfire. Not really very exciting. But they could do it. They had one one night as part of the entertainment. BUT it was not a grand bonfire by any means. I didn't even see it at first actually, that's how small it was.

Quote: Originally Posted by angruck Our times are the same! I am getting married at 3pm and my worry is that people won't have things to do until 5:30 and be bored before the cocktail hour. I was happy because I could do pictures and then have the happy hour to mix with everyone--I want to enjoy it too! Your guests will be fine until the cocktail hour. It gives them time to change if they want or just hang out at one of the bars until it is time. Once we finished our pictures, we walked around the resort and found everyone sitting together at the Sugar reef bar. If your worried, you could always plan to have everyone just meet at the bar for "Pre-Cocktail Hour Drinking" or call it something fun like that. That way everyone stays together. It was so cool, we went to our room right before the cocktail hour to freshen up a bit and everyone headed to the lobby bar terrace for the cocktail hour. As we were walking towards the terrace through the gardens, we could see everyone on the terrace and they were all waving to us...it was like we were making a grand entrance. It was great! Thanks, Katie

Quote: Originally Posted by angruck Hey Katie, You mentioned it was windy on the beach---was it too windy? My worry with the beach is that I don't want people to eat with sand in their food. How did your meal go on the beach? Yes, it seemed to be pretty windy there day and night. Guess it's the location. The wind was a little bothersome, not enough to ruin anything though. We did not have any sand in our food that I noticed, but sevice was a little slow so by the time we got our main course it was a little dark and hard to see the food. A friend of mine took a pic of the food before he ate it because he couldn't see it! It looked really good! The pic is burried somewhere in my photos on photobucket. You could feel the sand hitting you a little and it did seem to blow in my face quite a bit. hope this helps. If you have any other questions, just shoot me a message.

Quote: Originally Posted by Lonna14 Hi Ladies! For those of you who recently got back.....about how hot was it at night?? Beth got it right. It is warm at night, but it is very windy which creates a nice night time atmosphere. I wore dresses and skirts and brought a hoodie or pashmena along as well and I was fine. I found that if I had sunburn I was a little more chilly. Days are hot, nights are nice. At least from 4/27 - 5/8!

I just got married, so it's a little late, but here is me in my dress!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Chanti Yay, my wedding day is exactly 30 days from today :-) We're leaving in 3 weeks though, getting SUPER excited. And mildly annoyed that I still haven't been told the location of the reception... Oh well, I'm too excited to be overly concerned about that minor detail :-) I'm sure it'll be great no matter where it is!!! So exciting! I remember being in your shoes 2 months ago. We origonally picked El Patio Terrace as our reception location, but when we got there they told us it would have to be the beach because we were having a DJ and you can't have a DJ at the restaurant because there are other guests there. We had our reception on the beach and it was awesome!! A little sandy and windy, but awesome!!

Quote: Originally Posted by danispence13 Not really sure how the "cheesy" face appeared on top of my name! Anyways I would like to say I am very pleased that I found you all, there is so much information here. I posted a while ago only a couple of times, however now that I received our rates and I reserved our date things are a little more firm now. I have one question though because I cannot really find the answer to. Just wondering what time everyone had their receptions at? Does anyone know the earliest one can have the reception at? Thanks Hey there! Welcome! Just got married on May 1st and our ceremony was at 3pm, cocktail hour at 5:30 at lobby bar and dinner at 6:30pm on the beach followed by DJ and dancing!. I was told that 6:30 was the earliest we could do dinner. It worked out perfectly! Hope this helps, Katie

Quote: Originally Posted by amyc Hey girls! I'm 7 weeks out now...I can't believe it's coming up so soon! I have most items checked off my list but I wish more details were finalized at the resort. I'm wanting to have a welcome happy hour for my guests the day before the wedding (Friday night welcome party and Saturday evening wedding). Does anyone have suggestions for a suitable place? Maybe the Lobby Bar? It doesn't really need to be a private event. I just want to include a location in the intinerary for my guests so we have a common meeting place. Any suggestions are appreciated! Do you think I need to make a reservation and provide hors' doeurves for this sort of thing or should I just include it in the itinerary so everyone shows up? Thanks! Amy Amy, For Friday night you could always have everyone meet you for dinner at the World Cafe Buffet. There is no private event fee as it's not private. We just got maried on May 1st and we had our "Rehearsal/Welcome Dinner" there the night before. It was free of charge and they set up a table for 27 and we had our own waiters. It was really great. We had it at 6:30pm and then you can all go to the sugar reef bar after and watch the entertainment. Or, if you just want everyone to meet for a "Welcome Happy Hour" I would suggest meeting at the Sugar Reef Bar. It's outside and in a central location. I would not recomend ordering hors D'ouerves. There is seating around the bar that is first come first serve, you could check with the WC to see if that is something you could reserve.

Quote: Originally Posted by YaelM I apologize if this is a repeat... SO FI and I weren't planning on doing a sand ceremony but after being on this forum for a while I see that almost everyone is having one. Is it pretty common? I know that it takes place of the unity candle part in more traditional ceremonies (which we werent really planning on either) but Id like to get more information on the significance of the sand ceremony and where it comes from Any information is helpful! Thanks!! We just got married on May 1st and we chise not to do it. After we said our vows, it was time for the ring ceremony. We had the minister ask us to join hands and she read this hand ceremony and then we exchanged rings. The wording is all below. Just an option if you didn't want to do the sand thing. RING CEREMONY MINISTER: “The vows which have been exchanged are but words that are fleeting and the sound of them is soon gone.†“The wedding rings become an enduring symbol of the promises which have been made†“Katie and Max please join hands.†“These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever. These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other. These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and as in today, tears of joy. These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children, the hands that will help you to hold your family as one. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch." "Max Repeat after me...Katie, as I place this ring on your finger, / may it always remind you of my never-ending love, / and may it always remind me / of the precious treasure I have in you. / Wear this ring with joy, / for your love has made me complete." "Katie Repeat after me...Max, as I place this ring on your finger, / may it always remind you of my never-ending love, / and may it always remind me / of the precious treasure I have in you. / Wear this ring with joy, / for your love has made me complete."

We just got married at Dreams Tulum Resort and Spa on May 1, 2009. Here are the words to our entire ceremony: PROCESSIONAL Groom will walk in to no music escorted by his parents. Flower girls escorted by ring bearers will walk in to music provided by the resort. Bride will walk in to music provided by resort escorted by her mother Sukenik) OPENING WORDS OF THE OFFICIANT OFFICIANT: "On behalf of Katie and Max, it is my honor to welcome you and thank you all for gathering here on this beautiful day to witness their wedding ceremony. The fact that you all have traveled such a great distance to be here today is a testament to the amazing amount of love and support they have. They would like to sincerely thank you all for sharing in this celebration of their commitment to each other. A special and respectful acknowledgement must also be made to those friends and family members who were unable to attend, or have passed on, but whose spirits remain alive and strong in all our hearts." “I have also been asked by Katie and Max to thank their parents for the wonderful lives they have given them, for the hard work and guidance they have provided, for their everlasting love, support, and encouragement. They would not be who they are today without your involvement in their lives.†“Katie, Max…Today you are surrounded by your family and friends, all of whom gather here to witness this love and to share in the joy of this occasion which will be one of the most memorable and happiest days of your life. You each bring to this marriage your own personality and spirit to form a union created by friendship, respect and love.†READING OFFICIANT: “At this time will Sean please come forward.†SEAN: “May you be blessed with all things good. May your joys, like the stars at night, Be too numerous to count. May lack and struggle only serve to make you stronger and may beauty, order and abundance be your constant companions. May every pathway you choose lead to that which is pure and good and lovely. May every doubt and fear be replaced by a deep abiding trust as you behold evidence of a higher power all around you. May you always be aware you are loved beyond measure and may you be willing to love unconditionally in return. May you remember that love flows best when it flows freely. May you always have music and laughter and may a rainbow follow every storm. May gladness wash away every disappointment, may joy dissolve every sorrow and may love ease every pain. May every wound bring wisdom and every trial bring triumph and with each passing day may you live more abundantly than the day before.†VOWS OFFICIANT: "Today you join yourselves together for life, as friends and lovers, Husband and Wife. The vows you are about to exchange represent your pledge to each other. For it is not the words that bind you together as one, but it is the love and commitment each of you feel deep within your soul." "Max, Repeat after me." "I, Max, take you, Katie, to be my partner in life. / I promise to walk by your side forever / and to love, help and encourage you in all you do. / I will take time to talk with you, / to listen to you, / and to care for you. / I will share your laughter and your tears / as your partner, lover and best friend. / Everything I am and everything I have is yours / now and forevermore." "Katie, Repeat after me." "I, Katie, give myself to you, Max, / on this our wedding day. / I will cherish our friendship / and love you today, tomorrow and forever. / I will trust you and honor you. / I will love you faithfully / through the best and the worst, / through the difficult and the easy. / What may come, I will be there always. / As I have given you my hand to hold, / so I give you my life to keep." OFFICIANT: “Marriage is the bringing together of two circles of love to present a new circle of love. The bride's family and friends have supported her during her life, as the groom's family and friends have supported him through his life. Your love and support does not stop now that they will be married. Now that you have heard Katie and Max recite their vows, will all of you, their family and friends, promise, from this day forward to encourage them and love them, and to help guide and support them in being steadfast in the promises they have made?†“Please answer, â€We do.†RING CEREMONY OFFICIANT: “The vows which have been exchanged are but words that are fleeting and the sound of them is soon gone.†“The wedding rings become an enduring symbol of the promises which have been made†“Katie and Max please join hands.†“These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever. These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other. These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and as in today, tears of joy. These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children, the hands that will help you to hold your family as one. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch." "Max Repeat after me...Katie, as I place this ring on your finger, / may it always remind you of my never-ending love, / and may it always remind me / of the precious treasure I have in you. / Wear this ring with joy, / for your love has made me complete." "Katie Repeat after me...Max, as I place this ring on your finger, / may it always remind you of my never-ending love, / and may it always remind me / of the precious treasure I have in you. / Wear this ring with joy, / for your love has made me complete." PRONOUNCEMENT OF MARRIAGE OFFICIANT: "With confidence and deep affection, we send you forth on life's journey together. May love and peace be with you always. May you have courage and wisdom in your future years together, and may the happiness you share today be with you always. With friends and family, along with the sun, the moon, and the sea, I have the pleasure of announcing you as husband and wife." "Max, You may kiss your Bride." "It is my pleasure to be the first to introduce to everyone, Mr. & Mrs."

Quote: Originally Posted by leogurl Wow, you wrote a very beautiful ceremony, and being that it came from you makes it that much more meaningful. Great job! I was wondering, did your group do any trips or excursions while you were there? As a group we did not do any excursions. People were coming and going on different days so it was too difficult to plan anything for everyone. We found it was better to let people do their own thing. We did however do a snorkling excursion with a couple friends and it was amazing! It's called the Mayan Adventure and they pick you up, take you to 3 drop locations, provide lunch and then take you back to your resort. It was really, really cool. We also went on a deep sea fishing excursion with my husband's family and I personally would not do that again. I made sure I took some motion sickness meds cause I knew it would be rocky, but 2 people got sick so we had to take them back to shore after being out at sea for 2 hours and no fish biting. It was really quite boring since there were no fish biting. If you know guys or girls who like the fisherman type stuff it would be great for them. It was out of a harbor at Puerto Aventuras. Also, a bunch of folks went to swin with the dolphins at Puerto Aventuras as well. we elected not to do that. We were going to try to plan a trip for those who wanted to go see the Tulum Ruins, but we while we were there they closed them because of swine flu! So, we never got to see them.

Gifts for our FG's and RB's. For the girls, I bought pink tote bags from Michael's and glued on gemstones in shapes of flowers and their name. One is pictured below. Items I put in the FG's bags: initial necklace and earings glow in the dark bracelets water fish/frog shaped squirty things coloring book princess wand mini notebook with initial magnifying glass (I think that's it) FOr the RB's I went to Dicks Sporting Goods and got them those reuseable shopping bags and since we are from Chicago and Sox fans I got them each a White Sox one. Included in there was: glow in the dark dinosaurs dinosaur puzzle airplane glider magnifying glass minin notebook with initial coloring book water/fish squirty thing glow in the dark bracelets My 10 year old nephew read and I got him a bag and filled it with baseball cards and books and squirt guns. They really loved it all! At the reception for the 4 youger kids I bought folders and printed out pictures for them to color and included crayons and games like tic tac toe. It was windy on the beach, so I wouldn't recommend it if you are having a reception on the beach (especially at Dreams Tulum).

Quote: Originally Posted by wahmsuzanne Ladies ... I was just reading a review of DT on another site and the gal mentioned all of the topless women on the beach ... Have any of your seen this while there? We will be traveling with our kids and I'm not sure how I feel about my kids (especially my boys ages 13 and 11) viewing this. Not the end of the world but I would like to know if it's common there. Thanks! Suzanne Just got back on May 7th and didn't see any topless folks! THere was a photo shoot for Elle Magazine there and there was a model who was changing in the water, so we saw a little bit of boobies then, but that was it! They tried to keep it private, but the guys were lining up to see! (And the girls too!!)