heidi_lk

Hi Nyssa, We were routed to Cuba... good to see things turned out for you as well. Great pics!!!! Congrats!

Quote: Originally Posted by Hopelesslyblissful Has anyone been to the Barcelo Solymar in Varadero? Were were married at the Solymar. The wedding was perfect!!! The hotel is great for a group setting, lots of room and space. Suited our groups needs which was a group of 22 - mostly between the ages of 20-36. PM me if you have any specific questions or want to see more photos.

Just noticed there is a whole review section. But here was my review I posted under the "Cuba" section. http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t44641

Quote: Originally Posted by Amarillis Congratulations!!! You looked stunning! I am thrilled to hear that you had a great experience. DH and I have never stayed at the Solymar, but plan to on our next visit to Varadero! Thanks everyone! If you go I recommend trying to get one of the junior suite bugalows. They are 2 floors, really cute, and made for a fun place to stay. I also forgot to mention, on our wedding night they gave us the honeymoon suite which was absolutely insane!!!! It was like being in a 5 star Vegas penthouse. Our balcony was about 1/4 of the roof, and the interior was stunning. About 15 people probably could have slept in the room. But luckily it was just us... LOL.

Link to my re-routed Cuban Wedding review and pictures. http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...641#post847805

Sample Wedding Pics

Champagne Toast and Cake Cutting

So after being one of the unlucky couples who's Mexican wedding was cancelled from the swine flu, we were rebooked to Cuba to stay at the Barcelo Solymar. After all the stress of re-planning a wedding was done, I was very very happy with how things turned out. The WC at the Solymar was amazing and managed to get us a legal wedding even though we sent all our papers in 3 weeks before arriving as opposed to the 3 months that was required. I will hit some key points of our trip, but feel free to PM me if you have more questions! The hotel: Hotel was not as fancy as the 4 star resort in Mexico, but had a much more cultural feel to it. The resort had little bungalows, which my husband and I stayed in, while the rest of the guests were in the main part of the hotel. There was typical minor issues with the hotel, some servers were rude, some maids were not as good, and some of the food wasn't great, but nothing that would deter me from going back. The beach was AMAZING; best I've ever been to, better than the Mayan. This hotel was fantastic for being able to get spots on the beach and at the pools. Our group of 22 never had any problems all sitting together at any time of day. We spent most days on the beach, and most nights (late nights at the mini disco. This resort was not as "posh" as some I have stayed at in Mexico, but certainly suited our group, and was an amazing time with friends and family. The wedding: Our WC Marta was amazing. She met with us prior to the wedding, asked our likes and dislikes, and told us all the details. The wedding package was very reasonably priced (about $500 less than Mexico) and was worth every dollar. We were married in the Gazebo, which was decorated beautifully. After the vows, two guitar players played for us to have our first dance (Cuban tradition). They played for about a 1/2-hour after that as well. We then did the cake cutting (for photos) and champagne toast, which was all perfect. The wedding was on time, organized, and I never felt stressed at all. The wedding dinner was in a private restaurant (for 2 hours) and they served soup, salad, then filet mignon and lobster, and wedding cake for dessert. It was all so delicious!! Red and white wine were included and we bought some Champagne for another toast. The band came in to play which was just an amazing touch. They played for at least 1/2 hour. Service was top notch!! After dinner we all pulled up chairs the pool, and had our own little reception. The band happened to walk by, and did another performance just for us! Truly a moment to be cherished forever. Photographer - We booked Peter Van De Maele. He was an amazing photographer. Just a great person, very professional, so much fun to work with, and took amazing photos. I have included a few of his preview shots below. Would highly recommend his services! We absolutely fell in love with Cuba on this trip and can’t wait to go back. We also stayed at the Melia Las Antillas for out honeymoon, which was a wonderful resort as well. It was more geared towards couples, and had wonderful service, a perfect honeymoon spot. Pictures The Resort Our Bungalow First Dance

I missed the boat on getting to post my date, as we were rerouted at the last minute. But I will say my wedding at Barcelo Solymar, May 20th, 2009 was absolutely perfect. PM me if you need any advice or tips on Cuba weddings. You will be nothing but amazed, so happy it ended up being in Cuba!!!!!

We used Peter for our May 21st wedding... he is amazing!!!! We love his photos and his was just a wonderful person to work with!!! Thumbs way up for Peter Van De Maele.

We just returned from our wedding in Cuba. Not all appliances will work on a converter or an adapter!!! We found this out after losing 2 hair straightners and a very expensive curing iron... the handle actually bubbled. We were told that you need to ask if your hair dryers etc. have convertable power abilities. Some brands worked fine but the more expensive curling irons etc all fried. So be very very careful! Heidi

Just wanted to let you know we returned from a fabulous wedding in Cuba. It wasn't what I originally planned, but it was absolutely amazing, couldn't have asked for more. Will post pictures and a review soon.

We were supposed to be married in Mexico May 21st but were rerouted to Cuba. Ended up with a dream wedding, so keep your heads up! Even with changes an amazing wedding is possible. Still amazed at what could be pulled off in a matter of days. Will post a review and pictures under the Cuba forum!

Off to Cuba on Sunday. Its not my Bahia wedding but its a wedding. Hoping all you girls can do a "sun dance" for me!! Sun, beach, and a drink and I will be happy. Wish me luck!