jaxsebridetobe

I have a question on the reception and the music... I don't quite know how many people we will have with us, but let's say it's 20-30 people. To save some money, i'm thinking of not going with a DJ - so if we just use our own music (either IPOD or CD's) how is the sound? I do want people to get up and dance and have a good time, but will the sound be good enough without the DJ? Thanks!

thanks for posting your pics Athena! You looked beautiful and it looks like everyone was having a great time!! i'm wondering if anyone has heard of anyone having a rain out on their wedding day and where you would end up getting married if it ends up raining on your day? (or is it bad to even mention this topic?)

Hello to all of you Royal Brides!! Wow - I have just spent the last week reading through this WHOLE thread....tonight alone was probably 4 hours! I feel like I am very updated on everything. Here's a bit about me... Got engaged in November - at Disney World and have been slowly trying to research a good place to have the wedding. FI is the one who really wanted the DW and I am completly happy with that. I've pretty much decided that we will be going to the Royal for our wedding. I love it! I was looking at some other places that are a bit less expensive with the wedding package but once I saw pics from here, I couldn't stop thinking about it. And love that we can do the reception on the beach, as some of the places only letting us do it in a restaurant wasn't very appealing to me. So - we've picked our date - December 2, 09 and I hope it's available because I've already sent out my Save the Dates i really wanted to get an idea of how many people were going to come...as if there were a lot, i was thinking I might not be able to afford the Royal. But like I said...I really really want it! So...still waiting for the RSVP's to come back to my wedding website (free, but feel free to check it out - Welcome To Our Wedding Website | Welcome | TroyandJackie ) I'm looking forward to chatting with you all now. i've been waiting to actually write anything until I got to the end. lol. For now I must go to bed!! phew. So glad I made it through!! Jackie

Hi Athena, Thank you for writing this great detailed review. I didn't seem to see any of your pictures..have you had the chance to post them yet? Are they posted somewhere else? I'm LOVING the Royal and am really starting to lean towards having our wedding here. I love the fact that we can do the reception on the beach! Although you mentioned probably not to do it for December...and my wedding is going to be on Dec 2nd. Hopefully it will be a warm year! I don't know if you would know this - but if we didn't hire the DJ and just played our own music...do you think it would work out ok? I'm just trying to save a bit of money and am trying to find out if you just use an IPOD or something if the sound system would work good enough..or do you think that the DJ is a definate must? Thanks,

thanks for that very detailed review! i'm looking forward to hear more about your wedding and reception! have you posted it yet somewhere else?

Hello, I am looking into staying at Riu RM Palace - it looks great and the prices seem pretty good compared to some of the places I have been looking at. But the lack of choices for reception dinner and the timing for the dinners are frustrating me. have any of you looked into doing a reception dinner off site? Maybe in town on 5th Ave? I'm just about to start looking into that...although that will probably just boost the price up... We are hoping to have the wedding early Dec 09...so am getting anxious to get a location picked and booked!

Hi there, I have been thinking about leaving the resort for a reception dinner at a restaurant in town... Does anyone know if you go to a restaurant, would it be private? Would there be music (maybe a dj or our own Ipod system)? I'm trying to get an idea of what it would all cost for the food/booze and a dj for some dancing (can you dance at the restaurant?) I'm pretty clueless at all this - I've just started looking into it. Thanks,

Hi there, I'm STILL trying to figure out the place I want to stay and have the wedding. I love the ROYAL but really, it's just more money then I want to spend! I like the Riu Palace Riviera Maya, but I'm having some worries about thier reception dinners... and I've also been looking at the Barcelo Tropical. Can I get some feedback from people that have had a wedding at the Riu Palace RM and what they did between the wedding and the reception dinner? To me it seems like there aren't many choices to have the dinner at (no beach or poolside - just the restaurants) and if you have a group over 27, then you have to have the second seating which isn't until after 8:30! so if the wedding is at 3...then what are the guests and us after pics are done to do until dinner? that is a really long time don't you think?? And also can I get some feedback on the Barcelo? I like the Riu Palace because it seems more high end and I like the full service (including drink service at the beach - lol) Do you think we would get the same service at Barcelo? They seem to have more options for the wedding...? Thanks everyone! I'm been trying to research things since November and still haven't made up my mind! I just want to get the location picked now and move on to other things...lol

Wow - that was a lot of places to check out! thanks for sharing your info!! I don't think I noticed your review of Iberostar Paraiso Complex ( Lindo , Maya, Grand )... It's one of the locations I'm thinking of. Any feedback on this resort? Thank you

I'm still not sure where the wedding will be (in playa, just not sure where yet) but I decided to go out and check out a sale that was going on for wedding dresses during Boxing Week... I have NEVER been dress shopping before, not even with friends so it was a new experience for me...I brought my mom and went straight to the sale rack. I grabbed a few dresses and went to start trying on. The first one I tried on was so nice and fit me almost perfectly! I tried on a few more sale ones but wasn't having a lot of luck...so then I went and grabbed some dresses that weren't on sale - wow some of them were SO beautiful!! but I didn't want a train...and they were pretty fancy. My mom, myself and the sales girl were in agreement...the very first one I tried on was the one for me! And it was on sale!! You won't believe for how much!!......................... $199!! Nice!! My mom got off easy as while we were there she said she would be buying my dress. I didn't bother going to any other stores...for that price I was perfectly happy with the dress!!

Thanks! Both of you have done a great job! I love the song you have MarieSam! I'm not very computer literate...how do you upload a song onto the website?

Hello, I'm looking to start a wedding website and am wondering if anyone wants to share their links to their websites so I can get some ideas of what to put in mine I would really appreciate it!! thanks!

Thanks for these suggestions! Very helpful. We will be getting married in Mexico (Playa) - final decisions haven't been made yet! I did like the taco stand idea and I loved the Open House idea as well. I will definately have to do it indoors somewhere because YES Candadian winters aren't good for an outdoor bbq! But gives me some good ideas to work with. Thanks again!

Hello, I'm new at this and am wondering what most people do for thier AHR?? We are going away in November for the wedding and I thought a Backyard BBQ would be nice....but DEFINATELY not in Nov!! I don't even know what is expected at an AHR...obviously we are going away for the wedding to save money, so we don't want to spend a lot on this when we get home, but would love to do something to get everyone that couldn't come out for the wedding together to celebrate. Any ideas and suggestions would be most welcome. We aren't looking for a big deal but just something to see all those who couldn't make it... Thanks,

Hello, I am just starting to look into all this chat about STD and invitations...I still don't know which resort I am going to but do know it will be in November 09 and in Riviera Maya (was thinking Cabo, now changed to RM)... I would really like to have an idea of how many people would be coming to the wedding before I start getting things booked as well... Do you think that is possible? If you send out a general STD postcard or something...can you ask people to get back to you on whether they think they will be interested in coming or not? I don't even have rates yet, since most packages for Nov aren't showing up yet! Any suggestions would be much appreciated! Thanks,

Thanks everyone! And thanks to those who gave me some suggestions for wedding locations! I will get on this forum more often soon to look around. (my computer is so slow! and it seems to take forever to look around)

Hi there, I have posted once before and mentioned that my fiance and I are wanting a destination wedding, and we are thinking of Los Cabos... but neither of us have been (which is actually one of the reasons I choose it) but I have been reading that finding swimmable beaches here is hard to do. We are looking for all inclusive locations that have a really nice beach - not only for a wedding, but that our guests and us can relax on and swim in. Also we are a group in our 30's so would like to have some kind of nightlife around for a couple nights on the town... That being said...can I get some suggestions from you on where I should start looking?? We are thinking of Nov 10,2009 so have a bit of time... We would like to keep the costs down a bit so aren't looking to go anywhere to exotic... If you know of good resorts in LC that have a good swimmable beach I would love to know. If not, maybe something in PVR, Riviera Maya, Cozumel or Punta Cana. Thanks!

Hello, I have just started the research...but we are going to Los Cabos for our wedding... Troy and Jackie Thinking of Riu Santa Fe Nov 2009 Can't wait to find out more info from everyone!

Hello to all! My name is Jackie and my boyfriend Troy just proposed to me last week during our trip to Disney World! We've been together 4 years, and even though I knew it would happen one day...he totally surprised me with it! We are looking at doing the wedding in October and my first choice right now is Los Cabos, although I haven't really started my research...don't really know where to start...but will have a chat with a TA soon! I'm looking forward to doing some research and finding out what others have been through and your suggestions/tips for the big day! Thanks, Jackie