Bride-chill-a

Quote: Originally Posted by MayBride2010 Hi ladies, I leave on Friday! Eek! I was just wondering if there is a blow dryer and an iron in every room? We are not staying in the Riviera section. Also, reading all the reviews about having to pay $50 to replace a towel or a towel card is freaking me out. And the lack of chairs by the pool is disappointing. i hope I didn't make a mistake. Everything is making me stress out P.S. I forgot to mention...the 'Beach' side pool does get really crowded so if you want less people and a nicer pool...go to the Riviera side! There's hardly anyone there plus there is a swim up bar at that pool and its WAY nicer!

Quote: Originally Posted by MayBride2010 Hi ladies, I leave on Friday! Eek! I was just wondering if there is a blow dryer and an iron in every room? We are not staying in the Riviera section. Also, reading all the reviews about having to pay $50 to replace a towel or a towel card is freaking me out. And the lack of chairs by the pool is disappointing. i hope I didn't make a mistake. Everything is making me stress out Exciting!!! Yes, there are blow dryers in every room on the Beach Side. Some have the really sucky ones that are a long tube and others have real blow dryers. If quality of dryers is important to you, bring your own...or your hair probably won't look the same! As for the beach chairs and lost towel card fee...out of the 33 people we had...no one lost their card. And the chairs can be hard to come by at times, but it's like anywhere else. It will only be a big deal if you let it. It was never a huge concern for us or anyone in our party. Relax....and enjoy! I let the small stuff get to me too much and didn't have the most relaxing time and looking back it makes me so upset that I didn't just chill out more and enjoy! Promise us all that you will!!! Let us know how it was, when you get back!

Quote: Originally Posted by Chrystal Hello, Has anyone had any trouble with using an outside photographer at this resort before? I emailed and asked and was told it is ok as long as they dress like civil people, which I think just means that they pretend they are regular guests at your wedding? I was just worried because on the question list for brides it says that the hotel does not allow outside photographers and now I'm worried that they will arrive and I won't be able to use them. Yes, I used an outside photographer and it was fine. The hotel does not want you doing this and has a policy against it. All they have to do if asked, is say they are a guest at your wedding who just happens to be taking pictures. The WC's just can't say it's ok for you to do it, even though they know you are. If you are using a photog that does DW in the area, they will know the drill. You do have to pay for them to have a day pass, like you would any other outside guest. You pay a day or two before hand, Maria makes arrangements for the pass to be at the front desk and it's a done deal! Don't worry.

Quote: Originally Posted by FutureMsMoulton On our wedding day they said to expect over 10 day period of watching the weather report: rain, sun, cloudy, partially cloudy and thunderstorms! So you can imagine my suprise when we had 80 degrees and sun.... we had lots of squity eyes and sweaty groomsmen! I wouldn't worry about it until the day of the wedding its extra stress you don't need. Hey Wedding Date Twin!!! We were so lucky because the weather forecast was HORRIBLE! I had a plan B and plan C with my WC but we lucked out and the day was PERFECT! I was hell bent on getting married on the beach and it worked out! BUT i was willing to accept if that wasn't meant to happen as well so...as all the other brides said, you just have to go with it because there is nothing you can do except trust that it will work out how it's meant to. The thing with the rain down there is that it can rain for 5 mins and then the sky opens up. You could easily just wait the rain out and away you go! It's not like the rain here in Vancouver when once it settles in...it's here to stay for days! And yes...I was squinting the entire ceremony!

We got married two weeks after V Day (this year) but I wanted to say, don't be put off by the initial quotes you get. The resorts will put out the full price when it's so far in advance, but eventually (and slowly) the prices start to drop. You should be able to find plenty resorts in this price range. We stayed at Sandos Playacar which is a 4 star and it was in the $1500 range (before tax).

Quote: Originally Posted by Woodsylou brilliant thank you! do you think they would do my wedding day make up? i'm going to contact them! thank you! I'm certain they will! Have a great time! So exciting!

Quote: Originally Posted by keilag thank you Bridechilla. I am using Claudia as well. I cant wait to see the professional photos! Good choice, Keilag! I will post my pics from Citalli as soon as I get them! Can't wait! I can't wait to hear how your wedding and Kaitlins wedding go! So exciting! I wish I could do it again!

Quote: Originally Posted by Woodsylou Hey fabulous reveiw sounds great! about this MAC thing, is there a store in Cancun/Playacar? where you can go for a make up session/trial? could you tell me more about this?! thank you! p.s. your photos are gorgeous!!! Yes, there is a MAC Counter in a store on 5th and 12th called 'Ultrafemme' - it's a deparment store. Here is the address: PLAYA 5ta AVENIDA 5a Avenida Norte, Mza 27, Lote 15, Calle 14 bis Local 13 Col.Centro Playa del Carmen They didn't get a trial done, but I'm certain you could arrange one for when you get there, if you'd like. Thanks for the compliments on my photos!

We just used Citalli Rico of Claudia Rodriguez and I would HIGHLY recommend her! She was very professional, super friendly, timely, etc. We had them create a 4 hour package for us, and the timing of it all was just perfect! We got all the shots we needed in the exact amount of time, she totally knew what she was doing. Our videographer filmed most of our photo shoot that with had with Citalli and by the looks of it, the shots she got are going to look amazing!

Wedding Review of Sandos Playacar – February 27, 2010 The Resort – WE LOVED IT and our guests did too! We have very seasoned Mexico all-inclusivers joining us and they were very happy with their rooms, the food and the service. The service and the staff are excellent, the grounds are nice and it’s a very big resort which is great because there was something there for everyone. The plaza was always happening and busy at night, so you could never get bored. The disco is a little cheesy looking, but it was busy every night and a lot of fun (mostly the same music every night though). As for the rooms: it’s a tough call as to what you want. We booked for the Beach Resort (the older side) and when we asked for an upgrade the woman was hesitant so I threw $20 her way and she made it happen, although we didn’t end up taking the upgrade because it was on the Riviera side - which was on the exact opposite side of the beach and where all of our guests were staying. The rooms are much nicer, modern, bigger (they have a Jacuzzi and a flat screen TV) and quieter than the Beach Resort side plus I really liked the pool on the Riviera side. It was the only one on the resort with a swim up bar, there are WAY less kids there and it was generally quieter and nicer. The Beach rooms were nice, they were just more traditional/Mexican looking but they are loud (you can hear a lot going on outside) as they are located right by the main pool where all the action (noise) is. The one great thing about being on the Beach side was that it was really close to all the restaurants and the beach. There is room service 24 hours which is decent (especially coming home from a night of drinking, it hits the spot) but it always takes at least an hour to get anything – even though they say it’s less. The Wedding Co-Coordinators – We met with both Paola and Maria, but mostly dealt with Maria as she was the one taking care of our wedding day. I LOVED MARIA!!! She is so accommodating and has a great personality (my MIL and Mom really like her as well) she will work her butt off for you! The Ceremony – it was so gorgeous! We lucked out with the weather because they were calling for rain that day, all week, and it turned out to be the sunniest, clearest day of the entire trip! The water was bluer than ever, not a cloud in the sky and we had a gorgeous sunset for our pictures. The ceremony was at 4 (which was 1 hr and 45 mins before sunset) and it was still hot and sunny, but it was perfect timing for pictures afterwards. By the time the ceremony was over and we had some group shots, the sun was starting to set so we had beautiful lighting for our pictures of the two of us. The only thing I wish I would have done is had a rehearsal. I don’t even know if this service is offered because well…they never offered it! But my wedding party and my dad didn’t really know what to do (not that I did either) and I was fine with just going with the flow, because it wasn’t complicated, but I think we would have all felt more at ease had we known exactly what we were going to do. So it felt a little un-organized in that sense. The music was a little quiet and I think the song skipped when I was walking down the aisle because he restarted it. It wasn’t a big deal though really. When you’re in the moment, none of it really matters. The set up was gorgeous; it looked exactly like the pictures. The minister was really lovely, our families really liked her and she even dressed in our wedding colors (I saw another wedding while I was there and she did the same for them too). She spoke excellent English. Maria and Paola offered us a sand ceremony before the signing of the papers, which was really nice and they give you a container to take the sand home in. Reception – We had ours at the Italian Buffett which I would highly recommend! The food was the best (my favorite out of all of them, including the Ala Carte ones) and the nicest looking inside. It’s very modern looking. We did our speeches in there which was a bit difficult because they didn’t turn the music down and you’re not allowed a microphone, so I would recommend doing your speeches in the wedding hut where you can have a mic. The cake was DELICIOUS! We had strawberries and cream with hard white chocolate on the outside. Maria had an assistant Sylvia who was in training, and forgot to put our flowers on the cake (she took them to my room instead) which we paid $30 to have, but Maria gave us our money back the next day. She felt so horrible for the error too (which really wasn’t that big of a deal either). Flowers – my bouquet was GORGEOUS! I was really happy with how it turned out however my bridesmaid bouquets looked nothing like what I wanted which I think was a communication error between Maria and I. They still looked nice so I wasn’t worried about it; it just wasn’t what I was expecting. Photographer – We used Citalli Rico of Claudio Rodriguez photography and she was EXCELLENT! She was really, really lovely to work with and very professional. She made herself invisible when necessary and gave direction when appropriate. She was happy to accommodate any shots we wanted as well as suggested some. She was very attentive, personable and concerned about how I was doing. We had a videographer with us during our shoot with her, so we got an idea of how the shots looked by seeing it on video and I’m certain they pictures will turn out amazing! Maria and Paola said they have worked with her before and said she is way better than the resort photographers. Videographer – We used the one that the resort photo shop contracts out and it was HORRIBLE!!! It would NOT recommend anyone use them. First of all the guy was LATE!!! He showed up just as the ceremony was starting so he only got starting from my MOH and on. He missed the rest of my bridesmaids! Thankfully he got there in time to catch me going down the aisle. So he ended up staying an extra hour (which is why he was there for our photo shoot) to compensate. We spoke with the manager who gave us 3 extra copies of our video and an extra 5 mins of edited footage. But the quality of the footage during the ceremony was not very good and the sound was awful! He shot different scenes of the ceremony in different tones (i.e. black and white, sepia, color) so it was really weird and inconsistent when you watch it. A lot of it was out of focus, it was really quiet until they dubbed our songs in which come on really loud. I will say they got all of our songs downloaded and used them on the video which was nice and the part of our photo shoot was great. I’m guessing because he got there late he didn’t have time to set up his camera properly. You’d be better off to go with Claudia’s husband as its only $50 more for 10-20 mins more footage (plus you have to get him a day pass). I’m kicking myself for not doing that. Spa – I used the spa at the resort to get my hair done and I was so happy (and relieved) that it turned out perfect! It was pricey though $100, but she did a great job! I was really nervous because the girl didn’t speak much English, but I brought pictures and she totally knew what to do. I will say though, that the place is not very sanitary. She pulled out a dirty brush with hair all over it and used it on me, and my husband got a mani/pedi and he said their cutters were dirty. I did my own makeup as I’m a makeup artist for MAC and sent my wedding party and mom’s to MAC on 5th and theirs turned out well. The one thing they did to all of them though was put on WAY too much eyeliner, so you just need to specify if you don’t like that. You can contact Oscar who is the manager @ Oscar Ibarra [[email protected]] to book an appointment. It was $55 redeemable in product. Our room was decorated really, really nicely at the end of the night. It was a really nice touch! All in all, I would totally recommend Sando’s for a wedding! It will be a dream come true! Here is a link to our website where I posted a couple of albums under the ‘photo albums’ page, at the bottom Welcome - The Knot: Wedding Web Page Builder Good luck and happy planning! Email me with any questions @ [email protected]

Hey Everyone! So we are back and we are hitched! Here is my (long) review of Sandos, which should hopefully answer everyone's questions. I tried to be as detailed as I could and I hope I didn't forget anything! Wedding Review of Sandos Playacar – February 27th, 2010 The Resort – WE LOVED IT and our guests did too! We have very seasoned Mexico all-inclusivers joining us and they were very happy with their rooms, the food and the service. The service and the staff are excellent, the grounds are nice and it’s a very big resort which is great because there was something there for everyone. The plaza was always happening and busy at night, so you could never get bored. The disco is a little cheesy looking, but it was busy every night and a lot of fun (mostly the same music every night though). As for the rooms: it’s a tough call as to what you want. We booked for the Beach Resort (the older side) and when we asked for an upgrade the woman was hesitant so I threw $20 her way and she made it happen, although we didn’t end up taking the upgrade because it was on the Riviera side - which was on the exact opposite side of the beach and where all of our guests were staying. The rooms are much nicer, modern, bigger (they have a Jacuzzi and a flat screen TV) and quieter than the Beach Resort side plus I really liked the pool on the Riviera side. It was the only one on the resort with a swim up bar, there are WAY less kids there and it was generally quieter and nicer. The Beach rooms were nice, they were just more traditional/Mexican looking but they are loud (you can hear a lot going on outside) as they are located right by the main pool where all the action (noise) is. The one great thing about being on the Beach side was that it was really close to all the restaurants and the beach. There is room service 24 hours which is decent (especially coming home from a night of drinking, it hits the spot) but it always takes at least an hour to get anything – even though they say it’s less. The Wedding Co-Coordinators – We met with both Paola and Maria, but mostly dealt with Maria as she was the one taking care of our wedding day. I LOVED MARIA!!! She is so accommodating and has a great personality (my MIL and Mom really like her as well) she will work her butt off for you! The Ceremony – it was so gorgeous! We lucked out with the weather because they were calling for rain that day, all week, and it turned out to be the sunniest, clearest day of the entire trip! The water was bluer than ever, not a cloud in the sky and we had a gorgeous sunset for our pictures. The ceremony was at 4 (which was 1 hr and 45 mins before sunset) and it was still hot and sunny, but it was perfect timing for pictures afterwards. By the time the ceremony was over and we had some group shots, the sun was starting to set so we had beautiful lighting for our pictures of the two of us. The only thing I wish I would have done is had a rehearsal. I don’t even know if this service is offered because well…they never offered it! But my wedding party and my dad didn’t really know what to do (not that I did either) and I was fine with just going with the flow, because it wasn’t complicated, but I think we would have all felt more at ease had we known exactly what we were going to do. So it felt a little un-organized in that sense. The music was a little quiet and I think the song skipped when I was walking down the aisle because he restarted it. It wasn’t a big deal though really. When you’re in the moment, none of it really matters.  The set up was gorgeous; it looked exactly like the pictures. The minister was really lovely, our families really liked her and she even dressed in our wedding colors (I saw another wedding while I was there and she did the same for them too). She spoke excellent English. Maria and Paola offered us a sand ceremony before the signing of the papers, which was really nice and they give you a container to take the sand home in. Reception – We had ours at the Italian Buffett which I would highly recommend! The food was the best (my favorite out of all of them, including the Ala Carte ones) and the nicest looking inside. It’s very modern looking. We did our speeches in there which was a bit difficult because they didn’t turn the music down and you’re not allowed a microphone, so I would recommend doing your speeches in the wedding hut where you can have a mic. The cake was DELICIOUS! We had strawberries and cream with hard white chocolate on the outside. Maria had an assistant Sylvia who was in training, and forgot to put our flowers on the cake (she took them to my room instead) which we paid $30 to have, but Maria gave us our money back the next day. She felt so horrible for the error too (which really wasn’t that big of a deal either). Flowers – my bouquet was GORGEOUS! I was really happy with how it turned out however my bridesmaid bouquets looked nothing like what I wanted which I think was a communication error between Maria and I. They still looked nice so I wasn’t worried about it; it just wasn’t what I was expecting. Photographer – We used Citalli Rico of Claudio Rodriguez photography and she was EXCELLENT! She was really, really lovely to work with and very professional. She made herself invisible when necessary and gave direction when appropriate. She was happy to accommodate any shots we wanted as well as suggested some. She was very attentive, personable and concerned about how I was doing. We had a videographer with us during our shoot with her, so we got an idea of how the shots looked by seeing it on video and I’m certain they pictures will turn out amazing! Maria and Paola said they have worked with her before and said she is way better than the resort photographers. Videographer – We used the one that the resort photo shop contracts out and it was HORRIBLE!!! It would NOT recommend anyone use them. First of all the guy was LATE!!! He showed up just as the ceremony was starting so he only got starting from my MOH and on. He missed the rest of my bridesmaids! Thankfully he got there in time to catch me going down the aisle. So he ended up staying an extra hour (which is why he was there for our photo shoot) to compensate. We spoke with the manager who gave us 3 extra copies of our video and an extra 5 mins of edited footage. But the quality of the footage during the ceremony was not very good and the sound was awful! He shot different scenes of the ceremony in different tones (i.e. black and white, sepia, color) so it was really weird and inconsistent when you watch it. A lot of it was out of focus, it was really quiet until they dubbed our songs in which come on really loud. I will say they got all of our songs downloaded and used them on the video which was nice and the part of our photo shoot was great. I’m guessing because he got there late he didn’t have time to set up his camera properly. You’d be better off to go with Claudia’s husband as its only $50 more for 10-20 mins more footage (plus you have to get him a day pass). I’m kicking myself for not doing that. Spa – I used the spa at the resort to get my hair done and I was so happy (and relieved) that it turned out perfect! It was pricey though $100, but she did a great job! I was really nervous because the girl didn’t speak much English, but I brought pictures and she totally knew what to do. I will say though, that the place is not very sanitary. She pulled out a dirty brush with hair all over it and used it on me, and my husband got a mani/pedi and he said their cutters were dirty. I did my own makeup as I’m a makeup artist for MAC and sent my wedding party and mom’s to MAC on 5th and theirs turned out well. The one thing they did to all of them though was put on WAY too much eyeliner, so you just need to specify if you don’t like that. You can contact Oscar who is the manager @ Oscar Ibarra [[email protected]] to book an appointment. It was $55 redeemable in product. Our room was decorated really, really nicely at the end of the night. It was a really nice touch! All in all, I would totally recommend Sando’s for a wedding! It will be a dream come true! Here is a link to our website where I posted a couple of albums under the ‘photo albums’ page, at the bottom you will see two links to themWelcome - The Knot: Wedding Web Page Builder Good luck and happy planning! Email me with any questions @ [email protected]

I was just there this past week for my wedding and we wound up at Mandala which is on the same street at the Blue Parrot and it was excellent! Oscar was out front and coaxed us in with free drinks and we followed because the place was so nice and modern looking inside and the music playing was awesome! It was dead when we got there but by about 11pm it was packed! We were out for my stag and the guys ended up coming in later, because it was the only place in all of Playa that night that was happening. We were pretty lucky we stumbled across it. The dance floor is very cool, the service was fantastic and the drinks were cheap! The only link I could find online for it is this one on you tube Playa del Carmen - Mandala (disco) Video by Peter - MySpace Video Again...I would highly recommend it!

Ok ladies....last chance to let me know what info you want to me be on the look out for! I will be leaving at 6am Wednesday morning....YIPPEE!!! I can't wait to report back to you all and let you know how it was! I know I was always waiting with baited breath for the next bride to come back and post a review! Wish me luck! Jennifer

Quote: Originally Posted by kaitlin422 Bride-chill-a, you must be so EXCITED!! YES I AM!!!! We leave in one week today and the wedding is next saturyday!!! So far this week and into early next week the weather is really crappy! I'm praying for no rain! I'm from Vancouver...that's the last thing I want when I go to Mexico is more rain! LOL! If anyone needs me to take pictures of anything or has any questions for me, let me know by Tuesday and I will do my best to get any and all info you need!

Quote: Originally Posted by motbride Has anyone ever stayed between the dates of Dec 21-30, and what sort of room rates did you pay? We were just quoted $191 per person per standard cheapest room.... and that just won't work for our extended group. Looks like we may be back to the drawing board. That would be $550 a night for myself (mother of the bride), husband and 14 yr old daughter. Nobody would come at that rate! We KNOW we saw Internet deals ... actual discounted rates... over this time period last year that were not anywhere near this high. We will try to negotiate, I guess. Thankfully, we have plenty of time, although we have one guest who already booked airline... so no going completely backwards on the destination! Hi Cara, Don't worry about the price as it stands for your dates right now...they WILL go down! When we first got our prices quoted to us about 8 months ago they were really high! That's normal. What they do is try to sell as much as they can at regular price before discounting it. You will be fine. I can't believe my wedding is in two weeks today!!! Jennifer

Thanks Jilligirl! I work for MAC so I have the managers name and number so I'm going to call him and see what the deal is and if we can work something out. It sounds weird how they operate so different there. I'm just looking for my bridal party to get their makeup done...cause I sure don't want to do 6 people on my wedding day!

Cara, We are not doing live music. ALL, Does anyone know how many minutes driving it takes to get to the MAC on 5th Ave in Playa? I know it's on 5th and 12th but I'm not sure where that is in respect to the Resort and I can't seem to figure it out on google maps. Thanks!

Congrats Jilligirl! I'm so happy to hear it went so well! Thanks for the info on the buffet and the room upgrades! Can't wait to see your pictures! What did you all do after dinner, etc?

Quote: Originally Posted by jrprice24 Thank you! Well the toast is immediately after the wedding. The wedding hut is located at the back of the aisle that you walk down. We did the wedding, then the toast, then we went off to do pictures and everyone else went to the bar and started celebrating while waiting for us, then we all went to dinner at 6:30. I'm not sure if you can go back to the wedding hut after dinner b/c it will be dark by that time, that would be a question for Paola. I think you would do your first dance at the disco. We actually just hung out at the bar all evening. I figured everyone would be raring to go but we were actually all really tired and most of us were in bed by 11, lame I know! A few people changed clothes and then everyone hung out and played card games all evening. Nothing fancy but we had such a small group that it worked really well and we have the AHR to get wild and crazy. I was very worried about what we were going to do after the wedding and after dinner but it all worked out. Good Luck! Let me know if you have more questions. . Thank you for the info, that helps! I think this is what we are going to do: Photographer arrives at 2:30 pm to take pictures of Mike and groomsmen Bridal party (girls) to be ready at 3pm Pictures of bridal party (girls) from 3:15-4 Ceremony 4pm Toast/First Dances 4:30pm Group photos 4:45pm Jen and Mike photo’s with and without families 5 – 6:30pm Dinner 6:30pm – 8pm Speeches and Cake cutting 8 – 8:30pm Dancing 11pm (either at the disco or on 5th ave in Playa – TBC) Due to what you said about it being dark, i think we will do the dances right after the toast, either on the beach or at the hut. Whatever Paola says will work. It's been tough to plan out the evening when I don't really know what the heck I'm doing and can't see anything either! I was relieved to see that the Italian Buffett was so nice, so I don't need to add alot of decorations. I'm going to bring my own candle holders and use our bouquets in vases as centerpieces and that's about it! I feel like it's all coming together now! Thanks again for your input!

Hey Everyone, I just recieved pictures today, from Paola, of the Italian Buffett (the semi-private area). It looks really nice! If you want to see the photo's, let me know and I will email them to you as they are too big to post on here. Jennifer

Someone on another thread had posted these links, which I found helpful. But it's just for Playa Del Carmen. playa del carmen nightlife | bars, dancing, music :: iloveplaya.com Playa Del Carmen Nightlife: Nightclub Reviews by 10Best Playa del Carmen Nightlife and Entertainment - IgoUgo Hope that helps!

Hi Cara, I think you would be fine making the arrangements on your own. The only thing my TA said as far as the advantages of going thru a TA vs online, is if you book something and need to change the dates, times, etc of travel then it gets a little trickier. In the case of a wedding where the date and time are pretty set I think you'd be ok. I know it will be easier for everyone to make their own arrangments especially since they are all coming from different parts of the country. That's great that you have the time to help your daughter out and do the research. It's really like a full time job, especially in the beginning when trying to pick a resort! Talk soon! Jennifer

Quote: Originally Posted by motbride I am a mother of the bride and we are looking at Sandos Playacar for a Dec 2010 wedding. This thread has great information... thank you to everyone who has taken the time to post to it! Has anyone booked directly through Sandos rather than going through a travel agent? We will probably have a group of 20 minimum and 40 maximum, and they will be coming from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, and Colorado, with varying dates for arrival and departure. My daughter met initially with one travel agent and she said she charges a fee of $150 up front plus $30 per guest. Is this typical? Other than saving money, I can't see any reason to book through a travel agent. If it is going to cost more, I'd just as soon do any of the coordination myself. I'm looking for pros and con, etc. Have most of you have already done this used a travel agent or made arrangements yourself? Thanks! Cara Hello, Yes, this forum is extremely helpful! I love it! My bridesmaid and her husband booked straight thru the hotel and booked flights seperate as they were coming from a different city than us, and they said it was cheaper for them that way. The majority of my party and guests all booked through a group deal my TA had arranged as we saved $150 off the top/person and there were some perks for myself and Fiancee doing it that way. BUT let me tell you what a pain in the butt it was arranging travel for 20 people! I'm not so sure it was worth it in the end. Our TA didn't charge us any commission or anything as she is family and coming to the wedding, so we were lucky there. But I've actually never heard of a TA charging those prices you were qouted which could be because they don't usually tell you that. Good luck, let us know how you make out! Jennifer

Quote: Originally Posted by Pinz Hi, We just arrived home from Mexico today. We did a site visit and after touring several resorts there was no doubt in our minds that we will book Sandos Playacar. In terms of paying fees for guests that are not staying on the resort, we were pondering the same thing. We decided that we are not going to pay the fee because we are unsure how many guests will be staying at the resort and $77 USD can add up fast! If you only have five, then I would prob pick up the tab more than that I would prob make them pay. Good luck, let me know if you have any questions about the resort. Cheers Lindsay Our Wedding Website | Welcome | jayandlindsay Hey Lindsay! Thanks for the info! I do have a couple questions: Did you have a chance to look at the wedding hut? Was it pretty big? i.e. can do your first dances there, etc....I'm trying to figure out what the 'reception' will be like since we don't have enough people for the private party. Also, how about the buffet restaurants? Which one seemed to have nicer decor, the Italian or the Mexican? As for the day passes, we got it sorted out. I let my friend know that there was the cost for the day passes if they want to hang out any other days than the wedding, but that we would take care of the passes on the day of. She said they would pay for it since they are getting their hotel for next to nothing (I think it is her boyfriends sisters timeshare or something). So that's that! Thanks in advance for any info! Jennifer

Quote: Originally Posted by kaitlin422 I don't know - I think I would feel like I should pay it... for example, I went to a wedding at the Philadelphia Institute of Art and the bride and groom paid for everyone's parking... I would just hope it is not a lot of guests who would need a pass - but one or two I would try and swing it. Thanks Kaitlin! We have 5 people staying outside the resort, but 3 are from my FI's side, so my MIL is paying for them. 2 are my friends, so I think we will pay for them. They haven't booked their other hotel yet, so I'm going to let her know if they are thinking of coming to hang out with us more than just the wedding day, that there is a charge and hopefully that will sway their decision on where they stay.