BethBride1

Quote: Originally Posted by sdtooley Ivan was an absolute pleasure to work with! He was extremely organized and so professional. When I mentioned to my father that we would be hiring an outside DJ to come to Dreams Tulum to dj the wedding, he was a little worried and skeptical but after meeting Ivan at our meeting he was absolutely amazed by his professionalism. Ivan had all of our emails and information straight and had gotten all of our music together for the wedding. Needless to say my Dad was so excited that I had done all of the research to find an amazing DJ in the Riviera Maya that would do a great job at the wedding. Ivan arrived early in the evening to prepare for the wedding and was very flexible when we decided to switch things around last minute. I cannot speak highly enough of Ivan and his assistants. They made our wedding truly amazing and everyone had the most wonderful time. He kept everyone dancing and the time flew by way too fast. Our guests were talking about him for the rest of week and wondering how we found such an incredible DJ! I cannot thank him enough for making my wedding reception perfect and showing our 50 guests how people in Mexico can dance and party!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH IVAN! If you are looking for a great DJ please contact Ivan because he will do such an amazing job I am also having 50 people and interested in hiring Ivan. Did you get the light up dance floor? Is it big enough for 50 people?

The Barcelo Maya Palace has a Church right on the resort- it's a Catholic church & actually has mass on Sat & Sun. It's gorgeous. I was there last week.

Quote: Originally Posted by t&kJanuary2010 BethBride1...thanks for all the site information! How about the Gazebo...is that by the pool? Or where a ton of people will be at 5? Can the reception be push back a bit to give time for pictures, etc? What were your thoughts of the room top area? How many people do you think that will hold? Hey! Did I forget the gazebo? I guess so, it was late. haha. The gazebo is not by the pool...but it is in an area people walk by to get to the buffet & restaurants at the Palace. There are other ways to go to the dinner though, so I wouldn't think it would be crazy busy, but expect some people walking by. The reception time can be pushed back to give time for pictures..if you think about it, that is a major perk of a destination wedding. Most weddings I go to have a 2.5 hour gap between the ceremony & reception, but we dont have to travel around to take pictures (so it takes less time) and the guests can go back to their rooms to freshen up in between. The roof top can fit a decent amount of people, it's pretty big. Claudia said it was an option for us for cocktail hour and we are expecting 50 people. Your WC would also be able to verify if it's big enough for your group.

Hey girls...i tried to post this the other night, but for some reason my computer wasn't letting me on the forum...here is some info about the sites... First of all, I tried to take a lot of pics…this includes pics of the chapel. I tried to get inside the banquet halls, but was unsuccessful. The doors were all locked except one. The room inside was small, as it was sectioned off by one of those movable walls. It looked like any other banquet room. All I know about this is that the hotel at the Palace is stunning, so I’m sure the banquet hall would be the same. Next I am going to try to clarify some things about the beach sites, bc I really wish some other brides would have explained it like this. First of all, this is the way it was explained to me when I was down there: they try to put the beach receptions in front of one of the grills (each resort has one). This way they use that kitchen to make the food & it can stay warm in its transport from the kitchen to the beach. As far as the different beach sites- they all look the same…Gorgeous beach with palm trees and a clear blue ocean. None of them are any more private than the other. They are continuous. They are not sectioned off or separated by the resorts. I guess the only way they can tell if the guests are on the right beach is by their wristband (which I don’t really think they care what beach you are on). The ONLY beach that is a bit different is the coral beach which is outside of the Palace. It is small and sectioned off by the natural landscape, but it is NOT any more private than the others. It is higher than the rest of the beach & kind of in the shape of a triangle. To the left are rocks and to the right is the ocean & the rest of the beach. I’m assuming it is called Coral beach bc a lot of coral washes up there so the sand is not as soft. I saw them raking it before the wedding I watched when I was there, so I’m sure it’s fine. I haven’t heard any brides complain about it. Since it is kind of naturally sectioned off, I would imagine it would be a bit more intimate. The one thing I am not sure about with the beach receptions is how it works if you are staying at the Colonial, for example. I don’t know if you get all the beach choices. The way the rest of the resort works is kind of like a pyramid. The Palace is the newest & “nicest†(I put that in quotes bc they are ALL beautiful). Therefore if you stay at the Palace you can use all of the other resorts’ amenities…pools, restaurants, etc. The Tropical is the next nicest, so they can use any of the other resorts’ amenities, except the Palace…do you see how this works? So I am not sure if this goes for the wedding sites as well. As for the other cocktail & reception sites: One option is the rooftop. It has a great view of the ocean in the front and to the right. To the left are the other buildings. Another option is by the pool. The pools are spectacular. The only thing you might want to consider is the time that you will be there. At 5:00 there are still people in the pool and I doubt they can kick them out for you. I’m not sure how they would section this off. The paths/gardens in front of the beach are another option. Basically…I’m pretty sure that if you had your heart set on having it anywhere outside they would do it for you. In summary, I don’t see how you can go wrong. All the resorts are gorgeous. I think you just have to consider the time and your needs. I hope I explained everything clearly & I have not forgotten anything. If any of you have any questions or need anything explained further, just ask. I am a teacher, so I am used to lots of questions and explaining the same thing 500 different ways. Haha! I hope this helps!!!

Okay girls- I just got back from my site visit..... To start, let me just say that when I got there, both my FI and I were overwhelmed. Our jaws dropped because the resort is gorgeous. It was beyond our expectations. We literally spent the first 2 days saying "Did you see this!?"..."How cool is that!?"..."OMG this is awesome!?" I CANNOT believe this is where I get to marry him I wish it were tomorrow! : ) As for Claudia, from my experience she is absolutely amazing. I was completely taken aback with how professional she was and how much time she took with us. She is completely commited to making our weddings beautiful & works really hard. For example, the wedding I observed was on the beach & there were still stragglers in the ocean & beach trying to watch. Some of them were not being considerate & were getting pretty close. She litereally SPRINTED back and forth asking them to move out back & out of the way. Let me just tell you it was 90 degrees and she was wearing long pants running in the sand....CONTINUOUSLY! She didnt stop- I was very impressed. It was something, as a bride, you'll never see bc it's more behind the scenes...but she was there. I definately see both sides of the story now. As brides, it's our wedding, and we are concerned with every detail. It's also hard bc a lot us haven't seen there & there are so many details that we don't understand. But...I see her end now too. She gets 100 emails a day asking the same questions, that once you see the resort, are quickly answered. For example, the reception & cocktail sites...can basically be done anywhere (but I will explain more later). Claudia basically said that she can do anything with 4 days notice. Sometimes it comes with a price (which is the hard part for us, bc we are trying to plan and budget). They work with so many vendors down there though, so she can find anything. She was VERY willing to work with us and was able to accommodate all our needs. I expected to be nickeled & dimed like I hear a lot of the other resorts do, but this was not the case. We did a food and cake tasting while we were down there....uuuuughhh my mouth is still salvating. I can't believe how good the food was. AND the presentation- I did not expect that...it was amazing! I haven't even seen them do that with weddings I've been to up here! All the a la cart restautants are like that though. The cake was also delicious! *As for the 2010 menu- it is not done yet. Claudia said there will be no major changes...and let me just tell you, it doesn't matter bc it was all delicious!!! (and while I am not the best judge- my FI family is straight off the boat from Italy, so their lives literally center around the kitchen table- and he was so impressed. This was something we were really nervous about just bc his family is critical of food. We are so relieved! I took pictures of everything I thought anyone would want to see. I am posting them on my wedding website tomorrow for my guests & will include the link for you guys to see those. I also took pictures of the other possible reception & cocktail sites for you girls. I will post them on here if someone will tell me how??

Quote: Originally Posted by vlynnw Ok I've read a lot of good things on both the Colonial and the Palace, but I'm having a really hard time deciding which one to stay at. Primarily because I know there are many guests that would rather stay at the Colonial due to price. Also because I'm planning on doing a lot of things myself (i.e. centerpieces, flowers, etc, and bringing them with me) I don't find it necessary to spend an extra grand on a wedding package however, that extra grand gives me a beach reception instead of a banquet room. What are the receptions like in the banquet rooms for anyone that had that? If anyone has suggestions on location or some feedback on whether I should splurge for the beach reception I would really appreciate it. I just want to figure out my location and package and move on to more fun things! Personally, and this is just my opinion, I would (and am) splurge for the beach. Otherwise, why are you going to Mexico to have it in a closed in room? The beauty of the beach as a natural backdrop for your wedding is unreal. You can have a very simple wedding and spend very little for decorations & flowers when you have it on the beach. The only other thing I would suggest is to ask if you could have it in one of the grills- I know the grill at the Palace is open & overlooks the beach- so it's kind of the best of both.

Quote: Originally Posted by harv0136 Has anyone used the violin or guitar/keyboard? If so, how were they? I really wish I could hear a sample of the music. Do you know what songs they play? Thanks! From what Claudia told me this week, unfortunately we don't get to choose the songs they play. Now, this could be true of only the Catholic weddings- in reference to the hymns & Catholic music. She said it was all traditional/standard. They play the wedding march for the bride. The wedding I observed when I was there played "Over the Rainbow" as the bridal party walked down. She had the sax player & it sounded beautiful. I'm sure as the bridal party walks down, you could probably request a song & as long as they know it, there shouldn't be a reason they wont play it.

Quote: Originally Posted by sfrench0621 Hi Ladies, I got some clarification from Claudia regarding options for ceremony music included in the packages for 2010. Here's what she told me: "The music included in the wedding packages are the following: Violin, Saxophone, Flute, Musician ( guitar and keyboard) Mariachi band in no longer included for the ceremony. However you can get them for the reception 45 min $ 400.00usd." I also asked if the speakers and microphone were still free with the package and she said yes. "The audio system that is included is one big speaker were you can plug in your I pod and Cd´s and also a microphone is included" Such a bummer the mariachi is no longer an option. Has anyone selected the guitar and keyboard for their ceremony? If so how were they? SFrench- are you sure you have the correct information? I just got back from my site visit and she did not say that the Mariachi band was not available for the ceremony anymore. She included that as one of the options for us, and actually that is what we chose.

Quote: Originally Posted by sfrench0621 Finzup, I was thinking the reception in the package was for 3 hours... do you have to pay extra to extend it? If so, do you know how much it costs? The 2009 price to extend it is $10 per person, for 2010 it is $13 per person. This includes the servers & bar.

You do have to pay to extend it.... I wrote down how much it was when I was there, but I don't have the paper with me right now. I'll get back to you.

My bridesmaids are wearing a cobalt blue...and we are doing the same thing. Our flowers are going to be a rich pink and orange.

Wow! They look great!!!

I was told that your flowers don't have to match the colors. You can definately use a ribbon to do this. Think about it...so many girls have blue as their color, & there are very few blue flowers. If you choose flowers that are a nice contrasting color sometimes that makes your other clors pop more.

Our colors are cobalt (like a royal blue), seafoam green, and light blues

This is a huge help! Thanks for all the inspiration!

These all look gorgeous!!!

Okay! I'll def try to get the menus (I really hope they have them done already!) and lots of pics!

Hey girls! I am leaving for the Palace on Saturday!!! I am soooooo excited! I can't wait to see the resort & I promise I will take lots of pictures! I am also so excited to meet with Claudia (I have already set up an appointment)...I want to try to get as much planning done as possible when I am down there. Any suggestions or ideas on what I should get done while I'm down there? This is what I have come up with so far: -food tasting & choose menu -pick cake -flowers -centerpieces -observe wedding -observe DJ -check out possible reception sites & cocktail hour sites Is there anything specific that maybe I could help any of you with? I know I'm going to take picks of anything & everything & check out the different restaurants as well. Just let me know!

Hey! Does anyone have the Catholic wedding packages for 2010? Also, did anyone sign a contract with the Barcelo? I booked our time & date & reserved a block of rooms...but I feel uneasy because other than emails- I really don't have anything in writing. I really want my reception on the beach. We are getting married in the chapel, so I want something on the beach, otherwise why did we fly everyone down there? I'm nervous bc I've heard of people from other resorts getting "bumped" from their reception sites.

That is hysterical. Definately fate! It is gorgeous!!!

Congrats! That is so exciting!!!

They both look great on you! Go with your heart!

Quote: Originally Posted by Love3 LOL it is that hard if you knew me on computers! Thanx for the help. I will have my FI try later on. The templates website I downloaded and saved to my computer but my FI and I could change the script as he said that the program or something has blocked it so we couldn't use them Not sure what I have on here but I will look and let you know in a bit. Wish me luck cause I need A LOT LMAO Hey! I'm having the same dilema! What monogram website are you talking about?

Wow! What a great idea!

Quote: Originally Posted by uconncruiser I'm getting married in San Juan, Puerto Rico and having a Catholic ceremony at the Old San Juan Cathedral - the church is beautiful - UConCruiser- I love your monogram!!! Where did you get it