Destination Scout

I booked www.cancuncd.com for a wedding I coordinated last Saturday. Edward was always very responsive to my e-mails and there was no fuss about price, time, or anything. He was able to answer all of my questions and speaks excellent engish. Edward arrived on time with two assistants on Saturday night. They were great. Everyone enjoyed watching them roll the cigars, and of course, the cigars themselves.

Most banks have a service for automatic deposits to Mexico banks. Wells Fargo calls it Express Send. I send my banker the bank account information. Wells Fargo takes about 10 days to verify the account. I have to go into the bank for the first transaction to each of the vendors, but after that I can initiate the payment on line. It works a lot like Paypal except the fees are much lower. My bank only charges $1.50 per transaction. Paypal charges international vendors 6% so your vendors probably wouldn't like it if you paid the bulk of the money with Paypal. That being said, if you speak to your bank before you leave you can find out whether they will increase your debit card limit temporarily. My banker lets me call him right before I walk up to the ATM. He then increases my limit. I call him back and he brings it back down right away.

I coordinated a wedding in Tulum on Cinco de Mayo this year. We used a few vendors from Cancun and had absolutely no problem with vendor availablility. I agree, there is very little local hoopla surrounding Cinco de Mayo. You'll probably get more activity in Cancun just because it will be pointed at the tourists.

I do believe she's independent. I was speaking to her the other day and that was the impression I got. I looked through my pictures and realized I don't have any. I thought I had taken them because I've looked through the property a few times, but then I realized that I never took any pictures because they promised to redecorate. I decided to wait until they had done so. They have now redecorated but in the same color scheme and theme as previously. Sorry.

Is Angelina at Las Ranitas now? I think she's independent, and not actually working for Las Ranitas. She's very sweet and has a great list of contacts. I forgot to send you the pictures last night, so I'll have to remember to do it this weekend. I don't have access to them during the day. As far as capacity goes, the dining room is pretty small. I believe there's room for 30 people maximum. They have a patio that could seet another 10-15 people. The deck will add space but you would probably end up using that as a dance floor. Another option would to hire a dance floor and use the deck for extra dining space. Just make sure that the deck will be competed by your wedding date. The pool area is much larger and steps down to the beach, so you can naturally expand out to the beach if you would like to. It is set back from the beach and surrounded by buildings (but not intrusively) so you have a natural 3 sided wind break. Regarding what they can offer - just ask for what you want. They will cater your meal to whatever you want and need to hire any other services. So just ask and you will receive.

I've been there but have not had a wedding there. I'll post some pictures tonight. It is one of the largest properties. Management has changed a few times over the last few years, so any past reviews probably wouldn't be of much help. Where are you having your reception? I would probably suggest having it at the pool, which is my favorite part of the property. However, it will be interesting to see the dining room once they have finished their deck. Do you have any specific questions?

Welcome to the forum. I work a lot in the Tulum area. There are a few areas with villas in the Tulum area. If you want the Tulum beach but close to restauarants I would suggest Ranco San Eric. Soliman Bay is a great area if you want a great place to go snorkeling and ocean that the children can play in. There are some amazing homes in Si'an Kaan, they are off the beaten path but have AMAZING beaches. One of my clients just came back from her scouting trip. She was looking for something similar. Here is the link to her review. http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/thread/64748/scouting-trip-tulum-soliman-bay-sian-ka-an Good luck!

Rose, which Barcelo are you at? There is a restaurant and small hotel named Al Cielo right next to the Barcelo Colonial in Xpu-Ha. I really like Al Cielo. There are only 4 rooms at the hotel but a restaurant large enough for 40. You have the beach to yourself and they have a pretty great group rates when trying to coordinate a group dinner.

This is a summary of the cosmic ceremony that I wrote for a client: The basic ceremony goes like this. Charlie and Marie (officiants) have built a cross out of flowers in the sand, pointing to the four cardinal directions. Each of the directions represents a pagan god, which is represented by a different color flower: North - purification East - love south - spiritual guidance west - protection You will choose at least one person from your group to represent each of the different god's/directions. You will choose one person to represent purification and stand at the north side, another to represent love on the east, etc. Your mothers will be given a bowl of water. The remainder of your guests will form a circle around you. This builds the energy and encircles you in the love of your friends and families. At the beginning, Charlie will walk you around the outside of the circle and then bring you into the circle facing the ocean. He will blow the ceremonial conch and then Marie will begin the ceremony. She will present you the person representing west and talk about protection. The person representing south will sprinkle you with flower pertals (representing the gift of protecton) and then your mothers will sprinkle you with water. Then you will walk to the south and they will talk about spiritual guidance. The person representing spiritual guidance will sprinkle you with flowers and your mothers will sprinkle you with flowers. You'll move all the way around the circle accordingly. Then Charlie will speak of commitment and talk about how this is a commitment between the two of you. You will exchange your vows and then guests will be invited to say something to you two. The ceremony can be changed or catered to your desires. Just let him know if you are thinking of having anyone do readings, or anything else. We had one of our friends step in and lead the exchanging of vows. You can do what ever you want.

Oh - and for in Playa I would recommend Mesquito Blue - but not their beach location. I like their location off 5th a lot more. It's just prettier and more intimate. You still have access to their beach though, so you get the best of both worlds. If you want something really intimate I would recommend Tides or La Reve, depending on your budget. They are next door to each other so they share the same beach.

Sorry - I missed your post. 60-80 people in one place is a little hard to do in Tulum. Especially with A/C. However, if you are looking for a place to stay the week before with your smaller group that may be easier. If you have 12 people I would recommend El Pez. If you are thinking a house rental would work for you I would look at Rancho San Eric. La Luna offers a great value and Playa Azul just had a great restauarant open. It's hard to make a recommendation without knowing the specifics. You really can't go wrong with anywhere in Tulum.

Thanks for the kudos Umami! I'm excited that you got so much accomplished in your 3 days. You managed to choose your hairdresser, make-up artist, venue and wedding officiant. We're going to have a great time coodinating your wedding.

It depends on what you are looking for. How many people? Do they all need to stay in the same hotel or is it ok to book 3 small boutique hotels right next to each other in order to get all of your rooms? Do you want all-inclusive or would a private home with a kitchen or even possibly a private chef? Would you rather stay in boutique hotels with a small restaurant on site?

That's fantastic. I didn't think of those because I thought you said you wanted to be near Playa. I'm working with Aki'in right now. They are very easy to work with. Both places have great staff, so either way, you're wedding will be hassle free.

Le Reve is one of my favorites in Playa. Good luck!