~Katie~

Welcome Clay....lots of time to gather info and make an informed decision, and this is definitely the best place to do it! congrats and happy planning!

Welcome Kaitlyn, congrats on your wedding! make sure you check out the thread on the Grand Palladium - always lots of advice available. happy planning!

welcome Meli... Sounds like you are well on your way to having everything sorted! big congrats and happy planning!!

welcome Patricia. Congrats on your upcoming wedding and happy planning!

Hi Sarah - welcome to the most informative site on the web! I am also getting married in Mexico, Riviera Maya next year....and can't wait! good luck and happy planning!

welcome to the forum Bren. I'm sure everything will work out great! congrats and happy planning!

this was awful, but I'm lucky I'm in the UK as it didn't make the news over here so thankfully none of my party have heard about it - and that's how I plan to keep it!! I couldn't cope with any more moaning!! I'm glad everyone got out unhurt.

hey there all... I am in the process of changing my wedding location - we are currently booked for 2 weeks at the Azul Sensatori and 7 May 2010 as our wedding date - and we really like the look of Ocean Coral. Can somebody (who either is or has got married there) give me a little overview? Our reason for changing is the high cost of the wedding package at AS as well as lots of costs on top for the huge amount of things not included. So before changing, I just want to know what I'm dealing with! Thanks in advance for any help/info you give me.

happy wedding day Allisa!! hope you're having an absolutely brill time! looking forward to hearing all about it when you come back! xx

Quote: Originally Posted by gemwhite2b Hey Katie, I have been through everything you are going through now. I called my TA to get details on moving resorts and even contries but after looking at every hotel all over, i didn't find any i liked as much AS. We totally wanted a hotel that was modern and new and looked the part for our wedding. I have been to Cuba twice and loved both holidays however, the hotels are not up to the standard of AS and are very dated. The beaches are beautiful and people are friendly. I just couldn't picture my wedding with old fashioned decor and furniture. Maybe that is not an issue for you? Money is a missive issue however and it kills me to think of the money it is costing for the so called "cheaper option". We have helped this issue slightly by not having a private reception, only going for white decor of the location and sticking to standard things like flowers etc. Let me know if you see any hotels elsewhere that you love. I would be interested to look myself! I am sure it will all work out fine for you Katie. Also, to add to the stress, i have just found out that the shop i have bought my dress from has gone into liquidation! I have lost the money I have paid for the dress but luckily, the designer is still on track to make it as I was having made to measure anyway. i just need to find the money again!!! hey gem, AS would let us downgrade our package, that's not a problem. our problem is that the packages are soooo expensive for what is actually included - we thought we'd get more for our money and now can't afford the package and all the extras. we're still looking around, but atm our fav is Ocean Coral by H10 (look on the first Choice website). i think you'd like it - modern looking and new...rooms look good too. have a look and let me know what you think! good luck with your dress! at least you should get it cheaper now if you're buying it direct and cutting out the middle man! xx

Quote: Originally Posted by shellk katie that sounds wonderful no wonder you said yes. are you going back to the same resort around the same time? can i ask what was the weather like in feb? Hi Shellk, We're not going back to the same resort, (Grand Rivieria Princess) but that's not to do with the hotel - we loved it there! We went 24 Feb - 10 March and the weather was just perfect. We only had 10 mins of rain in the whole 2 weeks we were there. apparently they'd had a bit of rain before we'd got there that had bought in the mosi's, but that was fine. I got bit, but i get bitten all the time, no matter where i go! Fiance didn't get bitten at all! Good luck with yours too )

Quote: Originally Posted by sam33 Hi Im really sorry to hear you r having problems with the hotel. We had a similar problem as yourselves. with photographer and decorated venue among many issues. Our TA (Who are brilliant),have been fighting our corner for us but they were not getting anywhere fast, not their fault. We had decided that after 8 weeks of no answers to make the big decession to change venue. We changed venue and within 15hrs had the date confirmed, photographer booked and wedding package organised, i feel so relieved and excited. This was the best decesion we made. I do hope you manage to get things sorted and your wedding is still on course for the Azul Sensatori as i am sure it is a beautiful resort and your wedding will be perfect. By the way we have been to cuba, it has beautiful beaches and clear blue seas just perfect, however it is very third world. Would be intrested to hear your views on how your getting on Thanks for your post Sam. We heard back from our TA today and they have said they can't do anything about the package as the hotel won't but they (the TA) will waiver the £35 pp change fee and let us change the hotel/destination free of charge. How has it been for the hotel you've changed to? was there a big difference? and where did you change to? (sorry about all the questions!) and yep...started looking at Cuba but kinda gone back to looking at alternatives in Mexico now. just so wary because I don't want to find myself in the same situation again... soooo stressed!

aw Ash, thanks so much for posting all that. I'd definitely be interested to hear about the food please!! We are in the process of a major complaint to the TA and hotel about the mis-selling of the package and photographer issue, amongst several other things. The result could be anything...but if they don't sort out the issues, we will at least be moving hotel and company, if not country as well....Cuba's sounding quite tempting at the moment! I've had a major stressful weekend with it all and this planning has officially become horrible, stressful and draining and I don't want to do it anymore. something needs to change ( interesting as well about Carrie- you're comment about there not really being a sea view - we're paying quite a bit more money for a room which apparently is a sea view room!! this will be something else to go on the complaint email!!

welcome Stephanie. It sounds like you've really thought about it, and if that's what you and your FH want...do it your way. and if you know that's how its going to be, planning a wedding is stressful enough without all the dramas you believe your families will bring. congrats, follow your heart and do what's right for you both. happy planning!

welcome Tonja.... the girls on this site are really helpful and I'm sure you'll have lots of ideas in no time (being in the UK, I'm a bit stuck to help you out on prices - sorry!) congrats tho and happy planning!

Quote: Originally Posted by AshManahan There are only 15 Americans that I have seen so far--great for us, we love the brits. thanks )

I wasn't going to do this bit but after reading through other people's I can't resist!! well... we've been together properly for 2 years (one of those messy starts where you don't know where to count from lol) and known each other for just under 3. we met (kinda embarrasingly) off the net (amazing what it can be used for!) and haven't looked back since. In June 2008 we decided we deserved an all-out holiday (for us from the UK Mexico is a very expensive destination) for lots of reasons - this was our first holiday away together, we had both been through some tough years beforehand and between us we hadn't been on holiday abroad in 10 years! We quickly decided on Mexico and February 2009 we set off to The Grand Riviera Princess hotel, RM. and it was perfect. I was so excited to be away on holiday with the man I loved. At the end of the second day there (first full day after arriving) we went for a lovely dinner, then for a few drinks at the bar. Chris suggested we took our drinks to one of the hut pontoon things on the lagoon (sorry, no idea what to call them!!). he said he was going back to the room to get a beer so I waited and set a chair out opposite me and moved another one out the way to make it more romantic when he got back. When he returned, he sat on the seat next to me, not the seat opposite I'd set out...strange I thought, but ok. he looked really fidgety and started talking but another couple came down and sat next to us!! Chris then suggested we take our drinks back to our hotel balcony/terrace to make it more romantic. Back at the hotel terrace, he gave me a little shoulder massage and started saying all these really lovely things....I was so totally clueless I was just sat there thinking in my head 'wow, you're great on holiday, so romantic and loving...we'll have to go away more often'!!!!!! then he asked me 'you know how much I love you don't you'....and me having loved how loving he'd been and wanting more said 'no. tell me'!! oops! but he did...then whilst I was still sat on the chair from the mini massage, he came round to the side of me at my level and asked if I loved him enough to marry him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! OMG!!!! I have never been more shocked in my life!! I was so not expecting it, I hadn't even noticed when he came round the side of me that he was even on one knee! The first I realised was when he pulled out the ring and asked the question! Turns out he'd had the ring, in it's box, in his back pocket - no wonder he couldn't sit down on the lagoon or back at the hotel balcony!! But the best bit... he'd asked my dad before we'd left to go away, he'd bought me the most gorgeous platinum ring (which was a perfect fit!) and he'd told my closest friends before we went. it was all so well thought out and perfect. I couldn't have asked for anything more. The rest of the 2 weeks went past in a blissful blur and now we're planning on our wedding - back in Mexico!! And that is my fairytale so far!!

hey janice... well at least you know that! it's a good place to start. have a good read of posts on here for the different areas - they give you a really good idea of what will suit you and your FH. congrats and happy planning!

welcome to the site....congrats and happy planning!!

hey welcome to the site! Take a look at the threads under the Mexico postings - you can get a really good idea what each area (and hotel) has to offer. congrats and happy planning!

welcome Olivia... your wedding destination sounds perfect ) the best of both worlds. congratulations and happy planning!

hey Miss Florida....always great to see another UK bride here ) sounds like you are well on your way to being organised, calm and collected...well done you! congrats and happy planning!

hey, welcome to the site....you'll find everything you'll need to know on here! congrats and happy planning!

Hi Lisa, welcome to the forum. Moon Palace was my first choice and only reason I didn't go with them is that it's expensive to stay at for all us lot coming from the UK! So I'm very jealous!! Take a look at the Moon Palace Brides thread - there's loads of useful info in there. Congrats and happy planning!

hey Denise, welcome to the forum. you'll be addicted in no time!! Congrats and happy planning!!