teshy1

My hubby and I stayed in separate rooms the night before. I stayed in our room with his sister (my future SIL) and he stayed in one of his groomsmen's rooms. I had to get up so early the day of the wedding to go get my hair and makeup done, and I also didn't want to disturb his sleep since I knew I'd be tossing and turning all night. We both kind of liked the idea of the "suspense", too -- not seeing each other until I walked down the aisle. The morning of the wedding, I kept getting reports from different wedding guests and even the wedding coordinator saying how nervous my hubby was -- it was cute! It was kind of like I had my own private investigation team... Bottom line, though -- do what feels right to you.

Seriously, have people flippin' lost their minds these days? What on earth would makea wedding guest invite whomever the heck they wanted to tag along to a DW? I swear people have no etiquette anymore. Demaris, I agree with the girls that suggested letting your original invited guests know that only they are allowed to come to the wedding/reception/events. Anyone else who shows up at the resort can enjoy their vacation there, but that's it. Good luck!

We got married at the Occidental Grand Xcaret in February 2010. They have a beautiful wedding gazebo overlooking the water. The resort is great, has lots of amenities, is friendly for couples, families, etc. Our experience with a having a wedding there was fabulous. The wedding coordinator, Marialma, is top-notch.

What's your style? I think it all depends on you. I've seen some beautiful short dresses, but in the end, it's what you feel fabulous in, right?

Tough call. You have to do what you think is right. How badly do you want those 1-2 people you're closer with at the office to attend? Are they as good of friends as your other friends? Unless you feel you're really close to them, I wouldn't worry about inviting them. Are you having any type of celebration at home, after the DW? We had a small wedding with just close friends and family, but we're having a much bigger AHR to include extended family, friends, and co-workers.

Sheesh! I feel like etiquette went out the window when social networking sites became popular. Not sending you an invite is bad enough, but to then FB-message you like that? Yikes. I'd be inclined to forgo the gift. You didn't receive a proper invitation anyway, right

Quote: Originally Posted by jeninesmom Thanks to everyone for the much appreciated advice! After talking to Jenine and the WC we are going to stick with the 11:00. This is her 2nd wedding and she is very relaxed about it. We only have 16 guests. Her BFF is an awesome hairdresser and she will be with us, so we dont have to do the salon thing. She has a white swim suit and a veil for the pool that day. She said she just didnt want everyone to have to go in early to get ready etc...we are doing the ceremony 1st thing and then partying it up the rest of the day. Our WC said she has done 11:00 am plenty of times and it was fine. She said 6:00 is the preferred, but some have chosen 11:00am. ALSO there arent any more weddings that day so we can switch it if we want to. I'm gonna go out there the day before and just see if it's horrible. Last night I had dinner with some girls, and guess what? One of them got marrid in Jamaica at 11:00 am!! LOL She said it was great because the whole day felt like a party. Thats what we like!! P A R T Y!! ☺ I think it's great that you're sticking with your original plan. I was a bit dismayed to see some of the more negatives comments on this thread, but I know people are just expressing their opinions. It sounds like you have a solid plan worked out for your daughter's wedding day. My husband and I got married in the Mayan Riviera in February, and our ceremony was at 11 a.m. It worked out great! Yes, I had to be up early to start hair and makeup, but I was so excited, I probably would've been awake early anyway! Our ceremony was fairly short, maybe 15 minutes, and there was a nice breeze to keep everyone cool. Also, we had lots of time after the ceremony to do pictures, then all our guests could spend the afternoon however they wanted. They really enjoyed that. Lots of people went into Playa del Carmen for the afternoon. I changed out of my dress in the afternoon, then back into it for our 6:30 reception. Things worked out great. Good for you for sticking to your guns!

Quote: Originally Posted by SandalGirl There are some of our teaser pics from our photographer in my bio - feel free to take a peek! Awesome pictures! Did you guys do a lot on the ruins? We took a bunch there and they turned out awesome. Looks like you had a perfect weather day!

Congrats, Brooke! Wow -- Feb brides don't waste any time!

Quote: Originally Posted by lil_reeves Here's an idea....wear SPF 60 and stay in the shade. You will still tan but it won't be as dark. If you are tanning at home first you will have a good base going. When I was in Mexico it was 4 days before the wedding and I constantly applied sunscreen and didn't lounge in the direct sun without my high SPF. It's better to be less tanned than to be red or have major tan lines IMO. Plus you can undo your straps when you're lying on your back. Don't stress!!! You'll probably be too busy to be sun tanning anyhow I agree! This is the way I went -- high SPF and staying in the shade. I was a bit paler than I'd wanted, but it probably looked better than tan lines would have. I had a dress with a deep V front and back, so even strapless tops were out for me.

I am so happy to see that other OGX brides had great wedding experiences, too! Congrats to all the newlyweds!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Micas de Miralls Unfortunately for all inclusive hotels, weddings are just number..so It is easy to find people like that.....this is the reason we exist! ejejej...Good Luck for your wedding at Moon Palace,,,,,and congratulation!!! I have to disagree.... I don't think all AI resorts treat you like you're just a number. We had a great experience at the Occidental Grand Xcaret, and I know they do a lot of weddings. I felt that the WC and staff there were very attentive and considerate of what we wanted. Our wedding was fabulous. Having said that, I think we all appreciate when brides can share when they've had a not-so-good experience, so that everyone can be aware and possibly avoid similar disappointment.

We went with Claudia Rodriguez and were very happy with how the pictures turned out. I felt she was reasonably priced and she was great to work with. She promised we'd get our pictures 4-6 weeks from the wedding date, and she delivered.

I am so glad I got back on this site after a long absence.... Congrats, Sabrina! So exciting for you and your hubby! Ironically, I was pretty darn sure I was pregnant 2 weeks ago. For more than a week, I was nauseous, tired, crampy. Turned out to be a false alarm. I had mixed emotions, you know? Just like the rest of you gals are saying, I decided I can't get so worked up and stressed out. We'll keep trying and when it happens, it happens. We just got our wedding pictures back last week and I'm soooo happy with them! I've been enjoying looking through them and sharing them with family and friends. Next comes the task of deciding which ones to get extra prints/enlargements of. Trying to plan 2 "receptions" as well -- one here in Alberta, one back in my home state of Michigan. We're keeping it really low-key, backyard-BBQ style. We want both events to be more like a family reunion or summer party, not an actual wedding reception. Congats again, Sabrina! And Brooke -- keeping my fingers crossed for you!

Things I'm glad I brought: Vaseline (great to prevent blisters between your toes from (your flip-flops or soothe existing blisters) Lots of cover-ups to go over bikinis Keens SPF 70 (I burn REALLY easily) Things I wish I'd brought: A warmer sweater to wear in the evenings (it's a bit chilly by the ocean when it's windy out) Aloe gel Earplugs (loud neighbours!) Overall, I think I planned my packing quite well. This thread helped me a lot!!

It's so great seeing everyone's pictures -- you all look so happy! I've posted some of my pics on FB, but I think I'll have to do Photobucket to share with everyone. I can't believe Feb. is over and we're all married ladies!

I just got married in Mexico and I carried my dress on the plane. I had to make a bit of a stink about them storing my dress in the crew closet up front, because by the time I got on the plane, 4 other brides had already stored their dresses in that one closet! We had 6 brides on our flight! Anyway, after stating very loudly to a fellow passenger that the flight attendant wouldn't take my dress and store it up front, another flight attendant said "don't worry -- I'll take care of it for you", and promptly took my dress and stored it. I don't even want to know how squished in it was, but I had a chiffon dress, so wrinkling wasn't a problem. When I opened my garment bag in Mexico the day before the wedding, there wasn't a single wrinkle, so I was lucky. I would suggest talking to the airline staff when you check in and again at the gate, and be polite but assertive with the flight attendants. I think most of them are pretty understanding -- I mean, it's your wedding!

Quote: Originally Posted by becky89 hi im becky im looking to book my wedding end on 2011 begining of 2012 i havent decided just yet. i just wundered if anybody has been married at the occidental grand flamenco and if any1 giv me any information they have on this resort. has anybody been married on the beach there as it is my dream to have a beach location?does any1 have any pictures of there wedding as this would be great for me to be able deciding more on what is available. thnkyou xxx Are you registered on this site? It doesn't say that you're a member... I got married at the OGX on Feb. 16. I'd be happy to share any info with you, if you'd like to PM me...

I've been trying to catch up on my sleep since I got back. Just bummed around most of yesterday, but did go to the registry office to order a copy of the official marriage certificate and get my name changed on my driver's licence (!) Hoping to write that wedding review by the end of the weekend. Bummer is, I have few wedding pics on my own camera, so I'm waiting on friends and family to send me theirs, so I can add them in to my review...

Quote: Originally Posted by TamaraDan This is looking like the resort for us I am so excited! I emailed the WC but I got a response from someone named Ivonne not Marialma does anyone know who this is? Is it another wc or a new one? Anyways thanks so much for all the info on this post its been really helpful! Hi there... We just got married at the OGX on Feb. 16, and everything was fantastic. Though Marialma is the primary WC, Ivonne (who also was with us for our dance in the resort disco) is her assistant. We only met and worked with Ivonne briefly, but she was good. If she is anything like Marialma, you should be happy with her. I suspect that, due to the increasing number of weddings they are doing (popular time of year), Marialma is needing assistance. While we were at the resort, there was a wedding every day, and on our wedding day, there were 2 weddings. Best of luck with your planning, and if you have any questions, feel free to PM me...

Thanks so much for your review! Your wedding looked amazing. My husband I and just got married at the OGX on Feb. 16, and we were absolutely thrilled with how everything turned out. I agree with you 100% about the WC, Marialma. She was wonderful! I will be posting my wedding review shortly. Your photos from Citlalli are fantastic! We had Claudia for our wedding day, and she was so much fun to work with. I can't wait to get our photos back!

Just got back late last night from what had to be the most awesome trip ever! Our wedding day couldn't have been more perfect -- all the stressing I did seems so silly now! I am so thankful for such great friends and family, and also for such a great support network with my fellow February brides! I am working on my wedding review so I can post it later today or tomorrow... Hands down, the best part of our wedding day was when I was walking down the aisle and I looked at my DH and he had tears of joy running down his face. Woo hoo -- I'm a Mrs.!

I'm officially on vacation -- yippee! Long workday, but now I'm home, enjoying a glass of wine, and thinking about Mexico. Tomorrow I'm going for my mani/pedi. FI did good and got his haircut today. We are staying at a hotel near the airport tomorrow night, so tonight is the last night at home. When we return, we'll be husband and wife, 100%. Now that I'm done work, I'm getting super excited. My Mom and Dad are so excited, too -- Mom couldn't resist calling me at work today to see how my nerves were holding up...so cute. Congrats in advance, Erica -- you're almost a Mrs.!

EmenGee -- those photos from Citlalli are fantastic! You guys look amazing!

Oh my gosh, only 3 more sleeps! Just need to put everything in the suitcases. Of course, FI doesn't have everything set out yet; he's method of packing is throwing everything on the floor the night before, then shoving it in his bag right before we leave for the airport. As long as he has his attire for the wedding and his passport, I guess that's all that matters!