Brenners

That is a good plan. I don't have that issue - don't know if that is a good or bad thing!

I went prom dress shopping at the Mall of America AND I shoveled over a foot of snow on Monday. I am calling both a workout! But I do need to get serious about exercising!

Barcelo has just about everything for everyone. Babygirl, have you been on a site visit to Barcelo yet?

I am loving number 2! Where did you find these?

Gosh that seems crazy. I will need to do some more research. If anyone finds out any information, then please share and I will do the same!

I am sorry Babygirl. I did not mean to confuse you. Your guests are allowed to attend the wedding and reception for free regardless of which hotel they stay. They will however need a day pass any other day if they want to join you at the Palace and they stay at one of the less expensive hotels. I am looking at Barcelo as well and that is one thing that is a concern for me - making sure that all our guests can spend time together at one place whenever they want. Having to pay a day pass is not cheap so something to keep in mind. I don't know all the details about the reception and location prices. My FI and I need to put together our list of questions and send them to the resorts we are considering. Once I get back my information, then I will definitely share with you.

Is there anything we need to do once we get back to the US? I heard that since the marriage certificate will be in Spanish, that we are required to have it translated to English for it to be recognized as legal in the US but that seems very odd to me.

I will need to check it out! Thanks for sharing.

If you stay at the Palace and your family and friends stay at a lower level hotel, then your guests can get a day pass to visit the Palace. However, it is expensive for them to do that so keep that in mind.

That is a great website! My fiance has downloaded a bunch of books to assist with the planning and learning more about destination weddings.

I am trying to close my eyes and imagine what I want to hear as I walk down then aisle. I am stumped.

So do you go to the hotel website to find this and register or do you have to call and inquire if your hotel does this??

KPSouthie, are you having your wedding at Ceiba then? I really loved it there.

I agree with Nsousa. We saw a room at the Colonial and it was quite lovely. Also, I love the Colonial's entrance - total heaven with all the fountains! Nsousa, I am going to check out your budget thread. Thanks for sharing!

It depends on the resort Christmas. Some offer live musicians as a part of their wedding packages. Others will hook up sound systems and allow you use of their ipod docking station, cd player, etc...to project the music. Check with your WC to see what they have available.

Thanks Perry! I will need to do that when I make a final decision on the location!

Good luck Maritza! Let me know what you decide!

Lesley, I will need to check out honeyfund.com. That is a great tip! Thanks!

Savvybride, were you able to get the penthouse suite at a discounted price for booking a certain number of rooms? Also, were your guests able to get discounted room rates?

Just a few questions for those brides using a TA or those who have done the research already: 1. Have you found they get better room and airfare rates than those you find on Orbitz, Expedia, etc...? 2. What is the expectation regarding blocking rooms and penalties for not filling enough of them? 3. Who have you used or do you recommend to anyone? 4. Are they able to plan any excursions for your group while on the wedding trip and are they able to get reduced rates? Just trying to figure out how to best utilize and gather resources!

I have read conflicting information regarding the fees, requirements and issues associated with a legal ceremony in Mexico. Has anyone or is anyone having a legal ceremony and where can I find an accurate and legal list of what is required to make it legal in the US? If possible I would love to do a legal ceremony but otherwise we will need to do that at home and symbolic only in Mexico.

Ok, I never made it to either location. A week goes by so fast! We have narrowed it down to Ceiba del Mar, Barcelo, and Dreams Riviera Cancun. A friend of mine on here though is now considering Azul so I will have to direct her to this thread so she can get some info. Sorry I don't have any news from my trip about these locations.

Ok, I have a question for all you brides out there! Are any of you - or have any of you - worked with a wedding planner in conjunction with the resort WC? If so, what are the advantages of going that route? Also, what is the average price for a wedding planner? What do they do versus what does the resort WC do? I have seen wedding planners on this site and am just curious about the benefits of possibly using them. Thanks for any information!

Does prom dress shopping with nieces at the Mall of America count as a work out????

I just spoke with another bride today who said she wasn't going to register until she got pressure from family and friends. I still find it so odd but will need to sit down with my FI and be very thoughtful about what items we register and where.