lilly129

Quote: Originally Posted by Carbaholic Hi ladies! I just got back from Dreams RC and it was AMAZING! We didn't realize it was a site visit until we got there, haha... we felt so spoiled there that all of the other resorts we went to visit just didn't measure up. Our wedding will be May 3rd, 2011. The quote we got for the first week of May 2011 was a bit over the top ($1946 pp txes included) but we're doing it anyway. How are you getting everything to Mexico for your wedding? CPs, any stuff for guest totebags/gifts, etc. Are you shipping it there or bringing it with you in luggage? Are you worried about them asking questions at the airport if it's in your luggage? Seems like a silly thing to worry about, I'm sure. Just wondering... thanks and congratulations to everyone! Welcome! And congrats!!! You'll find tons of info on this forum. I'm bringing it down with me - I've also heard horror stories of people trying to ship things. We don't have that much to bring - mostly just the stuff for the welcome bags. But just carry your receipts and tell the customs agent that it's for a wedding, show the receipts and you shouldn't have a problem.

Quote: Originally Posted by pbjwed i think you could go to costco and buy roses for the flowergirls if you didnt want to spend the 22.00.. not sure how much you get either.... but beware they might not have yoru colors... That's a really good idea! And if they don't have your specific colors you could always go with white! And there's a walmart as well that might have roses!

Welcome to all the new ladies!!!!!!! I registered for toasting flutes and cake cutter - so assuming I get them at my shower I will be bringing them down. As for the fake petals - I've heard from other resorts that you can't use fake petals - but maybe you can negotiate with ana about getting petals for your guests for cheaper/free?? I'm sorry I don't know for sure - but that's a very good question.

Quote: Originally Posted by lorijfletcher When you ladies are talking about chairs, aren't the chairs included? Are you talking about the wedding or reception or both? Are you doing a wedding package or are you doing the free wedding and adding on what you want? The chairs that are included in the wedding packages are the ones covered in white - if you want something else then it will cost extra. I did the ultimate package and I'm planning to just upgrade certain things - like the linens and chairs and probably the flowers.

Quote: Originally Posted by pbjwed Ladies thanks for the great reviews!!!!!!!!! I cant believe my wedding is 6 months away!! Time flys by soo quickly... Love the songs you have all picked... I still have no idea but I might steal one or two from ya all. Anyway, has anyone used Esty.com for their monogram? I wanted to get a referral so i didnt just use anyone. But I'm looking to incorporate my monogram into invites, and programs so I need to get it ASAP. I tried the lady at Pinkdesigns but she is on maternity leave! Does any brides have a picture of what the hanging paper lanterns look like? thanks to this forum I am not a CRAZY bride... Thanks all for your help and advice!! There's a thread on here "Share your etsy finds" - you'll probably be able to find someone there that can suggest a person. I've used etsy quite a bit - loooove it! I got a garter, a hanger that says "Ron heart Casey" (it's an actual heart, not the word hahaha) and a hot pink sash for the reception which is HOT! So if you need any of those things, I'm happy to send you the contact info!

Quote: Originally Posted by reaganlane P.s. I'm so excited! Got my TTD dress today and it's so beautiful I feel bad just using it as my TTD. It worked out PERFECT! I tried this dress on in the store and fell in love with it but it was too much for my beach wedding and barn AHR (it just wouldn't work)...so I went with another dress (which I love just as much and it's perfect for my settings!) but it's not the "princess" look that I originally fell in love with. So...by searching online, I found a local girl who had the "princess" dress un-altered and brand new in my size for an AMAZING price! I LOVE it! I will now have beautiful pics in both my wedding dresses. I am soooo excited and just had to share! Yay! Congrats!! That's so exciting!!! I got my dress in last week - It's so exciting! That's awesome that you found it for a great price!

Quote: Originally Posted by reaganlane I've been doing alot of thinking about this...I'm thinking a nice mix of songs during the seating, then "Somewhere over the rainbow" by Jason Castro for my walk in..."From this moment"-Shania Twain ( I just LOVE this song) during the sand ceremony, and "I Gotta Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas for the recession and dismissal. May change it but I'm pretty sure that is the line up! I looooooove "I've gotta feeling" I think it's perfect!!! But my fiance announced he hates the black eyed peas although thruthfully I don't think he would recognize them if I hadn't told him who it was haha. I might sneak that one in

Quote: Originally Posted by 21aholden I was wondering if you are using the resort for the chaivari chairs. Yazmin just quoted me for the chairs but I didn't get a clear answer on whether or not you had to use their vendor. I have no idea - I guess I'm leaning towards using the hotel simplly because it'll be easier - but if the quote is outrageous I'll try another avenue. How much did she quote you?

Quote: Originally Posted by 21aholden We have a friend that is a TA so she is helping us out. I would definitely recommend getting one. Everyone will book everything directly through her so we will have no worries! JD Hall - we're using Berman travel - they've been amazing. I highly recommend them!

Quote: Originally Posted by reaganlane Ok, so I know there is a thread for this but I enjoy chatting with all you brides...what songs are you walking down and leaving to? We are renting the sound system for the ceremony and I don't know what music I'm going to use. I have no bridal party and it's just me and my dad walking in...should we start the song and wait a little while to walk in so it plays a bit or just take a snippet of it and play it and walk in? I'm so confussed on this issue! Also, are any of you doing a song during the ceremony like for your sand ceremony or something? Thanks for all your help! I'm struggling with this too - I wanted something beachy, romantic and upbeat...so I was playing around on itunes and I found Tyrone Wells - Seabreeze and I really really love the way it sounds! And then I found instrumental versions of some other songs by matt nathanson I liked. I don't know what to walk back down the aisle to though - we want something upbeat and fun... I heard that if you rent the sound system the technician would just fade out the music once you reached the end of the aisle . Also if you're doing the sand ceremony it might be nice to have something playing then as well.

Quote: Originally Posted by AlisonJimmy I love it too!! How are you doing your tables and ceremony chairs? We're doing gold chairs for the ceremony and the reception (the chaivari chairs) and then we're going to have orange table cloths and pink napkins. Our centerpeices are simple, just dark pink roses and then little gold votives...which I'm still on the hunt for so if any of you ladies find some let me know! The cake table and escort card table will be pink tablecloths. That's my vision at least

Quote: Originally Posted by AlisonJimmy What do all think of the fuscia and orange combo? I was going to alternate ceremony chair colors. Then maybe do the same with the reception tables. First Iw as going to do all turqoise..then saw the orange and fuscia and loved it. What do you think? I'm doing fuschia and orange so i love it - but I might be biased

Quote: Originally Posted by roxmysockz This is what i've seen elsewhere on the board is the legal/civil ceremony script... can anyone confirm if this is the script they used? I have an email in to Ana about this - I forgot to ask at my site visit I read on one girls planning thread (married at dreams tulum) that she was able to swap out ocampo's reading and add a few other lines/readings. Here's what she got approved (Copied and pasted from her blog - sorry I can't remember who!!!) LEGAL CEREMONY WE STRONGLY REQUEST NO RELIGIOUS REFERENCES OF ANY KIND ENTRANCE NAME… SINGS & PLAYS GUITAR SOLO, “SWEET CHILD O MINE.†NAME…. TO START SINGING BEFORE THE BRIDAL PARTY ENTERS, NAME…. WILL INDICATE TO YOU WHEN GUESTS ARE TO STAND. BRIDE WILL ENTER AT A SPECIFIC POINT IN SONG TO ALLOW FOR WHOLE SONG TO BE PLAYED & HEARD BY GUESTS. BRIDAL ENTRANCE ACCOMPANIED BY 1.NAME (FATHER) 2.NAME (MAID OF HONOUR / SISTER.) BRIDE AND GROOM STEP FORWARD TO LIGHT THE CENTRAL MEMORIAL CANDLE. Officiant: “These candles are a symbol that our love for those no longer with us burns bright within our hearts and today as always their spirits shine upon us.†WELCOME Officiant: “On behalf of Groom and Bride it is my honor to welcome you and thank you all for travelling such great distance to be here today. According to the laws of this country we are gathered here to join the bonds of matrimony which is an honorable status. As witnesses of this important act there are present here: 1.NAME……………. 2. NAME……………….. 3.NAME…………… 4. NAME……………….. Who will sign the marriage document.†READING TO REPLACE OCAMPO’S LETTER Officiant: “It was once said that falling in love is like being the first to discover the most beautiful thing in the world, to find something so lovely that no-one else had even noticed. Love often starts in little ways. It comes quietly with a smile, a glance or a touch but you know it’s there because suddenly you’re not alone. Love means finally finding a place in this world that shelters you and is your very own, where you feel you have been forever and where you will live, grow and learn. The beautiful thing about love is that its an experience we share with all people throughout the world, and yet to everyone who falls in love it is the most unique and precious thing in the world.†VOWS Officiant: “ I now ask two questions to your witnesses, 1.Are Groom and Bride persons you know well? 2.Are there any objections for them to be joined in legal marriage in Mexico?†“ Groom do you accept Bride as your beloved and wedded wife?†Groom responds: “Si Accepto†Groom please repeat after me: “ From this day forward I promise you these things…. I will laugh with you in times of joy… And comfort you in times of sorrow… I will share in your dreams… And always support and encourage you… I promise to love you in good times and bad… I will help you when you need it… And step aside when you don’t… You are my best friend… And I will love and respect you always…†“Bride do you accept Groom as your beloved and wedded husband?†Bride responds: “Si Accepto†Bride please repeat after me: “ I do not need you, I choose you… I choose you today in witness of all the people who love us… I choose you tomorrow in the privacy of our hearts… I choose you in strength and weakness… I choose you in health and sickness… I choose you in joy and sorrow… I will choose you, over all others… Every day, for all the days of my life.†EXCHANGE OF RINGS Officiant: “Today, you join yourselves together for life, as friends and lovers, husband and wife. The rings you are about to exchange are the symbol of never ending love and commitment each of you feel deep within your soul. Officiant: Bride and Groom please join hands and Groom repeat after me..:†“These are the hands of your best friend… That are holding yours on our wedding day… As I place this ring on your finger… May it always remind you of my never ending love… And may it always remind me of the precious treasure I have in you… Wear this ring with joy… For your love has made me complete. Groom places ring on Brides finger. Officiant: “Bride repeat after me…†“These are the hands of your best friend… That are holding yours on our wedding day… As I place this ring on your finger… May it always remind you of my neverending love… And may it always remind me of the precious treasure I have in you… Wear this ring with joy… For your love has made me complete. Bride places ring on Grooms finger. COINS CEREMONY NAME stands and hands pouch of coins to Groom. Reads: “It is a Mexican tradition for the Groom to present the Bride with 13 coins on their wedding day. These coins symbolize the promises which have been shared and the elements for a happy life together that the groom pledges to provide. As the bride accepts these coins she shows her unconditional faith in the groom and the promises they have made.†Groom pours coins into Brides hands “The coins symbolize: LOVE TRUST COMMITMENT RESPECT JOY HAPPINESS HARMONY WISDOM WHOLENESS NURTURING CARING CO-OPERATION AND PEACE.†SIGNING OF THE MARRIAGE DOCUMENT NAME TO PLAY GUITAR DURING SIGNING OF MARRIAGE DOCUMENT. SAND CEREMONY NAME comes to stand with Bride and Groom and reads: “Today me, dad and Bride will join our lives together. The separate bottles of sand symbolize our lives before today, And everything we are and everything we will ever be as individuals.†Bride, Groom and NAME pour Sand “As the sand is poured the individual sand no longer exists but will be joined together as one, Just as these grains of sand can never be separated again, From this day forward this is how our family will be.†Group Hug. NAME sits down. PRONOUNCEMENT Officiant: “ Groom and Bride, With friends and family we send you forth on life’s journey together. May the love and happiness you share today be with you always. In the name of the law and the society and with the authority from the Solidaridad Municipal here in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico, I now declare you husband and wife, You may kiss the Bride…. Officiant: “May I be the first to introduce to everyone Mr and Mrs NAME

Love love love how everything looks! Amazing job and congrats!!

Quote: Originally Posted by noonie Just returned from my honeymoon & wedding at Dreams. Here is my review. Im going to do it in point form & please ask questions & i will answer them all:) Wedding date was april 28 at 5pm. It rained all day so we had to change the location to the upstairs balcony, was beautiful regardless. Dinner was under the oceana palapa near the main pool. Decorations were exactly what i wanted & had requested thru ana. i sent pics of exactly what i wanted in detail. send ana point form numbered questions & she will answer easier. i brought paper lanterns with us with glow lights in them. also brought fake orchids & vases with us, as i thought the price for centerpieces was insane. because of the location change (due to clouds & rain) the staff tried to set up tables with 4 people at each instead of the 4 tables of 9 i had requested. my mom found ana and made them do what i had requested so be have someone keeping an eye on exactly what you have requested. we met with ana the second day to go over everything. NEGOTIATE as much as you can, no prices are set, push for what you want. the ceremony didnt start until 530 as the judge didnt have the sand ceremony script, even tho it was sent 2 weeks before. ceremony was great. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SOMEONE TO DIRECT THE FLOW AFTER THE CEREMONY. ana wasnt around & unless all your guests know where to go & what to do after, it can become confusing as ana takes off to set up the reception. I WOULDNT HIRE THE DJ THRU THE RESORT. it was a waste of money, they played crap music & i would have run an ipod or hired an outside dj company. dinner was great, shrimp cocktail was awful, broccoli/cheese soup unreal, spinach salad unreal & chicken or steak dinner amazing. staff was great, small glitches but overall great. we had a slideshow & screen, podium & mic. flow of the night was great, staff always asked how things were & what order to do things. we didnt have time to cut the cake, asked for it to be taken to a fridge till the next day & never received it. parasols we brought with us went missing that night. never recovered. we hired claudia rodriguez photography, freddy was my photographer. also had a videographer. THEY WERE UNREAL & I COULDNT BE HAPPIER WITH THEM!!! highly recommend their company. we were supposed to have the resort photography come from 9 to 10pm but they never showed up. thank god freddie was still there & offered to cover for them. screw up on anas part? not sure but it turned out great. overall my wedding was amazing. i had 44 people all adults. we are a younger crowd & maybe too rowdy for this resort. we had complaints & i didnt find the general manager too nice considering i brought over $100,000. to their resort. the staff was nice & helpful but we did run into a few staff that were rude & hard to deal with. chair saving is an issue at any resort but we always found chairs & areas to set them all up together. ocean view DOESNT always mean ocean view. if you can see the ocean at all, its considered ocean view. our room was amazing, fridge broke down once & was fixed the same day. lights went off sometimes & the water didnt work one night. sometimes the air con didnt work but was fixed fast. COMPLAINT: i brought the flowers & vases with us. i was assured my things would all be put in a safe area until we left. i walked by a wedding the next night & my decorations were being used for someones elses wedding. needless to say i had a stern talk with ana. wasnt much apology. also never got my wedding cake or the champagne flutes included & paid for in the package. Resort: Beautiful, clean, no complaints. Small, personal. Beach was great, they cleared the seaweed every morning. Staff were great, friendly & very helpful. Spa was AMAZING & beautiful, great place to spend the day. Food was unreal. Mexican was the only place we didnt like. overall, i was very happy with the way things turned out. small glitches here & there but that is expected. if i had to do it over, i would pick this resort hands down. i have been to all inclusives in cabo & the mayan, have been to hawaii, costa rica, & thailand. this was our favorite resort yet. suited us great, we wanted small & personal with great food & service & we got that. we will be returning next year for our anniversary. communication with ana can be slow at first but she deals with thousands of emails daily. i would suggest listing all questions in order for easy responses. she will make everything you want happen, just be patient. put your wedding date in the subject line so she is aware when your wedding is. if anyone has any questions, please ask away, i would love to help in any way i can. sorry that this review was sloppy & all over, im still recovering from 2 weeks of drinking:) Congrats! And great review!!! I was just there and noticed how quiet it was around midnight at the resort ... we have a rowdy group and I wonder if we'll experience some complaints... Thanks for sharing!

Quote: Originally Posted by SDbeachgirl Hi all! I just wanted to log in and update you on how things went with my wedding on may 7th. It was amazing! All of my guests were blown away with the wedding and resort. I will write a review upon my return. I just want to say that we left the resort today and are honeymooning at the royal playa del carmen...I miss drc already! So glad we chose to get married there! The royal is too big and the beach feels like a public beach. Congrats!!! Was your reception on the deck? My fiance and I caught a glimpse of it if you were! Enjoy the rest of your honeymoon - can't wait to see pictures!

Quote: Originally Posted by lorijfletcher Do you know if kids are allowed in the bars? I know the whole place is all incisive but I didn't know if the designated bar areas were adults only. Thanks, Lori I saw maybe two 10 year olds in the Desires bar on Saturday night - they were in there with thier parents watching the Red Wings game - as soon as the game was over they left.

A couple things I should metion: As far as privacy for a beach ceremony goes - the arch is located on the side of the beach near the watersports equipment - not by the bar. We went down at 5:30 (when our ceremony is schedule for) and the beach was mostly empty - the infinity pool had a few people peering over the edge to watch the wedding set up - but the staff had just removed a significant portion of the chairs and stacked them up in a corner so unless you wanted to sit in the sand or stand there for a while - you really couldn't get close to the action or be disruptive. There was a vow renewal party on the beach on saturday night and the entertainment staff had I guess planned for a live band to start playingon the beach for the guests at 9pm...we got there at 9:45 and I was thinking "if that was my reception on the other side of the beach and they had a band blasting away over here I'd lose my mind" and next thing we know the entertainment staff is making an announcement that the band won't be playing another song and they're moving the party to desires lounge. I assume someone from the vow renewal party complained about the noise but my advice is that when you meet with Ana make it very clear that if the entertainment staff has something planned for saturday night it can't be on the beach during your reception...

Spa (Off to the left when walking out of the Lobby towards the beach) Sorry I didn’t get a picture of the bridal suite – but it was very nice – fiancé refused to go into the room and he hijacked the camera. Location of the Preferred Club Lounge & Across the walkway the jewelry store, photographers and Coco’s Café:

Continued: Beach Pictures: Vow Renewal Set Up (Time was approximately 6pm – beach was pretty empty) Pools and Pool Deck:

Hey ladies - I finally loaded my pictures into Photobucket - sorry it's so long. I had 70 pictures but I tried to only include pictures that would be revelent to all of you. No need to see my fiance making stupid faces haha. Site Visit Pictures: Lobby: Rendezvous Bar: Explorer’s Club: IMG]http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab229/lilly129/Site%20Visit%20Pictures/P1000696.jpg[/img] Backup Location: Desire’s Terrace: Room Buildings:

tsgnatko - For the welcome party you can certainly have Ana help you plan a private function - and you will pay per person for food/drinks...you could do a buffet or just apps if you wanted to keep the cost down. While I was there I saw plenty of people just meet up at certain locations. If you just want cocktails - meeting at Desires when it opens is a great idea - I'd suggest taking over the terrace, it's really nice and comfy. You could also have people meet at the lobby bar - rendezvous - there is a TON of seating and the bartenders are awesome there (as well as in desires). There is no food served at Desires or in the lobby - all the food is in the restaurants. Both desires and the lobby are super close to the restaurants as well.

7 is perfect for me! Sorry I didn't respond earlier - I just got back from Mexico late last night. (soooo tired hahaha)

Hey ladies - I just got back from a weekend at Dreams with my fiance. We had an AMAZING TIME! And we got to see two absolutely stunning brides and thier wedding parties having a fantastic time. We met some of the guests - they all raved about the ewddings. So congrats to those two brides I took a bunch of pictures which I promise to post tomorrow morning! Right now the resort is at 60% occupancy and we thought it was perfect - there were a million chairs by the pool and on the beach so no real issues with that. Kids...they didn't really bother us that much, but again, it's 60% occupancy. Noise levels...the hallways are all tile and pretty open, voices and footsteps can carry and the walls are pretty thin. Oddly enough at about midnight the resort is super quiet (unless you're in one of the two bars open till midnight) but then at about 7:30am you hear doors opening and closing and kids running though the halls. It didn't bother me I just dragged my fiance to breakfast at 8 and we hit the beach chairs by 9 but I think he was a little annoyed. Food...awesome - really really good food all around. I wish we could have eaten two dinners a night because we didn't get to try a lot of the restaurants. The service is fantastic - I will say that although everyone says tipping isn't neccessary - we tipped at dinner and if we stayed at a particular bar for a long period of time. If your fiance's like cigars - go visit Victor in the cigar shop - tell him Casey and Ron sent you - we had a loooong talk with him this afternoon when we were waiting for our transportation back to the hotel. He's fantastic and all the cigars in there are cuban - he will have a box made specifically for you and your wedding party if you give him a few days notice. We met with Yazmin - you can tell her and Ana know what they're doing. We saw the backup locations in case of bad weather - and they're really pretty. We looked at the locations we're using for the wedding day and the welcome party. The rest of the details she said really get done when we get there for the wedding. Alright ladies - I will post the pictures tomorrow and if I think of anything else I'll post again!

Leigh - amazing pictures thank you so much for sharing them and your review! Congrats!!