giraffexx

Quote: Originally Posted by becks1581 How exciting! Were you able to take any pictures? I completely agree with you about checking out your options before you make a decision. You don't want to have any regrets!! I was planning to wait until I was a year out from our wedding before shopping but when I was home for Christmas, my mom and sister wanted to check out the local bridal boutique. Happily, the Spring 2010 dresses were already in the store. It was a blast and as a result, I'm now totally addicted!!! I saw two dresses that I loved but the boutique didn't have one dress that I'm dying to try on...hence the trip this Friday here in DC. The dress is the Maggie Sottero Anniston. I can't wait to hear about the shopping trips and see everyone's dresses. I think I love clothes a little too much ;-) Oh, and Jess...you're website is AMAZING. Good job girl! I know what you mean by addicted! I've been online non stop and looking through magazines for dresses. It's so much fun! That dress is gorgeous!! The one I really love is La Sposa Lena (without the straps) and also a Jim Hjelm Weddings Gowns Gifts, The Knot I have two appointments this Saturday so I'm really hoping to try it on. Can't wait to see everyone's dress...Happy Shopping

Quote: Originally Posted by becks1581 Kerri- I agree with JamK about the stress-free benefit of the TA but also wanted to say that I really do think that they can get you great deals. FI and I are going to the Royal this May for a site visit (can't wait) and my TA, Jill was able to do price matching for the the early early booking bonus that was being offered by the resort. Another benefit is that her prices include transfers from the Cancun airport which is SO important, esp when you're bringing a bunch of friends and family! Now, on a fun wedding-planning note...FI and are becoming Save the Date machines today! We're doing boarding passes with a little vistaprint magnet attached to the second pass. I think they're so cute and I can't wait to send them out...plus they take my mind off of price changing and communication problems at the Royal! I'm also going dress shopping on Friday so I'm a happy bride Does anyone else have big wedding planning goals for the week? I started looking for wedding dresses last week. I found one I LOVE! But I have two more appointments this Saturday, so I want to wait until after I go to those to make a decision. Happy shopping!! It's been a lot of fun so far

December 2009 Gina & Ryan - December 2, 2009 - Riu Palace Riviera Maya Leslie & Jay - December 5, 2009 - Moon Dance Cliffs Jamaica Kim & Justin - December 5, 2009 - Dreams Puerto Adventuras poohshek & spidey - December 11, 2009 - Riviera Maya Jen & Kenny - December 12, 2009 - Excellence Playa Mujeres Lesya & Dave - December 12, 2009 - Sands resort Turks and Caicos Jillian & Tim (Adlergray)-December 18, 2009- Blue Tulum Rsort & Spa Amie & Jim (Amie) - December 28, 2009 - St Thomas Marriott Frenchman's Reef Nadine & Jesse (cdnvb9) -December 29, 2009 - Dreams Huatulco Resort & Spa Patty & Jason - December 30, 2009 - Barcelo Riviera Maya Colonial Karla & Abraham - December 31, 2009 - Negril, Jamaica January 2010 Melissa & Kent- January 5, 2010- Playa Pesquero, Cuba Bosola and Vlad (Bosi)- January 6,2010, Beaches Negril Jamaica Aimee & Theodore- January, 8, 2010 - Iberostar Tucan, Mexico Jessica & Matt(jrprice24)- January 8,2010- Sandos Playacar, PDC, Mexico Kerri & Elton (kpuckrin)- January 12th, 2010- BlueBeard's Beach, St. Thomas Brandy & Andrew-January 13, 2010-Barcelo Maya Palace, Mexico Nancy & Pat - January 13th, 2010 - Beaches Negril, Jamaica Niki & Jared - January 16th, 2010 - Barcelo Maya, Riviera Maya Mexico Melita (Melette) & Charlie - January 21, 2010 - Dreams Los Cabos, Mexico Sarah & Cliff - January 21, 2010 - Paradisus Mayan Riviera, Mexico Catherine & Ian - January 22, 2010 - Playa Pesquero, Cuba Meagan (future_mrs2010) & Dallas - January 23rd, 2010 - Beaches Turks and Caicos Jocelyn & Mike (Jocy) - January 25th, 2010 - Dreams, Punta Cana Shannon & Lauchlan- January 27th, 2010- Puerto Vallarta Mexico Jocelyn & Sean - January 27, 2010 - Gran Bahia Principe Tulum, Mayan Riviera Jenn and Rob (lil_reeves) - January 27, 2010 - Karen's Place, Bucerias, MX (Puerto Vallarta) February 2010 Sue and Mark February 2, 2010 - Gran Bahia Principe Tulum Alison and Austin - February 6, 2010 - Beaches Negril, Jamaica Melissa & Brian - February 10, 2010 - St Thomas (Limetree Beach) Melissa & Sean- February 10, 2010- St. Thomas USVI Krista & Glenn - February 18, 2010 - Curacao Kim & Rob - (Tinkatude) February 20, 2010 - Aventura Spa Palace, Riviera Maya, Mexico Linda & Ton- February 22, 2010- Costa Rica Amber & Sean - February 22, 2010 - Moon Palace Resort, Mexico Sharon & Scott - February 23, 2010 - Dreams Cancun March 2010 Robyn & Mike - March 4th 2010 - Occidental Grand Xcaret, Rivera Maya Bev & Brian March 4th 2010 - Clubhouse Negril Christine & Welsey March 19th, 2010- Dreams Tulum, Mexico Andrea & Andy March 19th, 2010 - Breezes Runaway Bay, Jamaica Katie & Ryan March 26th, 2010- Riu Palace Riviera Maya Issys & Miguelo - March 28th, 2010 - San Juan, Puerto Rico April 2010 Claire & John (adelaide) April 1, 2010 - Occidental Grand Xcaret - Riviera Maya Holly & Adam (Scubadiva) April 2nd, 2010 - Megans Bay Beach St Thomas USVI Dawn & Glen (dewiggy) April 8, 2010 - Bahia Principe Tulum Mandy & Micah (cruisebride0410) April 9, 2010 - Nassau, Bahamas Shannon & Brian (shan13) - April 10, 2010 Las Vegas, Nevada Michele & Jim (jerseykitten) April 10, 2010 - Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa - Montego Bay, Jamaica Dee & Bo (mrsgtobe) - April 13, 2010 - Smith's Cove, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands Kelly & Jason (kelitaw) - April, 13, 2010 - Sunbreeze Hotel, Ambergris Caye, Belize Beth & Jon (bholthof) - April 14, 2010 - Playa Costa Verde, Holguin, Cuba Steph & Jason (sperger) - April 16, 2010 - Grand Palladium, Punta Cana doblauvelt-April 16, 2010- Moon Palace, Cancun Sarah and Jed (sarah310) April 17, 2010 - Occidental Grand Xcaret, Mexico Katrese & Dave (s_katrese) April 17, 2010- Excellence Playa Mujeres, Mexico Julianna&Kevin (caramiagrrl) -April 20, 2010-Nassau, Bahamas Stacey & Eric (La Romana Stacey) - April 22, 2010 - Dreams La Romana Rowena & Tak (Bride2010) - April 22, 2010 - Barcelo Maya Palace, MX Jenn & Steve (moonpalacebride) - April 23, 2010 Moon Palace, Cancun MX Veronica & Patrick (vgirl17) - April 24, 2010 - Moon Palace, Cancun MX Joanna & Chris (jerzygirl85) - April 24, 2010 Dreams Tulum, Mexico Natasha & Kenneth (shortnsweet7675) - April 25, 2010 - Miami, FL (Carnival Glory cruise ship) Cheryl & Rob (HereFishie) - April 26, 2010 - Gran Bahia Principe Coba, Mayan Riviera Christina & Gregory (GregsBride) - April 24, 2010 - Iberostar Rose Hall Suites, Montego Bay, Jamaica Stacey & Ron (staceyg) - April 27, 2010 - Iberostar Varadero, Cuba Erin & Jeremy (ebredhawk) - April 28, 2010 - Dreams Punta Cana Melani & Wyman - April 28, 2010 - Melia Las Dunas, Cayo Santa Maria, Cuba May 2010 Crystal & Dave (CrystalM) - May 1, 2010 - Magen's Bay, St. Thomas, USVI Amanda & Adam - May 4, 2010 - Melia Las Dunas, Cayo Santa Maria, Cuba Jessica & Jason (jstar83) - May 4, 2010 - Melia Las Dunas, Cayo Santa Maria, Cuba Heather & Eric (hockeymom97) - May 5th, 2010, Beaches Negril, Jamaica Dyan & Chris (dyanh) - May 7, 2010 Sandals Montego Bay, Jamaica Suzanne & Ryan (soxgirl)- May 7, 2010- Divi, Aruba Savannah & Billy (BillysBride) -May 8, 2010 Avalon Reef Club, Isla Mujeres, MX Victoria & Eric- May 11, 2010- Excellence Riviera Cancun Resort Jennifer & John - May 13, 2010 - Riu Palace Los Cabos Virginia & Sonny (oasisgirl)- May 13, 2010 - Dreams Tulum Christie (islandbride317) & John - May 14, 2010, Sandals Grande Ocho Rios, JA Heather & Andrew- May 14, 2010- Kauai, Hawaii Jessica & Matt (Future Mrs. Griffith) - May 14, 2010 - Dreams Resort PV Magalie & Travis (mlabbe) - May 14, 2010 - Playa Fiesta, PV Heather & George (dolfinluck)- May 15, 2010 - Dreams La Romana, DR Margaret & Matthew (mmontgo) - May 15, 2010 - Dreams Riviera Cancun, Mx Shannon & Robert (preciousmi811) -May 17, 2010 - RUI Palace Tropical Bay, Jamaica Mary & Pete (MissM)- May 19th, 2010- Los Cabos Amber & Mike (gokartmagic) - May 21, 2010 - Iberostar Grand, Montego Bay, Jamaica Belle & Jean-Claude - May 27,2010- St. Kitts, B.W.I. Samantha & Ralph- May 27,2010- Coco Reef Resort, Bermuda Craig & Fiona - May 28th, 2010 - Moon Palace Erin & Greg - May 28, 2010 - The Royal, Playa del Carmen Larissa & Eric (Edenl) - May 28, 2010 - Dreams Puerto Aventuras, Mexico Lenell & Tristan May 29,2010 Dreams Tulum Karen & Paul (KarenM) ~ May 29, 2010 ~ Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Veronica & Pete- May 8, 2010- Dreams Puerto Vallarta June 2010 Jennifer & Ernie (jenninjamaica) ~ June 1, 2010 Breezes Grand Negril, Negril, Jamaica Jaymi and James (Jaymibaby) ~ June 1, 2010 Sandals Royal Caribbean, Montego Bay, Jamaica Heather & Grant (Vallarta_2009) ~ June 2, 2010 - Majestic Colonial, Punta Cana, DR. Chelsea and Willie (ChelseaRose) ~ June 5th, 2010 Las Villas Akumal - Akumal, Mexico Stephanie and Michael (~Stephanie~)-June 11, 2010 The Royal Playa del Carmen Michelle & Arsen (michelle613)- June 12, 2010 Dreams Cancun Krystall & Nick (azulskies) - June 17, 2010 Olowalu Plantation House, Maui LaToya & Micah (lrdavis23) - June 18, 2010 Dreams Punta Cana, DR Stephanie and Chris (sspiris) - June 19, 2010, Destination to be determined Jessica & Steven (stevensFiance) - June 19, 2010 Kerin & Jim (*Kerin28*)- June 19, 2010 Worcester, MA Lulu & Kirkton (lmuze) ~ June 19, 2006: Iberostar Rose Hall Beach, Jamaica Jen and Guy (Super19)-June 21, 2010 The Royal Playa del Carmen Jessica & Bryson (Royal_lady10)-June 26, 2010 Dreams Tulum Cristina and James (CristiandJamie) - June 26, 2010 - Aventura Spa Palace July 2010 Jennifer and Juan- July 2nd, 2010- Gran Bahia Principe Tulum Kaytee and CJ- July 3rd, 2010- Destination still TBD! Quintina and Carloas (creoletexan) - July 3rd, 2010 - Nassau, Bahamas Jannae and Ryan (LadyTrunck)- July 6, 2010- Riu Palace Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, Mexico!! Sarah and Mike (bahiabride2010) - July 7, 2010 - Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana Mandy and Chad- July 10, 2010- Sullivans Island, SC Edy And Jaxon (mswhatever) - July 17, 2010 Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton resort & Spa Jamaica Chelle and Todd (Janelley100) - July 17, 2010 Moon Palace Jessica & James -July 17, 2010 Paradisus Punta Cana Bobbett and Ricky (Natural)- July 18, 2010 San Juan, Puerto Rico Tracy and Cole - July 2010 in Playa del Carmen, TBD Danielle and Ty (daniepps)- July 31, 2010 Azul Sensatori Resort Riviera Maya, Mexico August 2010 Melissa and Robby (hunniebee724) ~ August 19, 2010 NYC, Carnival Cruise Lines, Jennifer & Laurthel (Jennyco116) ~ August 20, 2010 Key West, Florida Crystal & Marques (hugrad) - August 9, 3010 St. Thomas, USVI Mindy & Jay ( MSG518 ) ~ August 21, 2010 Excellence Playa Mujeres, Mexico September 2010 Courtney & Chris-September 3,2010-Siesta Key, Fl Kim & Mike - September 18,2010 - Cancun, Mexico Jen (jamk32179) & Steve- September 18,2010-The Royal Playa del Carmen Carolina (carolina24) & Alex - Sept 24, 2010 - Dreams Cancun October 2010 Lori & Oliver (gossip girl) - October 10, 2010 - Destination TBD! Suzanne & Joe (sierra101010) - October 10, 2010 - Puerto Vallarta Ashley & Josh (xxashleyxx007) - October 15, 2010 - Dreams Punta Cana, DR Chris & Crystal (Crystalballl) - October 20, 2010 - Playa Pesquero, Cuba Jo & Darren (Jo&Daz20-10-2010) - October 20, 2010 - Coral Coast - Fiji Luciel & Emil (luciel2820) - October 20, 2010 - Melia Cariba, Punta Cana DR Heather & Kevin (hat0112) - October 22, 2010 - Palm Beach, Aruba November 2010 Jenna and Chris (MayaLove) - November 12, 2010 - Playa Del Carmen, Mexico Karen and Angelo - November 19, 2010 The Royal Playa del Carmen, Mexico Emily and Scott (Emily Joy) - T Giving Weekend, November 26, 2010 - Playa Del Carmen December 2010 Chris & John (sunstarsmoon) - December 1, 2010 - Rui Ocho Rios, Jamaica Angela & Craig (Princess402) - December 8, 2010 - Dreams Riviera Cancun, Mexico Stephen & Sabrina (breeze616) - December 10, 2010 - Iberostar Rose Hall, Jamaica Shana and Jamel (chocolatedrop04)- December 11, 2010-Moon Palace, Mexico Jaime and TaBoris (jaimeburns) - December 11, 2010 Riviera Maya Carla & Christoper (adias.angel) - December 11, 2010 - Riviera Maya Vondra'a and Kevin(Peachy~Girl)- December 11, 2010- Miami, Florida Anastasia and Derek (Adj) - December 18, 2010 - Sandos Beach Resort, Mexico

Welcome to the forum. Happy planning!

Welcome to the forum. Happy planning!

Welcome to the forum. Happy planning!

Welcome to the forum. Happy planning!

Welcome to the forum. Happy planning!

Congrats!!! I love your ring, it's beautiful!

Quote: Originally Posted by olsontco I forgot to answer about the shipping. Now... I fedex'd everything priority about 3 weeks before my wedding. If you decide to do this there are definitely things you need to know. 1. Do not ship shells - we were decorating with sand dollars at the welcome dinner. They do not allow you to bring shells into Mexico. This held up a box. They ended up shipping it back to me and then I just brought it with me (which is funny, since I ended up bringing these items anyway). 2. Make sure you list out everything that is the box. Put all over any of the documentation that this is for a wedding. I shipped maracas in a box, I shipped towels in another box, I shipped my koozies in a box, then I shipped some odds and ends in another box that included sunblock. The towels got through with no problem, but the other items were held up for a while. If you have everything labeled properly (which I didn't) it will help. Once we got everything there we were so glad we went this route. BUT... it was a little bit stressful. 3. You will ship it directly to your wedding coordinator. So... just have them be on the look out for it all. Hope that helps. Feel free to ask any questions you may have!!!!! Thank you!!! Very good to know

Congrats!!! You looked beautiful! I love the lounge furniture! What was the temperature like at night on the beach? I am getting married November 19, 2010 at the Royal and I am curious if it was chilly? How did you ship your stuff to the resort? And how far in advance did you do it? Thanks for writing this review, very helpful.

Great job! I love them.

Congrats and welcome to the forum! This a great place to help you with your planning.

Gail- I LOVE your dress! You looked amazing! Who is the designer?

I am trying to figure out how to address STD/invitations to family and friends who are being invited without their kids. I want to make it clear that only the adults/parents are invited. But how do I politely do that? Thanks in advance for the help!

Has anyone had or is having their welcome party at the Royal or Gran Porto? If so where? I'm having a hard time deciding on whether to do this at the resort or off site somewhere.

Quote: Originally Posted by aerazo hey there! I booked ivan for my wedding, and it was Angie my WC who gave me his email address to contact. She nor did anyone tell me we had to go through the hotel. i am not too worried about this, for the past 11 months in reading these posts, its pretty certain that the people who work for the Royal cannot seem to get their facts straight or insynch! I guess one thing i am curious about - since Ivan is a preferred vendor, do you guys know if this means we have to pay the $100 outside vendor fee for him? has anyone told you this? Agreed! It's so frustrating!! You hear one thing from your WC and several variations from the ladies on here depending who their WCs are. Most of my correspondence with my WC is via email so at least everything is in writing

Quote: Originally Posted by Lady_Di what? I just booked Ivan a few weeks ago at the royal and he did not mention anything about this. jesmcan, did you know about this? I was just told on 12/1 from my WC Suzanna that I would not have to pay the $100 vendor fee since Ivan is a preferred vendor.

Quote: Originally Posted by bmlynch hey ladies. I know i cant believe i found a dress so quickly. I went to 2 places and though i wanted a maggie sottero one shoulder dress called summer but when i tried it on i just couldnt imagine myself on the beach it was just to heavy. I got a private designer from bridal reflection Christine Anthony(any brides from ny area go there!) Ill try to put on some pics soon. When people say they just know i didnt believe them but when you see yourself in the dress you just get this feeling like this is the one and it feels amazing!! Sendign out save the dates after the holidays and trying to make a brochures/things to do list. anyone have a good idea on how to do this? i didnt get a TA and figured WC can help with booking the rooms and then flights the guests can do on their own. do you put all this info with the save the dates? getting nervous im going to miss something. Congrats on finding your dress! Did you go to Bridal Reflections in Massapequa or the city? Are they reasonably priced? I don't mind spending a decent amount (aprox. 2k) on the dress. But some places like Kleinfelds (NYC) unless you're willing to spend 5k they don't have a big selection for you. I'm going to start looking for my dress soon.

Quote: Originally Posted by bmlynch hey ladies! got my wedding dress today and sending out save the dates soon! love my dress. soo exciting. I have a question. i thought the guest have options for the main course not just one? thanks Congrats on finding your dress! I was told by my wedding coordinator, Suzanna, that you can give your guests more than one option. You have to find out which option each guest is choosing prior to arriving at the resort. Once you arrive on site you need to supply the caterers with a seating chart and table cards/numbers so they can give everyone the right meal. I'm planning on including an additional card in my invitations with entree options.

Congratulations Tracy! Thanks for your very detailed review! Very helpful.

Thanks ladies for all of your advice! You've made me feel a lot better about my decision to go with just my MOH and bridesmaid. I believe my mom would be hurt if I went with my future MIL and she was unable to come. Plus I don't have a close relationship with my future MIL at all!

My future MIL hinted that she wants to come dress shopping with me. Do I have to include her in this? This something I really just want to do with my MOH and bridesmaid. My own mother most likely won't even be coming since she lives about 2 hours away. I don't want to hurt her feelings and I'm not sure of what the etiquette is for this situation.

Does anyone know of a place close to the Royal to host a brunch the morning after the wedding?

Quote: Originally Posted by jesmcan Hi Ladies were back from our site visit. I could not wait to post the review as soon as I got back. I just would like to mention the following is based on my personal opinion. I do not want to offend anyone and the choices they have made. So I will reiterate this review is based on my personal choice. Note this is a reallllllyyyyyy loooonnggggggg review. Here is the link to see all the pictures I took http://theroyalwedding.shutterfly.com The pictures include La Tortuga Hotel & Spa where we stayed and we decided in the end to do our rehearsal dinner here. To start the airline, we flew US Airways. This was possibly the worst airline I have ever flown. I really highly recommend not taking this airline. For starters there were five weddings on the flight. They stuffed all five dresses in the over head compartments and the flight crew would not stop complaining about it. We ended up having to check our bags in because there was not enough room on the plane. In addition the following was not a big deal but amenities that some people may care about. There were no TV’s or an in flight movie and you had to pay for all the food and drinks. Next is the wedding coordinator. We have been assigned Zulma Dominguez. We went to meet with her at the Wedding Center which is located on at The Royal. It is a really nice office and very easy to get to. I can’t not say enough how wonderful Zulma is. She is very thorough and was very accommodating to all our needs. I was so happy we met with her because there were so many things that were different based on what Angie had told us. Here is the list, 1.You only have to pay $100 outside vendor fee not the guest fee on top of that unless your vendor is eating. 2. I had wanted square tables however they are only offered for very small weddings. The round tables can seat up to 12 however Zulma recommends no more than 8 at a table. 3.The dance floor is included. However I personally did not like the dance floor and would not recommend it. It was just two wooden planks put together and was very small. 4.As for passes for Gran Porto guests it is $85 per guest for 9-5 or 5-11, $140 for the whole day, or it’s only $60 for all three days. The three day pass is a special they have going on right now. After we met with Zulma we went on our tour. We first went and saw the Gran Porto. The Gran is beautiful and it looks like a very fun spot for kids. We looked at the gazebo just to see it. It is very nice but also would be for a very small wedding. The one thing I like better about the Gran Porto was the beach. It is much less crowded and also much larger. It seemed much more private. We asked if there was any way we could have the ceremony at the Royal and the reception at the beach over at the Gran. However we were told no. We than looked at the first beach right next to the pier. This is where we were originally booked because of the size of our wedding. I did not like the pier being there at all. Until 4pm there are boats coming in and out with hundreds of people. They all come from Cozumel and come to go on the tour buses to other excursions. Also there were seagulls sitting everywhere. There is this small roped off section with these red posts. I just thought aesthetically it did it not look nice. The worst part is it is the main entrance to the beach. The beach is public and tons of people were coming in and out. The pro though is this beach is the safest in terms of erosion and offers the most beach. The next beach is in the middle area. This is right by the main entrance from the beach to the Royal. It has a nice wooden walkway and large beach area. The con here is of all three beaches this one gets hit second. So if a storm comes its possible this one could erode. Finally there is the beach right in front of the gazebo. It is the smallest beach section so we could not have it there for the amount of people we are having. Also if a storm comes this is the first beach to go. This beach is the nicest in terms of entrance. People are not waking in and out of walk ways. We ended up picking the middle beach by the pool entrance. We actually almost ended up calling off the whole thing and picking another resort because of what we saw when we walked down to see an actual wedding. We went alone after we met with Zulma because our appointment was in the morning with her. We walked down at 3:30 and the beach was packed. People were topless and literally on top of the wedding that was going on. They actually were turning their beach chairs to face the wedding. People were also just sunbathing right in front of the wedding. I know you expect some of this at a wedding and Mexico. However for us this was just a huge deal breaker. Luckily we went back down at 6 which is when we would be having our actual reception. There was not a sole on the beach except for a few people sitting on the pier. We saw the middle area and liked it the best. No one was walking back and forth at that entrance and the set up was beautiful. The standard setup is so beautiful. The tables were all lit up, tiki torches and the bar looked marvelous. Sorry ladies I did not take pictures out of respect for the weddings that were going on at the time. Take my word for it the standard set up that they do was breath taking. Something to keep in mind, it was pretty breezy down by the beach. I felt fine but some older relatives might be a little chilly. Of course this varies on the time of year as well. Also don’t worry about it being too dark they do such a phenomenal job with all the lighting. They offer a candle or a hurricane with the candle. I liked the candle a lot but it is only offered in orange. I saw the hurricane with the candle and I thought it looked very elegant. I was also worried about sand going in our food however even though its breezy somehow the sand does not go anywhere. So I would not be concerned about that. The sand is extraordinarily soft by the way. The next portion is the Gazebo. I just love this area for the ceremony. It is in a much more private part of the resort. They make sure that people cannot walk by during the ceremony time. We actually also ended up moving our cocktail hour to this area. There is a small grass garden right there and is still private. We originally had it in the main garden. The main garden is right in the center of the whole resort. They had a wedding being set up when we went to see it. People were staring from the balconies and taking pictures. Also everyone has to pass this way in order to get to the beach, pool and restaurants so there was a lot of traffic passing in this area. Again this was a personal choice. It was just something we did not want for us. Ladies by the way definitely no heels in the grass. I sunk right in with my heels and it was very difficult to walk on. I would do wedge or flip flops. Finally we looked at the ballroom as the option in case of rain. We also got to see where they have the ceremonies if it rains. It is a long marble hallway with a fountain and a cross. Not to terrible of an option. It was actually a very serene spot. We also went to see the spa. I picked up a rate card of all their services. A trial session for makeup is $45, the actual makeup session is $60. Up do’s range from $40 - $70 depending on the style and $45 for a trial. Pedicures are $30, manicures $25 and French manicures are $40. If you want to use the Spa sauna and pool its $25 per person for the day or $60 unlimited use if you stay in a master suite for more than three nights. They always have special offers going on at the Spa. Right now its 20% off all services. By the way I did go to the Mac make up store. It is literally around the corner from the Royal. It is two blocks up and not a far walk at all. You walk in and go up on elevator. The whole upstairs is the MAC store. They told me they will not go to your room. It is $70 for a trial and $100 for the actual application for the bride. For brides maids, moms and so on it is $70. I thought that seemed pretty expensive. However it is a nice walk down and you could get great pictures. The final portion is the food tasting. The food was phenomenal and as you will see from the pictures the presentation was just wonderful. We had the following, For the cocktail hour: Breaded chicken fillet with sesame seeds (was absolutely wonderful and delicious!) Shrimps au coconut with mint sauce (was also amazing and I loved the sauce) Cantaloupe pearls with prosciutto & spearmint (this was my favorite, the prosciutto was very fresh and light) Salad: Spring salad with goat cheese & almond oil (Not what I expected, it was basically a big block of cream cheese with a piece of goat cheese on top) Caribbean salad with shrimp, smoked pineapple pesto & jasmine flower (The presentation is really cool but it was to fishy for me. It tastes like a seafood salad) Prosciutto with cantaloupe and Dijon mustard vinaigrette (This was my favorite and the option we chose. We are changing another option for the cocktail hour so we don’t have the same thing twice) Soups: Oyster cream soup with fried leek (absolutely fabulous, creamy and was just wonderful) Clam chowder with chopped vegetables au white wine (The clam chowder was also very good) Princess cream soup with green vegetables au white wine flavor ( This soup was the one we chose because not everyone likes oysters and clams. It was our favorite of the three. Again very creamy and flavorful) Entrees: Beef fillet with Dijon mustard, garnished with provencal herbs (This was good but the sauce as a little off and we did not really like it) Valentino beef fillet with pink pepper sauce & Jumbo shrimp (Everything was delicious except the sauce was way to over powering) Beef fillet tournedo with three peppers sauce (This was the dish we chose. The beef was perfectly cooked and we asked for them to add jumbo shrimp to this one instead.) Dessert & Cake: Lime pie with strawberries (It was ok, I have had better) Paris chocolate shell stuffed with fruit au white Cinzano flavor ( We licked the plate clean with this one it was so good. We chose this one as our dessert. It comes with marscarpone cream, it was amazing) Tres Leches Cake (I can’t not even describe how delicious this cake is. We chose it for our cake flavor. It is moist, creamy and light. We both absolutely loved it.) Finally the rehearsal dinner. We originally were going to do Catamaya and take everyone snorkeling on a catamaran. We realized this just does not work for the adults. We were going t do the 3:30 – 7:30 but honestly by 5:30 it is pitch black ad being out on a boat we thought it might get quite cold. Instead we are doing this as a gift to our bridal party and switched to the 10am – 2pm session. Instead we are going to do it at the hotel we stayed at this time. We stayed at La Tortuga Hotel & Spa right on 5th. I cannot say enough about how much we love this hotel and we go back every year. They have a beautiful terrace and we are going to do a mixture of tables, lounge areas. We opted for cocktails and tapas and kept it relaxing and fun. This hotel is like a secret oasis in the middle of 5th avenue. You walk in and the ambiance speaks for itself. I posted the pictures of it in the link. Finally I swear just some last tidbits of information. For those of you looking for maracas 5th avenue is covered in them. They range from $1 - $3 depending on the size. I bet though you could haggle for a good price if you buy a lot. Also for bachelorette parties there are two main clubs. Coco Bongo is the newest place and the line goes on for miles. It is $60 all you can drink and is a really fun spot. Senor Frogs is $35 all you can drink and depends on the kind of crowd you are looking for. I am going to end up going to a handle full of wine and martini bars as well as having tapas with the girls. There are some really cool lounge areas. There is one place called Deseo (Desire) that is a roof top lounge that has beds and linen canopies. It is a martini bar and a great spot for chicks to hang out together. At the end of the night we are going to end at Coco Bango. They also have a Cancun Charlies but it is more of a sports bar. I am sure I have forgotten something so please feel free to ask questions. All in all ladies it’s your big day let the professionals take care of it. Once you get to the Royal you can just see that they go above and beyond to make your day just the way you want it. Thanks so much for sharing your site visit information! Thank god for your review! My fiance and I were originally planning on getting married on the beach. I read similar stories on this forum to yours about having people on the beach watching. We started having some reservations about it after reading that. But after reading your review that helped us to decide to have the ceremony in the gazebo instead. Thanks again for being so honest and sharing so much information. It is especially helpful to us who aren't doing a site visit.