CristiandJamie

We got married at Aventura Spa Palace on June 26th and took advantage of the vacation dollars promotion. We were there for 10 days so it wasnt too bad on booking tours or salon appts but you will want to make sure to book once you get to the resort if you really want to do something (dont wait last minute). If you are getting your hair and nails done at the resort for your wedding, you can let your onsite coordinator know and she will get you in touch with someone from the salon to help you book your appt before you arrive. Also note that you CANNOT use the vacation dollars to book appts for other people. The vacation dollars only go to the person booking the reservation. I was planning to use some of my vacation dollars to get all of my bridesmaids hair done for the wedding but had to pay out of pocket (which I was planning to do anyway before I heard about the promotion). Thought I would let everyone know... Also there is a limit to spa services ($150 for minimum of 3 nights or $300 if staying 5 nights or more).

Tammy, I really love what you have done to the site and the new changes!

In regards to the OOT bags, I really think Jackie has a good point. We brought all of our bags down and I spent quite a good amount of time putting them together before everyone arrived. People liked them but in the end if I could do it all over again I would have skipped the bags or just have the bag and a nice drinking mug with it. It was a LOT of work! If you could avoid putting them together in Mexico and give them to your guest before the trip that is probably your best bet. The only issue we had is that everyone that was coming to the wedding was either in TX or OH and we live in Colorado so we were not able to give to our guest beforehand unless we sent them priority mail which would have added to the cost. Thinking we spent almost $600 total on the bags and the contents...

Another thing... I wasnt a big fan of the El Greco restaurant but the Mundaca Steakhouse was GREAT! There filet mignon is WONDERFUL! Everyone was very surprised that the steak was so good and it wasnt uncommon for people to order a second serving of steak!

Also wanted to add that the gift shop at the resort has wonderful last minute favor items. We picked up 30 maracas for $40 at the gift shop. You can go into Playa Del Carmen but it will cost you $25 or so dollars round trip for cab fare... just a thought.

Quote: Originally Posted by nicdeb928 cristi your pics are awesome..ill be honest, i really loved the friends/family album ones, it truly looked like all your guests really enjoyed themselves and thats awesome of course i have some questions that picture 14 in the friends/family album, is that the conceirge only section? also, same album..pic 18 is that area a place you can have a private function? it looks really nice...it looks like you went into town with your guests, is that playa del carmen and if so do you recommend any places to go? thanks so much and congratulations! you were a beautiful bride nicole On picture 14, that is showing the lounge beach chairs, correct? That area is restricted to concierge level or higher. The good thing is that with the vacation dollars you can upgrade your room. I kinda wish we didnt book the conceirge room since they look them same as the regular rooms (plus no one ever stays in their rooms)! Also we could have saved some money by booking the regular room had we knew about the promotion then upgraded when we got there. Oh well... As for picture 18, I think you can have your reception there but not 100%. Also we were going to just use a reservation at Mundaca on the Terrace but it wasnt private enough (you can see it on pic 15). Now the top of Mundaca restaurant has an awesome view which is used for private functions and when we met up with Dulca we asked if we could have our private event up there but it was booked. I guess in the end it didnt really matter since we had our reception inside due to weather. Also another great place to have your reception is the Cove Terrace which is VERY beautiful and has an awesome view. You can see the pics from Jackie's wedding pictures.

Quote: Originally Posted by Jackie22 Thought I would post my ASP Wedding Pic here too, along with my Del Sol review. Here is the link to my wedding slideshow, enjoy!: 05.25.10 Jacquelyn + Mark | Wedding at Aventura Spa Palace | Photos by Matt Adcock I have to say working with Del Sol Photography was a wonderful experience!!! From the very start of the whole process Del Sol was a pleasure to work with. Melissa in the Del Sol office was fantastic she answered all of my questions to the tee and in a timely manner. And trust me I had maannnyyy questions! I made sure to put Matt & Rodrigo from Del Sol on my guest list and I purchased day passes for them ahead of time to avoid any problems with them getting in. Everything went smoothly. Matt & Rodrigo worked their butts off to get the best shots that day. They were like stealth ninjas, moving quickly to get the shots and half the time I didn't even notice them. My guests did comment on how amazing it was that they were willing to get down and dirty in the HOT heat to make sure they captured the moment. Matt & Rodrigo were awesome and made my husband and I feel really comfortable. I received my wedding slideshow in less than a month of getting married. And I can't wait to see all the rest of my pictures when my DVD arrives. I highly recommend Del Sol Photography they rocked my socks off! I really LOVE your wedding pictures and they turned out great!

Hello Girls! We got back from our destination wedding last weekend and now I'm finally getting caught up on errands so I decided to update all of you on how everything went. First of all if anyone has doubts about having a destination wedding you shouldn't! We had such an incredible time with all our guest and it was the most sentimental event of a lifetime! The Aventura Spa resort and the staff really go out of their way to make you feel at home and very accommodating. I had Dulce as my wedding coordinator and she really went above and beyond for our special day! The only downside of our whole wedding event was tropical storm Alex came in and we had to get married inside verses outside in the gazebo which that is out of the resorts control. We got married in the convention center (in the foyer in the middle). The wedding decorations for the wedding ceremony were wonderful and made up for the fact we had to get married inside. We did a cocktail hour and also a private reception in one of the event rooms near the Cove Terrace on the Cove side of the resort. The staff was VERY attentive and kept everything going smoothly throughout the night. After our wedding reception we all went over to the disco (we didnt stay long since I was already three sheets to the wind)! Overall the whole experience was AMAZING and I would do it all over again! We might renew our vows on our 5 year or 10 year anniversay just so that we can actually get married outside :-) I have set up a shutterfly account with all our pictures. I just used the resort photographer and they really did a great job! Also we got the DVD of the ceremony and it is SOOO worth the money to get! Here is the link to our shutterfly account (to view pictures click on the pictures & video tab): http://cristiandjamieswedding.shutterfly.com/ Let me know if you have any questions and happy planning!

Thank you so much girls! I'm back from the wedding and it was amazing (minus the tropical storm Alex). Once things settle down I will need to write a review! I will post some pictures on the ASP thread but here is a link to our shutterfly account: http://cristiandjamieswedding.shutterfly.com/

I'm a daddy's girl all the way as well. My dad raised me by himself from when I was two and up (also a only child). My friend came across this song and when I heard the lyrics it so reminded me of my dad and me. It's Butterfly Fly Away by Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus. There is a part of the song that says "you had to do it all alone, make a living and make a home, it must have been as hard as it could be" that part really gets to me. I want my dad to know how much his sacrifices mean to me. YouTube - Miley Cyrus - Butterfly Fly Away with Lyrics

Quote: Originally Posted by Jackie22 We decided on renting the equiptment, it was $250 for the speakers, microphone and the hook up to play the i pod. I'm glad we did it that way because I think the sound might have gotten lost otherwise. And I wanted the music loud because it was dinner & dancing. But for background music for a cocktail hour you might be able to get away with the bose. Was that $250 total? I looked at the sound system sheet and they are wanting $325 for the first hour and up to $400 for 4 hours... it's worth it if you have a private reception but if only having cocktail hour it doesnt seem like a good deal since you have to spend $325 for just one hour. I dont know what to do!!! Watch I will change everything up at the last minute!

Quote: Originally Posted by Jackie22 I'm torn between bringing my Bose or renting the sound system/ i pod player with the speakers from the resort. I would be doing the same thing either way, playing my i pod, I'm just affraid that with my Bose out on the cove terrace that the sound will get lost. What to do, What to do Hi Jackie, Did you use your BOSE ipod docking station for your reception on the Cove Terrace? We are having our cocktail party there and wanted to know how the sound quality was or did you decide on renting the equipment?

Quote: Originally Posted by julieswedding Jodie did you know that you can pick the comlimentary (free) wedding and just add the extras you want. In the complimentary package you get a rose bouquet. Q: How many roses are in the complimentary Bridal Bouquet and what colors are available? A: About 20-25 roses and you decide the color of the roses. There are ivory, hot pink, light pink, yellow, orange, white, red. Thank you! Also can they mix the bouquet colors (example: hot pink and ivory flowers) or do you have pick one color?

Hi Christina! My name is Cristina too and we are getting married on the same day! Dont worry and I'm feeling the same way. The best thing you can do is put together a checklist of items to take with you. List for the following: - Items for the ceremony - Documents to bring - Wedding Accessories - Beauty / Personal products - Regular Clothing - Gifts for Bridal Party Those are just a few things.. Also for gifts, have you tried Things Remembered? I bet they have a store around you and they can personalize items. We did the following for our group. Groomsmen - engraved shot glass (Things Remembered) Ray Ban sunglasses (Sunglass Hut - $100 each and have 3 guys) Bridesmaids - personalized tote bag cosmetic bag (goes with tote bag) Flip flops for after the ceremony earrings for wedding Jamie's Dad - cigar case and lighter from Things Remembered (engraved) Jamie's Mom - hanky and compact mirror (Things remembered) also will do a photobook for after the wedding. My Dad - Father picture frame and doing a photobook

I'm bumping up this thread since I have some questions on the same line. I have some events planned for people but I hope that they dont feel like I should be entertaining them 24/7 while we are down there. We have a welcome with cocktails when folks arrive then doing a spa day on Friday afternoon (optional) then a rehearsal/ welcome dinner that Friday night. On Sat. we have the ceremony, cocktail reception then a private dinner. For the past brides, did your guest expect you to do everything for them book tours, entertain them inbetween events I dont know why but all of sudden I'm worring about that! I really want people to enjoy their vacation and feel free to do what they want (with or without us).