bridetobe1515

One other item I forgot to mention is the cake. We went with a standard wedding cake and we did do the tres leches. I asked about the heat and Zulma said it wouldn't be an issue, only when it is a multi layered caked is it an issue since it is heavy. It was out for at least an hour and it didn't melt at all! So worth it because it was yummy!

Quote: Originally Posted by jesmcan Really about the cocktail hour I cannot believe it is not open bar that just seems so wrong. I was actually really surprised by this also, especially since they have all the hard liquor sitting out on the bar where they serve champagne. If it isn't included in your package don't pay for it! totally not worth it.

Quote: Originally Posted by msglave Yay!!! I'm glad everything was so beautiful and fun. Thanks for posting your review. When you went to the Blue Parrot, did you pay per guest? Thanks! No I emailed the manager ahead of time and asked him if he would allow us VIP access and he said he wouldn't charge us. Just tell them the name of your wedding party and that is everyones password to get in. If you need the email address you can PM me. I will be at work on Friday and can send it to you.

Quote: Originally Posted by msglave Thanks for the offer-I have a couple of questions. 1.) How much did you see the maracas for? 2.) Did you go to Walmart or some other large store? I want to carry as least down as possible and I'm thinking that I may buy the stuff for centerpieces and buy glass vases/votives there. 3.) Lastly, what kind of things did you see reasonably priced that you wish you would've waited for? Thanks for sticking around to answer our questions!!!!!! No problem! You ladies have been such a help, I would love to help you out with things I wasn't sure on. When you first walk off of the resort and go on 5th avenue you will see a ton of vendors. They all yell at you to come into their store. We were stupid and went in. I went to a couple of different guys and ended up buying mine for $3 each. They were gorgeous though. Well, the next time I went shopping I went down the street a lot further and found them for $1 each. So the key is to do a little walking and go a bit further. Seemed like the further down 5th we went the better the deals. We found them at the General Store for $1. No negotiating but you wouldn't have to because they do have the best prices. I actually didn't see a walmart, but I did see the MAC store. I still wouldn't recommend going in it. It was in a store with a bunch of high end items like Chanel, etc. Seemed expensive. I just bought all of my MAC makeup from home. Ok, not what you asked. So no on Walmart, but that general store and plent of other stores sold vases. Most were extremely colorful though and very pretty. I don't think that is what you are looking for though. I would pack something like your centerpieces. I actually shipped all of mine to Zulma and it only cost me $40. I was happy I waited on the maracas. I also bought a box of cigars which were really pricey, but they don't really come down that much on cigars. I wish I would have waited on the centerpieces. Although I was really happy with what I chose, I think it would have brought more color to the tables if I bought something in Mexico. They have sooooooooooo much! I also would have waited to buy the girls necklaces. They have such great jewelry there. I probably would have also waited for buying their special gifts and all the oot bags. I ended up buying these amazing bags for $8 each. They said Playa Del Carmen on them and they were canvas and really cute. If you haven't bought bridesmaids bags yet, those are perfect. They don't really have wedding related items there though like cake toppers, etc. So get that! Hope that helps, if not then ask away!

Oh right if any of you have questions on what downtown Playa has for shopping and bars please ask. We spent 2 days shopping both for wedding items and for personal stuff. We also went to some bars that were a lot of fun. They literally have almost everything down there for cheaper. I wish I wouldn't have bought so much to bring down...but you live and learn.

Quote: Originally Posted by jesmcan I know ans especially because than I would need to put all the tags on them while on vacation! lol Who wants to say to your MOH and BM's i know we are on vacation but tonight we have to do the tags on the maracas ahahah I was thinking if it was me I would be like ummmm no lol I brought a ton to the pool and had them help me. While they laid out they put the tags on and got a tan...worked out perfectly!

Hello all! Just got back from my wedding and posted my review. I will get pics up soon, I just need to relax. Here it is: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...-carmen-59293/ Let me know if you have questions I am sure I left a lot out that you will want to know!

I just got back from my wedding at The Royal in Playa Del Carmen and wanted to leave a detailed review about it. Hope it helps! Hotel-The Royal (A) The hotel is amazing, the staff is even more amazing! The minute you walk in they hand you a cold towel and a glass of champagne. Everyone from the bellboy to the maids say "hola" every single time you pass them. Everyone is so unbelievably friendly. The entertainment crew is awesome as well, they definitely know how to get people involved! The front desk staff is a bit cranky, but you really never have to deal with them, so no worries there. The room service is EXTREMELY slow in the peak hours, so be careful with that. It took around 1 1/2 hours at times to get food. The food was also sub par compared to what you get in the restaurants. I did get sick at Spice which is the buffet restaurant on the resort. Unfortunately I decided to eat some late night food the night before my wedding. I woke up at 5:30am and started puking insistently. My advice to all brides is to be VERY smart and go to your local drug store to buy probiotics. I know it sounds nuts but ask the pharmacist. They will know what it is. I took one of those and was better in 1 hour. One of my bridesmaids ate with me and got sick as well. She took one too and was fantastic! It basically kills all bad bacteria. Best decision you will ever make! One more word of advice...Do Not get the beachfront walkout. We did and totally regretted it. It was a beautiful room with a fantastic view, but the bugs were out of control! It got so bad the last night that I had to call the front desk and have them bring me raid. I killed 60 ants and 4 spiders in my room alone! It rained and they were all running in. It was horrible! All week though it was pretty bad. You are right off of the sand so it is only natural that you get bugs. I would do a balcony for sure. The oceanview rooms my guests got were amazing! Couldn't really see the ocean all that great, but the rooms are fantastic. Hotel-Gran Porto (A) A couple of my guests stayed here and they liked it. The rooms were a lot smaller than The Royal, but there were a lot of great features. They had an outdoor buffet which The Royal did not have, but could have used. You couldn't swim with a drink in the pool which sort of stunk, but they had some great late night shows that rivaled our resort. The two restaurants there were good as well. Maria's is where we held the rehearsal dinner, and definitely was my least favorite of the two. Pescatore's is a Italian place and very yummy! Also if your guests want to eat at Asiana at The Royal they can for 50% off. It is well worth it because to me this was the best restaurant in the whole place! So good, we ate there at least 3 times. Dinner Rehearsal-( Maria's at The Gran Porto was very accommodating. They let me come in early and set up everything, which was nice. The food was sub par. I had the avocado with crab which was really delicious! The dinner we chose was the beef with mushroom, and the beef really looked sad. It was thin and just not something you are proud to serve your guests who paid a fortune to get there. I did discover some guests who had shellfish allergies, and Maria's helped me out in trading out dishes, so that was nice. The dessert was the fruit with the hard chocolate shell...not sure of the exact name, sorry. It was really good as well. I gave it a B because of the meat. Wedding Coordinator-Zulma (A+++++) Zulma is amazing. Not only did she have every single detail nailed down when I got there but she actually was reminding me of things that I forgot about. I would suggest going there with a list of things to ask and remember because when you are face to face you sort of blank and forget a lot. You are seriously so busy that it is best to have everything written down and organized. I made a list for Zulma, the DJ, the Photog, and myself. I unloaded all of my decorations on her and she was so nice and took everything, even though it filled up her office. The day of the wedding she was so on top of everything! I even drove her nuts after the wedding asking questions about when other appointments for spa stuff was, etc. she was still so accommodating! Have no fear I know for a fact that she is all over your details. She has a folder just for you on her computer and in her file cabinet with every email you sent her and a full list of what you want and what day you want it. Amazing that she can keep up with all of it! You do need 4 witnesses who have to have their passports and their tourist cards with them. They go into the office with you for your consultation. Make sure you remember to do this. Wedding-Gazebo (A+) I was so nervous it was going to rain, but it was perfect all day/night. I decided to put the table at the edge of the gazebo and have all of the guests sit outside of the gazebo. I had 8 bridesmaids and 8 groomsmen so I had them stand until we walked down then I made all of them sit, except for the maid of honor and best man. It worked out perfectly. We had the videographer with our luxury package videotape it all. It was nice, but not something I would have paid for otherwise. The judge was great. She spoke English and even included some words of wisdom and a poem. We did the sand ceremony prior to the exchanging of the rings (there was no limitations on this) and the sand ceremony wording included the words "God" and "Christ" multiple times. There were no problems with that. I even walked down with my grandmothers rosary. I didn't give the wording to Zulma nor did she ask me for it before hand. Overall it was amazing! I even had an airplane come overhead saying "coco bongo" during our vows and it just made it all the more exciting and real. Everyone loved it! The cocktail reception after was sort of a bust. The mariachi was great, and people stuck around to listen, but it was so hot we just all wanted to go to the lobby bar for drinks instead. The appetizers were pretty awful. They were all the cold apps, and not something I would really consider good food. Reception-Beach outside of Pelicano's (A+) The reception was amazing! I can't even explain how amazing it was. The wedding was at 2pm, cocktail at 2:30 and reception at 5. We decided the morning of the wedding to extend out the reception an extra hour. We just decided that 3 hours wasn't enough and it was SOOOOO worth it! I can't express that enough. Our group was very lively and full of energy so we knew they wouldn't want it to stop. The dinner was fantastic. People kept talking about how good it was. We had the salad with goat cheese and it was nothing like I thought it would be. It was so good. We then had the beef for dinner and it was delicious. Everyone was saying what a good cut of meat it was and perfectly cooked. The soup was the princess cream soup with mint and it was lick the bowl good. The dessert was cheesecake, and I didn't eat that. But everyone said it was amazing. One of the bridesmaids thought it was so good that she ordered cheesecake every night in her room after the wedding. I probably wouldn't recommend that. The set up was exactly how I envisioned it and Zulma again did fantastic. DJ Ivan (A++++++) he was late for the meeting, but had a valid excuse. He took down all of our notes and we paid him then. The night of the wedding I can't begin to tell you how fantastic he was. He is worth EVERY penny! The stage is also a must if your people love to dance. He even extended out the wedding an extra 20 minutes at the end because nobody wanted to get off of the dance floor. At one point one of my bridesmaids said she wished he would have played a bad song so she could give her feet a rest. We requested no slow songs and no wedding typical songs. I did this because I knew the people who were attending and knew what they would like and want. I suggest you do the same since you want everyone to have fun. I opened up requests to whoever wanted to and it worked out great. He definitely made the party! His dance floor made you feel like you were in a club also! It was great. At one point the staff even let us get behind the bar and mix our own drinks. We had people coming up to us the next day saying that they saw our wedding reception and it looked like the most fun wedding they have ever seen. They said they wanted to crash it. We had 3 different groups of party crashers come in and unfortunately we had to boot them out or else we would have to pay the $60/person...no thanks. So most of them stayed on the beach by our dance floor and danced by the ocean with us. Pretty funny! Photographer-Cecilia Dumas (A+++++) I haven't gotten the photos yet but she was amazing to work with. She did all of the shots I wanted without even asking. She definitely has a flair for what looks good and what doesn't. She is very honest and will tell you if you looked bad in a pic because she wants to make sure you look the best in every photo. We also did the trash the dress with her and I think they will turn out amazing. We were very open to whatever she wanted because we had full trust in her and her abilities! We went to the Blue Parrot for the fire show after the reception and it worked out great. I emailed the manager ahead of time and they had tables and chairs reserved for us. It was great. The show was amazing also. The dance floor is crazy too, they dance all night. Spa-C I give it a C because I really didn't like my hair. It was my fault because I didn't speak up. It was just that the humidity was so horrible there that my hair wouldn't cooperate. I had to do something to keep it up. It wasn't horrible, just not what I had envisioned, but oh well. The makeup was awesome. The massage was seriously fantastic. The manicure and pedicure sucked. I would not recommend it. We also didn't do the face saver treatment because of all the bad reviews. The spa wasn't fantastic unfortunately, but the staff is really nice. The whole week went by so fast and I was so busy that I barely enjoyed a vacation. But it was all worth it to hear everyone say that it was the best wedding they have ever been to. That is a great thing to hear after planning for a whole year. Bring a lot of tip money with you, you will need it! You tip everyone. Oh and we tipped all of the wedding related people 15%. The coordinator I tipped $100 only because she sort of planned it all. The judge I didn't even get to tip since she ran off so fast, so I gave it to the DJ as an extra thank you for the 20 extra minutes. If anyone has questions I'm sure I can give some answers, just let me know.

Does anyone know if I can do a cashiers check for Ivan and Cecilia Dumas? I tried to email them but couldn't reach them.

Quote: Originally Posted by RunningBride24 Ahhh I hope the weather stays good for all of you going down this weekend! I'll cross my fingers for you. Like someone else said, the rain usually passes fairly quickly! So when do we get our on-site coordinator? Is it just the week before the wedding or a little sooner? My TA can't even get ahold of Angie. Go figure. I can't believe a woman like her keeps her job at such a nice resort. Sorry, I'm incredibly bitter about Angie and her lack of compassion and communication. Too funny! I have been working with Zulma for months now and Angie just emailed me today to introduce Zulma to me...I get there on Wednesday!!! Ridic!!! I would just move forward with the offices in Mexico and forget Angie!

Quote: Originally Posted by 2mckee Does anyone know how the online checkin actually works? Can you upgrade if available? Thanks! You can upgrade your room if there is an upgrade available. You get to pick your room and put in special requests...that is if it ever works! I tried to call the resort to see if they are having system problems with the check-in, but they don't seem to understand what I mean. any luck with anyone else?

Ahhh...this online check-in is killing me! What is going on? I am totally bummed about the rain also! I can't believe that it is going to be so crappy during that whole time! I just hope they are wrong and the storm shifts. Maybe if we all wish really hard it will work!

I was on here a while back stating that I had already done the 90 day lean program and was starting the 90 day classic. Well the classic didn't work out for me so well so I went back to the lean. I have some injuries and it made it difficult to do all of the exercises. Since I had great results with the lean (15lbs) I figured I would go back to it. So, I started it, but something always seemed to come up. Birthday parties, work parties, etc. It seemed like I could never find the time to get through it. It was frustrating because I had already gone through it once before! I gained back ALL 15 lbs and even gained a pound. That isn't because I stopped P90x...it is because I started eating bad again. I was freaking out! Everyone kept saying "oh don't worry about it, when I got married I lost all this weight by doing nothing at all". I wanted to hurt those people! I was gaining weight with stress, not losing it!!!! Well I am here now to tell you that I am 5 days before I leave for my wedding and I have lost 5 lbs in just this week alone. I have lost a total of 20lbs!!! So not only am I below my goal, but I keep dropping. I love P90x, I do it maybe 3 times a week now. It keeps me motivated! The problem is I have no appetite. I'm so freaked out about what is going to happen when I get to the resort and that everyone will arrive safely and I won't forget anything that I forget to eat. I know it sound ridiculous, but it is true. You guys will see. I just wanted to give you a little emotional support and tell you to keep at P90X, it is amazing! It seriously changed my life. I say that because it not only taught me the right way to exercise (when I do) but it taught me that eating healthy isn't a bad thing. I actually go to restaurants and look for healthier options now...not because I think I should, but because I think it will taste good! It will get you where you need to be, but if you can't shed those last few pounds don't sweat it, you will! I am amazed at how right those people were.

Quote: Originally Posted by lexibride Jen and Diane - I never had a US WC - I always had Lili as a coordinator. I don't know how that happened really, but she's been mine all along and she was GREAT in the beginning - it's only in the last month that she hasn't returned ANY emails. In fact after I emailed the US planners, they contacted Lili and then she returned one of my emails and as dumb as it sounds, it was in all caps, like she was yelling at me! I have been emailing her for a year and she never did that. She acted like I was wrong for being nervous that I never got an invoice or any appt times or even a menu!!! What don't you have exactly besides the bill that I can help you with? I can send you anything you need and then you just submit them to Lili. She will take care of it. And if she doesn't you have the email to prove that you asked her to. Let me know if I can help in some way!

Quote: Originally Posted by lexibride Dear date triplets I am so beyond stressed cause Lili hasn't gotten back to me, I don't know if I even have hair appts scheduled and if so, what time, I know nothing about my reception - how much it's going to cost and never got a final bill. I totally have to take faith that it will all come together...... Oh right and about the bill, I still have yet to pay the total fee. I paid for the package and a few other things but there are definitely still things I owe for. They said they would put it on the room charge when I get there. So just make sure you keep good notes and know what you should and should not be charged for!

Quote: Originally Posted by lexibride Dear date triplets I am so beyond stressed cause Lili hasn't gotten back to me, I don't know if I even have hair appts scheduled and if so, what time, I know nothing about my reception - how much it's going to cost and never got a final bill. I totally have to take faith that it will all come together...... You should definitely have all of that scheduled by now. Don't panic though. If she hasn't gotten back to you, I would just call the resort and speak to someone at the wedding department. Just say that you know they are busy but you are there soon and you wanted to make sure that your appointments are at least scheduled. Zulma scheduled EVERYTHING for me and never told me about any of it. Then I sent a panic email saying that all of the times are going to be reserved and she sent a reply back stating that everything was all good and I have nothing to worry about. Did you turn in your checklist? If so, did it include those times? If it did I am willing to bet they are reserved. I would still call and check.

Quote: Originally Posted by dianep dear date twin one thing that keeps me sane is knowing that there have been brides that have shown up to the resorts with nearly nothing planned. and if THEY can end up with a gorgeous wedding, i most certainly can too! i'm at the gran porto at 6:00 - what time is your ceremony? I couldn't agree with you more! I'm at the royal gazebo at 2pm but the reception is at 5pm on the beach. Where is your reception?

Wow Matt...fantastic advice! thank you! I didn't even think about set up, how sad is that! I wonder what else I am forgetting to think about! It's 5 days before I leave and I've managed to squeeze in 2 more people to the wedding party. They booked their flights/hotel. That is not what I needed only 5 days before I leave, but it all worked out! To all you ladies out there planning for 2011...be prepared it FLIES by!!! I was amazed at how fast it all came. My best advice is to try your hardest to stay calm. I know there are going to be things that frustrate you and you can't get answers for (welcome to the 2010 nightmare), but don't panic. You have time to sort those out. I feel like I am going into the Royal completely blind. There are things that I have no idea about, but I figure once I get there I will just know. It is hard to imagine something you have never seen before. I promise to post lots of pictures and a very detailed review. One thing I kind of wish someone posted on here with their review, but I never saw was exactly what the wedding coordinator gives you options on. When I sit in front of Zulma and make all those difficult decisions I will keep a notebook handy so that I can make a list. Maybe that will help ease the planning stages a bit. If there is anything else you want to know tell me now or forever hold your peace..ha!

Quote: Originally Posted by kerrimark2010 Hi ladies! Just wanted to introduce myself - I've been reading the thread for like a week now, and this is my first post! My FI and I are confirmed at The Royal PDC on Nov. 4th, 2010. I've learned so much from this thread (it helped me decide on the location), so thanks already for all the great info you all have given me. A couple questions for you all: 1) Which photographers did you all decide on? I'm kicking around like 5 right now. 2) Has anyone worked with Rebekah? She's my stateside WC, and she's been super fast. So excited to get to know you all! Congrats!!! I'm using Cecilia Dumas for my photographer. She has been great to work with and only required a 10% deposit, which was great for me! It allowed me to book some of the other things I really wanted. She is doing my trash the dress session also. I only have 9 more days left...the thought of leaving next week really gives me butterflies in my stomach!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by msglave Thank you so much for posting this! Can't wait to read your interview and see your pics! I was told that it costs extra for the tiki torches? My WC told me I could do a sand ceremony. My WC said we could do two different entrees. We just need to mark the place cards. Sorry to hear about the debit card. Did your money get returned yet? Also, for ladies who planned to use Tiffany chairs-Jesmcan, I know you were- my WC said she doesn't think they are available anymore. You might want to check with the resort. Wait...what We can't reference God in the sand ceremony? That is ridic! I am having my sister get up there and read it. I don't care I'm doing it anyway!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by jujeemd I know, you're so lucky you got switched to them so soon! If I don't hear from her before I head down there I'm going to be a total wreck. My main concerns are...the ceremony guitarist and how the music works, how do I contact them to let them know what songs we want and with the civil ceremony how does it work? All I get from Angie is, "It's confirmed you have a guitarist." Well...cool, but when is he showing up and what is he going to play? Haha. We have a beach ceremony at 5pm, cocktail reception, and 7pm reception in the garden. We're doing the luxury package, have 38 ppl including Parker and I. I know so many of you probably feel or have felt the same way, but I just feel like I'm going down there blind! Other than filling out what we want on our checklist and sending Angie emails with our wishes (who knows what shes doing with them?) I have no real way of knowing that it's all going to be done. When do we tell them what we want in terms of like huppa, what chairs we want used, seating arrangements for the reception like how many tables, etc? I told Angie what we wanted a long time ago and she told me we could do that down there, but I kinda don't believe her and I'm starting to worry stuff won't be done. Sorry for being a spaz. Haha. I'm not sure about the musician question, I think that is something you tell them when you get there. Not sure when they show either, I just know they are there during your ceremony. You should definitley be in contact with the resort by now! They are super swamped and slow on getting back to you right now, but they answer all of your questions fully when they do. You tell them about set up and everything when you get there. That is what Zulma told me. They only need a couple of days to plan. So just have something in your mind and don't settle for less when you get there! She said she will handle everything when I get down there and not to worry they will make everything perfect. Call me crazy, but I trust her.

Quote: Originally Posted by beachbum1285 For those using DJ Ivan... are you making a list of songs for him to play or are you just going to trust him and trust he'll play a good selection? He is meeting with me 2 days before the wedding at the hotel lobby. He said to have a list of songs that I want the wedding party to walk in on and for us as well. He wants a list of the names, speaches, etc. He also said that if there were any must play songs or any do not play songs to let him know. So because the fiance is polish I said absolutely no polka! I also said to keep the slow songs to a minimum since we have more of a younger crew going with us. I also asked him to not do any traditional wedding songs...like the electric slide, etc. I hate those for some reason, maybe because I've been to too many weddings.

Quote: Originally Posted by astreit Just curious if any of you had an answer to this? Thanks so much!!!! I believe that the musician plays a song while your guests arrive until you walk down the aisle. I want to do the wedding march, and I'm pretty sure that is all you have to tell them. They don't play during the ceremony and after they will probably play whatever you want to walk out...typically it is the wedding march again. If you want a special song I'm sure they will accomodate that for you, or it may be wise to bring an ipod if you want that, just in case they don't know how to play what you want.

Quote: Originally Posted by JuliaR That makes me little peeved! I am being charged $350 for my photog even though we booked a Ocean View Junior Suite for my photogs for 4 nights!!! ARGH! That would really make me angry. If you are paying for their room they are a guest not a vendor. I would really argue that!

woo hoo just realized I was a junior member now!!! YAY!