MRhoades0219

Our meeting with the WC only lasted about 45 min. We pretty much knew everything we wanted, so it didn't take long at all! Happy Wedding to everone getting ready to leave! Everything will be amazing! I know my husband and I are ready to go back all ready!!!

We just returned from our wedding at MP a few weeks ago. We had our wedding dinner at Arrecifes - Nizuc Side. We ate out on the tarrace and it was perfect. The food was all right...not the best food at the MP, but we really enjoyed it. Our favorite restaurant we went to twice while we were there was Mo Mo No Ha Na - Oriental A la Carte. The food was wonderful!

Quote: Originally Posted by orionandmari072510 awesome!! i love those flowers!! Our flowers were amazing! The MP did such an amazing job!!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by ashnic2005 HEY LADIES! I leave for MP on Wednesday! I can't believe its already here! I have been spending all night trying to pack all this crap I am bringing. :-) Can't wait to let you all know how it went. However, the weather said isolated showers all weekend :-( Good Luck! Everything will be wonderful. I just got back a few weeks ago from my MP wedding and we had the same issues with rain. It was raining the morning of the wedding, and probably saved us from being to hot. By the evening, the rain had stopped and it was perfect!!! Plus, rain on your wedding day is a sign of Good Luck! ;o)

Quote: Originally Posted by alison15 I believe from Jodi's early posts, she is using Cancun florist which is a lot cheaper than Moon Palace. I am just curious on how delivery works and if MP charges any outside vendor fee. I don't want to have to pay their ridiculous prices but I also don't want to have to drag my own fake ones down there. It is like $40 just for a boutonniere. I have heard that the bouquets are large enough to split so I might be doing that, but still that's at least $40 per bouquet. Also just looking for some advice, if our groomsmen are not wearing jackets, are boutonnieres really necessary? We are only having them wear khakis and white button up shirts. I split my bouquet for my wedding a few weeks ago at the MP. I only had 1 person stand with me and 1 with my husband. So I upgraded my flowers (cost me $90)...I then had them take the complementary bouquet and do 12 roses for my sister, and then put the rest in my bouquet. My flowers were amazing for the price. I then gave our complementary boutonniere to the groomsmen and then paid for one for my husband. A single rose with 2 little while flowers cost $22. All my flowers from the moon palace were amazing, and SO glad I went with them rather than try and deal with someone off site. They were SO pretty. You can see my flowers in my wedding review.

Quote: Originally Posted by SouthernSweetie Thank you for such a detailed review! I too have had my doubts - to the point that I was ready to call the whole thing off. Your insight has put me at ease once again. I'm down to 364 days! Woooohooo!!!! I was in the same boat you are. I didn't find this site till April and my wedding was in May. I read several reviews, but still was a little uneasy about everything. I caused so much stress for myself that wasn't needed. I wish I would have listened to everyone else when they said not to worry. They made my dream wedding come true! Everything was perfect!

I'm sorry it has taken me SO long to post my review! Who knew we would be so busy when we got home. I keep telling everyone we need a vacation from our vacation. Here is my review. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions! http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...-2010-a-60259/

WEDDING DETAILS Wedding Date / Time – Friday, May 21, 2019 / 5:00 p.m. Wedding Coordinator – Cristina Suarz Wedding Package - Complimentary Gazebo – Tucan Reception - 6:30 p.m. – Arrecifies Terrace Total number of guests including Husband and I - 20 Our stay – May 17 – May 24 Most of our guests stay – May 17 – May 22 Photographer – Kelly Hafley (from Kansas City Missouri) Overall Experience - A++ I can’t express enough how much the Moon Palace did to make my dream wedding come true. I was a tiny bit skeptical and even had a little bit of doubt when we arrived at the resort. More than anything, I was worried about it being worth the money and time for not only me and my husband, but our guests as well. We had never seen the resort prior to going down for the wedding. I will say, after we got settled in our room the first thing we did was go and find our gazebo. The first 2 ½ days we had rain….so we spent some quality time at the lobby bar, and the restaurants by the pool. By the second day I was in love with every aspect of the resort and was getting very use to the wonderful service. MP made my wedding more than we could have ever dreamed of. I couldn’t have had my dream wedding without this forum, it truly saved me time and stress. Travel Agency We utilized a travel agency in Kansas City and she was great. She took care of everything and got everyone great deals. We didn’t care to much about getting any events free, as we didn’t have that many people coming with us. Why we chose the Moon Palace We spent a few weeks looking at SO many different resorts on-line it was all most overwhelming. We had initially ruled it out because of its size and because we were worried it might to be expensive for everyone. After comparing what seemed like every resort in Cancun and Riveria Maya, we revisited the Moon Palace and decided a resort that knows how to do weddings and had a plethora of options for our guests to stay entertained were strengths rather than weaknesses. We knew we wanted an all-inclusive resort so that the bar bill wouldn’t be ridiculous and so that there wouldn’t be an awkwardness about who was going to pick up the tab and finally, so that we would have flexibility about the restaurant options. We had also had a friend that had got married at the MP several years ago, and she had nothing but good things to say about it. We also had 3 children traveling with us, and the MP was great at accommodating them. VISA / Customs So I had heard differing stories about people’s experiences with customs. My husband and I had 3 pieces of luggage in total. I hand-carried my wedding dress and had no problem hanging it up in the plane closet. It took us 2 ½ hours to get off the plane and outside the airport to our transportation. I went through customs first, hit the light and got a green light. When my husband went though, he hit the light and got a red light!! I told them that one of the suitcases he was wheeling was mine, but they didn’t really understand what we were talking about. They then asked me to step away. The search was very very brief. They opened up the one with the wedding contents, he asked my husband if we were getting married, and he said “yes.†Once they heard “wedding†quickly closed up the suitcase and him pass, they never even checked his other bags. I was prepared in any case by keeping a copy of all major receipts in a binder, which I had in my carry-on. I never had to show any receipts. Transfer - A Olympus had a shuttle waiting for us at the airport. They got us loaded quickly and off we went. The Resort – A+ I cannot stress how great it was that the MP was in such close proximity to the airport. A short 10 minute ride later, we were starting our vacation. They took us right to the Sunrise Lobby. Upon arrival, you are greeted by staff who give each of the women a carnation and everyone a warm cloth to freshen up. When ushered to the front desk to check-in, refreshments are served along with big smiles. Our check-in went very smoothly and we were on our way to our rooms (which were ready) by 2pm. Once we checked in, we had someone take us to our room. We decided to walk and the bell boy gave us lots of information about the resort, it was a very nice walk. The buildings consist of 3 floors. We had requested all we all be put on the Sunrise Side, but asked that me and my husband be a little ways from our family. The resort food was pretty good. We ate at all the ones on the Sunrise side of the resort, and don’t have anything bad to say. We did do room service most mornings for breakfast and enjoyed that a lot. The grounds of the resort were immaculate. We couldn’t believe how much detail went into the maintenance of this vast place. They tell you to check into the honeymooners desk upon check in. They gave us each a “honeymooners†tee shirt, planned our candlelight dinner. Our champagne, fruit and flowers were all ready in the room when we got there. We did take the trip offered by the resort to Tulum the day after the wedding. It was very nice, and I’m glad we did it, but it make for a long day. Pick up was 8am and drop off was around 5pm. You can’t climb the ruins. We would have loved to swin in the ocean while we were there, but we just didn’t have enough time. After we left Tulum, we were dropped off at another Palace Resort (can’t remember the name) for lunch and to hang out for a few hours. The food was ok then we went right for the pool. Being at that resort made me like Moon Palace even more!!! We also took a cab and went to the Beach Palace….it was amazing. We spent a whole day there! The ocean and beach were amazing! Rooms - A+ Our rooms were very nice and clean. We had booked a regular room, but asked if we could get a room in our category that might have an ocean view. Everyone in our family ended up with a slight view of the ocean. We looked right out to the mini golf course. There’s a Jacuzzi in every room and I was hesitant to use it until I heard from a couple of our guests that they saw the staff clean them out as part of the regular housekeeping rounds. We did get in it…but it didn’t last long. It was so hot outside, we didn’t last to long sitting in warm water! They do have a light up magnification mirror that was a very nice touch to the bathroom. Room Service - A This was such an amusing part of the hotel amenities. Why is it that when room service is offered, there’s a tendency to take advantage of it (okay, take total advantage of it) even when you just had dinner 2 hours ago? We usually got an omelet and fruit for breakfast. We also loved the quesadillas and cheesecake for a late night snack. Fries were a staple too. Getting around Moon Palace Honestly, getting around the resort wasn’t as bad as I’d imagined. Yes, it’s a big resort but everything is walkable. Our parents often called for a golfcart to take them to the lobby or to the pool. Even when we were just out walking around, someone would all most always stop us and ask us for a ride. We took a walk every morning down to the beach, and were even up a few morning to see the sunrise. It was amazing! Nightly Shows There is a show every night of the week. They were pretty good. We did see the Michael Jackson show, and it was pretty good. We also enjoyed the fire show, the kids also really liked it. The other ones were ok. A few we only stayed for about ½ and then decided to take a walk down the beach instead. Wedding Coordinators – A+ All most exactly 90 days before the wedding, I heard from Cristina, our WC. I never spoke over the phone with any of my wedding coordinators. At first I was worried about not actually talking with anyone, but Cristina was great about getting back to me very quickly. After reading of some girls not hearing back from their WC for day, I was worried. I never waited more than 24 hours to hear back from her. If she didn’t have the answer, she would see to it that she could find it. Right after our first email, I talked to her about what gazebo we would be in and where we wanted the wedding dinner. I can’t say enough wonderful things about Cristina, epically once we got the MP and met with her. I felt SO much better after our meeting was quickly ready for our wedding day. We had our meeting with Cristina the after we arrived. Cristina is good…very good. We were impressed with her efficiency and how many specifics she remembered of our wedding details. We met with her for about an hour and I dropped off the following items: 1. 20 palm leaf fans to be set on the chairs at the wedding 2. Cake knife and server 3. Guest book and pen 4. 20 chair bows 5. Sand Ceremony Set with sand Once we got to her office, we sat down with her as she went through a planning list and recorded the choices we picked out for flowers, food, cake, etc. Most of this she already had in an email that I sent her so we were mainly confirming our choices and explaining/clarifying things and asking her our remaining questions. This is when she booked our honeymooners breakfast in bed. We did it for 2 days after the wedding just so we could enjoy it. The food was ok…we ended up going to the buffet to get just a little bit more. We also went and had our blood drawn. I was so nervous about this. The lady doing it did a very good job. It was clean, I felt safe and didn’t bruise. Before we left, we dropped off a Thank You card with some money in it. She deserved it! DAY OF CEREMONY Salon Services – B+ Hair - A My hair appointment was first and was scheduled at 11am-12:30pm and he used the whole amount of time. He did a very good job. It stayed nice all day. I did take him a picture of what I was wanting, and he got very close. A few of us got our nails done….and well I should have saved my money and did them myself. My manicure wasn’t that great! Flowers – A++ I had a really hard time with flowers. It was such a hard decision. I only my one person standing with me, so that helped some. I wanted some color in the flowers, but also didn’t want to many different shades of pink. I ended up picking one of the bouquets you can upgrade to and then used the complementary for my sister. I asked that they use 12 ivory roses for my sisters, and then put the rest in mine. I told Valeria that I wanted both to be long stem, no green foliage and pink ribbon wrapped down the stems. I got EXACTLY what I wanted. I was so happy with the bouquets!! We used the complimentary boutonniere for the best man and then paid for my husband to a little bit nicer one. We didn’t have any alter flowers and didn’t think we needed them. Carriage Ride – A++ I thought this was going to be a little cheesy and all most didn’t do it. We saw several before the wedding, I couldn’t wait for my ride. I was so excited on the wedding day, and when the carriage arrived I all most started crying. It was absolutely perfect. Even the sound of the horse’s hooves clicking was awesome. Everyone loved this touch. It was far better than the golf cart alternative. Photography - A++++ Potographer – Kally Haftly, - my best friend I told Cristina we were brining our own photographer and it wasn’t a problem at all. Videography We didn’t have anyone to do the view for us…..but we really wanted one! So we went for, and paid for one. I’m so glad we did. Was it worth $360….probably not….but I’m really glad we did it. Once it arrived in the mail we put it right into the DVD player. MY husband had a great time watching it, and I cried all over again! CEREMONY Cristina’s assistant met me and the bridal party at my room. She handed us our bouquets and made sure we were ready to go. Everyone else, except me and my dad, and taken a golf cart over to the gazebo. She assisted us the golf cart, and then took our photographer to the gazebo. My dad and I rode the carriage ride and Val took off on another golf cart. She’d indicated that we would ride around until she gave the driver the go-ahead that it was showtime. About 15 minutes of riding around, our driver received the signal via walkie-talkie that they were ready for me. We came around the front of the gazebo near the pathway by the beach. Everyone could see me riding around and I saw some tears. I waved to everyone and before I knew it, I was dropped off at the foot of the aisle. As soon as my music started, they gave us the signal and my dadassisted me down and Cristina was on the grass telling me to hold my bouquet lower and slow down…..She was awesome! The officant’s English was ok. He did read the vows that we wrote verbatim (we actually used the vows my parents used 35 years ago). The vows forum on this website was a God-send. I took a lot of material from there. In fact, I copied and pasted a lot because I’d put this off until two weeks before our departure. We did have a civil ceremony, so the Justice of the Peace wouldn’t say anything with God in it. That was ok for us, the only thing that had God in it was our wedding prayer that my mother-in-law wrote. When we were ready for the prayer, he handed the microphone over to her, and she read the prayer. It was perfect. The ceremony lasted about 25 minutes. Palm Fans – We used Flowers and Flowers to order 20 palm fans that were used as programs at the ceremony. RECEPTION – A+ We had our reception on the Arrecifies Terrace. The food was ok, but the location was amazing! There wasn’t anyone out there but us, and it was just perfect. We looked right out to the pool, and we could hear the ocean waves. I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. Everyone talked about how wonderful it was, and how much they enjoyed it. Cake -A We had them bring our cake to dinner (and not to the gazebo) and it was sitting on a table when we arrived. The cake turned out exactly as in the picture. We had chocolate it was delicious!! CONCLUSION Just relax! The Moon Palace will make your dream wedding come true and have your guests talking about the best wedding they’ve ever been to. Keep in mind that they are on vacation, which already puts everyone in a great mood. You’re not going to please everyone so go with your gut instinct and have confidence in your decisions. You can’t go wrong with anything you choose at the MP. They had events and activities to keep all ages entertained. It’s a wonderful bonding experience for everyone who’s there. Don’t lose sight of why you’re there and why everyone else made the trek. Enjoy every moment because it goes by fast. I hope I didn’t leave anything out. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask me!! GOOD LUCK!! Here are some of our wedding pictures for you to enjoy!

We are packed and waiting for our ride to the airport from the Moon Palace. We were married Friday and everything was PERFECT!!!!!!!!! I couldn't have asked for a better place for us and our guests to spend our weddingmoon!!!!! Will work on getting a review and pictures posted once we get home! Just wanted to tell everyone how great everything was!

Quote: Originally Posted by katiemcad Hi! Does anyone else happen to have Cristina Suarez as their WC? I'm having a hard time having her respond to any of my e-mails, and with two weeks to go, it's getting a little frustrating....also, has anyone else had their reception at the Bugambilias Terrace? or the Venado Terrace? I'm booked at the Bugambilias terrace but am worried that it will be too big for my group of 30. I really wanted the same rooftop terrace that vgirl had, but it looks like someone beat me to the punch! I also have Cristina. She has been wonderful to me. She all most always gets back to me within 24 - 48 hours. The last week or 2 it has taken sometimes just hours....but my wedding if Friday (5/21), so I'm sure that makes a difference!

I think I'm pretty much done with mine. Every time I read it I change something else. We are using the vows that my parents used 32 years ago, and the prayer was done by my soon to be mother-in-law. Thanks to everyone who has posted on here...I couldn't have done this without you!! The Giving of the bride: We are gathered here today, May 21, 2010, to witness in the most joyous of occasions; to celebrate one of the greatest moments in life, by acknowledging the marriage of Jacob and Mollie. This joyous day celebrates the commitment and love with which Jacob and Mollie start their lives together. Through God, you are joined together in the most holy of bonds. Being assured of your love as life long companions, and that you have your families blessings, I now ask, who gives this women to be married to this man? Father of the Bride says – “Her mother and I do†(father of brides sits) Opening: Marriage is a sacred union between husband and wife and shall remain unbroken. It is the basis of a stable and loving relationship and is a joining of two hearts, bodies and souls. As husband and wife you are there to support one another and provide love and care in times of joy and times of adversity. On behalf of Jacob and Mollie, I welcome you and thank you all for gathering here on this beautiful day to witness their marriage. The fact that you all have travelled such a great distance to be here today is a testament to the amazing amount of love and support they have. You have all given them much happiness, love, warmth, and guidance though the various stages of their lives. They would like to sincerely thank you all for being here to celebrate their big day. I have also been asked by Jacob and Mollie to thank their parents for the wonderful lives they have given them, for the hard work and guidance they have provided, for their everlasting love, support, and encouragement. It is from them that they have learned the true meaning of love, friendship and family. Ceremony: Jacob and Mollie, may your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance and understanding. May you always need one another not so much to fill your emptiness as to help you to know your fullness. A mountain needs a valley to be complete; the valley does not make the mountain less, but more; and the valley is more a valley because it has a mountain towering over it. So let it be with you and you. May you need one another, but not out of weakness. May you want one another, but not out of lack. May you entice one another, but not compel one another. May you embrace one another, but not encircle one another. May you succeed in all important ways with one another, and not fail in the little graces. May you look for things to praise, often say, "I love you!" and take no notice of small faults. If you have quarrels that push you apart, may both of you hope to have good sense enough to take the first step back. May you enter into the mystery which is the awareness of one another's presence no more physical than spiritual, warm and near when you are side by side, and warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even distant cities. May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy. May you have love, and may you find it loving one another! As you stand here, in this moment, remember that love, loyalty and trust are the foundations of a happy and lasting marriage. As you strive to fulfill the commitment you make here today, your life together can be increasingly full of joy, of satisfaction and of peace. I pray that in all the events of life you will hold fast to the vision and the promise of this, your wedding day. Intention: Jacob and Mollie would you please face each other and join your hands. Minister to the Groom: Jacob, do you take this woman to be your wife? Will you strive to love and honor her, will you comfort her and be faithful to her, as long as you both shall live? Groom answers: I do Minister to the Bride: Mollie, do you take this man to be your husband? Will you strive to love and honor him, will you comfort him and be faithful to him, as long as you both shall live? Bride answers: I do Vows: Jacob please repeat after me: I, Jacob, take you, Mollie, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish, in tenderness and affection through all the varying experiences of our lives. Mollie, please repeat after me: I, Mollie, take you, Jacob, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish, in tenderness and affection through all the varying experiences of our lives. Ring Exchange: May I have the rings please. The wedding ring is the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two loyal hearts in endless love. The wedding ring is a visible sign of love shared by these two. The rings they exchange form a circle which is unbroken. It has no ending or beginning; it forms a perfect whole. The rings given and received, then, are both a promise and a reality pointing to the growing love of this man and this woman. Jacob, take this ring, and as you place it on Mollie’s finger, repeat after me: Mollie, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I will honor you. Mollie, take this ring, and as you place it on Jacob’s finger, repeat after me: Jacob, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I will honor you. Sand Unity Ceremony: As you stand beside the ocean tide, may your love always be as constant as these never-ending waves, flowing endlessly from the depths of the sea; Your love came softly upon each others heart, just as the water comes softly upon the sand, and just as there will never be a morning without the ocean's flow, there will never be a day without love for each other. You have just sealed your relationship by the giving and receiving of rings. This beautiful union is symbolized through the combining of these two individual vessels of sand. The first jar represents you Jacob, and the other vessel represents you, Mollie. Each one holds its own unique beauty, strength, and character. They can stand on their own and be whole, without the need of anything else. However when these two are blended together they create an entirely new and extraordinarily more intricate entity. Each grain of sand brings to the mixture a lasting beauty that forever enriches the combination. When you pour the sand into this common vessel, it symbolized the union of your two lives. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual vessels - so will your marriage be a molding of two individual personalities, bonded together forming one heart, one love. The life that each of you experienced up to now, individually, will hereafter be an inseparable unit, for the two shall become one. Groom and Bride step forward to pour the sand. PRAYER: Let’s bow our heads in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, Please surround Jacob and Mollie with your love and peace as they begin this new chapter of their life. May their home be filled with your love, joy, and peace. Keep them close to you always. Keep them ever faithful to each other and to you, just as you are ever faithful to those who love and serve you. In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen Closing Jacob and Mollie you have expressed your love and commitment, and promised each other the joy of all your days, before God and this company, along with the sun, the sand, and the sea, you may now call yourselves Husband and Wife. Ladies and Gentlemen, Family and Friends, it is my great honor and privilege to present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Miller! Jacob, you may kiss your bride!

This time next week...I'll be meeting with our WC at the Moon Palace!!! I couldn't be more excited and ready to go!!!!! Question for everyone... What are some good ideas for OOT bags for kids? I have my 2 year old niece and 6 year old cousin coming with us! Here are a few things I have...but need some more ideas, epically for my niece. 6 year old: • Photo album • Disposable camera • Memory card game • Colors and coloring book • Beach ball 2 year old: • Small beach bag • Colors and coloring book

Any good ideas of what to put in an OOT bag for kids? We have a 2 year old girl and 6 year old boy who there will us. I want to put together a special bag for them. Any ideas would be great!

Here are the 2 main templates we used (hopefully they upload ok)! Avery makes all kinds of different size labels...so we just picked the right size labels up from Walmart that match the word document templates. MollieLabelRecoveryKit.doc MollieLabelOSh-tKit22222.doc

Quote: Originally Posted by asbarret MRoades...........I'm new to the world of DIY... can you tell me where you got your great logo and how you put it all over your OOT bag stuff?? I mean, I need details. I'm a complete novice here!!!!!!!!! Thanks! We made our own logo. Logos are really easy to make! We designed it in powerpoint. We got lucky and my FI found a great clipart picture we loved (the one we used). Then we just took the picture and set it the oval shape we inserted in the document. It was super easy! Do you know much about powerpoint? If not, I can try and put together more detailed instructions for you. I'm sure you can play around with it and figure out. It's pretty easy. We then just used Avery labels and stuck those on everything. So once we were done with the logo in powerpoint, we inserted into word in our templates. All the ideas same from other wonderful BDW brides! Search OOT bags and you will find everything you need. For the key card holder, I got that template from someone else on the site....then we then used the avery iron on lables. Everything was really easy. Good Luck! I just can't believe we leave 2 weeks from TODAY!!!!!!! By this time...2 weeks from now, we will be at the resort!