J&E2011

Hi! Has anyone come across any wedding pictures at this resort?

I just came across this threat! sign me up for the next one though!

Hi Everyone! So we booked our wedding at the GV! Our wedding date is 11/4/11. JmbLucky- We're asking our guests to book directly with the hotel so they can get our group rate. But I'm sure that we'll end up with a few people that would opt for a travel agency that could arrange for hotel and airfare together (in which case they will get whatever room rate they can get through the agency), but in our case I think we'll have anough people to book directly through the hotel to meet our quota (or group block). Even if we don't, we can reduce the total number of rooms blocked without penalty up to 6 months in advance. We're sending our SDT this July, which should give everyone plenty of time to make arrangements; and we're asking our guests to RSVP by June 1st next year. This way we can make the necessary changes for our room block and have an idea of the number of guests for our reception. Pepp- the group rates really depend on when you are planning on getting married (2010 vs. 2011). We found cheaper group rates for this year. But because we want to give our guests at least a year-notice, we decided to get married next year. it was about $30 more for 2011 than 2010.

Hi! I also met Rachel and Paul on my last trip to the Riviera Maya. My wedding coordinator recommended them to me. They are very nice and we are VERY interested in hiring them for our wedding. However, I'm a bit concerned that after emailing Rachel last week with our wedding date, she has not responded. I'm glad that I came across this threat and I'm happy to hear great things about 'Playa Weddings' from other brides. But maybe I'm just being a little paranoid... How long does it normally take to hear back from her? Is she prompt to respond to your emails? It's been over a week... I sent her 2 emails about the pricing and date. I'm a bit nervous that maybe I'm better off looking for other photographers in the area...help!

hi everyone! I finally have a wedding date, yay! Nov. 4th, 2011. So excited to get started with all the planning! it feels like forever though... right now planning on getting our engagement pictures taken to include in our wedding website and the Save the Date. Does anyone have any suggestions for wedding websites? or STD?

Congratulations! I would say sunblock and bug spray would be the two most important things to bring, especially when traveling with little ones. The mosquitos in mexico can be very annoying. And bring enough sunblock with you or it would cost you a pretty penny to buy it at the hotel if you run out. p.s. bring a pain-reliever for the adults (in case of a hangover, lol!). Cheers! Good luck and HAVE FUN!

"tiny dancer" by elton john is my dad's favorite

Hi Everyone, So we ended up going to the Riviera Maya last week, and visited 3 resorts: Ceiba del Mar, Grand Velas, and stayed at Dreams Riviera Cancun. At Ceiba del Mar, we were very impressed with the food mostly, but the options for the ceremony and reception were not what we expected. maybe it was the lack of grass on the garden/outdoor venue, or the lack of furniture on the rooftop lounge. We got the impression that we were going to spend a fortune decorating and furnishing the place. especially since we're expecting around 70 guests. I am glad we got to see it though, it's perfect for a small wedding especially if you're looking for an intimate affair. The ambiance of this resort was great! very relaxing and peaceful, very intimate, we loved this about the resort! We also went to visit the Grand Velas, and we were blown away! it was absolutely gorgeous... perfect for our group of guests. caters to adults, kids, people looking to relax and those who want to party it up. Didn't get to try the food, but the restaurants look amazing! and the spa is by the far the BEST spa I've ever seen in my life. We're checking on the group rates and possibly booking a wedding date soon. Our second choice is the Dreams Riviera Cancun... NEW, great rooms, great food, great spa, great for families with kids, beautiful beach, amazing restaurants. Maybe there were too many kids for our liking... maybe it was that weekend that we were there, but it's still a good possibility. Hope you find this is helpful, good luck!

Kate, Your hair looked gorgeous! Thank you so much for the pics!

Hi, I totally understand what you're going through... I'm very anxious to get the ball rolling and finally decide on a resort too. We're extremely fortunate that our company's trip happens to be in Mexico this April and we simply couldn't pass on the opportunity to go. We have been stressing over choosing the perfect resort, but there's just so many out there... and yes the pictures on the web can be deceiving. We were definitely thinking about going to Mexico just to look at resorts later this year, but thank God this opportunity landed on us just a few weeks ago and we're thrilled! and it's free! The riviera maya holds a special place in our hearts because we got engaged there at a boutique resort called Mosquito Beach, and the service was amazing! perfect for the number of guests you're having, BUT it's not all-inclusive. I mean, anywhere you go in the Riviera you're bound to get great service if the resort is properly staffed. We've been to many resorts and gotten poor service because they were understaffed (no matter the size of the resort). However, we've heard great reviews about the resorts we're going to visit, so I'll keep you posted when I get back. Let me know if you have any questions that I can ask while I'm out there, I'd be happy to help! Good luck! -Jacqueline

hi Kate, here's my email... [email protected] would really appreciate some pics of your hair, you looked amazing!

Hi Tracy! I have to admit that the whole process was really stressful for us... what helped us the most was recently going to a destination wedding and seeing what we liked about the resort and what we didn't like about it. The wedding was held in the Riviera maya as well. The resort was huge! We had a hard time finding everyone, so we would prefer a smaller resort instead. Although the place was beautiful, it didn't have a real beach, just a lagoon. We were so disappointed with that because my fiance and I love the beach! (we got engaged on the beach too). So we decided that our resort would need to have a real beach. With that desicion, we eliminated a whole bunch of resorts from the Tulum area... one being the Blue Tulum (which we loved! it's a beautiful ocean front boutique resort!). The next few steps just fell into place because 1) we want our nieces and nephew to be part of the wedding, so we started looking at kids friendly resorts. 2) Our guests love to eat and drink, LOL! so staying at an all inclusive makes more sense for our group (this steered us away from The TIDES, which is another GORGEOUS boutique resort, but I believe it only has 30 something rooms). 3) My fiance and I agree that the quality of the food is VERY important for our wedding, and although we're looking for all-inclusives, we want our guests to remember the quality of the food on our wedding and throughout their stay (and vacation) without spending a fortune. All this helped us to narrow it down to the few resorts I mentioned. It's all very overwhelming at first... but I highly recommend making a list with your fiance about what matters to you both the most for your wedding (for example: ceremony setting, food, intimate resort, etc) and then you'll be able to narrow it down. Talking to travel agencies also helps a ton! It's free too! try calling some of your local travel agencies, and ask for suggestions for wedding destinations. They will always try to point you to the most popular resorts, and of course they want your business, so they will not recommend something awful. Finally, Remember that your wedding is all about you and your fiance, and no matter how hard you try you'll never be able to please everyone, so just do what makes you and your fiance happy. I hope you find this a little helpful -Jacqueline

Kate, Will you share the pics your brought with you for your hair stylist? I loved it!

Kate, Congrats on your gorgeous wedding! Your slide show is amazing! Where did you get the maracas? did you ship them from home or did you get them in mexico? I really liked the idea on the maracas for the first kiss! Also, I noticed your bridesmaids wore different styles... I'm planning on doing the same for my wedding party...your bridesmaids fabric all matched! wow! I haven't been able to find different styles with the same fabric. Where did you find the dresses? Congrats again!

Hi Ladies, My fiance and I have an opportunity to go to the Riviera Maya for work in 2 weeks! And we're definitely taking advantage and going to visit 4 resorts that we like: the Grand Velas, Ceiba del Mar, Azul Beach and the Dreams Riviera Cancun. It's difficult to make a decision between so many resorts without actually seeing it and tasting the food, so we're going to try to squeeze our site visits in 2 days! I'd be happy to report back on any questions you may have on these resorts. We depart April 15th and return on the 18th. Wish me luck! - Jacqueline

Hi there! My fiance and I would really love to have our wedding at the Grand Velas next year (fall 2011). We're actually going to visit the site in 2 weeks! Is there anyone out there that can offer us any advice on this resort? What are your thoughts on the food and reception options? Do they allow outside vendors? How good is their photographer? Who is your WC? Thank you ladies! Happy Planning - Jacqueline

magicstar- That's so funny...we've also thought about the same date for our wedding! We're not sure yet though... we're going to visit a few locations in two weeks, hopefully we'll decide on a resort then. Happy Planning!

Love the Manolo heels idea! I'm also debating... but honestly I can't picture myself without heels. We haven't picked out the details for our ceremony yet, gazebo or beach, but I already found my dress! I'm liking the gazebo better but my fiance prefers the beach. Either way, I'd like to wear heels to my reception. I can always get a pair of 2" heels and it won't make much difference to the length of my dress, right?

Congrats! So great to finally find a bride planning a wedding at the Grand Velas! Maybe we can help each other?! I'm very familiar with Playa... and would love feedback on the Grand Velas since I'm hoping to have my wedding there next year. For the rehersal dinner, I can suggest a few places but it really depends on how many guests you have. Let's see, Mosquito Blue is my favorite (best drinks!). Mosquito Beach would be a fun place for brunch after the wedding too. My best friend lived in Playa for 2 months, and she really liked 'La cueva del Chango' restaurant, she loved the food and decor inside the restaurant. Hope this helps a bit!

Hi everyone, Still new with this site... getting some great info though! My name is Jacqueline, and am planning for a destination wedding in 2011 in the Riviera Maya. Trying to decide between October or November... any advice? Thank you! Jacqueline