tweets.13

Our guests did a combination - some all inclusive and some only European (for those that don't drink much). Also, a lot of our guests did excursions to Chichen Itza, Tulum, Xel-Ha, etc., so they opted for European since they would be eating some meals away from the resort. Most of our guests only came from Wed/Thurs to Sun, so that is 3-4 nights whereas it sounds like you anticipate your guests being there for a full week. One thing to look at when comparing is whether the prices include the applicable taxes, gratuities, etc. I think the all inclusive price at Ceiba generall includes all taxes, etc. I would check that, and then see if the price from the resort also includes it. That definitely makes a difference. It is a tough choice. I can say that - being a NYC foodie - the food and drink at Ceiba is very good and worth every penny. We sampled food at a different all inclusive resort when we were looking to book our wedding, and, although it may have been less expensive at the other resort, the food was terrible and I felt our guests would feel disappointed in paying for something that was less than edible. What is your second choice?

Don't go to Canal St. The pashminas are cheaper when you actually go to the Pioneer Group's store in the 20s. (The address is on their website - I cannot remember where exactly). The price per pashmina averages around $2.25. On Canal St. or elsewhere, you can probably negotiate 3 for $10 or so, but not much better than that.

You might want to double check your rates, etc. We spent less than that for the two of us together, including both of our plane tickets from NYC, hotel, food, drink, brunch for 48 people, 60+ beers for the bonfire, several spa visits, etc. It is definitely a tough decision to make, though. You want everyone to have a good time, but still keep it affordable. Best of luck!!!

Are you checking for the same time that your wedding will be? Their rates fluctuate depending on the season. I know that our wedding group rates were discounted and better than various online rates. If you are concerned or think that the rates online are better, just ask them what the difference is. We had several questions about rates, and Paola and Diana were always open to answering any questions we had. I really cannot say enough good things about Ceiba. Also, there were many extra touches they added to our various events which we did not ask for and were included in our pricing for those events. Ceiba definitely knows how to put on a fabulous wedding weekend.

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!! I forgot you were the weekend after us!! We just got back late last night. Enjoy every minute of it - it was the most incredible time. All of our guests were thrilled with the entire Ceiba experience. CONGRATS!!!! (I wish I could join you at the swim up bar! Tell Hector, Jesus, and Graciliano that we say Hello! )

Hi! We just got back from our wedding in the Riviera Maya at Ceiba del Mar. I will definitely post a very detailed review, but it was UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!! Ceiba del Mar is the most beautiful place, the staff is incredible, the food is delicious, every detail is thought out. My guests were blown away with how wonderful everything was there. AND, we were thrilled with our vendors - Gabi at Planner1Events, Ivan at DJ Doremixx, Pam at BeautyWeddings, Javier who played guitar at the ceremony, our mariachi, etc. It was perfect! You should DEFINITELY consider Ceiba!

Well ladies, I am off to Mexico tomorrow morning... wedding on Saturday!!!!! It shall be interesting trying to get all of our luggage and my gown to the airport! I'll post pics and a review when we return!

Lala~ Thank you sooooo much!!!!!! It sounds like you had an incredible week!!! I leave one week from tomorrow, and get married in less than two... so the crunch time is on! Your review/summary is sooo helpful and giving me last minute ideas! Congrats again!

Hi! I could be wrong, but I do not think you'll find a single list of vendors out there (other than what Ceiba sent or what other hotels may have - but I assume they are all different). If you are looking for a photographer, then you should read the various threads about photographers, check out their websites, and then contact them for pricing. Same thing for DJs (you'll find tons of DJ reviews on here - just run a search). Then you just have to email them and ask for their price lists. (This is what I did for all of our vendors - I emailed the few I was interested in after researching them online, and they sent me their pricing.) Florists will want an idea of what you are looking for, and then they can send you their estimates. We are using Gabi at Planner1Events for flowers, lighting, etc. She gave us several great lists of flower and decor options along with pricing. And, she was willing to help us work w/in our budget. Our wedding is in 3 1/2 weeks so we obviously have not seen her work yet. However, she has been great to work with and we have read a ton of positive reviews! We are also using Ivan from DJ Doremixx - again, very responsive and great to work with thus far. Good Luck!

Brenners: You coordinate and do the leg work. Ceiba will help answer questions, give you referrals/recommendations, etc., but ultimately you are the one who does the work, and gets to choose. (This appealed to me more than some other resorts that have mandatory vendors. You have more options, and can work within your budget.) You have the vendor list from Ceiba, but if you read about other vendors online (esp. on here), definitely check them out. I think a few of our vendors were not on the list, but we liked the reviews we read online. I then asked Ceiba about them, and Ceiba confirmed they were good vendors. (And there are complete categories of vendors not even on Ceiba's list. For those, Ceiba has always ready and willing w/recommendations and assistance.) As far as pricing, get quotes from the vendors you are interested in. If it seems too high, then get quotes from others. Shop around until you find the quality you want within the price you can afford. My wedding is less than 4 weeks away, and thus far I have had no stress or issues working with Ceiba, or contacting/contracting with vendors. It has been relatively easy and stress free!

Thanks - again!

Joda - like KPSouthie said, make sure you are converting the prices. I found that the vendors they gave me last year (they may have changed) were a range - from very expensive vendors to very affordable. My understanding is the list is suggested, but that you can essentially bring in anyone you choose. I would recommend emailing Diana about any vendor you are using who is not on the list just to see if Ceiba is familiar w/the vendor and whether they have positivie or negative things to say about them. We did that with several of our vendors. My wedding is in exactly one month from today!!!!! So, if you need reviews on vendors, I can tell you then! (All of our vendors so far have been great to work with!) Good Luck!!!

Quick question for anyone already married - where did you get the microphone, speakers, table, etc. for the ceremony? Thanks!

Hi Tracy! We are using Javier. I have not asked him to play anything specific, and I think I am just going to leave it to his discretion. (I read reviews somewhere, but cannot remember where at this point. I do remember reading good things, and liking his music online.) I don't have any specific songs in mind that I want played, and I figure he has done many weddings and knows what would be good. Plus, I want the music to be a little more Mexican sounding. Our wedding is in just over a month, so I can let you know how he was after we get back!

Exactly the reasons we chose Ceiba as well! April 9 is our date...coming up!

We are including Off wipes w/deet and hydrocortisone cream (samples from www.drugstore.com and www.minimus.biz), as well as advil, sunscreen, SPF lip balm, etc., in the bags to help people who forget to bring things, like bug spray. (I don't remember the bugs being bad when we visited in July, but I think we were probably in our room around dusk getting ready for dinner.) Other items for the OOT bags: BPA aluminum water bottles from www.discountmugs.com. If you order them w/o a logo, they are really inexpensive. We also ordered variety puzzle books (crossword, sudoku, word finds, etc.) from Penny Press http://www.pennypublications.com/. Also fairly inexpensive. Happy shopping!

One more thing for the OOT bags. I just bought 36 pashminas from the Pioneer Group in Manhattan. (There is a thread on here somewhere about them.) I am fortunate enought to live in Manhattan, and dropped by there this weekend. We paid $81 (including tax) for 36 pashminas. We were able to pick whatever colors we wanted, but had to buy them in quantities of 12. For that price, the quality is surprisingly good! If you want more info, let me know!

Hi! We are trying to decide on food now too - thanks for the food reviews! I am not wearing heels for the ceremony - I was thinking of getting a platform-type flip-flop so I have a little height and can still walk. (I'll check out the Tommy Bahama for sure!) I bought bright green heels (that match the bridesmaid dresses) for the reception on the terrace. When we were there in June doing a site visit, it was hot at night. However, w/o the sun and w/the breeze it was comfortable and you will likely only get a small amount of heat from a beach bonfire. I'll let you know how our bonfire is in April, but I would say do it! I initially bought 30 beach bags here http://www.swimoutlet.com/, but they no longer have the ones I bought. We ended having more guests than we thought, so I had to order a few more and got these: http://www.beallsflorida.com/r/Sun_N_Sand_Double_Handle_Handbags_Beach_Bags_Totes_Straw/product?styleid=177751 I LOVE them and wish they were all like this (although our male only guests will appreciate the stripes on the first bags). For $13/bag, they are a really nice quality. We only have about 60 guests, though, and are doing 1 bag per couple. Not sure if you want to spend that for 120+ guests.

Excellent! We will be there from April 5 - April 11. We have about 60 total. When is your wedding? And yes, we are doing the bonfire. So Thursday is a welcome cocktail hour, and then bonfire later in the evening. Friday is the rehearsal dinner. Saturday is the wedding/reception. Sunday is brunch. I'll PM you more info and let you know times, locations, etc. so you can check stuff out!

KPSouthie - It really is a small world! What days will you be there? Are you visiting on Saturday? (Our ceremony is at 6, with reception to follow.) Are you staying overnight at Ceiba? We should try to meet - and can give you my review/updates in real time. You are welcome to check out everything we do! Theresa

I am thinking of having a brunch on the penthouse terrace with my close friends the morning of the wedding as we are starting to get ready. The space is great! Even Ceiba's regular rooms are spacious - I am really happy with our choice!

Ahhh!!!! I am an airhead lately! I see the "Hint" question where it asks for the passcode! Thanks again! The pictures are stunning!!!!!!!!! CONGRATS!!!!!!!!

Hi! I am sorry to hear about the health issue. I hope all is ok and you are recovering! I looked at the first album of getting ready pictures - very nice! The other albums are locked, however. I am not sure if you are willing to share the passcode to view them or not, but if you are I would LOVE to see the rest of the pictures. I am about 1 1/2 months away...

We felt the same way after our site visit. Diana was away on business while we were there, but we met with others who were very helpful and showed us around. Diana then followed up our visit with a phone call to discuss what we thought, our questions, etc. We have been very happy thus far, and glad we chose Ceiba!

Hi! My fiance and I visited Le Reve and La Amada (as well as Ceiba Del Mar and another that has closed) last June. These two properties are great! I posted a review of them on here somewhere (you can probably find it through my profile). I think that, overall, La Amada would be less for your guests - the rooms were less expensive and there is a delicious breakfast included in the rate. That being said, Le Reve is not as secluded as La Amada, and if your guests want to venture off the property they would have more options at Le Reve. You really cannot go wrong with either one though. We are foodies, and enjoyed the food at each place. The WC at each were wonderful as well. We ended up choosing Ceiba because we wanted a little more of an authentic Mexican feel, and we wanted our 60 guests to be able to stay at one resort. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about what the properties are like.