tweets.13

I agree with the comment about Ileana. Althought we did not book at La Amada, she was always readily available, responded to emails quickly, and was so professional and friendly when we met with her on our site visit. You will not be disappointed with her (or the rest of the La Amada staff).

labloom - thanks so much for sharing your pictures! My fiance and I are discussing beach w/arch v. palapa, and your pictures are very helpful! Looking forward to more details. lshaef - I feel the same way about the planning... so many decisions and trying to decide on what vendors, etc. Have you decided what time you are doing your ceremony? lalanyc - thanks for the tips. Are you doing a civil or religious ceremony? We are doing a civil/legal ceremony, and I just reached out to the person to schedule the Judge. Just looking for any tips.

I am probably too late for most of you, but my fiance and I did site visits to La Amada, Ceiba (which we booked for our April 2011 wedding), and Le Reve (and Blue Tulum, but they closed and a new resort is opening as a clothing optional resort!). I am not sure how to post a thread link, but I believe if you look under my profile it will direct you to my site review for these places. Please let me know if you have more questions! Theresa

Quote: Originally Posted by labloom Hi All, I will post details later. But I just wanted to say our wedding June 18th at Ceiba del Mar was PERFECT. I have no complaints. The wedding coordinator, Paola, was a pleasure to work with. She is amazing as is all of the Staff at Ceiba. I can't really express how well everything went. Lucky us, Sol Tamargo + Rodrigo Vargas were the awesome photographers and cannot wait to see the pictures! I can't say enough great things about this resort for a wedding. Congrats!!!!!!! I look forward to seeing pics and reading more details. It is great to hear that the wedding went well!

I am not sure whether we will do the rehearsal dinner on the beach or elsewhere. We are up in the air about that right now. What are the quotes for set-up?

Quote: Originally Posted by tracy.clements Hi! Sounds like we have a similar plan! Ceremony on beach or in that sandy area near the terrace, reception on terrace (not sure where we will do tables vs dance floort, etc). There is so much space on the terrace. Probably welcome cocktail party at sushi lounge (on roof top). We are hoping to have the rehearsal dinner on the beach as well. We are having a casual taco buffet for the rehearsal. How many people are you expecting? Ha! We are doing a more casual reception dinner too - taco buffet! I think we will have around 60 in the end. There are more invited, but we know some will not be coming. I like the sushi lounge for cocktails too. We are also having a bonfire on the beach Thursday night - probably from 9-11 or so. How many will be attending your wedding?

Quote: Originally Posted by Lisa2011 Hello tweets! We are thinking of having our wedding at Le Reve it will be a small wedding not more than 50 guests. We will be visiting the resort in August. Any recommendations?! Hi! That will be a perfect group! The entire place will be your wedding, so you will feel like you rented a villa! Have you been in touch with Arlenis, the WC? She is WONDERFUL! Be sure to give her a heads-up of when you are planning on visiting, so she can let you know whether there are rooms available. (The place was full 2 of the 3 nights we went to visit the various resorts, but we were lucky that the night we wanted to stay there they had a room open.) I wrote a separate review on here "Site Visit - Ceiba Del Mar, Hotel Le Reve, La Amada, Blue Tulum" that has more info. Let me know if you have any more questions after you read that (although this thread is very helpful too). We were back and forth between Ceiba and Le Reve, but ultimately decided on Ceiba because we will likely have more than 50 guests. The food at Le Reve is DELICIOUS and very authentic! Good Luck! Theresa

Quote: Originally Posted by tracy.clements Tweets-- congrats!!! Where are you going to have your ceremony, reception, rehearsal dinner, etc? Thanks Tracy! At this point, we are planning on the ceremony on the beach and the reception on the large terrace (I forget the specific name) off on the edge of the property. I am not sure about the cocktail hour, rehearsal dinner or welcome cocktails yet. I'd like to use the roof top lounge for something, and the pier. What have you decided on? Theresa

Quote: Originally Posted by lalanyc Congratulations on a successful trip and on choosing a hotel!!! I'm happy to hear you liked CdM . Just when you thought you were done - now comes the PLANNING!!! more fun times THANKS! I am very excited to start the "real" planning now! It will be interesting finding vendors. Are you also getting married at Ceiba? Theresa

Earlier this month my fiance and I did a site visit to Ceiba del Mar, Hotel Le Reve, La Amada, and Blue Tulum. Here is our brief review - email or post with any questions! Ceiba del Mar - Wonderful! (and we booked it for our wedding next April.) The resort has a very authentic, Mexican feel to it. There are 88 rooms, which are spacious and cozy. The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. There are numerous options to hold the various wedding events (cocktails, ceremony, reception, brunch, etc.) including the pier, a large terrace/bar area somewhat separated from the rest of the resort so it feels very private, a roof top lounge, pool side, beach, etc. The rain option is also appealing - a large (compared to other resorts) ballroom w/vaulted ceilings, or the beach side restaurant. The resort sits on its own stretch of beach, so you do not have to deal with other resorts right next door. Diana - the wedding coordinator - is always very available and responsive to our (numerous) questions. We took advantage of the spa while we were there, and had an INCREDIBLE massage. The food was good. We are big "foodies" and are spoiled by NYC restaurants, so we tend to be very critical. That being said, we were more than pleased with the food - creative, tasty, and enough authentic Mexican options. Also, they provide a complimentary coffee/tea/juice and danish service to every room in the morning. A very nice touch! My only criticism is that some of the cushions on the beach/pool chairs, spa chairs, and room terraces (every room has a patio/terrace!) looked a little worn - but they were still comfortable, clean, etc. Another bonus - there is a diving/snorkeling/excursion shop right on the property, so it is quite easy for your guests to arrange outings. I almost forgot the cherry on top - the bride and groom get upgraded to the Penthouse Suite - which is HUGE with a private plunge pool. Also, the town of Puerto Morelos seems like it will be fun to explore. A few of us girls plan to take advantage of the Little Mexican Cooking School, which is about a 10 minute bike ride from Ceiba (Ceiba has bikes for guests to use). Hotel Le Reve - Also INCREDIBLE!!!! This hotel has so much going for it! The food here was by far the best we had in Mexico, and very authentic. Arlenis - the wedding coordinator - is amazing! She is full of energy and ideas - and willing to do basically anything you want. There are a few options for the wedding events - on the beach, pool side, or in their open air restaurant. The lighting at night is incredible. All of the rooms are very spacious, but they have a very minimalist concept - no TVs, clocks, etc. That being said, you hope your guests are there to enjoy the pool, beach, each other, etc. And, there are portable DVD players for use if someone really needs to watch a movie! Also, the bride and groom get a room upgrade. The master suites had the most incredible view and were huge! The beach bungalows were great, and about 30 feet from the water! The ultimate reason we did not choose Le Reve (and we debated back and forth between here and Ceiba) is there are not enough rooms (only 25) for all of our guests to stay at the hotel (although there are other options just a 5 min walk down the beach), and not enough rooms at the basic rate. If you have a smaller group, this place is a great option. You will feel like you rented a private villa! I really have nothing bad to say about this place. (And we plan on returning for a vacation here!) La Amada - I am surprised that there are no posts on here about this place. It is a newer hotel (about 1 year old) and 15-20 minutes north of Cancun. The place is amazing - very chic, modern, pristine, and luxurious. The rooms are HUGE - each with a private jacuzzi. The shower is the size of my bathroom, with multiple shower heads (and we stayed in the basic room). The bride and groom (I believe) get an upgrade here to casitas w/plunge pools near the beach. The food was good, and they include a breakfast buffet with the room rate. It is not your standard free buffet - it has so many options, including authentic Mexican food, that I didn't know where to start! There are several locations for the wedding events, including this incredibly cool lounge space. It reminded me of some of the roof top lounges I find here in NYC. Ileana - the wedding coordinator - was very welcoming and helpful. AND, the room rates were the most affordable of all the places we checked out. If our room was double what we paid, we still would have felt like we got a good deal. We did not choose this place because it was a little to modern for what we were looking for. La Amada reminds you of something you would find on Miami Beach - and we wanted a place a little more authentic. Overall, this place is incredible if you are looking for a more modern, chic place. Blue Tulum - This is the only place where we did not stay overnight, and our site visit was only for an hour or so. So please keep in mind that we did not have the same opportunity to review it as we did the other places. The various options for wedding events were GREAT here. The only hesitation I had was the reception space - if it is pool side or in the main dining area (the most appealing spaces), then it is not very private. While the area would be reserved just for the wedding group, the other resort guests would be dining on the second floor just above where the reception would be. Also, the dining options did not include much as far as Mexican food - two of the three restaurants were Asian and Italian, and the third has few Mexican options. Also, the one meal we ate here (at an off hour) was very disappointing. BUT, the rooms are very big- each with a jacuzzi. The beach is a short shuttle ride away (which we did not take/check out), but a friend of mine stayed here and said it was simple and the beach was very nice. The town of Tulum looks fun to explore. I am sure I have forgotten something, so please post/email with any questions! Theresa

My fiance and I did site visits to several places a few weeks ago, and we finally signed the contract and booked Ceiba del Mar for next April! We loved the resort! We decided to just negotiate directly with the hotel as well.

We did site visits to Ceiba del Mar and Le Reve (as well as La Amada and Blue Tulum) earlier this month. Ceiba and Le Reve were our finalists. Both are incredible, and it was tough deciding. In the end, we booked Ceiba del Mar for our wedding next April. I will post a separate, more detailed review later. If anyone has any questions, feel free to email/ask! Theresa

Thanks again for the great info Tracy! We are looking forward to our visit this weekend.

Thanks for the great info all of you! My fiance and I are heading to Mexico on Friday - Ceiba and Le Reve are two on our list. We are on the fence about Azul Beach, but after reading your info it is tempting to check it out.

We are heading to Riviera Maya in a week to check out a few places, including Ceiba Del Mar. I'll post pictures when I return and will answer any questions! So exciting - I hope one of the resorts we are looking at is the one!

My fiance and I are headed to Blue Tulum - and a few others - for a site visit in about 1 week. We are looking forward to seeing the places that we have been researching for so long online! I'll post pictures when I return.

Quote: Originally Posted by Kerry444 I just got back from a site visit to several different locations in Riviera Maya, Ceiba del mar was one of our favorites and very high in the running for our wedding for next year. The resort itself is not only beautiful with every room having a view to the ocean but I like how the rooms had a mexican feel to them. I guess why we really liked it was because it was not surrounded by some of the other huge hotels and we felt like the wedding would seem so much more private. I'm sorry i was horrible about taking pictures. kerry444 - my fiance and I are doing a site visit at Ceiba - and a few others - in about a week. Any tips/suggestions? I have my list going of what I want to see/ask, but just wondering if there is anything you wish you had checked out/looked into while there, but didn't? Thanks!

Quote: Originally Posted by indigo82 Hi Kristine, We did a site visit to Blue Tulum and Dreams Tulum last July and right away knew Blue Tulum was the best choice for us because it is more intimate, we got personal attention from Angelina (she waited for us in the lobby until we arrived off our flight at 9pm on a Saturday night). We liked that instead of choosing from a package, we could pick out our own flowers, menu, etc. We had planned to visit two more boutique resorts closer to Cancun, but after the great service and beautiful location, we chose Blue Tulum. The only drawback is its distance from the Cancun airport, so we are arranging group shuttles for our guests. We are getting married on April 24, 2010 and Angelina will probably offer you a discounted rate to do a site visit. My website is Ingrid Jones & James Hallar if you want to see photos of our visit. Hi Ingrid: Congrats on your marriage! Blue Tulum is on our short list for our wedding next April or May - 2011. I would love to hear how your wedding went, see pics, etc. when you get back and settled. Again, congrats! Theresa

Quote: Originally Posted by tracy.clements Hi! Yes, i am lagging! This week is crazy at work---but promise to post a detailed response soon. In short, I LOVED Ceiba Del Mar, Le Reve and Azul! They were all great. Azul can fit 100 people but it's really not ideal. They were all even better than I expected! Looking forward to seeing the pictures. My fiance and I are trying to plan a site visit in the next few weeks. We are looking at several places, including Deiba Del mar and Le Reve. (Which Azul resort did you see and what did you think?) We are pretty big foodies and are curious as to what the food is like at Ceiba and Le Reve. Any opinions you can share would be GREAT! Thanks!

Quote: Originally Posted by Ayita Hello Tweets.13 and welcome to the forum ! I got married at a boutique hotel on the Riviera Maya, called Le Reve. I had an amazing wedding. I highly recommend them - the place is gorgeous, the food delicious, the staff awesome, and if they are not able to accomodate all 60 of your guests, there are plenty of resorts nearby (to begin with Azul Fives and the Tides that are just next door. Litterally. You can come wlking through the beach). You can see my site review here : http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...it-pics-34025/ Good luck with your planning ! Ayita Thank you sooo much for all of the information! I emailed Le Reve on Sunday night and am waiting to hear back from them. All of the info you posted and the pics were very helpful!! Many thanks!

Quote: Originally Posted by Marifer Thank you. I have sent all the information and they have been more than kind! I´m going to visit the resort soon!! I wonder if it takes a long time from Cancun to Puerto MORELOS... Hi! My name is Theresa, and my fiance and I are definitely considering Ceiba - it is on our short list. Can you post pictures when you get back? We are looking to go for a site visit as well, just not sure when. Have you received quotes for rooms, dinners, ceremony, etc?

Thanks! I am definitely doing some more research on the place. It looks amazing! People's comments on here sound so positive. I am hoping we can sneak away for a weekend to head down there and check out a few places - it depends on time and budget! Thanks again!

Hi! My name is Theresa. I am knew to BDW, and am trying to find a location with my fiance. We have looked at a number of places online, including Azul Sensatori. We have seen mixed reviews of the venue so I thought I would look at this thread. (I tried reading all the posts, but there are 670 pages! ). We like what the resort has to offer, but would like some honest reviews. Any tips, advice you have would be appreciated! Thanks!

Hi! Congrats!!! Have you found any possible venues yet? My fiance and I are still trying to determine where to have our wedding - and I know he likes the idea of Cost Rica. So far, we have been looking in Mexico and a few Caribbean islands. Thanks!

Hi and Congrats! I vacationed in PR w/my fiance a little over a year ago. We absolutely loved the PR islands of Vieques and Culebra - particular Culebra. (Flamenco Beach is there - rated one of the top beaches in the world). Now, these two islands are off the beaten path, and there is not much there for night life. But the beaches were pristine and we were frequently the only people on the beaches. The snorkeling was great as well. We stayed at Bahia Marina in Culebra and had a wonderful time. We felt like we were part of the family. To reach some of the beaches, you need a jeep - it is somewhat off-roading to get there, but well worth the trek. If you are looking for a more adventurous type of destination wedding, feel free to PM me w/any questions about the areas. Best of luck!