Hi Everyone,
We just got back from my daughters wedding at the resort. It was beautiful. You should be really pleased when all is said and done. They do so many weddings it is unreal. Anna said she has 336 weddings this year not to mention all the other parties she has to do. She is great to work with and you can negotiate when you get there. I know she is hard to contact but she works nonstop. I've seen her working in the morning till late at night. We made an appointment while checking into the resort. We chose not to have the cocktail hour and mariachi band and used the band for the sound system at the reception (brought an ipod and someone works it for you) applied the cocktail hour to our other guests(9 extra) dinners. Had to pay for more flowers though for the beach set up and bouquets for 4 bridesmaids, 6 boutineres for the guys and dads. flower for the moms. Then the moms and bridesmaids had their hair done and we paid for that. Not too bad. The kids came in under budget and everyone had a fantastic time. Alot of people just went to freshen up and some went to bar during the time pictures were being done before the reception. We had the microphone with the sound system and everyone gave their speeches and we were able to announce the bride and groom and do the traditional dances. they choose the chicken for dinner and it was a roll up which was awesome. They thought it might have been the same one they serve in the Italian restaurant. Not sure though. the weddings in the gazebo everyone watches and everyone claps and you are front and center pretty much. We were set up on the left side of the beach and even though people were there and watching it wasn't quite as out in the open. Just something to think about. One night there were 3 wedding reception and a dinner going on so it can be quite lively. We chose not to have a dj as there were only 30 of us. But I saw a wedding with a dj and not too much dancing going on and then down the beach another wedding with a large young crowd with a dj and everyone was dancing. I would chose whether to have one based on the kind of crowd you have with you.
you will need to pack imodium and pepto as everyone seemed to have had something going on while there. anti-itch cream is a must along with some off. We had the off lotion and rubbed it on our feet and legs at night if we were going down to the beach but everyone else we were with got bit up a bit. Really good sunscreen is a must. Even though I went tanning before arriving my forehead and nose got burnt pretty good. I was using sunscreen too. My sister brought the banana boat 70 sunscreen and they didn't get burnt. Mine was cheap walmart equate 30. Guess that was my mistake.
The food at the resort is awesome and the employees do work their tails off. They are very friendly and at your service as they like to say. The girls that do hair also do massages. I had Rosy do an 80 minute swedish message and it was the best ever. She is amazing. You really need to have the spa experience. It is worth every penny.
We walked down the beach (45 min) to the closet town to try some shopping but there wasn't too much there. Better off hanging out on the beach as people come by selling stuff. Also there is a cart on the premises with some stuff and they had vendors come in a couple of times while we were there.
The ocean is seaweedy and churned up a bit so not clear and turquoise like some beaches. They spend alot of time grooming it though. My son and his girlfriend went scrub diving through american express and they said it was their worst dive ever. It wasn't clear at all for seeing fish. They were disappointed. Not sure if its better on some days than others. I would check around and see what others who have gone have to say before booking. We pretty much chose to just hang at the resort since everything was included and it was very nice right there.
Guys must have long pants, sleeved shirts and nice shoes to get in most of the restaurants so be prepared. It can be blue jeans. It is more strict than their website says. Most of the women wore dresses at night. People dress up every evening so make sure all your people know so they can pack accordingly. We had a few not pack long pants and they missed out on the nice French and Italian. Although they pick one restaurant each evening that you can wear shorts at. Never the French or Italian. Just be forewarned.
If you have any questions let me know and I can try and answer them.
Well I'm glad to hear that not everyone that went got sick. The only two that didn't get sick in our group are the two that normally suffer from stomach problems. Weird that the rest of us that normally have an iron stomach all got it. It must have been something we ate. Anyway it was still an awesome wedding and we had a good time anyway. We all got our hair done at the salon at the resort and if you bring pictures that helps a lot. The bride had them redo her hair as it wasn't put up at the right height for the veil but the redo turned out wonderful in the end. I had the front desk girl come back and explain what I wanted to the girl doing my hair as she didn't speak english. We had pictures though. They are really good with long hair. It's something they do all the time. I wouldn't stress about it too much. We just went and made appointments the day we arrived. If groomsmen and groom are getting clothes pressed you should set that up when you get there as they charged an extra 50% by asking the day of the wedding for a rush service.