HoustonBride10/31/10

Quote: Originally Posted by aeluzu HoustonBride, One thing I can say for sure, iPod charger is not needed. Each suite has an alarm clock/iPod Player that also charges. Pretty handy! Great to know, thanks!! I emailed Yamina about the adapters... as soon as I hear back I'll let you all know!

Quote: Originally Posted by aeluzu Hi HoustonBride, Thanks for the tip! I'll have to give that a try. I did hear back from her today and I am so excited to say that our wedding date is confirmed! June 11th, 2011! YAYYY! Regarding the power adapter, I don't think that you'll need those. I stayed at EPM a few years ago and I know that we didn't bring any with us, but I also can't remember plugging anything in either. Did you ask Yamina? Please share what you find out about this. Now I'm curious. I'm not sure about the M&Ms. On another note, do you guys have wedding websites? I'm working on mine right now. I've put a lot of work into it so far, but I feel that in the long run it will be oh so helpful! Congrats on the date!!!!!!!! I'll add the adapter question to my next novel to Yamina and share her response, great suggestion! I was just thinking about a laptop, ipod charger, toothbrush charger... I am WAY too wired for my own good! I absolutely love my wedding website -- I used Create Free Wedding Website - Personal Wedding Web Site - Free Wedding Planning Tools and love how easy it makes everything. Instead of a detailed insert in the invitation (as things may change), I am enclosing a small extra card leading people to the wedding website. For those who haven't started a wedding website yet, I could not recommend mine more -- well worth the small fee (use promo code KNOT50 (thank you google!) for half off the price). I looked through a ton, and chose Wedding Tracker because of the flash photo animation - looks so different from most of the others I've seen.

Quote: Originally Posted by Kukle01 Anyone ever find this info out? Hi all, Yes, I emailed Juan directly asking for the same thing - just his time and all of the images on DVD -- he gave me a personalized quote that was so close to one of his packages, I just went with the package. But I encourage you to reach out to him and tell him what you'd like... he's been really good at responding to me. Good luck!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Monica W ncarolinadaisy Hello, This is my first time posting to this thread. I am booked for Oct 29, 2010. Have you decided on a photographer? Are you using the resorts photog? Welcome and congratulations Monica! I'm getting married on October 31, 2010, so we'll be there at the same time! All along I've had just a few things that really matter to me -- the photographer being the most important. I have been a wreck over that choice... I've read reviews of everyone on the Best Destination Wedding forum, compared prices and aesthetics, etc. and narrowed it down to two... Cost IS an issue, so for me it was between Juan Navarro (the resort's photog) and Alex Travino. Alejandro Aguirre Treviño. 04481-1031-5708 [email protected] Alejandro Aguirre Alex Aguirre Blog Blog I ended up going with Juan partially because of the deal included in the Excellence Silver wedding package (if you don't use him you lose that credit completely), and partially because I see things I like and don't like in all of the photographers! What I don't like are the super staged family photographs. What I love are the fish-eye lens shots, sunset on the beach, candid shots, etc. I find examples of both on all of the Cancun photographer's websites, which didn't make the decision any easier! I plan to be very specific about the aesthetic I am interested in with Juan, and I am 100% certain that he'll exceed my expectations. I really think whomever you end up with - provided you communicate with them - will do an amazing job. Other points in Juan's favor -- he was a great online communicator, has access to the resort for free, so no worries about a day pass, and is familiar with the resort, so taking photos around the grounds will be easy (I want lots of different locations but only have him for a few hours!). Juan also gave me the best package deal with tons of prints, an album, 400+ retouched photos on DVD, etc. If money wasn't an issue, I might have gone with another photographer, but I think I'll be really happy with him. Good luck, I'm curious to know who you end up with!

Quote: Originally Posted by aeluzu I have to say that Yamina's email response time can be a wee bit frustrating. But, I understand that she's a busy woman! Just curious, are you ladies putting together OOT bags? Hey there, From a suggestion I read at the beginning of this thread, I have been saving my questions and emailing Yamina literally -- no joke - up to 40+ questions at once. She takes a few days (3-5) to respond, but does to every single question within the body of the email. So my advice would be to send her a few separate emails with massive amounts of questions, instead of many emails. Works for me! ;-) I am planning an OOT bag with the usual suspects - Advil, a disposable underwater camera, bug spray, etc., and was thinking of including a power adapter... does anyone know if the hotel comes with them already? I wasn't planning to do towels because of the space issue. Does anyone know if we can bring candy in? I really want to do personalized M&M's, but don't want to end up trashing them at customs... Thanks so much!!

Quote: Originally Posted by ncarolinadaisy You may want to check out Cecilia Dumas out too she is reducing her prices. She was my first choice but WAY too expensive!! I can afford her now...but I didn't get the info till after I sent my deposit to William. Too bad our weddings are not the same day or back to back. Ill bet he would have given us a good deal! Option 3 4 Hours of service 100 copies 4x6 colour, black & white and sepia, including digital retouch 10 copies 6x8 including digital retouch Digital Negatives (CD Rom high resolution showing all the pictures taken about 300 pictures, these pictures doesn’t include digital retouch) Total $1800 – 25% $1350 Unfortunately, Celia isn't free for my wedding, but she said her colleague Claudio is... Does anyone know anything about him? Yeah, I wish we could share a photog, that would be great -- the pictures are SO important to me, this might be the thing I am the most nervous about! Are you doing a TTD session? Engagement portraits at home?

Quote: Originally Posted by ncarolinadaisy Awesome! I am sure we will bump into each other! I tried to get Sunday at 5 but had to settle for Thursday. Those slots fill FAST! Might be a good thing. My bridesmaids will only be there for a day so hopefully it won't give them a chance to get tan lines to match their strapless dresses they are wearing. I am not sure how that works...I am not doing any of the wedding packages. I was talking to Yamina and she said that I could just do an "ala carte" wedding. There are somethings included in the packages that I am just not interested in. Keeping it simple simple! Have you seen the pics of the bouquet choices yet? Are you at all worried about photos after your ceremony with the lighting and all? I think the sun sets at 6pm!! I am wondering if I shouldn't move mine up to 4:30 or just let my fiance see me before? What are you doing? I'm sure we will run into each other!! On Friday Yamina sent me the bouquet choices, cakes and different menu options for the silver and gold package. Do you know if we can modify them slightly? Change the color of the flower or icing, but keep the design? Even with the wedding packages, there is a lot that *isn't* included... and stuff in the packages that I just don't care about. What items are you choosing, al la carte? Are you having music at the ceremony? Reception? I am trying to keep the budget reasonable but the cost for a 45 minute violinist or guitarist for the ceremony seems really pricey (but I've never priced anything like that before!). Do you have any photos of the floral arch or the chair corsages? I have requested them from Yamina. I specifically wanted the time right around sunset for photos, but then started thinking about losing light -- I want both - so yes, I plan to do photos beforehand - hopefully some on the beach, and some around the resort - so many beautiful locations. How many guests are you having? Are you doing an OOT bag? Do you know if we can bring (sealed) candy to Mexico? I really want to do personalized M&M's or something Halloween themed. I am so excited!

Quote: Originally Posted by ncarolinadaisy I am using William Sanchez. He is about the cheapest that I have found without taking cheezy prom-like photos on the beach. He is $1000 for 4 hours. I am signing my contract and booking him as we speak. His photos are beautiful! Destination Wedding Photographer Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, Cancun | William Sánchez You will also have to pay for him and his lighting assistants event pass which is $70 each. NCarolinaDaisy - I believe we'll be there over the same week - we are getting married on Sunday the 31st at 5pm! Quick question about the photographer -- I have been leaning towards Juan Navvaro (most photogs that I've inquired with are already booked)... are you planning to upgrade to the silver or gold Excellence of Love package? I'm just wondering if that photo credit in the silver or gold package will be applied to the cost of William Sanchez, or if you'll just lose that credit? Thanks so much and congratulations!! I think the weather will be perfect for us... hopefully not too much humidity and I can have a good hair day...

Hi Mary, Congrats!! I just confirmed my 10/31/10 wedding at the EPM today! I suggest you check out this forum: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...st-here-32897/ -- I read the entire thing and feel so much better about everything, and know what to expect. Overall, it seems like you shouldn't expect a lot of communication prior to the wedding which sounds very frustrating, but once you get there, everything will go perfectly. Everyone comes back and says that their wedding day was beyond amazing and that the months of worrying was a waste of time. I hope to report the same thing! Good luck and congrats!

Oh, and I can't believe that from the time I posted this help message this morning to now I actually have a confirmation number!!

I was so torn and with my wedding less than 5 short months away, my fiancee just called on his own today and booked us at the Excellence!!!! I can't believe he would be so brazen, but honestly, I am so relieved... I kept waffling back and forth and couldn't decide... I've been losing sleep over this, going over the pros and cons at both locations! What I love about Le Blanc is how modern the decor is - very stark, all white, clean, elegant, however, the rooms don't seem nearly as fabulous as those at the Excellence Playa Mujeres. Le Blanc only has a limited number of rooms with balconies and my wedding/honeymoon dream is centered around eating breakfast on my balcony staring at the ocean... I couldn't be guaranteed a balcony, or at least one you can walk out on (they have Juliet balconies on some of the rooms). The Excellence is a much smaller resort and much newer which I also liked -- I've read a few reviews on Trip Adviser that the Le Blanc needed some updating and repairs due to age. The Excellence is also away from the Cancun strip which feels more private and less "spring break" to me. At the Excellence I am also guaranteed not just a huge balcony and amazing ocean view, but a two-story room with a rooftop pool, shower and couch. This is my honeymoon - the room needs to be good! Regarding the wedding packages - they are pretty much apples to apples if you break them down (I was going to do the Zen Garden wedding at Le Blanc, and the Gold Excellence wedding package at the EPM -- there is less than a $200 difference with the current promotions.) Le Blanc offers a take-home bathrobe and a separate dressing area for the bride, but the Excellence has two different locations for the reception and the dinner -- at Le Blanc the reception and the dinner are in the same place. I really like the idea of having my guests go to two special spots, not just one... that feels more special somehow. However, I know that I'd have been very happy at either, which is why I just couldn't decide!! Le Blanc has more wedding location options, and conducts a ton more weddings, but on a few wedding photos that I've seen (beach location) you can see other people sunbathing not too far away. I don't want anyone but my wedding party around! That said, I'm sure that wedding was just in the height of the travel season, and my wedding is late October. The Excellence package has a couples spa treatment, but at Le Blanc it's just for the bride. The Excellence has music at the reception, Le Blanc during the ceremony. Le Blanc provides a sound system and a special breakfast in bed, EPM does a video of the ceremony and later gives you a couples cruise. SO HARD TO CHOOSE!! My fiancee got sick of me not being able to decide (I was begging him to just choose -- just never actually expected him to actually do so!) and made a decision because I would have lost my date and time at the rate I was going. Good luck to all, either location will be beautiful. Ultimately, these are both amazingly reviewed 5 star hotels and I know I would have been happy at either one. For my fiancee, it was the better room that finally made up his mind. So happy it's been decided so I can get down to the details!

Hi all, I am choosing between The Excellence Playa Mujeres and Le Blanc... wedding on 10/31/10... any advice would be terribly appreciated! Thanks so much, Pnina