nsousa

The music is pretty good, but the club is hit or miss. It really depends on who is staying at the resort and goes there that night. Sometimes it's totally empty. One night they played all Mexican music and seemed like everyone in there was Mexican, too. They play requests if you want to give them. It's the only place on the property to dance. The only other options for drinking into the late hours would be one of the lobby bars...they are set up more like lounges...and they are air conditioned.

I was married there in May, you need the Mint package or higher. That will include the grill or the outdoor wedding.

$13pp for one hr...includes drinks & apps. Ours was on the rooftop and I think it was worth it.

I just got married there this past May. Which package only includes 2 hours? We added the cocktail hour (and the extra hour at the end for a negotiated rate of about 50% what they wanted). Cocktail hour seemed worth it bc for the same price, at least they give you food and a rooftop party...we hired the mariachi to entertain for this. We had 36 people, but we had also paid for the 2 photographers meals and 2 other meals for guests that didn't make it due to a personal emergency at home, so we paid for 40 in all. I think our bill was $6000 paid to the Barcelo. Ultimately, the total expense of our wedding amounted to about 3.5 times that, when you add in EVERY little detail leading up to the day of. It was a lot more than I had every anticipated when first entertaining the idea of a destination wedding, but it was a beautiful day and when all is said and done, it was worth it for the most part. See my post about wedding budgeting...I shared a spreadsheet that should help you calculate everything. Fortunately, my meticulous calculating paid off, bc when we arrived at the resort and had our first meeting with the WC, I had pretty much nailed it with the amount I expected to need! But yes, Barcelo weddings, when done right, do seem to be more expensive than other resorts. Or so it seems, but then again I wouldn't know.

Premium alchohol is a great perk - but at the end of the day -- ur in mexico - so drinks are often tropical drinks -- and how can those ever be bad really? i am not using the resort photographer. i hired ivan luckie and paid for a room for him and his assistant at the beach for one night. as long as they are a guest somewhere on the resort the night of your wedding, you can use whomever you want. if you talk to your travel agent or wedding coordinator and promise to book a specified number of rooms, they will likely upgrade you for free....or even give you a free room...ask for it...put it in writing up front! they want your wedding party to come there... if you are bringing in 20+ room bookings, you better believe they'll hook you up for it! dont pay that much for a package - all that money for what? everyone gets the same menu, alcohol, service, venue, and views. what are you paying for -- chocolate body paint? everyone at the barcelo palace gets VIP treatment...it's a luxury hotel -- you are premium no matter which room you are in. i promise...its not worth $9000. How on earth are you going to stay below 12000 total with a 9000 package? there is so much additional that you have to still pay for above and beyond the cost of the package! (or am i missing something with the budget you mentioned earlier?) Don't get all hyped up over the fancy fluff those packages promise. usually all those packages do is throw in stuff you can go pay less for on your own ... ask for whatever you want! As long as its reasonable they will work with you. PS: Premium alcohol is stocked at all the bars - get in good with the bartender and give him a generous tip and i guarantee you get extra shots of whatever you want in your cup...it's not like your different color wristband means they are rolling out the red carpet for you and serving your drinks in fine china. it's really not that much of a difference. can anyone else chime in with their experience? i dont want to give you the wrong advice but thats how i see it.

If you went to the Colonial or Tropical and never saw the Palace, you would definitely not miss a thing bc it is just as lovely on it's own. The Palace is just the icing on a cake that already has delicious frosting.

Barcelo - if you stay at the Palace you can access all properties. If you stay at Colonial or Tropical they are both very nice as well and will meet somewhere in the middle budget to satisfy all your guests, but i would contain all my guests to one property or the other -- or your party will feel very disconnected. I don't recommend the beach/caribe bc some areas are not air conditioned and you are very limited on your dining options as well. maybe for the very budget conscious, cooler month brides...but it wasn't for me. Whatever you decide, your whole party should stay at the same place...in my opinion. Therefore, the same pool, beach, buffets, lobby bar, theater, etc. Of course, they can wander off on their own, but at least you have a home base where you can all find each other. The resort is big and letting some people stay at one end and some at the other will put miles between them. I haven't heard anything good about the resort photographer, but I am very particular about photos and I just don't get the impression that they are the best you can get for your money. Ivan Luckie had very reasonable rates and packages when I booked. I am looking for a reasonably priced videographer as well...so let me know when you find one! With the strawberry breeze package, I believe you could possibly stay below 12000. If you are willing to have it in a reception hall, keeping the cost down would be easier. Outdoor dinners will double your cost per person, however -- which can add up very quickly. We had a budget set in mind when we started - and we are now 25% over...but we added in so many additional things that aren't necessities...just try to stay carefree and it will be beautiful. We considered every last tiny detail in that budget though. Start your budget as early as possible...refer to my post for a starter list: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/thread/69716/things-to-include-in-your-first-draft-wedding-budget#post_1550088

We considered every last tiny detail in our budget -- and still ended up over 25% after fine tuning all the details. Here are the items we included -- some things which we had initially overlooked when first budgeting... travel (if u can afford to prepay the deposit for 10 rooms up front, most agents will allow a group booking...then you may be able to get your room plus other perks or free....which could save u a few bucks) Photographer photog overnight room fee (book at the beach hotel EARLY -- when they run a special) dress alterations bridal undergarments cake topper unity candle veil bridesmaid jewelry save the dates (u could email these to save $$ - and then send out an early invitation like a boarding pass or combo save the date/invite) invitations stamps purse brides jewelry votives cigars or cigar roller wedding bands grooms suit/shirt/tie/shoes ceremony/reception additional pp over 15 cocktail or extra hour 13pp marriage cert bridesmaid bouquets groomsmen boutonniere centerpieces rose petals cake fire show mariachi sparklers mani/pedi dj generator (90 per hr) video favors seat cards fans maracas bridesmaid gifts groomsmen gifts transfers mothers corsage cards for bms and parents tips babysitter for ceremony kids activities thank you cards make a spreadsheet and start plugging in the numbers.... hope this helps!

Brenners - PM me your email address and I will send some pics. May 2011 - it's almost here! babigirl - the distance from airport is not a big deal, it goes fast and in groups can be fun - most vans stock beer and drinks or will stop off on the way to pick something up. We found it easy to grab a ride right from the airport even without transfers. From Newark NJ for 4 nights -- those who were smart enough to book 9 months in advance got prices as low as $650pp w transfers. Early booking is definitely the way to go. Almost everyone paid btw $775 and 850 - although recently the airfare has been killing us so those prices are up. Keep an eye on the barcelo site and message boards also -- they post random deals for 30-50% off. Tonight until 8am is a late night special for the palace -- $114 pp per night. Also, for nightlife, Playa del Carmen is only about 20 minutes away....around $20 by cab.

Sarah designed my boarding passes, too. She is amazing...and patient...as I absolutely drove her insane! But the final product was worth all of the effort! Quality and creativity at an affordable price. I can share if you PM me. (Haven't edited out my personal info so don't want to post).

Very impressive! Nice job.

Cold fireworks are usually allowed. Or how about hiring fire dancers for a grand finale show?

Number 1. Then surprise your new husband with a satin halter nightgown on your honeymoon.

It's such a huge disappointment to be let down by your wedding party, but I'm afraid it happens all the time with DWs. Did you try booking their travel as a package? I found that booking air & hotel together saved my guests hundreds of dollars. I spent so much time trying to get everyone better travel rates and convincing them to change their minds, but then I finally gave up when I realized I was just wasting my time and had more important things to worry about. You can give them a deadline -- and then hunt them down for a final answer -- but you'll probably still get dodged by those who just can't man up to tell you they have no intentions of coming. And then there will be those who miraculously figure out a way to afford it at the 11th hour. Those who want to will manage to find a way. Those who won't will not be intimidated by your deadlines or pleas, unfortunately. Just chalk it up - and accept that your groomsman to bridesmaid ratio will probably be uneven. Which is totally ok, by the way. Easy and breezy. Don't sweat it. Your day will still be beautiful and special without them!

The Eresma! Great dress Lesley. Very similar to mine, but I chose something with organza ruffles and I'm trimming the train down quite a bit. Mermaid fit and flare is totally appropriate for Mexico. So what?! Baby steps it will be! Enjoy! Hoisthemain - get a flower from the shop to match the one on the belt to put in your hair, bustle up the train...and OWN IT! You can make that dress totally work on the beach.