futureMrs.S 2011

I had my wedding June 24, 2011 and in my opinion the desires lounge was definitely not the place to have my cocktail hour. We noticed that the view from there was overlooking the outside of the resort- not pretty. We had ours at the jacuzzi area and they made it very private for us. It gave a really nice atmosphere and in my opinion was a great choice! PS...I had originally chose the desires lounge and once I saw it, fortunately, I was able to change it once I got there!!! Hope this helps!

Hi ASANYC- Thank you for your wonderful comments!!!! 1-You said you brought your own sand and ceremony things - are we supposed to bring the sand/bowl or did you choose to bring your own? I choose to bring my own. I would discuss it with your coordinator and see what is available. When I was asking about it, they had a really tiny vase and tiny sand bottles. I loved the ones I found at the local craft store, I wanted it to stand out in pictures so we brought ours down with us. 2-How far ahead of time did you give the music list to the DJ? Did you make a CD for him as well? Did you like the DJ? What was his name? I gave my final songs list to the DJ about 3 weeks before the wedding. I didn't make a CD for him. When we got my list (via email) he downloaded all my songs onto his mac and when we sat with him the day before the wedding, he quickly went through the songs making sure everything was correct and that he had the right version of the songs. He was correct with everything. Here's his info: Cesar Mauricio Neri Salazar Co. President & DJ VISUAL SOUND "Music for your eyes" tels. 998 7344 757 & 755 111 2921 email: [email protected] 3-How far ahead of time did you request for Anel? -I had told Ana I believe at least 3 months...maybe more...before the wedding. I had seen Anel's work on this thread and really wanted to make sure that I got her. I would tell your coordinator as soon as you are definite about it. You dont even have to choose your photo package when you ask for her. I told Anel which package I wanted one month before the wedding. 4-We're planning on going to Desires after the reception to continue the party. Does that get reserved by people as well or is that open to the public for after parties regardless of the weddings? -There are no reservations for Desires, its open to all the guests at the resort regardless of weddings. I have to say that while we were there, the Desires club was never even close to being packed on any night. Im not sure if thats the way it is all the time but it's not your typical night club thats for sure. You'll most likely have your own private after party in there after your wedding with only a few others in there from the resort. 5-For the cake, when did you tell them about the upgrade - while you were there or ahead of time? Did you give them a picture of this as well or just told them you wanted a second layer? I knew I wanted something more than the cake they were offering in the ultimate package so I copied a picture of one I wanted and sent it to Ana probably two months before the wedding date. I told her I would bring down my own ribbons for it and monograms for the top. If you don't ask or change anything about the cake, you will get a plain white one layer cake, which is perfectly fine if that's what you want. 6-How far ahead of time did you tell them you wanted the dance floor and sound tech? I asked for these things about 4 months left to the wedding only because I knew I definitely wanted these things. 7-And, yes, did you request for the dance floor to have the light effects or does it come with that? How much did that cost you (if you don't mind sharing that info) -The dance floor came like that, I didnt ask for the lighting effects. I just asked for the cold fireworks for the first dance and that wasn't an extra charge. I paid $300 per hour for the DJ, and the lighted dance floor. ** From your questions, it looks as if you are concerned about time frames and when to confirm things. My suggestion to you is this.... If you know what you want, email and confirm it with your coordinator. Dont stress too much about finalizing things too far in advance unless its your locations for the day (which if theres another wedding on your day could be taken if you wait too long). If you know for certain you want Anel or someone specific, email it and have it confirmed so its one less thing off your list. If you cant decide on menu options or centerpieces, wait till your coordinator asks you for it. I had a small binder and when I had something confirmed, I printed it out and stuck it in the binder. When I met with her down there, I had my binder with me just so it was easier to go over everything and finalize together. If something is confirmed and you change your mind last minute, I found them to be super accommodating if it was possible!!!! So have fun planning!!! Try not to stress, remember that they do weddings daily and they are professionals. Good luck!!! Wish I was planning all over again! Enjoy it!!

Hi Ashleytart- Thank you so much!! It was truly a "Dream"!!! Where did your bridesmaids dresses? - I decided to go with David's Bridal. I didn't want my girls to spend a crazy amount on their dresses since they were already aggreeing to spend there vacation, time and money to travel to Mexico. I also liked Davids Bridal for their convenience, large array of colors to choose from and sizes available. The girls all loved their dress and the color (watermelon) really popped out!! Did you have centerpieces? - Yes, however, I told Ana to take the centerpiece from our ceremony (which is included in the ultimate package) and use it for one of the tables. Then, for the flowers on our reception table, I asked her to move those (which are included in the ultimate package also) and put them on another table. For the last table, she said she'd throw in a centerpiece for me which was really nice. Did you get the light towers? -I didn't ask for these. I believe they automatically set that up. I would definitely ask your coordinator though. I was not charged any additional fees for that. I am debating on the lighted dance floor, was it worth the money? For me, it was worth it. I really liked the dance floor but for us, it was just a tad too tight. We were a total of 23 and we are all dancers so when we were all on there you noticed how there wasn't a lot of room left on the dance floor. If you are having more than 25 people and you all dance, I would really recommend talking to the DJ about their options. I believe they have two sizes?? I think we were using the small one? - Have fun planning!!!!!

Kad1010- Yes, while we were down there (late June), we did notice a smell that was around the World Cafe. It was an unpleasant, sulfer smell that only lingered around the world cafe. We just thought they were having an issue with their plumbing or something. We didn't smell it anywhere else. As soon as you entered, the smell was kinda strong. Unfortunately, the problem was still there by the time we left but hopefully they fixed the issue. You do have the option of eating outside of the world cafe. While we were there, everyone seemed to notice but it didn't stop them from eating inside there. The place was full of people all day, everyday. Im hoping they've fixed the issue by now!!

jkhowell- I was nervous at first about it...not sure how they were gonna look and if they would hold up. My bridesmaids LOVED, LOVED, LOVED them!!! They saved me soooooo much money and they really added a great, different look to the pictures rather than traditional flower bouquets!!! We had soooo much fun with them while doing pictures. They are a great prop!! I got one for myself too!!! lol I originally started looking at the fancy parasol websites and was a little discouraged but believe it or not, I came across them at Oriental Trading. (orientaltrading.com) They didn't have a huge selection but I lucked out because they had my colors AND they were ONLY $4.99 each. I figured I'd give it a shot and if I didn't like them or the material was cheap, I'd just go back to flowers. I bought 5 of them. When they were shipped to me, I was totally impressed!!!! I couldn't believe I spent so little on something so NICE!!!! They worked perfectly and were made really well...sturdy too!!!. I kept them closed and they came in a clear package so I left them just like they were and put them in between my clothes in my suitcase. It was a success!!!!! They only carried one size.

Kad1010- My reception was from 8-11 (sunset for me was 7:30). Ceremony- 6pm. cocktail hour- 7pm reception 8-11pm. Hmmm...I see your issue about how early it will end. I did notice another wedding the day I got down there and they must've had an earlier wedding also because after the reception they all went to the Desire's Lounge for the "after party". Nothing really to impressive but they kinda took over the place and had a ball. Maybe you could do something like that?? I've read somewhere on here that there was a couple who went back to their rooms, changed to go out to the clubs with their fam and friends. Not sure if you're into that or not. I'd check out some posts with November weddings and see what they did to get ideas. You will not be dissappointed with ANEL!!!!!! She's so great!! When I first saw the TTD sessions, I was definitely into it. Funny....after awhile I was like....ehhh. It wasn't that important to me anymore. I love looking at people's TTD sessions but I have to say I dont regret not doing it. Yea, for some reason the look of the wedding cake was important to me...for us the $80 was worth it. We had a total of 23 guests. Quote: Originally Posted by kad1010 Evelyn, How long was your reception? I am getting married in November, so I am going to have to do things earlier because the sun sets earlier. My ceremony is booked for 3 PM so that we can get pictures in the daylight afterwards. I've read that the ceremony is about 30 minutes and Ana said the sun sets around 5:30 in November. I dont want my reception to be only from 5-8 PM, that's so early! So I am still on the fence with what I am going to do. I also have Anel booked and I am super excited to have her. I booked the all day w/ the TTD session but now I'm not so sure I will feel like doing that lol. I am so happy to hear they let you upgrade your cake! I don't think we will have over 25-30 people, but I still want a wedding cake, not just a 1 layer, so thanks for adding that! Also, How many people did you have at your wedding? Thanks again for all your advice it is SO helpful!!

Im happy to help any possible way I can. The day from start to finish was long but my reception part went quickly. Before we knew it, there was an hour left. Everyone was having so much fun that the time was flying. Still, I think the length of everything was perfect..By the time we got back to our room, we were pooped!!!! lol. Thank you about the pictures!!! We had a blast!! So I got the ultimate package and just upgraded the cake which for us was an extra $80. They added a layer to it because I wanted it to look more like a wedding cake rather than one layer...just my preference. I brought down the ribbons and lettering for the cake and had them put it on for me (no extra cost). Other additions I had were.....sound technician for ceremony $180 (sooooo worth it!!) full day photography with Anel $999 (sooooooo worth it again!!!) I wanted a DJ so that was an extra $300 per hour. We also had to pay for 3 add'l guests because it was over the 20 person in the package. Oh, and an additional boutinere which cost me $20. I decided NOT to buy flowers for the girls to save money there I bought down parasols which they LOVED. (i think they were charging like $90 a bouquet for them) The parasols cost me like $5 each.....score!!! Also, the ceremonial flowers that were part of the package I had them bring to the reception and use for one of my centerpieces to save money there too. As for the chair sashes...I used weddinglinensdirect.com (They take up zero space in your luggage and beats paying $5 a sash throught the resort). hmmmm, i think that's it.. PS....I forgot to mention the SPA treatments we had with the ultimate package- WE LOVED IT!!!! We both had a couples swedish massage the day before to stay relaxed and OMG...the spa is so nice. I would definitely recommend a treatment there...or two...or three.....hahahahaa. My husband and I made another stop there before we left. lol Hope this helps!

Kad1010: Please don't worry about asking questions!!! It's the least I can do, this site got me through everything!!! I chose the Carribean buffet for the reception so I didnt need to make any menus. With the seating arrangements, I started a draft early and kept rearranging as people responded (which kinda got annoying) so my advice would be to have some ideas in your head but not to stress out about it. I finalized my guest list the week before and I wrote out my seating chart (on sand dollars that I found at the dollar store) a couple of days before we actually left! Ana placed them in sand on a table for the guests. I also brought down orange picture frames and I had gone down to a local beach where I live and took pictures of each table # written in the sand. That was fun and added a beachy touch.

Hi 7jax!! Welcome to the forum!!! This is such a helpful site!! Enjoy! I was married at DRC on June 24th, 2011 and we absolutely LOVED every moment!! Its nice to see a groom on here....my husband helped with our music selections only. Congrats to you and your B2B!! Have fun planning!

Kad1010, I wrote all the songs I chose out on paper with titles/ artists names and when to play them. I gave two copies to Ana. (one for her and the other for her to hand to the technician. I had asked my brother (best man) to put all the songs (all the FULL songs) on a cd for us to give to the tech but OOPS!!! my brother forgot the cd at home!!! I was just a little upset for about a minute and then he said that he had them all on his ipod so it was no biggie. I asked my brother to go down early before the ceremony just to make sure the sound technician knew what was what and it turns out that he was already prepared without even using the ipod. I would suggest to definitely bring a cd or ipod with your full songs on it preferably in order just as a backup, but for me, he was great!! He was perfectly on cue....I could hear the music being played as I watched the girls walk down the aisle and then he faded into the beginning of my song as my dad and I walked down. He always faded in and out of the songs so they weren't choppy at all. So to answer your question....he played the songs from the beginning and just went from there. There was never an awkward moment. My tip....I would give him a CD with the full songs. If you make it too complicated, there's room for errors. I'll share my songs if you're interested.... Guests/ Parents of the Bride/Groom: The Prayer- Celione Dion & Andrea Bocelli Groom & Best Man: Islands in the Stream- Dolly Pardon & Kenny Rogers Bridesmaids & Maid of honor: Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Israel K Bride & her father: Bridal March- Jonathan Cain Sand Ceremony: You and Me- Dave Matthews Band Signing Certificate: Lucky- Jason Mraz Bride & Groom EXIT: The Best is Yet to Come- Tony Bennett Say Hey, I Love You- Michael Franti Have fun planning!!!!!

MR1124, Will you be arriving a few days earlier before your wedding? Have something already decided with the coordinator but I suggest to take a look as soon as you get there and make sure it's what you really want!!! For us, the outside lounge was a no go!! (and for 90 people, i think it would definitely be tight) ohhhhh, Im so HAPPY to hear you're getting what you wanted originally!!!! Im sure everything will be great!!!! Happy planning!!!

Hi LindseyM, That is sooo funny that we actually met the day after my wedding. After we met, I said to my husband that I wish we were in your shoes and about to do it ALL over again!!!!! Lindsey, we had an amazing sea breeze that was on us ALL night at the reception!!! We had a blast and wouldnt have changed any on my locations!!! Cocktail hour is just a bit more humid because there is less wind in that area but once we hit the pool deck it was beautiful!!! It was so nice meeting you as well. Good luck with all your planning...remember to try to relax during your planning stages...things will get stressful at times but it's ALL soooooooooooo worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!! We really didn't have a planned honeymoon, we just stayed at the resort for 3 more days after the wedding and just relaxed!!!! We plan to have a honeymoon/1st anniversary trip next year. My husband has small children so we didn't wanna be away from them for too long. Good luck and Happy planning!!!!

Hi jkhowell!! Thank you so much! We didn't have a rehearsal beforehand although Im sure you could talk to your coordinator and they could arrange something. Everything just fell into place. When I sat with Ana once we were there, I let her know exactly how I wanted everything to go and gave her details about everything. The the day of my wedding Ana and her associate were on those walkie-talkies and communicating with each other about everything I mentioned to her...for example, how I wanted the bridal party to walk down the aisle and the readings that I wanted incorporated into the ceremony and even had copies of the specific vows we wanted...etc... I believe she also cues the sound technician as well. I have to say I dont know whether I was lucky or not but Ana and Jorge (her associate) were really on the ball!!! Yes, during the ceremony you both will sign the resorts' marriage certificate "fake papers". It was done after the sand ceremony for us. No one could even tell that it's not a legal ceremony...definitely looks legit!! lol Good luck with everything!!!!! I wish we were doing it all over again!!!!

Hi kad1010, Thank you so much! I loved the fushia and orange-they really pop out in pictures. The hotel provided the aisle runner and the conch shells on the floor. They also add the white linens on the huppa at no additional cost. I brought down the chair sashes, and the flowers on the huppa. I also brought my own sand ceremony vase and sand too. The ceremonial flowers on the table was part of the ultimate package.

Thank you Sharon!!! I am sorry to hear about your plans however you will have a wonderful time at this resort!! Its beautiful!!!