KPSouthie

Hi Brooke, I'm still waiting for my wedding video as well. It's been 10 months since our wedding and we're quickly approaching a year. Do you have yours yet? Another bride contacted me not too long ago stating she was still waiting for her video too. This is just so disappointing. KPSouthie

Hi msawyer, I used Fernando Fuentes and loved him & his team! Fernando is an artist and knows how to work his magic. I decided to have him and the hair stylist (can't remember his name right now) come the day before to do my trial hair & makeup. This was perfect because after we selected my wedding day look, we changed it up and I had a different look for my welcome reception. For my wedding day he brought Julius another makeup artist and two hair stylists to help my wedding party of seven get ready. All of the girls wanted their hair done, but for makeup it was only myself, the mothers and one bridesmaid. However as soon as I and the one bridesmaid had our makeup done, the rest decided they wanted theirs done as well! We each had our own beautiful look and felt amazing. I can also attest to the longevitiy and wearabilty. It rained during the ceremony and then later it was hot and humid, but everyone's makeup was perfect, lasting through the night! One last thing that I wanted to mention is that Fernando's personality is great! He's so sweet, funny and laidback. An added bonus to making you look gorgeous, Fernando really knows how to put you at ease and helps you to relax when the craziness hits. There's a seperate thread all about him and his team on this site and his website is http://the-makeup-pros.com/ Quote: Originally Posted by msawyer Hi Girls, I am getting married at Ceiba in Sept. Who are most of you using for hair and make-up?

Hi jlynne, I just had my wedding at the Ceiba last month and it was amazing! I haven’t had the chance to write a full review yet, but I saw that you had questions on vendors so I wanted to chime in. I know the thought of having to select your own vendors can sound a bit daunting and overwhelming, but it’s actually nice to be able to have options since everyone’s tastes and needs are different. This website is very useful in your research as well as referrals you can get from the vendors. I’m not sure what size your wedding will be, but ours was 90 people and I did all of the planning in conjunction with Paola from Ceiba and Raffaele from EW Cancun –Events & Weddings. I can’t say enough good things about working with Raffaele who is almost like having a wedding coordinator. He was instrumental in helping me bring my vision to life and pulling together all of the elements for our wedding events. I used him for the décor at our welcome reception and wedding, arranging a bon voyage catamaran cruise and to handle our guests’ excursions. What was really nice is that Raffaele has relationships with other vendors in the industry so it made it easy when selecting our florist Vanessa Jaimes and DJ David. Speaking of our other vendors, Vanessa and David were also fantastic! Vanessa’s flowers were fresh and gorgeous and DJ David had everyone on the dance floor until 1:00am. He really paid attention to the crowd and didn’t just play songs but would mix the music together. For my ceremony music -Arpason, photographer –Rafa Ibanez and videographer –Mediamorfoisis, I found them by researching online. Again, I can’t say enough good things about my vendors! They were all so easy to work with and very professional. There’s no doubt in my mind if I had to do it all over, I would chose each and every one of them again! If you any questions feel free to send me a message. Good luck!!

Alexis -you looked gorgeous & what a fantastic wedding you had! I have to say, some of those pictures are a riot!!! OMG the one with your buddy hanging from the tree....hahaha! One thing is for sure, looks like everyone truly enjoyed themselves. Is there anything that stands out in your mind as a must do for the wedding or in general?

Ladies -You are all an inspiration!!! What beautiful brides and weddings!!! I haven't been on here much lately since I've been traveling a ton for work, but it's been great when I can pop on for a minute or so to see everyone's details. Thank you for sharing -it's very helpful. We are 30 days and counting before we leave for th Ceiba. Woohoo!!!

Brenners -Not sure if this is an option, but why not just offer both rates -all inclusive and room only? That way you don't have to worry since guests can decide what works best for them. Just a thought!

Hmmm, yes that's tough. Is that per person or per couple? Also I think you have the option to do just the rooms without the all inclusive. Wish I had more suggestions, maybe try talking to Diana one last time?

Sorry to have missed meeting you lshaef! We left at noon on the 11th. Wishing you the best & I can't wait to hear all about it. Brenners -I was actually there for a site visit (not my wedding) which happened to be the same weekend as Theresa's wedding. How cool is that?? So I don't want to share too much since this was Theresa's big week, but let me say she was a gorgeous bride!!! Not to mention, calm! It looked like her guests had a great time & the actual wedding simply beautiful! As for my personal experience while at the Ceiba, all I can say is amazing. If there were any questions or concerns, they are gone. Diana & Paola were on top of everything throughout our stay. They are a fantastic team that I'm confident will do their very best to help ensure the wedding is fantastic. The food & drinks -simply delicious! I def. ate way too much -it's hard not to because it's so good. haha! And the service is top notch! The staff is so friendly and always willing to help. Not only do they work hard, but they genuinely take the time to know each of the guests. Two things that I would recommend (nothing new that people don't already know) bring bug spray with Deet and a light sweater or pashmina if you get chilly at night. The bugs are really only bad that first hour after dusk but you'll want to be prepared. As for the light sweater or pashmina there was a good ocean breeze. I often used one and can see others wanting one as well. Oh! One thing to note, be careful to hold onto the small immogration card that you receive when you enter the country. I miss placed mine & had to go over to the immogration office which was a PITA!!! I learned a valuable lesson which I'll be passing onto my guests. haha!

Woohoo Theresa!! You must be so excited!! Have a safe flight down & I can't wait to meet you!! We arrive on Thursday so I'll introduce myself when I see you.

Great review Lala!! I love the honest feedback you provided on each of the vendors as well as an overview of the events you had throughout the week. Brenners -have you made a decision yet?

Hi Joda, one other thing to note about the venodr info. Diana sent over is that the pricing is listed in Pesos.

Woohoo Theresa I'm so excited for you! It'll be here before you know it. Brenners -One thing that you mentioned that I wanted to expand on is the personal service from Diana and the staff. Diana has been on top of things throughout the planning process. Not only is she attentive and helpful, she's also patient with the numerous questions and requests we've had. What are the other resorts you're looking at?

Great ideas everyone!!! I've also heard of people including local chocolates, coffee and snacks. Since room service isn't included, we want to make sure people have plenty of snacks on hand. We'll probably just take a quick run to the store when we get down there.

Hi Brenners! Yes, we're getting married there on July 9, 2011. I'm sooo excited!!! We actually looked at 5 resorts when we did our site selection visit -Grand Velas, Azul Sensatori, Barcelo, Moon Palace & the Ceiba del Mar. There was just something about the Ceiba that felt right. We loved the authentic Mexican feel and that it was a boutique resort. For us we wanted a smaller venue so that everyone could be together. Plus the food was great and the staff very friendly! What did you decide?

Hi Theresa! This is so exciting!!!! We will be staying at the Ceiba from Thursday, April 7 and departing on Monday, April 11. I can't thank you enough for your gracious offer and I would love to meet you!! I'll PM you all my details. Funny, I think our weddings are about the same size! We have about 65 people booked and we're expecting 80-100 people. How many will be attending your wedding? Also did you decide to do the bonfire? ~Kristin

Hi Maritza, I wanted to add some feedback in from my experience at the Azul Sensatori. I want to start off by saying I respect that everyone has different likes and opinions in the resorts and what my preference may be, might not be someone elses . I have read about similiar experiences with Azul Beach that Saverybride went through with promising all the guests would be in one hotel and then splitting them up between the Azul Beach and Azul Sensatori when the guests were onsite. Sounds like a headache you don't want to be dealing with onsite. Now I never went to Azul Beach, but I did do an overnight site visit with the Azul Sensatori. I had high expectations going in since they offered great packages. All I can say is thank goodness we actually stayed there because I got to see the hotel in a whole new light. Personally it was not the scene we wanted for our guests and the ceiba del mar out shined the other hotels. It had a spring break feel and was catered to the European crowd. Things that we experienced when staying there -lots of cigarette smoking, pool was dirty, food at restaurants was subpar and guest rooms were beautiful but had a swamplike smell to them. I had read about it but didn't believe it until I experienced it first hand. There is a difference between damp and musty which you can expect in this climate. Another thing to point out is that the beach is topless. I'm not trying to discourage you but just provide you some insight if you havne't had the opportunity to spend the night. Good luck with whatever you decide and happy planning! Quote: Originally Posted by Maritza919 Thanks savybride! I heard the beach isn't as nice at Azul Sensatori. It's a bit more rocky. I guess we'll see going to see if I can get in contact tomorrow with the hotel or wc at Azul beach. Fingers crossed. I already want my date and place. Loved Ceiba! Diana was so helpful and great. It's definitely. Great hotel

OMG Tweets!! After I posted my last message I thought about the timing and looked at your wedding date on your profile.....we're going to be visiting the resort when you have your wedding! What a small world!! Too funny!!!

Wow Lauren, that's crazy! Whatever it was I'm glad to hear you're on the road to recovery and wishing you the best. Thank you so much for sharing pictures from your wedding celebration weekend! They are fantastic! The best part is they truly show the happiness and emotions of you and your husband. Everyone looks like they were have a great time! It really helps seeing the pictures to know what to expect. We're actually taking a trip down the 2nd weekend in April to meet with the hotel and go over the details. I'm very excited as it'll answer a lot of questions. Diana said there's actually a wedding the weekend we're there so that'll be fun to see. Tweets -your wedding is just around the corner!! Woohoo!!

Check out Mediamorforsis, they are fantastic! http://mediamorfosisblog.com/

Oh that's great to hear! Good luck with your planning.

Yes, spoke to her today she was out of the office. She was actually in Chicago for a business at a show. I would definitely try reaching out to her again.

Hi Buggle, They're usually pretty good about getting back to you in a day or two. Maybe there was a wedding or something? Sometimes when they're busy it takes longer. I'm not sure who you originally contacted, but try reaching out to Diana. Diana-Group Sales Manager USA Toll free: 1 877 545 6221 xt. 281 [email protected]

Hi Rivierabride430, I had the same problem with the website when trying to book Fernando for my July wedding. His email is: [email protected] Good luck with everything!

Get ready tweets because we have another storm coming our way!! You will definitely have enough snow when you hit the slopes. Come to think of it, you may not even need to leave the city! haha We are also considering using DJ Doremixx and Javier for our ceremony. Do you know by chance if Javier plays any of the traditional wedding songs or just his own? As for the cake we're still up in the air, but I think we're going to have that done with the onsite pastry chef. I've heard great things about him! One thing that I wanted to mention to everyone is that I asked Diana about the bugs. She assured me that they spray the event area twice the day of the event. They'll also do the tiki torches with Citronella. However, I'm still planning to have additional bugspray on hand.

Ishaef -I agree, the freezing rain isn't fun at all, but I am happy before it changed over that it got rid of a fair amount of snow! During the last storm Boston was hit hard with 20 inches so parking is always a mess. You said you werelocking in yoru DJ, who did you go with? This is something I still need to pick. I personally have quite a few outstanding action items that I'm hoping to nail down by the end of the month. One of my biggest challenges right now is finding a minister or someone to reside over the ceremony. We want to get to know the minister beforehand so we can create a personalized ceremony. It's also important to us that they are relatively easy to understand. Besides having a friend or family member become a justice of the peace for the day, can anyone recommend a local minister or justice of the peace in Mexico? Also, how is everyone getting their OOT bags & items down there? I was thinking of splitting stuff up among our wedding party.