Kali628

That's a little shocking. Did you sign anything to solidify your package before they cancelled the option? I do not think it's right for them to cancel it after you have set everything up with them. After all was said and done (i did not do the free package) we spent about $3,278 before the photographer fees. I can only speak on it being worth it for me and my now husband. It would cost a ton more to have the same thing back here at home and I would have been miserable. Instead I got to have it in a perfect location on a beautiful beach and no stress. The resort handled everything and I couldn't have been more happy with my choice to go with this resort. It was worth it for me, but I can understand your frustrations as well. I might have felt differently if it happened to me.

Honestly, no last minute tips. Just relax! The wedding coordinator seriously has it all covered. You're going to have so much fun! Everyone has been so jealous since we got back and wish they had done a destination as well. Congratulations in advance and hope to see some pictures when you get back!

You know, I never touched the canopy so I'm not sure what fabric it was exactly. It was a sheer material and reminded me of my dress which was chiffon.

Hi Amanda, I had an idea that I wanted those colors before we went down. In one of my emails with Alejandra I told her what colors I'd like and she matched them with what they had at the resort...no outside company. My package included all white decoration but we paid extra to have some color and it was well worth it. It was $50 for the color canopy and $2 per colored sash for the chairs.

We had 35 people that came with us and everyone had a blast. It was great to get together as one big group. The resort was perfect for our needs. I am definitely happy we chose this place. My only complaint was the hair stylist (expensive at the spa, I ended up having to have my cousin fix my hair, and there was a language barrier we couldn't break). The Mariachi were a huge hit. That wedding coordinator works her butt off--there was a wedding everyday but one while we were down there and they were all different. I have to post a more in depth review in the correct section but that's a little tidbit. I'd be happy to answer any questions though! Here a few pictures:

Hi ladies, I'm back! We had a wonderful time and I'm so happy we chose this resort. I'll post some pictures when I can!

I'm back!! We had the most amazing time. I have a more in-depth review that I need to post in the right section but I wanted to post a few pictures here. I'd be happy to answer any questions you ladies have as well. I am so happy we chose this resort, it was perfect!

Hi everyone, I'm back!! We had the most amazing time. The wedding was perfect and we couldn't have asked for anything more. I'd be happy to answer any questions about the process! We arrived on Tuesday and had our meeting with Alejandra on Thursday afternoon. It took about 45 minutes. Her and I had been going back and forth via email so everything just needed to be confirmed. There was a wedding Thursday/Friday/Saturday (mine)/Sunday/Monday. Those wedding people work their butts off. My wedding was on Saturday. We had a lot of spectators, some even took video! We did not have a rehearsal and it was completely fine. The Mariachi were fantastic and everyone loved them. We used Adventure Photo and I think they did a great job. After the ceremony the photographer got a group shot, multiple family shots, bridal party shots, and then we had a photo session with just us two. We had about an hour to kill after pictures and before dinner so we went to the lobby bar. Dinner was at the steakhouse and it suited our needs perfectly. We weren't supposed to be private but it ended up being just our group in the restaurant. After dinner we went back to the lobby bar (it was the best bar on property I think) and at 10:30 we went over to the disco on the Quetzal side. It was awesomely terrible (i.e. cheesy). We pretty much had the place to ourselves and kept the bartender busy. All in all it was a perfect day and Iberostar did a fantastic job with the wedding. Everything I had envisioned and asked for was there. Buffet food was so-so but the a-la-carte restaurants were delicious. We had a hard time getting reservations so try to make those the first night so you can get in. Oh and when your reservation is over they do try to push you out a little bit to make room for the next table. You couldn't really sit and hang out which was unfortunate. The Japanese was my favorite followed by the Italian. We had a total of 35 people that came down with us and they all managed to be in the same area of buildings. We had an oceanfront suite and were the farthest away from everyone but it was fine. The beach was absolutely beautiful by the way! There is a lot of walking to be done so if you have elderly people or those that have trouble walking, be aware. You can request a golf cart though to get from one side to the other. That's my quick review! Overall I was so pleased with my decision to go to this resort. Everyone loved being together and spending vacation as one big family. Here are some pictures from the photographer...

Well that's good news. I wasn't sure if since I was stowing them in my carry on bag they would have to be declared separately! Thank you!

What did you ladies do with your wedding bands/jewelry? Besides my wedding dress, that's all of value that I'd be taking through customs. A friend of mine told me to wear it through customs and declare my wedding dress only.

2 weeks until departure! Apparently Alejandra is my wedding coordinator officially. She has been wonderful to communicate with. I also just figured out that my wedding is on the Tucan side. I happened to notice it on our invoice breakdown for the wedding (that it only said Tucan so I confirmed with Alejandra). I have been getting really absentminded with some things! I ran into my first disappointment unfortunately. I suppose I might have misread the wedding details PDF that was sent to me back when we first set everything up last year. Because of the amount of guests I have coming with me we have a set menu at the wedding dinner. I assumed it would be a meat or fish option but apparently the set menu means all guests get the same meal minus those that are vegetarian. So I had to choose between prime rib or salmon. I went with prime rib to appease the majority. I wasn't too thrilled about that but food is low on my priority list honestly. At this point I'm just taking it easy, preparing to pack, and making sure I have everything I need for our trip. I am definitely ready for vacation!

Thanks! That link was very helpful, especially in mentioning not tipping the officiant. I didn't even think about that being in poor taste. I also downloaded a currency converter app and noticed the exchange rate because I had no idea what it was exactly. Looks like $50 US is about $653 in pesos so that was interesting to see. I did not get offered an upgrade when I booked my package. We chose the Paradise Blessing package and if I remember correctly that was not an option unless we got one of the other packages. We did get a junior ocean front suite though. As for my fiance, unless someone objects to it I had planned on he and I staying together the night before.

I wonder if that is something I should ask the WC. I know what I would do if this was in America but I have no idea if it is the same in Mexico. And as far as the wedding coordinator, I don't know who mine actually is. I've heard from Antoneta, Alejandra, and Andrea so I suppose I'll see who my coordinator technically is when we get there. I searched for tipping on the forum. It was helpful to determine who else I should probably prepare to tip but I'm still stuck on how much. If you find the thread that mentioned percentages please let me know!

AC please come back and let us know how your wedding went after all is said and done! I am right behind you! I can't believe I'm coming up on a month left till departure!! It really has flown by. We ended up with 40 people total coming down as guests, which is more than we expected. We invited about 75 people. Everyone is really excited. Here's a rundown of what we have: we chose the steakhouse for the dinner. We are using Adventure Photo and they seem very good; Jorge has been wonderful to correspond with. We also decided on the Mariachi band for the ceremony as opposed to playing from our iPods. Our favors are small glass jars that guests can put sand in. We also purchased mini beach balls that we (hope) guests will toss into the air as we walk back down the aisle for a unique picture. I would imagine we're going to get hit with some, haha Here's a question: who would you ladies recommend to tip? We planned on tipping the photographer, the Mariachi band, and the hair stylist but wasn't sure who else we should be prepared for. I didn't know what portion of our package payment goes to the specific people (i.e. wait staff, officiant, or even the wedding coordinator). So I just thought I'd throw this out there to see if I forgot anyone!

Hi Trace, thanks for the info. I've never heard live Mariachi play before (other than on TV which is a little cheesy sometimes) and decided I'd rather have live music than risk something going wrong with my iPod music or CD. Picking music is just not something I care to do, haha. I plan to email the wedding coordinator since I have a few more questions anyway.