chrisdior

beautiful i love your colors and detail! Thanks for sharing

they look great!! thanks for the info

Hey can you give a review? site grounds, restaurants, staff ? Did you take any pictures? I probably wont get a chance to do a site visit until early next year. Thanks!!

Amazing!! Great job

love all your pictures! everything looks so pretty good luck!

love all your oot bags and kits! thanks for sharing

great job!! thanks for sharing

love your rehearsal dress!!!

everything looks great!!! thanks for sharing

wish i could see the templates

love the wording!! everything looks nice! good job

beautiful!! thanks for sharing

Hi ashley welcome and congratulations!! Im in the same boat as you trying to find a resort, its so overwhelming. What resorts are you considering?

very helpful thanks!

they did awesome !!

great job jamie!!

they look awesome congrats!!

congratulations on your engagement and the venue!!! I will also be a May 2013. Just haven't picked a place yet, I'm still trying to decide!! Im sure we will speak again in the future good luck with the planning (and the your new addition!!)

thanks for sharing!

Hi Kerri, My travel agent just emailed me today about this resort. She is going down for the grand opening at the end of the month and I will have more details then. I was so excited about the location and the fact that's its new (might be able to get some good pricing). I'd be happy to share the info with you. I will also do a site visit sometime in Jan-Feb to see it for myself. I'm not sure if you already booked, let me know!

@ lalanyc wow beautiful!!!! i love the string lights, did you bring the lights down with you? also in your oot bags you mentioned a guest picture book do you have pictures of what it looked like? Congratulations and great job!!! Quote: Originally Posted by lalanyc I am so thankful for all the information I obtained from BDW that I am excited to finally provide my own review and recommendations. I hope it's helpful to future brides. Also, I understand there are separate review forums for vendors/hotels, so I will repeat certain reviews in those sections. _______________________________________________________________________________ CdM A+++++!!!!!!! OVERALL REVIEW Of all places we scouted in the Riviera Maya, we knew immediately that Ceiba was “the one.†Words can’t describe how well the hotel treated us and our guests!! They well exceeded our expectations at practically every turn. In particular, Diana was A-MAZING!!! She is an incredibly smart, organized and great person overall, and it was a pleasure to work with her throughout the year. Once we arrived, we coordinated w/ Javier and Miguel who were also exceedingly nice and professional. It was wonderful working with ALL the staff and it was b/c of them that our event was so special. To be clear, getting to this point was A LOT of work (unless, of course, you pay someone else to do it for you)!! As others may have mentioned, you need to be prepared to invest time in contractual details in order to get the best pricing and options with management. In addition, this is not your typical all-inclusive hotel. Unlike many hotels which provide packages and/or pre-selected vendors, everything at CdM is a la carte. The coordinators will provide a list of preferred vendors for flowers, décor, music, etc. but you have the option of looking for other vendors (which is not necessarily the best route, btw!). Thank goodness for BDW!!! Perhaps things may have played out differently had we hired a third-party coordinator, but despite the work, it was so worth it in the end. We love CdM and plan to go back for many years! BEFORE THE WEDDING Room Rates: We negotiated directly with the hotel on room rates and locked in 2 rates (AI and European) for all room types since we were confident we would take at least 50 rooms. We had to place a hefty deposit to secure the rates. Of course, AI was by far the best deal, HOWEVER, some guests simply didn’t want to have to pay the extra $$ - either b/c they traveled alone or b/c they preferred to explore nearby restaurants. Whatever the case, we wanted to give them that option which is partly why we chose Ceiba. Many switched plans at the last minute. Others who stayed for many days chose a combo of AI and European which was especially nice if they planned full day excursions. If you would like more specifics, PM me. Off Site Options: Another big reason we chose Ceiba was the proximity of private homes and condos. We had many families w/ kids that simply couldn’t afford to stay at Ceiba. In particular, we had families stay at Villa Karina, Casa South Breeze and Costa Blanca Condos. These accommodations were perfect!!! Clean, nice, close to Ceiba and (relatively) cheap! See the attached form for information on all the houses/condos we investigated, including a map WEDNESDAY - BONFIRE Bonfire on the beach in front of the pool bar – AWESOME. Even though we threw this together at the last minute, Ceiba executed perfectly. Weather was chilly w/ the ocean breeze but people had their shawls/sweaters so it was tolerable. Music: We contracted a band on short notice and it was a great addition (unfortunately I don’t have their name but they were so fun). I would highly recommend having music though you will definitely need speakers since the waves will drown out acoustic sound. Food/Drink: We paid $400 for a bonfire w/ marshmallows, asked the staff to put out beer and wine (no waiter service – self serve only). The set up worked well since this was meant to be an informal event. People loved toasting marshmallows! Décor: The staff arranged tiki torches and beach lounge chairs around the bonfire area and that is all that was necessary. Any additional décor would have been hard to notice since it was so dark. OOT Bags: http://www.discountmugs.com/nc/tote-bags/1663/the-regatta-tote-bag.htm I left welcome bags at the front desk every morning based on guests' arrival dates. Wow, people LOOOVED their bags!! I particularly liked these b/c they had a zipper and an inside pocket. Aside from Mexican candy and chips, we included hair elastic bands, simple toys for the kids and GUEST PICTURE BOOK which people went crazy over. If you have the time and energy, I’d highly recommend the effort. THURSDAY – WELCOME DRINKS We hosted welcome drinks around the smaller pool. I originally wanted to host the event on the pier but was happy we stuck to the pool - the pier can be unpredictably windy at night and with so many people of all ages, this location was ideal, esp b/c the beach chairs provided seating options. Music: We contracted an acoustic guitarist for 2 hrs for about $150. He was quite good (unfortunately, I don’t have contact/name) however, acoustic music was not the best option as the music was too soft for my taste. Wish I had paid extra for a sound system or contracted more musicians to add more energy to the event. Food/Drink: We specifically started the event around 8 PM so people would have time for dinner, however, we ordered tacos at the last minute (specifically, the “trompo de pastorâ€) for guests who arrived on late flights. HOLY&*%$! Everyone ate the tacos, including guests who had just finished 3 course dinners!!! Waiters also walked around w/ a signature drink and there was an open bar. Décor: Lounge chairs were placed along far edges of the pavement and high tables were also placed closer to the pool. I gave Diana tea candle light covers and paper star lanterns for added decor. The staff did an awesome job putting them up. They knew exactly what to do and it was great not to have to worry about it. Tea light covers: http://www.etsy.com/listing/53567343/sale-paper-luminaries-venetian-vacation; I thought these were a small but cute touch; they were placed at the standing tables around the pool. Paper star lanterns: http://www.paperlanternstore.com/socostco.html; I bought about 2-3 dozen of these to be hung off the palm treas. Staff arranged them for free and they looked great. Wouldn’t worry about the color mix since colors are hard to see from so high up! FRIDAY – REHEARSAL DINNER We hosted our rehearsal dinner in Arrecifes restaurant. I wanted this event to be more informal and by the ocean, so all tables were arranged on the outside perimeter of the restaurant for the breeze. Music: We had mariachi for the first 2 hours of the event (see WEDDING DAY for more details – they were great) and then we switched to karaoke. Before the switch, we had a slide show on a huge projector screen inside the restaurant. DJ Mannia set up the audio/video and they did a good job. People went CRAAZY for karaoke, btw!! Again, we threw this in at the last minute and I later learned guests actually PAID to extend the karaoke hours after my FI and I went to bed (around midnight)!!!!! Food/Drink: The staff set up bbq stations along the outer perimeter of the outside terrace. Food included chicken, ribs steak, corn, salad, salsa, etc. and it was delicious!! We also ordered an ice cream stand which guests enjoyed. We had two bars – one inside the restaurant and one outside at the opposite end of the restaurant. To save $$ toward the end of the night, we asked the staff to make pitchers of mixed drinks and guests gulped down every drop. Décor: Didn’t do much w/ regard to décor and in retrospect, I’m not sure that any added small details would have made a big difference (we were trying to keep it casual). We had about two dozen candles in mason jars from the edge of the thatched roof. I do wish we had arranged more seating inside the restaurant for karaoke singers looking to take a break (inside was relatively open/empty). SATURDAY – WEDDING DAY PRE-WEDDING Hair/Makeup: Lorena Hijuelos, Makeup Art [Grade: B-/C+], http://www.makeupart.com.mx/ I’m a bit torn on this one. Lorena was on time and professional but I simply did not love my makeup and I HATED my hair. Everyone told me it looked good, but bridezillas know what they want! Lorena did my makeup and she had her own hair people (whose names I didn’t get). We had done a trial during an earlier site visit which I did not like. So… I did additional trials back at home to get clear photos of what I wanted. It still didn’t come out that way on the wedding day!!! In retrospect, I wish I had 1) done additional trials w/ Lorena until we had achieved the exact look I wanted, 2) tried another Mexico vendor or 3) done my makeup and hair myself!! To be fair, it did not look horrible but I had an image in my head and I simply did not feel as good as I wanted to. Perhaps I’m extra picky, but what can I do? :/ Mani/Pedi: Ceiba [Grade: C]. Blehhh…. Bad idea. Ceiba’s spa may have great masseuses but their nail people are not good. My “mani/pedi†was really just a change of polish, and even then, it was not well done. Nobody saw my feet but I wish I had enlisted a talented family member the night before to get this done. I honestly forgot and had to get it done in my room the morning of the wedding! Transportation (Airport and Wedding Day): Your Cancun DMC [Grade: A++], Alejandra (Alex) Orozco, Dir. of Sales; [email protected]. FANTASTIC! Great customer service and attention to detail. This service was not the cheapest but after hearing horror stories re: shady companies, I am so happy we went w/ Your Cancun. Our guests were completely satisfied with the quality of the service, as drivers were timely, courteous and professional. Also, dealing with Alex was great – she gave us regular updates on our guests’ arrival/departure times and was always in such a happy mood. In addition, we rented buses and a van from Your Cancun for the day of the wedding (as we had to transport guests to the church). They were on time, the buses were in good shape, and they included free water bottles for our guests. Here are the rates they charged for airport transportation: One-way: $55.00 US (1 - 3 people) per vehicle One-way: $60.00 US (4 - 8 people) per vehicle Round trip: $100.00 US (1 - 3 people) per vehicle Round trip: $110.00 US (4 - 8 people) per vehicle WEDDING Ceremony: Catholic mass at Iglesia de San Jose in downtown Puerto Morelos. Father Mario Gonzalez, [email protected]. Wow, we were SO LUCKY to find Padre Mario. He is one of the nicest people we had the honor of interacting with for the wedding. He speaks English fluently and was able to conduct our mass in English and Spanish in less than 60 minutes! Remarkable as far Catholic masses go Iglesia de San Jose is a small church w/ an open garden next to the pews. We first married legally in the US to avoid the added burden of translating docs, getting blood tests, etc. that comes w/ getting legally hitched in Mexico.

the water shot is awesome!! you looked gorgeous congratulations

wow that headband is gorgeous!! I will post if i find anything, you may just want to go with a tennis bracelet. Less is better esp with this dress and headpiece. You don't want to take away from the dress.

@futuremrsj nice choice! The outside vendor policy is too much of a hassle for me. I know all the vendors i want to use just trying to narrow down the resort lol

Love the black! And the flower makes a nice touch!