leigh2011

Thanks ladies. It has been more than 8 months since the wedding and all I can think of is our upcoming honeymoon/1-year anniversary trip in early September (less than 2 months until we leave!). We stayed in Cancun for 8 nights, but we only had one night at the beginning of the trip and one night at the end of the trip without family there. So we decided to save up more vacation days and combine our honeymoon and 1-year anniversary for a 12-night Mediterranean cruise! Check out the footer of my post for links to photos...

We had less than 1/2 of the people that we invited actually come to the wedding. And because it was a destination wedding, the invitation list was already smaller than a traditional wedding invitation list. So don't get too stressed about the per person costs until you have firm commitments. One thing I have heard brides did to save money was exchange the cocktail hour that is included in the package for 10 extra guests at dinner. That way if you have 40 guests you avoid paying the extra fee for the cocktail hour for 20 people and you only have to pay for the reception fee for 10 people. There are several bars around the resort, so it would be easy to send guests to one of the bars for that hour (if you plan on taking the pictures between the ceremony and the reception). For my extra 7 adults and 3 small children I paid an extra $279 for the cocktail hour and an extra $514 for the reception. I agree with Jana that ditching the dessert for the upgraded cake is a good idea. I didn't do that - I paid for the upgrade and kept the dessert that came with the meal (chocolate napolean). You definitely do not need both. I also had a rehearsal dinner - which of course is not necessary. I just wanted to ensure that we all got to sit together and didn't have to wait, but if you just schedule your rehearsal so that you get to the restaurant on the earlier side, then you will be fine. Another money savings: if you pay for (or trade for) the gazebo flowers, the wedding coordinators will take those from the gazebo and put them on your tables for centerpieces. I brought my own photographer, so I got the gazebo decor for free. That decor included 4 column corsages which worked perfectly because I had 4 guest tables. My big expenditures on top of the wedding package (not including the extra guest costs) were 1) DJ for 3 hours @ $933 and 2) light up dance floor for the beach @ $756. I decided those things were important to me, but if you either don't want them or work around them, then those would be places for BIG savings. But remember that you don't really have to commit to any of these things (DJ, dance floor, menu, etc) with the resort more than a month or two out. That gives you time to get all of your RSVP's in and decide whether you need to spend what money you have budgeted for extra guests or extra items for the wedding.

Thanks Ali. I had the guest book put out at the cocktail hour and I believe most everyone wrote in it. It might be a good idea to ask one friend or family member to walk around at some point during the cocktail hour and just remind people to write a message. I think the photo book as a guest book worked well - though I do have to say that my small group (only ~27 people) didn't take up many pages of the book. I know that I would never again look at a regular guest book, so I think the photo book is the best bet for it to ever be taken out of a box in the future.

Thanks ladies - glad to know I am helping. I check this thread a few times during the week, but I don't log in on the weekends - so if you need anything you can send me a PM and that will trigger an email to be sent to my phone.

You may have already seen these things, but in case not: - transfers: all of the transfer companies are located outside. So after you go through customs you have walk down a hallway to get outside that is lined with people trying to talk to you - do not talk to these people as they will try and sell you time shares. Just keep moving, look stratight ahead and ignore them. - customs: there is a $300 max per person of non-personal goods (like clothing) that you are allowed to bring into the country. The customs agent might ask you the value of the wedding stuff you are bringing with you (like decorations or OOT bags or favors), if you say more than $600 for you and your fiance - then they will search your bags and try to make you pay a tax. The best thing you can do is have receipts to show that the value of the items is less than $600. - think about how much you will be out in the sun on your wedding day (ceremony, pictures, etc) and think about whether you will need sunscreen on That is what I can think of for now. Have a blast and enjoy your big day!

I did the gazebo for the ceremony and the beach for my reception. My reception was on Himitsu beach, which is protected by the land/rocks that jut out to contain the lighthouse. The beach probably sits about 10 feet lower than the land that leads to the lighthouse, so that really does make a difference. The Tower beach is less protected, so if there was a lot of wind it could potentially be an issue there. I absolutely love that I had my reception on the beach - having everyone barefoot and stepping from the sand up onto the dance floor was alot of fun. But of course - either way you go it will be amazing.

Another tour company that operates out of Dreams Cancun (an office near Claudia's) is Olympus Tours - they do a lot of hotel/airport transfers so they have staff on site for several hours each day to try and pitch tours to you. I booked a day trip for my guests (asking them to tell me whether they wanted to go a few weeks in advance of the trip) with Edventure Tours - who are based out of Tulum. They picked us up in 2 vans and took us down to the ruins at Tulum. From there half of the group went to a cave system to explore and then met us for a late lunch. The rest of us went to a cenote for snorkeling and then to a protected bay for more snorkeling and then finally to the restaurant. I believe we were gone from 7:30am to about 5:30pm - and everyone was asleep in the vans on the way back. I believe the cost of the trip was $1660 for 20 people + ~$200 (we paid for food at the restaurant but told everyone they were responsible for their own drinks as we didn't want a huge bar tab too). I thought about chartering a catamaran and doing a day trip over to Isla Mujeres (with snorkeling) and back, but my now husband wasn't too keen on that idea. I believe a chartered catamaran could be more economical than a land tour if you have a lot of guests. Hope this info helps. Courtney

I know they won't allow fake rose petals for the ceremony aisle because they could blow into ocean and become litter. However, I am not sure if they have the same rules for the reception tables. I am sure if you are inside then you can bring anything you want, but out on the beach there is still the chance they could blow into the water (and a chance they wouldn't stay on the table long enough to make a good decoration).

I would really recommend NOT doing this with so little time before your wedding. Many brides caution against shipping any items to your resort because customs in Mexico (any country really) is known for holding up shipments for days or even weeks - so there is a chance your items won't even arrive at the resort until after your wedding. The extra baggage (and associated airline fees) are a big pain, but at least you will know for sure that the items will be there when you need them.

Congratulations!!! We can't wait to see pictures...

Hmm - that is a really good question. I can't say that I noticed. I paid for the sound system for the ceremony, so they had a table set off to the right of the gazebo (when looking at it from the "aisle") for the tech to have his equipment and speakers plugged in there. My GUESS is that because they do so many weddings, that they would have an electrical box under where that table sits such that the wires are buried underground. When I look back at my wedding pictures, I don't see any wires running from that table towards the Tower building. Maybe another former bride can let you know her observations as well.

Quote: Originally Posted by EmilyT Hi everyone, I am actually getting married at Dreams Riviera Cancun on Feb 22, 2013 and recently have been wondering if I should have chosen Dreams Cancun instead. I have been to DRC but never to dreams cancun. I am starting to see that its more affordable for my guests and in a better location. Does anyone have an opinion on this ? DRC is a beautiful property so I was excited about it but it keeps going up in cost. The pictures from Dreams Cancun leave me a little nervous because the hotel looks much older....... has anyone maybe been to both and can tell me why they chsoe this hotel instead ? thank you soo much! I have not been to Dreams Riviera Cancun, but I did consider all of the Dreams properties in the Riviera Maya area when selecting my resort. I chose Dreams Cancun because the ceremony gazebo is more "private" than the one at Riviera Cancun appears to be (near the main pool). It was important for me to not have strangers too close to my ceremony and hopefully not in my pictures. In addition, I also liked the geographical variety at Dreams Cancun for wedding photo opportunities. Lastly, I chose the Cancun property so that guests could leave the resort for night life (if they so chose), as Dreams Cancun is within walking distance of the bars/clubs. From the pictures, Riviera Cancun does appear to be a nicer, newer resort - and for a vacation I would very likely choose it over the Cancun property. I honestly do not feel like there is an incorrect decision when choosing your resort as they are all wonderful in their own ways. Go with the resort that just feels right to you, as you will be the one remembering that day (and the whole trip) and looking at those pictures for the rest of your life. Best of luck deciding

My now husband and I had 2 wheeled carry-on bags, 2 large checked rolling suitcases, and 1 large duffle bag along with my white dress bag (which was my second carry-on). From a mile away you could tell we were getting married so the customs guys knew they had a good chance of getting us for being over the limit. If we could have given a checked bag or two to family members, they probably never would have asked us about the value of what we were carrying. One smart thing we did: we packed all of the OOT bag items in a large duffle bag (way bigger than the size you take to the gym) so that on the way back you can fold up that duffle bag and place it in the bottom of a suitcase and not have to pay an extra bag fee.

Interesting...the $2 set-up fee is new. Previously, if you brought your own then they would take care of it for free. If that set-up fee had been in place for my wedding, I would have just rented...between the purchase price, hassle, and potential luggage fees - it wouldn't be worth it to bring them.

I brought my own sashes, napkins, and table runners. One thing you do have to factor in is extra baggage weight, but even then it could still be worth bringing them (as you can find sashes on sale online for $1 each). I brought mine home to use at the AHR as well. We did not use the bout's or corsages (I thought they were too formal for our event) from the package, so I was able to trade those for 1 BM bouquet.

Oh Pucca - I am so sorry to hear about your father. Thank goodness you have your new husband by your side to help you get through such a tough time. Now that you have been through some of the "for worse", I can only hope that you and your husband get to experience some of the "for better" in the future. My heart goes out to you...

I have always thought it would be good to find your most smart-a$$ friend and tell that person (sworn to secrecy of course) the baby name you chose to see if they can find a way to make fun of it. Just to head off any school-yard teasing about the child's name. But I think it is a great idea to not tell everyone before, as they hopefully have the tact to not tell you they dislike the name after the baby is born. The September cruise is out of Barcelona to Marseilles (France), Florence, Rome, Naples, Dubrovnik (Croatia), Venice, Sicily, Mallorca (Spain), and then back to Barcelona. I think it is going to be an amazing trip, but an absolutely exhausting one. There is going to be so much to see in each port that relaxing and taking it easy is just not an option.

Joanne - So when are you due?! And have you picked out a name yet? For 6-months (which is this coming Saturday May 5th for Paul & I), we will be do a nice dinner out locally with a gift card that we were given as a wedding gift. I don't think we will be taking any sort of trip for our actual 1-yr anniversary in November. We will be doing a big trip in September (so at 10 months) that we have been calling our honeymoon/1-yr anniversary trip. Paul & I stayed 8 nights in Mexico for the wedding, but only 1 of those nights after the wedding were we without family so it didn't really seem like a honeymoon. Our trip this September is going to be 14 nights: 2 nights in Barcelona and a 12-night Mediterranean cruise. Paul has never been to Europe and I have only ever seen one of the ports (Rome), so we are both super excited. My thoughts for our 1-year anniversary in November are a nice dinner out, a small cake purchased from the bakery that did our AHR cupcakes, and a photo session with our photographer (the one who traveled with us to Mexico). Who knows, we might even host a little get together at our house for those who traveled with us to Mexico as a "reunion" of sorts. Courtney

In the time I have been on this site, I don't think I have seen any pictures from a bride using the lounge decor. I also didn't see anyone use it while I was at the resort.

All of my guests really loved the resort. Because of the amazing location of the resort, it is older than some of the other ones in the Riviera Maya. So you will be trading the older resort (less luxurious pool, older buildings - though constantly updated) for a far more interesting property with great options for wedding photography. In the end it is something only you can decide for you and your guests. Best of luck deciding, as it is a big decision. But remember that there really is no wrong choice - regardless of which resort you choose, you will be getting married in a beautiful location and your guests will have a great vacation.

There are 2 pools at Dreams Cancun, a small one at the base of the Tower and a slightly larger one near the buffet restaurant. The larger pool has the swim-up bar. I would say there is nothing wrong with the upkeep of either pool. Neither of these pools have the luxurious look of some newer resort pools though. Also there are 2 separate beaches...Himitsu Beach and what I refer to as the Tower beach (though it likely has a better name). Himitsu beach is not very deep but is very close to everything - and is protected by the rocky point with the light-house, so it has fewer waves (below is a picture of part of Himitsu beach). The Tower beach is very very deep - there is a literal multi-minute walk from the steps down to the beach to the water's edge. The chairs and thatched umbrellas for this beach are near the Tower (close to the building w/ bar), so they are distant from the water's edge. Here is a pic from the water's edge at Tower Beach (from our TTD session): Hope this helps.