LPerry

Our trip ended up being about $300 a night for hotel/air. So some spent as little as $900 for a 3 night trip....and as much as $1800 for a week. I really tried to make it work in any budget. I figured if it averaged out to about $1200 then it was $100 a month...which is only $25 a week!

Sorry Rpc...I hit submit too soon. But I opted to use mine as a welcome cocktail on the first night everyone was there together. You can also use it as a cocktail reception after your ceremony. But if you're taking photos, you might not get to enjoy it. That's why I had mine the night before. After the actual wedding, we all went up to the sports bar to cool off and have drinks....then we had a group dinner at the steak restaurant. We had a large table set up outside and it was really nice. If you want a private reception...I believe it's $400 a table to set up. I didn't want to spend that since it was such a small group. You'd end up getting really the same kind of service if you eat at one of the restaurants.

We had one, and we only had 10 people with us. It was nice..food was good, had great bar service. It didn't cost us anything b/c we had enough rooms booked to get it for free.

Nicole... We had this problem. The hotel was completely booked when we got there and couldn't use any of our credits towards a room upgrade. We ended up getting A LOT of wine with ours. I also went to the spa and got a massage and my hair/makeup done. My suggestion, if you end up having a lot of credits is to get a nice bottle of wine w/every meal. We didn't realize until our second to the last day we could have done this. We ended up taking a bunch home with us - which ended up costing us more at the airport b/c my bag was so heavy.

We followed the rules we saw in the Wedding Packet that said you had to be legally married in the US w/a legitimate marriage license...but they never asked us for it. But things seem to be pretty inconsistent - so you might want to have it w/you just in case. I was told you couldn't have the symbolic ceremony unless you were already legally married. We got married at our home the week before we went to Mexico and brought our license that had been recorded by the county with us. And the person who did the real ceremony at home also did the symbolic ceremony in Mexico.

Book it as late as you possibly can! My wedding was at 3:00pm on 7/28 and I was dripping sweat under my dress. Also, the photos will be better if the sun is not directly overhead. I'm squinting in all of my pictures. It is the ONLY thing I would have done differently.

Brooke... It was cheaper to have the photographer stay at the hotel for a night ($300 vs. $500). My photog was awesome and split the price with me. I'll take $150 over $500 any day.

We booked Phoebe Landa Photography - http://www.weddingphotographermexico.com/ and Bartek was our photographer. We were so pleased! He not only did an amazing job, but he was so much fun and felt like more of a guest than a vendor. We got married on July 28th in Cancun. I had my digital proofs in two weeks and my prints and CD are being Fed Ex'd as I type this. It would have been sooner if I had been more on the ball about picking out my enlargements. Their studio is based in Mexico City, and doesn't have a huge presence in the RM yet - they are still breaking into the market - so don't count them out b/c you don't see a million reviews online. Pricing was so incredibly reasonable and we actually ended up getting more photography time than we thought we would ($2100 for 8+ hrs). We got married at Beach Palace, and they require outside vendors either pay $500 or be a guest of the hotel. Phoebe and I split the cost of 1 night ($300)...so an extra $150 for me. No big deal for me since we got such a great rate. The best part was, Bartek was there with us so we did photos on the beach the next morning. Here is the link to our photos from Bartek's UK site. http://www.photoagency4.pl/news-reader/items/lucy-and-matt

Hey ladies... Here our some of our wedding photos our photographer posted to his UK site. We used Phoebe Landa Photography and Bartek was our photog: http://www.photoagency4.pl/news-reader/items/lucy-and-matt They were wonderful and very affordable too!

Thank you Kristie! My necklace was made by a friend's mother. I believe she has an Etsy store. I'll find out and send you her info!

Well, here is the final product! I wish I had a more full length photo...but the photog images aren't in yet. A few words of advice: If you can get away with it...DON'T wear crinoline. I'm telling you, I had sweat running down my legs, and I smelled like a field worker b/c that sucker doesn't breathe at all! I peeled out of it as soon as my beach wedding was over, and just wore the dress w/out the petticoat for the rest of the night. I wish I had saved the $70 and not bought it. I did not transport my dress in the hanging bag. I knew we'd have to carry it all over the airport, and put it on a shuttle...and it was heavy and cumbersome and I had to contend w/that crinoline monster. I also heard from some people that the flight attendants aren't always so accommodating when handling wedding dresses. At the suggestion of my aunt (who is very smart) I rolled up the dress, in the Davids Bridal bag, and packed it in a suitcase by itself with the petticoat and my shoes. As soon as I got to the hotel, I unpacked it, and hung it up in the closet. It looked perfect, and we ironed the sash with the curling iron..lol. So on the way home, I did the same thing...and was able to pack some of the souvenirs we brought back with us. Totally worked out perfectly and in the end only cost me $25 for the extra bag. Totally worth it to not have to worry about it, if you ask me. I'm thinking I'm going to sell it. I loved it, and it was perfect...but really, what am I going to do with it now? I felt so beautiful in it...and never dreamed I'd be able to pull off a strapless gown. I'd kind of like to pass that feeling on to someone else. It's a bridal 20W, but taken in about an inch on either side and in the back. I wear a 14-16 in street clothes. It could easily be taken in more if needed to fit someone w/less of a chest or smaller waist. It's a gorgeous, light organza, and almost looks like linen. Perfect for a beach wedding. If anyone is interested, I'd be happy to make a deal!

Hey ladies... So we just got home on Friday from our wedding and honeymoon, so I thought I'd give you all some feedback on our experience. Beach Palace: We had a blast! I mean...it really was a fantastic venue and family resort. We only had 8 people with us...so just 10 (9 adults, 1 child) in all, and I will say it was a perfect sized group for that resort. My husband, stepson, MIL, and SIL arrived on Wednesday. Most of our other guests came on Thursday, and the group went over to Moon Palace for dinner at the Brazilian steakhouse. We waited like an hour and a half, but it was fun. It's a lovely resort and we sat outside on the terrace and had drinks. Dinner was great, but I could see that having a really large group would be difficult, so I wouldn't recommend that place with too large of a group. Friday I opted to use my cocktail reception as a welcoming event. I wish I'd chosen a different location though. We did it on the infinity terrace, which is right in front of the main pool. I would have rather been up on the Sky Terrace for that. But we had excellent service and the hor d'ouvers were great. We did the Mexican menu. After the cocktail hour, we all went to Wok for dinner - and again had excellent service. I used the salon for my hair and makeup...and honestly, I don't know what anyone was complaining about. This was probably my #1 stresser the entire trip. To ease my worry, my hairdresser at home helped me come up with a style and a friend of mine who was going with me watched her do it...just in case the salon couldn't replicate it. We had lots of photos on my phone. When I got to the salon, the stylist Rosie had a book of styles to look through, and I showed her one that looked like what I wanted and I showed her my phone pics. Basically, I have shoulder length, fine hair...and we swept it over and to the side in a soft curly "nest" at the bottom of my neck. I was a little worried b/c she didn't roll it in rollers or set it...just backcombed the hell out of it. She used a very small curling iron which I didn't like on the ends...so my sister suggested she use the larger curling iron so I didn't have "prom" ringlets. In spite of the language difference...we were able to get the look we wanted and I was really happy. On Saturday, I got a different stylist Paty, but my friend who watched my hairdresser do my hair is Hispanic...so she came with me. Now there were a few times where I had to say, "No, there's not enough volume on this side" or "It needs to go over my ear" or "No we need to use a larger curling iron for my bangs"...so having my friend with me to translate was imperative! But again, in the end, it looked amazing and held all day and night. Also it helped that Rosie was right there to kind of tell her how she'd done the updo. I had some little beaded bobby pins that we stuck in a few places that just completed the entire look. The same stylist did my makeup. I had actually seen her do makeup for another wedding the day before, and it was beautiful. I was very impressed with the products they use...all name brands from the hair products to the makeup. Again, my friend was able to translate that I wanted a bold eye with big lashes b/c my eyes are small and squinty and I wanted them to show up in photos. She applied my lashes that I brought with me. Also she told her not to put any apricot on me b/c it turns orange. She lined my lower lids which I didn't like...so I made her take that off. I ended up tweaking it a little w/ some extra concealer and highlighting on my brow....but other than that, I have NO complaints. My makeup looked flawless after an hour under the sun, dinner, and our little after party! Bottom line...the salon and spa are great! Just make sure you have photos with you...and are ready to communicate with them if they're doing something you don't like. They do a lot of wedding hair - don't be a snob about it just b/c they don't do things exactly how your stylist does it at home. They have their own tricks to keep the hair in place for that climate and environment. I know not everyone can have a personal translator there with you..but if you can, I highly suggest it. Same thing w/the makeup. This is what they do...and if you're stressed about it...pay for the trial. It was so worth it, and I looked great at my reception. We spoke to Mario on our second day there. I had coordinated everything with Janessa and my TA prior to coming....so the entire thing was really already planned out. We did the complimentary set up, and I purchased an extra bouquet for my MOA and flower for the BM. I also got three separate roses to lay on empty seats for my parents and my husbands father who have passed away. I know they have another vendor they use for additional decoration for receptions...but we didn't need it. Really the comp package was plenty. I would really stress to you ladies, that the little things you are worried about...decor, chair covering, table settings...no one is going to care or remember. They may, in the moment say..."Oh wow, cute chair bows"...but now having gone through it...I just don't see it as a necessary expense. The pergola was beautiful, my complimentary bouquet was gorgeous (and kept, by the way for almost a week). Your guests are there for YOU. They will remember how in love you are, and how beautiful you look. They will not care that you spent an extra $2000 on the Collin Cowie Peacock Collection. We had about 200 onlookers from the beach and the pool which I thought would look tacky in the photos - and it MADE the ceremony. They all cheered when I walked out to the beach. When the pronounced us man and wife, there was a ton of applause from the pool. It was precious. Mario is amazing and took care of everything. He even remembered that one of my guests didn't drink alcohol so he had a Sprite poured in a champagne glass for her. He explained to me that a few weeks ago, the company split and that is why the Miami office closed. They are in the process of moving the wedding office to Mexico...so that might be why some of you are having difficulty reaching a coordinator. I feel this will be fixed in the next few weeks. However, after seeing how efficient this resort is, I feel confident that none of your issues will fall through the cracks. By the time your day comes...they will be working hard for you. Just keep in mind, they have to focus on the weddings that are happening at the resort right now. It is a really easy, pain free process. After the ceremony we took photos and then all went in to cool off (the wedding was at 3:00pm on the beach!) upstairs at the sports bar. I took my crinoline off (I had sweat running down my legs) and chilled out with my guests and photog and had some cocktails until dinner. Since we had a small group, we just had dinner at the steak restaurant that is outside on the terrace. It's a la carte so everyone ordered what they wanted. I think the only other thing I would have done differently was that I would have opted for the Italian restaurant. We ate there the next night and their food was amazing. You must, must, must try it! Oh, the cake! The cake was great too....very sweet, but moist and the fondant was actually very delicious (and I usually hate fondant). After dinner we went back up to the sports bar, again...I kept my dress on (I'm getting my money's worth out of that sucker) and my MIL signed me and my husband up for a kareoke song! So we got a big introduction and got up on stage to sing "What I Like About You"...and it was hysterical! Everyone came up to our table and congratulated is. We had rose petals on our bed, and a hot bath drawn in the jacuzzi when we got back to the room. Perfect ending to the day. It was exactly what I wanted and I'd do it all again. Here are a few pics of my hair/makeup. I'll get some more posted when I get my images back from my photographer.

Ok, so since I started this thread, I feel I need to chime in since I just got married on Saturday. Yes, I'm typing this from my honeymoon hotel room. We ended up having 8 additional people with us, and I will tell you right now, it was PERFECT. We were able to spend time with each of our guests. We weren't wrapped up in trying to plan a million activities. I was able to buy great gifts for everyone who came (beach bags, swimsuit cover ups, and plastic insulated cups w/lids to use the entire trip) We had a simple, small wedding and small dinner at one of the restaurants. At one point my husband and I said, "Aren't you glad we didn't have more people here?" We had a perfect group - everyone got along. Everyone had a great time. And even better....we sparked new friendships between our guests who didn't know each other. The most important people were there. The funny thing is, they all kind of admitted they put off booking, but that they were so glad they came. On top of that....we all decided we're going to vacation again together b/c we had so much fun. Even my sister, who just had a baby, and had so much anxiety about coming had a wonderful time. She even said, "Now that I'm here - I just want to relax and help you and have a good time in Mexico" The bottom line is, don't let it ruin your day or your destination wedding experience. Yes, it hurts your feelings when people say they're coming and they flake out. We had several people bail for "better vacation opportunities". It just really shows you who you are important to. I have solidified my relationships with the people who came here with me. Honestly, looking back on it, I wish I hadn't stressed so much. I was able to marry the sweetest, cutest man I know....and that moment up there with him was the whole reason I did this. Everything else was a beautiful extra. When it's all said and done....you just shrug your shoulders and say...."Wow, you really missed a great time" and it's their loss. My best wishes go out to each of you as you continue to plan. I hope each of your days is as wonderful and filled with love as mine was. XOXO Lucy

My fiance said the SAME thing! But I've seen photos, and honestly if you have enough people I'd say it's worth it. You'd be paying way more for that kind of set up at a hotel/reception venue. We only have 11 people going with us, so we're just opting for dinner at the steak restaurant. But I would have loved to have had more people there so we could have a real reception.

Kabby, My TA was able to get straight through to the resort and contacted Mario in the wedding office there. Now, my wedding is next weekend...so I don't know if we got that fast response b/c it's so close. Everything so far has been fine. When is your wedding? B/c typically, you won't talk to anyone from the resort any sooner than 3 months before your wedding. I would imagine w/the the workload from Miami moving to Mexico...they are overloaded and working on things in order. I know that's not too helpful when you're trying to plan...but like you...I kind of threw my hands up and stopped stressing. Good luck! Lucy

1. Your wedding can be covered by whatever your budget will allow. All of that depends on how many people you invite, and what your vision is for your day. I know people who've spent $20,000 on just the ceremony and reception at the resort. I'm spending less than $2000. We're only having 10 people with us so we aren't having a big reception there. We're having an at home reception when we get back, and the majority of our money is going into that. 2. I think the only time you would be paying for a trip would be in the case of your MOH or best man or other family. My cousins paid for MOH and BM. We are paying for my stepson (who is the BM) and my MIL. But generally your guests will pick up their own tab. Two of my friends who are sharing a room got great deals for 3 nights for only $870 a piece, including flight - so it isn't like everyone HAS to pay an arm and a leg to come be with you. 3. I'm getting married 7/28/12 and we booked in November. But I'm sure you can book at least 12 months in advance. My advice is, consult with a really good travel agent. If you find someone who is experienced with destination weddings, they can get ALL of this info for you. There are several travel companies who specialize in DW and know all the ins and outs of the different resorts. I'd be pulling my hair out if I hadn't used a TA. They will get you every special...give your guests a personal contact for pricing...and will book everything for you. Also, keep in mind....the Palace resorts offer free stuff depending on the amount of people you have coming (rooms/nights booked), but they all have to be booked through the same channel. So to take advantage of those, you almost have to have an agent. And usually there's no charge for a TA. Congrats and happy planning!!

My TA contacted the wedding office at the resort and got an email from Mario. We just got a confirmation of everything we had planned already. I have their contact info I can share.

Same thing here. I asked my TA to look into it. I guess while I'm here I'll ask the question I had. If you are doing a symbolic ceremony, what do you need to bring to the resort...just the signed license by your officiant...or the actual marriage certificate from the state/county records office?

They didn't say anything to me about a two night stay. They just had to be a guest of the hotel. So I split the one night stay w/my photog and didn't have to pay the fee.

The steak restaurant. And I think for our welcome dinner we're going to do the Italian place. Did anyone venture over to Moon palace to the Brazillian steakhouse there? We wanted to go on our first night w/just our immediate family (5 of us). I read on Trip Advisor it wasn't great for large groups.