May12

Hi Jackie! CONGRATULATIONS!!! We had maracas which we purchased while we were down there. Venture off the resort (via cab) and you'll be able to get great authentic maracas for only a dollar or 2 a piece, depending on the size. The less you can bring down the better, because trust me, you'll be bringing down way more than you think! Great shopping areas for OOT bag items and favors are at Mercado 28 downtown or at Plaza Caracol and the flea market area in the hotel zone. Walk around, price things out and negotiate! Also, pay in Pesos...it's less expensive that way. (you'll be able to take Pesos out at an ATM machine inn the airport, the resort, or any bank machine.)

Hola Brides to Be! I figured I'd check in while having lunch poolside at EPM! We're here for our 1 year anniversary and this place is still just amazing! Had to chime in about the cake.....BIGGER IS BETTER! Trust me, there are no rules here. We had 31 people and 3 tiers, all different flavors. People had seconds, and we brought the rest back to our room which we nibbled on for days after the wedding. Delish! Something to remember....the timing is different in Mexico. In the States, we prolong dinner throughout the entire reception time. Here, you sit down and eat all courses, including the cake, and THEN you go dance. We weren't completely sold on this so started to shake it up at our reception and left the cake sitting out a bit.Once we did the cake cutting, it had melted a bit...my fault. Still delicious but kind of droopy! Follow their lead and you wont have that problem...or not, it will still be good and you'll have a blast! There is a wedding today we may go spy on, and has been 1 every day this week! 100% capacity here so heads up to have your guests book EARLY! An English couple just did a legal ceremony yesterday that Nayeli officiated. We ran into them afterwards at the Martini Bar and they were just glowing...said it went super smooth and really have just been beaming everytime we run into them. I'll post more as we see more! Hasta la vista! Sheryl Katye, you're right around the corner!!!! Getting excited??

LYNN!!!! You are almost there! Just checking in on you... SO excited!!

LYNN!!!! You are almost there! Just checking in on you... SO excited!!

SO excited for you Monica!! Make sure to post lots of pics! I agree....Laura is amazing and we still work with her for our vacations since the wedding!

SO excited for you Monica!! Make sure to post lots of pics! I agree....Laura is amazing and we still work with her for our vacations since the wedding!

The Mariachi band was awesome! Nayeli probably has pics or info about the Caribbean trio...I think it is calypso-like. It all depends on what you want to highlight...the Caribbean or Mexico. My vote is Mexico! Ole!

Something to know....when guests check in, they will receive a little book included with all the bar and restaurant info along with a map of the resort. You can tell them where to meet up with you for different events and all the info is included in the booklet. We used Juan Carlos for an excursion, rehearsal night, spa time with the wedding party, the ENTIRE day of the wedding and a TTD in Isla Mujeres. Most of it is in our slide show on YouTube if you want to check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFzYYWe7a6k We wanted him (and his team) to just capture the "essence" of the weekend. If you want more formal photos, he does that as well. The blood testing must be done because that's how they do a legal marriage in Mexico. It is recognized as legal in the states so no other documentation is necessary.

Towels are EVERYWHERE!!! We even took some with us for our excursion to Tulum w/16 people. (and brought them back, of course) You do not need to sign for them just grab what you'll need. Same thing with drinks and rafts. I've heard a lot of brides wanting to bring koozies and rafts with them as OOT bag gifts...not necessary. Floats are all around the pools and just grab one if you want one. It's an all inclusive resort with a swim up bar and pool/beach waiters everywhere, as well as a bar everywhere you turn. If your drink gets warm, get a new one! They'll probably be asking you before you even finish your first one! I'm pretty sure they'll wipe your nose if you ask them to....the service is amazing!

Hi! Bugs were not an issue at all at the reception, but I did get a couple of bites at night eating at the Lobster house. It really wasn't bad at all. They spray regularly, but bring some bug spray just in case. There are rooms inside the CECO Terrace, but very basic, like you would see in any hotel. If you have your reception inside or at a restaurant, you will be limited on timing, and DJ options in order to be considerate to the other guests. We were married on May 19th too! Is your wedding this year or next? We'll be there this year to celebrate our 1 year anniversary!

Hola! I think I have pics/a link to the company they use for chairs and linens. Send me your email and I'll track it down for you. You can pic and choose and change anything you want about the menu, including making something up! We did not want soup (too hot for that), so we started with a Tuna tartar ap, then into salad, then entree, then desert. The entree we chose was the fillet, but wanted a fish option so asked for the chef to come up with something...we ended up with Chilean Sea Bass over a lobster risotto. All you need for a legal ceremony is your passport and tourist card. We asked a million times about this just to be sure, and still brought our birth certificates, but didn't need them! SUPER easy! I just wrote about the blood test timing and witnesses on my prior post, but there is a form you can fill out ahead of time and email to her, and bring the hard copy with you. Quote: Originally Posted by Momoarc83 Does anyone have pictures or know the difference between the bamboo chairs and the tiffany chairs? We do not want to use the white chairs with the covers that are provided. Does anyone know if you can subsitute menu options for the dinner at reception? We received our menu options, but didn't know if we could pick and choose from each menu to customize? What documents are required for a legal ceremony? Just curious as to if we need to bring our birth certifcates or whatever else?? Thanks in advance!

Hi Amy! Do you have the price list and flower options catalog? Do you know your colors and budget? If so, I'd just pick what you want and send her an email asking for a quote. Also, in the same email ask every question you have (and get quotes) in bullet point form. Once you email it out to Nayeli, follow up in a day or 2 with a phone call to her. Lynn uses skype which is less expensive, but either way, you should probably call her asap. The email will serve as the "in writing" part. Nayeli did our ceremony and the wording was beautiful. The judge just stands next to her so there's no translation needed. You will get your marriage certificate in Spanish and it is legal in the states. We live in NJ and did not need to register it here, and we used the Spanish version to put me "in the system" as my husband's wife with the Military-He's retired from the Air Force. Therefore, we did not have it translated to English. It's super easy, and you will only need your passport and tourist card(that you get at the airport going through immigrations). You'll need to be there at least 3 days before the wedding to get your blood work done (Dr will take your blood at the hotel and requires $200 in USD cash) Your witnesses (4 of them)will need to be there by then as well in order to sign the paperwork that Nayeli will send to the court. At the ceremony you and all of your witnesses will sign the official document. If you do not have 4 witnesses, the WC staff will be your witnesses. If you choose symbolic, you wont need to do anything other than say I do. With both, you do not need to write vows unless you want to...just let her know. It is so important for brides to know that this time of year starts to get crazy busy for them, and the communication will be fewer and far between so start asking questions and quotes EARLY so you can have plans nailed down as you go. If you don't have specifics you want, then they will choose for you. It will still be beautiful, but may not be exactly what you want, so the best tips I can give is BE SPECIFIC and get a quote for everything. Even if you talked to someone and it was a verbal quote, write an email stating the verbal quote. Amy, if I can help with any forms of specifics for you, IM me and I'll give you my email and send forms I have. Good luck! Sheryl

Agave is partially outdoors but beautiful and great Mexican food. Toscana is Italian (food is good-not the BEST I've ever had and wasn't our favorite restaurant in the resort), it's also where they have the buffet breakfast every morning. I'd go with Agave for a change of scenery, but if you really want AC, go with Toscana. As for the ceremonies, ours was legal, but Nayeli was the one that actually did the talking-the Judge was standing next to her. They may have one of the WC's doing the translating if she does not speak English...something to definitely ask your WC! Good Luck! Sheryl

Hi Alexis! They do have a sound system and a mic for the ceremony. Ours was in the Gazebo, but I'm sure they have it for the beach ceremonies as well, and it was easy for everyone to hear. The X-Lounge for cocktail hour is beautiful and they add high top tables for you. You won't need additional chairs as there are plenty of beds and couches around. I'm sure you can decorate if you want to but it really isn't necessary, and it will be windy being on the beach. They can bring your flowers from the ceremony to the reception though. (and then to your room after the wedding!) We did not use a dance floor and when we asked about it, they said it wasn't really necessary. Do ask for curtains so it can define the space for you. (I posted some pics up here that shows that) We had also asked about rose petals on the dance floor area, but apparently they are slippery and some mishaps have occurred....not advisable! Dancing on the concrete floor was perfect, and people even had their shoes off. My 2 cents, save your $ for something else...like some spa time!! Happy planning!! Sheryl

Hi Amanda! Customs can be a bit tricky, depending what you're bringing. They did ask us for receipts, but we didn't have any and it didn't matter. They really just want to make sure you are not reselling anything down there. What we did was take everything out of their boxes and containers, and set it up how we would be putting the items into their OOT bags. It made it clear that we were not reselling. We had raffia fans with flowers and ribbon already made up-they didn't care about them, the bottle openers, mints, 5 hour energy, sun "packs", and hangover "packs", we had packed into some of the totes-the didn't really care. We had 8 nice totes for the bridal party and some family members-they poked around a bit more at those. We had 5 Swiss Army backpacks for the groomsmen-we had a bit of a problem with them because they were obviously more expensive. That's where they asked for receipts. Most of the items we split up in different bags so it didn't look like things were in bulk. We were super nice and accommodating, smiling a lot and telling them they were all gifts for our wedding. The other totes for the rest of the guests, and other OOT bag and favor items we purchased while we were down there. Made it way easier. Just be prepared...if you have a lot of bags, which you probably will, they will go through them all....We had 9 bags total and it took about 15-20 minutes. For the record, this was the ONLY time we were ever stopped at customs with 6 times to Mexico...they didn't even let us hit the "lottery" button to pass through. They saw our bags and ushered us over to a table. Your guests will probably not have any issues getting through.

Hey MsHarryWinston! First, welcome to the forum.....it was such a great info tool for me while planning the tail end of our wedding, and these Ladies are amazing! There is no bonfire at Excellence, but there is at The Beloved, their sister property right next door. I wanted a bonfire BAD as an after party for the wedding but in hindsight, hardly anyone would have been there. We ended the reception at 11:30 and most people were beat and went to bed, the other few went with us to the Disco. You can also extend your reception and keep the party going! The other "bonfire" idea was to have it for the welcome cocktails, but we ended up doing it for free at the X-Lounge, which was really perfect! As for how many guests come....We were engaged a little over 2 years before the wedding, threw a Mexican themed engagement party that summer and told everyone to start saving. Well......if everyone who said they were coming really did, we'd have had 80 people there. In actuality, we had 31...a great crowd with our closest friends and some family. What we realized, is a lot can happen over the course of 2 years-lost jobs, babies, pregnancies, break ups, and other life or financial changing events that happen...not to mention that MANY people procrastinate and will not be saving money from 2 years out. The group that comes will have a blast, and you can't worry about everyone else. Excellence PM is AMAZING, and everyone that went said the bar was raised for types of vacations they should take, and it was the best wedding they'd been to. The resort is ALL about pleasing you and your guests, and the wedding coordinators will do almost anything you ask and are there to make your wedding perfect! We worked with Nayeli primarily during the planning (and I LOVE her!!), but Lleny was also there for the meeting when we got there that week and also throughout the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception, who is also fantastic! Where you have your wedding should reflect you and your husband to be, and if it's the right place, it will just click! Those who travel to be there with you, will do it for you wherever you happen to have it, and price won't be a make or break situation. What we did was tell our guests on the invitations and our website that all accommodations should be booked at Excellence and had them contact our travel agent for arrangements. Laura Sangster was (and still is) our travel agent and she's fantastic. The former wedding coordinator at EPM referred her to us, so she is very familiar with the resort. We ended up getting a block of rooms for 3 days (you need to make sure you'll have at least 10 rooms booked). Of course, guests could extend that time at the same rate. 8 people did chose to stay there longer, but others stayed in another hotel (Marriott Casa Magna-which is not all inclusive) in the Cancun hotel zone, prior to coming to EPM. This way they could save a bit of money, but still extend their trip. (but most people spent just as much if not more than EPM when all was tallied up) We had all of our guests checked in at EPM by Thursday for our Welcome cocktails and the other activities we planned from Thursday to Sunday. Hence, no day pass charges for any of the guests! You will pay for your room up front before you leave,and all of the wedding "stuff" will be itemized for you and you pay at check out. If you go with the in house photographer, DJ, and florist, it will all be on that bill. Additional photos or things you may want to do with the photographer that you decide on last minute you pay to him directly....and he will negotiate! Remember, things will add up FAST so make sure to get a price quote on EVERYTHING and do your own math. We were pleasantly surprised when our bill was a bit less than we planned, and with the exchange rate, we saved about $1000!! If you choose EPM, you'll love it! We already have our reservations and flights booked for our 1 year anniversary there in May...can't wait! Good luck and happy planning!! Sheryl

From the other side of the veranda. behind us is where the tables were set up Our sweetheart table We had 31 people, 5 tables and a sweetheart table-6 people per table and they were comfortable....I wouldn't seat over 8 per table, they're not that big. Still plenty of room for more tables. To the left of this pic is where they usually set up the bar. Again, ours was insides because of the rain earlier, and it would have taken too much time to move it last minute. I liked having it inside, so it all worked. Let your WC know your preferences. You'll talk about the set up beforehand, but will do a seating chart within the month before your wedding. ...

Hi again! I've had some requests for CECO Terrace pics and the bar there I hope these help... these are clearly NOT the edited pics, and some from our guests, but it should give you an idea of the space... In the background is the veranda that is used as the dance floor at the bar inside. In the back left of the pic is where the DJ was set up. The MC was outside with a mic. Something important to note. It was POURING the day of our wedding so everything was set up inside, and our cocktail hour was going to be under the veranda. (The ceremony was almost NOT at the gazebo but in the covered area of the resort!) Well, it stopped raining a couple of hours before the wedding, they squeegied the sidewalk and hustled to get the gazebo set up. At the last minute, they moved our cocktail hour BACK to the X-Lounge and while we were there moved our reception back outside!! Talk about working their butts off!! It was a surprise for us...I still thought it would have to be inside-they have to make that decision by 3pm. SO with all of the movement, the DJ still had to stay put inside because they were already set up. It worked out well with them and the bar inside. behind them are the doors (open) that lead to the veranda/dance floor FULL bar... To the right of the pic and around the corner are the bathrooms....bar was conveniently located on the way! Where they do the cake cutting. Behind us is our sweetheart table, and the lights above are the entrance to the resort. the CECO Terrace sits below. You can't see it from the entrance unless you look over the side...and know it's there. Guests walking in... Wedding party announcements/entrance... With the DJ, they provide lighting, and there should have been these cool pillar lights right at the beginning of the Terrace area, after the path in, but because of the wind/rain situation, they couldn't be set up for us. Ask about them if you have DJ Mannia. to the right of the veranda were tables set up to hold the sign in book, postcards, maracas, sparklers and pics of some past loved ones who were there in spirit! Notice to the back of the table (and to the right in the pic above) there is more space for tables if you have a larger crowd The pics of our family who had passed had to lay down because the wind was blowing them over...NOT EXACTLY, what my vision was... You can see the table in the back. The DJ will bring props of all kinds if you want them. I said ok to the balloons and everyone had fun with them. BTW, my Man of Honor won the "Moves like Jagger" dance we had going on... Sparklers were a must! Still surprised no one caught on fire! We did a traditional dance the do at weddings where the groom holds the bride's veil and everyone dances through you...there were chairs to stand on, but we ended up sitting down and turning it into a conga line... leaving the reception at the last song... The CECO Terrace during the day looking down from the main entrance the path in...