yeemein

Hi all, I have a minor issue...2 weeks ago Maria told me to give her dinner selections for my group. She wasn't specific at all so I sent an email back with additional questions and when she didn't reply after 1 week I decided to email my group and ask them for dinner selections: 1 appetizer, 1 soup, 2 main courses, and dessert. I finally finished compiling the information last night and sent it to Maria. To my surprise she emails me back within a few hours and told me that the entire group has to have a set menu. Well why were you not specific before I had wasted my time collecting information? We're a group of 29, and since this dinner counts towards 1 of 3 Ã la carte dinners, I would think my guests should be able to choose what they want for dinner as long as the selections are made in advance. I tried to call Maria but of course no answer and no voicemail. So now I'm assuming I have to choose a set menu but I'm still confused on why 2 main courses and in Maria's email she said, to choose one at the restaurant...does any know what this means? How to choose a set menu: * 1 Appetizer * 1 Soup * 2 Main courses (to choose one at the restaurant) IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are more than 30 people you have to choose only one main course, please. * 1 dessert (As a dessert you may choose the wedding cake for all group with no extra charge, instead of dessert plus wedding cake) * Please be so kind to choose you favorite flavor for your wedding cake (chocolate, vanilla, cheesecake, 3 leches (3 milk), and raspberry) Same menu for all group wedding party.

For sure, I'll give a full review. Maria responded to me emails about the website pricing but was not helpful at all!!! When I started planning Paloma was my contact for date/time/location and package information. Paloma sent me the package information but it was very minimal...Civil Wedding, Symbolic Wedding, Mayan Wedding were the choices she originally gave me. So I picked Symbolic because we knew we would marry legally in Canada before travelling to Mexico. But the Symbolic Package really didn't include much of anything and I noticed on the resort website there were several categories for Civil Weddings. I emailed Paloma and asked if I could switch to a Civil Wedding package but without the minister/legal fees, since we wouldn't need it. Paloma said yes but there would be no discount for any inclusions that we didn't need. And now the website is publishing wedding package rates without minister/legal fees and Maria said basically locked in. They are very inconsisent with their information. We will for sure be doing some negotiating.

Contact Andréa Salazar from Mexicosol. http://mexicosol.com/ She is amazing, knows Riviera Maya very well and she can arrange many kinds of excursions. As for Coco Bongo I will be going there for my bachelorette party. I've heard it's a blast! There are different rates for if you want admission only with unlimited drinks, with transportation, admission with seating area/table service, with transportation...you can also ask Andréa or there should be a CocoBongo rep at the resort as well. I hope this helps!

hmm this is interesting. I had asked Maria so many times if the price of the package would decrease if we don't need a minister and she said no. We're already legally married in Canada and our best friend will be our "minister" for our ceremony. I think the best thing to do is to negotiate with your WC once you're in resort. It's impossible to get an accurate straight answer from them. We're departing in 10 days and wedding in 15 days

Hi! I also emailed Maria about this but no response yet. Has anyone gotten a response from their WC? I leave in 12 days =)

Hello all! Does anyone have leftover plastic straps for luggage tags that they don't need? I need 30 of them. Please let me know. Thx!

Hi Fraggle42, sorry you cannot download the document, it's bcz we're not junior members yet. I'll post the scripting I found. Sand Ceremony #1 "Before the two of you met, your lives were on separate roads ... each going in different directions and seemingly leading to different destinations. But somewhere along the way (through some twist of fate) you did meet, and you fell in love. Today, you find yourselves standing here together at the threshold of a new path, and have promised to forever join your once separate journeys into one. Before each of you there is a container of sand. Each container represents the separate journeys you once were on. They also represent your own sets of friends and families, that until today were apart from each other. I now ask that you blend these individual containers of sand together. As the sand has blended together, your lives too are joined. Your once solitary journeys have become one of companionship, as you now set forth on a single path together into your future. Your friends and family are as one as well. You will now share those who are a part of your lives as you walk hand-in-hand Sand Ceremony #2 As you stand beside the ocean, may your love always be as constant as the tide; waves flowing endlessly from the depths of the sea. Just as water is the eternal force of life, so is love. Love is the force that allows us to face fear and uncertainty with courage. You have just sealed your relationship by giving and receiving of rings. But although you will be sharing one life, never forget that you are two separate people. Cherish and affirm your differences. Love each other. Keep your commitment primary. Together you will laugh and cry, be sick and well, be happy and angry, share and grow. Grow sometimes together, sometimes separately. To symbolize this union and the importance of the individuals within the marriage, two separate colours of sand will be combined. Each one holds its own unique beauty, strength, and character. They can stand on their own and be whole, without need of anything else. However when these two are blended together they create and entirely new and extraordinarily more intricate entity. Each grain of sand brings to the mixture a lasting beauty that forever enriches the combination. Please pour the sand into this common container to symbolize the union of your two lives. Sand Ceremony #3 Now we shall celebrate this union as it is symbolized through the pouring of two individual containers of sand. One represents (Bride/Groom) and all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be. The other represents (Groom/Bride) and all that you were and all that you are, and all that you will ever be. As the two vials of sand are poured into the third keepsake vase, the individual containers of sand ceased exist as they are now joined together as one. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual vases, so will the love and bond between the two of you render you inseparable. Sand Ceremony #4 Before you met, your lives were on different paths with different destinations. Love has brought you together and joined these separate paths into one. The sand in these jars symbolize your separate lives, separate families, separate sets of friends, and the different life journeys you once traveled. I ask that each of you take one of the jars and that you fill the center jar together. I hope this helps

Funny, I was just about to re-post that thread too. since sunshine 2680 and Tlseege posted their unity sand frame, I've been on a rampage looking a suitable frame in Montreal. I found something comparable at Winners/Home Sense for $7.99!! There are 4 panels of glass inserts and 3 of them slide out. So what I'm going to do is hot glue the 1 of the 3 glass inserts and remove the 2 of 3rd glass insert in order to make the slot for sand larger. I'm going to try it this weekend and I'll re-post and let you all know how it goes. Question: when during the ceremony would you do the sand ceremony? I also found another post that has scripting on what to say during the sand ceremony. I will attach and hope you can see. Sand Ceremony.pdf

Oh wow!!! thanks for th tip Trish. I hope to do the same. But it might be hard to find the unity sand frame locally and the shipping to Canada is as much as the frame. =(

Sunshine2680 did you pour the 2 sands into the frame originally or did your pour the 2 sands in a larger vase initially and then transffered to the frame? I'm just wondering how brides transferred the 2 mixed sand back home without losing the original design/shape of the poured sand. know what I mean?

WOW this is very pretty! Thanks for sharing Sunshine2680. =) I'm going to see where I can find one locally.

thanks heather. i pm'd you but just ignore it. hmm i'm thinking of doing the sand ceremony but don't like the idea of bringing vases. how did you bring the mixed sand back to home with you?

oh wow the vase picture frame seems very cool! do you have a picture of this?

good question. i'm not exactly sure. I will ask Heather and get back to you. I know you can bring your own coloured sand...and probably the resort can provide the vases, but will definitely charge you. because there is a fee for everything!! haha.

Congrats in advance Jill! Look forward to reading your review. Bon Voyage!

oh i just realized why I cannot download attachments...i need to be a junior member (minimum 150 posts) or purchase a site supporting membership. i understand if no one can send me a template. no worries.

hi all, does anyone have a luggage tag template they could email me? I can seem to download any of the ones available on DIY forums. please and thank you! [email protected]

Hi fraggle42, the unity sand ceremony represents bringing two lives together in the bond of marriage. basically bride and groom each have their coloured sand in separated vases and they pour their sand in one big vase, bringing their lives together into one. =)

Hi Heather, great review & pics, thank you for sharing. for your sand ceremony, i know you brought your own sand but did you have to big the vases too? or did Maria supply those? thanks, susan