This thread has been super helpful! My wedding is May 22, 2013. Our ceremony is booked for the gazebo and I want to book the Baja Norte, I've been told this cannot be done until 2 months before. This has been a bit stressful as I know there are 3 other weddings that day. As for total reception costs, from the other Riu Palace brides I've spoken with, the average seems to be around $8000. This includes all of the extras like site fees, dj & lighting, dinner per person, etc. Hope this helps.