TealMarie

What we save by filling up on gas down there makes our trip worth it alone. We love going to the States, it saves us probably 40-50% on groceries.

Wow! 50-60 guests? What an awesome turnout! We're also doing beach ceremony, pier cocktail hour but the foyer for the reception. Do you girls know if we get to choose table linen colours or other decorations? Or is it just plain white table cloths, napkins, etc?

Here here to trying to find motivation to go to the gym. I keep thinking "It's 9 months away...I have time." haha I don't think I'd do OOT bags either if I had 45 people coming, yikes. We only have around 20 and we'll just do one per couple and then individuals for the singles. I like having so much time to think about it, hopefully I can score some good deals by keeping my eye out. Right now I want to put in a mini first aid kit (bandaids, advil, pepto, aloe vera, etc), gatorade packets, fun coloured Ray Ban knockoffs, coloured waterproof watches (so many people I know don't own watches, we all just use our cell phones but you probably won't be carting those around at a resort - this is my logic for it) and maybe beer koozies (I'm not sure if I'll put our names on it or maybe just a funny saying). Jolene, where did you get your luggage tags? I'd like to do that as well but the ones I like are too much $. I might do maracas or natural soap for favours. I'd love to do something edible but it'd probably be a nightmare to try to bring it down there through customs. MelB where did you get a good deal for Vistaprint? Mango orange will be cute but tough to find especially if you're looking for a certain shade. Have you tried stylebop, ASOS, polyvore (search these by colour, it might help)? I think I might do thin sparkly headband with veil and then no veil but flower in the hair for the reception. I'm just worried the veil will be whipping me in the face during the ceremony. When I see some photos of past brides it looks like they can get a bit unruly. I really want to bring vases down as well because I want to find some turquoise ones but I'm worried they'll all break. I'm definitely going to bring chair sashes, napkins, maybe a few table runners and paper lanterns or bunting (stuff that will dress it up a bit but doesn't take up much room in our bags).

Yes you can, we do all the time!

So other than sending out invites, what else are you girls working on now? I'm going wedding dress shopping this weekend, which will be a big checkmark off the list. I feel like I should start some projects now while I have the time, perhaps the OOT bags. Or maybe the dance playlist.

Quote: Originally Posted by stacey8017 Hi Ladies! So I am new here on BDW... I actually tried to reply to someones post a few minutes ago and it didn't work. So I figured I would try this way... Anyways, congrats on everyone's upcoming weddings! I am also getting married at ERC... July 22, 2013! I am pretty sure someone else is getting married the same week which is pretty cool! I was just wondering where everyone is at with their planning? I'll admit, although I chose a destination wedding for simplicity and fun, I am a bit of a freak about making sure everything is in place. So I'm wondering if you have picked your locations for everything, packages, decided on decorations, if you're doing OOT bags and have started anything, etc? Just trying to figure out if I am behind, on point, or ahead of the game? Hope to hear from some ladies soon! Stacey Hi Stacey, Congrats on booking your wedding and welcome! I saw your post on the other ERC thread and was responding but I'll do it on here instead. I've wondered the same thing about the lack of activity on the ERC boards. I'm not sure if this means there are fewer people getting married there or just not as many people on this forum? In any case I've also subscribed to the Excellence Playa Mujeres board as it's pretty active and a lot of what they talk about works for us as well (packages, photographers, flowers, timing, mariachi bands they offer, etc). Our wedding is not until Nov so I can't compare with you on what point I'm at. I do know I asked Gloria when I had to give her the final numbers for guests, decide the menu, flowers, etc and she said 3-4 weeks prior to the wedding, but they'd prefer sooner than that if possible. If I were you I'd pick out your locations and time so that you get what you want in case someone else books the same day. I read through this thread, as well as this one http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/34210/excellence-riviera-maya which helped me a lot in deciding. For example, the pier is very narrow so if you have a lot of guests coming, they may end up seated very far back in order to fit them all on the dock for your ceremony and it's windy out there, etc. I also asked Gloria for photos of each venue which helped a lot. I'm thinking of starting OOT bags early just so they don't end up stressing me out but I've read on here a lot of girls doing them 4-6 weeks prior. I'm still trying to decide what to put in there. I've read a lot of people put insulated mugs for drinks but I don't know if anyone has done it at ERC and if people used them. Our wedding is at 2pm and I'm wondering when to book our hair/make up appointments as well. I really want to leave us lots of time to get ready so it doesn't get hectic and stressful. Anyone with advise on how long we should allow? So basically I have no answers for you but I have a lot of the same questions, lol!

I'm not sure if everyone has seen it but there's a webinar for Excellence Resorts on March 16th on this site. It's under 'Forum News and Updates' and then 'Wedding Webinar Schedular 2013'. I have a feeling it'll answer a lot of our questions!

For some reason it won't let me quote your response correctly. Have you received his suit yet? How is the quality of it? My FI also hates to be too hot and uncomfortable so I'd like to minimize that for him if possible....in a good looking suit.

Thanks Ampanda, that's really helpful for the rest of us!

I see your wedding date is over a year away. I'm sure a lot of people will change their minds between now and closer to the date. People are often afraid of saying yes and then disappointing you later with a 'no', so instead a lot of people just wait on it to figure out how their lives/finances, etc play out. We decided to do a DW and just talked it over with our parents and siblings and their partners before we made any big decisions. Once we realized they were on board, we went ahead with it and thought if anyone else at all comes it's just a sweet bonus. So far we have about 18 coming which has completely surprised us. Like the PP have said, in the end as long as you and your FI can make it, you're golden! That's all that matters.

We're getting married Nov 21st at the Excellence Riviera Cancun. It feels so good to have the resort picked out and the date booked. It's good to know other people are sending their invites out so early. I had mentioned to my parents that I wanted to send mine in Feb and they mentioned a lot of people may lose them before the RSVP deadline of Sept. I sent Save-the-Date emails to everyone a month ago and it looks like we'll have 18-20 people coming. I've finished making the invites and now they're just sitting there, starring at me and waiting to be mailed. I'm still trying to decide whether to send them or wait several months.

Woot! Thanks for posting this. I'm happy I saw it, now I can order thank-you cards to put at everyone's place setting and maybe some koozies. What's everyone else getting with this coupon?

Don't worry about it. I think we all wondered at first why responses were few and far between. Yes our booking number is what we used to confirm our wedding date and time. Congrats on booking a date, you must be so excited!! It looks like you'll be getting married just before Trisha. The huge benefit of doing a DW is there's a lot less planning for you, so planning it faster than an at home wedding is a lot easier. I don't know if you've done this yet but next up I'd recommend booking a photographer if you're not going to use the resort photographer. There's a lot of great reviews for local photographers on this site under 'vendor reviews'.

Are you just at the beginning stages of planning? I've heard that most WC down there get several hundred emails per week if not more from brides who are trying to pick the resort they'll have their wedding at plus they have up to three weddings per day there. I've recently decided on ERC and Gloria has been really great at responding to all of my emails, although I don't expect answers for a day or two. From what I've read on here, just start asking questions as far in advance as you can and maybe put more than one question in each email so you get more bang for your buck, so to speak. I also found it really useful to go through this thread as well as the other one on ERC that is 50+ pages long. It answered about 80% of my questions about the resort, the food and the weddings they offered. Feel free to PM me if you have certain questions. I may be able to answer them from what I know already.

We have! Ours will be on November 21, 2013! Oh my goodness I'm getting so excited, even if it is...300+ days away. Gloria has been such a doll with my countless emails and questions. Just curious, when are you sending your invites out and when are you getting people to RSVP by?

Thanks for all of the advice, we've decided to book at the Excellence Riviera Cancun in November of this year. We chose it based on reviews for the weddings on here and amazing reviews on tripadvisor. Can't wait!

Hi Ashley, Oh wow, your pictures are amazing! Did they do your hair and makeup at the spa because you look gorgeous. Every single person at your wedding looks like they had the time of their lives. Please forgive me if I get annoying but I do have a few questions: What was the weather like in November? What time did you have your wedding? I'm just trying to figure out timing for photos (have a 2pm or 4pm ceremony?) but it looks like you guys did a first look. Where did you have your reception? I've heard some of the venues can be too hot but did you find it different at that time? Did you get several centerpieces for each table? They look beautiful and it looks like you have a larger arrangement and two smaller ones. Is there anything you'd do differently or wish you'd known beforehand? Thank you so much for coming back and helping us out.

Hey shelleyanderic, we're very close to booking at ERC for Nov as well! What day is your wedding?

Hi girls. I have finally had a chance to read through all of these pages and I want to say a big thank you to all of the brides who've come back to post their experiences - you don't know how much you've helped us! We've decided to book ERC for Nov 2013 (not sure of the exact date just yet) and we're so excited! Who's getting married there this year and how long until the big day? Has anyone had their wedding there around this time? I know a lot of people have said having the reception in the Foyer or Garibaldi Square was way too hot, but I noticed most of these people had their weddings in the summer. Any different experiences or recommendations for the fall? It seems everyone wants the Lobster House for the cool breeze, but if it's only available one night of the week, that may be difficult to get. No matter what, we know it's going to be beautiful and everyone who can come will have a great time.

I'm hoping getting a TA will help us get a few freebies for guests and/or the wedding, as you mentioned. Thanks for the suggestion of Bahia Principe Akumal (it sounds huge!), however, we've now decided we'll be looking for an adults only resort. That will make a lot of our decisions easier I think.

Thanks for all the suggestions and help! I have started talking to a travel agent, as the options are just so overwhelming. It's great to have a website like this where you can read about real brides experiences - so helpful. I'll be sure to check out the reviews and individual forums for the resorts we're interested in.

Thank you Lynda, That resort looks beautiful, thanks for the suggestion. Gorgeous pictures too, well done. It's certainly going to be fun picking everything out.

Hi Everyone, I'm new to the site after hearing about it from friends. FI and I got engaged just a few weeks ago and we are really excited to marry each other. The only thing we've decided on is a destination wedding as our people are spread out throughout Canada and it will be in Oct or Nov of 2013. We're looking for somewhere warm (Mexico, Carribbean, Central America?), affordable for the guests and as we're inviting kids, an all inclusive resort that has a family section and an adults only section for our kid-free friends (I'm hoping this exists!). I'm also trying to decide whether to use a travel agent or not, as the number of resorts out there feel overwhelming. I'm excited to start searching and learning as I've heard this site is extremely informative. Thanks for having me!

Hi Everyone, I'm new to the site after hearing about it from friends. FI and I got engaged just a few weeks ago and we are really excited to marry each other. The only thing we've decided on is a destination wedding as our people are spread out throughout Canada and it will be in Oct or Nov of 2013. We're looking for somewhere warm (Mexico, Carribbean, Central America?), affordable for the guests and as we're inviting kids, an all inclusive resort that has a family section and an adults only section for our kid-free friends (I'm hoping this exists!). I'm also trying to decide whether to use a travel agent or not, as the number of resorts out there feel overwhelming. I'm excited to start searching and learning as I've heard this site is extremely informative. Thanks for having me!

Hi Everyone, I'm new to the site after hearing about it from friends. FI and I got engaged just a few weeks ago and we are really excited to marry each other. The only thing we've decided on is a destination wedding as our people are spread out throughout Canada and it will be in Oct or Nov of 2013. We're looking for somewhere warm (Mexico, Carribbean, Central America?), affordable for the guests and as we're inviting kids, an all inclusive resort that has a family section and an adults only section for our kid-free friends (I'm hoping this exists!). I'm also trying to decide whether to use a travel agent or not, as the number of resorts out there feel overwhelming. I'm excited to start searching and learning as I've heard this site is extremely informative. Thanks for having me!