TealMarie

I have a question about the spa if anyone can answer it. I'm planning to take the bridal party and Moms to the spa the day before for a treatment of their choice (ie: massage, mani/pedi or facial). If you get a treatment, do you also get to do the hydrotherapy pool tour? I've emailed the spa to ask them this but I think language barriers may be getting in the way and the response I got was confusing. Anyone know?

Girls, I am getting stuff done! In the last few days I have ordered our wedding bands. Here's FI's tungsten carbide ring:

We ordered his suit from Indochino:

I finally ordered tote bags for the OOT bags. I'm going to paint them, but I haven't decided how yet. I also ordered those cheap, waterproof watches (in various colours) for the bags:

I found a pair of sandals for the reception and I might wear them for the ceremony too:

I got the necklace and earrings I'm going to wear:

We finalized our menu. I ordered wooden peg people so I can paint them for our cake topper (we'll see how that goes). We also had four more guests decide they're coming, yay! 

How's everyone doing? Let's motivate each other. Less than 3 months!

Originally Posted by Jenn963 

 

awww thanks girllllllss!! you are all so sweet.

TealMarie; that looks good too...but i'm just not for a belt ...

 

so the belt is ruled out

the bling at the seam where the skirt flares out...is ruled out...

i think i shall go with the flower applique/brooch at the side....

 

i think it's not toooo too much...it balances:

Whoever said that the bling applique takes away the focus ...ur right....i think it kind of does....and because it's not centered it's kinda...off..sorta..kinda ... 

The flower applique is subtle and nice but still enough bling to shut me up LOL

 

alright!! i have decided....all your opinions helped THANK YOU!!  

It's going to look so good with the flower! Glad you were able to work in something sparkly on your dress

Jenn, what about what this girl did? A belt straight across cuts off the beautiful lines of the dress but this applique in the center that tapers out seems to work with the ruching. I think with the first applique you showed that meets where your skirt starts, it draws your eye down, away from your face and as Scarma put it, you should be the focus. Just my thoughts. I still think you'll look lovely no matter what.

Originally Posted by Jenn963 

 

I need your opinions fellow brides!! I am a bling lover but when i first saw this dress on the internet, i fell in love...i love the simplicity and elegance of it...I looked and looked for it and finally found it and loved it even more when I tried it on. After waiting 5 months, the dress finally came in and I had my fitting last weekend and although i love it without any bling...i asked to pin on some appliques to see what it would look like. I still love it without the bling applique...but the rhinestone applique just adds more .... "umph" to it i think....i told the lady that i would think about it...and bring it back if i wanted to add it....i keep looking at the pictures and i'm not sure which one i love more! I wish i could ask my fiance for his opinion lol but it's just not an option.  So ladies,  help me out here! 

 

THIS IS THE DRESS AS SHOWN ON MODEL 

 

 

THIS IS THE DRESS ON ME:(SANS APPLIQUE)

 

THIS THE DRESS ON ME WITH THE APPLIQUE:

 

 

AND LAST PIC WITH A CLOSER LOOK AT DETAIL OF APPLIQUE:

 

 

 

 

SO WITH? OR WITHOUT?? 

THANKS IN ADVANCE  

I LOVE your dress! I tried this one on and I was really really close to getting it. I like it without the applique but I'm not a super 'blingy' girl, so what do I know? What do you like more? No matter what you pick you'll look great and your fiance will love you in it. You look dynamite in that dress!

Originally Posted by MrsHK 

 

 

 

I loved wearing barefoot sandals for my wedding! Our ceremony and reception were both in the sand, and the cocktail hour was by the pool on a wooden deck. I just kept the bare feet the whole time and walked on the wooden deck with no shoes. If you do need shoes at some point, dressy flip flops are a great option. Chances are your dress is long, so no need to go through the pain of high heels while you dance the night away on your wedding night!

 

I did, however, take a couple of photos while I was getting ready with a pair of purple high heels on while holding my dress up, just to have that photo! There was no way to tell that the dress was too short with the heel on because she took it close up. 

 

Here's the store on Etsy I got the barefoot sandals from, very affordable compared to the other site I was looking at! http://www.etsy.com/listing/118146078/beach-wedding-barefoot-sandals-foot

 

That's how I feel about wearing high heels. I know I would be miserable in them after an hour and no one will know or be able to see otherwise. Thanks for the tip about wearing some for a photo before the ceremony. I'll probably do that because I already have a lovely pair. Like I said I'll probably do barefoot sandals and then dressy sandals for the reception to dance in. Love the lace on your dress by the way!

Mandy! You're married! How crazy is that?

You look so beautiful! It looks like your day was wonderful and I'm so happy for you. Can't wait to read your review

KayLynn - I LOVE your pictures! The one of your Dad seeing you in your dress is so sweet. Also when you're walking down the aisle and you can see you're looking at your husband, you look so excited. Love the first kiss photo, it's gorgeous. Overall it looks like you had a really joyful wedding, there's so much laughter, I love it. Who was your photographer?

Originally Posted by to-be-mrs-k 

 

Hey everyone!

 

Joining the party a little late (better late than never). I have been reading BDW for a year now and finally decided to get in on the action. I am a November 18, 2013 bride. We are getting married at the Grand Palladium in Jamaica. Picking the resort and date was by far the hardest decision. We are currently booked for our trip from Nov 15-24. Our whole trip will be at the same resort. We would have loved to "honeymoon" somewhere else but it didn't fit in the budget. We have approximate 45 guests with 26 booked. I have my dress ordered and bridesmaid dresses purchased. You all are reminding me how much I have to do yet!

 

Looking forward to hearing from everyone as OUR wedding month quickly approaches! Glad to be a DW bride!

Welcome! 

I agree, picking the resort and even just deciding to do a destination wedding were the hardest things we've had to do. It's such smooth sailing afterwards, isn't it? Our honeymoon is at the same resort we're getting married at as well. We're less than 4 months away! It's crazy!

Originally Posted by Mayerlis 

 

Thank you TealMarie! Elias at the spa did my hair and makeup- it was amazing my makeup didn't come off all night. Considering I have very straight hair- my curls lasted too. We had a nice breeze in the foyer and they provided two large fans as well. I'm sure you're wedding will be beautiful!! Make sure you enjoy it- it goes by so fast!! Let me know if you have any questions at all :-)

Really?? I have super straight hair and plan to have it curled so it's great to hear your curls lasted. Yay!

Originally Posted by TrishaJ34 

 

Hi Ladies, I haven't had a chance to organize my thoughts yet, but meanwhile- Bring Bug Spray!!! We all got eaten alive by mosquitos even with bug spray. I had the skintastic stuff, but you may fair better with stronger spray. Two of my bug bites had bruises the size of baseballs around them, and i'm not allergic and don't normally have strong reactions to bites. The other thing is that they are like sneaky ninja mosquitos. You don't see them or hear them. Anyway, just a tip for the moment!

lol- sneaky ninja mosquitos. I was hoping people were exaggerating about the mosquitos - too bad. But it'll be good to be prepared, so thanks for the warning. I think now I'll put bug spray in everyone's OOT bags and maybe bring some after bite or tea tree oil.

Originally Posted by ampanda52 

 

Well ladies....I fly out tomorrow, wedding is Saturday!  I just want to thank everyone for all of their help!  I'll be sure to reciprocate with a review when I get back and I'll try to pop in while away! 

 

TrishaJ34, thanks for the bug spray tip.  I already have some packed!  Was the bug biting during the wedding or just in general?

 

Thanks again girls!!!

Mandy

Have a safe trip and an awesome time. I know your wedding will turn out amazing! Enjoy every minute of your vacation!!

Also, consider signing up for some of the online deal websites: HauteLook, Beyond the Rack, Ideeli, Rue La La, Joss & Main, Touch of Modern, Uncovet, etc. You'd be amazed what you can find on there and for such a good price. I'm signed up for all of these solely for the wedding. It floods my inbox but when I have time I search through them to look for possible gifts for people, decor items, shoes, accessories, clothing for the FI and even just dresses to wear while we're there. 

Originally Posted by rileyjl 

 

What is everyone doing for shoes? My ceremony is going to be on the beach and then move to a outdoor deck. So spike heels are a no go. I am thinking either flat sandals or wedges. I have been trying to find a sparkly sandal with a small-medium wedge, that isn't too casual....but I can't find anything like that! What is everyone else doing, does anyone have suggestions? Thanks!

I've thought this over for a while. I bought beautiful heels before I even purchased my dress. I planned to go barefoot on the beach for the ceremony and then wear heels. My seamstress (my Aunt) informed me I had to pick one or the other, as she has to hem the dress, so I'm choosing barefoot/flats. I realized no one will see my shoes anyways and why do I have to wear heels for the reception and be in pain all night? They make your legs look killer but when you're wearing a long dress, what's the point? So I'm going to find sparkly sandals or some with clear jewels on them and then either go barefoot for the ceremony or get barefoot sandals. There's a pair that I'm lusting over made by a poster on this site.http://www.redibychelsea.com/bond-girl-rhinestone-pearl-destination-wedding-handcrafted-barefoot-jewelry/ I love them but I'm not sure if I can fork over that much money for them. We'll see. 

Have you looked at Nordstrom online or shopbop or zappos? 

Originally Posted by KayLynn Oliver 

 

Hello ladies!!  I had my wedding at Excellence Riviera Cancun on July 6th!  It was AMAZING!  In regards to the post about Gloria, I can't imagine her being anything but incredibly sweet.  She literally did anything and everything I asked and everything was perfect!  We met with her the day we arrived and went over every detail.  She is wonderful. I will try to keep this post short and sweet!  The property is incredibly gorgeous!  I did not want to leave but we went to Belize for our honeymoon.  The staff as you've heard all are super nice and friendly.  We got upgraded to Excellence Club but did not really see too much of a difference as most of our guests weren't and we wanted to hang out where they could.  Excellence has it's own private pool and lounge.  I did use the lounge a couple of times in the morning for breakfast and coffee.  The rooms are gorgeous although the sheets always felt damp.  I guess that's what you get for having it right on the beach. It was no big deal.  The first night we were there we ate at Spice and it was pretty decent.  We ate a Lobster House the next night and it was tasty.  A lot of my guests really liked Basmati but I wasn't able to eat there.  Barcelona has a great buffet!  We went to the theater every night after dinner because they do a different show every night which were very entertaining.  It is WARM though and your hair will get frizzy!  Just a warning..ha!  

 

The wedding was absolutely stunning.  I brought my own chair sashes and pinned little seashells to the back but they did it all for you!  I cannot say enough how wonderful Gloria was through the whole process. Our OOT bag stuff got held up at customs in Mexico City and she even called them to see if they would let it through!  (Which they didn't).  I would not ship the OOT stuff if I were you.  I spent so much money for nothing.    About 3/4 of the way through our wedding, the sky started to get VERY dark and it got super windy so we kind of had to rush a bit through the end but we made it just before it started POURING!  We had to move our cocktail hour to the area where they do karaoke but it was totally fine.  We were taking pictures at this time.  We had our Meet and Greet at Las Olas right on the beach and it was perfect.  Everyone really loved the resort.  The spa was also amazing!  I would get Elias to do hair and makeup if you can!  He was unbelievable!  I will post pics!  Our reception was at Barcelona and while it was definitely cooler, it was still somewhat warm...but I think that's what you get with "Mexico air conditioning."  It turned out to be wonderful though.  Beautifully decorated and plenty of room to dance.  We used DJ Mannia as our Dj and he was really good but if I could go back I would probably just use my phone because there were a lot of songs I wanted played that he didn't play.  But he was very nice.  We all had a blast and even went to the Karaoke Club after the reception!  They brought us breakfast in bed the next morning and it was awesome.  We seriously did not want to leave.

 

If anyone has any questions, I would be glad to answer them!  Do not worry!  You will LOVE every minute of it.  But don't blink because it flies by!

Here are a few pics that people took with their I-phones:

This is at Las Olas for the meet and greet with my bridesmaids. 

My handsome hubby at Las Olas.

My gorgeous bridesmaids and I.

The amazingess Elias created.

My daddy and I!

And another..

Right before the ceremony...sorry these are out of order.

First Dance.

.

 

Its official!

 

I just love this one for some reason..

 

Sorry for all the pics!  I could go on and on lol!  We also used Juan Navarro as our photographer and he was AMAZING!  The resort videographer also did a pretty decent job with the video!  Good luck to everyone and have a blast!!

KayLynn thanks for posting pictures! (and never apologize for too many pictures, are you kidding me? We love it!) You looked incredible! I can't wait to see your pro ones, Juan Navarro is such a great photographer. Sorry to hear your OOT bags never made it, what a bummer. But it looks like your wedding was amazing. I love the photo of your first kiss, you both look adorable and so happy. Beautiful hair and makeup as well, it's nice to see they do such a wonderful job.

Originally Posted by Mayerlis 

 

I think I did it wrong the first time!

This should work. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow, look at you. Love the dress, love the hair, love the makeup. You look amazing! I love the photo of you guys kissing at the end of the aisle with your guests in the background. We're also getting married at the beach gazebo and having our reception in the Foyer so it's so nice to see photos of it all. Your wedding looked beautiful.

Originally Posted by TrishaJ34 

 

Hi Ladies! I'm still at Excellence, nap time before dinner. My wedding was amazing! My guests have all love loved the resort! Food is yummy. You do have to stalk them about the cake. Our photogs did and it took multiple times asking. I'll do a more detailed review for you when I get back. But overall, seriously amazing. Makeup and hair were fantastic too.

I'm so happy to hear your wedding went so well! Enjoy your time there and really relax. I'm excited to hear all about it when you're back!

Originally Posted by DinaQtobe 

 

So invitations and wedding bands can be crossed off the list!  We went to the mall yesterday and purchased our bands.  Now just to wait for them to come in.  I am so excited!  We also got one groomsmen gift yesterday.  I still have no idea what to get for my bridesmaids.  I feel rather clueless on that front.  Just over 4 months until we leave!!! 

Good job girl! Do you have photos? 

I love crossing things off my list. I've had some family tragedy so have been out of any wedding stuff but I'm getting back into it for distraction.

For my girls I've sent them money for part of their dress (since I told them to pick any blue dress so they will actually wear it afterwards) and I'm taking them to the spa the day before for massages, mani/pedis or a facial. Their choice. We're doing the spa day the same day the guys are going to go deep sea fishing as their thank you gift. I may still get the girls a pretty robe for the day of but maybe not, haven't decided yet. They seem happy with what we're giving. I think I'm going to leave jewellry up to them if they want to wear it or not.

Originally Posted by Mayerlis 

 

Hi Ladies!

 

I had my wedding here last Friday (I'm actually still here until tomorrow but couldn't wait to post a review) and it was amazing! I really could not have asked for better service or better wedding. All of my 35 guests had an amazing time and kept saying it was the best wedding they have been to.

 

My wedding planner, Mayla was great. The box that I shipped was someone in Cancun and would not have been delivered for two weeks and she graciously picked up for us. She was extremely helpful before, during and after the wedding. 

 

My hair and makeup were great- I had my hair down and curled- very simple. I loved my makeup. I used the Derma Doctor wipes to prevent sweating and they makeup artist used waterproof makeup- I cried ALOT and my makeup did not smudge at all.

 

I had my Welcome Dinner at Toscana (the Italian restaurant) with a set menu. It was semi-private so that way we didn't have to pay the $24 per person for a private event. They were extremely accommodating and great about changing my dinner time. It was supposed to be at 5:30 and got changed to 7:00 on the same day because some of my guests had had flight delays and would not get to the resort on time.

 

My ceremony was on the beach and it was perfect- the officiant stood in the back as to not get in the way of the photographs and only came in the front when we had to sign the paperwork. It was short and sweet and to the point.

 

My cocktail hour on the pier was great too- we had the mariachi band. The food and drinks were awesome. We didn't even have a signature drink but the bartenders made one for us.

 

The reception was in the Foyer- I was going to have it in Barcelona but changed it last minute to the Foyer because I thought it was nicer after seeing Barcelona. It looked beautiful and we had a nice breeze coming in.  My wedding planner (Mayla) provided us with two huge fans as well because the dance floor was a bit hot. The food was delicious. The only thing I also noticed was that nobody got to eat the cake. I was asked if I wanted it passed out with the dessert and I said yes but my guests said they never got it. That would be my only complaint.

 

 

A quick review about the resort:

Everyone we have talked to at the resort and our family and friends have said this is the best resort they have stayed at.

The service is outstanding, the food is great (our favorites were Spice the Asian restaurant, the French restaurant and Mexican restaurant).

We are leaving tomorrow but have been here for 10 days and they have been great!

 

My only two complaints are that there is no 24 hr pool- they close at 8pm and there is no restaurant or cafe open 24/7- but there is room service.

 

I hope you all have wonderful wedding days- enjoy it..it goes by so fast!

 

Let me know if you have any questions at all! I will post some pictures when I get home this weekend!

You are such a doll for writing a review. Thanks so much! I haven't worked with Mayla but it's good to hear she has treated you so wonderfully.

I can't help but be pleased to hear the Foyer is not only beautiful but has a breeze because that's where our reception will be. It's kind of odd that they keep having the same issues with not handing out cake to guests. How strange.

More than anything I'm always so happy to hear that people's guests have such a great time at ERC. If we have people flying from all over to join us somewhere that we picked out, we really want it to be perfect for them. 

I can't wait to see pics! I bet you looked gorgeous!

Originally Posted by ampanda52 

 

Wow, that's a shame that your experience was bad.  I wouldn't wish that on anyone!! 

 

Good tip on the cake TrishaJ34!  (Btw, congrats and I'll look forward to your report when you get back.)  I'll be sure to mention it to Gloria as well.  I'm also bringing basic cake bags in hopes that our guests can take some back to their room.  I leave in two weeks from today!!!   

Mandy! It feels like just yesterday we were discussing centerpieces and now you're leaving in less than two weeks!? That is so crazy! I hope it goes perfectly for you. You are so super prepared, so you have nothing to do now but enjoy your vacation

Originally Posted by TrishaJ34 

 

Wow, sorry you had such a bad experience! My wedding is Friday, so too late to change now! Luckily, 99% of wedding reviews I've seen have been very favorable, so I'm hoping mine will be the same. I have seen the cake thing come up one other time, so I may bring some of your concerns to Gloria ahead of time to try to prevent them (mainly cake). I've been to Excellence before and loved everything about it. Hopefully, the service and quality haven't gone downhill since I've been there last. I'll report back to you ladies sometime after Friday :0). I'm still very excited :0)

Trisha! Your wedding is tomorrow?!! I hope you have the absolute best day and best time!

Rhiham - thank you SO much for your detailed review. Your wedding looked wonderful and you managed to answer so so many of the questions I'd been thinking about. I'm glad you mentioned something about the food during your cocktail hour and reception because I feel like not too many people have talked about that. Good to hear it was delicious!

I was about to ask you "Where did the beautiful woman at your cocktail hour get her divine purple dress?"...and then I realized it was you! You looked gorgeous! Thanks again.

Originally Posted by ampanda52 

 

Also, I read on this forum somewhere that a past bride asked the resort to charge them in pesos not USD and they saved about $300 based on the exchange rate.  I'm wondering if this is true or if the resort will even do that? 

 

Thanks everyone.....1 month from today I'll be getting my hair and makeup done.

 

Mandy

Originally Posted by TrishaJ34 

 

Two weeks from today!! Eek! I think we'll do the cheesecake also. That cake looks delish!

I can't believe you girls are so close to leaving. You must be so excited! I hope it all goes wonderfully for you both.

Originally Posted by ampanda52 

 

Hey girls! I posted this in the general forum but I want to ask here too because you'll all know this resort best:

 

Hi!  This post goes out to anyone who has gotten married or has used a credit card in Mexico.  I'm hearing that banks typically charge you 3% on all transactions using your card.  I plan to pay my balance of my destination wedding with mine and 3% could turn into a decent chunk of change.  Is this true and are there any ways to get around it besides carrying a load of cash?  Thanks!

 

Mandy

This is a really good question. I'm going to go into my bank and ask them about it. I plan to use my credit card as well (hello lots of points!), so hopefully they can set up something that will reduce my fees. Have you asked your bank about it?

Originally Posted by DinaQtobe 

 

 

How many people do you have booked so far?  Are you expecting more to book?  We didn't use a travel agent, so people can book as late as they want (though I do have September 2nd as the RSVP date)....

 

We have 20 booked and don't expect more to book. We have a few couples who really want to come but because of work, finances, etc it likely won't work out so we're not counting on it. We're super happy with the numbers though. We only gave people the option to book with the travel agent. It's just easier and I doubt they could find a better deal. I think our RSVP date is in July sometime but really I think of it as when people pay in full to the TA which is Sept 1st. 

Originally Posted by FutureMrsSingh 

 

What wedding website are you using? I just started playing around with mywedding.com today, but am curious to see what others have gone with? Apparently Moon Palace is going to give me a wedding website, but I have no idea when that will be, or what it will look like, so I'm trying to get on the ball now on my own.

I've just used theknot as well. I was already signed up there and since we don't have many people coming I'm not sure many people will actually use the website. I imagine most people will just email us with questions.

Originally Posted by DinaQtobe 

 

I am very excited to say that both sides of our immediate families have booked their vacation for the wedding!  This is wonderful news!

Puts us up to 16 + one baby including the bride and groom!  Everyone that comes now is just a great added bonus .

Yay! How awesome! That's how we felt as well. Once our parents and siblings/their partners had booked we were so relieved. Anyone else after that was a bonus