gerte016

SEVEN months?!? You have PLENTY of time! Especially with a trustworthy planner on board. We did the majority of our planning in the last 2 months. Seriously- flowers, dessert, decor, favors, transportation- all done in the last 2 months. Though I will admit, I am very Type B. It will all come together perfectly

We hired private transfer. If you have a wedding coordinator, they likely have people they work with and can arrange for you. This was the case for us. We got four 10-passenger vans. Our guests were staying all over, so we picked a central pick up/drop off spot in the center of town to make it easy. You're right, I don't think a big bus could make it down the jungle road. I'd definitely recommend private transfer- they were punctual, comfortable, professional, stopped wherever we wanted them to, and we knew the exact cost and could pay ahead. It was $100 round trip per van (which equals 10 bucks per head). We had one van leave early (10 pm) for the grandparents and anyone who wanted to leave sooner. We ended the party at 11:00. That sounds early (at least I thought it did) but it was actually the perfect time. Consider also at most weddings guests can leave whenever they want, or even come and go as they please. But at Blue Venado, they're stuck there. You don't want it to drag on for those who are ready to wind down. When we got back into town, our friends and us kept the party going a bit longer at some bars in town, which was super fun!

These were the lights I got from target.com. Each strand measures 25 feet, and they can be plugged into each other to make them as long as needed. http://www.target.com/p/philips-25ct-warm-white-led-smooth-g40-globe-string-christmas-lights/-/A-12285336#prodSlot=large_1_5&term=Globe+lights As for the Chinese lanterns, my wedding planner kindly purchased them, the lights for inside, and assembled and hung them, so I don't have anymore info on them.

Our wedding was scheduled for 5:00, I think we got started a few minutes late, and the official time of sunset that day was 5:46. So 46 minutes to answer your question exactly, but it stays light out a bit longer than the "official" sunset time. We also had a clear day and a full moon. For food we chose from the Menu Buffet. For starters/appetizers we had guacamole (which was served early during cocktail hour), caprese salad, and ceviche (which was some of the best we had down there). They also threw in some fresh bread. For our main dishes we chose the pineapple barbecue ribs (so good!), four cheese fettuccine, and shrimp skewers. For sides we had mashed potatoes, fried plantains, and grilled mixed veggies. The food was just EXCELLENT. So fresh, so delicious, great presentation and service. Our guests had a variety of tastes (husband and his family are very plain and picky, my family are big meat eaters, we had at least 3 vegetarians, and I love seafood) so I tried to choose a menu with lots of variety and something all would enjoy, and everyone was raving about it! We brought in dessert from off site. I had mini pies/tarts from Chez Celine, a French bakery/cafe in town. For lighting I hung 6-8 strings of globe lights (Christmas lights I got from Target), and a few strings of Chinese lanterns. Attached to the ceiling in the palapa were two clusters of cylindrical lamps (see the pics for a better idea of what I'm talking about), which were already there. We also had a DJ, who provided lighting for the dance floor. As mentioned above, it was a clear sky and full moon for us, too, which I'm sure also helped. For non-lighting decor, I had papel picado banners, and there was already white tulle draping hung. Check with Blue Venado to see what they will already have in the palapa. Some people may not be able to open the pics I attached my previous post. In that case, you can check them out here: http://weddingsinplaya.com/heidi-and-adrian-blue-venado-beach-club-playa-del-carmen/ Heidi

To be honest, my wedding coordinator arranged the flowers and I don't know what florist she used. Sorry!

Here is a blog post by our (awesome) wedding coordinator with a handful of photos on it: http://weddingsinplaya.com/heidi-and-adrian-blue-venado-beach-club-playa-del-carmen/ She also had a Facebook page, Naal Wedding Photography, with a bunch of albums showcasing a variety of weddings and TTD. Here is her FB album from our wedding: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.363759840430164.1073741880.138191459653671&type=1 We are so happy with our photos, especially for the price. I think she does really great work and truly captured the "feel" of our wedding, with joy and vibrancy!

We used Naiara from Naal Photography for our wedding last month (naalweddingphotography.com/)‎ Highly recommend! She is within your budget and did an amazing job for us! She was fun, creative, and easy to work with.

Hi ladies, I got married at Blue Venado last month and it was absolutely perfect!! You have picked a great spot. I worked with Maria from Weddings in Playa who was wonderful and executed the event flawlessly. Naiara from Naal Photography was our photography, who did a great job! Here are a handful of pics. Feel free to respond or private message if you have any specific questions Heidi

I'm also seeking more info on Grand Coral. Looks beautiful! Does anyone out there have info on menus, packages, pricing, etc. that would be willing to share? I would greatly appreciate it... sounds like they're not the easiest to get in touch with with out a wedding coordinator. Thank you!

Has anyone had their wedding at the Marina Maroma Paradise? I'm talking the actual Marina itself, not one of the adjacent resorts (next to El Dorado). I love Maroma beach and I think it's perfect for the wedding I'm envisioning (next February- beach ceremony, ~1hr. catamaran cruise, dinner on the beach), but I do not want to stay at an All-Inclusive resort. I haven't found any reviews from brides who had their wedding or reception at the actual Marina and not at the resort. I've found two companies who appear to do weddings there (Weddings by Lomas Travel and Luxury Yacht Charters) but not a ton of detailed information on their websites or any reviews from brides who've used either of these companies. Anyone out there??? Any info or photos you have would be much appreciated. Thanks