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@@WronLow @@lndzlou03 Thank you, ladies [emoji4] @@WronLow we only supplied our personal vows. The rest was standard, I assume. I think I did mention to the WC that we didn't want anything religious but I don't know if he passed that along. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@@lndzlou03 Here is a link to the video we received as part of our divine package. https://vimeo.com/163099374 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk @@WronLow We were married in April and Juan Carlos was our WC. He is awesome [emoji4] We were at the tequila terrace but I thought the preferred pool was gorgeous. At night, it will be amazing. I've tried to answer your questions below. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@@AmandaU I did not rent the bridal suite, but I was sent photos by the spa, which I will post. Myself and 2 BMs had our hair & makeup done at the spa - it was a bit crowded when there was another bridal party of 3 in it. You might want to consider it if you have a large group. Energy drinks definitely aren't in the room fridges. You might be able to get at the bars - I think my husband ordered the occasional red bull (although they may have carried a different brand, even a no name Mexican brand possibly, if you are picky about what kind). They do have a store that probably carried them as well, but that would cost you money and the store was not cheap. @@wvupharmer13 We rented a speaker from a local vendor, who unfortunately is not renting at Now Sapphire any longer. But you could bring your own speaker. We had something like this. It included a microphone. It was great for our needs (group of 40). We used it with an iPhone and the Wedding DJ app. We had our MC (my brother-in-law) announce things like speeches, etc. using the microphone. We had another friend who helped to transition between speaking & music, and managing volume & playlists.

@@AmandaU I had our appointments booked for 12 for our 4pm ceremony. I felt a bit rushed when back in the room & getting ready, but we also did a first look and I did photos with my BMs before the ceremony, so that probably all took at least an hour. If you are doing all of your photos after your ceremony, I think you have lots of time. I don't remember specifically how long it took to get hair & makeup done, though. The spa is in the middle of the property, right by the adult pool, and the Tequila Terrace is on the far end, just past the restaurants. You'd have to walk through the resort and either past the main pool or along the beach to get a sneak peak, so I doubt that will work. You may be able to see it right before the ceremony, as you are waiting by the buffet restaurant/Mexican restaurant to walk down the aisle. It was all such a blur, I'm not sure what I could see from there.

@@cayls55 - See my answers to your questions below. @@cayls55 I don't know specifics for the Eternity package, but the Divine package is pretty basic unless you add to it. You just get the white linens (napkins, table clothes, chair covers). For the beach ceremony, there is an arch, and for Divine it is draped in white fabric, but I think you may have to pay extra for that for Eternity. Also a white aisle runner was included, but not sure if it is for Eternity. You probably get one centerpiece arrangement (again, we did for Divine - not sure about Eternity), which they moved around from the ceremony to the reception.

@@SSpartyof2 I don't have a TA to recommend to you, but if you poke around this site, you will definitely find some recommendations for ones in ON. Keep in mind, they really don't have to be local. Most/all of your work with them will be done on the phone or via email. They can help you narrow down country/resort/pricing, etc. We went to Costa Rica for our honeymoon - not a lot of all-inclusives there, I don't think. Not that you have to do AI, but it can be easier in a lot of ways. I also was married at Now Sapphire, near Cancun. It cost us about $2100 CAD per adult (double occupancy) from Vancouver. We booked in 2015 and the wedding was April 2016. Prices are usually a bit less from Toronto if that is your primary departure gate. Our day-of costs were about $6000 USD for 40 people. Don't forget exchange rates, taxes & gratuities (some mandatory/built-in) when budgeting, because they really add up. Hope that helps a bit and good luck!

@@Hbinning Are you working with a travel agent? They can best help you with pricing, etc. for both travel and the wedding packages. Have you looked at the resort threads for each of these? http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/topic/63282-official-gran-bahia-principe-riviera-maya-thread/ http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/topic/164-gran-bahia-principe-akumaltulumcoba-post-here/ http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/topic/66702-hotel-marina-el-cid-brides/ I couldn't find specific threads for the Sandos properties, but there are lost of posts that mention/discuss them.

@@Gabyc22 Sorry for the late reply. We tipped our WC $100 and the waiters/bar staff $20 each (I think). I gave the money to the banquet captain to distribute evenly (including him - he was awesome). We also gave the head waiter a bit extra because he was amazing. We didn't have a DJ. We also tipped at the spa for our hair & make-up (I think $20 each as well). I'm guessing you are there already! Hope you are having a wonderful time and all the best for your wedding day

@@Johnsonspartyof2 We had the "arch" with white draping (on the beach) included in our Divine package. Also the white aisle runner.

@@Johnsonspartyof2 We rented the sound system and some decor from Love & Lace Wedding Decor. Unfortunately I don't think she is renting to Now Sapphire brides any longer. But worth asking and maybe things will change by 2018.

@@Johnsonspartyof2 Congrats on your engagement and great choice in Now Sapphire. I was married there in April and we loved it! I'll do my best to answer your questions below.

We had the Divine package and could offer 2 options to our guests for the main course (plus accommodation for various dietary restrictions). We had to let the hotel know the choices in advance and also spell them out at the receptions, either by "coded" place cards or seating charts. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I set up a form on my web site so they could fill it out with yes, no or maybe (since I sent it out about a year in advance and they had some time to book).

@@Kass11Craig I was married at Now Sapphire in April, so I can't speak specifically to Now Jade, but I believe the resorts are similar in terms of their costs, what's included, etc. Make sure you check out the Now Jade thread on this forum, if you haven't already. @@dreamweddings is correct in some respects - it is often that brides simply don't understand what's included in the wedding packages. But it's little things that you would never expect to pay for, and that aren't clearly outlined unless you really read closely, that can be pretty surprising and can make it feel like you are being nickeled and dimed. Some examples from Now Sapphire: $5 for each ceremony chair over the 25 included in the package $100 to string lights around poles that I brought myself $100 to put out the vases, candles, etc. I brought If you want to string lights across the reception area, you need to rent (or bring) lights - but also the poles that must be installed in order to string them (I didn't end up doing this, so not sure of the cost) $15 per person over the 25 included in the package for the open bar at the cocktail hour $5 per person over the 25 included in the package for the champagne (sparkling wine) toast It can seem ridiculous, especially because it's an all-inclusive resort. You think "why am I paying for booze when my guests paid to be at the resort"? But if you think about it, a lot of it makes sense. Your guests did not pay for private service, nor did they pay for a special meal to be prepared for them, etc.. And when it comes to service fees for decor set-up, etc., again there is labor involved in setting up those chairs or stringing those lights. But it can add up and you can feel pretty frustrated with it. I would recommend reaching out to your WC early (if you can - some resorts don't put you in touch with your WC until a few months before your wedding) to get a good understanding of all the extra charges. While I was surprised from time-to-time during the planning process, I was not surprised when I got to resort and paid for my wedding. Ask lots of questions and get it in writing. Also, note that most resorts do have a lot of extra charges - Now Sapphire and Now Jade are not alone in this.

It's your big day. Enjoy and have fun!

@@bmillerick That's hard to answer for you, as only you know your guests, their likes/dislikes (in terms of what they would want in a resort) and your best guess at what they can afford. I think what you will find is that you will be surprised at who comes and who doesn't, and what reasons they each have for their decisions. A lot of the time it is not related to money and, when it is, some of the people you least expected to make it work will be there, while the opposite will also hold true. Advice I've seen here many times is be reasonable with your choices, but remember it's your wedding and you can't plan it around other people. You may end up disappointed if you do.

I'm sorry to hear of your dilemma. And I'm also very sorry to hear about your father. I can only imagine how frustrated and upset I would be in your situation. I don't have much advice to offer as I'm not familiar with either resort. However I will say that my resort (Now Sapphire) usually does 3 weddings a day and I did not feel like we suffered as a result. As long as they have adequate space and staff to handle it, I don't think it should be a problem. I realize that is not the only issue in question, however. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@@Gabyc22 We kept our ceremony time the same (4pm) and pushed our cocktail hour and dinner (to 5:30 and 6:30, respectively). Your ceremony likely won't take an hour. Ours was maybe 20 mins and then we had a champagne toast and hugged/chatted with people on the terrace. We probably started photos no later than 4:45. We were fine with the break between. I'm not really sure where our guests went, since we weren't there. From what I've gathered, some hung around (we had music going) - they may have gone to the lobby bar and brought back drinks. I think others may have gone to the lobby bar (about a 2 minute walk) or back to their rooms. No one was missing in action by the time we got back [emoji12] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@@ashlynm88 How did you indicate meal choices without assigned seating of some sort? Just curious... @@Gabyc22 We originally had no break between the ceremony and cocktail hour, but I didn't want to miss our cocktail hour and I also wanted the reception to go later, so we changed the schedule. I'm not sure what time we made it back to the cocktail hour, but we probably caught the last half of it. Depends on how long your photos go.

We did a snorkeling cruise with H2Oh Sun Cruises. It's a yacht - not a catamaran. Included lunch, drinks, a cake, etc. Leaves from Puerto Aventuras. I looked at a lot of different options, and their prices were some of the most reasonable I found (however I booked it a year ago, so that may have changed). We had 34 people on the cruise (total 40 were at the wedding). You can read my full review here. Overall, I would definitely recommend them.

@@ashhtayy OMG I can't believe you are leaving in a couple of days. Have the best time and please post photos!!! Love the travelling wally bag. You guys are awesome.

@@VancouverGal I just saw your comments on my review. Sorry I missed them. There doesn't seem to be a way to get notifications for them. We've already discussed lighting, but you asked what flavor cake we got. We just got vanilla. I would have done tres leches, but my hubby is lactose intolerant, so I didn't think something that translates to "three milks" was a good plan LOL

@@Gabyc22 I've tried to answer your questions below based on our wedding in April. Hope it helps!

@@krystalball @@deecol As much as we had an amazing time, I was a lot more stressed "entertaining" our guests than I thought I would be. Actually I would say the first 2-3 days in Mexico were the most stressed I got during the entire time leading up to the wedding (but I think I was pretty laid back about planning). I was really surprised by that. Luckily I started to calm down the day before the wedding (the guys going golfing leaving the girls at the pool/spa probably had something to do with that! [emoji12]) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk