AshleyRupple

@@Bethanyyy I just searched online and then put together a pros/cons list for each company. Choosing the photographer and the DJ were the only things my husband really wanted to be involved in so he made the final decision. Haha. We got a full 8 hours of service so that they could photograph the whole reception - we really wanted the funny/party photos. If you only want the more traditional photos, you could get away with less hours probably. Btw - we ended up using the DJ that our decor vendor recommended, which I think is the same one the resort uses. He was excellent! My husband spent countless hours putting together the dance playlist and gave it to the DJ on a thumb drive a couple of days beforehand. Apparently the DJ reviewed it and brought even better versions/remixes of some of the songs. It was pretty cool. @@rebsie21 The cost was $1750 for 60 people. It included unlimited drinks, and was about 4 hours I think. All of my quests just walked to the dock and met the catamaran crew there (I think it was about 10 minutes or so). It was REALLY fun! I think we were on the boat from about 1pm - 5pm. It was a Friday, so when we got back everyone got ready and met at the Mexican Fiesta party at the resort. We did that instead of a formal rehearsal, and it was perfect for us.

@@Bethanyyy Congrats! My husband and I got married at EPM on 4/23/16 and it was the best time of my life! I think the decision on whether or not to block the rooms really depends on your guests. If they're reliable, I would recommend blocking the rooms rather than using a travel agent. While you can get some great deals now through a travel agent, the rates go up and fluctuate a lot. If you block the rooms through the resort, you won't have to stress about that part of it. Feel free to email me if you have any questions, or need recommendations on vendors. We used Alquimia Events for decor / furniture, Fine Art Wedding Studios for photography, and Samba Catamarans to rent a booze cruise for our rehearsal party. I would recommend all of them! The only major regret I had was not booking an outside hair and makeup person. I personally, think I could have done a better job myself and they were extremely behind schedule. Here's a link to our professional photo album: http://www.fineartstudioweddings.com/photographer/cancun/excellence-playa-mujeres/destination-wedding-ashley/ Good luck!

@@EJanfsk what did your friends choose for the meal at their Excellence Punta Cana wedding? Our wedding coordinator has asked us to think about what we would like to have served as well - and I'm undecided. Since we have decided to have our reception on the beach and will have between 70-80 people, I think a buffet setup would probably be better than a plated meal. Our coordinator recommended that we choose one of the buffet options with the open grills because it looks really beachy / fun. Hopefully this isn't what your friend had! For photography, I looked through some of the resort's photographers' albums and ultimately chose FineArt Studio.

Hi everyone! This is my first post. I will be getting married at EPM on April 23rd, 2016. I secured the date a few months ago, but I'm just now really getting into the planning. We currently have about 60 people booked, but are expecting close to 80. First on my list was locking down a reception space, but I'm finding out that you're not guaranteed a space until closer to the date. This is kind of a bummer, but what can you do. I've done my fair share of stalking photographer websites, Instagram, Facebook... You name it to find photos of real weddings in each reception space. My vision was to have it outdoors, but under a thatched palapa, and I've since found out that isn't available at the resort (the materials they sent me described the Lobster House and Grill that way). I don't think the Cacao (sp?) Terrace is really going to meet the expectations I have. I want tons of twinkle lights, lanterns, a big dance floor, long wooden tables, etc. I have so many questions, but I'll start here: Does anyone have any photos of the Agave Courtyard? My travel agent sent me some images of what she says is it, but I think it's actually the resort's main courtyard. I doubt the resort allows for private events / weddings to take place here. I did find some images of the courtyard / outdoor area of the Agave restaurant, which I assume is where they actually allow weddings. The problem is that our travel agent says the resort won't confirm restaurant locations until 30 days before the wedding date. She said that I can always submit my request for first choice, though. Does anyone have any clarity, recommendations, or can share your experience with this? Is there a certain restaurant that's usually closed for weddings on Saturday? Our second choice will most likely be the large Spice Terrace, since it'll have enough space. Thanks!