rkilmer0319

Anyone know of a Cancun-area harpist? We are looking for one to play for about 45 minutes on June 22nd, 2017 at the Hyatt Ziva Cancun.

@@caboboundbride Hi! I had this same debate. I ran the numbers on a photographer at home and in Cancun that I thought were at about the same skill level and quality and it was almost exactly the same to bring one with me rather than getting one there. But ultimately I decided I wanted someone that shoots in the area on a regular basis. I loved the style of the photographer from home but it's hard to picture that style translating to the tropical colors of the beach resort when all of that person's photos were taken in midwestern settings. With a photographer that shoots destination weddings in the area day in and day out, you know what you're getting. It's also been helpful to have the local photographer to bounce ideas off of on wedding day timeline, what other destination couples have done, etc. We haven't had our wedding yet but every time I see photos of other couples from our photographer, I feel more and more confident in my decision. Hope this helps. Best of luck in making your decision!

I’m wearing my Grandma’s veil from her wedding in the late 1940’s. Here’s what she looked like. Gorgeous, right? Here's what the veil looks like now. It's in pretty good shape! But it does have a few tears that need sewn up. I’m also going to have the seamstress sew some sparkle in to make it go better with my dress. Here's my dress with a different veil for reference: My grandma's veil has a headband attached to it that I just don’t know how to wear. Our wedding is on the beach so it’s going to be very windy and wearing my hair down is not an option. Is there a way to style my hair and wear the headband so it can go underneath a low updo? Or am I just going to have to have the headband removed? I'd rather not if possible just because it's so sentimental to keep it as she wore it. Thoughts??

@@HannahShort If you use a travel agent or any sort of group contract, you will get a free room night for every 10 room nights booked. I think that's the case since you have a November date listed. Mine's in June so it's a night for every 5 rooms booked. But it's a pain to get everyone to book through the TA and guests are always thinking they've found better deals online somewhere (which they usually really aren't once all the fees are applied). But I think having all of the group booked through one person will be good for the comp nights and also help minimize headaches with head counts and planning since everyone will be in the same group. @@cantuido My wedding is similar in size and the biggest cost is definitely going to be the cost per head for guests over the first 20. The biggest package they offer is for 20 people, then it's $85 per head after that. That is definitely going to be the biggest chunk of my budget that I was surprised by. Just wanted to give you a head's up so you can plan accordingly!

I actually just used a 1 hour whitening kit from Target for my engagement photos and it worked really well. Super affordable too! My teeth are still looking noticeably whiter a month later. Here's the link: http://www.target.com/p/1-hour-intense-whitening-kit-up/-/A-16601463

@@ashleydanielle4 Which cake did you guys like the best? Are there different options for the food? We won't get to do a tasting so any input you have would be super helpful! @@MichelleandAdam Thanks for your detailed breakdown! I added your hubby on FB too and have loved looking at the pictures! My color scheme is very similar to yours! What was the name of your DJ? I'd like to request yours since you had such positive things to say! Were you happy with your hair and makeup despite them trying to charge you extras? I'm a little nervous about that but definitely don't want to pay the $85 or whatever it is for the trial! I saw you did a catamaran outing. What company did you use and were you happy with them? Our group is going to be about 40-50 as well and we're planning on doing a catamaran excursion too. You looked gorgeous and congratulations!!

Hello! My fiance and I are going to have a civil ceremony in Cancun. Our wedding planner got permission from the judge for us to have a mini "personal" ceremony (i.e. read scripture, sing songs, etc.) before the judge does his legal ceremony. Have any of you done this? What exactly happens in the civil ceremony? I know it's read in Spanish and interpreted to English but what else besides that? Do any of you have a script? Thanks!!

@@jsparrow10 Hi! I was just searching for the logistics of a civil ceremony myself. How did it end up going for you? Anything I should know?

@@jmartins1223 @@rebeccarpeck1 They switched us to Christina a while back when we complained about the response times of the girl we were with before. She's been really good so far. Still slow sometimes, but always polite and methodical with her answers. We didn't do the Big Day Preview because we stayed at a different resort when we did our site visit. So we didn't get to taste food or cake! If you and your fiancee do, please give us thorough reviews!

@@motevoli - yep. That's what everyone is dealing with. In my experience so far, it's both the wedding department and the groups department. So it's definitely an added stress but I knew that going in but chose it anyway because it's such a gorgeous resort. For what it's worth, my travel agent acts like all resorts are pretty bad about that stuff but I think the Ziva is worse than others. I have noticed that they're a bit better now that I actually have my deposit down though. @@rebeccarpeck1 - is that rate through a travel agent? If so what company are they using? My TA is using FunJet and quoted us $748 per person for 2 people for 3 nights in June.

@Spoiledtator @MichelleandAdam I'll be really anxious to hear how it all goes for you! I have a different coordinator but she's been hit or miss too. Best wishes for beautiful, joyful, and stress-free wedding days to you both!!

Hi! These 2 resorts were our final 2 choices too! Our wedding is in June so it's not "peak" season so I don't know what that will do to the rates. But we are going through a travel agent and the Hyatt Ziva ended up being less which surprised me because I thought it was a much nicer resort! The first quote I got had Beach Palace at $796 per person for a 2 person room for 3 nights (includes airfare and transportation to/from airport). Same deal for Hyatt Ziva except the quote was $695pp. I think both are very reasonable for an all-inclusive vacation at a stunning resort. Hope this helps!

Thank you for this thorough review! So helpful! Did you have to pay an extra fee to use the Punta Vista for your reception? My wedding will be about the same size as yours and I'd love to have the reception there but $5,000 to rent it seems crazy! Also, what did you do for your cocktail hour? Did you rent those little furniture sets or just a few tables? It seems like that can add up quickly.

I am bringing a friend that I work with to shoot our wedding video for us. He shoots wedding videos on the side so he has professional equipment. We're not paying him a fee per say, but we are covering his travel/accommodations. Does anyone have experience with this? Is there any sort of paperwork he needs to fill out to shoot our wedding? I read somewhere here where someone's photographer got stopped at customs because he/she wasn't licensed to work in Mexico. Would that apply in this situation?

Just thought I would hop in here and let you guys know that I creeped on Andrea's instagram and she posted that she is leaving. It was in Spanish, I used an auto translator. This is some next-level creeping but I want to know who will be coordinating mine if I have it there!

I know, that gazebo is everything. All the heart eyes emojis. I would 100% go with Hyatt Ziva if I were having a smaller group. Let me know if you have any questions! Best wishes for stress-free planning and a beautiful wedding day!

I wanted to share in case it might be helpful to other brides. My FH and I visited the area August 1st-5th. We stayed at the Now Jade but also visited the Now Sapphire, Hard Rock Cancun, Beach Palace, and Hyatt Ziva. We pretty easily narrowed it down to the Beach Palace and the Hyatt Ziva. Now we are deciding between the two but leaning towards the Beach Palace. Now Jade I'll start here since this is where we stayed. First of all the hotel: it's great. I really don't have much to complain about here. The staff is wonderful, the grounds are well-kept. One big thing that bothered me was that it was incredibly slippery around the pool. I couldn't walk in flip-flops. I couldn't help but think about how dangerous it would be for my older family members for the wedding. Also keep it mind it's not near anything. No quick cab right to a bar or mall from here. It's very isolated which is beautiful but can also be inconvenient. Food/Drinks: Overall pretty good. The absolute best was the French restaurant. It was OMG amazing. The sushi/hibachi restaurant was really delicious too. We also tried the Italian and Mediterranean and both were just so-so. Breakfast was a buffet which was hit or miss. The made to order omelettes were awesome. Everything else was just fine, no complaints, no raves. I did LOVE starting every morning with bottomless mimosas and coffee. It's not brunch unless you're double-fisting the two. I was disappointed the sit-down breakfast restaurant is for preferred guests only. Room service was really bad. The timing and service was wonderful but the food was SO bland. We couldn't figure out how since the rest of the food on the resort was really decent. No complaints in the drinks department. I particularly loved whatever brand of champagne they served. Beach/Pool: Beach was beautiful, hardly any seaweed. BUT there are these huge rocks under water that you will stub your toe or scrape your knee on, almost guaranteed. That was kind of a bummer because we are big beach people. The water was really rough while we were there because a tropical storm was brewing but we didn't mind the waves, just the rocks. Also we lost our GoPro in the waves. It was our own fault though, obviously! The pool was beautiful, not too crowded at all in the water. I loved the concrete loungers that were under water so you could sit in the pool and look at the ocean. Chairs were generally pretty full but we were always able to find a couple, even if they were in a less than prime location. They did run out of towels a couple times. Overall, we were pretty pleased with both the beach and the pool. Weddings: We met with Jacqueline. She was wonderful, very informative and professional. Things we liked: lots of dates available, good reception venues. Things we didn't like: ceremony locations. The pergola was the best location by far, over looking the water in a somewhat secluded location. BUT, in my opinion, the structure itself looked pretty cheap and kind of just thrown together. I'm sure it could be done up nicely but it would need some work. Ditto for the structure they had set up on the beach for a beach ceremony. You can also have it in the garden which is pretty but right in the middle of the resort and little ocean view. Overall, just no WOW location to us. There were definitely a couple of nice reception spots overlooking the water though. Overall: I gave it a 7/10, FH gave it 6/10. View from the beach chairs at Now Jade: Now Sapphire Going into it, I thought this would be my pick. Resort: We liked the overall look and feel of this resort much better than the Jade. It's more what you think of as "Mexican" decor and design. It's also almost entirely outside but covered with a roof which we liked. Same as the Jade though, far from the airport and other amenities. We ate lunch and really enjoyed it. Pretty much the same food as the Jade. But the place we ate had 2 resident iguanas roaming around looking for leftovers. That was neat. Also should note there are no elevators. Food/Drinks: Only ate 1 meal here. Good, very similar to lunches at Now Jade. Pool/Beach: Pool is AMAZING. It is huge and beautiful. Lots of room. Beach... not good. Very narrow and just piles and piles of seaweed. There were a couple of guys out there with wheel barrows but there was no way they could keep up. Honestly, we could smell it too. There was hardly anyone on the beach. I thought this was strange because I had read many reviews saying the beach at the Sapphire was better than the Jade. Not even close when we were there though. Weddings: We met with Ramon. He definitely knew his stuff but I wasn't crazy about his demeanor. Felt a little maybe.. condescending? I don't know, just not my favorite person we met with. There are basically 3 different places you can have your wedding: beach terrace, tequila terrace, and preferred pool. All 3 involve getting married directly on the beach. At the Beach terrace, you can have the ceremony on the landing where the stairs from the beach air. Maybe they really make this place nice for weddings but to me it just looked like they randomly set up a wedding ceremony in between the pool and the beach. The tequila terrace was nice but pretty much just a plain porch, half had a roof. The preferred pool was the prettiest in my opinion but there is no ocean view from there. Then what I really didn't like is you have to pick 1 location for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. You can mix and match but there is a $1,000 fee for each additional location. There are a couple of gazebos over the pools which were pretty but I didn't even ask about them because I didn't want people in the pool just feet away from the ceremony. Overall: I gave it a 6/10, FH gave it 7/10. Hard Rock Cancun We chose this one over the Hard Rock Rivera Maya because the beach was reviewed much better at the Cancun location. Resort: Really beautiful grounds. Pretty spacious on the non-ocean side of the hotel with a separate building for the kids, a separate building for the gym, and a huge outdoor amphitheater for nightly shows. We LOVED that and the number of shows they offer. It's definitely evident you are at a Hard Rock the moment you step foot on the resort: the decor, the music, the atmosphere all fit the bill. If you don't want that vibe, you won't like this resort. I told my FH it really doesn't even feel like you're at the beach until you see the ocean. However, it was a really festive atmosphere with music and activities all over the place. It was incredibly CROWDED everywhere we went. From the main lobby to the pool to the beach, just packed. I realized later that's because it has 601 rooms! The rooms are beautiful, the best of any we looked at by far. Keeping in mind, I'm sure they showed us a couple of the upper end on the price scale. Food/Drinks: Didn't eat here but we were amazed by the sheer number of options around the pool area. Tons of different places to grab a bite in your swimsuit. A detail my FH loved is that the room service food is the same as the foods served at Hard Rock restaurants around the world- a far cry from our room service at Now Jade. Pool/Beach: Pool is nice, very crowded. Beach is beautiful: white sand, blue water, no seaweed. BUT again, incredibly crowded. Weddings: Which brings me to my next point: the beach is the only place to have a ceremony here. And they have it set up really close to the resort rather than closer to the water so you would definitely have people in the background of your photos. When I asked the girl that gave us our tour, her name escapes me but she was from sales, not weddings, she simply said the photographer would have to edit the people walking behind the ceremony out. Also I just double-checked, the only non-ballroom options for a reception are the pool and terrace or the beach at extra cost. I really don't remember her pointing out the pool as a reception option. I have no idea where you would set a reception up in that area. The terrace is nice but it faces the lagoon, not the ocean. So you do get the sunset there but in my mind, you go to Mexico for the ocean/beach, not the sunset. By my rough estimates the wedding package here was the most affordable of the 5 resorts by a couple thousand dollars. I was calculating based on a group of 40 which is my guesstimate for my wedding group. Overall: I gave it a 6/10, FH gave it 7/10. Beach Palace We looked at this one first thing in the morning and were blown away by the sky terrace. Resort: It's basically what you think of as a hotel in the States. Just 1 tall building but it really wasn't crowded at all. 285 rooms compared to the 601 at Hard Rock! Really clean, modern look overall. Not my first pick in vibe but very nice overall. Food/Drinks: Didn't eat here but took a look at the lunch buffet and it looked fine. Oh I lied, we did have ice cream from the ice cream shop by the pool. Yummy. Several pool-side lunch options here too. Pool/Beach: Pool is great! Very large, swim up bar, water slide. I believe there is a "kid" side and an "adult" side although anyone can swim on either side. Beach is exactly the same as Hard Rock: stunning, blue water, white sand BUT nowhere near as crowded. Weddings: This is the WOW factor- the sky terrace. Right when the elevators opened to the 14th floor, I think we both said "wow" out loud. It is stunning ocean views all the way around until you see the lagoon side which is also very beautiful. Glass all the way around the terrace. 2 pools and 2 bars up here, 1 side is closed off for wedding events. We would have our cocktail hour and reception in this area. It's beautiful with the pool and the glass all the way around overlooking the ocean. Just gorgeous. There is also a sky deck which is up 1 story (stairs only). Same deal- just beautiful. The only issue we had with that is that it's almost like you are too high. The view is all sky, you can't even see the beach or the water unless you walk up to the glass. But still stunning. We are thinking we'd have our ceremony on the beach though just to have a different look for the ceremony and reception. The ceremony location here seems like it's closer to the water so any guests in the area could simply walk around the wedding rather than behind. The other HUGE perk here is the group rewards. For a certain number of room nights you can get your cocktail hour and reception for free and possibly unlimited events (welcome dinner, rehearsal dinner, farewell brunch, etc.) The overall cost of the wedding is about the same as the other resorts until you account for the group rewards then it's the best by far. Oh and I've had fantastic response times from David Morel so far on the logistical end. Suzette gave us the tour and was wonderful. Overall: I gave it a 9/10, FH gave it 9/10. Standing on the sky terrace at Beach Palace: FH super excited about the slide : View from sky terrace: Top sky deck for ceremony only: Bar area on sky terrace for reception: Hyatt Ziva If money were no object, this would be our pick hands down. Resort: You walk into the lobby and are just blown away by the view. Stunning ocean for miles. This resort sits right at the top of the hotel zone so it has ocean on both sides. It's also comprised of multiple buildings so you don't feel like you are in the hotel zone at all. Much more of a resort feel vs hotel. We loved that. The staff was amazing. They put their hands over their hearts every time they see a guest. We actually thought this was a liiiittle over the top and couldn't help but return the gesture which left us laughing hysterically multiple times. But seriously I could go on and on about how beautiful this resort is. Oh and they have a dolphin lake area on site, my FH was sold as soon as he saw the dolphins . Food/Drinks: Didn't eat here but looked around and it looked like there were tons of options. Pool/Beach: There are so many pools, just beautiful and perfect. This is the only resort where we saw tons of empty chairs which is awesome. There is a little cove where the water is super calm which would be great for small kids to play in. The main beach is actually a pretty long walk from the rooms and I think technically not even on the Hyatt Ziva property. The sand is white and pretty but it's kind of rocky, lots of small shells and rocks. Once you get to the water, it's perfect though. Weddings: Honestly, I teared up a little bit when I saw the wedding gazebo. It's like a scene from a movie, but real life. It's out on a cliff with ocean on both sides and the most gorgeous waves I've ever seen crashing against it. The structure itself is white and very solid and well-made. Just stunning, beautiful, I can't come up with enough adjectives. Anyone would just die to get married here. Amazing. The reception location I would use is the sky terrace. It's gorgeous too, probably about five stories up with a great ocean view. Both locations are totally private which is awesome. Marta gave us our tour, she was great. So sweet and informative. They are a little on the slow side so far via email though. The big factor here is cost. The wedding would cost us more than any of the other resorts and has ZERO group rewards. Overall: I gave it a 9.5/10, FH gave it 10/10. I forgot to mention the lighthouse!! So pretty: The reception terrace: Standing in the gazebo: Standing on the path to the gazebo: I keep going back and forth between the Hyatt Ziva and the Beach Palace. I think the Hyatt Ziva is the best choice for the wedding itself but if we choose the Beach Palace, we can take that extra money and make the overall weekend amazing (excursion, extra events and activities, etc.). I was so sure that the Hyatt Ziva would be more expensive for guests but, at last quote, it was actually slightly cheaper. At this point, I am definitely leaning towards the Beach Palace but writing this review has me second-guessing myself again! Such a tough decision! SaveSave