Wedding Review

Hello brides! I got married at OCT on January 19, 2013 and it was wonderful. Here is my review of all things OCT, but please feel free to contact me if you have any specific questions. Having access to this thread while I was planning was so, so helpful. I hope my review can help others! I will post pictures throughout so you can imagine our experience.

 

 

Resort = A

It was wonderful! My husband and I have never been to Mexico before this, or stayed all-inclusive, so we don't have anything to compare this to. But we both agree we would definitely come back here. The size is great--not too big, not too small. the staff is absolutely amazing. They're constantly cleaning and tweaking the grounds and facility, and this modern-looking resort was very attractive. It was clean, organized, and beautiful. Also, a few dollars can make a big difference in the service and attention you get.

 

 

Rooms = A-

We stayed in a Junior Privilege Suite, so we had Privilege status all week. That meant priority check-in, where they explained about the hotel and a butler escorted us to our rooms. They had a bottle of wine with fresh fruit waiting for us, along with our own beach towels, robes, sandals, and free OCT t-shirts. Our room had an outdoor shower and jacuzzi tub. We had butler service, so we had him fill the tub for us one night. I only rate this an A- because the jacuzzi tookforever to fill. I'm talking at least a half hour because the water was so slow. It also wasn't very hot, so we didn't stay in it very long. My two nieces enjoyed a nice bubble bath, though! Room service was good, and only took about 30 min to arrive.

 

 

Check out this view from our balcony!

 

 

 

They tell you to keep the A/C on at all times, but note that it will automatically turn off if your hotel room door is open, or if your balcony door is open. We were on the 3rd floor and didn't feel like it was too humid. The whole region is super humid, so I suppose we got used to it. The bed was comfortable. The first night we didn't like the pillows, so we ordered different ones from the pillow menu (they really have that!) for the next day. We also had turn-down service, where they left chocolates and towel animals on our bed each night. The mini-fridge was convenient, and it was restocked every day (not by the maid, but the butler, so be sure to tip them separately).

Makeup and Flowers = B

One of my guests did my hair, but Vicky at the OCT spa did my makeup. I really like how it turned out. Dramatic, but still pretty. I give this a B because the flowers didn't turn out exactly like I had hoped. I had asked for an orange, purple and yellow bouquet. The day of the ceremony, the flowers were late, and were more red than orange. Ana asked if that was a problem, but I really didn't mind. They still looked nice, and it wasn't anything to get worked up about. The boutiounnere (sp?) was nice, but larger than we expected.

 

 

Ceremony = A+

Our symbolic wedding ceremony was held at 4pm on the rooftop terrace. We had 28 guests. Originally we planned to use the lobby terrace for the ceremony, because emails with Ana said the rooftop terrace wasn't available. But that changed when we had our meeting with her the day after we arrived. We had our choice of locations, so we moved the ceremony to the rooftop terrace, which was more private than the lobby terrace and beach. I brought tulle chair sashes (OCT provides the white chair covers), wicker fans, programs, and sand ceremony pieces. I just gave it all to Ana in our meeting, and they took care of setting everything up. One of the vases I brought for the sand ceremony broke in transit, but she had backups we could use. She was really, really helpful.

 

 

The minister was fantastic! She was very well-spoken, and included a lot of little personal tidbits about us in the ceremony. Lots of our guests said it was the most touching ceremony they've ever been to. We all laughed and cried. OCT was so good about allowing us to customize the ceremony, so it really was ours. We had one processional song (Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole), a sand ceremony song (My Own Two Hands by Jack Johnson and Ben Harper) and a recessional (Wouldn't It Be Nice by The Beach Boys). I chose an opening prayer (read by my sister), a reading (read by another sister), a blessing of the rings (read by the minister) and a sand ceremony script (read by the minister). All of it was incorporated into the ceremony seamlessly by the minister. We got a lot of compliments about her.

 

 

They had a sound system set up, and we just used a playlist on our iPod. The sound system included a microphone that the minister used, so everyone could hear very well. Ana had champagne ready for all the guests at the end of the recessional, so we could do a group toast.

Dinner and Reception = B+

Our dinner was held at 6:30 on the lobby terrace in the square set-up. When we arrived, the staff had created a signature purple cocktail for everyone, which was a nice surprise. We were able to make final decisions on our menu the day we met with Ana. Course 1 was balsamic salad with feta cheese, then guava and Mezcal sorbet, followed by surf & turf (which was excellent! Several guests said it was the best shrimp they've ever had), and then coffee and petit fours. I dropped the grade on this down to a B+ because our cake was still partially frozen when we did the cake cutting. It made for a good laugh, though.

 

 

 

The staff set up mini maracas that I made myself, with tags that said "Instead of tapping on your glass, here's a method with Mexican class. Grab and shake with all your might, for Aaron to kiss his bride tonight!". As guests shook them, we had to kiss. I also brought dinner menus. Other than that, we didn't bring any other decorations. We felt the setting was beautiful enough. They brought our chair sashes from the ceremony to the dinner table. The hotel did provide candles and little pink crystal table decorations, which we didn't order and was a nice surprise. The servers were great, and offered wine to all guests, too. They set up a private bar for us on the terrace, so we didn't have to go in and out to the lobby bar for drinks.

We didn't spend extra money on a DJ, and instead made our own dinner and dance playlists on an iPod. OCT provided a sound system and a staff person to run it. That worked out just fine for us. The lighting on the lobby terrace is a little harsh, so your photographer may need to adjust for that. After our three hours were up, we did not extend the private reception. Instead we all went down to continue the celebration at the pool bar, where they had a live band playing.

I included just a small sampling of photos. I have hundreds more if there's anything specific you'd like to see. Again, I am happy to share any additional information if you have questions--just ask! Good luck to all of you in your planning. I think you'll love that you chose OCT.