MY DAUGHTER AND SON-IN-LAW WERE MARRIED AT THIS BEAUTIFUL SITE, RECENTLY RENAMED THE NOW SAPPHIRE RESORT.  THE WEDDING WAS FABULOUS.

ONCE WE ARRIVED, SANDRA, OUR COORDINATOR, WAS AS ACCOMODATING AND NICE AS WE COULD EVER HOPE. SHE AND HER PARTNER, DANIELLA, WERE A  JOY TO WORK WITH.

A WORD OF WARNING:  COMMUNICATING WITH THE STAFF OF THE HOTEL, LONG-DISTANCE, IS A NIGHTMARE. PERHAPS IT WAS PARTLY BECAUSE THE HOTEL CHANGED OWNERSHIP A FEW MONTHS AFTER WE CONTRACTED. PERHAPS IT WAS BECAUSE WE WERE A PARTY WITH ALMOST 100 GUESTS.  PERHAPS IT WAS BECAUSE WE'VE ALWAYS THROWN NEW YORK CITY WEDDINGS, AND ALL THAT ENTAILS. WE EXPECTED MORE IMMEDIATE RESPONSES AND FOLLOW-UPS TO EMAILS AND CALLS.  SOMETIMES WEEKS WENT BY WITHOUT A SINGLE ANSWER OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

 DESTINATION WEDDING PLANNING, EVEN FOR A MANY TIMES OVER MOTHER OF THE BRIDE VETERAN, IS AN EXERCISE IN BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS.  IT  IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. WE HAD MORE THAN A FEW SLEEPLESS NIGHTS.

WE HAD A GREAT TRAVEL AGENT, LESLIE AT TZELL TRAVEL IN NYC, WHO TOOK CARE OF ALL THE ROOMING LOGISTICS, AND EVEN STEPPED UP FOR US WHEN WE WERE GETTING NOWHERE WITH THE WEDDING.  I THINK WE WOULD HAVE GIVEN UP THE ENTIRE PLAN WITHOUT HER SERVICES.  LTILLEM@TZELLTRAVEL   

GET AS MUCH DONE AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN IN ADVANCE THROUGH EMAILS (AND SAVE THEM), ADD INTERNATIONAL CALLING TO YOUR PHONE PLAN,  ARRIVE MANY DAYS  IN ADVANCE OF YOUR EVENTS, GET OVER TO THE WEDDING OFFICE RIGHT AWAY, AND DEFER TO THE COORDINATORS'  EXPERTISE, WHEN POSSIBLE.

IF YOU PLAN ON SHIPPING WEDDING FAVORS OR SUPPLIES, BEWARE! TRADE WARS ABOUND AND YOU COULD BE TAXED 1,005.00% WHEN YOUR STUFF GOES THROUGH CUSTOMS, AND IT MIGHT EVEN BE DESTROYED OR CONFISCATED.  

IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, THE WEDDING WAS REALLY GREAT. I SPEAK NO SPANISH,  SO SOME THINGS I EXPECTED DID GET LOST IN TRANSLATION. IF SOMETHING IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO YOU, MAKE SURE YOU ARE COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD. WE HIRED ALL THE MUSIC THROUGH THE HOTEL.  THE STRING TRIO WAS ONLY SO-SO, THE DJ WAS GREAT. DECORATIONS AND FLOWERS WERE FRESH AND LOVELY. THE FOOD AT THE WEDDING WAS PLENTIFUL AND FINE.  DON'T EXPECT TOP SHELF LIQUOR UNLESS YOU SPECIFICALLY INSIST - REPEATEDLY.

THE HOTEL IS PRETTY AND CLEAN.  MOST OF US STAYED IN PREFERRED OCEANFRONT SUITES.  THERE WERE ACTIVITIES FOR THE YOUNG KIDS.

THE HOTEL FOOD WAS OK...NOT CONSISTENT. THE LIQUOR SEEMED WEAK.  THE STAFF WAS FRIENDLY,  EXTREMELY ACCOMODATING, AND APPRECIATIVE OF GRATUITIES FOR JOBS WELL DONE. THE BILLS FOR THE SPA AND RESTAURANT CHARGES WERE ALL IN PESOS, NOT CONVERTED, WHICH WAS A LITTLE CONFUSING FOR ME.

SOME OF OUR GUESTS' ROOMS, EVEN IN THE PREFERRED CLUB, WERE LOCATED NEXT TO SERVICE AREAS, WHICH WAS NOISY.

I WISH THAT THE BRIDE AND  I HADN'T BEEN SO BUSY TENDING TO LAST MINUTE DETAILS FOR THE REHEARSAL DINNER, WEDDING, AND NEXT DAY BRUNCH.  EVERYONE ELSE HAD A TERRIFIC, RELAXING TIME.  WE HAD A TERRIFIC, BUSY TIME.  MAYBE NEXT YEAR WE'LL GO TO THE RESORT  FOR A WEEK AS CASUAL GUESTS!  I WOULD DEFINITELY ARRANGE TO GO BACK...

MANY THANKS TO SANDRA AND THE ENTIRE STAFF FOR A WONDERFUL WEEK AND FABULOUS WEDDING.