ROYAL PLAYA DEL CARMEN BRIDES: were kids allowed for the day? ...and other questions

[jacque]

Hello Royal Brides! I have been reading everyones blogs and am getting lots of great advice. I am getting married at the Royal in April 2011 We have everything planned but I would have to say it has not been a great experience. We were assigned to Mariea at the Royal and she never gets back to me and then would e-mail me back wrong information!! If you have her, make sure you keep all e-mails because she will try and say you didn't say that or that she didn't say that. Otherwise, I am looking forward to our wedding and just can't wait for it to get here!!

 

I am wanting real maracas for the wedding. Does anyone know of anyone down there that could premake them for me? Thanks!!

[randi.renstrom]

hey! i just wanted to throw this out there....i thought you guys would enjoy this

 

my husband ended up taking a last minute trip to costa rica with a friend and his family.  they are staying at a new RIU out there.  They Royal was our first all inclusive, and let me tell you, sounds like we were totally spoiled by it.  Our guests at The Royal who had been to other all inclusives said The Royal blows the others out of the water, but I wasn't sure if they were just trying to be nice.  I just wanted to show you the email I just got from my husband:

 

This resort isnt nearly even close to half as good as the royal... To be honest this place sucks... Food at the only two places I've been is bad, random side pool bar food place and then at the sports bar. This place is a JOKE! And the booze lower quality than u can even believe honestly.  I couldnt even slam Tj's drink cause it was like rubbing alcohol. Clearly homework wasn't done before this trip, waste of a week when all is considered ...

 

anyways, i'm bummed he doesn't sound happy, but i thought for a positive, it would be reassuring to anyone who was worried about the "quality" of the royal when we were picking out our resort, i was debating between the riu in playa, or the royal, and i'm SO happy with our decision!!

[Lisa DSO]

 

Originally Posted by nikkiscriv 

So I've got a couple of questions for you ladies if you don't mind.  I've booked the Elegant Romance Package, which includes as semi-private reception for 30 people.  I then realized that this, of course, would not allow for any dancing/mingling after dinner.  To those of you who went with a semi-private reception how did it work out?  Did you and your guests go somewhere else afterwards?  For those that upgraded to a Private Reception - did anyone bring their own music and opt out of the DJ?  I would really like the option of a dancefloor and music, but I would much rather bring my own music than pay $850 for a DJ...

 

Also, I've heard conflicting stories about children being allowed to attend the ceremony and reception at The Royal.  I was told by my travel agent that they would be allowed to be at The Royal an hour before the ceremony and during the reception. 

 

Thanks all for your help!

I believe children are allowed at the Royal ONLY if it's a private reception. This was the case for me. However, the staff was very quick to tell my SIL that her daughter "couldn't do that" when she started screaming/crying during cocktail reception lol. They had to take her away for awhile.

 

Originally Posted by kshows03 

I actually have a pretty large order for Marvin including centerpeices.  I was told there was no vendor fee as long as we meet him outside, pick them up, and go put them on the tables ourselves.  My centerpeices are an arrangement in a vase so it will be pretty easy to just put in the center of the table.  This is the ONE task I am giving my maid of honor. =)

Good idea, i did this too. The centerpieces are sooo pretty

 

Originally Posted by PlayaWedding 

First off, I just want to say thank you all so much for the great info. This forum, especially this thread is such a valuable resource. Me and soon to be hubby are getting married May 18th at the RPDC. We are getting married on the beach at sunset, but we are very indecisive about our reception location. We have it booked at the beach in front of Pelicanos. My only worry about this is that it will be windy. Can anyone comment on this?? What would be the best thing to do? Keep it on the beach, or go for the court yard??

Thanks for the info ladies!!!! 

Leaving for Playa 4 months today!!

I booked my on the beach in front of the Gazebo because it was the most private. We still had people walking by and talking pics of me or the reception, but I imagine it would be 10x worse near the pier with all of the people loading/unloading from the cruises

Originally Posted by jacque 

 

I am wanting real maracas for the wedding. Does anyone know of anyone down there that could premake them for me? Thanks!!

They sell TONS of maracas on 5th ave (walking distance), so I'd recommend making the tags/ribbon at home and then just buying them there to save money and luggage space :-)
 

[Lisa DSO]

JHarris,

 

Here are a few pics from my AHR a couple of weeks ago. It was at the Dallas World Aquarium and we had 3 levels of the Rainforest which was amazing! Guests started at the top floor with a bar, monkeys, a sloth, crocodile, birds. They made their way down past otters, bats, snakes, spiders (it's cooler than it sounds lol). Then cocktail reception was in a room with floor to ceiling tank of manatees, fish, turtles. Then they opened up the main room which also had a smaller tank and this was where the reception/dancing was held. It was a great time!

 

Making our way through rainforest:

 

 

 

 

The Tank Room

 

 

 

 

The table numbers were actually luminaries I got from Etsy. You can't tell they are lit up though because of the flash on the camera

 

 

Seating chart also from Etsy! lol

 

 

 

 

 

[JoZee84]

Randi- we almost went with the RIU's as well.  SO glad we didn't!!

 

Lisa your AHR looks like it was SO much fun! your pics are so good! Did you still do the first dance with your Hubby again? and the cutting of the cake and dance with dad?  I'm having an AHR also and I don't know if I'm supose to do it again, like are guests going to be expecting it?

 

Just wanted to through it out there I am going with Marvin also, I think anyone who chooses him won't be disappointed.  I was also told no charge if they don't have to set up any center pieces so I am also just going to have a bridesmaid or guest put them on the tables for me.  No biggie.

We are also just having an IPOD run for the reception and I wanted to know for past brides, with out a DJ how did it work out with the cutting of the cake and first dance and stuff like that?  Like who told you when it was time to cut the cake or have your dance with dad and stuff like that, or did you just decide on your own and have the music already set in an ordered time frame. 

[HannahASH]

Hello all!! I will be getting married in September 2011 at The ROYAL Playa....exact date tbd. I have read great reviews on here and other websites about this resort so I hope I am making the right decision....still very nervous!!!

 

Could someone please pass along "Marvin's" information to me. I see several of you have used him for flowers instead of the resort. Does this save money as long as bridesmaids meet him in lobby and place flowers themselves?

 

Or any other information regarding outside flower vendors whom any of you have used and been pleased with?

[ChicagoBride2011]

Lisa you AHR looked amazing! I love your blue dress, and that cake looks great!

 

Question for you past brides...Did anyone have candles on their tables during beach reception?  Did they stay lit?

[Lisa DSO]

JoZee84,

 

We only did the cake cutting because it HAD to be cut ;-), but we did not do any of the other traditional stuff because DH said he didn't want to take away from our real first dance. I thought that was a great point, so I went with it.

 

We did play some video of the ceremony ( I used the free editor from Windows Live Movie Maker to shorten it)...people seemed to like it since most weren't at the wedding.

 

 

ChicagoBride, 

 

I noticed a pic at my reception where there was a hurricane candle, but it was unlit. For our romantic beach dinner, however, they used those little battery operated flameless tealights, so maybe it is worth requesting of your WC if you are having an outside reception (wind).

[Lisa DSO]

Oh and thank you for the compliments :-)...it was a blast

[Lisa DSO]

Oh Jozee,

 

In lieu of first dance, we did a generational dance where the dj peels off married couples by years married. It was nice because my parents were the last standing at 52 years of marriage and the dj had them give us advice at the end.