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

[geoffnsara]

Originally Posted by Heidi82 

 

LISA - I am LOVE with your pictures!  I think I have gone back and looked at them 5 times now!  You looked beautiful and the pictures get me so excited!!

 

Happy Friday everyone!

 

 

did you run into this issue at first? 

[kellygrrrl]

LADIES! just wanted to let you all know that I have FINALLY booked for cinco de mayo 2012! I'm now one of you - I even have a basecamp login and everything. : )

 

it's not easy waiting patiently for a wedding 1.3 years away, but the first six months have gone by really quickly. I couldn't believe when other brides on here were booking dates in may and june - it was a huge wake up call! we're currently working on STDs and my mom said, 'umm, shouldn't you go ahead and book your date at the resort?' ha. yep. : )

 

just wanted to share the great news. happy planning! : )

[geoffnsara]

 

 

Originally Posted by kellygrrrl 

 

LADIES! just wanted to let you all know that I have FINALLY booked for cinco de mayo 2012! I'm now one of you - I even have a basecamp login and everything. : )

 

it's not easy waiting patiently for a wedding 1.3 years away, but the first six months have gone by really quickly. I couldn't believe when other brides on here were booking dates in may and june - it was a huge wake up call! we're currently working on STDs and my mom said, 'umm, shouldn't you go ahead and book your date at the resort?' ha. yep. : )

 

just wanted to share the great news. happy planning! : )

 

 

Congrats Kellygrrrl.  I still have a lot to do myself.  Are you running into issues with your guests being scared of traveling to mexico?  if so how are you over coming this? 

[dimax21]

 

2011 Brides

kshows - February 12, 2011

Kelksyt - February 19, 2011

JacqueCO - February 20, 2011

MichelleCrock - February 26, 2011

Elizabella75 - February 26, 2011
DiahR - April 1, 2011

GC2008 - April 10, 2011

Aricak64-April 11, 2011

pineapplebride - *maybe* April 2011

Suzy831 - April 16, 2011

Jennie0521 - April 28, 2011
ChicagoBride2011- May 1, 2011
speedy130 - May 7, 2011

SarahE786 - May 15, 2011

dimax21- May 19, 2011

Violagirl (Jen) - May 21, 2011
rosieposie - May 22, 2011

orange_peel - May 27, 2011

Maritza - June 3, 2011

risa 1818- June 12, 2011

Jozee84- June 15, 2011

JHarris - June 17, 2011

Bride2B22- June 21, 2011

Sweetle - June 24, 2011
Prettypigpig - July 4, 2011

Heidi88- July 22, 2011

miadionne - July 23, 2011

nikkiscriv - July 25, 2011

Augustbride2011- August 20, 2011

duffeje - September 2, 2011

HannahASH - September 3, 2011
Bride2bDebbie - November 20, 2011

[Heidi82]

rissa519 - No, I just booked rooms at the Royal.  Most of my friends who have kiddos decided that they want an adult only vacay if they come!  Also, their kids are all two years of age or younger so it would be pretty hard for them to have stress free vacay, travel, etc. if they brought them.  I still gave everyone the option and info. to book at the Gran Porto with Nanda though if they would like to.

 

congrats Kelly on booking your date!  Time will fly!  I feel like I just booked my date and now it's only 5 months away!   

My to do list is miles long! haha

[orange_peel]

I have some questions for those that have already had their wedding at the Royal.  How lenient were the ministers in letting you write your own ceremony, including the vows? I would love to write what will be said at the ceremony, but if it's not possible, I guess I'll have to go with the flow, or do something else.  Also, did you have a rehearsal, or just some instructions the day of the wedding?  Thank you all for your help! 

[kshows03]

Kayla's Planning Thread - The Royal (Playa del Carmen)

 

I wanted to extend a special thanks to all those ladies from whom I stole their great ideas!  A special thanks to all the Royal brides who have answered so many of my questions and have given me so much inside information.  I think every bride gets some stress, but with the help of this site, mine certainly was reduced significantly.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

Engagement:

Tony and I got engaged at the dog park (on the same bench) where we first met.  It was a very cute moment.  Picture courtesy of our neighbor Rosemary. 

 

 

 

Website:

We used the free site from www.theknot.com.  It was also a very good source to store all of our guest’s addresses and then you could access it through the website at anytime, anywhere.  I did a lot of planning from work so it was nice to just have it electronically.

 

Location:

We chose the Royal after being there on a trip in September of 2009.  We went for my fiance’s boss’ wedding.  He chose the first hotel (2 night) which was El Tukan an it was a piece of crap.  Then I chose our second hotel (2 nights) which was the Royal and we fell in love.  At that time it was “Swine Flu†season so we only paid $249 a night.  At that time we thought was a great price for the value and we a little shocked at what regular price was…but still went with it.

 

Save the Dates:

We ordered the large magnets from VistaPrint.com and put one of our engagement pictures on it. 

 

 

 

Invites:

We originally looked into this and they are approximately $8.00 a piece for what we wanted and decided to make them ourselves.  After many hours of printing, cutting, gluing and stapling….we had a great product which ran about $1.30 a piece.  I got the template from Alyeebits.com and adjusted it some for what we were looking for.  We ordered the paper from PaperandMore.com.  The covers were made from the Pearlescent Metallic Card Stock.  It has a very nice shine and looks pretty fancy.  The color we used was Blue Vista.  We decided to go against our wedding colors just because we wanted it to look more authentic like a passport since ours are blue and there was no way he was going to let me send pink invitations.  We used the 8.5x11 pages and it worked our great since it made two covers for each page used.  For the inside pages, we used Pearlescent Text Paper in Champagne.  It came out a very shimmery light tan/gold and looked amazing!  The key to making these was the way you fold the cardstock.  Before you begin you need to practice with the paper, once folding it length wise and one folding it width wise.  One will look MUCH better than the other since it is folded with the grain.  Every stack of paper is different.  You just need to find out how your batch was made and work with it.   

 

 

Attire:

I got my dress from Weddings by Debbie in Houston. (I-10 and Greenhouse).  It was the second dress I tried on.  I brought my sister and my best friend (and other bridesmaid) with me to shop.  After trying on about 15 gowns it came down to the first and the second ones I tried on.  After much deliberation, I chose #2 just because it looked more like a “Wedding†dress.  If the other dress was a different color, it could work for many events.  I ended up choosing Maggie Sottero’s – Adorae.  (On the model and then on me)  The dress was only $1145 which I thought was a GREAT deal.   

 

For alterations, I decided that I wanted to make it a short dress as well and this is what we came up with…. 

 

A close up of the hidden zipper:

 

 

 

Shoes: 

www.zappos.com– RSVP Fuchsia pumps.

 

Bridesmaids Dresses:  David’s Bridal in Watermelon

 

 

For the bridesmaids shoes,  I just bought them all silver flip flops I also found at Ross for $14.00 

 

 

[kshows03]

Groom's Suit:

My fiancé got his suit from StudioSuits.com.  He got the linen/cotton blend in a very light tan.  They run for $99 but he also paid a little extra for it to be lined, and then he did have to get it altered some when it arrived which included a cuff at the bottom of the pant.  The total cost was approximately $175.

 

Trash The Dress:

I got my dress to take trash the dress pictures from David’s Bridal as well.  This helped the girls get a discount on their bridesmaids dresses too because we said I got my wedding dress there.  It was only $99.  Here is the link:  http://www.davidsbridal.com/Product_Halter-Charmeuse-Floor-Length-Gown-36857D_Bridal-Gowns-Features-All-Gowns

 

 

Hair Inspiration (headband):

I got my headband here at Weddings Factory Direct - http://www.weddingfactorydirect.com/hp-6471.html.  I tried on a few at the bridal salon and I really loved them.  Only problem was that they were a couple hundred dollars.  I really wanted a ribbon headband and the best price I could find was $34.00!!  They are usually $80 and above almost everywhere.  I chose the modern vintage design, A – because I liked it, but also because it had the jewels that went all the way to the ear.  Some are just on the crown and I didn’t like that as much.   

 

 

 

This was a picture of my hair inspiration, but it ended up not mattering.  It was so rainy and windy the day of my wedding, my hairstylist suggested that I not leave my hair down.  I ended up going with a side ponytail that was curled.   My hair was done by Doranna (http://www.dorannahairstylist.com/)

 

 

Make Up Inspiration:

For my make up inspiration I used the February 2011 Cover of Cosmo that featured Mila Kunis.  The makeup was very neutral, with a brown Smokey eye and very bronzy.  My make up was done by Suemy Ortega with Make Up Wizards. 

 

 

Reception Decorations:

For the reception, we got our chair sashes and table runners from Wedding Linens Direct.  The chair sashes ended up being .89 cents a piece and we ordered 7 table runners at $2.68 a piece, but they come in packs of 10, so they just sent us a whole pack which was a nice surprise. 

http://www.weddinglinensdirect.com/8x108satinsash.html

 

 

 

 

I also hand made my card box using a wooden box from Hobby Lobby, scrapbooking paper, a wooden M, black paint, and some stick on jewels.

 

 

For each guest, we had maracas placed on the plate.  We alternated a lime green pair, followed by a pink pair.  We figured the boys and girls would just switch if need be.  We got them from Amols.  These were 1.95 a piece since we got more than 12 pairs.  These are absolutely awesome.  Wooden and say Mexico on them.  We found them on 5^thstreet, but they were $4.95 for a pair.  Also the color selection was limited.  We saw pink, but not lime green.  http://www.amols.com/catalog/product/MX700

 

 

We had our wedding programs made on Etsy – from PaperDreams Studio Designs.  They are $1.90 a piece.  http://www.etsy.com/listing/52874526/custom-wedding-programs-thesquareref=sr_gallery_3&ga_search_query=square+wedding+programs&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

 

 

Our monogram was created by Aylee Bits - http://ayleedesigns.gnyc.net/front.html?monograms.htm  You get two monograms for $5.00. 

 

Our guestbook was created on Shutterfly with our engagement pictures.  The book was a 12x12 and I used one photo and love quote per page with the alternating page blank where people could write.  We had pink and lime green sharpies available at the reception to use.  I actually got a free voucher and only had to pay shipping for this with my David’s Bridal purchase. 

 

We had this frame by the guestbook to explain.  I created these with VistaPrint.com and got the frame from Walmart for $5.00 

 

 

We also had a flip flop table at our reception for our guests to trade in their “wedding†shoes for some “dancing shoes.† We got these from Old Navy over Memorial Day weekend when they were $1.00 a piece.  We made the tags with a word document and printed them on pink and lime green cardstock. 

 

 

 

This is the sign we had by the flip flops.  Again, made with VistaPrint.com and frame from Walmart. 

 

 

 

We made our escort card by hand.  We used the same pink and lime green cardstock from Hobby Lobby and then I purchased some star fish off of Ebay for a few bucks which I thought were fake, but got a nice surprise when they arrived and smelt fishy!!  We stored them in a box layered with dryer sheets to mask the smell.  The pink signified guests who wanted beef and the green signified guests who wanted chicken

 

 

We did have a mail out that went out approximately 3 weeks before that included a brochure made with VistaPrint.com (sorry no picture) and also this guide that I found online and we just adjusted to fit us.  I had these printed and cut at Kinkos.

 

 

DJ:

We used DJ Doremixx which the hotel arranged for us.  We only used the 3 hours for $850 which actually worked out nicely.  We had quite a few older guests so the amount of time we had worked out well.  Not to mention the rain.  We did not get the light up dance floor, but they had a really nice dark wooden one set up for us.  At times not everyone fit, which was fine, but you might want to consider that if you have a large group.  We only had 36 guests and still didn’t all fit.

We decided to not do a bouquet toss, or garter toss due to the small amount of guests.  I think if we would have needed to take time for those, the 3 hours would have seemed extremely short.

 

Photographer:

We used William Sanchez.  He is only 18 years old but won the 2010 best new photographer in Mexico.  He uses a journalistic style which is what we really like.  I have no idea what the pictures will look like due to the rain and the clouds, but we could tell he definitely worked hard.

 

For our Trash the Dress session, we used Ivan Luckie.  He drove us to Puerto Moralos to a more secluded beach.  We are super excited to see how they came out.

 

Florist:

We used Marvin with Maya Diseno Floral.  This was our centerpiece inspiration with the fresh limes in the base with an arrangement of pink, lime green and orange flowers.  I also asked for black wooden number to lean against the centerpiece to note which table was which and he included these for free! 

 

 

Similar to the bridesmaids bouquet flowers: 

 

Mother’s Corsages and boutonnieres:

 

Bridesmaids Gifts:

For the bridesmaids, I paid for their hair the day of the wedding and I also had each of them a Beach Bag made and embroidered with their name on it.  I actually got the bags at Ross in the summer for $6.00 a piece and then got them embroidered at a place here in Houston for $10.00 a piece. 

 

Groomsmen Gifts: 

Tony got his groomsmen this personalized desk clock/pen and business card holder.  These were purchased at www.mygroomsmengifts.com

 

 

Boudoir Photoshoot:

I did this back in December with Norma from Houston Boudior Photography.  She was an absolute joy to work with and the pictures came out better than I could have imagined.

 

Cake Topper:

We also got the cake topper from Wedding’s Factory Direct.  An “M†which a guest joked if it was a “911†but we didn’t notice.

 

 

Transportation:

We used Cancuntransfers.com and they really took care of us.  If you set up a page specific for your wedding guests they can get a 10-15% discount.  We also used them to book our Pirate Cruise out of Cancun and they really took care of our whole group.  They gave us a discount on the prices and also escorted us and stayed with us throughout the cruise.  It was nice to not have to be in control.  As the bride and groom people are always looking to you for guidance and it was so nice to have someone there to help everyone and answer all our questions. 

[ChicagoBride2011]

Kshows!  Your back?!?!?!  How was everything?!?!?

[kshows03]

Yes!  We got back Thursday evening.  It was a great trip, but I guess the funny/sad part was that out of our full week trip, the only day it rained was Saturday...pretty much the whole day.  We were able to have the wedding at the gazeebo, bu we put everyone under it, just incase the rain picked back up.  Also, the standing water on the concrete made it REALLY difficult to walk in my wedding dress.  I had to take three long breaks...it was not a graceful walk AT ALL....all you can do is laugh though.  Then instead of having the cocktail hour in the garden and the reception on the beach, they shut down Pelicanos and we had both there.  That way we were still "out side" but had a covering.  I got so many comments that it was the best wedding/most beautiful wedding/most organized event they had ever been to.....so I have to be happy with that.  It was definately memorable! =)  I will write a full review soon.  I still do not have any pictures...it's kinda sad.  With 36 guests and all the young ones were in the wedding, so the old folks were the only ones taking pictures during the ceremony and of course they haven't uploaded any of them...haha they probably don't even know how.  Hopefully we will get a few previews soon!

 

Just as a summary...I do not regret my decion to have my wedding at the Royal...rain and all.  They were great and take care of you 100%!