Dreams Cancun - Questions for those married here!

[beachwed2013]

This is the email i received from the group that does the video I hope it helps. They are really nice. I asked if the video can be put to any music and they said they would sit down and chat at my meeting with the Wedding planner if needed!   We are in charge of the weeding video service at Dreams Hotel, feel free   to contact us directly; your wedding will take place soon and we would   like to offer the covering of the most important day of your entire   life. Let us present our different options to cover your weeding day,   please go through our web page www.videowedd.com ,we still have our 2012 rates, must consider an increase for 2013   so you can see examples,quality and different packages according with your needs. At the time   you decide the package its important that the confirmation and payment   will be directly with the hotel so they can charge to your account. Its   important to mention that ultimate video package just cover the ceremony   and the locations with the gromm and the bride, its a continues 1.30 hr   shooting video and almost always is not enough time to cover all the   principal moments of the wedding, so please when you check our web page   consider the different options so you can get the best for you. In this   page you will find each package specifics... We will glad to be part of   your wedding team, don’t hesitate to contact us   Regards

[beachwed2013]

I am in need of some help with bridesmaids bouquets... does anyone have pictures of what they did/cost?

 

[cancundreams201]

Hi everyone, this is my first time posting, long time lurker. I'm getting married at Dreams November 3rd, 2012 (less than 2 mos away) at we have the Dreams Ultimate Wedding Package. We went on a romantic trip to Dreams Cancun 4 years ago, and saw a couple getting married there and decided that one day we'd be back and do the same thing, so we are pretty familiar with the resort. It's a great place, the food is delish and the drinks are strong.

 

Photos

We have the photo package that is included, which is photos of the ceremony and one hour photo session afterwards, also dvd of the ceremony, with 50 full color photos and 1 wedding album. We are still debating about adding on to this package..... We are also buying a Fuji Instax Mini Camera and putting it on a table near our guest book so drunk guests can have fun taking Polaroid pics of themselves all night and pasting them to our book with their names, etc. We stole this idea from another couple who did that at their wedding and it was a big hit. I'm torn...I don't want to be cheap but I also don't want to annoy my fiance who is really photo-allergic and doesn't want random people getting up in his face at the reception snapping photos all over the place. What to doooo......?

 

Wedding Details

We are getting married at the Gazebo, at 3pm...with about 40 guests. Our cocktail hour is still TBA, I guess I should ask Cecilia where it is going to be. I prefer the terrace. The cocktail hour has the gold menu. Our reception is at Himitsu Beach, and we are doing a Gold Buffet Dinner Menu. We also have a dance floor w/lights (additional cost) and 3 hour premium international open bar. We chose to get a soundsystem/DJ for the ceremony & reception. We are putting the "Mexican trio" at the cocktail hour. We did one substitution, we asked Cecilia to switch the tiramisu for the churros and cream on the silver menu because we LOVE churros.

 

Most of our guests (including us) are staying in the Club Tower, which overlooks the gazebo. We are not doing a rehearsal or dinner the night before as it is the last day of Dia De Los Muertos and we might be in Xcaret all day having fun.

 

We upgraded our cake to the Starfish one, it cost an additional $190 and it was a no-brainer because the one included looks terrible.

 

 

 

 

 

What are we bringing?

We are bringing schedule of events flyers (to be given to guests as they check in), menu cards, table numbers, and escort cards all created on Zazzle.com. It was very inexpensive and they look very nice. You can customize them all yourself based on templates that people have created. We chose starfish-themed ones.

 

We are bringing a 5 petal fan program, with starfish in aquamarine ink and a coral colored ribbon, done very nicely by Cherish Paperie. This was a splurge and it was well worth it. ($230ish)

 

We are bringing wedding favors - silver starfish paperweights/bottle openers bought at Beau-Coup, they have weight to them and they look & feel a lot more expensive than they are. We've been to a lot of weddings and this was the nicest wedding favor I'd seen so far, most of the time you get silly cds or boxes of almonds...we wanted something unique but nice to give, in the ocean theme. I kept one and it's on my coffee table, being used as a paperweight but the underside is an opener. Nifty, huh?  (50 of them cost around $98 with a coupon code). We might put the starfish in organza bags for a more upscale look and then attach the place cards to the bags (via a paper punch hole with ribbon tied through) to keep the place cards from blowing away in the wind.

 

I am carrying on my wedding dress, I'm so paranoid about someone taking it I just might put it in my overhead bin, or use it as a pillow (JK!).  It's chiffon and steaming comes included in my package so I'm not worried about it. I have asked all of my bridesmaids to carry on their dresses as well. No naked bridesmaids!

 

Flowers

We haven't ordered any additional flowers for the gazebo. I've seen photos of people who just had the white gazebo with red walkway and rose petals thrown down and nothing else and it was very nice. We do have a floral centerpiece that will be up there on a table that comes included in our package so at least there will be something. I personally do not want to waste $$$ on flowers that are going to be up for about 30 minutes and then taken down and tossed out. I don't think anyone who is attending my wedding will even care at all if there are flowers on the pillars or not...even though it does look nice. I'm still debating it.

 

My bridal bouquet is included in the package and Cecilia already sent me the file with pictures. I chose the pageant side-style Lily bouquet, and my bridesmaids will all carry a single Lily bouquet with greenery. the bridesmaids bouquets were an additional $20 each. We are ordering groomsmen boutonnieres but I haven't talked to Cecilia about it yet so I don't know how much it's going to be...probably $10-15 each.

 

 

 

 

Centerpieces

Cecilia told me that all of theirs are $65 per table and she emailed me a photo list of the ones I can choose. I chose the glass bowl with candle & starfish/sand. I think we are going to need 5 so that's an additional cost of $325. I'm going to ask Cecilia to have them attach the table numbers to the centerpieces somehow or slide part of it underneath so it doesn't get blown away.I think they are tent-style so maybe a little piece of hidden tape to anchor it to the table would work. I will work that out when we get there.

 

Group Contract/Room Discount Rate

When we booked this wedding a year ago, we originally did a group contract with the resort, for a block of rooms for 40 guests. I do NOT recommend you doing this if you live in the States and all of your guests are paying for themselves.  The rates were not good, it was actually cheaper to book on Orbitz and Expedia, or even through the resort's website. Once we figured that out, we cancelled our group contract and told everyone to book separately. Not only was it cheaper for everyone but it we no longer had to worry about whether or not people had booked their rooms yet. With a room block contract, you have to keep asking everyone and hounding them to book their rooms. I'm so glad we don't have to worry about any of that now.

 

 

 

Champagne Issues

One of my last few big issues to iron out is the Champagne....all of my girlfriends drink oodles of champagne and will not order cocktails...god forbid I run out, it would be terrible. Does anyone have any experience with this? Our package comes with a champagne toast for 20...obviously we need to upgrade that to 40 for the ceremony but is champagne included at all at the reception?? If not, I see that Dreams charges $40 for each bottle of champagne + 15% tip. ($46 each bottle....owie!). I can see this being a big last minute expense and I do NOT want to run out at the ceremony and have to be dragged away by a server who notifies me that I need to buy more. Ugh..I think if I buy 15 that should more than do it, right? 40 people, 25 of which will prob drink it mostly..I just don't want a ton of extras left over.

 

Is white and red wine included in the 3 hour premium international open bar? Is there someone who has done a wedding there who can answer this? Greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

--CD

[kellykanester]

We have bought stuff for welcome bags for our guests, tumblers, cards, candles, aloe vera, personalized chap sticks and pens. My mom got a little print out that folds into a spanish quick phrase book which is a really cute idea. We also are making a  wedding week survival kit with pepto bismal, advil, vitamen c, immodium, and a first aid kit. The girls will be getting some pretty bath salts as well, and I'm sure I forgot something, mom if you have anything to add here feel free haha.

 

I have pics somewhere of the wedding bouquets, send me your email beachwed2013

[cancundreams201]

Hi,

 

I'm getting married at Dreams November 3rd. Can someone please tell me if champagne is included in the 3 hour premium open bar? What about white and red wine?

 

Thanks!

[rykell]

I think you got the most of it my little princess....

Have gifts for the brides maids and the grooms men  but cant say on line just incase 

[sugarpug2012]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwhite789 

Does anyone know if the photographer from the resort has a website to look at their pictures?Also, I have the Ultimate package and it says it comes with 50 full color photos and 1 album. Anyone who had or has the same package and went with the resort photographer do you know exactly what this means? Do they give you a CD with the 50 photos etc? Also, does this include pictures from the ceremony, cocktail, and reception? Thanks so much!

 

I have this package, and basically what they told me is that it covers the ceremony and hour long photo shoot after. It does not cover the cocktail hour or reception. They give you one album and 50 color photos, it does not include cd. I'm debating right now about whether to upgrade because I'd like a cd. Also, it would be nice to have pro shots of us cutting our cake....the thing is the difference to upgrade would be around $300-$400, so it's something to think about.

[mrsgraham2012]

33 days away and I am also getting the "Ultimate" but we are flying in our photographer.  I was not very impressed with the Resort's photographer.  The website states, "

Full color photos & wedding photo album		(36 photos)	(50 photos)
Video of the ceremony, edited

 

 

I believe the video is about 30 mins total of edited footage from the day. 

 

We chose to fly in our photographer because believe it or not it was more cost effective to get what we really want. After all is said and done, its the pictures that take us back to that day. This was something I was not willing to skimp on.

 

He will be with us when our arrive, the rehearsal dinner and all throughout our wedding day. 

[jana297]

I was unimpressed with the resort photographer as well and went with a local photographer down in Cancun that was simplay amazing. Juan Navarro. There are no words to describe just how really good he is!!

[jwhite789]

I was told by Cecilia that you have to select one entree menu option, but does anyone know if this applies to buffet or just the plated dinner option? I know on the website they give like 3 or 4 options for each of the appetizer, salad,and entree with the buffet so I guess I am a little confused! Any help on this would be greatly appreciated!