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Barrie's Westin Los Cabos Review with pics

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bshortzie

bshortzie

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Barrie’s Westin Los Cabos Review

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1. Flight (A)

We flew Continental first class with a layover in Houston there and back. All the flights were on time, the service was great and they were able to accommodate my dress. We also were able to spend our layover time in the President’s Club which made the trip much more relaxing. We were allowed to take up to 3 bags each so packing and bag weight was not an issue. I carried on the few breakables I was bringing for our religious ceremony without a problem.

We used the transportation company through the Westin. They were a few minutes late but had a large van to accommodate our bags. The driver was relatively fluent in English and gave us some info on Cabos. Other relatives took the shuttle which was way cheaper and they said it was fine. It made 3 stops and was very comfortable and affordable. We all had to take taxis back to the airport due to the transportation issues happening there.

 

2. Westin Hotel (A if infinity pool was open; but have to give it a B+ because of closure)

Let me start by saying that 2 weeks before my wedding I was informed that the main activity/infinity pool was closed due to a massive leak and that La Playa restaurant was closed as well. This was supposed to be where our reception was being held, so we decided to move up to the Bugambilias Terrace (which turned out to be a much better and more beautiful area). We also wound up negotiating upgrades for all of our guests to Royal Beach Club so they all got a free champagne buffet breakfast and 3 hours of appetizers/cocktails in the evening. Since we were already RBC, we were upgraded to a Baja Suite which was absolutely gorgeous. It had a living room area, a huge walking glass shower, and a large balcony with a daybed and Jacuzzi bath tub. The Westin is a spectacular property. The architecture is amazing, it is very clean and the service was amazing. When we arrived, our wedding coordinator and her manager were waiting for us at the front. They gave us welcome drinks, checked us in quickly and we set up a meeting for the following day. Everyone was aware of who we were and went out of their way to make sure we always had everything we needed. I have to mention Jorge, the pool deck/beach manager who greeted us every morning, saved chairs for us and our guests, and was so unbelievably helpful throughout the trip.

Click the image to open in full size.

 

3. Legal Ceremony- (A+)

They came to do blood work on Thursday and the ceremony was on the balcony of our suite on Friday. The judge and Maye were on time and very professional. It was really a very nice ceremony and the paperwork was relatively simple.

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4. Suzanne Morel Hair and Make-up (A+)

They were fabulous and I now understand why they get such high ratings. Three women came, one to introduce the stylist and translator and take care of the paper work. She left relatively quickly and the stylist and translator set-up and we got to work. I had a hair trial done here in NJ and had emailed them pics, as well as brought hard copies as well. My stylist did an amazing job, much better than the stylist here in NJ! My hair did not move one millimeter the entire night. She also did a great job on make-up. The translator kept asking how I liked it and what I wanted to change along the way. I don’t usually wear much make-up so it was hard for me to deal with the foundation and heaviness of the makeup application. She told me it would loosen and soften as the day went on and she was right. I would recommend them to all Cabo brides!

Click the image to open in full size.

 

5. Photographer- (A+)

My uncle is a professional photographer so he did all the pictures for me as my wedding gift. He did an amazing job!

 

6. Ceremony (A)

Our religious wedding was held on Sunday. The set-up for the ceremony was tough because of the tides. I was not able to have the ceremony in the exact spot I wanted it because the Chuppah would have been washed away. My uncle had the Westin move lounge chairs and umbrellas to block out any sight of the white construction panel around the pool. You would not have even known it was there. I got lucky with the weather; it wasn’t too windy so my rose petals stayed on the boards and runner leading up to the Chuppah. I hired an acoustic guitar player top play while people waited (luckily since the Rabbi was late!), for our processional and recessional. We had Rabbi Ian Adler officiate. He was supposed to arrive at our hotel by 6:00 PM for a 7:00 PM ceremony but his flight was delayed 3 hours and he arrived a little after 7. We met quickly and then got started. I had ordered a speaker and microphones to make sure my guests could hear the ceremony over the ocean. It was the best decision because you can hear it clearly on our video as well. Rabbi Ian did a phenomenal job. He made it interesting and personal. I would highly recommend his services!

Since the ceremony was on the beach, everyone in the pool area listened as well. They made some noise but overall were very respectful and clapped along with all of our guests at the end.

The only issue was with my bouquet. It was supposed to arrive in my room by 5:00 but was nowhere to be found at 6:00. They finally tracked it down and I had it just in time for family pictures.

Click the image to open in full size.

 

 

7. Reception Dinner (A+)

The setup on the terrace was beautiful. The food was outstanding and the service was wonderful as well. We decided to have a buffet since we had so many people with different tastes and dietary needs. There was no point in the evening when any of the guests had to even get up or wait to get a drink. The wait staff was always there, often bringing more without you even asking! My fiancé and I decided to have our own table and we were assigned our own waiter as well. We used a speaker system with an IPod for music and that worked out great. They lit the fire pit and people were able to sit around it on a couch if they wanted to. Our cake was delicious and they copied it exactly from my picture. We had chocolate cake with raspberry filling and butter cream frosting. I had them cut it right on the terrace and serve it. They then packed up the rest for me and brought it to my breakfast the next morning.

 

Click the image to open in full size.

Click the image to open in full size.

Click the image to open in full size.

 

The best surprise was when we got back to our room, the Westin had left a bottle of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries, rose petals on the floor and in a heart shape on the bed, and they filled our outdoor tub with bubbles and rose petals and lit all the candles around it! It was beautiful.

Click the image to open in full size.

 

8. Breakfast (A)

We had a breakfast for all of our guests on Monday morning. We weren’t supposed to start until 9:30 but there were a few people who needed to catch flights so they let us bump it up to 9:00 to make sure everyone could attend. The Westin did a beautiful setup in the Cactus Foyer. There was a buffet and the food was wonderful. They did forget to put out big plates and bowls but they took care of that quickly. I also asked for the rest of my wedding cake and they brought that out as well.

Click the image to open in full size.

 

9. Overall

Overall, the Westin did a fabulous job and really came through in the end. The planning process was often frustrating because it often took 1-2 weeks for my wedding coordinator to respond. I was also upset about the pool closing because they waited until 2 weeks before the wedding to tell us about it when they had known since May. They just did not want us to back out and I thought that was unfair of them. They did accommodate our guests with upgrades and us as well. The service was amazing and they went out of their way to make sure we had everything we wanted. In the end, the wedding was everything I had imagined it would be and worked out perfectly!

 

If anyone has any questions, I would be happy to answer them!

I can only post 10 pictures so you can view a few more sample pictures at:

bshortzie/BDW Sample pics - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

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