RIU RM Palace Brides??

[vlvetter7]

Dreamingofsunshine- I hear your frustrations. It's quite annoying when people will not even consider going to Mexico because it is "not safe." I have had several family members tell me about the US travel warnings to Mexico. My only response to them is to look at a map. Quintana Roo, where RPRM is, is nowhere near the Northern Mexican border cities that we're being warned of...

 

"The Department of State has issued this Travel Warning to inform U.S. citizens traveling to and living in Mexico of concerns about the security situation in Mexico, and that the authorized departure of dependents of U.S. government personnel from U.S. consulates in the Northern Mexican border cities of Tijuana, Nogales, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Monterrey and Matamoros..."

 

So frustrating.

[jrb]

It's comparable to this: would you not travel to Miami because of violence in Detroit? Of course not. Playa del carmen is no where near the border towns.

[vlvetter7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JNagan2011 Nicola- I believe this is the website Jannae was talking about: RIU Weddings Playa del Carmen Mexico: FLOWERS: Samples of Bouquet & Bouttonniere Options

It appears this website is now blocked unless you're invited to view it, where it used to be open to viewing...does anyone have the information on RMRP flower choices saved anywhere that they can share?

[Paige2010]

I have also been going through the whole outside vendor talk- I have searched everywhere for the email which said it would only be a $100 fee for the vendor and can't find it- Ael has told me it is a $100 day pass per vendor and a $200 penalty fell PER PERSON!!! My photog package comes with 2 photographers!- were talking an extra 500- $600!! I emailed the photographer my concerns and he said tell the resort he was just a guest with a camera and pay the $65 guest day pass. But Im afraid at this point I have caused such a fuss Ael won't buy it.

 

Linds- there is no way you should have to pay any sort of fee- they are your guests! I wouldn't even bring it up.

 

Question: for those who did the group dinner at Carboncitos or Katie, I know you went to Alux- did the hotel have busses or how did you get all your guests there? We have about 50 guests and were thinking about having a bar tab at Alux after the Grooms dinner at the Resort--Would you recommend Alux for a group this big? Were drinks reasonable or expensive?

[Nicyx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vlvetter7 It appears this website is now blocked unless you're invited to view it, where it used to be open to viewing...does anyone have the information on RMRP flower choices saved anywhere that they can share?

OH NO!!!!! :-(
Yes please, if anyone has flower or cake choices please can i share too :-) Thank you xoxo

[samira26]

this question is to past brides, which restaurant is better for the private dinner reception especially which one has a better dancing place, Chillies or Boto?

 

I plan to get the DJ but no point of getting him if ppl dont have space to dance.

[samira26]

oh going back to the Mexico travel issue, we have been getting that from ppl too! i just dont understand why ppl are so ignorant, yes there is violence but its like east and west coast. So I am not even worrying abt it, if ppl want to cancel their plans based on this so be it. I know its frustating though esp if inlaws refuse to come due to this. Thankfully my mother in law is coming unless someone changes her mind btw now and June.

[LadyTrunck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrb It's comparable to this: would you not travel to Miami because of violence in Detroit? Of course not. Playa del carmen is no where near the border towns.

That's exactly what I told my Grandparents! They live in Denver, I told them, 'would you tell people not to visit you in Denver because of gang violence in East LA?' Sorry you guys have to go through this. I'm fortunate that all of my guests besides Gparents travel often and are not naiive.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vlvetter7 It appears this website is now blocked unless you're invited to view it, where it used to be open to viewing...does anyone have the information on RMRP flower choices saved anywhere that they can share?

The only thing I have is on my wedding website- I picked the choices that I liked for the girls to pick from so they're mostly pink. ryannandjannae.com under: for my girls password: Bella.

I wonder why they make you sign in now? Maybe they're just updating and soon it will be new stuff?!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paige2010 I have also been going through the whole outside vendor talk- I have searched everywhere for the email which said it would only be a $100 fee for the vendor and can't find it- Ael has told me it is a $100 day pass per vendor and a $200 penalty fell PER PERSON!!! My photog package comes with 2 photographers!- were talking an extra 500- $600!! I emailed the photographer my concerns and he said tell the resort he was just a guest with a camera and pay the $65 guest day pass. But Im afraid at this point I have caused such a fuss Ael won't buy it.

Are you freaking KIDDING me?!!!!!! I have two coming too- I am just not saying anything. God Paige I'm sorry if you have to pay this! I will seriously raise hell, a'la sammysgirl

[*Linds*]

there is no way in hell we will be paying $100/day!!! My argument is we are paying more than $100/day already for their accomodations...What are they going to do? I have a pro camera...are they going to charge me extra for having a big camera and taking pictures??

[edoherty]

RIU RM REVIEW

 

Hello RIU Brides! I have been on this site on and off for over a year. I recently got married at the RIU RM (2/27/10) and finally got a chance to write my review.

 

Travel Agent: DestinationWeddings.com: B-

We really were disappointed with the level of service DestinationWeddings.com gave us. In fact, half way through our planning we changed our agent through them because the first one notified us that our wedding was not top on her list to work on and she was having personal problems and just didn't have the time to give us the level of service that we needed. Unacceptable. Our new agent was so much better, but they didn't really provide service that our guests couldn't do on our own. We didn't get a block of rooms for our guests, we didn't get any discounts, and they told Rob and I that we didn't have any negotiating room with the RIU even though we brought 50 guests with us! In fact, some of our guests booked on their own because they found cheaper airfare elsewhere. I wish we would have gone with an actual travel agent.

 

]RIU Riviera Maya Hotel: A-

We really can't complain much about the RIU. The grounds were beautiful! The beach was gorgeous and that is where our guests spent most of their time. They had plenty of loungers and it was huge! Rob's and my parents loved the fact that they had shady areas on the beach where they could lay under the palm trees too. The pool was fun, but like everyone else stated, you do need to get there before 8AM to get a good spot. The crew at the RIU does try to bring out more loungers as the day progresses, but the fun spots are right by the pool. My guests and I generally just hung out at the pool bar so we didn't even need loungers! The rooms were fine. We rarely spent time in our room. The rooms were clean, and yes, they would get a bit musty and damp throughout the day, but only if you choose to keep your patio door open. We did this because it was so beautiful down there- but you can always choose just to have the air conditioning on. We did use the Spa a couple times for massages, pedicures and for their workout facility and I would say it met our expectations. I would rate this an A- instead of an A for the following: 1. We did not receive an upgraded room although that was part of our package. 2. Most of our guests arrived on Wednesday, and they couldn't make reservations for a restaurant until Sunday- but most were leaving on that day. I wish they were able to accommodate our guests a bit more. 3. Rob and I really didn't get anything extra (treatment or upgrades) even though we brought 50 people with us.

 

RIU Riviera Maya Staff: A

Excellent. So friendly, always available, just great! A few extra dollars goes a long way too. My dad tipped really well and the staff would actually hold my mom's plate at the buffet and bring it to her when she sat down. They always knew what my dad was drinking and would have a refill before he even finished his current drink. They brought champagne and orange juice to my room by request (even though it took some pleading) the day of the wedding for my girls and I. They never said no, they always found a way to help. We also go our wedding dress and suit steamed while we were there and it was pretty painless. It took about a day.

 

Wedding Coordinator: Ael/Rebecca: B

Rob and I were a bit frustrated with the wedding planning part of the RIU. Although we picked a destination wedding to alleviate some of the planning headaches, we were frustrated that we couldn't get any answers from the RIU until 2 months before the wedding! This really was difficult. Also- we were told 1 month before the wedding that our time of day we picked for our wedding wouldn't work (5PM) and they wanted to change it to 12PM! This was a major problem as I had already had a girly day planned with my girls and Rob had golf planned with his guests. They eventually agreed to change the time to 4PM, but even then we had already sent out our actual invitations. It just was an added headache. When we were at the RIU- we met with Rebecca who was very nice and eased our fears. I just wish this happened ahead of time.

 

Beach Location for Wedding: A-

I loved getting married barefoot on the beach! The location was very large which made it seem a bit more private. And, I didn't really mind other visitors watching the wedding. That happens at the gazebo too. The only thing I didn't like was that it was so close to the Pool Bar. It just seemed to lesson the importance of the event. Other than that, I was very happy with the location.

 

Reception: Boto Fago: A-

We had a 2.5 hour cocktail hour which was really long for our guests. I don't know how we could have done that better. But, after the cocktail hour, we went to Boto Fago for our reception and it was great. We had the DJ who was awesome and took any and all requests and was prepared with the songs we had given him ahead of time. The dinner was decent... it was your typical Brazilian Restaurant where they bring different types of meat around. I was so full from the salad bar at this point I didn't eat a ton, but I didn't hear any complaints. We had 50 guests and the restaurant was the perfect size for 50. We also had a big dance floor in the middle which really brought the room together. I was pretty nervous about the reception but it ended up being exactly like I had hoped. We did have to pay the extra $9/person for mixed drinks- but I am happy we paid for this.

 

 

La Parilla - Downtown Playa Del Carmen - A+

We had our rehearsal dinner/welcoming dinner here and it was Awesome! The staff was great in helping us hold the event here while sticking to our budget. We were able to have an open bar and dinner (appetizers, soup, entree and dessert) for 2 hours and it was perfect. This is such a fun place. The restaurant is open to the outside- so you really feel like you are part of the downtown atmosphere. There was a mariachi band that played in our room for about 15 minutes as well which brought the mexican flair to our wedding. I would highly recommend having your welcome dinner here for your guests. Because our guests couldn't book specialty restaurants at the RIU this was a really nice way to get them away from the buffet for the night.

After the event we continued our night at the Tequila Disco- which was so much fun!

 

Moments that Matter Photography: A++

What can I say about Moments that Matter? They worked their butts off! Lincoln and Lori were so easy to be around. They are such a fun loving couple and you can tell that they just love to do this for a living. All of our guests commented on how great they were and how hard they worked throughout the day as well. Our pictures are very different from my other sisters who had weddings in Chicago (church and reception at hotels) but I am so happy about that! Lincoln and Lori really captured the "beach wedding" and the romantic setting. I highly recommend them. We did have to pay $100 for each of them to get into the hotel... but that is it! No penalty like others have stated. If you have an email from Ael stating that outside photographers are $100, I would just bring that with you. We didn't have any problems.

 

I'd also like to give a personal thanks to my hairdresser and makeup artist- Mylissa Genaro. If anyone is from the Chicago area- she is a great stylist that is willing to go to your destination wedding to do your hair and makeup for the wedding. She helped my whole bridal party, sisters, and mothers as well. Rob and I just paid her a flat fee. She also did my hair and makeup for the rehearsal dinner! I am so happy I brought her - she really made me feel like a rock star!

 

Golf - A (by Rob )

 

The course was literally across the street from the hotel - we just walked over, no need for cabs or transportation. I played twice, once on Friday morning with some family and then as a group with 12 guys the morning of the wedding. I had pre-arranged this beforehand with the golf course and they did a good job re-creating a country club atmosphere... our names were on our carts, the GPSs in the carts had a "congrats Rob and Erin" banner, you could also use the GPSs to track live scoring if you have a tournament within your group. And as with everything in Mexico, the service was awesome - guys that clean your clubs, bring you towels, and the drink cart came around at least 5-6 times. I would recommend renting clubs - since you can rent for less than the cost of checking the baggage, and the clubs they have are surprisingly good - your choice of Nikes, Callaways, Taylor-Mades etc... all with new(er) clubs and brand name oversize drivers. The course itself was a B... a few interesting holes and it's well maintained, but not quite the jungle adventure i thought it would be. oh - and there are monkeys on the course.

 

 

Here are a few pictures of the wedding itself that our photographers took:

 

 

Erin & Rob

 

Feel free to respond with any questions!