Any Grand Palladium brides?

[magda26]

Hi everyone!

 

I am getting married at Grand Palladium in the Catholic Chapel in November 2014.

 

I actually met my fiance at Grand Palladium, and he proposed there while we were on a return vacation last December - so we decided to continue with the trend and get married there as well

 

I have been lurking for quite a while on here, and if it wasn't for this thread I don't think the planning process would be going as smoothly as it has been I have yet to have a bridezilla moment lol

So far I have booked the wedding date and time: 3pm for the ceremony in the Chapel and 6pm for the reception at La Laguna. I had to book with one of the new packages they have, so we went with Mayan Pearl in Pink since it was as close to a pastel color as I could get. We're expecting about 40 guests - I expect less, and future hubby of course overestimates how many people will be there...

We also booked PlayaWeddings to do our photo and video - we decided to splurge on this since I have a lot of family overseas that won't be able to make it, so it will be nice to share the whole day with them through photos and video (I'm also super sentimental ).

We decided to book Ivan through Doremixx, and we have sent the deposit but they have yet to get back to us on the final confirmation it's been two weeks since I sent them the money, so I have to admit I am getting a bit worried.

 

I was wondering if any of you got married at the Chapel and could tell me a little more about how everything goes the day-of?

Also, do any of you have recommendations for ceremony musicians? Vanessa offered a violinist, but I have no idea what songs would be good for a violin to play during the mass. Any tips?

And one last thing - Vanessa never responded to my question about whether they need me to send them any deposits for the wedding? I feel a bit unsure only having an e-mail confirmation and nothing else to go off of.
 

Happy planning!!

[Mjones]

Hi ladies, I am thinking of having our wedding at grand palladium riviera, and just had a few questions. Can anyone tell me a little about pricing for having a beach reception? Also are there many things to do at nit, such as a disco or something that doesn't close at 11... I love the look of the pure package, and we will have about 40+ people.." Any clue what the package costs! If I could also get the info sheet emailed to me, I would really appreciate it. [email protected] Thank you all so much!, Mikaela

[Mjones]

Oops I wrote too soon, I managed to find pricing on their website. Can anyone let me know what kind of meal options they serve with the different packages? Thanks!!!

[Ladyluck250]

Sorry that it took so long for me to put up a post wedding post but I will be brief. 

We had Vanessa as our wedding coordinator and everything when soooooo smoothly.  We met with her the day after we arrived and within 1/2 an hour all of the final selections and paperwork were complete.  Due to the weather that morning the paramedics were not available to do the blood test so we just strolled over to the doctor's office and did it there, took about 5 minutes.

As for the day of the wedding we could not have expected more.  The transportation to the beach gazebo was perfectly onetime and the ceremony and music worked effortlessly.  The flowers and decor was fantastic.  After the ceremony we did some pics with friends and family and then on our own, everyone else was transported to the Sports Bar for drinks while we did our own pics.  We just had the on site photo pro people do some pics for us as we knew that we would have a ton of pics from our friends too.  Filemon was a great deal of fun to work with.

After drinks we ate at the El Dorado (we had given Vanessa a small bag of decoration for the table) and when we got there everything was perfectly organized and laid out. 

Overall it was a fantastic day and we cannot then Vanessa and her team enough for the presentation and execution.

I think that I may have put some more details and more of a resort review in my Palladium White Sand TA review on June 12 if you are interested.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mjones]

Hi Mikaela! 40 seems to be the magic number with the packages....over 40 you have to do a private reception at $50-60 pp for a plated reception or a buffet dinner. 40 or less you can do a semiprivate at one of the ala cartes and pick a menu from there. They also offer the beach bash...$1400 includes passabouts and a private bar tender for 25 people. Each additional person over 25 is $14pp. They do add a second bartender for 40 people. We are planning on lless than 40 due to the additional cost of more than 40. Hope this helps a little.... Casey

Thanks Casey! Is that $1400 on top of the wedding package? If they have a second bar tender do you pay even more? I've put a Wedding date on hold March, I just need to confirm our travel plans. Mikaela

[Mjones]

Yep...$1400 is in addition to the cost of the wedding package. It does not cost more for the second bartender as far as i know...you just pay the $14 per person additional over 25 people. What is your date in March?

It's march 21st tentatively. Can I ask any brides from Calgary or anywhere in Canada really, what kind of group rates you received? We are getting quotes but I can find prices on Expedia for less.

[Carlota1981]

Hi Ladyluck! Congratulations for your marriage!! 

 

Thanks for your review!! It seems you not only got a fantastic day but also perfect thanks to the good weather and the planner!! I am so happy when all the brides are returning saying how amazing Vanessa is.

 

Thanks for the info about the blood tests as well! I hope the nurse/doctor is going to find my vein well so everything goes fast! I heat the syringues!! 

I have found as well your review at tripadvisor (at white sands) and it is so good to read the resort is still being so fantastic! I have one month to leave Spain and it seems so far to me... days never finish! lol  Once again congratulations!

 

 

Casey, I have the idea to ask Vanessa if the hotel had that kind of vases. I sent her by mail the idea of my cheap centerpieces for the Sports Bar and she sent me that pic you have seen. Palladium is going to let me that 6 vases without extra cost. I am alredy paying enough money for my big centerpiece of tropical flowers for the beach gazebo as well for the the tropical ones for the dinner at La Laguna. So it is great that at least I can save some money. At the end, the tables at Sports Bar are small so I prefer to use some small centerpieces so that idea I think is great!

 

What I suggest you is not to tell to Vanessa that I told you. Just ask her about your idea and if it is possible they let you sth... I have the feeling (for some comments) they do not like a lot when we share here things to save money asking directly to the resort because another bride told to other brides... 

 

 

Mikaela, welcome to the forum!! I cannot help you a lot because I am going with the Diamond package and this owns to the old packages that the resort had available until last year. So I do not have information about the new ones. What I could tell you, is that if the Beach Bush is expensive for you, ask to your planner directly for the Las Rocas private party. The floor is also the sand and this is the bar that has a salt water pool. The location is beautiful. I am going to have 20 guests, plus Thomas and me, a total of 22. We are going to rent 5 chinese lamps adding to the decoration the resort uses there it has a cost of 155 usd for 2 hours (as well as the cable for ipod, microphone and loud speakers). We are going to have our party/dances there.

 

And about the other question you have made. Yes, you have the disco (called Sunset Boulevard) that opens everyday until 2am

 

 

¡Un saludo!

Carlota

[MyTye2B]

MJones, I’m from Calgary and our guests who booked with WestJet vacations received a rate of $1374 I believe. I recently heard from my travel agent that the price went down $50 per person so everyone will be getting that back. We had about 20 people book from Calgary (they needed 10 rooms in order to get the group rate) and some people flying out of Toronto to add to that. Most of my family and friends are leaving from Detroit because they live in Windsor so it’s way cheaper just to cross the border and fly from there then it would be to drive up to Toronto and park to join the group rate. They paid anywhere from $1200 (Expedia which I honestly don’t recommend) to $1450 with our TA through Delta, United and Spirit. There were no group rates for that. My fiancé and I both work for WestJet so we encouraged anyone who could to fly with us because it’s just such great service. ïŠ I’m terrified of GDS bookings on the internet because if something goes wrong a lot of the times you’re at their mercy, although it can be much cheaper at times. We booked our flights separately from the rest because we wanted to get the Mayan Suite which was not available as part of a package. My advice is to pick someone you’re comfortable with and then hide from checking prices lol. It’s so frustrating to see them going up and down and back and forth but it always happens. March is probably going to be pricier since it’s spring break around the country. August is cheap because let’s face it, it’s going to be boiling, haha! We also just found a deal offered through our company for employees which is ridiculously cheap to stay at the Riviera so I’ve just had 6 more people ‘potentially’ added on. It’s on a space available list so they are all waiting for the hotel to get back to them. Two just heard and are now coming! Claire I am so excited for you as your wedding day is just about here! How are you feeling last minute? Are you nervous/excited?? How about the guests? I bet everyone is getting excited! Is there anything we can help you with from afar to prepare for last minute? What do you find yourself needing to do right now? I will be crossing my fingers and knowing you’ll have such an amazing day! I just can’t wait to see the pictures and how beautiful you’ll be! Carlotta I can understand why you are nervous about your dress being steamed since it’s so delicate. I am worried too! I wouldn’t imagine that they would touch the dress at all. I think that they will be very careful. I am hoping! I am getting more and more nervous as time gets closer thinking of all of the things that we still need to get done. I still need to get my bridesmaids dresses in. They have not yet arrived and I’m starting to worry. I did send an email to the company inquiring. I did send a follow-up email to the bridal store in Windsor where I ordered my wedding dress to ask about what the heck happened with the shipping of my dress. I haven’t heard back yet though. I am also starting to feel nervous about the weather the day of the wedding. I have paid so much extra to have chairs and the crystal backdrop brought in to the resort for beach decoration. I will be so upset if it rains!! I will cross my fingers for you and for all of us brides that we have beautiful days for our wedding! It’s good to know that they have things so organized in case anything happens, but of course we plan and pray that our days will be perfect. The girl I know from my office who got married at Grand Palladium 2 years ago now had rain on her wedding day and she did have to move to the indoor location. ïŒ She wasn’t too upset about it at all and said that the day was still perfect. I don’t think that I would be that calm! I guess it’s just one of those things we cannot control and we’ll have to roll with the punches if it happens. But I hope it doesn’t, haha! It is FINALLY supposed to be an absolutely beautiful week here in Calgary. The day is gorgeous today. But the city is still in shambles because of all of the flooding and rain over the last few weeks. We’re still in a state of emergency with people evacuated from their homes, but luckily we are safe and our home is safe. Speaking of getting a tan, I am going to Las Vegas one week from today with 5 of my girlfriends and we are having a ‘tanning party’ at my house the night before we leave. We are all so white, haha, so someone who I work with has an Organic spray tan business and she comes to your home, sets up a tent and does spray tans for all of the girls. The host of the party gets to tan for free and for the rest it is only $45 if you have 5 or more people! So I’m looking forward to that. Once we are in Vegas I think my tan will take off and hopefully stay until Mexico, otherwise I’ll get another tan again from her. I don’t usually hold a tan very well. Vanessa did get back to me as well about the bathrooms. She laughed and wrote ‘hahaha I was speaking with Carlotta about that and she said she talked to you!’ I thought that was so funny! Also she did not understand one thing that I asked her. Maybe Carlotta you can help me to figure out what words in English to use? I wanted to know if I can borrow the board that they use that the resort puts the daily activities on. I want to borrow it for the reception so that I can hang my seating chart on it. Vanessa thought that I wanted to include the daily activities for the guests but I do not need that. I just want to use the board during the reception so that I can stick up our seating plan. Does that make sense? I also think I really want to get a videographer for the wedding. I just want a short one like Chrestena had and I’m certain she told us who she used and how much she paid but I need to go back and figure it out. I thought that she had said it was the resort videographer, but I contacted Damarys through Vanessa and they sent me a price of $500 which is too much for me I think just for 2 hours. I might do it though! I just want to look into who Chrestena had.

[MyTye2B]

YIKES! I copied and pasted and that is NOT pretty! Sorry for no paragraphs! Let's try this again! MJones, I’m from Calgary and our guests who booked with WestJet vacations received a rate of $1374 I believe. I recently heard from my travel agent that the price went down $50 per person so everyone will be getting that back. We had about 20 people book from Calgary (they needed 10 rooms in order to get the group rate) and some people flying out of Toronto to add to that. Most of my family and friends are leaving from Detroit because they live in Windsor so it’s way cheaper just to cross the border and fly from there then it would be to drive up to Toronto and park to join the group rate. They paid anywhere from $1200 (Expedia which I honestly don’t recommend) to $1450 with our TA through Delta, United and Spirit. There were no group rates for that. My fiancé and I both work for WestJet so we encouraged anyone who could to fly with us because it’s just such great service. ïŠ I’m terrified of GDS bookings on the internet because if something goes wrong a lot of the times you’re at their mercy, although it can be much cheaper at times. We booked our flights separately from the rest because we wanted to get the Mayan Suite which was not available as part of a package. My advice is to pick someone you’re comfortable with and then hide from checking prices lol. It’s so frustrating to see them going up and down and back and forth but it always happens. March is probably going to be pricier since it’s spring break around the country. August is cheap because let’s face it, it’s going to be boiling, haha! We also just found a deal offered through our company for employees which is ridiculously cheap to stay at the Riviera so I’ve just had 6 more people ‘potentially’ added on. It’s on a space available list so they are all waiting for the hotel to get back to them. Two just heard and are now coming! Claire I am so excited for you as your wedding day is just about here! How are you feeling last minute? Are you nervous/excited?? How about the guests? I bet everyone is getting excited! Is there anything we can help you with from afar to prepare for last minute? What do you find yourself needing to do right now? I will be crossing my fingers and knowing you’ll have such an amazing day! I just can’t wait to see the pictures and how beautiful you’ll be! Carlotta I can understand why you are nervous about your dress being steamed since it’s so delicate. I am worried too! I wouldn’t imagine that they would touch the dress at all. I think that they will be very careful. I am hoping! I am getting more and more nervous as time gets closer thinking of all of the things that we still need to get done. I still need to get my bridesmaids dresses in. They have not yet arrived and I’m starting to worry. I did send an email to the company inquiring. I did send a follow-up email to the bridal store in Windsor where I ordered my wedding dress to ask about what the heck happened with the shipping of my dress. I haven’t heard back yet though. I am also starting to feel nervous about the weather the day of the wedding. I have paid so much extra to have chairs and the crystal backdrop brought in to the resort for beach decoration. I will be so upset if it rains!! I will cross my fingers for you and for all of us brides that we have beautiful days for our wedding! It’s good to know that they have things so organized in case anything happens, but of course we plan and pray that our days will be perfect. The girl I know from my office who got married at Grand Palladium 2 years ago now had rain on her wedding day and she did have to move to the indoor location. ïŒ She wasn’t too upset about it at all and said that the day was still perfect. I don’t think that I would be that calm! I guess it’s just one of those things we cannot control and we’ll have to roll with the punches if it happens. But I hope it doesn’t, haha! It is FINALLY supposed to be an absolutely beautiful week here in Calgary. The day is gorgeous today. But the city is still in shambles because of all of the flooding and rain over the last few weeks. We’re still in a state of emergency with people evacuated from their homes, but luckily we are safe and our home is safe. Speaking of getting a tan, I am going to Las Vegas one week from today with 5 of my girlfriends and we are having a ‘tanning party’ at my house the night before we leave. We are all so white, haha, so someone who I work with has an Organic spray tan business and she comes to your home, sets up a tent and does spray tans for all of the girls. The host of the party gets to tan for free and for the rest it is only $45 if you have 5 or more people! So I’m looking forward to that. Once we are in Vegas I think my tan will take off and hopefully stay until Mexico, otherwise I’ll get another tan again from her. I don’t usually hold a tan very well. Vanessa did get back to me as well about the bathrooms. She laughed and wrote ‘hahaha I was speaking with Carlotta about that and she said she talked to you!’ I thought that was so funny! Also she did not understand one thing that I asked her. Maybe Carlotta you can help me to figure out what words in English to use? I wanted to know if I can borrow the board that they use that the resort puts the daily activities on. I want to borrow it for the reception so that I can hang my seating chart on it. Vanessa thought that I wanted to include the daily activities for the guests but I do not need that. I just want to use the board during the reception so that I can stick up our seating plan. Does that make sense? I also think I really want to get a videographer for the wedding. I just want a short one like Chrestena had and I’m certain she told us who she used and how much she paid but I need to go back and figure it out. I thought that she had said it was the resort videographer, but I contacted Damarys through Vanessa and they sent me a price of $500 which is too much for me I think just for 2 hours. I might do it though! I just want to look into who Chrestena had.

[MyTye2B]

I guess not, I give up haha. Sorry about that!