Any Occidental Grand Xcaret brides out there?

[SandalGirl]

Yes, I've looked into Dorana too, and she is expensive, but all the other people who will come to your room are about the same price - I've looked into three or four now.

[heart0476]

Hello Ladies... I was married at the OGX on 10/23/09. I haven't had a chance to post a full review yet but I'm available for any questions.

 

The ceremony site was gorgeous, we couldn't have picked a better location girls! I had some issues with the hotel staff and small things went wrong but all in all everything turned out wonderful...Marialama made everything perfect!

 

My mother got her hair done at the spa and it turned out beautiful...the price was around $60. The spa is super reasonable- I will look to see if I still have the price list.

 

Feel free to email me with any questions: [email protected]

link to pics from Cancun Studio:

Kirk and Kimberly

 

Good Luck! xoxo

Kim

[SandalGirl]

Awesome, thanks Kim!! Any tips/suggestions that might make our lives easier? Things you are super happy you did/went with?

[heart0476]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SandalGirl Awesome, thanks Kim!! Any tips/suggestions that might make our lives easier? Things you are super happy you did/went with?

Hello.. I was super nervous prior to my arrival because I didn't know what to expect. My husband didn't really agree with all the extra charges for a private reception so we opted for a semi-private dinner at La Hacienda. Once we arrived we saw that 2 other weddings opted to have their wedding by the beach which almost made us change our minds about a private reception but in the end we were glad we stuck with an air conditioned restraurant- it was super humid the night of our wedding! One thing that I decided to do last minute was to reserve the disco following the dinner- it was the highlight of the entire night. I wasn't really aware of this option prior to my arrival. The cost was $200 for the DJ for 2 hours and you have the option of using the outside bar for no additional charge or having a private bartender for $15 per person per hour. It was so much fun!

I have so much information but my session keeps getting timed out before I am able to finish my post. I will continue.

[heart0476]

I also suggest bringing straws if you like to drink frozen drinks. The resort has a very limited supply of straws and it was a big complaint from my guests.

 

The wedding ceremony was so beautiful...I had a judge that spoke english so it was perfect. I was told in advance that I was unable to customize my ceremony but it turned out that the judge handed the microphone to each of us to say a "special something". We didn't have anything prepared so that it something I wish I knew about. We ended up speaking from our hearts on the spot but I could have prepared something better. You may want to ask Marialama if this happens at every ceremony so you can prepare.

 

I had my ceremony at 4pm...it was the perfect time of day! The sun was bright at the time of the ceremony and immediately following but than the sun began to set and we were able to see that also! My pictures turned out amazing!

 

I created a brief "optional" itinerary and had them printed in postcard format for free at vistaprint- I would suggest doing this. I had a welcome note on the front side and the itinerary on the back. If you are interested in doing this I can suggest great locations for a welcome cocktail hour and group meals.

 

Feel free to ask me anything...I'll eventually get around to posting a review!

[sarah310]

kim! thanks so much. its great to hear from someone who's been there. I definitely am sharing the nervousness you had cause i too don't know what to expect!

 

1. I love your bridesmaid dresses...where did you find them?

 

2. How was the DJ in the disco?

 

3. Did you get your hair done at the salon as well? i like it

 

4. Did marialma have many flower and cake options? did you bring pictures of what you wanted?

[soonerrae]

Hello Everyone!

I'm getting married here in January 2010 and am just getting the planning underway. We've been bombarding Marialma with questions this week and she's very quick to respond.

Any thoughts on the reception? We're debating whether to spend the extra dough on a private reception. Has anyone here done the semi-private? Was it awkward to do speeches in a restaurant with other people eating dinner?

Any other tips would be helpful! I've been reading all the posts and taking notes!

Good luck to all the brides!

[heart0476]

Has anyone here done the semi-private? Was it awkward to do speeches in a restaurant with other people eating dinner?

 

I had a semi-private reception at La Hacienda...it was great. Our dinner started at 6 pm and it was empty until the very end of our reception...we did our speeches there. We rented the disco afterwards at the last minute and it was a blast! Email me at [email protected] if you have any other questions I can help you with. I would be happy to help!

 

 

 

xoxo

Kim

[EmenGeeRoxx]

Has anyone rented the A/V equipment on site? We are dealing with the resident company AVI SPL and we are renting everything from speakers to a projector. Total is around $2000 USD. Anyway they have been great to deal with. My only issue is that they want me to pay everything by cash. No travelers cheques no credit card. I don't plan on bringing $2000USD with me on the plane nor do I plan to venture to town and go to the local bank and withdraw the money.

 

They said they need cash so they can pay their workers at the end of our wedding. I argued we can give them the travelers cheques the day we arrive (4 days before our wedding) and he can cash it and have the money ready for his workers. Or I could pay pal him the money or pay by credit card over the phone today. Or I can pay Marialma by credit card and she can pay him.

 

Did anyone have any issues with this?

[teshy1]

Thanks for the post on your wedding at OGX, Heart 0476. I'm getting married there in February and plan to do the same as you did -- semi-private reception and renting out the disco afterwards. Glad to know you and your guests had a blast!

You mentioned the ceremony site was gorgeous -- was that the wedding gazebo? My FI was a bit disappointed when he learned the ceremony would be in a gazebo versus on the beach, but I think the gazebo looks beautiful. Did you guys do pictures in the sand at all?