Sandos Playacar Brides!

[nmoreau]

You can always decide once you get there, as Maria has great photos of how they set it up in different ways.

We used the 4 post arch it was nice b/c there is nothing out there on the beach but you could go either way and be fine.

Honestly see how you feel when you get there and what package you end up....

[mjeeward]

I love the pictures with the arch, but I agree, $240 seems quite spendy for a 20 minute  ceremony. I was considering two options: 1) I bought green garland with big white flowers on it- I was thinking about using a few of those to create a big circle for my fiance, me and the minister to stand in the middle of.... I just don't know if that'll look tacky! 2)Once we're down at the resort I was going to ask Maria if we can do without some of the items in our wedding package and swap it out with the arch (we don't really need bathrobes, fruit basket, champagne, etc. in our room the day of the ceremony).

 

[mjeeward]

Does anyone know if the resort lets guest meet up in a lobby? We're trying to figure out what to do the night before the ceremony in lieu of a rehearsal dinner. We had considered the catamaran (even paid a deposit), but the size of our group went from 40 to now over 50 people and the catamaran is out of our budget now. 

 

Can they section off a part of the lobby/bar/pool area for us to meet and have drinks? Or will they charge us a fee to reserve the area (we're already reserving the beach for our party after the wedding dinner).

 

Any other budget friendly suggestions????

 

Thanks!

[kristamarie]

Great idea on the swapping out things!!!  I may email her and aske.  I'll let you know what she says!

Originally Posted by mjeeward 

I love the pictures with the arch, but I agree, $240 seems quite spendy for a 20 minute  ceremony. I was considering two options: 1) I bought green garland with big white flowers on it- I was thinking about using a few of those to create a big circle for my fiance, me and the minister to stand in the middle of.... I just don't know if that'll look tacky! 2)Once we're down at the resort I was going to ask Maria if we can do without some of the items in our wedding package and swap it out with the arch (we don't really need bathrobes, fruit basket, champagne, etc. in our room the day of the ceremony).

 

[kristamarie]

I'm just having everyone meet up.  Maria said you do need reservation s UNLESS it is at one of the ala cart places.
 

Originally Posted by mjeeward 

Does anyone know if the resort lets guest meet up in a lobby? We're trying to figure out what to do the night before the ceremony in lieu of a rehearsal dinner. We had considered the catamaran (even paid a deposit), but the size of our group went from 40 to now over 50 people and the catamaran is out of our budget now. 

 

Can they section off a part of the lobby/bar/pool area for us to meet and have drinks? Or will they charge us a fee to reserve the area (we're already reserving the beach for our party after the wedding dinner).

 

Any other budget friendly suggestions????

 

Thanks!

[nmoreau]

I did ask about reserving a place, etc for a meet and greet cocktail hour or an area.  Pretty much if they reserve it for you they charge you a fee and then a fee for bar service.

So I just told everyone where to meet (we chose the bar right off the meeting point area) and we just sort of "took" over that area.  We handed out our coffee/drink mugs with out logo on it and everyone shared their room numbers with the people that they hadn't seen, etc.  Then we all just ordered drinks from the bar and talked and hung out.

It worked but ours was really casual.

 

So basically I think if you are asking for a reserved area, they go the route of charging you per person for the bar service which I think was around $11-15 per person or something weird like that.

 

Depending on what time of year you get married I think there is usually a space that you can meet.

 

The main lobby (by the Rivieria section) has lots of places to go and sit, etc with the bar right there next too it.  Depending on the time of the day/night it shouldn't be too busy.

Otherwise down in the Meeting Point area there is the outside bar & inside sports bar area.   This is the area we picked since most people were staying by the beach section like us.

There is also a bar that is open (depending on the capacity of the resort) down by the beach, which you could use as an area as well if it were open.

 

The disco when it first opens (from being closed and the humid weather) smells pretty musty, some said like cat pee.  However most nights we were there, our wedding guest group took the place over (we were there in May) and we sort of were the party each night.  So that is a fun place to hang out as well that has a bar.

 

Good Luck on planning!

[nmoreau]

...on the swapping things out, they do not do that b/c I thought the same and figured I could negotiate that.

You either go the package route or you go a la carte....

 

But Maria runs it both ways to get you the cheapest deal.  We ended up just paying a la carte b/c it was the cheapest route for us and we didn't want some of the more costly parts of the package deals.

 

Overall with 50 guests our total bill was about $450 and $100 of that was the hair salon (which I really think we could have done just as well on our own) and the rest of it was to pay for the fresh flowers..... just gives you an idea of where you end up in the long run.

With that said we did no reserved spaces, no reception on the beach, etc.  We had our own photographer, used the Italian buffet space for dinner, our rehearsal dinner/bachelor & bachelorette party dinner/scavenger hunt was done at the Brazilian restaurant the night before and then I planned that meet & greet with out the hotel at the meeting point area.

 

Hope all this information helps.....

[BCbride11]

Hey everyone.

 

Im new to this site

Were thinking of having our wedding at Sandos hopefully this Nov 2011 or Feb 2012.

Theres so much info through these pages , its hard to find the answeres your looking for lol

Does anyone have any photographer recs? I love Elizabeth Medina but $4800 is WAAAYYY over our budget !

Its so hard to pick a resort....and our wedding planner hasnt gotten back to us with available dates for 3 days now. I think everything works on Mexico time....Im not that patient LOL

[hwilley218]

 

 

Originally Posted by nmoreau 

 

...on the swapping things out, they do not do that b/c I thought the same and figured I could negotiate that.

You either go the package route or you go a la carte....

 

But Maria runs it both ways to get you the cheapest deal.  We ended up just paying a la carte b/c it was the cheapest route for us and we didn't want some of the more costly parts of the package deals.

 

Overall with 50 guests our total bill was about $450 and $100 of that was the hair salon (which I really think we could have done just as well on our own) and the rest of it was to pay for the fresh flowers..... just gives you an idea of where you end up in the long run.

With that said we did no reserved spaces, no reception on the beach, etc.  We had our own photographer, used the Italian buffet space for dinner, our rehearsal dinner/bachelor & bachelorette party dinner/scavenger hunt was done at the Brazilian restaurant the night before and then I planned that meet & greet with out the hotel at the meeting point area.

 

Hope all this information helps.....

 

 

Since you didn't have a reception on the beach what did you do after dinner? 

[kristamarie]

MjeeWard-  I talked to Maria and they cannot switch out anything for the arch or gazebo b/c it comes from an off site supplier   I wish I knew who the supplier was...lol.

 

 

Nmoreru- Did you have an arch or gazebo?  How did it end up only being $450!!!