Secrets Maroma Brides

[KCDawn]

Originally Posted by Rachel Terry 

 

Hey everyone!

 

After experiencing the notorious Cecilia limbo over the past few days we've received our paperwork for the deposit and extras.

 

I literally laughed out loud when I saw they wanted close to $200 for upgraded table clothes. I am thinking of just buying some from one of the mega wholesale wedding sites like save-on-crafts.com or koyal wholesale.

 

Also, I have seen some brides post about taking a jambox down there with them for the reception. I was thinking about doing this as well since the speaker only costs $300 verses $599.40 for three hours sound system from the resort.

 

Any thoughts?

We used the included tablecloth overlays that Cri showed (They're very nice in person) but added a table runner. I bought 10 of them for about $40 on ebay.  They have them in a bunch of different colors and it really added some color to the reception.  We didn't have ten tables but they used the extras to decorate some of the cocktail hour tables and the guestbook table.  Here is the link to the store:  http://stores.ebay.com/craftsnfavors.  We purchased the pintuck runners.

 

We used the Big Jambox for our wedding in September.  It was awesome!  We used it for the reception and the bonfire, plus we now have a nice portable speaker.  We did use the hotel sound system for the ceremony, which ended up being a good move.  We had 36 guests.  It may not be as necessary with a small group, but for ours, I think it was.

 

 

[tigerkels]

We are also getting married at Secrets Maroma in November 2013! How has planning been going?
 

[un4gitabl]

Hi tigerkels!  What day in November?!  We are the 23rd!!  Some days I feel like planning is moving along well and some days I feel like it is totally stalled out.  I'm a bit type A, so I have a hugely detailed spreadsheet that I have been using to try to keep myself on track.  Right now, I am trying to get our website up and functional so that I can send out our save-the-dates.  I've really just been trying to break down my decision making and get things done.  This forum has been amazing for all sorts of details.  Feel free to send a PM to me if you want to chat and compare notes!!  

 

FYI, we were able to get a 5% discount with American Airlines for all of our guests!  It's not a huge amount, but it's something!  You just need more than 10 people traveling to the same airport destination.  They can be traveling from different locations.  I filled out a form online and then 2 days later they sent me a code!  Super easy and I think that our guests will appreciate any help we can offer them with travel. 

 

So speaking of help, did anyone not have centerpieces?  Did the tables look bare?  I'm not super attached to flowers and am trying not to spend a fortune, but I know I need something to mark table numbers.  Ideas?  Thoughts?  Is this something that I would regret? 

[CriCri]

Originally Posted by tigerkels 

 

We are also getting married at Secrets Maroma in November 2013! How has planning been going?

 

 

Happy planning tigerkels!!

[beachbride2013]

Congrats!! We had simple and inexpensive centerpieces. I had a silver charger, a cylinder vase with a fake fushia colored orchid in it with water and a floating candle. You can look at "drowned orchids" and get some ideas if you like that idea. Some look really cheesy and sort of cheap, but you can change them up to fit your liking.  I bout a photo frame and painted it the blue that matched our wedding color and cut out a number and put it in the frame on a nice sheet of paper for background. It was simple and inexpensive. For the vases for drowned orchids, I shopped around at hobby lobby, dollar tree, and michaels. I used coupons for those as well as the flowers. I also found that the white orchids looked fake in the water, and the colored ones did not (unless you looked really really close)! Good luck! You will probably get lots of ideas here.

The tables are large, so I think it would look better if you had something in the center. Ours was really simple, but the color added something and def made it look really nice.

Originally Posted by un4gitabl 

Hi tigerkels!  What day in November?!  We are the 23rd!!  Some days I feel like planning is moving along well and some days I feel like it is totally stalled out.  I'm a bit type A, so I have a hugely detailed spreadsheet that I have been using to try to keep myself on track.  Right now, I am trying to get our website up and functional so that I can send out our save-the-dates.  I've really just been trying to break down my decision making and get things done.  This forum has been amazing for all sorts of details.  Feel free to send a PM to me if you want to chat and compare notes!!  

 

FYI, we were able to get a 5% discount with American Airlines for all of our guests!  It's not a huge amount, but it's something!  You just need more than 10 people traveling to the same airport destination.  They can be traveling from different locations.  I filled out a form online and then 2 days later they sent me a code!  Super easy and I think that our guests will appreciate any help we can offer them with travel. 

 

So speaking of help, did anyone not have centerpieces?  Did the tables look bare?  I'm not super attached to flowers and am trying not to spend a fortune, but I know I need something to mark table numbers.  Ideas?  Thoughts?  Is this something that I would regret? 

[K3nelson]

Hi Everyone!! 2 months from today we leave for SMB!! Getting really excited!! Everyone's feedback/posts on this website have been extremely helpful!!! I heard from Cecilia this morning that the new photographer they use is Adventure Photos. Has anyone used this group? What was your experience? I don't want to spend a ton on photography, but want to ensure our wedding day memories are captured. Any advice you can provide would be appreciated!! Also for brides that had their reception by the gazebo...did you pay for extra decorations?? What is your recommendation?

[CriCri]

Originally Posted by K3nelson 

 

Hi Everyone!! 2 months from today we leave for SMB!! Getting really excited!! Everyone's feedback/posts on this website have been extremely helpful!!!

 

I heard from Cecilia this morning that the new photographer they use is Adventure Photos. Has anyone used this group? What was your experience? I don't want to spend a ton on photography, but want to ensure our wedding day memories are captured. Any advice you can provide would be appreciated!!

 

Also for brides that had their reception by the gazebo...did you pay for extra decorations?? What is your recommendation?

 

Adventura Photo is the photographer that have the shop in the resort.

All the couple can have a free session with them and you can chose how many pictures you want and you will pay only the pictures selected.

In my wedding I had Tony and Alex bu Juan Navarro photo , they are welcome in SMB resort and you will not pay extra charge for them.

Some days after the wedding I have used the Aventura photo to take an extra wedding session during the day (the wedding was in the evening)

To be honest I profere Tony and Alex pictures, we had fantastic pictures in the abandoned mansion but also Aventura was good. I suggest you to check their album to have a comparison between the 2 style.

 

Regarding the reception, I had it in the gazebo and I haven't payed for extra decoration, I have taken sashes from home and Mayan Floral have tranferred thecanopy flowers decoration to the gazebo for the dinner.

 

Let me know if you need any other information

happy planning!!

[jmkolb]

Hey everyone!!! I need some major help right now, our wedding is April 27th, less than a month away, and I feel like I have NOTHING planned!!! I have just recieved an email from Valeria just asking for number of guests. We will have 18, including bride and groom. I am wondering who out there did the "complimentary" package and just did add-ons? I am having a large reception back home so want to spend as little as possible when it comes to our wedding at SMB. I think what I would like to do is not really do a reception but rather just a reservation for dinner? Any thoughts are appreciated!!!

[beachbride2013]

Originally Posted by jmkolb 

 

Hey everyone!!! I need some major help right now, our wedding is April 27th, less than a month away, and I feel like I have NOTHING planned!!! I have just recieved an email from Valeria just asking for number of guests. We will have 18, including bride and groom. I am wondering who out there did the "complimentary" package and just did add-ons? I am having a large reception back home so want to spend as little as possible when it comes to our wedding at SMB. I think what I would like to do is not really do a reception but rather just a reservation for dinner? Any thoughts are appreciated!!!

 

Hi! Congrats to you!

I think you would have a difficult time getting a reservation at any of the restaurants for 18 people. The restaurants do not really accommodate large groups. We had 20 people and ended up doing a reception. In my opinion, that would be the best option. Some have done things like bring their own music box, provide your own decorations including chair sashes and centerpieces(we did that), maybe don't do a bonfire. There are ways to cut costs.

We were originally going to do the complimentary package, but it seems to be more for smaller groups if I remember correctly. We ended up just upgrading the package because it was going to be less to upgrade packages than to do a bunch of upgrades.

Also, have you reserved your times and locations?

[K3nelson]

Hi Ladies! Our wedding is 2 weeks from today...getting so excited! I have a few last minute questions for you all... 1) Does anyone have a sample program from their ceremony they could share? We are doing the symbolic ceremony and not sure what that entails? Does that include the unity sand ceremony? Or if we want to do that, do I need to bring that with me? 2) I want to bring my dress as a carry-on for the flight. Did any of you have an issue with this? Thank you!