Excellence Playa Mujeres Brides Post Here!

[MsBlissMpls]

Originally Posted by danak71 

 

Ladies do any of you know if balloons are allowed at the cocktail hour or reception venues? I saw these light up balloons http://halfoffdepot.com/national/catalog/product/view/id/9880/s/two-packs-of-12-multicolored-led-balloons-with-free-shipping-10-balloons.html and thought they might be nice decoration to have. We're expecting about 60 guests so we're planning to do the Ceco Terrace (Event Terrace). 

Those balloons look awesome! I'm not sure if balloons are allowed, but I just wanted to say they look super cool! Do you put helium in them or would you hand them upside down and let the wind blow them around? Cool idea

[danak71]

Originally Posted by MsBlissMpls 

 

Those balloons look awesome! I'm not sure if balloons are allowed, but I just wanted to say they look super cool! Do you put helium in them or would you hand them upside down and let the wind blow them around? Cool idea

I believe you can put helium in them but i'm not sure if helium would be readily available. I sent Nayeli an email asking her about the balloons and helium but we all know how long it will take for me to get a response! LOL

 

I like your idea just as well about letting them blow in the wind so I think I'll just purchase them anyway...I figure even if I can't use them for the wedding, I entertain enough that I'll use them for some other function! 

[KlazNov17]

Originally Posted by Jass7 

 

Someone please help, I just ordered my invites and rsvp cards and I gave my guests 3 options for dinner entrees. Now I'm freaking out because I think I should have only given them 2. Our group will be small, maybe 12 people total, but still has anyone done 3 options? I don't know how much extra it would be, and I don't think I have time to ask the coordinator since she takes forever to respond. I'm still waiting to hear back from her on some food choices I had questions on for almost over a week.

 

I think I can change my rsvp card before it goes to print but I have to act fast. 

 

So confused! =(

Hi Jass,

 

I gave my guests 3 options as well and was told by Lleny there was no charge for this.  She said as she needs it the seating chart with what each person wanted.

[Jass7]

Originally Posted by KlazNov17 

 

Hi Jass,

 

I gave my guests 3 options as well and was told by Lleny there was no charge for this.  She said as she needs it the seating chart with what each person wanted.

Omg thank you KlazNov17! I was going crazy there for a second. I will leave the rsvp cards the way they are and get a confirmation from N that there is no extra charge. In my last email from her she said I can pick and choose between the menus and it would be great to have the choices before hand. Thanks again, I feel like I can breathe now.

[Jass7]

Originally Posted by MsBlissMpls 

 

Hey Jass7 - We did two options with no problem, but I think you should be fine with 3 options (I've heard of some people having veggie, chx & fish options). If you want to play it safe I'd switch it to two choices, but I really don't feel that you will have a problem as long as you tell them in a spreadsheet "These are my guest names" and "This is the meal they will be eating" If you make it clear and it your group is not that large it should not be a problem. (That said, don't quote me on it if it does not go smoothly ) 

 

Also, I made a name table cards and put a different colored rhinestone on each persons card based on their food choice, On my spreadsheet I gave to Nayeli it said "pink rhinestone= fish, green rhinestone = chicken," this worked perfectly because it didn't matter where people sat as long as they have their name tag the servers knew which meal that person ordered.

I love that idea MsBlissMpls. And I'll give her a list of guetsts, names and what they will be eating. Hopefully most of the day will go smoothly.

My mom did ask me today if there will be a margarita for her to have. I laughed. Yes mom, there will be bar.

[May12]

Hola Everyone!

We just got back from Mexico and I've got to say....We absolutely loved it! This is probably going to be a long email, but I'll try to give the highlights and tips as condensed as possible...

1st, we DID get upgraded to the roof top excellence club ocean view for the week!! Excellence club was SOOOOO worth it...they treat you like royalty...and even have a full bottle liquor menu if you don't like what's in your room!! They are there for snacks, fruit, desert, turndown service with little mariachi figurines every night, champagne every day, flowers, and just plain check on you to make sure you are doing well! We got there before our room was ready and they gave us a room while we were waiting...who does that??? We didn't really use the rooftop until the day before we left because of activities and weather but it was fantastic when we did...not sure we'd need that level of room again, but definitely the Excellence Club!

Now....Nayeli was ALL OVER IT!!! Absolutely no complaints or worries as far as she is concerned! She met with us on the Tuesday before the wedding as planned and had EVERYTHING in order, including our invitation that we mailed down. We went through every single little detail including drawing how we wanted our favors of margarita glasses and maracas laid out on the table. We gave her ribbon for our napkins, menus(our menus had the guest name on it and doubled as their place card-also had the individual meal choice on there), the margarita glass favors(with the ribbon tying the favor tags color coding who got what meal.), she had the spreadsheet and PowerPoint of who sat where, what they were having and who they were(bridal party). There was not 1 mistake at dinner! We even had 1 guest who had beef but no scallops and hers came out correct! She also had ALL of the other details...we dropped off a lot of things for her, explained it all and it was all there! Sand in the vase for the sparklers, photos of my Grandparents, postcards in their tray, Mayan book, markers, moved the talavera platter/bowl from the ceremony to the reception and filled it with extra maracas. She NAILED it! We also met with her and called for her a few other times for things and she was available shortly after we called. We had our witnesses sign everything as they came in and did our blood test with no issues. She got a hold of us when she had some questions and even took pics with her phone of the Talavera once she unwrapped it to make sure she had the right pieces for things! All of the bags were delivered to rooms, welcome cards were in everyone's packet at check in and those who arrived at 7:30 am for the excursion had their bags delivered to their rooms before they got back. And how about the fact that Nayeli knew who people were by last name when we introduced them to her!!??!!

The only issue we had that day was the weather. In the morning and through the afternoon, the rain was coming down SIDEWAYS! UGH! Nayeli came to see me in the Spa while I was getting my hair done to give me options. This was my moment to internally combust! She CLEARLY saw my anxiety and said we'd wait until the very last minute to make a decision on the ceremony in the Gazebo, or we'd have to move it to the area where they have the ping pong tables....they move the tables and decorate everything, but after 2 years of planning, that's the last thing I wanted! She also told me that they had to start setting up the reception so it would have to be inside the CECO Terrace vs outside, and the cocktail hour would be under the covered part of the Terrace vs the X-Lounge...not ideal, but what can you do. Well after lighting the Mayan candle in the room and thoughts of sacrificing our friend who was "ejected" from Tulum, (a story for another day) the only issue was running the ipod down late-literally as people were gathering (My MOH forgot to do this) and the CRAZY wind!! Nayeli called 30 mins before we were to go to the gazebo and told us she'd be there in 20 mins with the flowers...right on time and they were beautiful-after all that worrying! When I left the room, I looked down at the Gazebo and there was a ladder there! They were putting the curtains back up-no wonder they didn't want me to look! The wind brought them down and Nayeli and Lleny had someone there in a second to get it back up(Frank filled me in). They also had to soak the rose petals to weigh them down so they didn't blow away! Like I said...the wind was CRAZY! I had my hair down...I hate it up, and it was everywhere...We had to tuck my veil in the back of my dress at the ceremony! So....not being able to control Mother nature, if you don't mind your hair up,go that route! I had a flat iron and curling iron in the bathroom at  the reception as part of the bathroom emergency kit and had to "fix" several times.

Now for the why I really love Nayeli part...the weather was clear for the moment but still a little iffy, but like I said, she saw my disappointment. We ended up being able to do the cocktail hour at the x-lounge and they MOVED EVERYTHING back outside at the CECO Terrace last minute so we could have the reception out there!! The only downfall again was the wind...the pictures we brought had to lay down and the photofalls to clip the postcards to them had to be weighed down. We were supposed to have lighted columns that change color, but we couldn't do them because of the weather. She still had the path lined with tiki torches and flags and the fountains were on and lit...it was beautiful! There were also some cool touches we added last minute...we had tequila shots in champagne glasses waiting for the bridal party at the end of the ceremony-one of my bridesmaids asked for this at the rehearsal, Kir Royal and Tequila Sunrises were passed out at the cocktail hour -our colors, and Nayeli had them make Margaritas to fill our favor glasses...something we didn't think of but our guests LOVED it! We had 31 people so the Ceco Terrace was perfect for us, and we filled it up.

The only thing I would do over, would be to have the DJ signal us an hour and 15 minutes before the end of the night to ask if we want to extend the wedding. We did, but we forgot to tell them because we weren't aware of the time. The MC came to me 5 minutes before the end to tell me we were doing the last song! I asked then to extend it, but it was too late...the bar staff was closing up.  We ended up going to the disco, but many guests didn't make it to much longer after that anyway. Our cake was the "tree" that we wanted...maybe too many flowers but it's what we asked for, not in the "selections, and they did it for us! But again, weather is really a factor down there...things melt and droop...it is what it is, unless you are inside, you cake will not look as perfect as they do here in the states, but MAN was it delicious! Each layer was a different flavor and all yummy!         

All other  events of the weekend went off without a hitch! The excursion to Tulum/Playa Del Carmen, the welcome cocktails at the X-Lounge, all of the Spa appointments, rehearsal dinner at the Mexican Fiesta- 3 big tables were reserved for us, and brunch on Sunday.

We had the in house photographer, Juan Carlos, who was awesome-(Also known as bluelense)! We had Lino, one of his photographers, come to Tulum for the day and take welcome cocktail photos, they were at the spa the next day, rehearsal dinner Friday night, and ALL day for the wedding. We also did a Trash The Dress session in Isla Mujeres 2 days later. We have a video of the ceremony, photo book, slide show, edited photos, and EVERY single photo they took!! We spent less then some of the outside vendors charge for JUST the wedding day! Our pictures totally capture the vibe of the weekend and are very us. He also came to deliver the photos to us on the Riviera Maya during our honeymoon. They were great!   

Overall, an amazing experience! They will COMPLETELY customize your wedding to reflect you...Excellence, the photographer and DJ!

Some tips from Nayeli....

It's easier for her to help you when you know what you want! The more organized you are and can send pictures and ideas to her, the better it will be to have your vision come through. If you have no vision, or wait to the last minute then it's going to be tough and you'll probably get some multiple choice sort of answers. (of course some things are always last minute, but the more you can do up front, the less anxiety you'll have) Your wedding will be beautiful regardless because these people REALLY know what they are doing.

Also, they are INSANELY busy....she was explaining how there were 30 weddings 1 week in April and there were a slew of weddings the week we were there and 3 on our day!! 1 at Beloved, 1 at Villa Balam Ha and ours at Excellence. Nayeli was there a few times and Lleny was there when she wasn't. There was also a MASSIVE convention coming in the day before we left that she was in charge of...like I said...BUSY! Somehow she still managed to see us 3 times the day we left and made sure to say goodbye. I really can't say enough about all that Nayeli did for us and for me. She was such a calming force and has a way about her that always had me at ease...not an easy thing to do! I know it's so much easier to say it will all work out when your on this end of the wedding process...over...but it really will. Every guest LOVED Excellence and the wedding and said it was the best that they'd ever been to. It doesn't get better than that! I am thinking that if you are getting married during off season, you will have even more attention! I'm not sure the staff there get too many days off during their peak seasons...we saw some people at breakfast AND dinner somewhere else! Nayeli has off some Sundays and usually emails at night from home...I feel awful about ever being cranky while I was waiting for emails...I had no idea what kind of constant running they do.

VERY IMPORTANT!!!

PAY IN PESOS!! We got the final bill and everything was better than we expected. We paid via credit card charged in pesos, and literally saved over $600 because of the day's conversion rate, once we saw our bank statement!! Everywhere in Mexico, they would prefer dollars vs pesos, but it is in your best interest to pay in pesos....over the course of 2 weeks, we saved a bunch this way!  

Here is the slide show they made of our weekend...it sums it up beautifully!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFzYYWe7a6k&feature=channel&list=UL    

 

I'm sure there are a ton more details I can share with you, so let me know if you have any questions!

Happy planning everyone!!

Sheryl

[May12]

Welcome back Mrs!! We looked for you in the lobby bar on Wednesday but didn't see you there. I thought I saw you a couple of times in the resort but wasn't sure it was you. I'm sorry we couldn't connect! We DID however, crash/spied on your wedding!! (we were standing under the ledge of the hut thingy in between the bar and the gazebo.)  You looked absolutely beautiful rain or no rain, and there was so much love in the Gazebo with your group...and the way your husband looks at you...breathtaking! We were teary-eyed!

I'm sorry you had so much difficulty checking out..I hope it all works out! Congratulations again!

Sheryl

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ally Marquis 

hello all!

 

well we just got back from our wedding/ honeymoon.  the week was fantastic.  they treat you like absolute royalty and are all so nice.   the wedding was fantastic,  future brides make sure you go over your menus with your coordinator, not just that you have silver/gold menu number whichever. they tried to bring us salmon instead of beef, but Alex fixed it quickly.  they did not bring us all our appetizers either, which was a bummer.   we ended up not being able to have a reception, except for the dinner because  of the rain. 

 

now onto the negative side, of course on the day we leave.   if the week hadn't been so amazing i  would not go back there ever.   we went to check out at the excellence club lounge, and they said we had a charge of $1500!! and we said what for?  well, it was for  the excellence of love package, that  N knew all along that we had and said that as long we were in the excellence club it would complimentary. NOT SO MUCH! so we ended having to go to the front desk and fight with them for 2 hours, and of course no wedding coordinngator was there.  so my parents had to intervine because i was at the point of ripping somebodys head off and so was my husband.  we showed them the email and they kept saying we have no proof and they have no proof, and finally i said IM LEAVING! and they wouldnt not let us leave without the security pass.   in the end my mom had to put her credit card down until they got a hold of nayeli which with the rate of her replys back could take weeks. 

 

i hope no other bride has to deal with this. 

[danak71]

Ladies has anyone booked with HDC Photography (Huellas del Caribe)? I found them on the photographer review page on this website...they're listed as #1 and they have great rates! They're based out of Dominican Republic but when I spoke with the owner via email he said they do travel to Mexico and in fact he was shooting a wedding in Cancun this past weekend.

 

Just wondering if anyone up here had used them (or planning to) and what your experience was like.

 

Lynn

[Amanda Gardner]

May12 How early would you recommend sending the information to the wedding coordinator? I didn't want to send to early, but also do not want to wait to late. I'm getting married march 15, 2013. Im so happy everything worked out great for you!

[k032379]

Beautiful & Congrats May12. Glad things went great. Thanks for sharing K