Dreams Riviera Cancun - Brides post here (new thread)

[NJ2012]

MY QUCIK REVIEW

 

We just got home from our honeymoon and i might have forgotten some things i really wanted to say, but ill try to hit some things, and anyone can email me questions at [email protected] for any reason at any time.

 

first of all i havent been on here since last friday before we left so i havent caught up with all the posts, if its been covered already im sorry.

 

of course hurricane ernesto came in on our wedding day, and it was the only day it rained all week. so that right there is enough to ruin everything.

 

but if i can just say one thing... no matter what happens with planning, or weather, or details that didnt go as planned.... nothing matters if your there with a good group who knows how to have a good time. it will always be a great time with the right people.

 

the concierge was very helpful.. i wish i knew the guys name from the preferred club with the slicked back hair... he helped me with everything... i feel bad i forgot to see him before we left to give him a tip... i secretly went to him to have flowers sent to my bride the day of the wedding, and gave him the "mrs molinaro" hanger for her dress after it was sent out for pressing... he really was on top of everything and a huge help... even called me by my name and greeted me every time he saw me walking around the resort.

 

we arrived on saturday, had a meeting setup with gina, the dj, the photog, and the spa. basically took most of our day but it is well worth it to meet up with everyone and get on the same page.

we were a group of 30, including us, so the add ons weren't too bad since we had the ultimate package which covered 20 people anyway.

lets just say, whether from the weather or other reasons, we did not get anything we had asked for, arranged, and had in writing as approved.

 

we were supposed to have our welcome dinner at portofino, but that didnt happen because an old wedding coordinator promised the restaurant to another wedding even though she wasn't supposed to. we went back and forth with gina (who does the best she can -$100 tip) about what location and menu we could have for the welcome dinner. finally we settled on seaside grill, we chose this because of the menu and the fact that gina promised us the center all to ourselves. about 2 hours before the dinner gina called to tell us we couldnt have the seaside grill menu (one of the main reason why we wanted it there) and that we could only have the oceanna menu (mostly seafood). we argued about this for a few minutes and i got her to agree to bring 10 filets and 10 prime ribs over to the seaside grill along with the regular menu, which ended up working out well. they closed the whole restaurant for us and it went smooth. 4 servers (gave them $20 each). we also had a 30 min photog as a part of our package, didn't get his name but he was good and we threw him $20 tip as well.

 

the wedding was the next day, tuesday, and it pretty much rained all day non stop. windy, rainy, nasty... this really sucked.

when we met with gina on saturday, we knew it was a possibility and had our backup locations picked out she showed us everything walked us in and out of all the options... desires terrace for the ceremony (standard for everyone when it rains) then desires lounge for the cocktail hour, and a ball room for the reception. gina really threw a curve ball at us about 3 hours before the wedding. SIDE NOTE for some reason dream is very into the olympics, so two full ballrooms were occupied with london/olympic themed bleachers, and buses, and track and field set ups... it looked cool but no one used it and it occupied two ballrooms that we could have used. anyway-- she came to us at about 2 oclock and told us our only option was to have the cocktail hour and reception at desires. all the ballrooms were taken, and there were no other spots for the cocktail hour or reception to be. 

 

not only did she hit us with this, but at the same time she was insisting we pay for the wedding right then, when we had originally agreed to pay for it the next day. this would have been no problem except for the fact that the only place you can pay for the wedding was the front desk, and 3 bus loads of people just came to check in. i tried to speak to anyone i could to let me pay for the wedding so i could go get ready. i almost blew my stack. no one could help me for about a half hour of standing around and waiting for a manager. finally jorge, he organizes everything and is really a good guy ($100 tip), came down and took me into the preferred club (which is definitely not worth the extra money) to pay for everything.

 

its a good thing i was in charge of everything and not my wife, because i knew all the setups we needed and minor details. once they had desires lounge setup for our reception, i had to go in there and make all kinds of changes to make it right. we needed four tables, they only setup 3. we needed a table for name cards and favors..etc etc. could have been a nightmare but like everything else, it works out. 

 

the ceremony was on the desires terrace and it was just okay.

linda did the ceremony and she was excellent ($50 tip)

the vows and reading she used were great.

definitely get the sound system and ask the dj to control it... he was great

 

supposedly this was the first time they ever did a wedding reception in desires (yay for us)

but it turned out perfect. we forgot about the horrible weather, and we partied all night.

like i said earlier, if you have a good group of friends and family- nothing can ruin the night.

i think some people were mad at us for having desires closed down until about 11pm (sorry) but after they cleaned up, it opened to a fun after party... even danced with the grandma from the other wedding! shout out to grams if the other bride is reading this!

dj mauricio i think his name was.. was excellent not a complaint from anyone. ($50 tip)

4 servers ($20 each)

 

the next day was trash the dress... anel really is great and a real professional.($100 tip)

we did it at 3pm so we had to walk thru the resort in our wedding clothes... got alot of looks and congratulations.

after we shot on the beach privately, we came over to the pool... it was so awesome... everyone was cheering for us and clapping as we stood on the ledge and jumped in. i cant wait to see the pics. we were like celebrities. people asking to take our pics and said how great we looked. the whole pool was an awesome crowd.

 

we took our group on a catamaran sail on thursday before we all left on friday.

it was a great time... we booked thru cancun vista.

it was an all day event, picked up at 830 and got home at 6pm...

open bar, snorkel (even tho it was only 30 min), dropped off somewhere in mexico to shop and hang out, taken to a private beach to eat and relax, then taken back...

it was a good day, everyone appreciated it and the only complaint i have is we didnt snorkel long enough... and the fact that i pre paid for everything including tips, yet some of my group heard the boat crew, and drivers complain they didnt get tipped... not my fault i guess... the boat crew was great... on the way back to port, they got dressed up in some crazy costumes and made everyone take shots... it was funny as hell. 

 

i put the tips in parentheses because i remember how concerned i was about how much to tip everyone!

 

sorry i just rambled, but we just got in from vegas, and the time difference is messing me up... please email me with any questions because im not sure how often ill be coming back to this site... i got so much help from here i appreciate everyone... and i want to help as well. hope i didnt leave anything out!

 

fuck you hurricane ernesto!!!!

 

 

 

joe

 

[email protected]

[NJ2012]

 

 

incase anyone was wondering about OOT bags...heres what was in ours.

 

welcome to our wedding bags from oriental trading

do not disturb door hangers... vistaprint and hole puncher

personalized playing cards from oriental trading

groom and bride mints

mentos

gum

wipes

advil

shout wipes

anti bacterial gel

sun screen

lip balm

first aid kit

welcome letter

[EmilyT]

JOE:

 

First off, im amazed at how much you had to do with the planning of your wedding  - AWESOME. 2nd i am soo sorry to hear that it rained on your day- i would seriously be pissed but i think the fact that you guys made the best of it is great..... knowing that something would be worked out in any situation really makes me feel better.

 

I think its horrible that DRC plans so many weddings and then has things set up in the ball rooms at night knowing that theres always a chance of rain, they should always have one of the ballrooms available. They also shouldnt plan so many weddings at once so that if things happen, like a hurricane, the couple has other options!!!!!! reading that made me angry!!!!!!!

 

im just kind of curious in general how you found the resort all week as far as the food goes & service by the pool & if your group went to cancun or playa any of the nights to party ? im thinking of having the party bus pick everyone up and take us all out the night after my wedding.

 

thank you for sharing your story, your tips and the OOT bag info.. also the catamaran trip sounds great i might consider it now... lots of luck with your new bride POST SOME PICS!

[LindseyM]

Originally Posted by NJ2012 

 

MY QUCIK REVIEW

 

We just got home from our honeymoon and i might have forgotten some things i really wanted to say, but ill try to hit some things, and anyone can email me questions at [email protected] for any reason at any time.

 

first of all i havent been on here since last friday before we left so i havent caught up with all the posts, if its been covered already im sorry.

 

of course hurricane ernesto came in on our wedding day, and it was the only day it rained all week. so that right there is enough to ruin everything.

 

but if i can just say one thing... no matter what happens with planning, or weather, or details that didnt go as planned.... nothing matters if your there with a good group who knows how to have a good time. it will always be a great time with the right people.

 

the concierge was very helpful.. i wish i knew the guys name from the preferred club with the slicked back hair... he helped me with everything... i feel bad i forgot to see him before we left to give him a tip... i secretly went to him to have flowers sent to my bride the day of the wedding, and gave him the "mrs molinaro" hanger for her dress after it was sent out for pressing... he really was on top of everything and a huge help... even called me by my name and greeted me every time he saw me walking around the resort.

 

we arrived on saturday, had a meeting setup with gina, the dj, the photog, and the spa. basically took most of our day but it is well worth it to meet up with everyone and get on the same page.

we were a group of 30, including us, so the add ons weren't too bad since we had the ultimate package which covered 20 people anyway.

lets just say, whether from the weather or other reasons, we did not get anything we had asked for, arranged, and had in writing as approved.

 

we were supposed to have our welcome dinner at portofino, but that didnt happen because an old wedding coordinator promised the restaurant to another wedding even though she wasn't supposed to. we went back and forth with gina (who does the best she can -$100 tip) about what location and menu we could have for the welcome dinner. finally we settled on seaside grill, we chose this because of the menu and the fact that gina promised us the center all to ourselves. about 2 hours before the dinner gina called to tell us we couldnt have the seaside grill menu (one of the main reason why we wanted it there) and that we could only have the oceanna menu (mostly seafood). we argued about this for a few minutes and i got her to agree to bring 10 filets and 10 prime ribs over to the seaside grill along with the regular menu, which ended up working out well. they closed the whole restaurant for us and it went smooth. 4 servers (gave them $20 each). we also had a 30 min photog as a part of our package, didn't get his name but he was good and we threw him $20 tip as well.

 

the wedding was the next day, tuesday, and it pretty much rained all day non stop. windy, rainy, nasty... this really sucked.

when we met with gina on saturday, we knew it was a possibility and had our backup locations picked out she showed us everything walked us in and out of all the options... desires terrace for the ceremony (standard for everyone when it rains) then desires lounge for the cocktail hour, and a ball room for the reception. gina really threw a curve ball at us about 3 hours before the wedding. SIDE NOTE for some reason dream is very into the olympics, so two full ballrooms were occupied with london/olympic themed bleachers, and buses, and track and field set ups... it looked cool but no one used it and it occupied two ballrooms that we could have used. anyway-- she came to us at about 2 oclock and told us our only option was to have the cocktail hour and reception at desires. all the ballrooms were taken, and there were no other spots for the cocktail hour or reception to be. 

 

not only did she hit us with this, but at the same time she was insisting we pay for the wedding right then, when we had originally agreed to pay for it the next day. this would have been no problem except for the fact that the only place you can pay for the wedding was the front desk, and 3 bus loads of people just came to check in. i tried to speak to anyone i could to let me pay for the wedding so i could go get ready. i almost blew my stack. no one could help me for about a half hour of standing around and waiting for a manager. finally jorge, he organizes everything and is really a good guy ($100 tip), came down and took me into the preferred club (which is definitely not worth the extra money) to pay for everything.

 

its a good thing i was in charge of everything and not my wife, because i knew all the setups we needed and minor details. once they had desires lounge setup for our reception, i had to go in there and make all kinds of changes to make it right. we needed four tables, they only setup 3. we needed a table for name cards and favors..etc etc. could have been a nightmare but like everything else, it works out. 

 

the ceremony was on the desires terrace and it was just okay.

linda did the ceremony and she was excellent ($50 tip)

the vows and reading she used were great.

definitely get the sound system and ask the dj to control it... he was great

 

supposedly this was the first time they ever did a wedding reception in desires (yay for us)

but it turned out perfect. we forgot about the horrible weather, and we partied all night.

like i said earlier, if you have a good group of friends and family- nothing can ruin the night.

i think some people were mad at us for having desires closed down until about 11pm (sorry) but after they cleaned up, it opened to a fun after party... even danced with the grandma from the other wedding! shout out to grams if the other bride is reading this!

dj mauricio i think his name was.. was excellent not a complaint from anyone. ($50 tip)

4 servers ($20 each)

 

the next day was trash the dress... anel really is great and a real professional.($100 tip)

we did it at 3pm so we had to walk thru the resort in our wedding clothes... got alot of looks and congratulations.

after we shot on the beach privately, we came over to the pool... it was so awesome... everyone was cheering for us and clapping as we stood on the ledge and jumped in. i cant wait to see the pics. we were like celebrities. people asking to take our pics and said how great we looked. the whole pool was an awesome crowd.

 

we took our group on a catamaran sail on thursday before we all left on friday.

it was a great time... we booked thru cancun vista.

it was an all day event, picked up at 830 and got home at 6pm...

open bar, snorkel (even tho it was only 30 min), dropped off somewhere in mexico to shop and hang out, taken to a private beach to eat and relax, then taken back...

it was a good day, everyone appreciated it and the only complaint i have is we didnt snorkel long enough... and the fact that i pre paid for everything including tips, yet some of my group heard the boat crew, and drivers complain they didnt get tipped... not my fault i guess... the boat crew was great... on the way back to port, they got dressed up in some crazy costumes and made everyone take shots... it was funny as hell. 

 

i put the tips in parentheses because i remember how concerned i was about how much to tip everyone!

 

sorry i just rambled, but we just got in from vegas, and the time difference is messing me up... please email me with any questions because im not sure how often ill be coming back to this site... i got so much help from here i appreciate everyone... and i want to help as well. hope i didnt leave anything out!

 

fuck you hurricane ernesto!!!!

 

 

 

joe

 

[email protected]

Hey Joe!!  Glad you made the best of it despite the rain!  That is the attitude we wanted to have if it rained - no matter what, we were still going to be married!!  And the bright side is you will have good luck in your marriage forever!!  Make sure you post your slide show for us.  

[danicurl329]

would you say it is worth the extra money to get a DJ?

[NJ2012]

yes. definitely... even if you know every single song you want played, he will take control of it.. its definitely worth it. he knows what hes doing for sure!

[annieandjon420]

Hello All- Just got back from our wedding week and everything was AMAZING. I will post a full review later on but I just have to say do not worry. Once you get there you will see why none of your emails are answered...there are 2-3 weddings everyday! The wedding department does a great job and you literally sit down and plan your wedding with the coordinator in the 2-3 days prior to your wedding. DO NOT STRESS!!! 

[danicurl329]

how much did they DJ run?

[Jacki]

Originally Posted by LindseyM 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacki 

 

Hello All!

 

I am a Newbie to this site and I'm not really sure how to post yet (this is my first post!) I CAN NOT BELIEVE I did not know about this forum earlier. You all have been wonderful with your reviews and tips. We are getting married on 11/5/12 and thanks to the videos by BelCantoRagazza on You Tube, we settled on DRC (if you are a new bride- check out the videos 1-10 , they are from a bride on this forum- you will not be disappointed! )  As we all know, communicating with our WC is like trying to call Mars. So I'll try asking some questions on here to see if anyone has the answers.

 

1. Does anyone have the price for chiavari chairs? I think the bamboo chairs are 15 a piece and we were wondering if they were the same price.

 

2. I have an ivory dress and my groom has a white linen shirt. Does this REALLY matter? Some are saying that my dress will look dingy- for those who have seen this combo- how bad does it look?

 

3. I know that some couples were fortunate enough to be upgraded upon arrival to the resort. Does anyone know why some are upgraded and some are not?

Hi Jacki!

 

Kevin and I received THREE upgrades while we were there and honestly, I have no clue why!  My dad's theory is they do it in the beginning to be nice but our final upgrade he thinks was due to tipping.  They noticed our group tipped a lot and did it to show appreciation.  I am not sure if that is true.

 

My dress was ivory with my groom's white shirt...here is our slideshow:  http://200712mcmahon.dreamsriveriacancun.adventurephotos.com.mx/

 

You can tell a little bit but I hardly think it looks dingy!  

No it does not look dingy at all! Thank you these pics are great. I know in your videos you toured the Master Suite, what room did you end up getting?

[Jacki]

Originally Posted by LindseyM 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacki 

 

Hello All!

 

I am a Newbie to this site and I'm not really sure how to post yet (this is my first post!) I CAN NOT BELIEVE I did not know about this forum earlier. You all have been wonderful with your reviews and tips. We are getting married on 11/5/12 and thanks to the videos by BelCantoRagazza on You Tube, we settled on DRC (if you are a new bride- check out the videos 1-10 , they are from a bride on this forum- you will not be disappointed! )  As we all know, communicating with our WC is like trying to call Mars. So I'll try asking some questions on here to see if anyone has the answers.

 

1. Does anyone have the price for chiavari chairs? I think the bamboo chairs are 15 a piece and we were wondering if they were the same price.

 

2. I have an ivory dress and my groom has a white linen shirt. Does this REALLY matter? Some are saying that my dress will look dingy- for those who have seen this combo- how bad does it look?

 

3. I know that some couples were fortunate enough to be upgraded upon arrival to the resort. Does anyone know why some are upgraded and some are not?

Hi Jacki!

 

Kevin and I received THREE upgrades while we were there and honestly, I have no clue why!  My dad's theory is they do it in the beginning to be nice but our final upgrade he thinks was due to tipping.  They noticed our group tipped a lot and did it to show appreciation.  I am not sure if that is true.

 

My dress was ivory with my groom's white shirt...here is our slideshow:  http://200712mcmahon.dreamsriveriacancun.adventurephotos.com.mx/

 

You can tell a little bit but I hardly think it looks dingy!  

No it does not look dingy at all! Thanks for posting. I know in your video you toured a Master Suite, what did you end up getting?