El Dorado Royale (EDR) Brides - POST HERE!

[Keegan]

Hi brides. This forum has been so helpful.

 

My wedding date is May 7th 2016. About 7 months to go.

 

I've been working with Ana and she has been great. Takes a couple days to get back but I know she has other weddings. A couple questions.

 

1. My guests are arriving on cinco de mayo and I would love to do some sort of event to welcome everyone. I'm not really looking to host a private event that will cost a ton, just wanted everyone to meet at a restaurant or bar or at the pool. Wondering what you guys may have done.

 

2. I have the coastal bliss package, and I am going a private reception. The coastal bliss theme will be throughout both the ceremony and reception, correct?

 

3. I love the lazy river at the resort, wondering if there are inner tubes at the resort for floating or if I should buy a bulk 40 tubes for guests.

 

4.Did any of you use the makeup service and have a picture. I enjoy doing my makeup, but the glamorous look I want for my wedding day might be out of my league. I saw one of the brides got en eye infection from the makeup they used! Eek!

 

5. When you used one of their DJs did it come with microphones for speeches and toasts?

 

6. Does it the wedding package include a rehearsal dinner the day before?

 

7. Do the tables come with table numbers so people know where to sit?

 

 

Thanks fellow brides, can't wait to hear about your experiences!

Edited September 25, 2015 by Keegan

[Nichole0878]

Hi @@Keegan,

 

I'm glad you're having a good experience with Ana! We weren't so lucky with Marisol, but in the end it all came together We're heading to EDR in just 2 weeks so I'll try to answer some of your questions! If you're curious my planning board is here: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/topic/79691-nicholes-planning-board-for-el-dorado-royale-wedding/and I plan to keep adding to it as well as a review after we get back!

 

1) With booking a certain number of rooms we qualified for a free cocktail party. So I included that on our itineraries. I am disappointed though that the resort won't confirm the location for the party, so we'll have to somehow tell everyone that in person once we get there. Maybe we can get the front desk to tell everyone when they check in?

 

3) It's not really the same type of lazy river you'll find at a water park. More like a little channel that connects the swim up rooms and some pools. Still pretty neat, but it's not "flowing". As far as I know there are not tubes there, but it might be nice to bring some to just relax in the water!

 

5) As far as I know the DJ includes microphones and everything for speeches. I'll let you know when I get back. 

 

6) I did the Always & Forever package and it comes with availability for a rehearsal dinner. 

 

7) Pretty sure there are no table numbers unless you bring them. FYI there's a ridiculous set up fee for EVERYTHING you bring yourself. 

 

Have fun planning!!

 

Nichole

Hi brides. This forum has been so helpful.

My wedding date is May 7th 2016. About 7 months to go.

I've been working with Ana and she has been great. Takes a couple days to get back but I know she has other weddings. A couple questions.

1. My guests are arriving on cinco de mayo and I would love to do some sort of event to welcome everyone. I'm not really looking to host a private event that will cost a ton, just wanted everyone to meet at a restaurant or bar or at the pool. Wondering what you guys may have done.

2. I have the coastal bliss package, and I am going a private reception. The coastal bliss theme will be throughout both the ceremony and reception, correct?

3. I love the lazy river at the resort, wondering if there are inner tubes at the resort for floating or if I should buy a bulk 40 tubes for guests.

4.Did any of you use the makeup service and have a picture. I enjoy doing my makeup, but the glamorous look I want for my wedding day might be out of my league. I saw one of the brides got en eye infection from the makeup they used! Eek!

5. When you used one of their DJs did it come with microphones for speeches and toasts?

6. Does it the wedding package include a rehearsal dinner the day before?

7. Do the tables come with table numbers so people know where to sit?


Thanks fellow brides, can't wait to hear about your experiences!

[kfracassi]

Welcome @@Keegan !

 

I'm doing a welcome party by having the Mexican Donkey Bar Cocktail Hour, instead of having a cocktail hour in-between the wedding and the reception. I figured, why pay for a cocktail hour when people may want to go back to the room to freshen up, AND they can get free drinks at a bar. I'm only have approx 25 people at my wedding so they can just meet up.

 

I'm using the free Spa Package that I received with my travel agent which includes make up and hair. I'm going to my hair stylist here at home to do my hair and taking MULTIPLE view pictures in order to ensure my hair will be how I want it due to the language barrier. 

 

I was told I could not have a rehearsal/walk through, which is very frustrating. I also did the always and forever package. I have marisol, and it has been VERY difficult to set things up. @@Nichole0878, the rehearsal dinner that you set up, was that your "free reception dinner" that you changed to rehearsal, or was it a separate dinner on top of that?

 

Thanks. 

[Nichole0878]

Hi @@kfracassi,

 

First of all - I have been working with Marisol as well until she left the company this past month and I feel your pain. Ugh. Make sure you check everything multiple times for errors! I corrected a bunch of stuff before we made our final payment, but I'm happy that everything is done (correctly!) now. 

 

Yes, the rehearsal dinner was the free "shared-basis" dinner. We ended up not going with it because I feel like there will be too many scheduled events that way but they let us pick the time and menu ahead of time. 

[EriLu11]

@@Nichole0878 @@kfracassi Hi Ladies, I just found out about Marisol's departure and needless to say was extremely upset. They have assigned Ana to my wedding which is less than 2 weeks away. I still yet to receive my final bill and we leave for our wedding next Wednesday. Has anyone had any resolution to this issue? Did the resort compensate you in some way for the poor service? I feel like I still have tons to do and am really feeling insecure as to putting my wedding in their hands at this point.

 

Thanks!

[LoLoJabs]

Just chiming in! We too have lost Marisol and have yet to hear from our new coordinator, Carolina. Our wedding is December 11th and I sent my last email to Marisol on October 15th. Heard from someone last Wednesday saying Carolina would contact us that evening but still haven't heard anything. SO incredibly frustrating and we too would like to know if there will be anything in terms of compensation for the service.

[Nichole0878]

Hi @@EriLu11 and @@LoLoJabs,

 

I'm sorry to hear you ladies are having the same issues. Unfortunately we've had no compensation for poor service, but maybe I'll bring that up in our meeting with the onsite coordinator and something might come of it? Either way, now's the time to start calling people directly, that's how we ended up getting everything wrapped up really fast. Before calling I went through every detail that we wanted and had requested, compared it to what was confirmed on our spreadsheet, checked to make sure all of the prices were correct then put together a list of the issues so I didn't get confused or forget anything. I sent an e-mail outlining all of that in a bulleted list to make everything very clear as well as to have a "physical" record of the issues we've had. 

 

I plan on printing out all of our correspondence, receipts and proof of all payments, as well as a detailed, summarized list of the arrangements. Doing this I feel pretty confident that everything should be worked out! Plus I've heard good things about the on site coordinators (which are Oh So Conveniently different than the off site coordinators!), so this as well as not having to do everything over e-mail should help. 

 

I also suggest to have the credit card authorization form filled out and ready to go as soon as you get everything worked out!

 

And after all of that, relax and realize it will be awesome no matter what and you'll be enjoying the beach with your new husband!   If you have any specific questions, feel free to message me!!!

[kfracassi]

I just heard from our new coordinator, Martha. I have a question for you girls. So when getting the hair/make up appointments together, I did not qualify for the bridal spa because I have too many bridesmaids (I have 5, not an outrageous number), so Marisol suggested getting our hair/makeup done in the room. No mention of extra price was noted. Then Martha states that it is an extra $25 per person. Not only are the prices for hair and make up expensive ($91 for hair and $91 for make up), but they want to charge even more. 

Have you girls paid just as much, did you end up just going to the salon to have everyones makeup and hair appointments.  I know I've already asked a lot of people because it's a trip, not just the normal wedding, and I hate adding more to their plate. I'm already covering $50 per bridesmaid for their hair, I just can't see paying another $25 for each one.

 

Any suggestions?

[KimberlyD]

Hello Fellow Brides!!

 

I have just paid my deposit for my wedding in October 2016 and I am already stressing. I have a quetsions about photographer. Do you know if I bring someone from home and they stay at the resort if I have to pay the $800 vendor fee? I have reached out to my wedding coordinator, but as many as you know it looks like everyone has communication issues. I wanted to book a photographer asap for Engagement and Wedding pictures, but don't want to be in a bind if the hotel makes me pay another $800.

 

Thanks in Advanced!!

Kim

[LoLoJabs]

Hi Kim,

 

I'm getting married December 11th and we are brining a photographer with us. As long as she stays 3 nights or more she is considered a "guest" and the fee does not apply. Hope this helps!

 

Lori