El Dorado Royale (EDR) Brides - POST HERE!

[TheWolferts]

ElDorad02012,

 

We are getting married at EDR May 2012, but my cousin got married there in September 2010.

 

I am an avid scuba diver so I went on a scuba trip that I booked through the hotel once I got there, so I am not sure if it's through Lomas. If you are thinking about trying scuba diving, the resort did have a great option to take a couple of scuba lessons in the pool and then do a dive with a seasoned dive master right at your side. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to do something new! I actually got my start scuba diving when I did a resort dive (not through EDR, but I did watch their instructors in the pool and they were very good) and I felt very comfortable and safe! I used to love snorkeling and now I cannot stand it because it just doesnt compare to scuba diving! I highly recommend that!

 

Other guests went on a jet ski and snorkeling trip and they said it was definitely worth the money and they had a great time! The snorkeling around the beach at the resort is not very good at all, so you may want to go on the afternoon trip for a better view.

 

Like I said, my cousins wedding was in September and she had her private reception at La Isla, which is right next to the main pool and is outside with a huge grass roof. I thought the setting was fantastic though there were some rowdy/drunk patrons at the pool that you could hear during the speeches (someone from the wedding had to ask them to quiet it down for a bit). I thought the reception was great, but I started the evening off with a light grey dress and by the time the night was over, it was soaked with sweat and dark gray. Looking back at pictures from that night, I can tell at what point the pictures were taken based on the sheen of sweat on my body and the color of the dress. I know a lot of people were getting winded during the dancing because it was so humid and the entire wedding party, bride included, jumped in the pool at the end of the reception because they were so hot.

 

My fiance and I were originally booked for June 9, 2012 at EDR, but as I was watching the weather this past year around the beginning of June, and we started to get nervous because it was getting into the upper 80s and lower 90s, and I knew first hand out humid it gets down there. Needless to say, we decided to move our date up to early May to try and avoid some of the heat.

 

We also decided to get married on the beach at Gazebo 55 after A LOT of research on the different options. I really liked the gazebo right next to the salt water pool on the beach, but my travel agent let me know that when it gets really hot and there is a breeze, the salt water pool smells less than fresh and I didnt want to be turning up my nose the entire wedding. We settled on Gazebo 55 because of the location: no "whales" i.e. sandbags in the water behind it), and its on a further side of the resort so there wouldnt be very much traffic from other weddings or hotel guests. We also liked that there was enough space to have the cocktail party right next to the ceremony area, so our guests did not have to go very far to get some light snacks and beverages. We are doing a majority of our pictures before hand, but my FI and i dont want to see one another before the ceremony, so we will do all of ours and combined pictures after. Having the guests be relatively close by means they can watch and enjoy the cocktail reception. We are serving light appetizers and our specialty drinks at the cocktail hour, complete with a beach/reggae playlist on my ipod.

 

We are still having a sit-down dinner and dancing after that, but because I didnt want my guests being too sticky and hot to enjoy themselves, we actually chose an indoor ballroom the Salon Dorado. The space looks gorgeous with marble floors and tall white columns, so I cannot wait! My MOH initially asked me why I would have an indoor reception in a destination wedding and I just explained I didnt want myself or my guests being too warm to dance and let loose, and I figured everyone would be in the sun all week, during the ceremony, and the cocktail hour, so I was perfectly fine with being comfortable in the a/c for a portion of the evening. That and my fiance gets VERY cranky when he gets warm, and I did not want a groomzilla on our wedding day! LOL

Once I explained my reasoning, she definitely could see why I opted for the a/c.

 

As for the food, we are going with a mahi mahi option and the surf-n-turf option, both of which I had at my cousins and they were sooo delicious! We are only doing a cutting cake, since the dinner comes with dessert options. My cousin said she ended up regretting getting a 3-tiered cake because: there were only 3 flavor options, the only icing they will do is fondant (very pretty, yucky tasting) and everyone enjoyed the desert plates so much, only a couple of people had some cake! I'm not a huge cake person and neither is my fiance, but we both wanted the tradition of cutting the cake, so we are going to get a small cake and do the ceremonial cake cutting actually before dinner is served! My grandmother whom I was very close to and is unfortunately no longer with us used to always prefer dessert first and say " why wait? it's the most delicious part of a meal! If this were my last few moments on earth, I'd rather have a banana split than meat and potatoes!", so I always remember her explaining that to me and I think it'd give her a laugh. Made my dad tear up a bit when I told him the reasoning behind it too )

 

As for the set up fee, I have read on this message board that sometimes the WC at the resort does these things for free, while other times, I have heard of them charging for it. I guess technically they do charge for it, so if anyone has experience with it, I would like to know as well.

 

For our rehearsal dinner, I saw a picture of the space decorated with colorful paper lanterns, so we are going to do something similar with our wedding colors. I asked if someone from my family could set those up to avoid any fees, but she explained that since it would require a ladder to hang them, it would be against the resort policy, which I totally get! But for our cocktail reception tall tables in the sand, I want to go with a white table cloth, blue bow, and I found these amazing blue river rocks with seashells and starfish (yay TJ Maxx!) that I want sprinkled in the center of each table, just to give it some pop, but not take away from the gorgeous landscape! I refuse to pay $5 a setup/table for someone to dump rocks on a table, so I already have a close friend tasked with scampering over after/before the ceremony and just dumping them in the middle of the table!

[angi111111]

 

 

Originally Posted by Beekmanbride 

 

Go with the BBQ!!! My guests said it was the best meal they had the whole weekend!! Which says a lot because all of the restaurants were amazing! Also, try to get the white gazebo and have it out side, It was the most magical experience of our lives!

 

You guys look great & Happy! Love the color you choose! You dress is gorgeous!

Thank you so much for the advice and tips. It really helps to put my mind at ease... The flowers are pretty to! We went with Tropical bouquets....looks like you did to??

We leave in exactly 14 days!!! 

 

 

[angi111111]

Hi!

Our wedding is planned for 11-11-11 

I do not know anything about the music you mentioned... I suggest just reading thru the reviews.  Sounds like the DJ is the way to go with a big group. I have seen a DJ playing at events at the resort in past stays, and everyone seem to be having a Fun!

I can tell you that in the past we have done several tours with Lomas Travel and have never had any problems. They are professional and take good care of you. All of the excursions we have done were well worth the time and $$$. We decided not to do OOT bags. I did not want to hassle with carrying everything and getting them to our guests. And I figured our guests would bring most everything we would end up putting in the bags anyway. We did purchase a small Beach themed photo album and Beach themed Gel candle to give our guests at the Welcome Dinner....AND So, we decided to put the $$$ toward a group excursion the day before the wedding. It is the Reef Adventure Catamaran trip thru Lomas. We booked the trip thru the WC and added it to our package. You can review the trip on the Lomas web site. When we stayed at EDR Maroma, we actually watched the trip go out everyday and it looked like a nice, fun, & not to long of a day trip. Plus, it leaves from the beach were my FI proposed, so we wanted to incorporate that as well. Now, we just hope for great Weather  

We have also done the EDR Bus trip into Playa. It is scheduled a few times during the week. Both to Cancun and Playa.You sign up, the bus leaves and returns after about 5 hours (I think)

If you have a large group, they may make special arrangements? Otherwise. I suggest signing your group up early after you arrive at the resort has it fills up fast. The bus takes you to

"5th Avenue" It is a strip of shopping, restaurants, entertainment, etc. We ended up walking the strip, and had dinner in about 3 hours time. It started raining so we got a cab and negotiated a $20 ride back to EDR. 

Its great to have so many options! Have fun planning! This is a great forum for suggestions, tips, and just to vent! 

 

Originally Posted by ElDorado2012 

Hi everyone! I hope I am doing this right... I wasn't sure if I was supposed to post a reply as I am doing now to join this forum, or start a new thread, or... Anyways, hopefully this works! I'm getting married at EDR on June 30, 2012. We are expecting around 60 guests and having the ceremony at Gazebo 55 and reception at Tucanes. I have a bunch of questions that I'd love you to answer if anyone can!

 

1. Has anyone had the classical guitarist (offered by Lomas) during the ceremony? Or, has anyone heard anything about the guitarist? I'm wondering if we can request songs to be played, other than classical music...

2. It sounds like DJ Doremixx is a better DJ to go with than the DJ's Lomas Travel "prefers", is this right? Has anyone had the DJs from Lomas?

3. What did everyone do for favors? I really wanted to have personalized match boxes, however we can't fly with them or ship them overseas, so I need a new idea.

4. What are the OOT bags I've heard you all talking about? Can anyone fill me in?

5. We definitely want to go into Playa del Carmen at some point during the trip to visit the bars/clubs with some of our guests. Does anyone recommend a certain place or places to go? How did you get there - cab, or...?

 

I'm sure I will have a bunch more questions as the date approaches.

 

Thank you everyone!!!

 

[angi111111]

eeeek! There is a Hurricane headed right toward the resort!! 

 

OH NOOOO!!!!

[ElDorado2012]

I just saw that!! marissasmum posted that her daughter's wedding is today! I'm sure it's cloudy (I don't think the hurricane hits them directly until Thurs.), but hopefully they were still able to get all of the festivities in before the major rain/storm hits!

[ElDorado2012]

Did anyone do welcome cards for their guests? If so, what information did you put on them? Do you give those to the front desk when you check in, or...? Do they charge you to hand them out? Were they good about actually giving them out? Our guests will arrive on various days/times and we are having a larger wedding, so not all guests will be participating in all of the events. I'm going to want to have specific cards specific individuals and I'm wondering if that's going to be way to confusing for the resort staff...

 

I was reading a much older post about not brushing your teeth with the water in the sink (using a water bottle instead). Is this what everyone does? Do I need to notify my guests of this?

 

Angie1111 - you said you did the EDR bus trip to Playa. Was that something you booked once you were there or ahead of time? How much did it cost pp or is it free? Where did you go in Playa? Do you have any recommendations of bars, places to see, etc.?

 

Thank you!!

[ElDorado2012]

Also...

 

Does anyone have close-up pics of their hair and/or makeup that was done at EDR? I'm trying to decide if my bridesmaids and I should just do our own or make an apt... Also, did any of you have trouble getting your bridal party over there and back for the appointments? I've read they only offer on golf cart for a ride, so not all of the bridesmaids can fit if you have a few, and I guess it's a long walk back to the regular rooms (not Casita) at the resort...

 

Thanks!!

[TheWolferts]

Did anyone do welcome cards for their guests? If so, what information did you put on them? Do you give those to the front desk when you check in, or...? Do they charge you to hand them out? Were they good about actually giving them out? We are putting in activity/event schedules in our OOT bags and having the hotel deliver them to each guest's room. Yes they do charge for this, but I figure its better than taking a couple hours out of my day wondering around the entire resort, plus I'm not sure how you would go about getting into each person's room.My cousin had her OOT bags delivered and she said they were really good about getting them in everyone's rooms, and she had people arriving at different dates as well.

 

I was reading a much older post about not brushing your teeth with the water in the sink (using a water bottle instead). Is this what everyone does? Do I need to notify my guests of this? I used their tap water to brush my teeth and was fine. Of the 60 people that attended my cousin's wedding, 2 people had a bad case of "Montezuma's revenge", one unfortunatley being my roommate on the trip. Obivously we were using the same sink to brush our teeth in and I was fine. I think she got purposely slipped some bad water by one of the bartenders because she was being drunk and obnoxious, ordering multiple rounds of complicated-to-make shots for 20 people and not bothering to tip the bartender at all. I remember her ordering a glass of water before we headed back to our room and she woke up in the middle of the night really sick.

 

 

[TheWolferts]

ElDorado2012,

 

Again, speaking on behalf of my cousin's experience... she was nervous about getting her hair and makeup done by the salon because obviously she could not really meet with them a few weeks in advance to get her hair/makeup planned out, so she actually made an appointment right before her wedding rehearsal and dinner. She took them pictures of what she wanted and they worked with her on creating something she liked. She then took pictures of everything to replicate the next day and had them change up her hair a makeup just a bit for her, so no one would see exactly the look she was gonna have on her wedding day. I thought it worked out really well that way and she loved the hair and makeup!

 

I would love to have my 4 BMs come with me for the hair and makeup, but 1) I cannot afford to pay for everyine hair and makeup (about $150+) per person, 2) I dont want them to feel like they have to shell out even more money once they make it down there and 3) my FI and I are staying in the Casitas as part of our wedding package, so I will probably be getting my hair done in the casitas spa and Im not sure that non-casitas guests can join me, wedding party or not... anyone know the specifics on this? I have read on older posts that there have been issues with getting your whole wedding party in any spa at the same time because of multiple weddings per day.

 

I have heard that the golf carts will take the bride and one other person to the ceremony site... I am thinking my dad and i??

 

 

[angi111111]

hi!

We signed-up for the bus trip after we were at the resort. You can do this thru the concierge. I would also ask your WC about this since you have a large group. I have a group of girls who are planning on taking this trip, but they are going to sign up after we arrive. No charge, but we did tip the driver a few $$. The bus drops you off at the main shopping district with restaurants, bars, etc. I honestly can not remember names of places...We asked our concierge where he recommended us to go for dinner and it was great! Good Mexican food and music.

There is bottled water by the sink...We have slipped a few times and used tap water with no problems. We did remind our guests to use the bottles tho...AND know that the shower water is salt water. Take a good conditioner for your hair or wash your hair in the spa..

The cost at the spa for Bridal hair $86 / Bridal makeup $86 and you do not have to be a casitas guest to use the casitas spa

 

Originally Posted by ElDorado2012 

Did anyone do welcome cards for their guests? If so, what information did you put on them? Do you give those to the front desk when you check in, or...? Do they charge you to hand them out? Were they good about actually giving them out? Our guests will arrive on various days/times and we are having a larger wedding, so not all guests will be participating in all of the events. I'm going to want to have specific cards specific individuals and I'm wondering if that's going to be way to confusing for the resort staff...

 

I was reading a much older post about not brushing your teeth with the water in the sink (using a water bottle instead). Is this what everyone does? Do I need to notify my guests of this?

 

Angie1111 - you said you did the EDR bus trip to Playa. Was that something you booked once you were there or ahead of time? How much did it cost pp or is it free? Where did you go in Playa? Do you have any recommendations of bars, places to see, etc.?

 

Thank you!!