El Dorado Royale (EDR) Brides - POST HERE!

[asmithpoulin]

Ms. Tigger! We're getting married April 20, 2013 at the Fuentes Gazbeo as well! How lucky that you are able to do a site visit! Can I live vicariously through you and hop in your luggage?

Originally Posted by mstigger 

Well I stumbled on to this site while I was searching for pink starfish ribbon!!! So glad that I did........I am getting married at EDR April 21, 2013.

Soooo excited!! Just dropped my save the dates in the mail today. Has anyone just done the dinner that comes with the package rather than an actual reception? That's what we have opted for, but I'm just not sure about it. I guess the good thing is that we are going to visit in September....it was a spur of the moment decision, but we are going Sept 16-21 for a quick get away and to check things out. Right now we have the Fuentes Gazebo booked for the ceremony, but I am just so uncertain on everything.....anyone else feel like that at first?

[ElDorado2012]

I definitely don't think the showers are salt water. I never noticed a difference when I was there. I actually thought my hair looked and felt better while I was there, which I was attributing to the shower water. I brought my own conditioner, so I'm not 100% positive on that, but I do think I remember seeing it in the shower as well. Also, I have blonde hair and was in the pools for hours on end. I never had any issues with my hair turning green. Hope that helps

Originally Posted by Jillsepher 

Hey Catherine!
I too am getting married in October. My biggest concern is the weather. How was it when you were there? It's so sweet of you to offer to take some pics. I'm having my reception at the Chapel Terrace. I believe this is the area by the chapel in the sand. Would you mind getting some pics of this area so I can visualize a bit more?
This is kind of for anyone one who has been there but I heard there is a fire dancing show. Is this true? If so, is it a weekly event? My FI is so excited to see this if that's the case. Also, I read somewhere (maybe on here?) that the resort uses salt water as water for its showers an does not have conditioner. Any truth to this? And I just thought about this but I have blonde hair and I'm very leery of chlorine. Any ladies with blonde hair have their hair turn green at the resort? I had a very bad past experience about 8 years ago where my hair turned bright green immediately after going in a chlorinated hot tub and have never put my hair in chlorine ever since!
Thanks Catherine for offering up your services!

[mrendic]

There is conditioner in the room and if you need more you just have to ask your concierge for it. They can supply you with a lot of stuff aside from what they have in the rooms. Razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc. Not the best quality but ya know... also the casitas spa has showers in the women's locker room if you ever go and do the water journey (definitely relaxing.. i did it the day of the wedding) and I really like the conditioner they have in there. Oh and if you stay in the casitas you can do the water journey anytime... not just when you have a spa appointment. 

 

As far as fire dancers, there definitely is a fire dancer show. It was on both sundays that we were there so I'm pretty sure it is a weekly thing. I'm pretty sure all of their shows are repeated each week but they change it up so they aren't exactly the same as the week before. The shows are so much fun, especially because they get the guests involved before or after the show with these hilarious games. I think we went to every single show while we were there lol

Originally Posted by Jillsepher 

Hey Catherine!
I too am getting married in October. My biggest concern is the weather. How was it when you were there? It's so sweet of you to offer to take some pics. I'm having my reception at the Chapel Terrace. I believe this is the area by the chapel in the sand. Would you mind getting some pics of this area so I can visualize a bit more?
This is kind of for anyone one who has been there but I heard there is a fire dancing show. Is this true? If so, is it a weekly event? My FI is so excited to see this if that's the case. Also, I read somewhere (maybe on here?) that the resort uses salt water as water for its showers an does not have conditioner. Any truth to this? And I just thought about this but I have blonde hair and I'm very leery of chlorine. Any ladies with blonde hair have their hair turn green at the resort? I had a very bad past experience about 8 years ago where my hair turned bright green immediately after going in a chlorinated hot tub and have never put my hair in chlorine ever since!
Thanks Catherine for offering up your services!

[mstigger]

Originally Posted by asmithpoulin 

 

Ms. Tigger! We're getting married April 20, 2013 at the Fuentes Gazbeo as well! How lucky that you are able to do a site visit! Can I live vicariously through you and hop in your luggage?

SURE!!!!  Let me know if there's anything you want to know or want me to look at while we are there in September.

What wedding package did you go with? Are you staying on the Casitas side or the Royale side? How many guests are you expecting?

[Jillsepher]

That's such a relief! You never know how much chlorine places put in their pools so it's good to know that you didn't have a problem. That would be such a wedding nightmare to get married with green hair!

Originally Posted by ElDorado2012 

I definitely don't think the showers are salt water. I never noticed a difference when I was there. I actually thought my hair looked and felt better while I was there, which I was attributing to the shower water. I brought my own conditioner, so I'm not 100% positive on that, but I do think I remember seeing it in the shower as well. Also, I have blonde hair and was in the pools for hours on end. I never had any issues with my hair turning green. Hope that helps

 

What's a water journey? Does it cost money? I'm soooo excited to see the shows! Totally looking forward to the fire shows!

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrendic 

There is conditioner in the room and if you need more you just have to ask your concierge for it. They can supply you with a lot of stuff aside from what they have in the rooms. Razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc. Not the best quality but ya know... also the casitas spa has showers in the women's locker room if you ever go and do the water journey (definitely relaxing.. i did it the day of the wedding) and I really like the conditioner they have in there. Oh and if you stay in the casitas you can do the water journey anytime... not just when you have a spa appointment. 

 

As far as fire dancers, there definitely is a fire dancer show. It was on both sundays that we were there so I'm pretty sure it is a weekly thing. I'm pretty sure all of their shows are repeated each week but they change it up so they aren't exactly the same as the week before. The shows are so much fun, especially because they get the guests involved before or after the show with these hilarious games. I think we went to every single show while we were there lol

[mstigger]

So what wedding packages have all of you decided to go with? I picked one, but mainly because I had no choice but to pick. I'm pretty happy with what we picked so far. I am going with the Pure Passion package......well, today that's my choice! 

[asmithpoulin]

Originally Posted by mstigger 

 

SURE!!!!  Let me know if there's anything you want to know or want me to look at while we are there in September.

What wedding package did you go with? Are you staying on the Casitas side or the Royale side? How many guests are you expecting?

We decided on the basic package, the Pearl. Still trying to figure out dinner and numbers are anywhere between 15-40. Our official RSVP isn't until Feb. 1, it's driving me crazy! Right now we opted for the Royale side, things may change but we only had 6 nights available. I teach so getting a week off in the middle of the school year was hard enough!

 

Regarding the packages, I'm not very happy with the choices :/ At first we were going to do a legal, but have since decided to do an "undercover" symbolic. My parents are the only ones that know it will not be the legal, my mom is a notary public in our home state and has done family/friends weddings, she is going to preform the ceremony.

 

Our package inclues,

• Professional services of a wedding coordinator
• Complimentary online bridal registry and wedding website
• Wedding guests concierge
• Bride's personal in room wedding attendant on wedding day beginning 3 hours prior to ceremony
• Groom's room on wedding day from 10 am to 4 pm stocked with a selection of beverages and gourmet bites
• Non-denominational Minister
• Souvenir wedding certificate
• Romantic ocean front wedding ceremony location
• Special aisle runner*, table with white linen and uncovered ceremony chairs
• Bride's fresh floral bouquet
• Groom's matching boutonniere
• Framed 5x7 picture of wedding couple
• Dinner reservations for wedding group *(restaurant and group size varies by hotel)
• Personalized menu card
• Romantically decorated suite on wedding night with rose petals, aromatherapy and candles
• Breakfast in bed on first honeymoon day

 

We don't need half of this stuff... I'm having a hard time justifying the $950 for this, because we will need to pay for the extras such as decorations and reception.  

[AllieH]

We went with the free package, but I do like the Pure Passion one - that's fairly new I think.

Originally Posted by mstigger 

So what wedding packages have all of you decided to go with? I picked one, but mainly because I had no choice but to pick. I'm pretty happy with what we picked so far. I am going with the Pure Passion package......well, today that's my choice! 

[mstigger]

We too are staying on the Royale side. No idea how many people are going to be there, but my FI was worried about us being on the other side of the world from our friends and family. I thought it would be fine, but the free wedding package really wasn't what I wanted because we too are just doing the symbolic ceremony. I wanted more decorations and NO blood work!!!

The WC told me the pure passion was a combo of the Pearl Package and some Ocean decoration package. Just hoping we don't have over 20 peeps.....not sure what they will charge me then for extra chairs!

Oh, but I wanted to use the starfish they have to hang from the gazebo...you will never believe this, but they wanted $180 to hang 3 strands of 3 starfish from the gazebo!!!   I was so shocked.....do you know how many starfish I can buy for $180???

 

@asmith - what grade do you teach? Where are you from in NC? I live in Charleston, SC

 

@allie - do you have everything done? How many guests are you having?

 

My STD's are going in the mail today......that's about the extent of my stuff that is done!!!

[TheWolferts]

My fiance was also nervous that we would be really far away from our guests by staying on the Casitas side, but upon check in, we jsut asked if they could put us in a casitas that was close to the Royale side. They put us in the first set of Casitwas which was great because it was super close to the Health Bar which we ate at almost every day for lunch and super close the the beach vball courts which our group congregated around almost every day. It worked out great!

 

As for the $180 fee, they charge a lot for any set up that requires a ladder and they also wont let you do it on  your own because its a liability for the hotel to have you up on a ladder. If you really want the starfish hung on the alter, I would negotiate that the set up for any other items at your ceremony be included in that set up fee. We had paper lanterns hung at our rehearsal dinner and asked them to include the set up for the other items at the rehearsal within the high cost of hanging the lanterns and they agreed fairly easily.

 

We did a symbolic ceremony and went with the free wedding package. We didnt really care for a lot of the addons for the cheapest priced package and felt that if we were going to spend the money, we might as well treat ourselves to a Casitas, but I do believe you have to stay 7 nights in a casitas to qualify for the free wedding package.

 

Originally Posted by mstigger 
 

We too are staying on the Royale side. No idea how many people are going to be there, but my FI was worried about us being on the other side of the world from our friends and family. I thought it would be fine, but the free wedding package really wasn't what I wanted because we too are just doing the symbolic ceremony. I wanted more decorations and NO blood work!!!

The WC told me the pure passion was a combo of the Pearl Package and some Ocean decoration package. Just hoping we don't have over 20 peeps.....not sure what they will charge me then for extra chairs!

Oh, but I wanted to use the starfish they have to hang from the gazebo...you will never believe this, but they wanted $180 to hang 3 strands of 3 starfish from the gazebo!!!   I was so shocked.....do you know how many starfish I can buy for $180???

 

@asmith - what grade do you teach? Where are you from in NC? I live in Charleston, SC

 

@allie - do you have everything done? How many guests are you having?

 

My STD's are going in the mail today......that's about the extent of my stuff that is done!!!