El Dorado Royale (EDR) Brides - POST HERE!

[ikupoo]

Thanks for the review! Wow, you shelled out for your bouquet! I reserved the date for 7/9/09, and I'm really looking forward to it!

[KirstenRN6]

Hello all! Sorry it has been so long since I have posted on this thread. I am counting down the days until we leave for Mexico!! I got my final spreadsheet from Valeria today. There were quite a few things she forgot to add, so I had to send it back to her.

 

Things are falling together nicely. I'm trying not to stress over things too much and just let things happen.

 

I asked Valeria about the sand ceremony, and she said that I could bring my own sand ceremony supplies and the minister would still perform it for us. I was a little worried after I saw the post from BandE2008 that said they were charging them if they didn't buy the supplies from EDR. Valeria assured me this was NOT true and that they would still incoorporate the sand ceremony as part of our wedding and the minister would do it for us.

 

Here's some of our wedding details:

 

Welcome/Rehearsal dinner at El Cocotal night before wedding

 

Wedding ceremony at the Presedential Gazebo

 

Wedding reception at Tucanes Bar - we are having the family style dinner, and the Ipod station with speakers for this event.

 

We have 16 guests coming.

 

Our photograper is Kristi Klemens (I won this free photography/videography package here on BDW!!) Her fiance Paul Bennet will be the videographer. Kristi is amazing.........I can't wait to work with her! They are staying at the resort for three nights, so I don't have to pay the outside vendor fee!

 

Let me know if you have any questions about my final details. I am trying to keep things pretty basic.

 

Thanks for your review pryzeless!! I can't wait to see your pro pics!

[Dreamgirl08]

Hello KristenRN6,

 

How exciting, your only days away!!!

Thanks for clarifying the ceremony confusion we've been having. I just e-mailed Valeria too asking her what I should know about the "Sand Ceremony". So if I'm understanding correctly, You can bring your own Sand Ceremony Supplies and have them do it for you at NO COST??

 

BTW I'm just curious to know, why did you choose to go with the Presidential Gazebo V. Gazebo 55? Is it because of your small group size? Because I'm going to have a small group too.

 

Oh, and how LUCKY are you to have won a free photography/videography package, good for you, your pretty much set to go!!!

[KirstenRN6]

Yes, per Valeria, they will do the sand ceremony for you at no cost. That was a huge relief for me too. We choose to go with the presidential gazebo after I saw the recent slideshow Elizabeth Medina posted here ( Lauren and Ryan). It just looked more lush. Also, it seemed to be more private. The only reason I was going to use Gazebo 55 at first is because there is no sandbags behind you. But in the pics of the presidential gazebo, you couldn't really see them. We have an amazing photographer, so I'm sure she will get shots at the right angles to hind the sandbags.

 

I'm getting excited......only 4 more weeks....yay!!

[BandE2008]

I HATE how EDR does this

Tells people all different things ...

Especially when im on the crap side! hahaha.

This has happened to me sooo many times -

Other people were quoted less for the walkway - so when I confront them they always have an excuse (for the walkway it was they "just" increased their prices).

Oh well - this will soon all be over

I just sucked it up and wrote my own sand ceremony and have asked a family member to do it - I hate that it is going to feel separate from the actial ceremony this way - but thats how Carolina told me it had to be - the only other way was if I paid money.

You guys are lucky!

[BandE2008]

How many people does the the other ceremony location hold?

Now im re thinking Gazebo 55 ...... Help!

Where did you see the photos?! Sorry Im losing my mind - one week to go!

[KirstenRN6]

I'm not sure how many people the presidential gazebo location will hold.......I'm guessing at least 30, maybe more. We really only have about 12 seated guests. There is no way they should be making you pay for the sand ceremony......that is just WRONG! I've never heard of Carolina, but Valeria is very good and is very on top of things. So I trust what she tells me. When you talk to the coordinators onsite at EDR, maybe they can help straighten things out for the sand ceremony. But for now, at least you have a back up plan.

 

The slideshow from Elizabeth Medina was posted about a month ago on this thread. I saved it on my favorites.......I loved it so much. Probably because this couples wedding party and guest size is similar to what we are having and the same locations as us...etc.

 

Here is the slideshow: Lauren and Ryan

 

Good luck! Don't worry......everything will fall together!

[mellowdrama]

Okay, so I'm a little irritated. My wedding is 2 weeks away.

 

We are using our free group dinner reservation for the night that all of my guests arrive. Kind of a welcome dinner, I suppose. We are only going to have 13 people total (including me and my husband).

 

So, for the wedding ceremony... it'll be very small, very intimate. We're just renewing our vows (we got married at a civil ceremony at the courthouse last year, and got robbed of an actual wedding ceremony and honeymoon). So, we've been married for a year already. The jig is up. We don't need anything really fancy. We didn't want to have a big elaborate dinner afterwards and since we're all pretty laid back, we figured that after the ceremony, we'd go over to one of the restaurants and try to get some tables near each other for dinner. That way, we could have free reign over the entire menu, and not be limited to some less-than-desirable looking menu options.

 

Apparently that's a no-go. The resort won't let us do it, (so says Carolina, my WC) They said that they can't accommodate groups larger than 6 people. That's fine, we said. No big deal. We have all week to hang out together. If we can't sit directly beside each other, we can live with it.

 

Nope - they won't even entertain the idea of 13 people arriving at one restaurant at the same time. They said that I'll have to book a group reservation and have to choose items from the crappy limited menu. Not to mention that the group reservations limit the restaurant selection to either EL Cocotal or Las Fuentes. No option for any of the other restaurants.

 

So, I'm kinda pissed. It doesn't seem like we're making ridiculous requests here. I would like to remind them that we picked EDR because we had heard good things about it, and the only reasons that our guests are coming and paying a lot of coin to stay at this place is because WE picked it. So, they should try to make us happy.

 

I'm starting to wonder if choosing EDR was an unwise descision....

[pryzeless]

My suggestion would be just do it. Don't plan ahead with the wc. Plan it when you get down there. They will accommodate large groups if you plan ahead a day or 2 in advance when you get there. Understand the wc are not part of the resort and sometimes do not know all the rules. Good luck.

[brigopens]

Don't worry about what they tell you mellowdrama. If you don't want to use the group dinner, just tell them you changed your mind. if they ask, just say you are each going to do your own thing that night.

 

Then, show up where you want, when you want... You may not get seated together at a large table for everyone, but you can all eat there. We even had success getting a few tables right near eachother a few nights at Fuentes.

 

We'll be down there celebrating our 1st anniversary while you get married. I hope that we get to meet you and congratulate you both!

 

You might even try talking to someone the morning of, to see if they can make even more definitive arrangements.

 

Whatever you do, don't stress about it. I know that's tough, but you have to take it from those of us who have been married down there! it will be amazing!