Now Sapphire Weddings Formerly Paradisus Riviera

[melnryluvco]

Question for you lovely ladies. Does anyone know if we can stay at the sister properties (ie Secrets, Dream etc) as a "honeymoon"? I was thinking maybe the FI and I could head to one of the sister properties after we get married for a mini-moon. Would it be a ton more money or would they allow us to trade properties for a few nights? If anyone knows or has suggestions let me know.

[meganator22]

Originally Posted by amandab563 

 

Congratulations DinaQtobe and meganator22!! It's very exciting once you get that paperwork sent in. That seemed to be the most stressful part for me was trying to pick somewhere. I am very relieved after picking now and having a good friend who got married here in 2012 helps with advice and tips.

 

Advice: Anel is great at responding. It does take a few days but if you look at their calendar online she has a wedding almost everyday of the week so I know she will get to me when she can and is extremely busy so don't get frustrated.

 

Also you will find even you don't want everything in a package it def is more worth it to do one. Small stuff adds up when they send you the price sheet.

 

We are also using the resort photographer. My friends pictures turned out beautiful plus all of your guests will take pictures and my mom mother does photography on the side. So between all of them in sure we will capture what we want.

 

We have a big group going (50 as of right now) so our extra funds are being spent on dinner instead of outside vendor for photographer. We are doing the divine package but we have the option to use the eternity dinner instead since its a little cheaper for dinner if we choose to. Also we are using our cocktail hour on a different day for our wedding party only since we didn't want to also pay for 50 plus people for that.

 

Chair bows: anything you see in color is extra but they don't mind you bringing whatever you want. Chair bows are $5 per bow. I got mine off eBay for $59 for 100 bows. Great deal! I'm just taking an extra suitcase or two with stuff in it. At first I wasn't going to but if your on a budget your going to want to.

 

If anyone has questions I can share what I know so far from the resort and my friend. Happy wedding planning!

Thanks so much! I noticed that there's weddings every day, all day it seems!! I don't know how she does it. I would be so overwhelmed, as I am with planning only one wedding haha Thank you for the advice. I am definitely bringing my own sashes...$5 is ridiculous for wedding sashes. Do they charge set up with them? Do we have to pay for two set of chairs, one for the reception and the wedding? or is that included in just the divine package? I am sure I will get all of this information when I put down a deposit and start to correspond with one of the wedding planners there. Are you going with one of their centerpieces? or bringing your own? once again I apologize for the questions! thank you so much

[amandab563]

Megan - my friend said they can charge you to decorate with your chair bows. My friend said her bridesmaids went and tied them and the staff helped and they did not get charged. She said it didn't take very long and they were very helpful. Chairs- that was my question and Anel said Chairs are $5 per chair over 25 chairs but that includes a chair for dinner and the wedding so you are paying $5 per person over 25 ppl for dinner and wedding itself (the set) not $10 like it makes it seem. Silly I know...they get at anything they can but they have to make money. Also I am bringing my own centerpieces. They are outrageous if you want anything decent. I know you can rent vases for $5 or $10 per vase and they have luminaries but if u want flowers or anything it's very expensive. I have quite figured out what I am doing but I my colors are aqua and orange with starfish. I am making patterned table runners in those colors to brighten up the white. I also got maracas for the place settings in our wedding colors personalized and I orders Chinese lanterns. There's no where to hang them on the beach terrace so I am going to just lay them around the grass and maybe a few from the hut things. I also bought 15 yards of tulle to dress up the arch thing in color and got aqua hanging crystal strands from hobby lobby. lT cost me $12. To rent fabric from them is like $150-200. I don't know how to put pictures on here from my phone but if you follow me on instagram I've made a few wedding collages with pics from the resort terrace and my ideas decorations. My username is abaumbach247 Honestly Ill be able to get all my decor in one or two suitcases and to me it's way worth it! And they have no problem with you bringing. I have an aunt who plans on decorating for me so it worked out. Let me know if you have more questions!

[FutureMrsKC]

Question for you lovely ladies. Does anyone know if we can stay at the sister properties (ie Secrets, Dream etc) as a "honeymoon"? I was thinking maybe the FI and I could head to one of the sister properties after we get married for a mini-moon. Would it be a ton more money or would they allow us to trade properties for a few nights? If anyone knows or has suggestions let me know. Melnryluvco: I'm getting married in a short 15 days on February 21st and we are moving a couple doors down to the Dreams Riviera Cancun for our honeymoon the week afterwards. We switched but the price went up to the dreams cost, rather than being able to move over from the Sapphire at the same cost. I'll let you know what all they offered when we get back, as I assume there will be some upgrades, honeymoon perks, etc considering we spent the week before getting married with 30 guests at their "sister resort"

[sunnymylene]

Originally Posted by melnryluvco 

 

Speaking of resort credits Mylene did you guys get your "free" rooms offered for so many rooms book? This may be an Apple vacations special. But if you did was this reimbursed before leaving for Mexico or at check out?

No, I don't think it was offered by our supplier Westjet.

[sunnymylene]

Originally Posted by meganator22 

 

I have done research upon research and every wedding at NOW that I have seen pictures of has been breathtaking. I don't know if I am pmsing or what, but some of the pictures literally made me cry at how emotional and beautiful they are! My travel agent just got back to me with prices and the price for the resort is MUCH more inexpensive for NOW, which I was leaning towards anyways than Dreams. Finally something has gone right for me in the last few months. I am thinking we are going to put a deposit on the resort tomorrow and confirming the wedding date. EEP!!!!!!! This is all setting in now lol Now for what package.....I am excited to be on this journey with you ladies!

 

 

oops I by accident posted this to the main page, I don't know how to delete it lol 

Congrats ! on the Now !

[sunnymylene]

Originally Posted by meganator22 

 

Thanks so much! I noticed that there's weddings every day, all day it seems!! I don't know how she does it. I would be so overwhelmed, as I am with planning only one wedding haha Thank you for the advice. I am definitely bringing my own sashes...$5 is ridiculous for wedding sashes. Do they charge set up with them? Do we have to pay for two set of chairs, one for the reception and the wedding? or is that included in just the divine package? I am sure I will get all of this information when I put down a deposit and start to correspond with one of the wedding planners there. Are you going with one of their centerpieces? or bringing your own? once again I apologize for the questions! thank you so much

Hi Megan,

In my divine package for 31 people, we had 6 extra chairs. We paid for 31 bows. They used two set of chairs, and only transfers the bows from the ceremony to reception. I didn't even noticed when they did it. Maybe during group pictures. They charge to set up their own bows (or it's included in the price). The chairs and white covers are included, for both the ceremony and the reception, up to 25. I had the centerpiece with Calla lili, the tall white flowers. They used it on the ceremony table, and then moved it to the reception table. I asked for round glass bowls for sand and shells in it, they told me 5$ per bowl. I was going to have 3. They did not charged me for them. And my bridesmaids bouquets were sitting on the table, and added a touch of color.

It looks like the gazebo decor is not included in the eternity package but the reception table is. I chose the divine package because the ceremony decor was included.

[DinaQtobe]

Hi Ladies!  Can anyone tell me the name of the resort photographer?  Also, can anyone shed some light onto the "photo package" that is included in the Divine package?

 

Thanks so much!

 

FutureMrsKC, I hope you have a fabulous wedding!!!

[sunnymylene]

Originally Posted by DinaQtobe 

 

Hi Ladies!  Can anyone tell me the name of the resort photographer?  Also, can anyone shed some light onto the "photo package" that is included in the Divine package?

 

Thanks so much!

 

FutureMrsKC, I hope you have a fabulous wedding!!!

Hi Dina,

I did the divine package. it included 1hour of photography. In that time they take a million pictures and you choose 24 out of them. You also get them printed in an album, like photobook.

Now, 1 hour is only good for the couple who does a tiny private ceremony, "bing-bang-get-it-done, sign-sign, pose-pose" and I respect that. But it's not enough for a bigger party. So we bought an additional block of photography as describe in the booklet http://www.amresorts.com/wedding_guides/nosrc-wedding-guide.pdf on p.11. We added 3 hours and 60 images. Of the 377 pictures taken, we picked 135, we were entitled to 84. They gave us the reminder, 51. They put the 135 pics on a CD. We chose 24 pics in our selection to be printed in the photobook. We are expecting the book soon. And we have a weblink of a montage they made, and we have a weblink of all the pictures if we want to buy more, or if our guests want a specific one

Our ceremony was at 2pm, followed by the cocktail hour and dinner at 6 til 9. So the total 4 hours photography covered the end of getting ready for the groom and the bride, the ceremony, group pictures. From 3h:30 till 5 we went around the resort for more private pictures. And at 5 we came back to the beach area/cocktail area, for the candle ceremony shot for sunset. And that was it. I didn't need hair prep or make up prep photography. And we didn't want professional photography during dinner, because it was night/dark, and not a lot of pictures are good while chewing food or doing a speech with mouth half open. We were content with taking the chance of having candid shots from our guests. And they turned just fine.

Arturo did our photography, he has many colleagues, they are working for Adventure Photos.

I hope that helps !

[DinaQtobe]

Mylene you are amazing!

 

I am surprised that for the upgrade from Eternity to Divine that more pictures aren't included.  Just so I understand correctly, they put the pictures included in any package on disc for you, and then print a hard-cover photo book with those 24 photos...? 

Have you seen your video yet?

 

One of my sisters is a photographer, but she will be one of my bridesmaids.  I am hoping that she will be able to take pictures of my fiance and I before the ceremony, but I will need to use the resort photographer for everything else.  24 photos is not a lot extra, will likely have to upgrade also.

 

Thanks for your help!

 

We booked our honeymoon week tonight.  I am getting so excited!