OFFICIAL Gran Bahia Principe Riviera Maya Thread

[nic817]

For the grandparents issue, ultimately you have to decide if it's more important for you to have the location you want or your grandparents there. You could always get married legally at city hall before or after Mexico and have a symbolic ceremony down south. That's what my fiancé and I are doing because both sets of grandparents aren't able to come. At first they were kind of upset that we chose to go down south to get married, but once we told them about doing the legal ceremony here after, they were thrilled. Maybe that could be an option if they are really upset about missing the wedding in Mexico?

[KatLew]

My family is giving my so much grief over the destination wedding... my fiance's family and my friends are the only ones supporting it!!! Ugh its been SO frustrating!!

 

Anyway, I am set on having my wedding on August 4, 2014. I spoke with a travel agent yesterday and plan to book my trip as soon as the flights are posted. 

 

I haven't brought this to my grandmothers attention yet, but I think I will have a "blessing by the priest" ceremony in her honor on August 28 (her wedding anniversary)... Neither my fiance or I are religious, but we hope this will calm my grandmothers nerves and anger about our plans to wed on the beach? She thinks its stupid and selfish of me to do a destination wedding and says she is too old to travel.

 

Below is my plan for the ceremony... let me know your thoughts.... We plan to write our own vows. Also, does anyone know if we can have those bio-degradable Chinese lanterns on the resort? We want to incorporate them into our ceremony...

Ceremony Itinerary:

Processional

Opening words by officiator

Reading: “On Your Wedding Day†- author unknown

Vows

Candle lighting (or chinese lanterns)

Reading by officiator: “These Hands†– author unknown

Exchanging of rings

Signing of marriage certificate

Recessional

[KatLew]

What I hope to do for our wedding ceremony:

 

Ceremony Itinerary:

Processional

Opening words by officiator

Reading: “On Your Wedding Day†- author unknown

Candle lighting

Vows

Reading by officiator: “These Hands†– author unknown

Exchanging of rings

Signing of marriage certificate

Recessional

 

 

The Hands Ceremony

Officiator: Katherine and Arsen, Please face each other and take each other’s hands, so that you may see the gift that they are to you…

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and forever.

These are the hands that will work along side yours as together you build your future.

These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch will comfort you like no other.

These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief temporarily comes your way.

These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children.

These are the hands that will give you support and encouragement to chase down your dreams.

These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times.

These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.

These are the hands that will lift your chin and brush your cheek as they raise your face to look into eyes that are filled with overwhelming love for you.

And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

 

(Exchanging of Rings)..

 

Officiator: And now, let us bring out the rings.

Officiator: Arsen, take this ring and place it on your bride’s finger. Arsen, do you take Katherine, to be your Wife?

Groom: “I doâ€

 

Officiator: Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all other

and holding only unto her?

Groom: “I doâ€

 

Officiator: Katherine, take this ring and place it on your groom’s finger. Katherine, do you take Arsen, to be your Husband?

Bride: “I doâ€

 

Officiator: Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him, forsaking all other

and holding only unto him?

Bride: “I doâ€

 

(signing of marriage certificate)..

[KatLew]

My ceremony (I hope) will be something like this... I emailed the wedding coordinator today:

 

 

August 4, 2014

 

Ceremony Itinerary:

 

Processional

Opening words by officiator

Reading: “On Your Wedding Day†- author unknown

Candle lighting

Song played by guitar trio

Vows

Reading by officiator: “These Hands†– author unknown

Exchanging of rings

Signing of marriage certificate

Recessional

 

Processional: guitar trio playing music.

·        Groom walks parents down the aisle

·        Bridesmaid and groomsmen

·        Ring bearer

·        Bride and father

 

 

Opening words by officiator: ….

 

 

Reading by bridesmaid: “On your wedding dayâ€

 

 

On Your Wedding Day

 

Today is the day you will always remember,
The greatest in anyone’s life,
You’ll start off the day just two people in love
And end it as husband and wife.

It’s a brand new beginning, the start of a journey,
With moments to cherish and treasure
And although there’ll be times when you both disagree,
These will surely be outweighed by pleasure.

You’ll have heard many words of advice in the past,
When the secrets of marriage were spoken
But you know that the answers lie hidden inside,
Where the bond of true love lies unbroken.

So live happy forever, as lovers and friends,
It’s the dawn of a new life for you,
As you stand there together with love in your eyes
From the moment you whisper "I do".

And with luck, all your hopes and your dreams can be real,
May success find its way to your hearts.
Tomorrow can bring you the greatest of joys
But today is the day it all starts.

 

 

Candle Lighting:

 

Officiator:  Long before you found each other in this lifetime, your souls burned brightly as one in the heavens. In this lifetime, you have both grown into bright beacons of light that have gained strength and wisdom through your many travels and experiences.

 

Nevertheless, as it was written in the stars, these beacons called out to each other in the darkness. Moreover, as destiny designed their response was love. Together you stand before us prepared to reunite your soul’s incandescence by rejoining your individual beacons of light back to their original glorious flame: a flame of such magnitude that not even death will extinguish it.

 

We celebrate with you, and in so celebrating we light this candle in memory of all those who have gone before us or are unable to be with us today in recognition of the power that is love.

 

Katherine and Arsen, the two lit candles symbolize your separate lives, your separate families and your separate sets of friends. I ask that you each take one candle and that together you light the center candle. The individual candles represent your individual lives before today.

 

Lighting the center candle represents that your two lives are now joined to one light, and represents the joining together of your two families and sets of friends to one.

 

 

Song played by guitar trio:

·        Following the candle lighting, the guitar trio will play one song.

 

 

Vows:

·        Officiator allows bride and groom to say their personal vows.

 

 

The Hands Ceremony:

 

Officiator: Katherine and Arsen, Please face each other and take each other’s hands, so that you may see the gift that they are to you…

 

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and forever.

 

These are the hands that will work along side yours as together you build your future.

 

These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch will comfort you like no other.

 

These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief temporarily comes your way.

 

These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

 

These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children.

These are the hands that will give you support and encouragement to chase down your dreams.

 

These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times.

 

These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.

These are the hands that will lift your chin and brush your cheek as they raise your face to look into eyes that are filled with overwhelming love for you.

 

And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

 

 

 

(Exchanging of Rings)…

 

Officiator: And now, let us bring out the rings…

 

Officiator: Arsen, take this ring and place it on your bride’s finger. Arsen, do you take Katherine, to be your Wife?

Groom: “I doâ€

 

Officiator: Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all other and holding only unto her?

Groom: “I doâ€

 

Officiator: Katherine, take this ring and place it on your groom’s finger. Katherine, do you take Arsen, to be your Husband?

Bride: “I doâ€

 

Officiator: Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him, forsaking all other and holding only unto him?

Bride: “I do

 

 

(signing of marriage certificate)…

 

 

*** Officiator allows bride and groom to kiss, and announces bride and groom as “Mr. and Mrs. …â€

 

 

 

Recessional: Music playing by guitar trio

·        Bride and groom

·        Bridesmaids and groomsmen

·        Brides parents

·        Grooms parents

[Moments That Matter]

How amazing would it be to have a sculpture of Bride & Groom's hands, holding each others' hands, wearing their new wedding rings with that Hands Ceremony poem - to cherish for their lifetimes!!! priceless

 

 

Wishing everyone all the best with their plans and every happiness in their life journeys together - Enjoy !!!

 

team MTM

[STBEngelquist]

Hey ladies!! I know it's been a while but been busy trying to get our travel booked and confirming our wedding date. It offical were getting married on may 2nd, 2014! Weddings at 5pm!!! We're so excited! Now the real planning can begin! Nicole STB Engelquist!

[luvmydoxies]

Wow. This blog is informative. I am having trouble finding an answer to my question. We are planning a Quickie wedding. Just us. The resort I was trying to use has been unresponsive for a month. I don't trust them. Plane tickets are bought so I'm staying at gran bahia. Few dates are available. The only one we have is on the 4th business day that we arrive. For those who got married, is that enough?!? I'm very nervous

[ElenaBrogden]

November 28,2014 - Elena & Chris

[KatLew]

We booked our trip and are confirmed for Tulum on August 4, 2014... 3pm

 

Some of my family refuses to attend because its not "traditional".... anyway, im over it. However, my grandma is having a big issue with the destination wedding because she wants me to have a big wedding wedding here at home and show off to everyone. she isnt going to the wedding for that reason, and also because of some health reasons too... although i think she is fine to travel, she says she will die if she travels. i just dont know. sigh. 

 

Any advice?

[JDubya]

KatLew,

 

Perhaps later down the road when everyone else has booked and is excited to come, talking about it and the date is coming closer, your grandmother will realize she really is the only one not participating. Hopefully it will prompt her to change her mind rather than be left out. My MIL is horrified by the idea and is only coming because she cannot stand to be the only one left out (damn!). Good luck! There's really nothing else you can do besides make it clear you would love for her to come and then just wait on it. Pushing might make it worse.