Beach Palace Cancun Brides

[somerskl]

Just found my notes from my WC. for a 3 tier cake the bottom layer was between 20 & 25 centimeters (depending on if it fed 32 or 40 people. That being said, my cake was 2 tiers and I ordered a 14 inch diameter cake stand and it was perfect. 

 

 

[LauraM]

My WC just told me the 40 person cake is 6" top and 8" bottom (that seems so small???) 

[TheBHolders]

Will they do a fake tier on the bottom? How much would it be to upgrade the cake to a larger size? Are there even cake options besides flavor?

[tygrrlily]

Marco, my onsite WC, just emailed me saying 35 cm or just under 14 inches for 42 adults.  We're getting the standard, not upgraded cake so just 1 tier

 

Now to find a cake stand that can fit!  I had one that was only 12 inches across

 

@@TheBHolders - You can pay extra to upgrade the size or decor.  I'm paying $99 to get the design I wanted

 

@@somerskl - Lovely cake! I would love something like that but we don't have a lot of people and I think the 1 tier is enough for us

 

@@LauraM - My documents say 25 people as well!

Edited December 10, 2014 by tygrrlily

[TammyWright]

How were you able to get day passes? I am currently researching having a wedding at either Beach Palace or Hard Rock Mayan Riviera and some of the quotes I have received for a vendor fee are astronomical. This wedding coordinator at Beach Palace quoted me $900. I have read through different forums and have seen such inconsistent amounts for a vendor fee.. it's like they almost make up a number and they don't have set pricing. I'd love to be able to get away with day passes since I am thinking about booking an outside photographer for the wedding.

 

Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated!!

We work with both resorts pretty closely and outside vendor fees are going to vary depending on the year (they change them) as well as the type of vendor.

 

The resorts would really prefer you use their vendors but we have gotten some fees waived.

 

If you would like to contact us, we can get some rates and vendor fees for you.  You can reach me via the link in my signature

[TheBHolders]

I'm booking outside vendors as well. I Have Also Been told That YOU Need to not only pay the vendor fee, bit also a day pass so they can easy and drink on the property.

[tygrrlily]

@@TheBHolders, @ - We paid the vendor fee but not the day passes for our vendors.  I deliberately didn't really ask/mention anything to the offsite or onsite because I was hoping to just get away with it when actually in Mexico and it worked out fine.  I had just told them the names and paid the vendor fee in advance.  We paid $800 to have our outside DJ + assistant come in, and $400 for our photographer + assistant and videographer + assistant (told BP they were from the same company to save on vendor fees)

Ladies, here is part 1 of my wedding week review.  It's posted on my planning thread too w/ a bit more personal stuff (link in my signature) but a lot of it is Beach Palace specific so I'm pasting the relevant parts here as well.  This is Part 1 about everything leading up to the wedding.  I will post Part 2 about the wedding later this week.  We had an AMAZING time at BP and i have 0 regrets about our choice.  There were definite hiccups and bumps, but the onsite team is amazing and everything worked out great

 

 

Beach Palace

Beach Palace is an amazing resort and I think all of our family and friends enjoyed staying there.  Everyone was impressed with the look, service and overall feel of the resort.  The beach is beautiful and I’m so glad we chose to go to a hotel w/ a beautiful beach because our whole party was pretty much at the beach every single day.  The only ones that preferred the pools were the ones with the children, and we only had a few.  Check in was relatively uneventful but my hubbie and I were really disappointed when we saw our room because we had been promised a free upgrade.  We splurged on the ocean front view and our “upgrade” was literally the exact same thing but w/ fancier pillows and bath products :S.  We thought we’d be getting the concierge suites but they changed their listings recently.  So for the other BP brides, think about if it’s worth it to you or not.  We wish we had just paid for the lagoon because then we could have been upgraded to ocean view and not paid a few hundred extra. Palace also has this $1500 resort credit promo which was great for our group and everyone did tours, golf and spa which was a nice extra touch and made everyone’s week that much better.  The 24/7 hour room service was also a fave of everyone and used a lot.  No regrets at all about the hotel and highly recommended - great service, amazing hotel and beach, luxurious feel and the on-site wedding team are fantastic.  Would totally go back


Welcome Party

We had our welcome party on arrival day and I would have done so much differently.  It took us longer to get to the hotel and checked in than I had anticipated because we and so many people traveling with us and we wanted to make sure everyone else was settled first.  By the time we got checked in, it was about 3pm and we had our meeting with the on-site wedding co-ordinator exactly then and our welcome party at 6pm - not a lot of time to do everything.  The meeting was great and our co-ordinator was fabulous - more on him later - but I was starting to panic about getting the OOT bags assembled.  Luckily with my MOH and mom’s help, my hubbie and I were able to finish them up on time but I was so stressed about getting them done on time.  I also had my first huge anxiety attack here.  I had just showered and couldn’t find one of the carry ons that had my welcome party dress, all of my makeup, wedding shoes, and other important things.  I completely freaked out - I think it was just too much stress at that point - and I burst into tears.  Tony was really great and told me to relax and ran downstairs to check.  I was convinced we had left it at the airport (we had like 12 bags total!) but luckily he was right.  He was so patient and great that night - really helped me calm down.  I think I just had too much pent up stress and it exploded at that point.

The welcome party was great and a really great way for everyone to get to know each other.  We did it at the Palenque Terrace at Beach Palace and it was simple but very prettily set up - everyone was very impressed.  I had been planning on using Songza for music on our UE Boom but just a head’s up that the wifi out there is pretty poor and Songza only works in the US and Canada but luckily I had a party playlist from our engagement party in the summer.   Everyone was really impressed with our OOT bags and we got so many compliments on how thoughtful they were.  After the dinner part, most of the older people went to bed and it was just our friends and younger family members out so we decided to start the drinking!  We played flip cup and it was a ton of fun and just a really good way to get everyone bonded immediately.  We had different family members, groups of friends, etc. and we wanted people to get comfortable.   Everyone was pretty drunk and we had a blast that night doing shots.  We were both exhausted but we knew we needed a night like this to begin our week.  Our servers were really great and we’d be using the same guys for our next 2 events so we made sure to tip them really well and they did a fantastic job all week.

To the Beach Palace ladies, the Palenque terrace is pretty cool.  It’s HUGE which is kind of fun.  We had a bunch of circular tables set up under some criss crossed Chinese lanterns and it was a really nice ambiance.  We had brought some gold votives and led candles that we added to the table and that was a really great buy because we ended up using at all of our events.  I think I like the sky terrace and infinity terraces better for smaller groups - they’re a bit more private because this one has all of the lagoon room views facing it and we had people watching us from the balcony and taking pics even!  The food was okay - we did Mexican apps were were great but the Caribbean buffet was awful - don’t choose that one ladies.  It was by far the worst of the ones we tried.

 

 

 

OOT Bags

 

We gave each single/couple a tumbler with their initials, a beach bag, deck of cards, oh shit kit (advil, chapstick, kleenix, shout stain remover, pepto bismol, vitamin c packets, band aids, bobby pins and hair tiers, safety pins, nail file, condoms for the singles) a pashmina for the ladies, fun colourful plastic sunglasses for the men, a room key card, door hanger, thank you note/itinerary and meet the guests cheat sheet.  I had also gotten bath poufs but I completely forgot about them and forgot to put them in. 

 

Overall the biggest hits were the pashminas, sunglasses, key cards and the cheat sheets.  People LOVED the cheat sheets and loved seeing everyone’s pics on it.  A lot of guests actually seemed to study it and knew exactly where people were from, etc.  Some even folded it up and put it in their key cards to carry around with them.  The key card holders were the other huge hit - everyone used theme everywhere and we got told over and over again how good they were.  The bags were used by everyone - the boys used them as beach bags (the girls had beach bags already for the most part) and the ladies used them as spare bags to carry things randomly.  All of the ladies used their pashminas because the evenings were colder than expected and people really liked them.  The boys all loved the sunglasses, especially because the waves were pretty high and people were losing their sunglasses.  I would have gotten one for each person if I could do it again.  

The tumblers were a big waste - no one used them including us.  It was just a lot easier to order drinks from the waiters.  I’m not sure how we’d have been able to use them as we were pretty much on the beach the whole time, and I can’t see the waiters carrying them back with them each time for refills.  I’m hoping people will use them at home at least.  The door hangers looked cute but I don’t think anyone actually used them, and people kept asking me when and what time things were at so I”m not sure how many people actually read the itinerary.  Still, they were all cute.  So my main regret was the tumblers because they were a pain to carry down (a bunch cracked along the way - thank god we had extras) and they took up so much space but overall we’re happy that we put the time and money into the bags because people really liked them.  My husband, btw, is really happy now that we did extras like the OOT bags (though he complained before about costs, effort, etc.) because he saw how much everyone appreciated the gesture and it really added to the feel of the week

 

TTD Photoshoot

We did our TTD photo shoot the next day which was both a good and bad decision.  My hubbie was really hungover so complained a lot at the beginning, but I figured it’d be best to do it at the very beginning so we could relax the rest of the week and not worry about wedding obligations.  Our photographer took us to these incredible cenotes about 1.25 hours away and we spent the full day there taking pics.  The process was pretty miserable I’ll be honest - the water is COLD and you’re literally standing around in dripping wet clothing or redoing the shot over and over again.  I’m not a strong swimmer at all so it was also a bit stressful for me so my face isn’t great in a lot of the pics haha. Our photographer was really going all out to take the pics and he did a good job of directing us.  I’ll be honest in saying I don’t think his TTD pics are the best out there (he doesn’t edit his pics to be really contrasting the way Del Sol does), but it was included in our package and I do think his prices are the best bang for your buck.  I wore the dress I got for our legal ceremony and it was a great TTD dress - very light weight and flawy and photographed well.  I honestly can’t imagine doing that in a heavy wedding dress.


Excursions/Nightlife

About 17 of us went to Coco Bongo on the Tuesday night and we had a blast.  I organized a group rate of $65 that included open bar, transport to the club and a designated area while there.  The hotel reps were quoting us $80 otherwise so we were pretty happy with the deal.  We were able to do it so people’s rooms got charged which made it a really easy process.  We also got my fare comped for bringing them the business which was great for my hubbie and I.  Coco Bongo was a blast and we spaced it out so we basically had a heavy drinking day every other day that worked well.  It was definitely another bonding moment and we tipped there so we had a pretty good table location.  They brought my hubbie to the top stage for Gangnam Style which was pretty hilarious as well and I caught it all on my phone.  

 

For excursions, everyone in our group was doing excursions because we wanted to use our resort dollars.  We broke into 2 groups - one group did Chitchen Itza and the other did Isla Mujeres and Dolphin swim.  This was the day after Coco Bongo though so a lot of people were super hungover and some people even missed their trip haha.  We did Isla Mujeres w/ the and we’re really glad we did because it was a fun, laid back day.  We got to swim w/ dolphins which was amazing, and then we rented golf carts and took our family to see Punta Sur which is where we did a lot of our engagement pics.  It was a pretty great day.  The Chitchen Itza people didn’t have as good a time because it took forever to get there, and then it seemed like almost a waste to them when they did finally get there because there wasn’t much to do.  They weren’t letting people climb the ruins so they could only walk around the outside.  They also had a bunch of people coming onto the bus to sell them stuff which they didn’t like.  Overall though we really liked how Palace had the resort credit so people could do tours for not a lot extra.

 

 


Rehearsal dinner/White Party

We had our wedding rehearsal then had our White Party after for all of our guests.  The rehearsal was a must - really helpful to have Marco, our coordinator, walk us through the ceremony and what to expect.  Our ceremony went off without a hitch because of this, I think.   This party was such a hit.  We did it on the Infinity terrace overlooking the beach in front of the main pool and it actually look great at night w/ the lights we got.  People were giving me grief before about getting white pants, etc. but honestly when everyone showed up they all LOVED it because it just looked so awesome.  Tons of pics were taken and it also acted as a second welcome party for us because we had a bunch of new arrivals.  We deliberately kept it low key because didn’t want people to get drunk the night before the wedding.  We hired a cigar roller and people really liked the cigars.  I got my makeup trial this day so I was able to use my fancy hair and makeup at this party too.  People at the resort kept asking us where we were going because everyone was in white.  It honestly just looked so good and was the perfect low key night before our wedding.  

To the Beach Palace ladies, I’d really recommend this space for a welcome dinner or rehearsal dinner.  It’s super pretty between the pool and beach at night.  During the day it totally looks like an odd space, but it really came alive at night and all of our guests were impressed.   We rented 2 lighting stand things to put at either end from Zuniga and people loved them and it was all that was needed to jazz up the area.  Marco got us the coloured tablecloths and put on some lanterns as centrepieces.  We added the gold votives and led lights we used at all of our parties

 

 

 

I'll post part 2 later this week about our actual wedding! Have to get some more pics sorted

[TA Wendy]

Great Review, Thank you Tygrrlily! Beach Palace is a great choice and with the Resort Credit program, plus the comp events you as the Bride and Groom can receive with group booking that totals 75 nights... all of your events complimentary.... this group of resorts can be the answer to your search for the perfect wedding resort!

As a top producing agency for Palace Resorts properties, Wright Travel can help you through the entire process.

Let us know if we can be of help to anyone considering one of the Palace Resorts!

[zoeknight20]

Hi All,

 

I am getting married at the Beach Palace in May next year and am in the process of costing / confirming decor, lighting, entertainment etc. I received entertainment options and me and my other half are very keen to have a mariachi band. The cheapest option is a 6 piece band for $1500 (45 mins), this seems very pricey to me. Has anyone used an outside band or been quoted cheaper for a 6 piece? Or would be good to hear thoughts on whether this is expensive as havent hired one before.

 

thanks in advance for your help!

 

Zoe

Me again with another question...

 

We would like to extend our reception time and were initially told it would cost $60 per table, per hour. We have now been informed it is $8.50 per person per hour (tables of 8). Not massively different but we are looking to extend by about 4-5 hours so it will make quite a difference. Would appreciate hearing what others have been quoted.

 

thank you x

[kmk2016]

Hi All,

 

I am getting married at the Beach Palace in May next year and am in the process of costing / confirming decor, lighting, entertainment etc. I received entertainment options and me and my other half are very keen to have a mariachi band. The cheapest option is a 6 piece band for $1500 (45 mins), this seems very pricey to me. Has anyone used an outside band or been quoted cheaper for a 6 piece? Or would be good to hear thoughts on whether this is expensive as havent hired one before.

 

thanks in advance for your help!

 

Zoe

 

Me again with another question...

 

We would like to extend our reception time and were initially told it would cost $60 per table, per hour. We have now been informed it is $8.50 per person per hour (tables of 8). Not massively different but we are looking to extend by about 4-5 hours so it will make quite a difference. Would appreciate hearing what others have been quoted.

 

thank you x

I don't have advice specific to your resort, but if you have an email /quote in writing saying $60/table I would hold them to that. Simply reply to THAT email when extending your time, and give them your total expense (ie: we would like to extend our reception by 4 hours for all 4 tables at $60/table for a total of $960. Thank you)