Wedding Planner For Maya Riviera??

[MelissaJ]

Hello! I'm getting married November 2012 in Maya Riviera, Soliman Bay. We are getting married at a Private house and having the reception there. Looking for some advice or recommendations for a wedding planner/coordinator. I've sent out several emails. Has anyone used Jennifer Smith at Turtle Bay cafe? Also, I'm getting quotes for $1800US I thought that was a little pricey. Any advice? Thanks is Advance!

[Akumal Bride]

Hi Melissa, congrats on your wedding. Soliman Bay is so pretty and secluded. It's a great spot for a wedding. I believe that if you search Jennifer Smith on here, you'll find some info from brides who have used her services. Some positive, some negative. I considered using her back before we decided on a location, based in part on the fact that we love the restaurant she runs in Akumal and the food is great. My impression after meeting her is that she is very nice and very competent. She knows the area very well and she has done a ton of events. (I know people who have attended her events who said they were great.) I also get the impression that she has a lot going on, and if you need to have your hand held and be involved in all the small details, it might not be the perfect fit. If you are OK with sitting back and just letting her do her thing, she might be for you. We ultimately did not hire her only because we settled on a location that had their own coordinator. But I personally would have felt comfortable hiring her. Hope that helps.

[babymila17]

Hi Melissa,

I'm actually looking into a few wedding planners at the moment & can't seem to pick one. My fiance & I are also looking into a private villa for the wedding. (we are looking into villa sol y luna as of right now)

It's between Tropical Wedding Experts and Perfect Cancun Weddings.

 

Susanne (tropical wedding experts) is SUPER nice and very detailed in everything she explains. She answers my emails almost right away & has perfect English. My only draw back with her is that she requires her fee ($1,000) up-front. I was always accustomed to paying 20-50% at first, then the day of, the rest of the payment. So when I told her I was uncomfortable with doing that, only then did she offer to "update" the agreement to get 50% now and the rest a few months before wedding. I just thought that was a little odd. All her reviews are GREAT and she had no problem giving me references but I'm still a little weary about it.

 

Andrea from Perfect Cancun Weddings was also very nice and accomidating, but I definitely got a better vibe from Susanne. 

Andrea's fee is a little more - she has packages ranging from $1,000 - $3,000 for her planning/coordinating services. 

[MelissaJ]

Thanks for your advice and yes it does help. I did search her name and read several reviews both good and bad. It makes me nervous about the one bride that gave her the deposit and never heard from her again. Thanks again!

[babymila17]

That's exactly what im scared about; I mean who isnt? 

Especially that I'm planning my wedding for March of 2013.  I could be sitting home thinking everything is taken care of and arrive to nothing and no one to even contact. I'm now looking into Planner 1 events. They got good reviews on this forum.

[MelissaJ]

Thanks Babymila, I will check out her website. The unfortunate part is we will not have the opportunity to meet our coordinator until the wedding. It seems like a common theme that a lot of the services in Mexico require a huge deposit up front and full payment before you even arrive.. strange. Good luck with Andrea! Keep me posted on how things work our with Andrea. Congrats!

[babymila17]

We also won't be able to meet with her until the week of. 

I'll let you know what my final verdict is 

[Pierre Violle]

Soliman Bay is absolutely beautiful!  I'm including some shots from a recent wedding with a gorgeous Mayan ceremony that I shot there at a private villa!  It can be tough to deal with people from so far away.  I think the fact that some people like Jennifer have an actual physical location that they run and own can help ease your mind a little knowing that they will not be disappearing that easily!

Happy Planning!

 

 

 

 

[LeanneMarie]

If you are unable to meet with your planner before actually coming down, you can always try setting up a skype phone call with her/them.  It's a nice way to get to meet with them and building that trust relationship!!

 

[MelissaJ]

Thanks for the shoots! They look amazing!