OUR CABO WEDDING @ HACIENDA COCINA Y CANTINA

[helovestica]

Yayy...we did it! We just got back from our Cabo San Lucas wedding and it was AMAZING! I can't get over how all the details came together and how beautiful everything was. So here is my review of each of my vendors. I hope you find this review helpful. If you have any questions feel free to PM me. Enjoy!

 

Our Planner:  Illeana Reyes, Romantic Cabo Weddings  https://www.facebook.com/illeana.weddings  A+++

I contacted Illeana in May of 2012 and a year later we were able to experience the fruits of our labor. I had a clear vision of what I wanted as far as style, but didn't quite know how to execute it especially being in another country. I can say what Illeana did with all the details and ideas we came up with was simply BEAUTIFUL!! Illeana and her team created a wedding much more perfect than what I imagined. 

 

After quickly responding to my inquiry the first few months of communication was slow. I expected this as we were still so far in time from the wedding. But as the wedding day approached (about 3 months out) the communication was much more frequent. I helped her out with my vision by creating a Pinterest Board just for her so she could see the details that were important to me. She knows all of the top vendors in Cabo and helped me to negotiate great prices for my budget. Illeana was by my side throughout the entire weekend...arrival, rehearsal, Welcome Party, wedding day events, Trash the Dress photos(next day), and she even woke up very early the morning of the wedding for Bridal Yoga! SHE'S AWESOME!!!

 

Our Venue:  Hacienda Cocina y Cantina, Hacienda Beach Club & Residences  www.haciendacocina.com  B+

Hacienda is conveniently located on Medano Beach. Hacienda's beach is private and clear of vendors or the public, so no disturbances during your beach ceremony This venue is BEAUTIFUL with many locations to choose from, however there are a few things I would look out for if booking for your wedding. 

1) Communication: The emails and responses by Susana to my questions throughout the year was great until about 2 month leading up to the wedding. There seemed to have been a change in management and who was in charge still isn't clear to me or my planner. Anyway, my questions about finalizing the menu went unanswered until I visited the site the day before the wedding...maybe not the best time.

 

2) Beverage Tab: Being on a budget, we were given several options to choose from (This was great...huge +), and these options were finalized the day before the wedding at the rehearsal. Again, not the most ideal time as we had problems with some of the drinks consumed. We chose to do a Beverage by Consumption menu for drinks and asked that they only open 4 bottles of wine in addition to our signature drinks and beer. Well at the end when it was time to pay, we had a tab for 8 bottles of wine. They explained this by saying that they thought we wanted 4 bottles for Cocktail Hour and 4 bottles for Dinner. This was never a part of our conversation! I would suggest, if you're on a budget, to watch for issues like this. I've read that this happens at other venues as well. Don't let them get you!!

 

Our Photographer:  Stevan Koye  stevankoye.com  A++

We met Stevan in Dallas, TX and asked him to join us in Cabo to shoot our wedding. He happily agreed! He really enjoys his work and was there to shoot the entire weekend. He shot our wedding and TTD session on Lovers Beach. He posted 1 photo on facebook and I can't wait to see the rest of them! If you're in Dallas or need a photographer for travel I highly recommend him...he's AWESOME!!!

 

Our Music: DJ Adan Mijares  http://www.djmijares.com  A-

Now, I've done my research and also was deciding between Mijares and Ricardo. I know that Ricardo has great reviews but the deciding factor for me was that Mijares can offer to play guitar. He also sings! My coordinator recommended both guys to me and I choose Mijares. He played acoustic guitar during my ceremony and cocktail hour then Dj'd during the dinner and dance.

 

Again, the only problem I had with Mijares was his lack of communication. He's pretty slow to respond and I was assured by Illeana, my coordinator, that Mijares would show up. He did and he was amazing! I did ask for a few changes in the week before my wedding that were not granted, but that's my fault. He did apologize for not getting the info in time. Regardless, I was completely happy with the music he played. Everyone had a great time!!

 

Our Minister:  Rev. Diego Vidal  [email protected]   A++

Rev. Diego was recommended to us by our coordinator. I was so happy with his service. Right away he sent us 3 options for the wording of our ceremony. We chose the Traditional Vows he offered. We also added a coin ceremony, reading from a friend, and our own personal vows. He accommodated our requests beautifully. He is available for spanish and english ceremonies. His english is perfect. I would highly recommend Rev. Diego!!

 

Our Flowers/Cake:  Cabo Flowers (Donna)  http://www.loscabosflowers.com  A++

Initially, my flowers and cake were at the bottom of my priorities list. I knew that I didn't want large flower arrangements or a big fancy cake. The style of our wedding was natural, rustic beach. So after describing this to my coordinator, she recommended that we either buy our own flowers through a wholesaler or place an order with Cabo Flowers. After comparing prices, Cabo Flowers was only about $175 more than doing the arrangements ourselves. The price of not having the stress of doing all the work ourselves alone was totally worth it. I'm not sure what I was thinking. I'm glad I had a planner to let me see that as I can be very stubborn

 

The flowers were more than I imagined they would be. Even my bouquet, which I wanted to be very simple and small, was gorgeous. I cut all the flowers down by half after receiving the first quote. I can't imagine having more flowers than what we had...it was perfect!

 

We were able to cut costs on our cake by asking that the botton 2 tiers be fake or "dummy" tiers. Cake was not that important to us since we had many other desserts available for our guests(smores, mexican wedding cookies, churros). No one know that our cake was fake. We still were able to cut into the top teir and feed eachother our first slice! Although the cake I requested was simple in style Cabo Flowers & Cake delivered a beautiful presentation and it was so pretty!!

 

Our Makeup/Hair:  Neysa Berman  http://www.neysaberman.com/  A+

I found Neysa here on BDW. She is quick to respond and very professional. I appreciated that she offeres Paypal for payments and even takes care of the fees.

 

She arrived on time to style my MOH's and my hair/makeup. She is super talented! My MOH loved her services and looked beautiful, like a better version of herself! I loved my look too. I wanted a peachy glowy look and Neysa delivered! My hair doesn't usually hold a curl, but my hair was great even a day later. Thanks Neysa!! (pics to come)

 

Our Yoga:  Kimberly Zimmerman  https://www.facebook.com/TheJuicyLifeJuiceCompany A++

If you're looking for a way to wind down before or after your wedding I highly recommend a yoga session! My MOH, Mother in Law and wedding coordinator, Illeana, all made it out for some early morning yoga! Even my photographer joined in and captured some pics. It really set the tone for the day. I felt relaxed and ready for the day!

 

Our Welcome Party:  Baja Cantina Medano Beach, https://www.facebook.com/BajaCantinaBeach  A+

Baja Cantina has the best location for a welcome/rehearsal party if your guests are staying on Medano Beach. The food was amazing and drinks were solid  Baja was kind enough to give us our own private area next to the bar. This was the perfect place for our guest to meet and us to greet!

 

Our Excursion:  Jungle Cruise Snorkeling Tour, Cabo San Lucas Marina  [email protected]  A+++

This tour was MUCH FUN! My party met at a restaurant on the marina then took a water taxi to our boat. This 4 hour tour included a full bar, lunch, a snack for breakfast, snorkeling equipment, and lots of great music. Everyone from my grandfather to my friends and in-laws had a blast! It was a great way to end the wedding festivities. We asked for a private tour which was cheaper per person if you have over 20 ppl.

 

If you have any questions about our Cabo wedding feel free to PM me. I'd be happy to help if I can 

 

[AshBerry]

Hi there!

I am getting married next April and am looking to do Hacienda Cocina. Do you mind me asking how much you spent and how many guests you had? I am trying to get an accurate figure.

Any advice would help!