Dreams Riviera Cancun 2015 Brides

[calgarybride2015]

@@smileitseb

 

The white area is a business card printed from Vistaprint. I then cut them down some and pasted them to the cardstock!  

My theme was just vibrant colors

 

When we entered the reception everyone was on their feet shaking the maracas - that wasn't even planned but it was so special to see everyone get into it.  The maracas were a large hit!!!!

[fhk815]

@@smileitseb You must be so excited for your big day!! Thank you for sharing all your details. This thread has been so incredibly helpful. It sounds like your wedding will be beautiful. I would love to see pics and hear all about it! 

 

I just sent the first draft of the wedding planning form to my WC, Claudia Solis. Our wedding timeline is similar.    I'm planning a Welcome Cocktail Party at the Jacuzzi on Saturday from 7:00 - 8:30. Also getting married on a Sunday at the Gazebo @ 5:00 p.m. Right now we are at 55 guests and estimating 65/70. We are having our reception in the Ballroom.

 

Are you having a certain set-up for your welcome cocktail party? I was thinking about having the chocolate rattan set-up with a few Tiki Torches. I'm not sure if there will be any seating at the Jacuzzi, so I feel like I have to rent some sort of seating. Contemplating renting the sound system as well. They nickel and dime for every single detail, so it's really adding up. I just really want to make it fun for all our guests who are traveling to celebrate with us. What did you choose for appetizers? 

 

[Lbrennan0]

I just entered the 3 month mark and they switch my wedding planner from Claudia to Maria. Has anyone else had this happen to them? The list of stuff to do seems to be getting longer instead of shorter! Every day I get home and there is a pile of boxes at the door filled with either vacation clothes, decorations, bridal party gifts.

 

Wedding Weekend as follows:

Friday: Welcome Booze Cruise

Saturday: Rehearsal Beach Party

Sunday: Ceremony on Beach

Cocktail Hour on Beach

Reception: Pool Deck

 

Honeymoon @@phdtck1 @@smileitseb Excellence Playa Mujeres!!! I guess its a theme! We also got the two story room in the preferred club. We were able to book it during their winter sale

 

@@smileitseb Final countdown! I can't wait to see photos!!! Did they ask you for a downpayment ahead of time?

[smileitseb]

@@fhk815 hey girl! yes im sooooooooo excited! I'll definitely post pics and a full review when we get back!!! 

 

wow, another very similar bride! youre the first person ive heard having a welcome cocktail party at the jacuzzi too Also, have about the same number of guests, awesome!

 

no, I am not having a certain set up , we are just going to be there lol.  i didnt want to spend any more money honestly but i thought about the tiki torches. i dont even know what the chocolate rattan set up is? do you have a pic? now you have me rethinking should I do a set up lol. I'm having all my guests wear all white for it and I figure that is enough "theme", im hoping so at least

 

i thought about the sound system but i have a very chatty group so i think we will just be talking and happy to see each other ! i want to incorporate some sort of ice breaker but im not sure what yet. just so people that dont know each other or dont know anyone else will mix and mingle with everyone else!

 

I chose the following:

roasted pepper and parmesan panini, shrimp satay, stuffed mushrooms, fish croquette, and spring rolls

did you get the free cocktail hour? i hope you did since i didnt  

 

@phdtck1 my TA said to check with my WC but most likely they wont honor it because it wasnt a promotion when i booked. i asked my WC, awaiting a response. the worst she can say is no! 

 

@@Lbrennan0 honeymoon triplets!! OMG that was my life but i have to admit i love getting packages at the door. my list got longer and longer too because i would get so many ideas from this group and the facebook group. like for instance, i JUST decided to make menus because i saw these really pretty DIY ones lol. adding it to the list. i love that youre having a welcome beach cruise, i wish i had planned better for that. please post pics! they didnt ask for a downpayment but i just wanted to pay a lot of it before i left. i paid for the things that i know wouldnt change. but i didnt pay for things like sparklers and lighting for the reception and other small extras that i may cancel if it rains (but the current forecast is sunny skies THANK GOODNESS) so ill only have about 15-20% to pay when i get there which makes me feel better for some reason, dont ask why LOL

[phdtck1]

@@smileitseb Yes! Contact your TA to make get the 2 story room! It looks amazing on the website!! YOLO!! Do it big for your honeymoon...this is a chance of a lifetime! 

 

So you had the drama with people trying to make it a vacation too?!!! It was stressing me out...of course more than he was stressed!! My fiance was not as worried! - I'm like seriously?!! I was so irritated by the audacity of folks trying to make the wedding weekend about them instead of about us!  I would never do that.  

 

I'm glad the rehearsal day / time worked out for you!!  It is key to have everyone with you to practice..plus it can be such an emotional time as it makes all of your planning, etc. real!!  So you want everyone to enjoy that intimate moment with you.

So the wedding that day will have 175 guest?!!! WTH?!! Are they local?!! - they have to be!! probably equivalent to us having a wedding at a local hotel in the US.  I can't imagine that many people traveling from a different country. 

 

Glad you reached out to your TA regarding the cocktail party! She needs to work harder! LOL.  All they can say is no, but it is worth a try.

 

Yeah, my TA is the bomb! hehe.  The club is supposed to be awesome, so i hope you end up going. there are 2 videos on the club's site that gives you a view of what to expect.  

 

Oh thanks for the compliment regarding our timeline! I checked out your survival guide when i found the blog and thought it is so detailed and awesome! I am an IT project manager so I love details - that's partly why I am loving wedding planning too - it's my own little project! hehe. Did you email your timeline or mail it out? 

 

Oh - thanks for sending me the maracas mexico email - they responded right away!!

 

@calgarybride2015 Kim love your maracas message!! I am so borrowing the verbiage! Love it..I may incorporate some verbiage for a send-off too similar to @@smileitseb idea.  We have to get creative!

@@Lbrennan0 Awesome!! You reached your 3 month mark?!!! Wow...are you getting nervous, excited..all of the above?! 

I love your list of wedding weekend events - especially Friday's Booze Cruise!! hehe..what do you have planned for this event? Will you really be on a boat in the water?

Yes! we look like the Tres Amigos (@smileitseb and @@Lbrennan0) scouting out Excellence!! I hope you all enjoy the unlimited lobster on my behalf! I have to wait til September to get mine!! So they had a winter sale? Darn I think we booked too soon! We booked it back in October I think...but either way, we are super excited!

 

@@fhk815 Your wedding sounds like it will be fun! I know you are contemplating renting a sound system - I guess you should consider what is most important to you.  If music and dancing is important, then you may consider renting it and eating a couple of meals at home to save in the front-end. hehe.  I despise that budget worksheet as well..things add up so quickly. I remember getting the package thinking the wedding would be super cheap! Then, considering the number of guests planning to travel, etc..that's when it gets super expensive. It's hard to keep everything together.  ughh. 

[Lbrennan0]

@@phdtck1 We originally booked Catamarans Cancun but we are going to go with the Dancer Cruise! Its on the expensive side but its a nice way of telling everyone we appreciate the money they are spending to come out for us! And who doesn't LOVE a water slide! lol

 

Cant wait for lobster!! heheh

 

@@phdtck1 @@smileitseb Does anyone have nay excursions booked for the HM? We got a swim with the sea turtles one for a bridal shower gift but I think I want to book another one as well!

[phdtck1]

@@Lbrennan0 I just checked oout the Dancer Cruise - It looks like alot of fun!!! I never heard of it! To your point, we want to do something to show folks that we appreciate them traveling so far to attend our wedding! We were thinking about getting a party bus following our welcome cocktails party..but the company was trying to charge soooo much money!! Plus the bus only holds 30 people - so we there was huge potential that we would have to rent 2 - uggh.  

 

We do not have any excursions booked for our honeymoon yet. I am thinking we may start booking after the bachelorette party and bridal shower which are planned for the summer.

 

I see you are planning for almost 70 guests! It's so funny, every time I tell people that we are planning for possibly 80 people for destination wedding, folks are shocked! They always assume there will be 20 - 25 guests in attendance. I guess we are all planning the right way!! Were you surprised to see that so many guests were on board to travel? That is so exciting!

[smileitseb]

@@phdtck1 GIRL yolo has been my whole mindset in this planning process, hence the BLOWN budget lolol 

 

yea i couldnt believe the AUDACITY. it was mindblowing bc i always wrongly assume people have the same courtesy as i do. but no, one girl straight up told me shes bringing her kids and that shes sorry.... oh? no you're not sweetie. now im the bad guy and she decided to stay home. ok cool! the show will go on!!!! 

 

and no the bride with the 175 guests is not local she lives in the states somewhere! 

 

i mailed out the survival guide because i feel like mail is less likely to be overlooked than email, especially by the older people. people were so happy to get it!

[Lbrennan0]

@@smileitseb Im part of one facebook group. Can you send the links to them?

[smileitseb]

@@Lbrennan0 that dancer cruise looks like SO much fun! and no we havent booked any excursions yet, im trying to still get ready for the wedding LOL. we will most likely book when we get down there, my fiance is very very lowkey and works nonstop so i didnt want him to feel like the honeymoon was something we had to follow a schedule to everyday. but i definitely want to go swimming in a cenote (thats my favorite!!!!!!!!!) and go ziplining and parasailing and go to the ruins