Dreams Riviera Cancun - Brides post here (new thread)

ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS IT WAS PERFECT!!! DO NOT STRESS OVER ANYTHING..IT WILL ALL BE DONE WHEN YOU GET THERE AND ANA & JAZMIN WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN...I PROMISE! Forget about making table cards or buffet cards, your wasting your time. We did a mexican buffet on the deck in front of the infinity pool..it is by far the best choice..you will not be dissappointed. I was hesitant about the buffet but wilth 53 guests, it's the only choice. The mexican buffet is absolutely AWESOME and is not like the food in the mexican rest. It is sooo good and every one of my guests raved about it the entire trip. They make the buffet look awesome and lite it up with these big stars (free). I brought down fuschia table runners with beads on the end and they draped them across the round tables-it looked great! I actually left them all there so help yourself (ANA has them) I also brought about 30 white and 20 fuschia chair sashes (satin) and also left them down there for ANA to share with the other brides! PLEASE PLEASE DON'T STRESS! especially about the small stuff--your getting married at a beautiful, clean brand new resort on the ocean--you can't ask for much more of paradise than that! Ana barely responded to any of my emails/questions but believe me she will GET IT DONE--when you GET THERE!

I applied the cocktail hour towards the dinner for 20 more guests so it was only 20/pp for guests 20-40. Then it was about 50/pp for the last 13 guests-still well worth it. you do ot need the cocktail hours because they set a bar up on the deck and everyone was just relaxing there and drinking while we did our pics. Then we had dinner.

I had a friend of mine who's a DJ make me a mix of:

1 hour cocktail music (played on the deck while we were taking pictures)

2.5 hours dance music

it was perfect..Don't hire a DJ-too expensive and the technician actually wanted my CD. (Ana only charged us $350 total for the technician for the ceremony 5:30 and reception 7p-10p so that was even better)

I walked down to somewhere over the rainbow by israel, my 2 bridesmaids walked down to only time by enya and i played a few songs for when the guests were sitting down and waiting! We played better together by jack johnson for the recessional---IT WAS AWESOME! We wrote our own vows and everyone was crying including the photographer.

Here is a link to a few pics i donwnloaded on snapfish- we used juan navarro which was part of the package because I requested him in Nov. He is AWESOME also. Definitely get the videographer too-well worth the $$!

Snapfish: Share:Registration

Here's a quick link to the buffet setup:

Snapfish: Share Photo:Registration

Here are our vows (my new hubby would kill me if he knew I posted it) our personal vows aren't on here..we typed it out on notecards.

DAN & LEIGH’S VOWS

APRIL 26, 2010

This beautiful setting should remind us that, like the ocean, human life is an ebb and flow- the life of the spirit and emotions- moves in cycles. To be in a relationship does not guarantee an eternal summer. To make a sincere and honest commitment does not promise an end to all struggles. What a good relationship does offer, much like this ocean, is the opportunity for renewal. It recognizes the abiding, shared hope that after every fall and winter, spring and summer will come again.

On behalf of Dan & Leigh, I welcome you and thank you all for gathering here on this beautiful day to witness their marriage ceremony. The fact that you all have travelled such a great distance to be here today is a testament to the amazing amount of love and support they have. Many of you have given them much happiness, warmth, and guidance through the various stages of their lives. They would like to sincerely thank you all for being here to celebrate their big day. A special and respectful acknowledgement must also be made to those friends and family members who were unable to attend especially Leigh’s dad but whose spirit remains alive and strong in all our hearts.

I have also been asked by Dan & Leigh to thank their parents for the wonderful lives they have given them, for the hard work and guidance they have provided, for their everlasting love, support, and encouragement. It is from them that they have learned the true meaning of love, friendship and family.

Marriage is an affirmation of life, an undying commitment, a spiritual, emotional, and intellectual bond between two people. It is created from the purest of friendship, respect and love. The institution of marriage is not entered into lightly, because it symbolizes commitment on every level. Together you will continue to meet the challenges and obstacles of life head on.

For Dan & Leigh, this day does not mark the beginning of a new relationship; rather, it is an acknowledgement and celebration, of a relationship that has been flourishing since the moment they met.

Love is one of the few constants in the universe. It is reality, affinity, and communication. Only love is capable of joining living beings by their deepest essence. It makes burdens lighter because you divide them. It makes joys more intense because you share them. Love makes you stronger so you can reach out and become involved with life in ways you dared not risk alone.

You have chosen to walk through life together. There is no truer statement of love. Before this moment you have been many things to one another- best friend, companion, lover, partner, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years. Soon you shall say a few words that take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this- is my husband, this- is my wife.

As an expression that you are joined together in love, will you please hold each others’ hands in your own, so you may feel the gift that you are about to receive on this day.

VOWS

Leigh, will you look into Dan’s eyes and into his heart and now say your vows.

Leigh will say her vows and when done say:

Dan, if you accept please say I do…

Dan, will you look into Leigh’s eyes and into her heart and now say your vows.

Dan will say his vows and when done say:

Leigh, if you accept please say I do…

SAND CEREMONY

Today Dan & Leigh have chosen to represent their love to each other in a special sand ceremony. Today you join your separate lives together. The two separate bottles of sand symbolize your separate lives, separate families and separate sets of friends. They represent all that you are and all that you'll ever be as an individual. They also represent your lives before today. From these two families a new family will be created today.

As these containers of sand are poured into the container, the individual containers of sand will no longer exist, but will be joined together as one. Two families have now become one. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so will be your marriage.

CLOSING:

Dan & Leigh,

Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you. May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years. Challenge one another so that you may grow. Never take each other for granted, but always experience the wonder of your union. And may you live the days of your lives in passion, love, and happiness. We who are present today, hope that the inspiration of this moment will never be forgotten!

With friends and family, along with the sun, the moon, and the sea, I have the pleasure of announcing you as husband and wife.

Dan, you may now kiss your bride.

(bride and groom kiss)

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Dan Whoriskey

Congratulations Leigh! My wedding is a little over a month away and I have decided to just relax about everything and let it all happen when we get there! Thank you for the tips about the DJ, I have been stressing over it and now we are only having about 35 people so I don't think it is worth the extra expense for such a small party.

Would you mind sharing your pics from Juan if they are online? He is my photographer too and I would love to see some more of his work