May '08 Occidental Grand Xcaret brides....where are you??

Do you think the resort was too big? Did any of your guests have an issue with the size? I love the way the resort looks but my FI is concerned with the size. How long did it take you to get from your room to the beach, restaurants, etc? Sorry for all the questions....

I did not get married there but was just there in May, When you get there it looks huge but after a day its not really bad at all, they also have a golfcart/trolley that picks you up and drops you off. I have pics if anyone is interested. It was absolutely beautiful.

Here is a link to photo bucket, there are a lot of pics, sorry its a collection of everyones in our groups pics. There is one pic that is kind of racy, not too bad though, just wanted to give fair warning.

Login to a private Photobucket.com album

The password is: guest08

Ok sorry for not giving a review earlier but I've been job hunting and that has been taking up my internet time. I still can't figure how to post pictures. But here it goes.

We got married at the Occidental Xcaret on May 12, 2008 with 24 people in attendance. I had a great time at the resort and though the walking was a bit much the first couple of days it didn't take very long to get used to. Our wedding coordinator was Marialma and she seemed really busy, she said that May was a really crazy time for weddings. It was very hard getting in touch with her at the resort because she was usually at another wedding. I was worried about when I would meet with her but she sent a letter about an appointment time. I bet if you e-mail her before, you can set a time to meet. It also seemed that they placed a bit more importance on the larger weddings but I guess that is understandable with the additional logistics that are involved.

The Hotel: All my guests really loved the resort. I was really worried about my in-laws ( they are in their 60's) because of all the walking but they really loved it. If you have guests who have difficulty walking make sure their room is in the lobby or really close because it is the only building with an elevator. Also there is only one building in the whole place that is a non-smoking building.

Food: The buffets were decent but usually did not accommodate large groups. But everyone just sat close to each other in nearby tables so it was no biggie really. The thing was to get to the buffets early where the food was still really fresh and plentiful. I told Marialma about setting up a farewell brunch but she said they charge $12 extra a person for a group. So if you want to set-up a rehearsal dinner or farewell brunch let her know in advance by e-mail and she could do that for you but there might be a charge.

Welcome Bags: Our welcome bags included: a magnetic picture frame, a note pad in case we had to leave each other notes (nobody used them), a brochure about the area, baggies filled with mexican candies (including chiclets) and a bottle of tequila. *We bought the tequila at sams for a great price, it was the cheapest we found in the area* We delivered the bags at random times because we always ended up running into our guests at the pool.

The meeting: The meeting with Marialma went really smooth it took less than 20 minutes we got the basic civil package and I ordered extra flowers and centerpieces which all came out really beautiful. We did not have a private reception. We were given a choice of where to have our reception and we chose the Mediterranean restaurant. Some of the restaurants were only open on certain days. I think the steak restaurant was only open on Thursday but that might have been because we went during the slow season.

The salon: Marialma set up my hair appointment and the stylist did a great job. I was worried at first because they give you a book of styles to choose from but it went fine. You also have to pay up front. They use this crazy hair spray that holds like super glue, but it held up really well in the wind.

Outings: For outings we went to xcaret park where everyone really enjoyed swimming in the underwater caves and the night show. We split the day up so that we were not at the park all-day. We also did a group outing to Tulum where where we zip-lined, repelled, and swam in a cenote. That day was a blast the beach at tulum was gorgeous.

The Wedding: The wedding was at 3:00 and beautiful, there were a few foul-ups but nothing major. Marialma played the wrong song for the signing of the marriage certificate but no biggie. She also forgot the centerpieces at the reception and I had to remind her about them. We got married at the gazebo by the ocean and even though it was really hot it was nice and breezy by the ocean. (wearing a veil might be difficult and you need lots of hair spray) The ceremony itself was short and sweet. The reception was at the Meditteranean restaurant which was really packed. However none of my guests really seemed to notice or care. We had two of the larger tables in the corner where they set up the wedding cake. We also had mariachis which were good and our guests really enjoyed. We were able to toast all our guests and still have a really good time without having a private reception. Afterwards we all went to the disco and danced for a while.

The Photography: Our photography was done by Cancun studios and I highly recommend them. They do a mix of candid and posed shots, if there is something you are looking for or certain shots you want the photographer to capture just let them now and they will work with you. Cancun studios was the easiest to work with. My fiance and I just wanted a bunch of digital images so the photographer customized a package for us. We were able to have a CD of the 250 images before we left.

*Warning *: During the photo shoot the photographer told us to cut off our hotel wrist bands. He said the hotel would issue us another one. We all threw our bands in the trash figuring we would get a new one. But then later in the night when some of the bridesmaids were going to the disco they would not let them in without the wristbands. When they went to the front desk they would not issue them a new wristband without the old one that was cut. They said if we could not find them we would have to pay like 50 bucks for a replacement WTF! Well we ended fishing them out of the trash but the front desk guy was really rude and would not budge I didn't even have my room key with me I mean hello I'm wearing a wedding dress. So the guy at the front desk issued me another room key. Yes he could issue me another room key in an instant but not a plastic bracelet. Anyhoo sorry for the rant but that was my biggest frustration with the hotel.

Conclusion: I truly loved my wedding and would do it all over again. The resort was beautiful very tropical and our guests loved it. I think if you're having a good time drinking and enjoying yourself your guests will enjoy themselves too. I would also make sure that during the meeting you are very clear about what you want and what you need. I think that about sums it up if you have any questions just let me know I'll try to post pictures.

Got my professional photos link from Cancun Studios after just over a month. They are ok, they said they were doing editing and it really doesn't look like much editing was done since some pics are really dark. I raved about the customer service but I think its waning. Take a look John and Violet

sweetrebecs.......thank you so much for the great detailed review and tips. I learned a lot from it and thank you for the warning about the wristbands because I wouldnt of even thought twice about it! It sounds like you had a great time!! Also thanks for the tip about the walking and which area has elevators. Sams for cheap tequila.... good to know

Violet.......Im off to look at your pictures!!

Beautiful pictures! Your kids are adorable....i love how they walked you down the aisle! I would ask Cancun studios about the lighting because some of the pics are a bit dark and ya would think they could fix that!

A couple questions... did you pick out the flowers that you wanted once you got there?? Did you bring the rose petals that are on the ground on the way to the gazebo or do they automatically do that or do you have to ask?

Your hair looked great! How was it at the spa? Did you get to do a trial?

Did they send you a copy of the ceremony before you got there?

OK one more Did you pick out the cake once you got there? Did you upgrade it at all?

Congratulations again on your beautiful wedding and thank you so much for sharing the pictures!