KACENGG

Welcome hln321 I was also thinking of doing a bonfire for the welcome night but do you think we could negotiate the $800. I think thats alot as it really doesn't entail much set up other than starting the fire. hhhmmmm.....I cannot believe how the costs are adding up. Looking forward to hearing all about your summer weddings girls.

mgreen, So sorry for my slow response. Guess I haven't been keeping up. We have a package through Sunquest vacations so we are flying with Skyservice.

Oh and yes we have a laptop to drive the presentation but I am so worried about how much stuff we have to take! Our luggage limit is only 44 lbs (20 kg) per person COMBINED!!!! I'm telling everyone to just pack swimsuits and flipflops and it shouldn't be an issue but I have plenty of other little things to bring like programs, fans, luminaries, pictures, guest books, favours, etc. Guess I'm relying on the resort for the centrepieces. I guess the slideshow is out of the question now for sure....no room for a laptop!

Hi girls, Nope the $650 was for the projector and LCD only. I wish it also included the beach reception area! I was quoted $400 for the projector and $250 for the screen! oh my - not a money scam at all! As for the beach reception - there is a fee for the reception location (beach) and then you pay per person for the meal. I think the beach location is $800 for the evening plus $35 per person for the meal. Man, this stuff really adds up. Apparently this also only includes beer and wine for the drinks which is fine with me because people can walk to the bar inside and get other drinks. But if you want an open bar it's $10/person/hour. I think this is all kind of ridiculous since its supposed to be an all inclusive anyway but I'm trying to get over that. Oh and thank you girls for the luminaries and pictures around the dance floor suggestions - I really never would have thought of that! I like it! New crafty project to try!

Thanks Tob1kanobe, Please post reviews/info from any other brides you contact. I'm always dying to read actual wedding reviews from the RIU and have had so much trouble finding any.

Oh my - you ladies are just too good! Thank you so much for all of the info and the paint pen is an exceptional idea! Thanks for the thought and if I cannot find marachas in mexico now - I'm useless! haha Note to self: buy extras!!!!

Renting would be way cheaper I think too but I thought I would be able to just 'rent' from the hotel for a reasonable price. Maybe they got confused and thought I wanted to BUY the projector and screen - I guess I'm trying to decide if I really need the slideshow or not (leaning towards not for that price). DH thinks I'm already going crazy on all this stuff anyway and he's not liking the 'extras' I'm planning either! Maybe if I need something else (firedancers etc) I'll talk to Maye or another wedding coordinator to arrange this for me.

Thanks girls, I've never been to Cabo and won't have a chance to go before the wedding so I didn't want to go there and realize I couldn't find any. I will be staying at the RIU so I guess I'll have to make a quick trip into town and find these! As for the name and date, I heard someone suggest using paint & small paintbrush. As long as its legible I think it will look great!

So we finally make our own thread and now I realize that we aren't using it much at all. I thought I would post this for more of a bump than anything else. I emailed Adriana to see what to reserve our beach reception and see what the price is to use a LCD projector and screen for the evening so we could show a short picture presentation of DH and I while we were growing up and some pics together etc. Well guess the price they quoted me? no higher! Nope, I'm sure it's still higher......well it was $650 dollars!!!! Now to me that sounds totally ridiculous. Was anyone else planning on doing this?

So I've been thinking that I would really like to get our guests each a set of marachas for our wedding favours. We would put our name and wedding date on them also (as suggested on this forum I think). As we have some pretty strict luggage requirements on our charter flight (20 kgs combined!!!) I was wondering if I will be able to find these easily in Cabo? I would only need about 25 sets but I would hate to have nothing to give or guests just in case I couldn't find any.

Thanks for the advice on booking Juan early, but he has had my date 'reserved' since october 2006 and now I am just putting down my deposit on him this week. We are all so lucky we got him. I was nervous to book him at first but with everyone's great reviews, I am so excited now! Anyway here is the link Adriana sent me of the RIU's Cabo photographers portfolio: :: mango productions - photos & videos los cabos Cabo San Lucas Baja California Sur - home :: Thanks to everyone for the information on just paying the day pass for the outside photographer.....now I can actually book him!!!

Thanks so much for starting this thread Stephanie.....I'm sure it will become an essential part of our daily wedding planning!

I really don't want the ceremony in Spanish and translated as well. I think it will ruin the flow of the ceremony. I wonder if there's anything we can do to get around this? I know my uncle wanted to do our ceremony for us (in english) but I'm sure this would make everything so much more complex, if it would even be legal anymore..... If you guys think of anything to get around this, please let me know.

Has anyone heard of or used Ariel Campos as their photographer in Cabo? Someone mentioned the name to me and he is pretty cheap and includes a slideshow, dvd, engagement session. I am just hesitant to recommend someone that I don't know. Does anyone know anything about him and his work?

Hey Girls!!! I sent Adriana an email earlier this week wrt the bonfire, beach reception and photography and I already got a reply! It is much better communicating directly with her rather than through the Mayan. For the bonfire it is $800 USD to book plus an additional $600 to book the beach (the way I interpret it anyway). As for the photography, she sent me the website that should give us some samples of the work done although I am just hiring Juan since I have heard its ~ the same price and well, Juan rocks from what I can tell. There were also rumors that the RIU in Jamaica I think quoted photographer prices that the photographer didn't agree to and he ended up charging more....I don't know the validity of this but it makes me a little nervous. Also, it will cost $600 to rent the area for a beach reception plus the cost of food and drink per guest. Meal = $35 and Drinks = $10/person/hr. Dj is also $70/hr. The website for the photographer is :: mango productions - photos & videos los cabos Cabo San Lucas Baja California Sur - home ::. Adriana also mentioned that the documents we need for a legal ceremony (if that's what you are having) is only a passport, birth certificate, divore certificate (if applicable) and tourist card. I emailed her back to see if they had to be translated to Spanish and apostilled.....if not this should be fairly easy (excluding the blood test - AAAHHH!). Sorry for the jumbled nature of this post but work is really distracting me - HOW RUDE!!! Beach Bride - where are you from?

Has anyone seen a portfolio of the RIU Palace (Cabo) photographer? I think I am just going to hire Juan but I haven't clairified the stipulations of bringing an outside photographer on location. Is it just a day pass you pay for or do you have to pay for them to stay the night?

Oh Kristen and Riubride can you include me in on the pictures if you have any? I've never been to Cabo much less the RIU and have no idea what things 'really' look like. It may also help me choose where I want to have the reception and what my options are. So far, other than my date and ceremony time booked I haven't done anything and it seems to me like I shouldn't before I get there...but this is me we are talking about and I just need to plan, plan, plan! Any other advice from you guys on what we can do at this time.....get flower ideas is the only one I can really think of.

Tammy (host), You mentioned that you had your own officiant.....just curious if you brought him from home with you or not? I would love to bring one from Canada but did not know what sort of legal requirements would have to be met. Now that I am writing this, I realize that I think you had a symbolic ceremony but it would still help me out if you could shed any light on this topic.

Hello, Well now that I have engraved it in my mind that I am getting married in NOVEMBER I think I am doing better than last week!!! So I confirmed my ceremony time for 4:00 as I was wanting to change it to 3:00 but apparently there is already another wedding booked. We are planning on doing the ceremony at the gazebo even though the confirmation email said the beach. The email we received from the RIU said that we choose the location when we get there anyway so hopefully it will work out. Made a little head way and got the actual contact information for the wc at the RIU in Cabo. Apparently they process everything out of the Mayan Riveria location so getting in touch with the 'real' wc will hopefully enable me to start getting some quotes and booking some things. I want to inquire about a bonfire welcome dinner/cocktail evening as well as a beach reception....I know its all gonna cost $$$ and more $$$. I also booked the Royal wedding package but am considering taking a photographer with us if I can find someone for a reasonable price. I will update you if I hear anything on prices or additional info. RIUBRIDE - yes, let's switch and try and escape 'real' life for a week or so. Have you heard anymore from the wc or done anymore planning?

Me too Weez, me too!

Ummmm apparently I'm not doing enough wedding planning - just realized I'm not getting married until NOVEMBER! Work is really stressing me out and causing me to go CRAZY! How do you forget your own wedding month!?!??!?

Oh RIUBride Congratulations on getting your date set!!!! What is the date?? I'm also a fellow RIU October bride. I was just in Toronto and Oakville this summer for a vacation and my cousins wedding and I fell in love and wanted to move there....seriously. Maybe we should switch cities for a few weeks!!! haha. glad to hear all is well and that we can start planning our weddings and comparing notes since we are both Canadian-ers and October brides! Good Luck and Congrats again!

Riu bride, I really don't think you will have any trouble getting your date and time since it is still 10 months away. I heard that the RIU books up really fast and all but so far it seems that if anything we are trying to do all this stuff too far in advance so far (which I would definitely prefer). Good luck and let us know when you hear from the RIU. If you don't mind me asking, where are you from in Canada?

Hey Salsa_bride (love the name!), I'll try to help you out the best I can so feel free to pm me anytime....honestly anytime because this work thing really sucks - the more distractions the better! First off, don't stress - this planning stuff is 'supposed' to be fun. Much easier said than done! As for the catholic/church ceremony, I can't really help you out. As host mentioned, MariaElm will be a much bigger help to you on this. We have chosen to get married at the gazebo because I simply love them and in Cabo I believe there is still a view of the beach, ocean, and rock structures in the background. As pp mentioned, weather in Cabo is great in April and pretty much all year long. I've read that there are only 10 rainy days per year (mostly sept and oct). We are getting married in November so the weather will be a little cooler during the day (80's) but still plenty hot enough for me! I have heard many conflicting reviews about the food at the RIU. The good thing is that there are lots of options for lunches and dinners based on the many different restaurants, buffets, and sidebars they have there. I don't think the food is overly fantastic but there is supposedly lots of variety and its pretty decent from most reviews. I have heard of some people getting sick but whether its from the food or water or what I have no idea. I think you have to just be careful and watch what you are taking in as you likely do anywhere in Mexico. I have never been to Cabo or the RIU and won't be there until I go for my wedding but from the reviews I have had from my travel agent and others that have actually been there, it's gorgeous and a great resort. The wedding coordinators have been known to be a little slow in responding but I think everything works out once you are actually there. This is all hearsay to me, and after this novel I don't think I've really helped you out at all! Sorry! Best of luck to you and please post if you have any other questions I may be able to help with.

Riubride, Sorry I think I am confused and confusing you in the process. I think my TA did the initial request and then she got a confirmation number. The confirmation number was passed onto me (you have to go to the RIU website and log in and fill out a bunch of info). Then the confirmation of the time and date etc. will be emailed to you after this second step of the process. Sorry for the misunderstanding.