sandyroo

Hehe. I won't call security Hey, I'm actually originally from MA. I imagine you'll be tired that day from the flight. I've only got a few people flying from home. My fiance's from Cali., so that's where most of our guests are coming from. My friend from home was joking, "Could you have made this wedding any farther away?" Um, actually I could have Hawaii anyone?

I think your colors sound great. I'm doing light pink and tangerine orange. It sounds kind of weird, but I saw pictures of a wedding done in those colors and loved it.

thanks. i figured people wouldn't need that much cash at an AI, but was still curious as to how you all handled it. the only time i visited cabo was when i stayed at a non-AI hotel, so it was a little different.

I was just wondering if there is an ATM located at Dreams or nearby. If not, did you direct your guests to exchange dollars for pesos at the front desk? I know most people say you get the best exchange rate through a credit card, but I figure people will need some pesos for taxis and stuff. When I visited a few months ago, I changed money at the hotel and I seemed to get a better rate than restaurants were offering. The hotel gave 11 pesos to 1 dollar, but the restaurants only gave 10 pesos for 1 dollar.

When I visited the Hilton a little over a month ago, Hilton didn't have airport transportation, but Emeline told me that they were going to start having their own airport transportation service, sort of like the shuttles you see at the airport that are specifically for the Palmilla or whereever. Not sure if that was a free service or not, but definitely worth checking on if you're going with the Hilton.

Your wedding is so soon, Kashmira! It must feel awesome to have everything settled and ready to come together. I'm sure the Hilton will make sure everything from the food to the decor are perfect. I didn't get a chance to stay there, but I know someone who was there four times and recommended it. I decided to go with Dreams. It was just a better "fit" for us. Plus, Hilton's group rate that was given to us did not include tax. Once I added that in and compared it to Dreams' group rate with tax, they wound up being almost the same. So, it made sense to go with the AI. I'm sure it could be different depending on the date, but that's how it worked out for us.

Hi Tammy. Just a quick question. Do your rates include tax? Thanks!

Thanks for all the responses. I'll have to check out that speaker system next time I'm at a Best Buy or something.

I'm glad to hear that you are happy with your choice in Maye. Yes, she did seem to know Emeline, so I think they must have worked together since then. My fiance is pretty much insistent on me hiring a coordinator at this point, but I was a little hesitant at first because of the cost. I'm really glad to hear that she has saved you money compared to the resort's vendors.

That is definitely a good question. I guess I am going to see which one is cheaper for my guests. Even though many people might be able to eat/drink $100 of food/drink per day, I know some that wouldn't. So, keeping those people in mind, I was going to compare the costs. If the difference is $50, I'd consider the AI, but if it's more than $100, my choice is clear - non AI. I've always enjoyed the all inclusive thing on the cruises I've been on, but I went to a Sunscape resort in the Riviera Maya last year, which was an AI and is also a sister property for Dreams, and the food and service were bad, so that makes me a little hesitant. I should note that Sunscape is a notch below Dreams, so I would expect more from Dreams. Unfortunately, I have not tried the food at Dreams. I wish I had while I was there. Also, although the AI is more convenient, I think it would be kind of restrictive, and since there seemed to be many great restaurants in Cabo, I would hate to stop people from trying them. I think you made a great choice in the Hilton because the service seems to get stellar reviews. My head tells me I should probably choose it because it's the safest choice. I don't have any doubts about how the food and service would be. But when I saw Dreams, I just loved the character of the resort and the way it photographed. Decisions, decisions!

I was just wondering how those of you who used an iPod instead of a DJ made the announcement of your grand entrance, the first dance, etc. Did you just ask a friend or family member to do it?

I just got back from Cabo. You'll probably want to start with the ones already listed, but if you are in the Medano beach area, you might want to check out Passions Lounge in the ME Cabo hotel. It was sort of loungy with techno music. Thursdays is ladies night, so ladies drink free. I think there may be a fire dancer show on Thursdays at 9pm, but we didn't see it because we returned to the hotel later that night.

Hey girls. Yes, I am talking about the Dreams in Cabo. I will post pics soon, as soon as I get them uploaded and figure out how to post them. I took photos of both renovated rooms and pics of the sites at Dreams. I don't think I took that many at the Hilton, just because I was preoccupied with asking questions and stuff. I've been anxiously awaiting the information from Yesica, but who knows, maybe something came up. Emeline at the Hilton, however, e-mailed me back that same day I met with her. Honestly, I am not sure I'll need a wedding coordinator if we choose Hilton, since Emeline seemed really prepared and on the ball. We might still hire Maye though, since I'm sure she'd be helpful for securing the canopy and flowers and such. After my experience though, I won't even consider Dreams, without an outside planner. That's just my opinion. By the way, the e-mail address I have been contacting Yesica by is [email protected]. I'm sure it does depend on who you get. You girls with Mariana will probably be well taken care of. I'm sure you'll be happy with the Dreams resort!

I just returned from a site visit to see both Dreams and the Hilton. Here's my take on each resort... Dreams is very much what it looks like from its photos. One of the things I liked was the very airy and open feeling in the lobby areas. For my group, of approximately 30-50 people, we would probably use the gazebo for the ceremony, then do a cocktail hour right next to the gazebo, under the patio. One of the things I liked about the gazebo set up was that the bridal party procession would come out from the restaurant which is a short walk from the gazebo. If the weather is as hot as it was while we did the site visit, the short walk would be a big plus. Oceana Terrace looked like a great place for a reception. By the way, the renovated rooms look fantastic! The color palatte is very neutral and calming. Hilton also looked as I had expected. It was more Americanized than Dreams. Dreams had a little more of a uniqueness to it. However, the Hilton has just renovated their rooms, and has given them a Mexican ambiance. The renovation was top notch. Our ceremony would be on the beach, but there is a very long path down to the beach. If it gets real hot, I'd probably melt walking all that way. But Emeline, the absolutely fabulous wedding coordinator at the Hilton, said they could send you down to the beach via a golf cart and walk from there. Might be a good option if it's a scorcher. I'm still trying to decide between the two resorts. I think both have a lot of pluses to them. Emeline has been super responsive, however, I am still waiting to get availability and pricing from Dreams. Just one more thing. I met with Maye Cortines, a wedding coordinator, while I was there, and she was absolutely wonderful. I am still debating whether or not we need an outside coordinator, but I definitely recommend meeting with her if you are interested in one. If we do decide to go with a coordinator, we'll go with her. On extremely short notice, she made some time to meet up with us to take us to visit the two hotels. Since Yesica, the wedding coordinator at Dreams, was unable to meet us at our scheduled appointment time, Maye showed us around most of the resort. Yesica did meet up with us later. Maye seemed to have a very good relationship with the wedding coordinators at both hotels. Anyways, I hope this helps anyone who is looking at either of these resorts.

Has anyone who has had their wedding at the Hilton or who has stayed at the Hilton had any trouble with the big conferences that are held there? After reading the tripadvisor reviews, it's really my greatest concern. Thanks for your responses!

ooooh. good suggestion. thanks!

Thanks. Yeah, I figured they might not let you do a tasting until the ink is dry, but was hoping I might be able to get things done all in one shot. Oh well.

I am planning to visit Cabo for the first time this May. I was wondering what to expect when doing the initial site visits. The two places I know I want to visit for sure are Dreams and the Hilton. I don't plan to come back before the wedding, so is it possible to do tastings on the initial visit, and how long do these visits usually take? Should I try to meet up with a photographer while there (I'm certain I want Juan Carlos)? I'll be sure to post whatever info I get from my trip. Thanks.

Thank you all for your help!! I emailed Yesica again, and she responded to my original e-mail within like 5 minutes of the 2nd e-mail. Go figure. Anyways, I'm 98% sure Dreams is THE place. My FI and I are going to try to make a site visit soon.

I have emailed Yesica, but she has been slow at replying to me, so I am hoping some of you might know the answers to one or more of my questions: 1. If we qualify for the free Wedding in Paradise package, but choose to upgrade or do a la carte, do we get to reduce the price by the cost of the Weddings in Paradise package ($699)? Also, is the a la carte pricing posted anywhere? 2. If we do the Dreams of Love package, which is for 20 pax, can we add additional people, and what would be the additional cost per person? 3. I understand that we have to pay $24 per person per event site, but if the person is not a guest at the hotel, do we have to pay $85 PLUS $24, or $85 ONLY? Thanks for any and all help!!!

Hello. I'm planning a Cabo wedding, though I've never been there before. Since I'm from Boston and my FI is from Cali, there's no way it's going to be convenient for everyone, so we might as well make it a fun destination. Right now, I'm focusing on Dreams in the spring of 2008. Everything else is still to be decided. I'm sure I'll be posting more soon!