futuremrsjones

Hi Angel! I too am a Paradisus Bride for September 20, 2008!! There is a Paradisus Bride Thread on her where you can find tons of useful information! Congratulations and Happy Planning!

Welcome Back Becks and Congratulations!! I'm so glad the wedding day went perfect. I have a couple of questions about the room situation because I too have been promised that all my guests will be in the same buildings together. How did the hotel fix this problem? What did you mean by you are waiting on some refunds? Did the hotel agree to reimburse some of the guests for the room errors? Way to go, if they did!!! What restaurant did you have dinner at on Thursday? For that large of a group did they charge you? Perla informed me that we could not have a large group in any of the restaurants at the same time for dinner!! Just curious how they handled it. Also, what did they do about getting the rest of your guests served? Also, did you use a CD for the music during your ceremony? If so, who was in charge of making sure the right songs were played at the right time? Thank you so much for the review!! And Congrats again!!

Oh my goodness! Becks looks gorgeous!! I can't wait to see more!

I'm so sorry your friend is being that way. I definitely had a similar situation. Get this: My best friend and MOH started acting weird and distant about anything to do with the wedding the moment I asked her to be my MOH. She wasn't happy at all and every time an event came up such as my shower and bachelorette party, she griped about money and made all the other bridesmaids feel bad about spending money. Long story short I asked her what was going on and told her that I didn't want her to spend ANY money on anything if she couldn't or didn't want to. She tells me that she is reading a new book on Consumerism in America and how we need to fight against it and everything to do with my wedding is against her book. She said she is happy for my marriage but not my wedding and said she couldn't be happy for my wedding. This was supposed to be my best friend. When I asked her to step down as MOH and just be a bridesmaid, she withdrew from the wedding all together and canceled her trip 2 months before the wedding which is September 20th!! She also said we had gone in different directions and that we had fulfilled our purpose in each others lives. WTF!!! Turns out, she is planning her own destination wedding in March 09 and she resented me for certain things I am able to have in my wedding that she can't afford. What a friend huh!!!

Welcome to the Forum!! Happy Plannning!

I would say the can because they would defintely fit the cups from the Paradisus!

Welcome!! There are several of us Paradisus Brides on here!! There is a thread here just for the Paradisus Brides. Check it out! You will find tons of great information! Let me know if I can answer any questions!

Heidi, I loved your maracas. Will you please post the maraca template? Thanks so much, everything looks awesome!!

Soooo adorable! Good Luck Morgan, just a couple more days!!

Definitely go with the sash!!

That Stinks!! I really liked her! When we went down for our site visit she gave us some really great ideas. I hope Orfanel is good.

Welcome Back!

LeShay-Congratulations!!! Your wedding turned out amazing. I love hearing all of the details, and I would love to see your binder as well!! I spent this past weekend at the Paradisus meeting with Perla and Elisa and we had a wonderful time! I LOVE THEM!! I am more excited than ever now and feel more confident than ever that my wedding will be Perfect! Any doubts and concerns I had were all wiped away after meeting with Perla and Elisa! And I got to see Michelle's wedding! Our room was very nice. We had an oceanview room and our sheets were turned down with nice Jazz music playing on the tv when we arrived back to our rooms each night. The rooms are a great size and the patios are great! Also, because it was raining a lot, the golf carts were always around to pick you up and take you to breakfast or to the front of the resor to catch a taxi. It rained pretty much all weekend, and although I didnt' get much sun I am glad I got to see first hand how the Paradisus operates in case of rain! The backup open air covered Gazebo worked beautifully for Michelle's wedding and they also have the theater which can be set up gorgeous for a ceremony too. If it rains, I would actually choose the theater as my back up location. When we arrived on Friday morning we immediately met with Perla. She took us on a tour of the resort which is breathtaking! I really like the fact that it is big but not overwhelming. Also, it doesn't cater to loud "Spring Break" crowds which is great. Our meeting with Perla went well and I would suggest everyone setting up a meeting in person if you can. It was so easy to get all of my questions answered. We went over tons of questions and picked out fabric colors. I brought fabric samples from home and she cut pieces off of it so she can get it matched for the Gazebo and the Bows on the chairs. We also got to look through tons of pictures of other weddings. They can pretty much do ANYTHING you want (for the right price of course!) We ate at the Carribean Marketplace, The Snack Bar, Sumire, and The Reef Grill. All of the food we ate was great. I was very impressed with how good the buffet was. For a buffet, it is very nice and they change the menu daily! Sumire was wonderful! The sushi was very fresh and they bring you so much food! We had the fried Ice Cream (yummy!) and Coffee Jello (Not my favorite) for dessert! The Reef Grill was good too! The Ribeye was good and the Pork Spare Ribs were okay. We also had a Wedding Tasting with Elisa one night. Here we tasted the Empanadas, The Mini Chicken Tacos, and The Quesadillas, which were all good. We also tasted the Squid and Octopus in Garlic Sauce and The Beef in Three Peppercorn Sauce. The Squid and Octopus were excellent. The Beef was very very good but I didn't like the Sauce. Elisa didn't like it either and suggested we have it without the sauce. I agree! We also got to taste both the Vanilla and Chocolate Wedding cakes which are sooooooo delicious. I brought Perla a picture of how I wanted it decorated and she gave it to the Chef! Also, I got to hear SWANK at Michelles wedding and they were doing a fantastic job. Everyone looked like they were having so much fun. Paradisus Brides-Feel Great that you have chosen the best resort for your big day. It truly is magical!!!

In my opinion The Paradisus is #1 even though the prices are definitely higher than other places. After researching a bunch of the other resorts I concluded that you definitely get what you pay for at the Paradisus. A lot of the resorts may charge slightly less but the quality of their services is drastically less! I have only worked with Perla so far, but she has been extremely helpful and attentive to everything I have asked for. I leave tomorrow morning to meet with Perla this weekend to go over all of the plans and do cake and food tastings. She has been so accommodating with letting us taste certain items that will be on our wedding menu which is super helpful. If any of you have questions that you would like me to ask her, or anything you want me to check on while I'm there, just let me know!! Also, I will get to see Michele's wedding!!

Welcome!!!

Hey Britt, Perla told me for backup locations they use the Walkway off of the Lobby for the ceremony which is really pretty (I've seen some pics). And unfortunately, your best option would probably be to use the indoor ballroom for your reception if there is bad weather. I hate to think about the possibility of bad weather but we all know its a reality! On another front, I asked Perla if I could have the script that the minister uses for the symbolic ceremony. She put me in contact with the minister Alex Monroy who sent me this email. First of all let me congratulate you for choosing this paradise for your wedding ceremony. I am the minister who will be very happy and proud to officiate your wedding ceremony. Thank you for allowing me to be part of this important event in your life. I wanted to touch base with you, and let you know I will be very glad to answer any doubt or question you may have in regard to the ceremony. I always prefer that the bride listens to it at the very moment she is getting married, otherwise it loses the special feeling and surprise to hear lovely words focusing on love, friendship, and long life commitment. The order of the non denominational ceremony goes like this. It usually takes 15 to 20 minutes tops: Who gives their blessing for this wedding? “Usual answer Her mother and I “ Welcome Words Gathering Words Readings by family or friends (if requested) Opening Prayer (in case of religious ceremony) Scripture Reading (in case of religious ceremony) Charge to the Couple Wedding Vows Exchange of Rings Wedding Prayer (in case of religious ceremony) Pronouncement of Husband and Wife First kiss as husband and wife Presentation of the new Mr. and Mrs. Have a great day, a safe flight to Cancún, and I will see you real soon. Alex Monroy The only thing that bothers me about this is that he said it lasts 15 to 20 minutes tops! I don't want it to be really long, but I also don't want to feel rushed. What do you girls think? Also, do you think it would better to see his actual script? I would rather hear it for the first time on my wedding day but the bossy side of me wants to know everything he is saying!

Hi Nicole and Phoebe! Becks-I am soooo jealous you are going down tomorrow!!! I am going down at the end of the month and I cannot wait! Have a wonderful time and I can't wait to hear all the details! Also, congrats on your dress! I just know you look gorgeous!!

Awesome Site! Thanks so much

Kim, Welcome! You are going to love the Paradisus. I know after reading other posts from girls getting married at other resorts, I am always glad I chose the Paradisus. Becks-did you book your snorkeling tour through Elisa and Perla or directly through Best Day tours?

Victor emailed me the same thing (1331.00 taxes included)today for the DJ service at the reception and came down to $300 (from $1050) for a screen and the equipment for my slide show at the rehearsal dinner. He also said he hoped we could come to an agreement but if not, he attached the outside vendor fee agreement. On the lights: Victor said you don't need any lights if your reception is on the terrace. He said the lights Mannia has are for the dance floor and the dance floor on the terrace is not that big. He said any other lights are not necessary but if I wanted he could add them. I really don't think I will need any lights. Mannia = $750.0 +$325.00(outside vendor fee for technician$65*5hrs) + $55for 20 amp power + 10% tax and I read from some other brides on the forum he charges a $15% service fee? Is this true? If not he is $1210.00($121.00 cheaper) Also I asked Perla if Mannia used to be the DJ at the Paradisus and if so, why did they stop using him? This was her answer:" Since I know, Swank has being the Audio Visual DJ Service. Swank has being the best DJ service in Cancun for many years. The Paradisus use only the best service" I knew she was going to say something like that. I'm sure she has to recommend Swank. After all this, I think I am leaning more towards Swank for several reasons: 1. I feel like unfortunately the Paradisus might make it difficult for Mannia. 2. I feel like Swank is a much bigger company (They have many offices in the U.S. which gives me comfort that they know what they are doing). 3. I feel like the Paradisus guarantees what Victor puts in writing. 4. I think Victor with Swank realized he HAD to come down in price or he would lose business so he DID! This happens everywhere! I am sure Carlos Mannia is a great DJ. I know Dreams Cancun uses him. Either DJ will probably work out fine. It is completely my opinion and I will probably change my mind several times between now and September 20th!! haha I hope this helps

Good point!! You are probably right!! Ugh! I'm so confused. I am worried that if I choose Mannia, something will happen to his equipment, or that he will be cheesy, or that Swank will make it difficult for him. If I choose SWANK, I feel like he may be slightly more expensive. Victor just wrote to me in an email five minutes ago "As I told you, I have never listen before Mania, An truly I don't know what kind of brands, what kind o equipment they used, and also how they equipment is treat it. We are a big company supplying services for more than 4 years and also working for more than 200 properties all over the USA and Mexico. I don't think you will like to take the challenge and left your main event to a company that cannot give you a support and confidence as we do. Best Regards Victor De Alba Maybe I will ask Perla what she thinks, but who knows if I will get a straight answer!!!!!!!! How Annoying!!

Do you know by chance why Paradisus stopped using Mannia? Were people happy with his services?

On the DJ Front- This morning I sent an email to Victor with Swank questioning his prices and telling him I was thinking of using Mannia. About 10 minutes after I sent the email, I got a PHONE CALL from Victor. He explained to me that he is willing to work with me for whatever I need and that he is not trying to gauge me or anyone else. I told him that I wanted him to come down on his price or I would be forced to use Mannia to save money. This is what he said in a nutshell: He would definitely come down on his price to accommodate me. Swank is a huge Audio Visual company that operates all over Mexico and the U.S. His DJ's speak perfect English and are all in the best clubs in Cancun and know how to mix the music and host weddings. He also said they are "in house" at the Paradisus and have access to a whole warehouse of equipment there in case anything malfunctions. He said the hotel nor him are familiar with Mannia's services. He was very very nice and actually made me feel very comfortable with everything. He said he was going to speak to his manager and see how far he could come down. He told me not to worry and that he would email me this afternoon with a better price. Now I don't know what to do. I know Mannia seems a lot cheaper, but if Swank can come down on his price, I kinda feel like he is more familiar with the hotel and Swank is more experienced with DJ Services. I also feel like the hotel guarantees Swank's performance and I don't know with Mannia. I wonder if it is like staying at the Ritz vs. The Holiday Inn? Help!!

OMG! We have been looking at that place for our honeymoon!! It is supposed to be amazing!

Cara, I'm in Dallas too!! I used a Travel Agent and all the guests have been booking through her. We reserved a block of rooms. When you book it like this, you get 1 free room for every 10 rooms booked. Also, your guests don't have to pay for the whole trip right away. They are allowed to pay a deposit and then pay the rest later. Also, by using a travel agent you may be able to get a comped room if you need to go down early for a site visit. I know I did, and several others on here did as well!!