MarieSam

I would be interested in purchasing at least 1 ~ I'll PM you!

Wow, gorgeous venue and I absolutely LOVE Playa del Carmen l~ if I wasn't already happily booked somewhere else, I'd definitely consider this place. It seems perfect!!!

I think most couples generally do the TTD session the day after the wedding, some even do it in the day(s) prior to the ceremony. I think this is usually the case because if you've got guests, the party technically wont start till your done taking post-ceremony pics, and if you throw in a TTD session in there, that could be a mighty long wait for your guests. Also, I can't imagine it being any fun going to your reception soaking wet in your wedding attire, hehehe Now if your wedding event consists of just you and your spouse, then having a TTD session right after the ceremony is perfectly feasible! So I guess it all really depends on the situation ** Oops forgot to add the obvious, if you do your TTD in the day(s) prior to your wedding, a total TTD in your wedding gown is obviously unrealistic, so you'd either have to partake in a "mild, don't get my dress wet or dirty" session or have a second dress, which is a fabulous shopping excuse to buy something pretty for yourself, yay!!!

Welcome ~ you will love it here!!! Make sure you search through the Riviera Maya forum section, where many brides-to-be and past brides have posted wonderful site visit reviews that will provide lots of insight as you search for that perfect venue for your special day!! Best of luck

I think giving guests OOT bags with items culturally tied to your area are a great idea!! I guess what makes it tough is that for some of those items you would have to wait till you arrived at your location, and from what I've been told, there's already so much running around to do. That would just be another thing to add to the list. But if you've got no time constraints, then purchasing some locals items would be fantastic, or perhaps your WC can get them for you ahead of time?? As far as including items that are "the norm", I think an OOT bag is also perceived as a care package filled with items to help your guests enjoy their stay a little more. Things that they perhaps wouldn't have necessarily thought of bringing with them. Including a little bit of both is a happy medium ~ in the end, it all just depends on your preference

Quote: Originally Posted by Blkatz I am trying to find favor boxes for the cupcakes that we are ordering for the wedding...any ideas on where to get them? TIA A couple months ago I went on the cupcake box hunt and ended up purchasing some from brpboxshop.com because it was free shipping, I liked the style of the boxes and needed at least 100 (yep I've got way too many guests coming). Here's the link to the ones I purchased, they are great quality, and once I get them decorated I'll post some pics: Cake Boxes Another great option I found which is cheaper are the chinese takeout boxes ~ the best price I found for those were at Papermart.com . I didn't go with these because I liked the boxes with the little window better, but these are still super cute. Here's the link for those: Paper Mart - Best for Less - Wired Handle Carry-Out Boxes Either way, both are great options ~ and can be decorated with some cute saying, your monogram or ribbon, etc. Hope this helps One more thing ~ if I remember correctly from a previous thread, you're ordering your cupcakes from Turtle Bay Cafe right? If so, when I met with Jen a couple months ago here in Cali, she mentioned that if there is any special cupcake liner or holder you'd like to have to match your decor, then bring them with you because they have a difficult time getting special colors or designs out in MX.

Awesome thread!!!! Your stuff looks fabulous ~ did you make your Passport invites? If not, where did you get them made??

Ooohh, I LOVE it all!!! And it's custom, what a find!!!

I'm a sucker for all the Charlie Brown holiday episodes ~ I am giddy when they come on Halloween, Thanksgiving, Xmas, you name it!! I also LOVE the christmas clamation (Gumby looking) series that come on every holiday season ~ Rudolph, Frosty, etc. Yep, I'm a total dork when it comes to my Christmas shows hehehehe

I totally agree with the other gals ~ just cuz you're home doesn't mean you can't still do a fabulous TTD session. Looking beautiful in your dress out in an urban setting could really make for some striking pictures. By the way, your siggy pic is awesome and you look beautiful in your Avatar pic ~ SHOW US MORE!!!!!! hehehe

Quote: Originally Posted by Gr8ful Thank you for all of this information! I love that you are getting in an eco-minded property. Reading your intro -- we are not the AI types either -- I was looking into those more b/c of laziness on my part. I just don't want to do too much planning. And, I'm basing a lot of my decisions here on responsiveness from the WC's that I'm trying to get in touch with. If they respond, I think that is a good sign. But, your note has inspired me to do some more research and definitely will stop by TBC in Akumal b/c it sounds great. Can you send me Jen's email? I would like to try to set up something with her while we are down there. Not to mention the cupcakes and the food -- the food & booze are more important to me than anything else (and of course, budget!). I think finding the place is the most difficult part of this. Do you just know when you find the right place? I'm wondering if you just visit a bunch of places, and finally, one will just seem "right" -- like dating! :-) Thank you again for your response -- it was very helpful! Your wedding is going to be fabulous. I wish I had as much together as you did. One decision at a time, right? And deep breaths. You're absolutely welcome Jen can be reached at [email protected] -- if you check out their website (here's the link): Page Title you can also see some sample dinner menus for their catering services. I think it's a great idea to meet with her while you're down there ~ she's a sweetheart and so full of information! Let her know I referred her to you (MarieSam). FYI, it usually takes about 24-hours to get a response back from her. You know when we began the wedding planning process, we had initially wanted to have our wedding at Mayan Palace/Grand Mayan, but their menus kept changing and prices increased. I was totally devastated, but soon after discovered Turtle Bay. Of course, prior to our visit to the area in June I just kept praying it was all I hoped for. During our first visit to the CEA center, I had to keep an open mind. Like I said in my post, it certainly wasn't the Ritz Carlton, but we're not Ritz Carlton people either, lol. There was a wedding there that day, and the couple choose very simple decor. The venue was simple and authentic, but I could envision our style and decor there. I was initially bothered by the fact that there is no AC in the center, only ceiling fans but as the sun came down it really cooled down. With the candle wall and all the candles throughout the area, it is magic. The beachfront is out of this world and I also loved that the place is totally private, a building all your own. It was also great to see how hard Jen and her staff worked to make everything run smoothly. They were on top of everything and I appreciated that. But even after our first visit, I wasn't sold because I wanted to see what else was out there. Fortunately we have a good friend in Playa del Carmen who owns a transportation/tour company and he hooked us up with his friend who coordinates weddings and entertainment. We spent the day looking at various wedding locations in Playa del Carmen, Playacar and Puerto Adventuras. Some were private venues others were resorts, some all inclusives -- the places we saw were beautiful no doubt and really spectacular. But honestly, nothing clicked for us. We looked at all our options, took into consideration our budget and what was most important to us -- food, affordability and location. When it came down to it, FI and I both knew that the CEA Center felt like "us" and we got a great vibe from Jen because she was willing to spend so much time with us even when we were still undecided. On top of that Akumal has tons of accommodation choices -- all-inclusive, hotels, condos, villas, bungalows -- so it provides options for everyone's budget. Honestly, I think picking a location is one of the hardest decisions -- it's right up there with picking your photographer and your wedding dress. But yes, saying its like dating, is a perfect analogy -- because it will just feel right when you find "the one" location to celebrate your special day!!! If you need anymore info, please feel free to ask. Also my wedding website has tons of info on the venue and Akumal in general. FYI -- If you and FI, and your guests are water people, Akumal is a paradise for snorkeling and swimming Here's my website www.mariesamandtommy.com -- the password is Akumal . Hope this helps!

You're right your photographer did a wonderful job on covering your wedding events! Your pics are gorgeous, and I LOVE that he included some wide angle panoramic shots ~ I dont see a lot of photographers doing this, and I think they're spectacular and capture the essence of how beautiful the scenery and atmosphere was during your time there. Congrats

I wouldn't sweat it either, but being a meticulous and anal bride myself hehehe, if you want some ideas on how to fix or tinker with it ~ maybe post some pics of the invite so we can get a better idea of what we're working with. Otherwise, I say forge ahead, your guests will probably not even notice!

Ok, I'm a total DIY novice, so keep that in mind, hehehe. But that looks like embossing. It is beautiful and would make for an awesome invite or STD ~ the paper looks like its linen, but thicker than just regular cardstock.

Thanks gals for keeping me in check ~ all of you are right, I need to stop making myself sick and hope for the best. He is supposed to be meeting with the investigator tomorrow morning to fill out paper work and schedule his lie detector test (yikes!!), and hopefully we will know more at that time. Until then my fingers are permanently crossed and my heart is filled with prayer ~ thanks again for all your support it really means a lot!!!

FI did some extensive research on this topic, well he was forced to after I knocked down his unreasonable vision of buying both systems, lol. But ultimately it came down to him getting the PS3 because it doubles up as a blue-ray player. So far he's had no complaints at all and absolutely LOVES his PS3 because "the graphics are so fking dope" in his words. hehehe.

That totally sucks, and shame on all of them for failing to come through and being so disrespectful to all your preparation. There is truly no excuse for that many people to have not shown up knowing what it takes to put together something for so many people! But regardless, don't let their lack of manners ruin the fact that you had a spectacular wedding and that you're now happily married And I totally agree, they should all be put on your shit list!!!

How long is the police academy? I know it depends on the particular city, but I've been hearing about 6 months . . . FI is in the final stage of the recruitment process for the Newport Beach Police Department, and if his background investigation goes well (which we are confident it will because he's clean as a whistle), it looks like the academy will be starting for him very soon. I'm hoping that it happens before the end of the December so that he will be done in time for our June 26th wedding.....but if not, I have no idea what we're going to do FI has successfully been working as a Realtor the past 4 years, but since the market has turned into crap and our nuptials are nearing, with my blessing he pursued a chance to enter the police academy. It's something he's secretly wanted to do, but never thought I'd go for. Newport PD is one of the highest paid departments in California and thankfully is a generally safe area, which is the only reason why I agreed to it. If all goes well, he will be easily making a 6-figure salary in the next 2 to 3 years. Things happened so fast, he studied and trained his butt off and from what I've heard it's not easy to get through NPD recruitment process. I am so happy and proud of him, I totally support him and this is a wonderful opportunity for us. But today I will find out if the academy will run into our wedding plans, if so, I don't know what we're gonna do....we've already got at least 10 people who have booked flights, accommodations, and we've hired most of our vendors. My mom suggested that FI just fly down for the weekend, but are you kidding me? How can I be happy being in RM for 2 weeks and only getting my hubby for 3 days....I feel like crying everytime I think about it. Am I being selfish? My heart is breaking just thinking of our plans falling apart because thus far everything has been such a smooth and wonderful process. Please keep your fingers crossed that things work out. FI will be talking to the investigator conducting his background investigation later today, and hopefully I'll know more about where we stand....

Quote: Originally Posted by SonMgn24 Hi doing my search and wondering if anyone has stayed and the Grand Maya and if so… how is it… Thinking of doing my wedding at the Maya… I was recommended Jazmin De La Mora for wedding coordination… So far I have received very helpful information from her… I'm doing a catholic and civil wedding.... Has anyone used her service…. Any information helps.... Are you talking about the Grand Mayan? If so, I stayed there this past June for a week, and also spent a week in 2006 at its sister resort, the Mayan Palace, which shares the same grounds as the Grand Mayan. Initially I wanted to have my wedding there, but the wedding packages didn't provide a buffet reception, which was important to me. But from what I've seen, the place would be spectacular for a wedding. Instead we will be spending our second week of relaxation after the wedding at the Mayan resorts. The resort is HUGE, basically a city of its own, and the grounds are beautiful. However, because the place is so huge, they buildings are built perpendicular to the ocean so there are no oceanview rooms. Also because of the resorts' size, there are trams that will take you from your building to the main areas (pools, restaurants, beach). The beach unfortunately is rocky and not swimmable, but I did hear they are trying to improve it by installing some sort of man-made reef structures. The poor beach however is supplemented by an amazing array of pools. There are two major pool areas, and they are both amazing. My family especially likes the fact that the pools are open 24-hours, there's nothing like a dip at 3 a.m. The rooms at the Grand Mayan are very modern and fully furnished, we stayed in a two-bedroom unit that fit up to 10 people. If you've got a timeshare, this is the way to go! The Mayan Palace rooms are older, but still very nice and huge. The housekeeping service is great, and the resorts' staff is fantastic all around. Overall, I think the Grand Mayan/Mayan Palace is a great place to spend a vacation, and would be a really nice place to have a wedding. One thing I would definitely check on are their vendor policies, and whether they allow you to bring in your own vendors or if you must use theirs. Also check their wedding package prices, they always seem to fluctuate. Their reception menus always seem to change too because of a change of chefs. Hope this helps!

You looked beautiful Lucy ~ congrats

This is such an awesome idea, and they turned out fantastic!! And because these pics have special meaning to your guests, they will love them even more

I'm a Riviera Maya bride so I'm biased, but my vote goes for the RM!!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Simistar Awww...thank you! Yes, both the table numbers and placecards were DYI :-) Amazing work!! Well if you started off as a DIY dummie, then there's hope for me yet, lol. You've certainly become a DIY pro because your stuff looks fabulous!!!

I adore your table numbers and placecards!!! Are those DIY? And the Three Company trivia will be so much fun ~ your guests are going to have a blast and be so impressed by all your personal touches!!! Happy travels ~ can't wait to see the pics when you return

Quote: Originally Posted by beth Do you have his contact information? I want to get a quote from him....I thought my quote from DJ Mannia was a litte high as well considering my reception is only 4 hours. And this may be a stupid question, but are we supposed to tip the DJ on top of their fee? I'm not sure how that works in Mexico. Do you know what you were planning on doing? Thanks!!! Here's DJ Bob's website: Mexico Destination Riviera Maya Wedding DJ Bob has the most Experience in the Area I think tipping the DJ is like tipping any other vendor ~ it's done if you feel their services warranted a tip on top of what they charged you. FI and I are setting aside a budget for tips on the assumption that all our vendors will come through with great service, but of course it ultimately depends on whether they'll deliver as we'd hope