Simistar

Congratulations! Sounds like everything went perfectly... and you looked beautiful:-)

Quote: Originally Posted by Ana omg I don't know how I missed this thread but I did You looked amazing btw and your wedding looked so beautiful! Congrats! (even if it is 2 mos late) Awww...you're so sweet! I see you're coming up on your wedding...REALLY soon! You must be so excited! Best of luck that everything goes smoothly! :-)

Quote: Originally Posted by murphmeister You mentioned you had to smuggle your starfish in to Mexico? What was this about? I am bringing some shells with me to use for the rehearsal dinner and just noticed this. Thanks for the warning! No -- not me! :-) I didn't bring any starfish with me... though maybe you are thinking of Jody...? I think she brought starfish with her... And if I recall, I think starfish are considered live animals or something like that, so you're not supposed to bring them through customs... But maybe try searching "starfish" and see what threads come up... I'm sure this must have been discussed at some point!:-) Good luck!

Quote: Originally Posted by Flasong Did you use a local travel agent or one from here? I think I just need to contact a travel agent to ease my mind...and thanks again for all of your insight into everything! Definitely get hooked up with a travel agent! I think that will really help lower the anxiety level:-) We used an agent that came recommended from some family friends -- who was basically across the continent from us! (We're in Vancouver, Canada and she's based in Georgia...) I don't think you HAVE to use someone local...though that may be your preference... Frankly, I think even if we had used someone local, I still would have done pretty much everything over the phone and/e-mail, just b/c of my schedule. We had guests coming from all over the United States, Canada and the UK, so it didn't really matter where our agent was, lol:-) Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend the agent we used. (But this wasn't b/c she wasn't local...it was b/c she wasn't very good....) But I would think any of the agents that are part of this forum would be a good bet! You definitely want someone who has experience with destination weddings and large group bookings, and I think they all do. (No matter who you end up going with, make sure they have experience with this stuff! And planning Aunt Gertie's family vacation doesn't count:-)) Good luck:-)

Quote: Originally Posted by DTHSLove I think that is a good idea..Love your review.. Awww...shucks, thanks! :-) Quote: Originally Posted by Flasong I can't even decide on a destination let alone a hotel lol Oh GAWD, I know! That was probably the hardest part!:-) What we did was, decide on certain things we knew we wanted or that were important to us and narrow the list of possible destinations down from there...then narrow down the resort. For example, we knew we wanted a really nice beach...white sand with blue, blue water :-) We also knew we wanted to get married in December and we wanted a place that was pretty much guaranteed sunshine, no rain... So, we originally were considering places like Turks & Caicos and St. Lucia... but then when we looked into how long it took to fly there from the West Coast, and the expense...we decided on the Mayan Riviera... a much more budget-friendly option for our guests. So, once we narrowed that decision down, we gave a list of our "must-haves" (nice beach, adults only, smaller hotel, etc) to our travel agent who came up with a list of resorts and we went from there:-) I know it's a pain, but you'll be happy you did all the research you did to find the perfect place:-)

Sorry -- I'm a little bit late to this thread But I wanted to recommend the band we used for our wedding! I don’t think they have a name... Sol Tomargo also used them for her wedding, and another vendor on here, PlayaWeddings. Jill Kirkland and Victor Espinoza are the husband/wife team that run the band, then there are about two/three others who play in the band as well. They were great! They played while people were being seated, for when I walked down the aisle, during our ceremony and during our cocktail hour, and honestly -- I think they're the only reason people stayed for our cocktail hour! :-) (our resort's service during our cocktail hair was terrible...but Victor and Jill's music kept people happy:-)) And they were very reasonably priced! For two sets (45 mins per set), it was about $550 (can't remember exactly...sorry!) Best way to reach them is by e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] (try e-mail both addresses...Jill is American, so will likely be the one to respond...Victor is her husband and speaks Spanish and a little English...) Good luck -- and if you need any more info on the band, just ask:-)

Quote: Originally Posted by Flasong Simistar, This isn't a question about Secrets but I was wondering what your thoughts were about having the "symbolic" ceremony...I really don't want to have to have my documents translated etc etc so in seeing that you got "legally" married here, I was wondering how you arrived at that decision? And you kept it a secret..even better! lol...I am really contemplating this idea and not telling anyone either:) Oh and thanks for the detailed review..I love reading reviews to figure out where I want to go! I still have no idea.... Hey Flasong! Yeah -- I think you'll find a LOT of girls on here actually got married at home first and then had a "symbolic" ceremony in Mexico... There are just a lot of rules for Mexico (have to arrive a certain number of business days beforehand, blood samples, document translation etc)... For us, we REALLY wanted our time there to be a VACATION! So we didn't want to spend time doing stuff like getting blood tests, or having documents translated... which is all time AWAY from the sun and the pool:-) Neither my DH nor I see a lot of our family members very often, as many of them live across North America... So we wanted to spend that time with them, NOT taking care of the legalities! So, once we decided to get legally get married at home first, we also decided to keep it a secret since we didn't want our guests/family/friends to feel ripped off going all the way to Mexico to just see a symbolic ceremony, if you KWIM :-) So, we told two friends, who were our witnesses at the legal ceremony, and that's IT! The four of us went out for a nice dinner after:-) It was kind of funny during our trip b/c one of my DH's relatives kept trying to pry the info out of some of our close friends in the days leading up to our wedding.. she kept asking if were already married, but our friends didn't cave !:-) And aside from that one cousin, I don't think anyone else suspected:-) I think it all depends on what you and your FI want... For some girls, they prefer to have everything legally done in Mexico... But for us, it just wasn't worth all the extra steps... As for deciding where to go... that was probably one of the most difficult parts, lol!:-) But honestly, this forum will give you some GREAT ideas, suggestions and information on different resorts! I wish I had found this site way before I did! So at least you're off to a good start:-) Please let me know if there's anything else I can help with:-)

We had lip gloss for the girls and cigars for the guys...and everyone LOVED the cigars! (even the girls...more than the lipgloss:-))

Quote: Originally Posted by ltbscotland i am not sure if the bbq would be extra or if that would be included in the price of the wedding. You can choose from a couple different menus for your reception -- and I'm pretty sure a "bbq" option is one of them... Though I think you will have to be very specific with Cecilia if you actually want the food bbq'd in front of you (like a real bbq)... We chose the "caribbean theme bbq" menu for our beach bonfire party and I was kind of expecting someone to be bbq'ing some food, but in fact it was just bbq'd food set out in a buffet... So if you want someone to actually be bbq'ing, you sbould specifically ask Cecilia about that!:-) Quote: Originally Posted by ltbscotland unfortunately I cannot afford an outside wedding planner which is why I am counting on this forum to help me :) Again thanks for your help. Fair enough! We didn't have it on our budget either... But if any brides-to-be DO have it in their budget, it's a good idea;-) But that IS what we're all here for!

Quote: Originally Posted by melette If you don't mind me asking.. Which color is this pashmina when ordering on the website?? My wedding colors are Coral and Aqua (tiffany Blue). Wondering when I order, which color would be close to the Tiffany blue that i'm using... Thanks!! I ordered color P26... it's a very nice turquoise-y blue... not sure I'd call it a true "tiffany blue" (I think that's a touch more green-y..?) but it's pretty close! I haven't been on the site since I ordered them, but if I recall, thsi colour was the best aqua/tiffany blue option... (but check again, I could be wrong:-))

Quote: Originally Posted by handbagscentral I also greatly appreciate the kind words Simistar had in a few posts, we are a family business and pride ourselves on our quality and service. Welcome to the forum Just happy to pass along a good product to others:-)

Quote: Originally Posted by ltbscotland Hi Simistar thanks for your reply - its been very very helpful. I need to speak to the hubby-to-be and get his opinion.....he normally leaves it up to me anyway and just goes wiht whatever I say!! We might end up doing what you done or having a reception by the beach bar. Thanks again for the info...much appreciated Okay, so I was thinking about this some more:-) While SMB only has one of the covered wood frame-thingy's... they do have LOTS of palapas on the beach. So, you wouldn't get that exact set-up as in the Secrets Capri photos, BUT, you could probably have them do similar... (they'll probably charge you a price for it though:-)) But, once again, that one wooden covered frame is on the side of the beach where they do the wedding ceremonies... So, if you're willing to go with just palapas being lit up (not covered wooden frame) you could ask for this set-up on the OTHER side of the beach, near the beach bar, with buffet food. That way you would hopefully get good service AND close to the set-up you want. As for all the cushions etc. they had on the beach in the Secrets Capri photos, I'm not sure SMB will have those. I had asked about those for our bonfire party, and while they provided mats to sit on, they didn't have cushions. But you could always ask! Maybe by the time your wedding comes around, they will have this option:-) Again (I mentioned this in my review), I will suggest that since you want something different than what is usually done at SMB, and if you have it in your budget -- hire an outside wedding planner/coordinator. That way you don't have to worry about SMB getting it right...the wedding coordinator will do that for you and, I think, relieve a LOT of that stress you're feeling! :-)

We used mywedding.com as well! It has really nice designs and layouts (some sites have really cheesey designs:-)) You can also order matching invitations, STDs, etc... And the best part is -- the site is free:-) Here's ours: Michelle & David - wedding website by mywedding.com good luck!

Quote: Originally Posted by meli122 Thanks everyone. I will send another email. I've sent 2 and even my TA has sent her one without a reply. This place is really my #1 place so I will keep trying. Thanks for the help =) Hey -- did you ever get in touch with Cecilia...?? I hope so!! Just curious:-)

Quote: Originally Posted by ltbscotland My heart is set on having my ceremony and reception on the beach this - for us is the whole reason for doing a destination wedding. Please can you look at the photos in this link... Playa del Carmen: Secrets Capri Riviera Cancun - Traveler Reviews - Got Married Here and LOVED It - TripAdvisor My ideal wedding reception would be as per the photos in this link, it is secluded on the beach, the set up is lovely and the table is set up underneath some sort of wooden frame. This wedding was done at secrets capri....however I would like this sort of set up at the secrets maroma...do they have these sort of wooden frames at the maroma?? I think I have seen somewhere that you can pay extra to have an exotic gazebo on the beach in the maroma....wot is this like? is it worth the extra money? how much is it? Hey again! Sorry it took me a bit to post back, work's been nutso this week. Okay, so I looked at those pics.. looks beautiful! I really hate to burst any bubbles or anything but I honestly think if you want THIS particular set up...you won't get it at SMB. They just don't have that number of covered wooden frames... They have ONE covered wooden frame that's on the beach permanently (used for massages on the beach).... You can see it here in the foreground of this picture we took: (If you look in the back of this pic, near the water, you can see the gazebo/archway they set up for weddings on the beach) You can get married under this massage hut, BUT I don't recommend it. It is very close to all the sun loungers...as in, it's right in the middle! So you would have a LOT of people suntanning RIGHT NEXT to you saying your vows! I don't think this picture shows that very well, but it's taken from the opposite direction as the pic above. This time the wedding arch/gazebo is the foreground, and if you look waaay in the back, you can see the massage hut. There aren't a lot of sun loungers in this pic, but you can see how close it is to the hotel: The wedding arch/gazebo they set up for you is really very nice and much more "private"...as in, there aren't a whack of sunbathers in your pictures:-) This isn't our set-up, I took this pic a few days later of another small wedding. But you can see how much more private it is: I totally understand what you meean about wanting to do everything on the beach, as this is the point of a destination wedding We felt the same way. So we kept our ceremony and cocktail hour on the beach, but once we saw how nice the set up was by the pool, we decided to move our reception poolside. And honestly, after the terrible service we got at our cocktail hour on the beach, we were glad we did! I just don't think SMB is set up, or experienced enough, to handle receptions on the beach. That said, we had a beach bonfire welcome dinner that we had GREAT service for! I think the difference was, it was a buffet for food AND it was set up on the other side of the beach (which is closer to the beach bar, so maybe it was faster and easier for servers to get drinks...?) If your heart is SET on a reception on the beach, then I suggest having it as a buffet AND requesting it be on the side of the beach that's closer to the beach bbq/food hut (opposite side to where the beach ceremonies are held.) And lastly (whew, sorry this is turning out to be really long!)... those pictures from Secrets Capri look realy nice...but I just don't think SMB is quite where Secrets Capri is at in terms of level of service... After all, SMB hasn't been open nearly as long. I'm sure SMB would try to do something similar FOR A PRICE if you request it... I'm just not sure it would quite turn out the way you want it to. (As I mentioned in my review, Cecilia's super sweet and works hard...but often falls short on the follow through...) I will say this though...SMB has a GORGEOUS beach: If you want a nice beach and a beautiful resort but are willing to sacrifice some of the other details (like the exact setup you want on the beach) -- then I think SMB can work for you!:-) Sorry this was so long Just trying to make sure I answer all your questions:-) DOn'T STRESS!! That's what we're all here to help with:-) Anything else? :-)

Quote: Originally Posted by ltbscotland Hi Simister sorry to bombard you with questions NO PROBLEM!! Just happy to help Quote: Originally Posted by ltbscotland Please can you look at the photos in this link... Playa del Carmen: Secrets Capri Riviera Cancun - Traveler Reviews - Got Married Here and LOVED It - TripAdvisor The link didn't work... maybe try again...? More than happy to take a look... Once you post a working link, I'll take a look and weigh in:-)

Quote: Originally Posted by drtracy Me too please Simistar ~ I'm thinking about using them for my TTD! Done:-) Just sent you a message :-)

Quote: Originally Posted by ltbscotland Did you have your reception on the beach? Was it secluded or did you have people sunbathing right next to you? Hey there! So, not sure if you've seen my review, but it will probably answer at least some of your questions... Here's the link: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t34046 We had our cocktail hour on the beach and our reception by the pool. I go into detail in my review, but in a nutshell, the service was TERRIBLE on the beach. We too really wanted our whole reception to be on the beach, but once we got to the resort, we saw how beautiful the site by the pool is...plus it's more sheltered from the wind AND a lot of our female guests really wanted to wear heels with their dresses, which obviously they couldn't do on the sand, lol:-) Our cocktail hour was pretty on the beach, with the moon and the waves BUT we just had awful service...one server with not enough drinks or glasses...food was NOT good and there was barely any of it anyway (about four small plates of about eight hors d'oeuvres on each). Plus the way they set up the tables, there's nowhere to sit, so older guests left after about 20 mins to half an hour.... BUT hopefully the problems with bad service we encountered will be worked out by the time anyone else has their cocktail hour on the beach! In any case, my recommendation is to have your reception by the pool. It's very pretty and you'll get good service guaranteed:-) That said, we did have a welcome dinner on the beach as well with a bonfire, and we had EXCELLENT service and food for this. So, not sure what happened with the cocktail hour... (maybe b/c that's included in the package they didn't care as much about service? and we paid $25 /pp for the bonfire party so the service BETTER have been good! :-)) Hope this helps:-)

Quote: Originally Posted by ltbscotland Hi wonder if you can help. I was booked to get married in the Azul Fives however I have just found out that it will now not open until November 2009 i am now considering this resort. Please can you clarify for me. The silver and gold wedding package is $2000 and $2750. On their website it says that it include a meal for 20 people, is this meal in one of the restaurants or can you have it as a private dinner party on the beach? If it is a private dinner party do you need to pay extra? thanks for you help!! Hey there, The private dinner for 20 that's included in the packages is usually what couples use for their private reception after the ceremony. Although I suppose if you don't want to have a reception, you could use it another night of your stay...? (then again, if you're not planning on having a private reception, it's probably better to just pay for your wedding "a la carte" rather than use a package, if you know what I mean...) So, the dinner for 20 included in the package IS private and can be held wherever you want...the beach, poolside or inside one of the restaurants. If you have over 20 people, you have to pay extra per person over 20. If you have fewer than 20, you don't get money back:-) Hope this helps... hope I didn't make it more confusing:-)

Quote: Originally Posted by DeBooCL Thank you for your help! I think Cecilia sent me a picture of that private room in the World Cafe. Was it a red room? I am waiting for the menu at Portofino to make my decision. I will have 24 guests. Cecilia mentioned the Portofino terrace could be reserved for around $20pp. I don't think there is a charge pp for the World Cafe buffet since we would be serving ourselves. ( If we can get the private room that would be a better deal ). Yes -- that's the room! It's kind of got a red colour-scheme... Our group did actually use that room one night... My DH's cousin and her hubby were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary so we had a dinner/party in there for them... It was really nice -- and the servers were very accommodating, in terms of keeping the drinks coming:-) They want to charge you $20/pp for the Portofino terrace?? That seems a bit ridiculous since you can eat there for free any night... But I guess having the terrace sectioned off and private service is what you'd be paying for... If it's in your budget, it does sound nice... But honestly, I think you'd be just as happy at the World Cafe for free:-) It's not outside, but it's still nice... Let me know if there's anything esle I can help with!

We're kind of goofy:-) We took pics of ourselves using the gift the person gave us and are including that picture along with a wallet-size pic of one of our pro pics... (For anyone who did not give us a gift, we're obviously just including the wallet-size pro pic...) Sorry -- don't have ANY of those shots right now to share... But they were fun to do!:-)

Quote: Originally Posted by DeBooCL right now I am trying to plan the rehearsal/welcome dinner. Cecila has suggested the World Cafe or Portofino. What restaurant would you recommend? I'm sure I will be back soon with more question! Any info will help. Hey there! Okay, so Portofino vs World Cafe for a rehearsal/welcome dinner... I think it all depends on what kind of vibe you're going for...and the size of your group... Portofino is set up like a nice Italian restaurant... nice table setting, nice table cloths, ordering off a menu with meals nicely presented... I'm not sure how many people would fit in there though if you have a really large group...? Assuming they won't let you reserve the restaurant (they don't normally) you'll also have to wait to be seated... BUT it is a more "elegant" setting/vibe and would be worth it if that's what you're going for... The World Cafe is more of a "buffet" setting...more casual... Still nice, but just more casual...people get up and get the food themselves...though there are servers bringing drinks to the tables... There are lots of different food choices -- which is good if your group all wants something different to eat :-) Also, it's quite big in there (it's where the breakfast buffet is in the mornings)...so easier to fit a big group... Hope this helps! Let me know if I didn't cover something you wanted to know:-)

I think we've ALL been to a wedding where there was an awkward speech... So, my DH and I decided NO SPEECHES at our wedding:_) Which was also small (26 total)... DH got up and spoke at the beginning of dinner (and mentioned no speeches then), and I got up at the end of dinner to say a few words... It was GREAT:-) Anyone who REALLY wanted to say something said it at dinner the next night

Quote: Originally Posted by divadivine25 Does anyone have any pictures of chair covers that they purchased from this site for the wedding? ? Hey there, I posted a pic in this thread...it's in the first post... http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t34428 Hope this helps:-)

Quote: Originally Posted by beachhappy I am looking for a photographer; do you mind sharing that info with me? Just sent you a PM;-)