newyork6156

Jaccat15 - Good luck with everything! We had no problem getting the grooms room the night before. Just asked Cecilia when we got there and it was no problem. I think if it's not a full capacity there won't be any problem.

 Definitely email with Cecilia about making the spa appointments in advance. We discussed what times would be best that day and I told her how many I needed for hair and make up...then she made the appts with the spa. Of course I confirmed the appts again when I arrived.

Mellyrobert- They closed the world cafe for our reception. Although I don't think that restaurant is even open all that much for dinner. We originally looked into having our reception in Portofino and cecilia said we probably could have it there but wouldn't be able to have a dj b/c they can't turn off the piped in music in just one restaurant. Well I really don't think that's the case since they play different music in every restaurant, but I didn't push for it. Portofino was open every night we were there this past week. I think it's pretty popular since it's Italian. So I wouldn't plan on it just being closed the night you would like. I found that being persistant without being annoying got us far when planning our wedding there. Original no's turned into yes's on a few occasions. They really do try to accommodate your needs and wants. Anyway, that being said, if you can't get portofino the red room in the world cafe is nice. I'm not sure how many people you have. There is also a blue room on the other side of the cafe (a bit smaller). I also know some people have the welcome dinner in the japanese restaurant at the hibachi table, it's pretty big (needs to be reserved). Fun, but you can't really talk to anyone other than the person right next to you. The mexican restaurant El Patio has a table in the back that seats about 10-12 people I think, so the whole restaurant wouldn't have to be closed. We had 26 people and had our welcome dinner as a buffet and bonfire on the beach and it was great! Hope this helps!

Congrats! I got married there July 11 2009. We just went back for our anniversary. I just as beautiful as ever! You're going to love it!

congrats!!!

Glad it was helpful! The bonfire was so much fun!!! I was so focused on the wedding day that I really left the welcome dinner in their hands...aside from picking the food and putting the music together. We were pleasantly suprised at how lovely everything looked when we arrived at the beach that evening. The set up was wonderful and the service was top notch. I would highly reccommend it to anyone, if it's in the budget. Quote: Originally Posted by pryncesslinda Congrats on your wedding! Thanks so much for your review.... soooo helpful! Your pics are georgeous and you looked beautiful! Great to know about the golf cart because my dad is slightly handicapped and cant walk far distances, so I will def be making this request esp for the day of! And we were thinking about the bonfire and I think you just made our desicion Looks like it was a blast! And we will bring our own music too Thanks a ton!

I think if you just do a search for Secrets Maroma Beach you will find wedding review threads for people married there. Also, mine should be a link at the bottom of this post. Quote: Originally Posted by pryncesslinda general question: how can i find the wedding review page for SMB on here? I cant seem to find it. do we have one? im trying to get ideas for centerpeices and set-ups.

Quote: Originally Posted by knitgirl13 Now, if it was a DJ I could justify the costs but we said we'd bring music on an IPOD. I wrote back and told her we wouldn't need the use of it, but she just said ok and left the contract the same... I'm not comfortable signing it... Ugh, it's stressing me out already. I considered just switching to Excellence Playa because their coordinator seems more helpful, but my fiance really prefers SMB and the beach looks amazing so I don't know... Here's what it says on the contract: Sound Stereo System for Ceremony $180 usd +10% tax $ 199.80 (speakers, microphone) Music will be bring by their own. Sound Stereo System for Reception, 3 hours, $180 usd +10% tax $ 599.40 (speakers, microphone) Music will be bring by their own. I would just ask Cecilia to update the contract before you sign it.

I had a TERRIBLE experience with destinationweddings.com! Just awful! I think I wrote about it in the destinationweddings.com thread or in my wedding review thread. I'm happy for the people that have had good experiences with them, but I actually stopped using them half way through the planning b/c my agent was THAT bad. We got much better deals negotiating with the resort ourselves.

Yes, I used the spa for my makeup! :-) Quote: Originally Posted by Dayla911 New York, You had the spa do your makeup right??

We just used martha stewart invitations. We used the wording on the template from the website: Print Your Own Stationery at Print.MarthaStewart.com Quote: Originally Posted by cheerleader1975 Hi New York - would you mind sharing your wedding invitations? I am having a terrible time with the inserts and wording. And thanks for your details on your wedding - this will be very helpful in November

Quote: Originally Posted by SophieInLove Im getting married in December and was considering Secrets Marona, newyork6156 I loved your detailed review, it was very helpful. All the Best to you! you're welcome!! Let me know if you have any questions!

I had the bonfire welcome dinner and it was great. The wait staff was really good. Actually running to get anything we needed. You can read about it by clicking on my review below. Let me know if you have any particular questions. We had 26 people and we were allowed to have the full buffet dinner not just apps. They are really good at working with you, all you have to do is ask. The worst they could say is no.

We did welcome bags and had them handed out at the front desk as our guests checked in. We only had about 15 bags and they didn't charge us extra to hand them out. We were going to have them in the rooms, but then realized that our guests may get upgraded upon arrival and didn't want the confusion of moving the bags around. It worked out really well leaving them on a table behind the front reception desks.

Quote: Originally Posted by Mandiland Any suggestions for a DJ? I have suggestions on who I would not to use...check my review.

great choice. I was married there July 2009. If you do a search for Secrets Maroma Beach you can find my review.

Here are the 2 pictures Cecilia sent me of the ballroom. Here is a picture my photographers took of the foyer. The actual ballroom is in a room to the right. The foyer is so much nicer than the actual ballroom. You can have your reception in the foyer. I had 26 people and we could have easily fit in this area. And you have the terrace for the cocktail hour if you want. It's all at the end of the main building so it's more private b/c no one is walking past to get anywhere else. Also, you have to make sure that there is no other event going on in the ballroom that evening.

Also - as for the guests at the beach ceremony...Cecilia had two people stationed on each side of our ceremony not allowing people to walk past. In the beginning, we had one person walk past in her itty bitty bathing suit and then Cecilia positioned people there on each side to stop it. Honestly I didn't even notice, but my mom told me about the woman walking by and then I did see it in the background in the video! So maybe Cecilia has caught on to this problem and will have resort workers standing "guard" for you.

Mandiland - In my opinion and after being married there in JULY I would have my reception inside a closed in restaurant. Aside from the heat, I would not want to chance the mosquitos. Our cocktail hr was outside and just as we were moving in for the reception the bugs came out. We all would have been so uncomfortable if we were staying outside for the reception as well. Maybe the bugs would not be a problem and maybe they would. I'm just the type of person that wouldn't take that chance. Also, maybe the bugs wouldn't be that bad down towards the water more where there is more of a breeze, but we ate at those restaurants and we had a slight bug problem there at night. I agree that those restaurants are beautiful and would be nice for a reception, but I'm just not one to take chances. I felt the same way about the ballroom and why travel all the way to Mexico to be in a ballroom, but I will say that the pics Cecilia sent me of the ballroom was not the only "ballroom" option. I too disliked the pics of the ballroom that was sent to me, but upon arriving at the resort and looking for myself I found that the large foyer area before going into the actual ballroom was lovely. Not sure of how many people could fit, but it was fairly large and you could use the balcony for cocktail hr and it's location is great for privacy. If you did end up there I would definitely check to make sure there is no corporate dinner or anything going on in the actual ballroom that night because that could be a problem on many levels. I almost had my ceremony in there b/c of the weather and I would not have been happy due to the noise of them setting up next door for a dinner. (Luckily the weather turned out perfect!) I have to run out now but I will post the pics I have of the ballroom when I get back

Quote: Originally Posted by trueblue Hey! Congratulations! I will be getting married at Secrets Maroma on July 4th 2010. I am trying to get a sense of how the photographer, hair and makeup are at the resort. I would love to see some of your ceremony and reception pictures since you used the resort photographer as I plan to. Thanks!! I will post some more pics if you'd like, but I didn't use the resort photographer. I used Moments That Matter for the photography. I used the wedding package for the ceremony video and it was great.

Welcome! I was married at SMB this past July 11th. It was sooo wonderful, you'll love it! I have a review, just search secrets maroma beach.

just bumping this for some upcoming SBM brides that may want to read... Also, I'm having a hard time getting in touch with Cecilia about our free anniversary nights. We never received the certificate when we were there and when I emailed her back in aug. she said they were out of them and as soon as they came in she would send them to me. Well, that never happened so I emailed her twice now in the past 2 weeks with no response yet. I'm remembering why I thought she was a bit annoying, I started to forget.

Quote: Originally Posted by Mandiland Thanks so much Semistar! I really appreciate all of your information! I read all of your reviews on here when I picked my resort and it was very helpful! I'm not sure if Cecelia has an assistant or not but she is pretty good at getting back to us and our wedding planner. My wedding planner is working with her for other weddings at the resort so they keep in pretty good contact. I found the wedding planner at DestinationWeddings.com and I adore her. I would def. suggest to new brides on here to look them up and use them! We are having our wedding in July so it is going to be realllllly hot! I am also worried about mosquitos. We are having the wedding in an air conditioned chapel at the Marina. When you see that chapel at the El Dorado Maroma it is actually at the marina so people from other resorts can have their wedding there, you go through Lomas Travel. I wonder how windy it is there in July.... I do like the pool side reception, it looks very pretty! I was married there last July and yes, it's windy and there are mosquitos. I hadmy reception on the beach and my sister had to hold my veil down. It wasn't so windy that sand was blowing up or anything like that and it actually felt good b/c you weren't sweating. I had my reception in the world cafe red room. The entire restaurant was closed for us that night, but we only used the red room b/c we only had 26 people and I didnt want to feel too spread out. I wanted to be in a/c and away from potential bugs for the reception. At our welcome dinner on the beach it was beautiful with a breeze and NO bugs. At the cocktail hr outside the bugs just started to come out as we were heading inside for dinner so I was really glad we decided to be inside for the reception. Also, one side of the resort seemed to have more bugs at night than the other. So I would keep that in mind and request to be roomed on the "good" side. (one side of the resort has jungle next to it and the other has another resort, so obviously the side next to jungle was buggier) I wrote a pretty detailed review about the experience if you haven't seen it.

Quote: Originally Posted by mlynnea So..I'm getting married at Secrets on 2.26.10...I'm doing a beach ceremony and a bit confused by the pictures I have received from Cecilia about the ceremony site. It looks like there are two different size structures on the beach...one is massive and heavy looking, and there is another one much smaller. Both are the same style of a rectangular pergola structure. Are there really two different structures? I'm wondering because we want to bring decorations down to Mexico, and I need to know which one I'll be decorating. Can anyone that has been married there before help? Thanks!!! Yes, there are 2 structures to choose from. I got married using the smaller one. At first I liked the heavier looking one better, but I don't think I liked the location as much. I'm trying to think back and remember why...The smaller one is all the way at the end of the beach and bit more private I think. Maybe it had to do with the walkway also...like where I was going to be walking in from. I wish I could remember exactly, sorry.

Quote: Originally Posted by TinaM2b NewYork6156, Congratulations to you too!!! Yes, it was a crazy day. Please share photos when you get a chance. Our ceremony was at 2:00 with overcast skys. That was probably great for the photos afterwards though. We had an outside cocktail hour from 5-6 that got rained out (fortunately, the gazebo we got married in at 2:00 was right next to it and all the staff moved it under the gazebo) The reception was at 6:00 inside so we didn't have to worry anymore about the weather. When I went to the salon, it was georgeous but a horrible storm went through while I was there that no one told me abuot.... I think that was a good thing because I would of been upset. The way it was, everything turned out perfect! Isn't it crazy how the weather is always on everyone's mind, but in the end it really doesn't make a difference. The day is still great! PS - I just posted some pics in my wedding review of Secrets Maroma Beach.