LeanneMarie

I will do my best to take some pictures.  Most of the time on wedding day, I'm a little hectic, but I bet Melissa will grab some, and I'll get them from her - if nothing else!  She's only doing the make-up for me on this one.

I'll keep you posted!

Leanne

I've booked her for a wedding on April 16th!  So I will let you know soon .  After meeting and speaking with her a while back, I do have high confidence in her and her abilities.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Have you been to the area before?

I think the biggest thing to consider first of all is if you are interested in more of the all inclusive resort style wedding or if you are leaning more towards an a different idea.  This can be accommodations at condos, boutique hotel, villa, house, etc, and then the wedding can be held at a number of different locations such as beach clubs, chapels, restaurants, etc.

There are a lots of different options and ideas you can explore - all depends on your vision and a bit on your budget.

If you get a chance to come down for a site inspection those can be very helpful in visualizing everything too!!!

HAVE FUN!!!!!

Leanne

Some resorts will charge just a day pass fee and other resorts will charge up to $350 USD for using outside vendors,and other resorts will not charge anything.  Definitely check your contract or with the resort coordinator.  If they are charging a larger fee it's usually about the same amount as they would have earned had you used their house vendor, so it's basically the same thing, and you are getting to use who you want.  Still seems a little unfair, maybe.  I know that some brides have been able to negotiate using outside vendors at no additional cost, so just try to be very insistent with what you want before committing and get a signed agreement.  happy planning!!

I second that for Paul from Playa Weddings!!  I use him all the time

Hi there - I use Paul from www.playaweddings.com.  They are based in Playa but definitely can go to Cancun or Tulum for that matter!!

I've done weddings at Playa Secreto and other locations that have had up to 100 guests and everything has gona well.  A large majority of the guests tend to stay at the same place as the bride & groom, and then the others stay nearby.  Transportation is fairly easy to arrange and you just have one central meeting point for the pick.  Usually the hotel with the most guests.

I've used D Paul tuxedos in Cancun.  They can deliver to Playa del Carmen, but they charge extra for it of course.  Here is their e-mail and you can see which way would be best to go about it.  [email protected]

They are a great band with lots of karisma!!  TONS OF FUN!!!

Looks like an amazing property!!!!!  I'd love to offer it to my clients !!!!!!

Hi there, to my knowledge, there is not a company that rents the dance floor for less than $500, at least not one of vinyl.  I have rented wood dancefloors but I do not recommend it, as the boards were separated and we had to fill it with sand.  It was quite a process.  You could rent the lighted ones and just not have it lit?

If I hear of a more economical dance floor I will definitely let you!

Sincerely

Leanne!

I've used Doranna for hair on several occasions and she is awesome!  She can work with any hair and has a good understanding of this Caribbean weather.  Also, I've worked with The Make Up Pros for both hair & make up, and they were great!   Hope your search goes well!    Leanne

Just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself, and say HI to all the BDW members & brides.

I am an independent wedding consultant in the Riviera Maya and have been operating since 2007. 

I'm originally from Texas, and have been living in Mexico since 2004.  My love affair with Mexico began in 1998, on a family trip to Cozumel.  The Riviera Maya is an amazing place to be, and so full of refreshing energy.

I was inspired to become a wedding planner while observing my sister's trails & tribulations as she was planning her destination wedding in 2004.  In January of 2007 I was contracted by my first bride, and on May 19, 2007 (my parents anniversary, coincidentally) we had a successful & FUN wedding held at Mosquito Beach & Negrosal. 

I've loved every minute since and am so excited to continue helping destination wedding couples achieve their vision, however elaborate or simple, as stress free and happy as possible!

I work with many awesome vendors throughout the area that I'd love to share with you, or am open to working with those you've already contracted.  There are a variety of services a wedding coordinator can provide.  Having someone that is working for you and representing your best interested is an asset because then you have someone that you can constantly be in contact with, get straight answers from, and are able to simply enjoy the special day with all of your closest friends & family, instead of worrying about all the details.

You can check out my website here.

Congratulations to all the future brides & happy planning!!

with Love,

Leanne Marie

I've worked with all the del Sol photographer & Rachel from La Luna...all fabulous!!!   I recommend hiring locally because they will know the area better, and possibly be more experienced with beach weddings.  Also, my experience working with out of town photographers has been okay, but I've never had anyone bring an assistant, which, I think is essential for capturing all the special moments. 

Hope your search goes well!

I love groupon...I'd be up for it!

I love the first dance photo...it seems like there's no one else in the world except for you two in that moment!!

That is so unfortunate that you are having to deal with this situation.  Planning from afar is always a challenge, and I know how much trust you have to put in your coordinator and they are actually there to help and should make it a lot less stressful for you. 

We're you able to get everything taken care of on your own?

If you are looking for a flower shop there are a couple in the town, but I don't think you'll be able to find tulips there.  You'll find orchids, calla lilies, lilies, roses...tropical flowers. 

In my experience as a wedding planner in the area $118 for a bouquet of tulips is maybe slightly on the high end, but within range actually.  Two years ago I had a bride request different flowers for each of the 6 bouquet she required, and one being tulips.  The price was $110.  Just to give you some reference....

Also, I'm not sure what florist/decorator the Royal uses, so hopefully you can see some examples beforehand.

If you do end up finding an outside vendor, just be cautious of the rules at the Royal. 

Hope you can find something that will be perfect

Congratulations & Enjoy it!!

Leanne Marie

All great suggestions...and you've already got off to a great start by asking the questions and kind of having an idea of what you are looking for.  you can always e-mail them or call directly with your questions. 

Personal wedding planners can also help you get a feel for the area and your options.

With a large guest list you want to make sure that with the all inclusive hotel you have all the costs very clear.  The extras can sneak up on you, especially if your guests do not stay at the resort where the wedding is being held.

Congratulations and enjoy it!!

Leanne Marie  

i work with a minister in Cancun for almost all of my weddings...he is awesome!!!  I will send you his info!!

yes, this forum is full of great suggestions and referrals!!!  an amazing resource...thanks again for sharing your story as it will benefit many, many, many destination wedding couples to come!

This is very true!!  I'm currently seeking out a baker who can make a mountain with climbers or high-liners or something adventurous as my clients are EXTREMISTS when it comes to the outdoors!!   Very fun !!

And I once had a cake made that was the dungeon castle or something like that from some videogame for the groom's cake!  It was an art piece.

you can also check out Royal Table.  http://www.royaltablecancun.com/equipo.html  the site is in Spanish too, but if you click on the Linea Lounge 77 tab right under the pictures of the chairs you can see photos of all they have for Lounge set ups.

sillas = chairs

mesas = tables

equipo = equipment

hope that helps!!

Hi everybody!!  

My awesome teachers & friends from the YogaSlackers, just hired me to help them plan their wedding in San Diego!!  I'm a planner in the Riviera Maya, Mexico, and I love it down here, but I'm super stoked about exploring new places!!  It will be an awesome experience to kind of get a feel of what it's like for my Mexico clients, when they have to plan from afar!

We've got locations all picked out, and now I'm just in the market for an AWESOME DJ, caterers, and furniture rentals!

If anybody has any tips, referrals, or suggestions please pass them my way!!  Looking forward to getting to know SAN DIEGO!

Happy weddings to all!

mucho amor,

Leanne

It's so hard to be able to know what type of vendor you are actually dealing with with you can't meet them.  Thank you for posting your experience, and I'm glad you were able to not let it ruin your wedding!!

Congratulations!!!!!

For future brides, try to get references from past clients and check on the forum when considering using a new vendor.  This place is a great resource!!!