CantWait!

Very cute. I like it!

I agree that it's different for each resort. Our resort (Moon Palace) requires $300 per room to reserve the block. We're only blocking 10 rooms because frankly, we don't have the money to block more than that!

I am SO relieved you created this post, ameliamae! We have been toying with the idea as well, but for us it is less about weather and more about having time to save up more money for a reception in Chicago. Everything is expensive and such an ordeal. We had pretty much given up on it, but now, I'm thinking we might go ahead with it since it wouldn't be seen negatively. Thank you!!!

I love the second bouquet, Amarillis! The pinks and oranges would look really great with the chocolate brown...and not too formal.

I really hate to hear these stories! It does seem like the WCs are busy, but I agree with the other brides...that's no excuse to be rude! There are SO many wonderful resorts though. You will find the perfect one for you!

nibsmom - Are you having your ceremony in a gazebo or on the beach? I was thinking about using the beach after seeing the recent pictures of how they set it up...but you just made me think more seriously about having umbrellas for some shade!!

Blaired - If you definitely have your wedding date/time locked in with MP, then I say go for it with the STDs! I think it's fine to send out more information to your guests as you get it. Depending on how you do that...it could get pricey with all the stamps.

Mrs. D To Be....THANK YOU!! I saved the website so we can go back and reserve with them once we get the final count. I'll make sure to give them your name as a referral!

blaired -- My fi is also an attorney, and he went nuts when he saw the MP contract. We're actually booking the group rates/block separately with our travel agent and then trying to do the other contract for the ceremony package on our own. That contract was unbelievably vague and basically read as: "you pay Moon Palace $1800 and they'll give you a package named 'XYZ'...". No details about the package, except the cost and that they could change anything and everything about it whenever they wanted. The thing that scared me the most, was that they wanted us to pay 100% of the package before we even spoke to a wedding coordinator! Needless to say, we're still working out our contract with them (e.g., we revised their contract entirely and faxed it back to them...still waiting for a reply). I hope to hear back this week and get everything finalized. The group booking through our travel agent seems to be very easy, but we have not been involved, so I couldn't be sure about what she's gone through. If you want to see the rates she's giving us for a 10-room block, just let me know. I'm happy to share. I have talked to several other destination brides and this kind of ambiguous contract is pretty much normal. That didn't really make me feel any better...but seeing the feedback on this resort here on this forum, quells a few of my nerves.

Mrs. D To Be -- $52 pp??!! That's really great! I searched around on the Elite Tours site...which is supposedly the company that MP uses. I didn't see anything that cheap. What company are you using?

Our TA priced out a 4-night package and at least with that number of nights, the silver passport is included. The minimum stay requirement is a good question though, because I want our guests to get it as well. Do you know if any of the sunset/evening cruises are included on the passport? Or are those always additional?

Bernie... Where in Chicago do you live? We're in the west loop! To answer your question, we're just going to the courthouse to get the marriage license, but not doing the ceremony with the JOP. Our ceremony will be in Mexico, so we'll sign the license ourselves once we get back from Mexico and have a reception here in Chicago. This is where it gets really technical and legal...thank goodness FI is an attorney and can talk to some judges about all this....frankly, I'm still confused. But the best way I can describe it is that as long as you both believe that you're getting married when you get the license, and you both believe you're married after the ceremony (wherever the "pomp and circumstance" happens), you are legally viewed as married in the eyes of the courts. For some reason, my FI doesn't like the idea of having the JOP do any kind of ceremony at the courthouse. If we can get a judge friend of his to do it in an intimate setting, not with a bunch of other brides/grooms in a room, we'll do that. Otherwise, we're skipping that part and signing the license ourselves when we return. It's complicated, but FI is certain we can do this and everything will be fine. It's too confusing to me and I've probably butchered the details trying to describe it here. But my understanding about bringing the license to the resort...at Moon Palace, you do have to bring it. I think because the ceremony -- if you're not doing the civil ceremony -- is seen as a vow renewal. So I guess they want proof that you're already married before they'll do the symbolic/catholic ceremony.

Question about the Palace Passport... Is it automatically included as part of the room prices? I got the impression that you have to add it. I saw something from my TA about a silver passport promotion, but are there other levels (e.g., gold, platinum) that provide more? This one I'm really ignorant about and can't seem to find any info on the general websites.

The Grand looks so awesome! On trip advisor there are lots of great pics and some nice reviews about the restaurants as well. My TA just got back (in October) from a tour and said that it is a beautiful, intimate, secluded side of the resort. The rooms are also said to be larger and bit more expensive, but overall it's a more chic area. Should be fantastic!

Where are you all having your receptions? Which location/restaurant I need to figure this out and can't decide. We'll only have about 40 people, so we have some flexibility. Thanks ladies!!

Do you have the ala carte list with prices so you can run the numbers of the two? I know it took us a while to get the ala carte list from someone at our resort...so you may have to ask several times.

Definitely check out Trip Advisor! The reviews from travelers, plus travelers' photos really helped us. Trip Advisor does a great job breaking down several of the requirements you're looking at as well, so you should be able quickly see where they shake out against what you need. Good luck! It took us quite a while too... I totally feel your pain!

I was in Playa del Carmen in October and our timeshare place ordered car services for us to and from the airport. It wasn't a limo. It was a very nice Suburban and I saw that they had all kinds of vehicles so I bet they have limos too. Here's the number to the condo management company... 011 52 984-879-3056 (Caribbean Beach Properties) ...check with them and see if they have any referrals for you.

I'm with SMF47....probably going to really downplay the outfit to the courthouse. Maybe a simple, classy suit so we can still go out to a nice restaurant afterwards to have our own little celebration.

I was going to use him, but our resort won't let us bring in outside photogs who are Mexican nationales. Unbelievable! I was so bummed! He is extremely sweet though...and very responsive.

CONGRATULATIONS! I'm so jealous! We tried so hard to get everything pulled together by March, but just couldn't do it...so we pushed ours out to the summer. I hope it's beautiful and fun and everything you dreamed of!

Mexico2009 - I LOVE the pics you brought back! I'm seriously -- now! -- looking into the breach wedding. Really beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing!!!!

DWandMJ is correct. Yudelka (e.g., Miami) told me exactly that about the symbolic ceremony requirements.

Myen - I think you can cut the cake at the reception. I saw a couple of pics where the bride and groom are at the reception standing in front of the [uncut] cake.

Cabobride and Bernie... Check your resorts requirements, but for our resort's symbolic ceremony, you have to bring your marriage license. I'm not sure about signing anything there since legally you're not "getting married" there. The technicalities as I understand them, may be different by state. We live in Chicago and plan to get our marriage license before we leave, but not actually having a ceremony until we get to Cancun. My fi has been looking into this and apparently, after you get your marriage license (at least in Illinois), and you profess to being married in front of witnesses in the same location/state/city as the courthouse where you obtained the marriage license, you are technically married. I was worried about the marriage not being legal if we did it this way, but apparently, it's okay. He and I would sign in the marriage license instead of an officiant. It sounds weird to me but he's been doing a lot research on this. If anyone's heard anything different, please speak up! I don't want to find out years from now that it's not legal!