drtracy

Quote: Originally Posted by honey740 Hi everyone! I can't believe I JUST found this forum. I am getting married @ the Moon Palace with 31 guests on July 18th (the same date as one of you i think?) We are all staying at the Grand Section. I have Lily as my wedding planner, she's been great so far. I decided a few weeks ago to have my welcome cocktail party, rehearsal dinner and cocktail hour (after ceremony) outside and have the reception indoors because there are a few older people coming who would be very uncomfortable. I was actually able to get all those event free because my party ended up booking 78 room nights. I do have a question about the sound system.....we are going to have a family member man the sound system with our own songs. I wanted to know if we needed to bring down a special cord or anything if we were going to hook up an ipod or laptop? Also, how are you handling your welcome bags that you are giving guests? Lily told me it's 2.50/bag for the bellboys to hand out. I am not sure I want to spend the extra money since I am hemorrhaging money as it is. I was thinking about giving them out @ the welcome cocktail party. Does anyone know if we can at least leave an itinerary for the guests at reception upon check in? Thanks for any/all info! I am getting really excited!!! ~Sandy Welcome to the forum, better late then never! I can probably answer a few of your questions. For the sound system, if you get the ipod system through the resort then you just need your ipod. They even have someone that will man the system for you so you don't have to have someone do it. It didn't cost any extra for him to sit there and press play. My only complaint is sometimes he threw in his own songs versus keeping the ipod going. We had a group that were all arriving around the same time so we met them with their welcome bags and then had the rest delivered (about 10) to save some money. It worked out well for us and everyone's bag was delivered. I don't know if you can leave an itinerary but I wouldn't see why not. Good luck! You'll have a great time.

Tina that sucks that some friends have had identities stolen and the like. I guess for us it wasn't a big deal b/c the resort has access to all of the information anyway from our (and our parents) passports and such. We were fortunate that we didn't need our paperwork translated here in NY so we didn't have to pay any extra. Quote: Originally Posted by TinaM2b For those that have been to Moon Palace - Since we are going to be there for 11 days, should we upgrade our room to something bigger than the normal rooms or are they pretty big already? Do they have a sitting area in the room? My FI mentioned this to me today so I figured I would ask all of you first before asking our TA. There really isn't a sitting area. There is a table and two chairs next to the bed but the jacuzzi takes up a lot of space (at least on the Nizuc side). Our room did have a small balcony as well. I have heard that the rooms on the Grand side are bigger but I didn't visit any of those rooms. Quote: Originally Posted by Shinbinea What have other brides done? If we wait until 3 months prior do you think we can get the wedding of our dreams or will it be more of a take what you can get situation? Does anyone have any advice? There really is no bad place to get married there. I really didn't care which gazebo I got so I didn't worry about it. If you are worried you can put the request in to the Miami WC and they can pass it on but they won't guarantee anything. Quote: Originally Posted by CANCUN09 Thanks so much everyone. I finally heard from Angelica today she still left some of my questions unanswered so I had to send her another email. What's funny is we really thought we would have 50 guest tops and it has become 120!!!! Good news is that we are loved, bad news OOT bags are going to cost more than the wedding J/K I'm so thankful we will have a big bunch. I only wish I participated in this website sooner, is that why I am not able to open some links on other ladies threads Anyway to get around that? Liz1717 looks like your big day is next weekend and you are still sane enough to be on this site. I pray for that serenity. TinaM2b you are 2 weeks before me and nibsmom 1 week before me, I only wish I could have been in touch sooner. Best wishes! How exciting that you are going to have so many people! Definitely participate and post and you can gather points really easily to open the documents.

I'm so happy for you and DH. I hope your day is as beautiful as you imagined, you definitely deserve it! Can't wait to hear all about it on Monday.

Quote: Originally Posted by Leanna35 Morgan685- I see that you did have the symbolic ceremony. Do I have to let my wedding planner know that I want that ceremony instead? I really want to cut out all the extra things as well, such as the blood work and the license translated. Your right TinaM2B we aren't excited about them knowing everything. I don't mean to sound weird but what exactly are you afraid of them "knowing?" They still see your passport and your legal marriage license which basically contains all of the same information as what your birth certificate has, which is the only additional paperwork (unless you've been married before then you need a divorce decree). I guess I just don't see what they won't know for a symbolic ceremony that they would for a legal one, KWIM?

FYI ~ My aunt collected a bunch of sand from MP to take home for a planter. She had no problems taking it through customs. Quote: Originally Posted by lizlett3 I am having a total freak out day! I am A.) nervous that I will not like the moon palace because I stupidly starting reading other threads with all the other wonderful hotels and B.) that the rates are too high for my guests. C.) I dont want to feel like a generic bride. I think I better just stick with reading about the Moon Palace so I dont second guess. We just turned in our contract this week so maybe I am just having some nerves. So sorry that you are freaking out. There are several awesome locations and hotels for weddings. MP is definitely one of them and you will have wonderful day. Another BDW bride taught me about inspiration boards, if you need to print and cut out pictures of MP from here or other sites. Put them on a nice board so that you can be continually reminded of what a beautiful place it is and how wonderful your wedding will be. The rates are a bit higher then some other places, but those places aren't necessarily for 5-star hotels with the same amenities. It is totally worth it! I don't think there is such a thing as a generic bride!

Just FYI ~ I checked the weather constantly before leaving. I was so depressed b/c it said thunderstorms every day! It rained once, for 15 minutes the whole time we were there. Whew! Try not to put too much stock into the weather reports.

Quote: Originally Posted by lizlett3 What are they testing our blood for besides HIV? It seems so bizaar to me. They test for STDs that can be passed on to kids. Mexico is pretty much all about the whole reason to get married is to have kids. It really isn't a big deal. It took about 5 minutes, the guy came in pricked us and left.

Quote: Originally Posted by TinaM2b I know this is probably the dumbest question, but i love my java..... Are there coffee pots in the room? I was thinking about taking a bag of Starbucks ground coffee / filters with us! (Ha! Important things in life!) What size are the coffee pots? They do have coffee pots but sorry, I don't remember what size. I don't think they were very big though. Quote: Originally Posted by liz1717 We leave in less than two weeks, so this is probably something I should have figured out a long time ago...but, I'm wondering how your guests are getting from the airport to the resort. I know that when I booked through my TA, transfer was included, but we have a few guests who booked through an online travel site and I'm not sure if they purchased transfer. Does anyone have any suggestions of a site that I could send to guests if they haven't made arrangments? Thanks so much! There are plenty of cabs at the airport if anyone doesn't have a transfer. If you'd rather you can probably ask your TA for recommendations. Maybe the shuttle that you'll be using is cheaper then a cab. Just a thought.

Used The actual bags ~ A lot of couples brought just one bag to share so the guys mostly used the bags I gave out when the couple did things separately. Bandaids ~ For some reason several people cut themselves (usually falling drunkenly) Hairbands ~ For the ladies. Cups ~ we had customized cups and several people used them at the pool as they were bigger then the resort's cups, people also liked them as favors to take home. Hand Sanitizer ~ yes, most people brought their own but with the swine flu scare they were carrying two or three bottles each! Shout Wipes ~ drunken spillage Playing Cards ~ seemed to be nighttime poker if we weren't on the beach Advil!!!! ~ several people thanked us for the advil as almost everyone ran out of their own supply (fortunately it is really cheap at MP too). Pepto Bismol ~ Same as the Advil, everyone said they used it. Welcome Booklet ~ they loved the pictures of the wedding party so they knew them when they saw them, also the itinerary and page for room numbers were big hits. Didn't Use Spanish/English Dictionary ~ Like Lisa a lot of people thought they were neat but I don't know that anyone actually used them. Fanny Packs ~ My mom wanted to include them, she got them really cheap. One of her friends used it a lot but no one else did. I think that mostly people just appreciated the thought behind the bags. Everyone thanked us over and over again for thinking of them and for their little surprises.

Here's a listing of all the reception venues with pics. Sorry that it's a download I don't have one of the Tucan Terrace from my trip but it is in here so I thought I would share. The list also has pictures of the indoor venues and the number of guests each can accommodate. Moon Palace Reception Areas.pdf

I never heard any planes the whole time I was there. I think I saw one or two but don't remember hearing any. When you get your contract it will say something about the rooms/free stuff. If it says rooms see if they will switch it to nights. (25 rooms for 3 nights or 75 nights total). This way if you only have 35 people but they stay more then 3 nights you may still be able to get the free functions. I only had 30 people at mine but b/c people were staying so long we had over 80 nights booked and were able to get some free functions.

Quote: Originally Posted by lizlett3 Hello All, I am a moon palace bride! We will be married in the Tucan Gazebo May 8, 2010. Just waiting for my contract. The communication with the resort sounds confusing to say the least and not looking forward to that. I am however looking forward to most of the planning. One question I have is if my group is 60 or so can we have a welcome dinner? Sounds like most people do it in the restaurants but our group would be too big so would we have to host a private function? That could really add up! Also, has anyone rented the private catameran boat as a welcome event? And are any of the bars large enough on the Nizuc side big enough for a welcome party? i think we have narrowed down the Nizuc side but still nervous about it and have not reserved our block. Just trying to read all the posts about which side. Ok that is all I have for now! Welcome to the forum and thread. If you have such a large group you will likely be able to qualify for unlimited private functions. If you book everyone through a TA or the hotel as a group you only need to book 25 rooms (or in some cases you can work out the number of 75 nights vs. rooms) to get the free private function. This means that you can have a private welcome dinner on a terrace or in a ballroom if it is available. I don't know anything about catamarans but I think some people have posted some info on this thread previously. Good luck!

Just FYI - The free tours really can't be booked in advance, you have to do it when you get there. If you can show them that the "free" things were a part of your package when booking they will most likely honor those or at least make a substitution. The problem in some circumstances is that certain areas may not still be offering the packages to MP so they have to make different arrangements. I know that it sucks but a lot of it is beyond much of the control of those in Cancun. I found that when I was there last month everyone was very good at working with all of my guests to get what they wanted on the trip. We weren't able to take any tours b/c they had been closed (which is not MPs fault) but they did work with us on the other things that we did want. I think it is much easier to deal with them when you are actually there and each specific person speaks to them (rather then trying to book everything for everyone), KWIM. BTW - for the person that asked a few posts ago (sorry I forget who it is). The Sunrise side is often called the party side vs. Nizuc. The disco is on that side and during the day there are a few more organized things to do at the pool. Nizuc is a bit more laidback. I think either side is beautiful but yes, all the gazebos are on the Nizuc side so if you don't want to have to travel too far to the wedding it may work better.

Okay, you need sound for these but they are hilarious music videos. Just a little something to get you through that last bit of work! Take on Me: Literal Video Version from DustFilms

We finished the first 4 episodes, now just waiting for netflix to send us more, so frustrating that there are only 2 episodes on a disk. Hopefully tomorrow! I went to the library today but they didn't have ANY of her books. My library blows big chunks! I'm going to find them and have them send it over to my branch if I can't find them cheap at Sam's Club. Woot!

Quote: Originally Posted by mummergirl tracy, that is too weird ... we had the same wedding! that stinks about the last name thing ... people just assume, and they shouldn't. i wonder if you had made it clear beforehand that you were not taking his name if they would have respected that and just announced you husband and wife? hard to say, since it's a different culture. tom's best man (& uncle) is named charles as well, and since he was one of our witnesses who had to sign in triplicate and then heard "charles and lisa" announced, he was wondering if we had just somehow gotten married, LOL. there's a great pic of me cracking up with him about it after the wedding. That's awesome, I would have loved to have seen his face when they said it. I kept telling all of our witnesses, "enjoy your new condo" as they were signing. We honestly didn't think about it b/c everywhere we went they were calling us by my last name (the room was in my name). I know that DH liked that they said it so I don't mind too much, just a bit annoying.

Hey Tina ~ they do have laundry services but from what I remember it was kinda expensive. Like a buck or two per item. They don't have a self-service laundry there that I remember. It's really easy to wash a few things and then hang them up in the shower, there's a line that you can pull across for wet suits and stuff.

Quote: Originally Posted by nibsmom Tina those shirts are wicked cute!!! We ended up booking a buffet for our reception. Now I'm not sure where to use our free cocktail reception. I am torn between having it Friday before our welcome dinner, or for an hour before our wedding between noon and 1 - the wedding starts at 1 - to tide over our guests until dinner, and to make sure everyone has a cool drink for the ceremony! What time is your welcome dinner? MP has shows every night of the week that start at 8 or 9 depending on the night and the disco opens at 1030. You could always do the cocktail after the dinner and then all go to a show or the disco. Just a thought. I was worried about having too much food with having a cocktail then dinner but really there was so much food everywhere it didn't really matter. No one ever went hungry.

Quote: Originally Posted by Simistar WHAAAAAAT?? Really?? Yikes! What/who's "the OP"...? Is that ME? Good luck suing me... I ain't got nothin' to take!:-) Unless he wants my visa and student loan debt...?:-) Okay, but for realsies... do I need to be worried...? And Tammy, if YOU want me to take it down to avoid the hassle, I don't mind... but I don't want to take it down just b/c HE asked for it... Also, I was curious... I used to see small ads for his company at the top of the page when I logged on to BDW...haven't seen those in the past day or two...did he remove those as well...? Sigh. Sorry to be such a trouble maker!! While I am by no means an expert on Internet Law. I do know that there is no basis for any claim that he might make unless you were not telling the truth. What's he going to say, really? "Yes, I did all of those things but I don't want anyone to know." Arggg... it's so frustrating that people don't seem to understand, if you don't want bad reviews don't do bad work! Simistar, your review was and is greatly appreciated by a lot of people, don't let yourself worry about it, IMHO. You wrote a fair and honest review and it's wonderful that BDW stands by these reviews so that b2b know they are getting the best information that is available.

Yay! We got our netflix True Blood today. Boo on the fact that there are only 2 episodes per disk.

Quote: Originally Posted by ErinB Tracey the first few episodes were a little slow but once all of the characters and plot lines are introduced it gets much better. The books are definitely a fun read. You can pick them up at Sam's (the first for $4 each. Book 1 and Season 1 were fairly closely linked so I'm skimming through book 2 now to see how it compares with Season 2. Rachel - my understanding is that the October book is a compilation of all of the stories. A boxed set type thing. I need another book to know what happens next! LOL Charlaine Harris Official Website If I start reading the books will it ruin the rest of the season for me? I feel like I will ruin one or the other and I think I'd rather ruin the book (know the spoilers etc.), KWIM?

Quote: Originally Posted by doblauvelt I certainly hope they keep bringing out the food, you're right that's pretty pricey for a one hour cocktail reception. i have a question, does the ipod speaker system come with a microphone? or is that seperate? i'm hoping to have one of the groomsmen announce the cutting of the cake, etc. There is a microphone. We used it for the toasts.

So, I just watched the 1st 2 episodes this weekend. I haven't read any of the books but now I might have to! DH and I were kinda "eh" about the 1st couple of episodes but then we watched the NEXT ON and it looks awesome! We are netflixing the first season (no cable) so we can watch it on the big screen vs. the computer. I hope that our next disk comes soon!

Oh NLDT I don't know that I could ever replace you. But maybe Lisa and I could be RWATs (Random Wedding Annoyance Twins). Josie ~ you're not alone there, the nice thing is that you recognize it and can give good lovin's to make up for it.

Congrats ladies!