jesmcan

Quote: Originally Posted by bridetobe1515 Hi everyone! I'm new to this forum, my name is Kristen, and i'm getting married at The Royal on May 15, 2010. I've been reading up on this forum and it is all so useful. I think I have most of my wedding planned, I wish I had known about this before. I love all of the ideas posted though and i'm sure I will change my mind 1,000 more times before the wedding. Just wanted to say a quick Hi and I hope everyone had a great holiday! Welcome Kristen!

Your pictures are beautiful! I love the fall colors

Quote: Originally Posted by aerazo Jesmcan- Did you ever ask The Royal if the food they provided during your tasting was the actual portion size they will be serving during the reception? Thanks! Hi Adriana, Yes I did ask and no they were not the actual portions They just make them smaller for the tasting.

Quote: Originally Posted by traceyfranzel I hope I am doing this right...here is my review: @ Royal Wednesday, Oct 21 through Friday Oct 30, 2009 Thursday Met w/ Zulma-12:00-you will set your appt with her about 2 weeks before your arrival. She is super nice and makes you’re her priority during your entire stay! Which may help explain the long time between email responses from her. We went through all of the options that came with our package (Luxury package). We had about 25 guests. I gave her a picture in a magazine of what I wanted my flowers to look like…when I saw them I was very pleased. They looked exactly like the picture I gave her. Our package came with a photographer, but since we wanted Del Sol only Zulma said that Fun Ever does the photography and the video, so she would just have them extend the video time to make up the difference. We also gave her our sign in book, champagne glasses, koozies & maracas for our table. Maracas were bought for $1 each on 5th. Friday 11:00-mani & pedi Do NOT try to do everything the same day as your wedding. That’s just too much! Ladies-don’t forget to eat enough the day of your wedding! Try to call room services so you can snack and drink a couple of glasses of champagne (it helps with the picture taking). Catamaran Catamaya :::::::::: CATAMAYA :::::::::: was awesome! 65 foot Catamaran. We told all of our guests ahead of time that we had a special “thank you†surprise for all of them. On Thursday we told them what is was. Everyone was super excited! We got the basic package ($2200 + Transportation-$10 per person). We snorkeled, fished-and caught fish, made Civiche out of the fish we caught, they played music, and we had an open bar. Saturday Hair & Make-Up @ Spa-2:00 Wedding - 4:00 Reception-5:00 The Gran We had A LOT of trouble getting guests over from here to The Royal. We were told 10 different things by everyone. No one seemed to know what was going on. It was truly ridiculous! I recommend that NONE of your guests stay there if you want to see them during the trip. Tipping You don’t have to tip, but we did. A dollar here, a dollar there…will get you better service. We also tipped the maid who cleaned our room and the turn down service. Ceremony We had our wedding on the gazebo (which they will decorate with tulle at no extra cost). All guest chairs were placed on the gazebo (with chair covers-at no extra cost). I decided to put my hair in a side pony incase it was super windy. We chose the violin option. Our hors d’oeuvres were served in the garden area (they were very yummy), while the Mariachi band played. While that was going on, Matt del Sol Photography took pics of Brent and I while his assistant took pics of our guests. Photographer We booked Del Sol for 5 hours. Worth every penny! Matt is awesome! He is from Atlanta but lives in Mexico with his wife who is also a photographer and he speaks excellent Spanish! Matt came to my room as we were getting ready and his assistant went to Brent’s room as the boys were getting ready. Matt literally saved our beach wedding. Zulma called me about 30 minutes before the ceremony to tell me that she thought it was going to rain and we could have the ceremony outside, but it would be best to have the reception inside. I panicked and said ok. Then Matt jumped into action…looking up the weather on the computer and watching the clouds. He told me to call her back and tell her know that it wasn’t going to rain. So we did. And I am so grateful! It didn’t rain! I would have regretted that so much! Reception Our tables were beautifully set up on the beach (which was right behind the gazebo-best/most private place). We rented the lounge furniture from the Royal around $200-250. We used the lounge furniture. Get it! They also set up plants, lights and decorations (at no extra cost). After, we took our pics we sat down for dinner. We were more concerned with dancing. So we asked Carlos to speed up the dinner. The dinner and everything about it was wonderful. When we initially met with Zulma we picked our salad, soup, dessert & cake. We asked her if we could do a menu tasting to decide on the entre. She said we could taste 3 items. She set up our tasting for Thursday. It was at Spice. We got to meet the Chef who would be cooking for our reception. This was when we got to meet Carlos for the first time. We chose the filet for our main course and got the salmon dish for my one vegetarian friend. Everyone bragged about the food! The steaks were cooked perfectly! After we ate we did all of the other traditional wedding stuff then danced. We got Ivan from DJ Doremixx http://www.xcancun.com/doremixx/home.html & his light up dance floor. We did not book him through the resort. They were wonderful. Ivan will find you at the resort a few days before your wedding to get to know you and see if you have any special requests. They have a HUGE list of songs and were able to play everything we requested. They can also plug in your IPod or IPhone if they don’t have a song you want. The light up dance floor was AWESOME! Zulma was there nearly the entire time. I don’t know when the WC’s sleep! She was behind the scenes, out of the way, but the second she thought I needed something; she came running from out of nowhere! It was very comforting. Right when the sun sets, mosquitoes come out! Very briefly (like 30 minutes). So Zulma and Carlos got someone to grab bug spray for us. (I’m from Louisiana and am very used to mosquitoes, but I even thought they were bad.) Reception Food Wedding Cake-Tres Leche (3 milk)-wonderful, cold cake (not hard like an ice cream cake) with a naturally sweet taste. You can try it at Pelicanos. Salad Soup Main Course Dessert-Cheesecake I have pics of the 3 main courses we sampled at Spice. Carlos He had only been working at the resort for about a week when we met him. He came from a resort in Cabo and was training to manage at the Royal. He was great! He seemed to be everywhere! He was the first person to greet me by my new last name. Climate I could have walked around in my bathing suit from sun up until the time I went to bed. It was a breezy 80-85 degrees the whole time. Don’t waste space packing little sweaters/jackets, long dresses. Try to dress as cool and comfortable as possible. Restaurants Spice-not much A/C going on. A good place to go for breakfast! They have an egg bar, omelet bar, waffle/pancake/French toast/crepe bar & tons of other great things. Pelicanos/Tapa-Open air bar-Great for lunch/snacks. You can go in there wearing a bathing suit cover up. Food is awesome! Maria Marie-It was very hot in there when we ate for dinner. They said there was an A/C issue. One of my least favorite restaurants. Chef’s Plate-Cool inside. More dressy. Food is wonderful. You must make a reservation. Activities Committee These guys were fun & very entertaining! They are everywhere & apparently don’t sleep (like the WC’s). There are always activities at the pool & in the Lobby at night. Most Important Enjoy your time. Don’t freak out. These people are all amazing and will do everything they can to make sure your experience is wonderful! Thank you so much for your review! It makes me get that much more excited What did you think about the hair and make up at the resort? Also do you know what the name was of your main course? Thank You!

Omg Kelly thank you so much for sharing and I am so sorry all those things happened. If it is any consolation your pictures are beautiful! Again I am sorry and I hope you do get an at home reception with all the things you feel you missed out on

Wonderful pictures you looked amazing!!! I love al your color choices as well congrats!

Hi Ladies, we are about to send out save the dates out next month and they have our website address. There is a place on our website to list the rehearsal dinner information. Did anyone say by invite only? Or whats the best and most polite way to say this is for family only? Thanks

They came out great!!! they looks so good I cannot beieve you did that all by yourself.

Quote: Originally Posted by kenlyn8984 such a great job on your review jesmcan!!! we appreciate it so very much! ) Hi kendra your welcome, by the way I did ask about the measurements of the red carpet but Zulma did not know off hand. As soon as you know who your WC is I would call them and ask if they can get that to you. Sorry I tried finding out but no luck

Quote: Originally Posted by pineapplebride Thank you so much for your advice....but I feel like I am even more torn now on what spot to choose!! hehe Do you think there is any way they would have a wedding at the gazebo and on the beach in front on the gazebo at the same time?? I am hoping they would not. In that case, I think I may choose the beach in front of the gazebo... and if the beach disappears, I can just have it at the gazebo instead. Or my option #2, which my mom really wants to me to do, is have the entire wedding at the Gran Porto Real, since that is where most of my guests will be staying. If the beach there really is bigger and nicer like you said, then that could be a good option too!?! Aghh...I'm not getting married until 2011... I think I may have to make a site visit manditory, even if it means I have to go alone! hehe PS I am going to e-mail you for the menu options!! I really appreciate it!! I know it is a difficult choice to make lol Yes they possibly would do a wedding infront of the Gazebo at the same rtime. However the Gazebo is really high up and all you can see is the water. Plus all your guests will be sitting below they will only see the sky line. I really don't think they would do this anyways but there is always a chance. I think that option is great to move it to the Gazebo if the beach is gone. It is a beautiful spot and if I did not have so many people I would have done the same. Option 2 is also a great idea lol The beach is a lot nicer at The Gran Porto but I do have to say personally I thought The Royal was much nicer. It has a very different ambiance than The Gran Porto. If you can do a site visit I highly recommend it. We learned so much ad things were so diffrent than we had thought in our minds lol

Hi Ladies, I wanted to share another great place for rehersal dinners. The name of the restaurant is Wicky's and it is right on the beach. Untitled Click on the weddings link and you can see all the diffrent menus they offer and the contact for wedding info. This place was absolutely beautiful however it is on the pricier side. If you can afford it, it is well worth it.

Quote: Originally Posted by jennieestelle Thanks for all your information from your site visit it is very much appreciated. Can you send me the food pricing information from La Tortug also. I am trying to find a place for the welcome/reception dinner. Thanks! Jennie Hi Jennie, sure just pin me your email address. Thanks

Quote: Originally Posted by MAK I can't say enough good things about Elizabeth's work... She is amazing! I also had fantastic wedding planners! Weddings Riviera Maya are AWESOME! http://www.elizabethmedinaphotography.com/monadavid/ http://www.elizabethmedinaphotography.com/monadavid/ What a beautiful wedding!!! We were just in Playa last week on our site visit and stayed at La Tortuga. We have decided to do our rehersal dinner there We loved that hotel so much. Wonderful pictures and congrats on having such wonderful wedding.

Quote: Originally Posted by jesmcan Adriana and Lady Di, This was the best hotel I have ever stayed at!! The service is above and beyond. They actually had a wedding brunch there for 40 whilw were there and the guests could not stop raving about the food and how beautiful the hotel is. I do not have rates yet but I am getting them this Friday and I would be more than happy to pass everying on. I asked for them to include open bar rates in the packages. Because I am fluent in Spanish I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting Enrique the general manager. He is the person I am working with. He is also going to send me ab bunch of pictures of diffrent set ups that they do. When I get them on Friday I will post them all on Shutterfly so you guys can have a look to. As far as the tapas he is going to send me 21 diffrent options and 8 other buffet menus to choose from with the prices. I will keep you guys posted and let you know as soon as I get everything from him. I just have to say again how much I love this hotel Adriana and Lady Di, Enriques ears must have been ringing because I just got all the info for La Tortuga Here is the link to check out all the pictures he sent me http://theroyalwedding.shutterfly.com/ It is under the album titled La Tortuga, if you guys don't mind pin me your e-mail addresses and I can send you all the food ad pricing options

Quote: Originally Posted by boolo318 JESMCAN - THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH FOR YOUR REVIEW!!! I feel so much more at ease having that information!!!!!! You are very welcome I am glad I could help

Congrats!!! you did such a wonderful job. I love your inspiration board and your color choices. The best is yet to come....

Quote: Originally Posted by candicemarie Congrats on your engagement AND getting through this whole thread, haha! December will be here before you know it so I'm sure you'll be able to get your date Ohhhh, hahaha! I found another pic of that area on Google, and I cracked up when I realized how much its NOT a dance floor, LOL. That's a good idea! We might just pass on the dance floor afterall. I remember seeing some pics from a reception in the garden that didn't have one, and I didn't even realize. Thanks! Ya it literally is two wooden planks hahaahha

Quote: Originally Posted by aerazo Jesmcan - I saw pictures of La Tortuga Hotel & Spa restaurant and your absolutlely right, the ambiance is amazing! i want my rehearsal dinner there now! LOL. Is it expensive? did they quote you on a per head charge or have any information on pricing? Also, Is the restaurant already set up with the mixture of tables & lounge areas you were speaking of? or did you have to speak with managment to arrange this because all i saw were normal tables in the pictures on the website? Also, The Tapas you will be serving to keep it light, great idea!! is this something off the menu or did you also have to arrange with the management team? Thanks so much, you have been such a help for all of us! Adriana Adriana and Lady Di, This was the best hotel I have ever stayed at!! The service is above and beyond. They actually had a wedding brunch there for 40 whilw were there and the guests could not stop raving about the food and how beautiful the hotel is. I do not have rates yet but I am getting them this Friday and I would be more than happy to pass everying on. I asked for them to include open bar rates in the packages. Because I am fluent in Spanish I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting Enrique the general manager. He is the person I am working with. He is also going to send me ab bunch of pictures of diffrent set ups that they do. When I get them on Friday I will post them all on Shutterfly so you guys can have a look to. As far as the tapas he is going to send me 21 diffrent options and 8 other buffet menus to choose from with the prices. I will keep you guys posted and let you know as soon as I get everything from him. I just have to say again how much I love this hotel

Quote: Originally Posted by jenconrad Awesome! Well since I am getting married in april I will send you all MY pics. haha. SO excited I can't wait to see your pics!!! it will be here before you know it

Quote: Originally Posted by pineapplebride Jesmcan... thanks for your review and sharing all your pictures!!! The food looks delicious... did they mention anything about special menus for vegetarians and allergies Did they have any entrees that weren't mainly beef?? Also... We are 100% set on having our ceremony on the beach.... now I am terrified of having speedo wearing and topless onlookers during the ceremony!! We're hoping for a 5pm time... so hopefully the beach won't be as packed then. What beach would you recommend for the beach ceremony?? I'm open to the ceremony being at the royal or gran porto... I just want it to be the nicest beach location. Thanks!! I cannot reiterate enough how amazing the food was!!! they do have special menus for vegetarians and allergies. They do have lots of entrees that are not mainly beef. Our whole family are beef lovers so thats why we went with all beef for the tasting. If you don't have them yet drop me a note at [email protected] and I can send them over to you. I also was able to get my hands on the buffet options while I was there. So let me know if you want those to. 5pm is a good time, especially in November because it starts to get dark so people start to clear out. You should be fine at that time. To be honest in my opinion the Gran Porto has the nicest beach location and it is also the largest. Unfortunetly we were told if we do the reception at the Gran we have to do the ceremony there to. As far as the three beaches at the Royal, The first beach is the largest and never gets washed away if a hurricane comes because it is somewhat protected by the pier. The down side though it is the main entrance to the beach which is public so that is where people are entering and exiting the beach. The second beach is the one we chose. It still has a chance to get washed away but it is not by the main entrance. It is however at the entrance to the pool of the Royal but Zulma assured us for our reception at 6pm that guests would not use this entrance. Plus we are having such a big wedding that the majority of the beach will be cleared out for our tables, dance floor and the lounge area. The last beach is right in front of the Gazebo and actually happens to be my favorite. However this one has the most chance of being washed away. When we went Zulma told us there was barely any beach just two days ago there and than suddenly it came back. So it is more of a gamble at this spot. However it has the least amount of people and when the beach is there is it a beautiful spot. Sorry I don't know if this was helpful or more confusing lol whichever spot you pick though I can gurantee you the do a beautiful job with the setup

Quote: Originally Posted by Trinas79 Thank you so much Jesmcam!! VERY helpful! I am confused about one thing though, you mentioned the pricing from guests staying at the Gran Porto, for the half day or full day - they are allowed over for the wedding without having to pay, right?? Ya they are allowed over for the wedding without having to pay. That is only for the adults with kids who might want to come over on one of the other days.

Quote: Originally Posted by giraffexx Thanks so much for sharing your site visit information! Thank god for your review! My fiance and I were originally planning on getting married on the beach. I read similar stories on this forum to yours about having people on the beach watching. We started having some reservations about it after reading that. But after reading your review that helped us to decide to have the ceremony in the gazebo instead. Thanks again for being so honest and sharing so much information. It is especially helpful to us who aren't doing a site visit. No problem I am so happy to help

Quote: Originally Posted by jenconrad Jesmcan- We are having our ceremony in the gazebo at 4 oclock... what is the people situation around the gazebo at this time? Thanks! Jen We are having it at the same time! and its the perfect time at the gazebo. There was not a person walking through there when we went. Also it is tucked away in a corner and people would have to go out of there way to walk over there. The whole wedding would be going on so Zulma said people avoid walking over there because they see the wedding going on. Also it is not the easiest way to access the rooms and there are no restaurants or anything over there so people don't really go over there. We actually ended up changing our cocktail hour to the grass area right where the gazebo is because it is more private. You will see it in my pics.

Quote: Originally Posted by randi.renstrom i finally made it!!!! i just read all 209 pages and i feel like i already know so much! thank you girls for all your information and input! it has been killing me not posting until now...but i wanted to make sure i read everything before i started posting and repeating questions/info. i am hoping to get married nov 11th 2010 at the gazebo at the royal. and then have a cocktail hour, and then the reception in the ballroom. our TA has done many weddings at the royal, and has worked with the wedding coordinator many times. we haven't put our deposit down yet, because if we do right now, we miss out on a special rebate (which would be about $1000 cash back at the end). if we put a deposit down in december once the flights are out, we can still get that cash back special. so our TA is working with her, trying to figure out how to keep it reserved and getting the special. but at the moment, we are planning on Nov 11th, and the wedding coordinator does know about it. we are planning on about 40-50 guests, but haven't sent the info out yet. but most the people know our plans and are eagerly waiting the info! i have gotten so much good info about photographers and dj's i feel like i already know everything i want! thank you guys for everything and i can't wait to give my input and hear what you girls have to say! Congrats Randi!!! we will be there at the same time, I am getting married 11.12.10. There is someone else also getting married on 11.11. We will all have to get together for some BDW tequila shots lol Welcome and can't to hear your input and plans

Quote: Originally Posted by aerazo Jesmcan - Do you have the address for the MAC in playa del carmen, or how did you know where it was and where to go to find the store (sorry my questions marks are not working lol) Do you think you will be getting your makeup done by them, and did their store look like a real mac store with good makeûp artists.. Thanks! Thanks! Adriana Yes it is 5th ave and 14th street. Its in a big store that carries lots of luxury brands. They have a Tiffanys, Rolex and so on in there. We just happened to walk in and I saw it and was so happy I found it I have to say it is a really spectacular Mac store. Air conditioned, they bring you drinks and it is the whole top floor. Not sure about the makeup artists because there was just one guy when I went. I am not going to get my make up done there. I just feel the price is a bit expensive. The resort is less expensive and the spa is so nice!. They have a really nice private room where they do your makeup and they bring you champagne. Everyone is so nice and professional looking. It looked to me like they would do a really good job. I also feel in Mexico with anything if you bring a picture of what you would like they will do a good job. I actually decided to fly my stylist down. Well shes not my personal stylist or anything ahaha she just has been doing my hair for 11 years now! lol she also does make up. I actually will get my make up through mac though and use it for the big day.