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Were you able to open the link? I wasn't sure if it worked without a user name and password.

My daughter and her husband had a legal ceremony at home, and a meaningful ceremony in front of family and friends in Mexico. That is where the rings and vows were exchanged, and that is their wedding day. The American JP is not necessary in Mexico as your papers have been filed legally in the US. Your Mexican service is ceremonial, and my daughter's was a heartfelt non-denominational service by Kiko Flores. Our guests thought the couple knew him from home! Let me know if you want his email.

I only have an email for Kiko, and I will PM it to you. Kiko has given me permission to share his email, but I'm a bit uncomfortable posting it on the internet...it is just such an invitation for spam. As for the cost, I'll leave that to you and Kiko. My advice to any bride (and her mother!) on two things you do not want to cut back on are 1) the ceremony, and 2) the photographer. Everything else you do in planning your wedding is lost if these aren't right. The words spoken for your ceremony stay with you, and your photographs are your keepsake for that day. My daughter and her husband had so much fun during their ceremony, and when I looked back at our guests, everyone was drawn into the the service that was taking place. I expected to cry through the whole thing, but I didn't...everything was so right.

My daughter was married in Mexico last month, and for the very reasons you've cited here, they opted to do a legal, "clinical" ceremony at home and a meaningful ceremony in front of family and friends on the beach. The beach is where the commitment in marriage was made, and that is where rings and vows were exchanged. It was our understanding that Mexico requires a separate legal procedure outside of the marriage ceremony, especially if you want a religious service, so why not do the legal work at home where you know your papers are recorded properly? If you want a religious ceremony (my daughter's was non-denominational) instead of a Justice of the Peace, I heartily recommend Kiko Flores. It will be an additional cost, but he performed a service that was so moving and personal that our guests thought that he had known my daughter and her husband from home. I will be happy to share his email if you are interested.

Hi ladies! It looks like most of you are still in your planning stages, and if I might, can I pass on a few vendors for you to consider? My daughter was married last May at the Fairmont Mayakoba, everything went beautifully and these vendors and suppliers did a great job for us: Invitations: Ajalon Printing (Santa Rosa, CA) made letterpress affordable. Trish Jackson was a delight to work with. Calligraphy by Jennifer: She does an amazing number of fonts in a bold style that fills up your envelope space. Beautiful work. We had one small glitch, but I'm over it... Ceremony (Ours was non-denominational.): Kiko Flores. Our guests thought he had known the couple for years! Flowers: Vanessa Jaimes. Elegant and understated, and the oceanfront wedding site was stunning. String Trio: Big Bang Entertainment. Perfect touch and they timed things perfectly. Napkins, stir sticks, etc: Great service and they replicated the couple's monogram without custom are work. And a plug for the Fairmont: The event management and staff here are outstanding. They are easy to work with, professional and carried out the details to perfection. I don't think I've stayed anywhere where management and staff were as genuine in their desire to make us and our guests happy. Let me know if I can share email addresses and websites. Here's a suggestion for your table numbers: Use Mexican house number tiles and lean them against your vases. It's a Martha Stewart thing... And use Wedding Mapper for your guest management. Access is by user name and password, so family members can track RSVP's from wherever they are. Acceptances are automatically dropped onto the seating chart by parties, parties can be seated in one step, and family members can seat their guests from their homes. We shared this access with the event's planners, and they were able to set up the room as we were planning. No last minute escort card adjustments!

Don't be put off by online room rates. Your guests will receive a reduced rate as part of the block reserved for your wedding.

That's almost exactly what we did, only we downplayed the color in deference to out setting. Vanessa Jaimes arrangements were white and green flowers, "low and lush," and the Fairmont Mayakoba, where my duaghter's wedding was held had blue glassware as you are showing here. The table numbers were the blue and white on this link. 3-D Multi Color Talavera House Number Tiles - Free Shipping I recognize the tile you are showing here, and if I remember correctly, it has a relief(?). The tile we used was three dimensional, and it added texture as well as color. Our gift bags were beach totes that we filled with snacks and beverages, and for the families with children, a bag for the kids that we filled with juice boxes, peanut butter and crackers. When you come off the beach, everyone is hungry and trip to the resort store is not only expensive, but another thing to do. I love the flowers on your board!

This is lovely. You have done a great job creating a wedding that will fit into the environment rather that redefining it. My daughter had a similar wedding last month, and two ideas (small) that I'd like to share: 1) Use Mexican house number tiles for your table numbers. This is actually a Martha Stewart idea, but it was perfect. We simply leaned the tiles against the floral arrangements. We actually found that it was less expensive to bring the tiles with us than to to have them delivered to the resort or have our event planner of florist supply them. We had free shipping inside the US from directfrommexico.com, and it was almost $100 in Mexico. Go figure... 2) Gracious Bridal and For Your Party have wooden beverage sticks that, when printed in espresso, looked like the letters had been "burned" into the wood. Small detail, but fun! Have a great wedding, and let me know if I can share any other ideas. Your wedding is going to be lovely!

My daughter was married at the Fairmont Mayakoba, and we would not have changed a thing. To avoid repetitive posts on different sites, I am using a Wedding Mapper link for my reviews. The wedding was one that we put together ourselves, but All Inclusive brides or brides using a local Wedding Planner may find some helpful information here, especially on the supplier list. Riviera Maya Wedding In May, May, 2010, Cancun - Wedding Mapper Wedding Mapper is a wonderful site for organizing your lists and budget and it saved us a lot of headaches. We used both Best Destination Wedding and Wedding Mapper in our planning...and thank goodness for "Google!" Let me know if you have any questions!

My daughter was married at the Fairmont Mayakoba, and we wouldn't have changed a thing. Here are my reviews of the venue, vendors and suppliers that we used. The wedding was one the we put together ourselves, but all inclusive brides may find some helpful information here. I've linked to Wedding Mapper so I don't have to be repetitive in my postings, and I hope everyone finds the information useful. WM is a great site of organizing your lists, and as the focus here is different from that on Best Destination Wedding's site, I encourage brides to use both sites. (I hope this link works!) Riviera Maya Wedding In May, May, 2010, Cancun - Wedding Mapper

The Fairmont Mayakoba is not inexpensive, but it was a good values for the quality of the service, food, and the resort itself. Don't be put off by room rates you may see online. Contact their event planners and see what you get. Your block rate for your guests will be reduced. Our guests were very happy with our selection. The food was fantastic, and you don't always get that with an AI. Keep in mind, however, that with an AI, your guests usually pay for their reception meal in their room rate. At a resort that is not all inclusive, you will host the dinner.

My daughter was married at the Fairmont Mayakoba, and it was a wonderful experience. I don't think I've stayed anywhere where the staff has been so genuine in their efforts to make sure we and our guests are happy. We held a lovely welcome party on an elevated lawn that had a spectacular view over the resort's lagoons and mangrove forests down to the ocean, and there was a beautiful, oceanfront ceremony and reception on the beach. Our guests loved the resort because it was not "typical" or like some place they may have stayed in before. Keep in mind that most of your guests have to travel to a wedding no matter where it is, so traveling to a resort isn't a bad thing. Most of our 80 + guests extended their stay beyond the days surrounding the wedding. Two even bought timeshares in the area! You will get a reduced block rate for your guests, so don't be put off by the rates that appear on travel sites. Also, negotiate to have this rate extended beyond the nights before and after the wedding. Your guests will appreciate the opportunity to stay in a top resort at a much reduced rate.

My daughter and her husband did this. Kept the ceremony stateside "clinical," and they exchanged vows and rings on the beach. That is where the commitment in marriage was made, but they knew everything was in order at home. If you need someone to conduct the ceremony in Mexico, try Kiko. He performed a moving ceremony, and our guests thought he had known the bride and groom prior to the ceremont because the service was so personal and warm. I have his email if you're interested.

My daughter and her husband had a clinical," legal ceremony at home and a meaningful, oceanfront ceremony in Mexico. There are just too things that can go wrong and many opportunities for a vulnerable couple to be taken advantage of when navigating through the legal requirements in a foreign county and getting the correct documentation. There is no doubt that Mexico is where the commitment in marriage took place, but they know everything is in order at home.

My daughter was married at the Fairmont Mayakoba last month. If I can help, let me know.

Vanessa is not inexpensive, but you won't have any surprises and her style is elegant. The ceremony site was perfect, and we hired a string trio for the music. Everything turned out as we expected. A suggestion for your table numbers: use Mexican house number tiles. We got ours from 3-D Multi Color Talavera House Number Tiles - Free Shipping and actually found it less expensive to have them sent to us in the US (free shipping) than sent to the resort in Mexico where shipping in pricey. These are three dimensional and the relief is what made this work. We used the blue and white number and simply leaned them us against glass vases, wrapped with a banana leaf with white flowers. The resort had dark blue glassware, and everything was so elegant.

Everything was perfect! My son in law planned the music, so I'm really not sure about how the selection went. We went with the DJ because, at home, people know the area bands. It's not the same for a destination wedding, and a bad band can kill a party faster than anything. We also decided that a mariachi could get "old" after an extended length of time. Our setting was more "eco-friendly" than "fiesta," and the trio is right for us. In another setting, the guitar soloist or mariachi may be the way to go. One thing, a friend of the bride and groom's is a "hobby" DJ, and he did the music for the welcome party. His choices were more "techno," and I think our guests enjoyed that style best. Everyone, young and old, was dancing, and the energy level was high. The DJ probably could have done that, and hindsight is always 20/20.

I started this thread and this is what happened when we passed through customs in Mexico. Before we left, I cut out or covered any "Made in China" labels, brought my receipts, and kept the value of what was being carried in to under $300/person. When we got to the customs checkpoint, we got a green button and breezed through. My husband and I each had three large bags, and we still did not have any problems. We even managed to get the bridal bouquet home in the US. Do not declare the bouquet as a plant because that is going to send you through a more stringent customs process. It doesn't have roots, so it's not a plant! I was even asked what I had in the bag, showed the agent the bouquet, and was told that it "should not be a problem." I think our experience is shat will happen most of the time. Destination weddings are big business in Mexico, and Mexico likes destination brides. Still, I would still advise anyone bringing wedding items through customs to be prepared for the agent who is having a bad day. I would take the same precautions if we would do this again. I would also recommend carrying the items with you, divided among friends and family, so each person's stash does not exceed $300. Customs broker or not, I think regulations are enforced more strictly on shipped packages and there are just too many opportunities for things to be "misplaced."

I would recommend Elizabeth Medina. We would have used her, but she was booked. She's not inexpensive, but she's really good. If you're going to cut back in any area of your wedding expenses, I would suggest that it not be on the photographer...you'll have the pictures for the rest of your life.

I don't want know if this will help you. My daughter was married at the Fairmont Mayakoba, north of Playa del Carmen. This is the contact we had for a string trio that played during the ceremony. My understanding was that there were other musicians available, but we wanted classical during the ceremony and used a DJ at the reception. The company is Big Bang Productions, and we were linked through our wedding coordinator at the Fairmont. For what it's worth, we were very pleased with the string trio. [email protected]

We had the resort's chef (in our case, from the Fairmont Mayakoba) create a simple tiered cake that we topped with a flat "bouquet" created by Vanessa Jaimes. The result was understated, exquisite, and very reasonably priced. Our guests gasped as the cake was rolled in, and we could not have been happier with the result. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures yet.

I've just returned from my daughter's wedding at the Fairmont Mayakoba, and we used Vanessa Jaimes. We could not have been happier. Vanessa listened to what we were looking for, adapted her designs to fit within our budget, and delivered impeccably. I work with a friend who does wedding flowers locally, so it was difficult for me to turn over the reigns. On a destination wedding, it's what you have to do because you're working remotely. This has been a learning experience for me, and everything turned out beautifully. Here's my advice to anyone looking for a florist is a destination location: 1) Flowers are not an important feature to all brides, but if it is to you, hire a florist with the best reputation. Do your research, and hire the one that you think is the most reliable and most likely to deliver the look you want; 2) Describe a look and the colors you want for your floral pieces. We said "low and lush," "whites, ivories and greens," and "earthy, and natural." If you want tropical colors and "edgy sculptural," say that. Whatever works for you, describe it as best you can and share a limited number of pictures so it does not confuse your florist; 3) Don't get too specific as to flower types. Flowers that are readily available at home may be very expensive at your destination. At the same time, flowers that are indulgent at home may not be at your wedding locale. 4) Recognize that flowers are seasonal. As an example, tulips in the fall are possible, but they may be pricey. Also, accept that most destination weddings are in locations that are remote from most floral distribution centers, so listen to your florist to suggest flower types that she can get at a reasonable price; 3) Trust your florist. They know what works in the locale of your wedding. Tall arrangements may blow over if your reception is outdoors and open to ocean breezes, and standard votives, that are lovely in many stateside locales, may not stay lit when you are in a tropical environment.; and 4) As a destination bride, you are in a beautiful setting. You don't have to do too much, and flowers are by nature, beautiful. Don't sweat it. If you want to see what worked awesome for us, look at the second picture on Vanessa's slide show. This was our inspiration and why we hired her. The Baby's Breath baskets gave us texture and definition for the ceremony without taking away from the natural environment. If this is not your look, you can see that she's not limited here.

My daughter was married last evening at the Fairmont Mayakoba. They opted for a legal civil ceremony before they left home, and had a very moving oceanfront ceremony here. Too many things can go wrong when you try to navigate legal requirements outside the US, and there are too many opportunities for people to take advantage of an emotional couple. The stateside legal ceremony did not take away from the meaning of the ceremony in front of friends and family, and they know everything is in order back home. They did not consider themselves "married" until they exchanged vows and rings in front of their guests, and we'd all do it this way again .

Since me post, this is what we hve found out and done: We've cut and peeled our labels when we can, and opted out on things that were imprinted. Why risk it? We were warned about embargo by our wedding planner and have found other discussions that back up this warning. I even had one vendor tell me "absolutely" because they had a bride whose items were confiscated at the border. They even warned of an embargo fine. We decided, why take a chance, and brides should look into this when planning a wedding in Mexico.

The best thing to do is to have a legal ceremony at the courthouse right before you leave for your wedding. This way you'll know everything is in order in states. There are just too many things that can go wrong with a license in another country, and people can take advantage of you. Make the legal ceremony "clinical," and save your meaningful vows and ring exchange for your destination site.