msglave

Hi ladies! I am at the resort now and they have set up for a wedding, is it one of yours?

Hi ladies! I'm here at the resort and they are setting up for a wedding. Would love to say hi! Is it one of yours?

Beautiful job!

There used to be a referral link (exclusive to us) that we could email to friends to invite them to the forum. I no longer see it and am wondering if someone could point me to it.

 

Hi all,

 

I've already searched the FAQ's but I'm not seeing the link. Can someone please point me in the right direction? Thanks!

 

 

Originally Posted by geminiwanderlust 

 

What  is the numer of posts you have to have to open attachments? 

 

150

 

Hey ladies! Just checking in. I'm glad the spreadsheet is working out for you!

Oh-VIctor Herrera was our photographer and he was WONDERFUL!

 

Hi ladies!!!

 

It's been forever since I have been on here!!! Married life (and work) keeps me super busy. Congrats to all the new and soon to be Mrs :-). We were married on December 11, 2010. Our wedding was so PERFECT!!! The staff at the resort is awesome. I am sooooo jealous of you all who are still in your planning stages. For hair, I used Doranna and for the DJ-Doremixx. I am still planning on posting a review (eventually) but I will make it my business to check in to see if you guys have any questions.

 

Once again, Congrats!

 

For OOT bags/gifts, I found the pashmina wraps and a nice quality up north in the WIlson & Clark shopping area. You can also negotiate the prices.

Yup! You spelled it right! I would DEFINITELY recommend doing the video! We went with the sunrise package. Instead of having them follow us on a shoot, we had the videographer spend time before the wedding in the guys room and the girls room. It's really cool seeing what the mood was like/behind the scenes before the wedding. Right after the wedding, we had him record special messages that the guests wanted to say to us. It was really cool. We got it about 5 days after the wedding (we said in Mexico for another week) and they delivered it to our second resort. Overall, I was pleased, but upset that they didn't get us inking and stamping our thumbs. I emailed them and asked them to put chapters on the DVD-you may want to do that beforehand and asked them about the thumbprints. The excuse i was given is right at that time the photographer got in the way. So I asked, well, we each had t ink and stamp 4 certificates so you should have some footage. They basically responded saying they didn't, but if we had a photo they would attach it to the video and offered us 2 extra copies for the inconvenience. If I had to do it all over again, I would DEFINITELY do it. DH and I both regret not doing the reception too (if you have the extra $-it is expensive).

Originally Posted by diahr 

Hey Lisa and Raveyn (hope I spelled that right) - Would you ladies recommend getting the Royal's wedding video?  Do you think it was worth the cost in the end?  Our package doesn't include it.  Me and my FI are torn over this.  Our budget is tight so we are evaluating all costs.  Pros, cons???

Kshows, I can't believe your day is coming up so soon!!! I m so jealous! Your FI is gonna LOVE the photos-you look HOT girl!

Thanks ladies!!!!

Hey Lisa! Cute pics from your AHR! Thanks for the compliment. Our wedding was 12-11 and we were sent  the link to all of our pics the first week in January. Did yo ever get your video?
 

Originally Posted by Lisa DSO 

msglave,

 

Your pics are beautiful! I'm so jealous! Jess and I are STILL waiting for our from November. They were both slated for 8 weeks, and here we are at almost 11 and 13 weeks :-(.

 

I couldn't agree with you more about the DJ and light up dance floor. It was soooo fun and it made the pics (from what I've seen of family pics) incredible. The lighting he brings is awesome too

I almost forgot, we didn't give the DJ our song or announcement/special song list until the day before the ceremony and he had  them ALL!

Hi ladies,

 

I wanted to share a few of our shots! Let me know what you think!

 

http://www.victorherrera.com.mx/blog/?p=2230

Hi ladies,

 

Sorry to have been MIA. I 've been sick with the flu and my husband pulled a muscle in his back. What a sad pair we make! We just had this HORRIBLE snow storm and were not able to gid rid of our snow so we had to pay someone 100.00 to shovel around our car and a walkway. Our other car is still stuck in the garage. SMH-it's really awful!

 

I hope everyone's planning has been going well!

Kshows-good for you that you got Doranna! I LOVED her! Please tell her Raveyn said hello.

 

Someone asked about the DJ--I thought it was so overpriced but my husband is a music man and felt that no one could move a party like a DJ-then, I started thinking of ways to go with a standard dance floor. My DH was set on the light up--Almost two months later and I will still tell you-I AM THRILLED THAT WE GOT BOTH!  That is one of the things that people are still talking about! People who see our pics are in awe of the dance floor. It really added to the party! There was a party that was a little down from ours with a plain floor and it paled in comparison! If you have the $, I would definitely say splurge and GO FOR IT! Someone else asked for photos. Here's our blog from the photographer

 

http://www.victorherrera.com.mx/blog/?p=2230

 

Hope everyone's planning is going well!!!!!

 

 

 

 

Ladies, Sorry that my replies were all inside your quotes, but my Ipad only shows HTML and it's kind of a guess game as to where to type. Di, I can't believe it's been 8 months for you already, GEESH! We had our one month anniversary and it seems like we were just married yesterday. Can't believe one month passed so quickly. We, too, are entertaining going back for our anniversary. Ladies, As far as the flowers go, I know they say you have to pay the vendor's fee, but some have gotten away without so. Be wise in whatever decision you make if you decide to order flowers because some of the ladies (I think the ones who booked before 12/2009) only had a 100.00 vendor fee. The vendor fee after that is 350.00. If you have to pay 350.00 plus whatever the florist is charging, it may be cheaper to just go through the resort. Do the math and make whatever decision is best for you. Good luck and happy planning!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey Sarah! Michelle is the BOMB! OMG, we loved her sooooooo much. You actually have NOTHING to worry about!

Hi Ashley--welcome!
 

Lights are included under the tables although they are not very bright at all. You do actually get the flowers that you see in the pics. Your WC will set up meeting with you. We got to the Royal on a Wed, met our WC on a Ths and married on a Saturday. You will be able to go over all of your final details, ask any questions, make any changes and give any directions to her as far as how you would like seating, programs, decorations, etc. The spa has mixed reviews on hair and makeup. Some have had success and some has not.

 

Good luck!

Originally Posted by ashleymanning 

Hello Ladies!  I am getting married at The Royal on June 4, 2011.  For anyone who has already done their wedding here, maybe you can help me with the "Checklist" I am suppose to fill out.  I have been looking at pictures online at other weddings that have taken place, and I see some things that are not on the checklist.  For example, under table lighting.  Does anyone know if the under table lighting is included?  Also, in regards to the flowers, do you get what you see in the pictures? 

 

On another note, do you get to actually meet with the WC that we are assigned through Basecamp when we arrive at the hotel?

 

Also, has anyone had their hair and makeup done by the hotel spa?  If so, do you recommend using them?

Kelfrecks, I SOOOO didn't anwwer the question about the flowers, sorry!

They have maps and books at the airport. 35 will fit under the gazebo. The reason most of us decided not to do it is because Matt from Del Sol did a HUGEEEEEEE writeup about the poor lighting inside the gazebo. He included explanations and pics.You could probably search for it.It'sreally a personal choice, but at least you can make an informed decision.

Originally Posted by Kelfrecks 

Good Morning Ladies! Does anyone have a good map of Playa del Carmen? I'd like to include it in our OOT bags. Or do they have free ones down there that I could just grab 25 of when we get there?

 

Also, for ROYAL PDC brides who have been married at/in the Gazebo, has anyone actually had the seats all in (under) the gazebo? We have a bout 35 guests and although it will be tight (I think) I would really like us all under the gazebo, so I'm trying to get an idea of its dimensions or if we would even fit! 

 

Thanks! Kelly

 

I think you will not want to meet him on the property so you don't have to pay the vendor's fee. If a WC helps you (depending on who), they may charge you $350.00.  I would suggest you talk to Marvin. He could probably  put them in ice water buckets or something for you. He'sa professional, I'm sure he can give you the best advice.
 

Originally Posted by Kelfrecks 

One more quick question regarding flowers - If you order them from Marvin at Maya Diseno Floral and we meet him in the lobby the morning of the wedding to pick up the flowers, where did you put them or take them so that the centerpieces made it to the tables in the reception? Does your onsite WC work with you on that? Thanks again!

 

Beautiful! I love the one of you guys standing on the rocks!

Originally Posted by rosieposie 

revieved a preview on my e-photos and thought i'd share!

i think i look a bit pale and hair got damp - we were freezing, it was snowing that morning, then was raining for parts during but it was still a lot of fun.

 

http://sakuraphotography.com/blog/engaged/rose-and-davids-engagement-shoot/

Thanks ladies, for all of your compliments.

I set up our time frame the exact same way. We took pictures during the cocktail hour. Funever took pictures of our cocktail/rehearsal dinner and they were nice. Some recent brides have used them for all of their photos as well. I think Lisa and Di had a few pics included with their package and they came out nice. They also have a website you can google to see what their work is like. Lastly, you can do a search of this thread for Funever to pull up what people have said. The white linens they used for our wedding had little swirl designs built in. They were beautiful. We put an aqua colored overlay on top and it was perfect.
 

Originally Posted by Kelfrecks 

Does anyone know if the table linens are included in the Luxury Wedding package at the Royal?  My guess is that they offer standard white ones, which is fine with me, but I just don't want to incur a bunch of extra charges when all is said and done and I noticed a listing for tablecloths and napkins in the a la cart wedding sheet file they sent me.

 

Also, has anyone used or heard anything about Funever photos? The photo vendor that is included (for the ceremony) at least? My family takes an insane amount of photos and although I don't want to assign anyone to "take pictures" that day, my FI and I are having trouble rationalizing the cost of having a photographer to document the whole day. The only thing I do want is some group pictures (we have about 35 guests) and then some of just us, our wedding party, and with our families. My guess is it would take about an hour to get these photos, but I can't figure out when to do that. I don't want to really ruin the "flow" of anything. Right now, we are scheduled for: 

• Ceremony at the Gazebo: 4-4:30pm
• Cocktail Hour at Gazebo: 4:30-5:30pm
• Reception on beach: 5:30 - 9:30pm

 

Has anyone included a "break" in the schedule for pictures? I would like them taken on the beach. 

 

I gave mine as soon as I got there and they returned it the next evening. You should do it as soon as you get there for peace of mind.

Originally Posted by Kelfrecks 

When is everyone getting there wedding dress pressed? Is it ok to do a few days before the wedding or is it something you want done the day before or the day of? 

 

My phtg had in his contract that we had to include meals for 2. We sat him at a table with guests because we knew he would only been sitting there for about 15 min. anyway.

 

We loved our WC and tipped  her $100. 48 days, HOW EXCITING!

Originally Posted by MichelleCrock 

Now that we're getting closer to the big day (48 more days!!), I'm starting to think about more of the details and had a few quick questions if anyone has any advice:

 

Do people usually sit the photographer (and assistant) at a table with guests for dinner?  Or just leave them to eat on their own at some point?  Either way is fine by me, just not sure what the norm is (we're using Sascha from Cancun Photos)....

 

Also any suggestions on tipping vendors (photographer, DJ... and do most people tip the wedding coordinator too?)?

 

Thanks!! 

HAHAHA!!!! JENNY, I've been looking at your photos FORRRRRREEEVVVERRRRR and never realized that was you! You looked absolutely gorgeous!

Hey Ladies! Happy New Year! It's back to work and the world of craziness for me! I wanted to share our photos our photographer's blog with you--

 

http://www.victorherrera.com.mx/blog/?p=2230
 

Also, I read the last couple of pages and am going to address questions/comments I missed:

Originally Posted by kshows03 

According to my wedding coordinator you don't need to pay an outside vendor fee for make up or hair....can anyone else confirm this?

My WC told me that I HAD to pay, but I knew several ladies on the forum did not. I took Jesmcan's advice. I didn't mention it to the WC. I booked the trials/appt. times with the vendors, went downstairs about 30 min. early to let the security know and waited around. I had no problem with this. They take the ID of the vendor and give them some sort of pass that they must return when they leave in order to get their ID back. Piece of cake and best yet, NO EXTRA CHARGE!!!
 

 

Originally Posted by ChicagoBride2011 

Quote:

Originally Posted by kshows03 

According to my wedding coordinator you don't need to pay an outside vendor fee for make up or hair....can anyone else confirm this?

I was told I would have to pay an outside vendor fee, haha.  Ahhhhhh its crazy that we all get different answers.

 

Past brides how did you get away with not paying it????  heeeelllllpppppp

 

YAY!!! How did it turn out? I've emailed them a couple of times requesting corrections, but overall, it's pretty decent.
 

Originally Posted by Lisa DSO 

Happy New Year!

 

 

p.s. I got my wedding video yesterday- yay!

 

Thank you Heid! Congrats on finding your dress!

Originally Posted by Heidi82 

CONGRATS to msglave, araceli and jenny!!!!  You all looked great on your big day!   How wonderful to ring in the new year married!  I am so excited for 2011!!!

 

I went wedding dress shopping on Thursday and found my dress!  I was nervous and sweating when I got there...I don't know why...it ended up being a fun experience!

 

JHarris - I went dress shopping at Venturas near 610 and Yale.  It's pretty close to where I live and I have had a few friends find their dresses there so I figured I would have pretty good luck.  The only thing is that they told me NOT to get my alterations there.  They had issues with them.  So I'm going to ask around and find an alterations person in Houston.  Do you know of anyone or anywhere?

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! 

Thanks! I didn't want to do my own makeup so I booked him. I'm so happy you waited! I know the girls speak very highly of Fernando's makeup. I'm not sure about his experience with AA brides but you could check into it. You could get your correct foundation colors from MAC before you leave home so you know your shade. Jes had suggested that I have them makeup my face at home, take pics and have them complete a face chart of what colors they used and have it reproduced in MX. There's a MAC on 5th or you could use Norma from MAC in Cancun (Di used her). At least you will know your colors are right and you have a solid plan.

Originally Posted by diahr 

OMG MSGLAVE!!!! I am so sorry to hear about what happened with Adriane.  I was waiting for your review before I booked him.  Thank God for your girls! So glad that your quick plan of action worked out.  My wedding is 3 mos out so now we have to fiind a new makeup option that will work.  Me and my bridesmaids are African American as well and we are all different shades.  Again, so sorry about the makeup issues. I am glad it didn't ruin your day!
 

 

The amount of $ for the extended rental is too much. You could have his best man or another groomsmen return his suit when they come back (which will probably be before you guys?) I did find out that is supposed to be the best man's "duty." My husband ordered suits from Studio. He had them lined to prevent sweat marks and being able to see through them and they worked out great. I will say that almost all of the guys had to get their suits altered. We were scared that some of them wouldn't be able to fit. The shirts (that my husband ordered seperately) were too tight and Studio stopped responding to his emails. He bought shirts at home. Luckily, the suits ended up fitting after the alterations and all of the men looked AMAZING!!!!!!
 

Originally Posted by diahr 

Hey Ladies - I am getting married in April and my FI still has not picked out his suit. I am not sure if my FI can rent a suit and bring it to and from Mexico without issue.  He asked me about this and I had no idea.  We live in New Jersey (USA - for my UK / Canadian / Island / and anyone that I missed -brides).  Can the other 2011 brides or past brides shed some light on this?

 

Thanks a bunch!

 

I was the queen of being upset! You should have whatever menus you like etc. If you book a DJ Dorremix is the one they will book for you. You can book him independently and pay no vendor's fee. Also, you can give him a list of songs and he will have it already for you. Choose whatever menu you like and anything else from the forms they sent you (if you don't have them, let one of us know and we'll send them to you) and email them to your WC. They will HONOR whatever you want and turn your day into your dream wedding. It may also be quicker to ask your burning questions here. By the end of the month, your WC will be borderline stalking you for info, lol!

Originally Posted by Kelfrecks 

These discussions are so incredibly helpful to me! We booked our wedding at The Royal PDC last July and are getting married February 19th of this year... it's so soon! At first the slow replies from the wedding team didn't bother me too much, but now its really starting to frustrate me! We have 35 people coming and staying at the Royal and with our wedding less than 50 days away, we still have no other decisions made besides when and where our ceremony and reception are. My WC is Jael. Does anyone else have her and if so, are you able to get a response to your questions in a decent time frame? Or anyone have any suggestions for trying to get some of the other details planned? 

 

I have questions about almost every aspect - from flowers to time frame to DJ to food. HELP! 

 

Also, for flowers, we were thinking of ordering bulk from SAM'S club and then just going to pick them up and wrap the bouquets ourselves while getting ready the morning of the wedding. Has anyone else done this or recommend doing this? Thank you so much!

Kelly

The rest of these, either I already addressed or has similar questions so I'm going to address them in one post.

 

Seriously, I recommend going through Maya Diseno for flowers. I had been emailing the early part of last year and never ordered the flowers from Marvin. My aunt, who is a florist, told me that she would do all of the flowers. Anyway, she came the day before the wedding and basically said it was too late for her to do them (although she had told me not to worry). We ended up going to our WC and ordering 5 bridesmaid boq, 7 bout, and 2 wrist corsages and flowers for our centerpieces the night before the wedding. I thank God they were able to do them, but seriously, we were out of so much extra money.

 

Also, we didn't get to spend a lot of time with our guests because we were out trying to pick up last minute stuff (for centerpieces, etc) and were constantly worried about our flowers. If I had to do it all over again, I will LIMIT the amount of tasks that I had to do when I got there or that I had to assign to other people. I seriously ended up being stressed out at the last minute after spending 2 years planning. I would have EVERYTHING DONE at least 1 month before the wedding and do nothing but lay on the beach after that!!!

 

Good luck 2011 brides. Let me know if you have any other questions I can assist you with!
 

 

Originally Posted by diahr 

Thanks for the feedback about Men's Wearhouse! Of course I got all excited, thinking that I had found a solution.  I know this may sound stupid, but does the linen come in heavier grades of fabric? I am asking because I attended a beach wedding last summer where the guys wore linen. It was hot and they sweated like pigs at a bonfire. The linen color that they wore was light, so they had these huge wet spots in random place where the sweat gathered. I wondered if it was because the linen fabric was cheap????

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by kshows03 

Diahr - we checked out Men's Wearhouse as well, but for the price to rent for the time frame we needed it (7+ days) it was actually the same as just buying the stupid thing.  Really dumb in my opinion, but most places charge per day.  We actually odered my fiance's suit online from SudioSuits.com.  They have $99 mixed linen suits with a few different options in color.  As long as you measure him properly, its a really good deal.

 

 

Kelfrecks - My wedding is Feb 12th, and we are wrapping up all final payments and have chosen everything that we want.  Sounds like your coordinator is a little behind.  As long as you are pretty decisive on what you want, it shouldn't be a problem, but your coordinator should send you a list of several document attachments for you to look through.  I would really get on her if I were you.

 

 

Originally Posted by diahr 

Hey Kelly,

 

Try not to worry. I didn't know there was a Sam's club in Mexico.  What time is your wedding? That might be a lot of travel for you on the day of your wedding unless the wedding is late.  Have you tried reaching out to Marvin from Mayan Diseno Floral? He's an outside vendor and his prices are way cheaper than the Royal's. A lot of girls on here have used him. Also, you can have someone meet him in the lobby of the Royal to pick up the flowers and avoid the vendor fee.  The only catch is that you have to pay him in cash.  PM me and I will send you his contact info or you may be able to find it by doing a search for "Marvin" in this thread.

 

DJ - A lot people use DOREMIXX.  He is also a Royal vendor you don't have to pay the vendor fee.  That's like $800 and out of my budget, so I think we will be using an Ipod.  The Royal will provide the sound system but you have to pay someone there to operate it.  I think that cost is $80.

 

Decorations - The royal does provide chair sashes for rentals in a variety of colors but they're expensive at $3 USD each.  I bought 50 for half of that from Raza linens (I got them on sale).  PM me if you need the sash colors that the Royal provides.  Are you doing an aisle runner? The Royal provides one in red and burlap I think.  I am doing just rose petals (got those from Marvin to at $10/bag.

 

Also - if you go to the Royal weddings website, you can click on downloads under Packages & Services and it will show you an itemized list of what's available.  Are you on basecamp? That's the site where I email my WC - Andrea. She's very responsive.  WeddingChannel.com has some great checklists for you to look at so you know what's missing and what questions you should be asking.

 

Ask as many questios as you need to here. Everyone is very helpful!

 

Originally Posted by Kelfrecks 

Thanks Michelle! I think I will call them tomorrow to see what is going on. And you're definitely right about the DIY flower being an added stress on what should be a relaxing day. Luckily my mom and her sisters want to do that part, so I guess I'm ok with that. Plus, I know they'll do a good job! But will definitely keep that in mind. Thanks for the encouragement with the frustrating part of this. I truly believe it will all turn out great (thanks to reading this thread), but my gosh, it's easy to get caught up in the details now!