vlvetter7

Quote: Originally Posted by mecampb I also have one more question, more recently there have been quite a few Trip advisor reviews complaining of roaches and lack of cleanliness. I know in the older reviews everyone raved about the resort. Has anyone been recently? Can anyone comment on this? Thank you!! Hello. I was married at RPRM in April, and was there for 10 days. I did not see a single roach, and the resort is so clean I find it comical that someone would complain about lack of cleanliness. However, with that said, the Riviera Maya is a tropical destination. Warm weather + humidity + tropical locations do equal bugs so it is quite possible that someone saw a cockroach... The resort is spectacular and I would be amazed if you found it to be anything but perfect.

So sorry I missed you Nic to say goodbye!! I'll be thinking of you! Celestial - the sound system is an extra charge. I think Nancy quoted ~$250 USD for the cocktail reception and even more than that for the actual wedding reception...I will try to pull up my old emails.

Nic - there is a hairdryer and safe in the room. They are both free. The safe is one where you set your own combination (no key required). The safe at our honeymoon resort required us to keep a key wtih us at all times (annoying).

Ladies Yes, I believe it is 4 songs. Celestial - Marry Me by Train is an amazing song. There is a beautiful acoustic version out there that I wanted to use for our first dance, but we had the mariachi instead. You ladies are getting so close!!

Nancy just got back to me. The minister was named Roberto Gómez Flores.

Celestial - I agree, this is definitely one of the best planning threads I have read! Man, I wish you got married before me so I could copy some of your ideas!!! Great job! Can't wait to read your review after you get back!!! Good luck!!!

The appetizers were included in the price of the wedding package so we didn't have to pay anything extra for them unless we wanted to "upgrade". The included appetizers are basically little finger sandwiches (SMOKED SALMON MOUSSE, THREE CHESSES, TOMATO & EGG, HAM & CHEESE). You can upgrade to the deluxe appetizers, Mexican appetizers or PICADERA MEXICANA DELUXE which I didn’t thing was necessary at all because I felt like all we did was eat all week! But, these are what was offered: DELUXE APPETIZERS · SHRIMP · SMOKED SALMON · PROCCICUTO · CAVIAR PICADERA MEXICANA (MEXICAN APPETIZERS) · CHICKEN MINI TOSTADAS · MEAT EMPANADAS · CHICKEN FRIED TACOS · FRIED CHEESE FINGERS · ACCOMPANIED WITH GUACAMOLE, CHIPS AND MEXICAN SAUCE PICADERA MEXICANA DELUXE · SHRIMP TACOS · STUFFED JALAPEÑOS · MUSHROOMS & CHEESE QUESADILLAS · CHEF'S PRIME SELECTION · ACCOMPANIED WITH GUACAMOLE, CHIPS AND MEXICAN SAUCE

NIc - glad you agree with me! No clue what it's supposed to be. We nicknamed it Shrek! The cocktail reception was outside at the Lyrico (not sure how it's spelled) bar. They actually set the appetizers up directly inside where the night performances are, but the doors open up to the outside.

I didn't see the minister for long enough to tip him. He literally leaves directly after and never shows back up, so no, I didn't tip him. We had planned to give Nancy a tip but we didn't end up seeing her again either! I didn't want to tip her until I knew everything went off without a hitch. I figured she might be around later in the evening, but she wasn't! One note for you future brides...you might want to talk to Nancy about decorations for the appetizer station for the cocktail reception. We ended up wtih this! So creepy...

Yeah Nic! Great thread. Can't wait to hear all about it!!!!

That's super exciting Nic!! Celestial - I emailed Nancy to ask the minister's name. She said she will look and get back to me soon. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks Dana! Nice of you to check in!! Celestial - we didn't do anything specific or different during our cerenony but they guy we had was AWESOME! To be honest, earlier in the week there was a wedding I saw on the beach where the judge's accent was so thick that Nancy actually grabbed the microphone from him a few times to clarify what he was saying. I was horrified. The guy we had (his picture is below - I have no clue what his name is but maybe you could request him using this picture?) was really, really nice. He actually seemed like he really cared and he was very easy to understand. A few of my guests (including my cousin who is a priest) commented on what a nice job he did, especially seeing as I never met him before the ceremony! I'm sure you could request whatever you want to add to the ceremony though and he would incorporate it!

It said chance of rain and thunderstorms EVERY day we were there and I NEVER saw a drop of rain, so don't worry!

The room we originally got (which according to the front desk was an upgaded room from the junior suite) was in no way an upgrade - it was the same room that all our guests had! So we decided, for $200/night, to upgrade to the Jaczzi suite. The room was amazing - two floors with a jacuzzi overlooking the pool/ocean, but I am not sure it was really worth the money. We didn't spend a lot of time in our room at all... Basically, the resort is laid out in a "U" shape. I I - pool, beach I I I I - hotel rooms I I I___I - lobby, restaurants, night entertainment At the bottom of the U would be the lobby and the majority of the restaurants/shows. The two parallel "arms" of the U would be the hotel rooms. At the top of the U is the pool and beach, so as you can see, the only rooms that look out ot the beach are the few that are at the very top of the resort - not many at all. The majority look into the plaza (middle of the U) or outside the resort to gardens or in some cases, the cleaning facilities... Does this make sense?

Wow one week! Nice! How many people do you have going? Will you be doing a planning thread?

Thanks ladies! It feels great to be married. It didn't feel so great to get out of bed for work today though...I hit the snooze button on my alarm a few too many times - wishing I was still on our Mexico schedule! I brought my ipod with music but we ended up getting the harp player. Long story short, they let us do the earlier dinner seating (we had 34 guests) so I didn't have to pay for the appetizer/cocktail reception like I had been planning! We had a 5pm ceremony that lasted no more than 15 minutes. Then 20-30 minutes of pictures. We then went up and had a cocktail reception (included) with light appetizers and drinks. We had the mariachi band that played from ~6 to 6:40ish and then we went over to Chili's for dinner. Dinner got over about 9ish at which time we all went up to the show and had drinks and hung out until bedtime. It was really perfect. People who were tired were able to crash early, and those who felt like partying definitely did! So, bottom line, if you bring your ipod they will give you (free) a sound system and someone to run teh music. Just put all the songs in a separate play list and then bring a piece of paper that says when to play each song (before ceremony as guests are gathering, as bridesmaids are walking in, bride entrance, signing of marriage license, exit, etc...). They will, no doubt, be able to handle it all perfectly!

Hi ladies! I'm back! I definitely don't have time to get my entire review done today, but it was lovely at the RPRM and I never saw a cockroach! I see that a few of you have had some questions, but don't worry. For the most part everything was perfect. I'm super jealous that you will all be able to meet! I wish I was going to be there! The weather was beyond perfect. Just enough of a breeze that it wasn't too hot. The pool was refreshing and the ocean was beautiful. Nic- the towel stand is located right next to the pool. You get a towel card when you check in and you exchange it daily for a towel, and at the end of the day you can return your towel where they give you back the card. If you loose the card it's $20 USD. But surprisingly no one lost theirs and we ended up with extra towels by the end of the week somehow? The food is very good. We didn't have a problem getting reservations to any of the specialty restaurants. Nancy and Dania (someone similar to Nancy at the RPRM) were able to help with reservations and nights we didn't have reservations we just showed up and asked if they had room to squeeze us in, which they always did. We only ate dinner at the buffet once (our welcome dinner). It was really good too, but we ate breakfast and lunch there every day, so it was nice to have a change in scenery. Not to mention lunch and dinner were very similar. The brazilian steakhouse was great and the fusion and japanese restaurants were even better! The first night we ate at Chilis (the steakhouse) was awful and I got really nervous about having our reception there, but we decided to keep it there becuase I liked the "ambiance" of the restaurant better. I was really happy with that choice. It was way better the second time! Let me know if you have any specific questions.

I got my first email - "the email" on February 11 - so almost 2 months before my wedding date. I know Nancy is very busy right now, based on a few responses I've gotten from her. I am anxious to find out how many weddings will be taking place on the same day as mine!

I'm not nervous to get married, but I'm nervous about getting everything done before I leave. I took tomorrow off but we're getting 12+ inches of snow tonight/tomorrow so that's going to put a little damper on my plans! So annoying...I'm hoping it's the best April Fools joke ever from the weather men, but looking outside it just looks like SNOW! ARHHHHHHHH

Thanks Nic! I'll be sure to post pictures on facebook to keep you updated along the way!! xoxo

Ceremony Fans I think these will be handed out to the ladies only at the ceremony because I only bought 18 of them… Cake Topper Simple but it will work!

Hair Inspiration Pictures I have annoying curly hair that has a mind of its own, so I can only imagine how it will act up with the humidity of Mexico. Therefore, I chose an up-do. I plan to show the hairdresser these pictures and hope she comes up with something similar – the last thing I want is to look like I am going to the prom or something! BM Dress – David’s Bridal I have three bridesmaids, and they all got different but similar dresses at David’s Bridal in “jade†– a teal/green color. The single picture below is my sister’s dress (maid of honor), shown in jade (my color). The picture with the two dresses are my other two bridesmaid’s dresses but not shown in the correct color. I let them choose everything…I didn’t feel strongly about this for some reason. I just wanted them to be comfortable in what they were in. BM Jewelry My mother happens to make jewelry so I gave her some inspiration pictures from Etsy. Here are a few of the inspiration pictures. They came out perfect! Groom Attire Joe bought a tan, Calvin Klein linen suit all on his own. He will be wearing a Robert Graham white, embroidered shirt and flip flops with it. Groomsmen Attire The groomsmen, my two ‘soon to be’ step sons and my ring bearer (my nephew) will be wearing guayabera shirts with khaki pants and flip flops. ‘Save the Dates’ and Invitations I found my wedding invitation and save the date designer here on BDW – Kate at Custom Paper Works is AMAZING. She listened to my ideas and worked with me to make sure every little detail was perfect. Pricing was quite reasonable too! We got our magnets on Zazzle, which I wasn’t thrilled with but sent out anyhow… Kate’s website is http://www.custompaperworks.com/ Photographer What do you know…I found my photographer here on BDW too! Joshua Albanese. I am beyond excited that he agreed to take the trip back to Playa del Carmen for our wedding! I can’t wait to share his photos with you all! Check out his website in the meantime… www.joshuaalbanese.com OOT Bags These were so fun to make! We did mugs, koozies, Oh Sh*t kits and hangover kits. In the Oh Sh*t kits we put laundry detergent where you can wash clothes/bathing suits in the sink of the hotel, sun screen, first aid kits, some medications (advil, pepto bismol, etc), shout wipes, hand sanitation wipes, etc…for the hangover kits we added advil, mints, Crystal light individual packets and Emergen-C packets. They came out pretty cute!

I've decided I am just going to put my planning thread up here instead of starting a new one... Thanks to all the ladies here for your ideas. I never thought in a million years I would have “online friends†but I sure do now! I am thrilled to have shared my wedding planning experiences with each of you! Past brides – thank you for all the wonderful ideas! Future brides - happy planning! This site is beyond helpful. Engagement Story Joe and I got engaged December of 2009. He was originally planning to propose on New Years Eve, but he made the mistake of telling my sister his plan in mid-December. She told him he had to move up the date because 1) she couldn’t keep a secret from me for that long and 2) because she wanted to see my ring when she was up visiting for Christmas! So, he listened to her and proposed December 19th, 2009. Wedding Location - Riu Palace Riviera Maya We looked into a traditional wedding, but with it being Joe’s second wedding, something just didn’t feel right about doing it the “traditional†way. We considered (for about 5 seconds) eloping, but knew that our families would be extremely disappointed. So we decided on a destination wedding. After hours and hours of research, we chose the Riu Palace Riviera Maya in Playa del Carmen. Neither of us has ever been but we’re excited to share this new experience with our closest friends and family – 36 guests total on April 9, 2011! Wedding Logo Joe found this great website called crowdspring.com. We entered to have graphic artists create a wedding logo for us to use however we wanted…as you’ll see, we used the design in just about every part of the wedding, from Save The Dates/Invites, to mugs/koozies, etc… Engagement Ring Both my mother and sister have round solitaires, so it’s only fitting that I do too! Joe asked my parents for their permission before popping the question. He actually even hid the ring in their safe for a few months so I wouldn’t find it! My parents said of course, and asked if he was really sure he could handle me forever because once he married me there was no giving me back to them! J My Wedding Bands I searched high and low for the perfect band to sit flush with my engagement ring but I had the hardest time. I must have gone to 100 jewelry stores and tried on several hundred rings. When I finally found the perfect band they were so reasonably priced that I bought two! One for each side… Grooms Band Joe originally wanted a plain, platinum band but refused to pay for one. He chose this instead. Dress – David’s Bridal I went right out after I got engaged and bought the perfect dress. 8 months later I realized that a heavy, lace, fully beaded dress probably wasn’t appropriate for a destination wedding in Mexico unless I wanted to melt (I’m one of those people who sweats when it’s 30 degrees outside)! So I went back out in search of the second perfect dress and I found it at David’s Bridal for $249! I couldn’t believe it. I still have the other dress…I guess I should consider selling it! Shoes – ivory Havainnas Simple but so “me†– I’m not a huge heels fan and I don’t want to be taller than my fiancé in all our photos…all of my bridesmaids will be wearing 3.5†heels for the ceremony with flip flops to change into later in the night.

Nic. I love both hair styles but especially your AHR one! They always tell me not to wash my hair when I get it done, but I always do because I hate it feeling dirty and greasy otherwise! That's what hairspray is for!!! Celestial - yes, we got a new house! We have been renovating it over the past few months, and we are officially moved in now! It went quite well, but I am exhausted after everything. I can't wait to be on a beach in Mexico relaxing with a cold beverage in my hand!

Hey Celestial I AM doing a planning thread! I've been trying to keep notes all along so I can remember everything and get good pictures and whatnot...but I have no idea how to start a thread on this site so I will probably just paste it into this thread as a super long post! Well, I am officially moving this weekend and then leaving for Mexico the following weekend...I'm starting to get so excited I can't stand it!