beachykeen

As promised, I'm back with some of my photographers teaser pictures. There are some good ones of the buffet and reception set up---which we didn't pay anything extra for. We had a buffet and it was on the pool terrace.

Yes the lanterns were included. And we had 40 people and had leftover cake. I think a lot of people ate the desserts from the buffet instead. I would find out the cost of a 2 tier cake and decide if you think the cost is worth it. When I asked Magdalena how much it would be for a larger 1 tier that would feed 40 she said the included cake would feed 20 and then it would be $4 per person after that plus 11% tax and 15% service fee.

Found a better one of the chairs---VERY plain.

We had our reception at the Pool Area and it worked out perfectly. The pools are closed so your reception is the only thing going on around the pool. And no one else was around. The dance floor area was a square of concrete that jutted out into the pool. Our set up worked out really nicely for our group and I'm still waiting on my professional pictures---I'll post reception decor photos for everyone. It seems like a lot of the girls went with the pool deck though so if you're interested in it I would book it fast. We brought an IPOD and used the sound sytem and it was loud enough and worked out great. The only complaint I had was that the music tech didn't speak English so I had to go up to him and literally show him each playlist that I made (ex. Dinner, First Dance, Dance music) and he still mixed in some of his own music.

If you look to the left of the picture I just posted you can see the back of the chairs included at the reception. They're really plain but sashes would really add a lot to them.

I didn't give them any preference for the cake besides the tres leches flavor. It was delicious and the cake was simple and pretty. Here's the best picture I have of it. I have heard that they're pretty good at replicating pictures of cakes that you show them though. You can see the lanterns above the buffet in the background too!

Quote:Originally Posted by brookeh68 Does anyone know if paper lanterns come with the reception decor or do we have to rent them? They were included at our wedding. Still waiting for my pro pics and I'll post pictures of our reception set up which we didn't pay anything extra for.

Lily---Your pictures are GORGEOUS!!! Congrats!!

That's great! It sounds like you're getting everything togehter! EW Cancun is amazing! They did my ceremony set up and I only wish I would've booked them for the reception decor too. You might want to ask Rafaelle at EW if he has any ideas for the reception tables. He can send you pictures of different set ups and then you wouldn't have to worry about it getting done. What are your colors? I still have a ton of inspiration photos saved. We did the music tech and he played our dinner music so I'm sure the DJ would do that too. For the cocktail hour, I think it depends on the time of the wedding and reception. If you have a big gap in time between the ceremony and reception I would do the cocktail hour right after the ceremony while you're getting pictures. That way your guests won't be starving by the time of the reception.

The lobby bar is huge and has lots of areas where you could separate yourselves into a group. Desires has a terrace with a lot of seating you could use for a toast and speeches/giving out gifts. I would check out both of those places as soon as you get there and decide which one you like best.

Right after the ceremony, a waiter served champagne to everyone and we got some pictures with the wedding party and the whole group. Then we all went to the swing bar on the beach and had drinks and mingled. Some people layed under the palapas and talked and had a few drinks. We got cigars for the guys after the ceremony too. Everyone stayed there while we got the rest of our pictures and until it was time for the reception. It really worked out well. These pictures are in the palapas right next to the swing bar.

When we got there we had a group of about 20 for our rehearsal dinner and they said they couldn't reserve anything unless we booked it privately for $30 per person. My Father in Law went up to the manager at Portofino and paid him $100 and they seated us all at one long table together and put rose petals on the table for us. It was really nice but we wouldn't have had any options other than the private dinner if we wouldn't have gone to the restaurant manager with money. However, we had a group of 7 get seated all together at Bordeaux, the French restaurant, a few nights after the wedding just for dinner and they didn't have any problems seating us together. It was my favorite and the service and atmosphere were really romantic. We also had a group of 7 get seated together at El Patio with no problems or waiting around. I really don't think you will have a problem getting seated togehter at any of the restaurants if you just show up early for dinner.

I'll get back to you with pictures as soon as I can.

Quote:Originally Posted by sunkisseddreams Great review beachykeen! You mentioned that the buffet had pretty paper lanterns strung above it. Did the resort provide the paper lanterns or did you bring them? How many were there and approximately what were the sizes? Do you happen to have a pictures of it? or any of your reception set up for that matter? Sorry for all the questions but we're thinking about having our reception on the pool terrace too Thanks for taking the time to share with us! It really helps ease the stress... especially when it takes forever to hear back from the coordinators... who I haven't heard from since August! AlHow many were t The resort provided the lanterns and it was a string of maybe 6 of them. Not sure on the sizes but I'll see if I can find any pictures. Once I get my professional pics back they will probably have one of the buffet and reception set up as a whole. Hope I can help more! My guests did comment that the set up was perfect and they loved seeing the resort lit up all around us. I would bring lots if bug spray too. The Mosquitos were pretty bad. We had little bug repellant wipes for everyone and it helped a lot.

I used EW Cancun for the ceremony decor and they required a deposit when I booked them. They have a U.S. partner in New York that I was able to send a check to and I paid the rest of it a few weeks before the wedding the same way. We used Playa Weddings for photography and they actually had paypal so I paid a deposit when I booked them through my credit card on paypal and the rest of it the same way a few weeks before the wedding. Both of these places would take the balance up to the day of the wedding but I wanted to have those things paid for before we got down there. You can probably ask them ahead of time what they accept for payment too. Hope this helps!

Here's some more info on the budget breakdown. Dreams Of Love Package: $2060.00 20 Extra Guests at Reception: $48.00+15% service charge+10% tax =$1214.40 Ceremony Music: $180.00 Reception Music: $180.00 X 3=$540 Bridesmaids Bouquets: $45.00 X 3 Bridesmaids=$135.00 Rehearsal Dinner: $100.00 TOTAL: $4229.40 Substituted Cocktail Hour towards Extra Dinner Guests: $26.00 X 20=$520.00 credit FINAL TOTAL: $3709.40 We had already paid the $500 deposit for the Dreams of Love package before we got there and they charged the rest of it to our room so we could pay it anytime during our stay. It was very convenient and we paid quite a bit less than I originally thought we would.

I got married 10-8-10 and had a similiar experience to Mindy. I'll leave a wedding recap with pictures and if anyone has any questions I will be more than happy to answer them. We chose the Dreams of Love Package and had 40 guests. We had the wedding on the beach and the reception around the pool area--not the pool deck. EMAIL COMMUNICATION: I think everyone knows that this is terrible. Especially for those of us that started with Ana. I got several conflicting emails concerning prices and ceremony/reception locations. I would suggest printing out all of your emails and bringing them with you so you have proof of everything that was promised to you. Just be VERY adamant about what you want and what you were quoted and bring your emails with you. MEETING WITH COORDINATOR: This was a little stressful. Everything that I had confirmed in email several times before the wedding changed when we got there. I had quotes for the bridesmaids bouquets, they were long stem calla lillies for $45 each. Then when we got there Magdalena changed it to $60 each. I had to talk her back down to $45 after showing her the emails she sent me less than a week before we got there. She also tried to tell me that the only boutonir that was included was for the groom and that we would have to pay $12 each for additional ones. I had to show her the Dreams of Love package that's on their website to show her that it includes the groom's and 2 additional boutinirs. She also had no idea that we were using the sound system for the reception even though it was written in my contract and confirmed by email the week before. And we used EW Cancun for our ceremony set up and she tried to make me pay day passes at $55 each for the whole crew so they could set it up. I eventually contacted EW Cancun and they talked to Gabriela so I wouldn't have to pay it. The biggest upset for me was the reception location though. We confirmed through email 4 times that it would take place at El Patio. Then when we got there she said it wasn't available and that we had to have it at Oceana which is the smaller covered dining area by the pool. This was really upsetting because I didn't bring any decorations thinking that the restaurant is so beautiful by itself we wouldn't need any. They weren't even going to put tablecloths on the tables for us without paying extra and it definitely needed something. Then, when we did the rehearsal she changed it again saying that the restaurant was too small and too close to another reception going on at the same time on the pool deck. We ended up having it around the pool and it turned out perfect but the whole process was so stressful. Unfortunately your at their mercy when you get there unless you want to spend a lot more money that you budgeted for to get what you want. I met a bride that was getting married there 2 days later and found out why El Patio was unavailable. They booked it for their rehearsal dinner the night of our wedding and paid $30 per person so the resort pushed us out since the other couple was paying.......very dissappointing. My suggestion is to get EVERYTHING in writing and be prepared to pay extra to get the locations/services you want. REHEARSAL: The rehearsal was very quick but pretty easy and stress free. We met Magdalena at the pool and she showed us how to walk down and went through it 2 times for practice. For the rehearsal dinner, we went to Portofino which was excellent. The food was great and it had a really cool atmosphere. We just paid the restaurant manager $100 that night and he seated us all together and even had rose petals on the table, it was much easier than doing it through the wedding coordinator. There were other people in the restaurant too but it didn't bother us at all. It worked out perfectly! GETTING READY: To have your wedding clothes pressed you leave them on the bed the day before the wedding and the cleaners will pick them up and deliver them back to you later that day. This was a little stressful because they didn't bring them back until about 9am the day of the wedding and I had to call Magdalena to ask her where they were that morning. They came back pressed and ready to go though. We got ready in my room and ordered room service which worked out great for us girls. We had guacamole, pico de gallo, fruit, cheese, and chocolate cakes. We also ordered a bottle of champagne. I had a friend do my hair and makeup so I can't comment on that but my mother in law and sister in law had theirs done at the salon and they looked great. CEREMONY: The ceremony was perfect and it was everything I wanted it to be. We used EW Cancun for the ceremony decorations and they did a FANTASTIC job! I posted a longer vendor review for them if anyone is interested. The area where we were on the beach was more private and to the far left of the resort property. They moved all the water sport equipment like the trampoline and kayaks so they were out of sight--you might want to remind them to do that. We were late getting started due to an accident on the highway so the music tech and minister were late but it gave us plenty of time to get pictures with the wedding party and our guests relaxed around the pool together. We had a friend pass out programs and I actually wrote the whole ceremony and gave it to Magdalena the day before to give to the minister. I kept a copy for myself too just in case it was lost. I also had my mother in law take the sand ceremony stuff down to the altar. I gave my ipod to Magdalena that morning for the music tech and showed her the playlist for the ceremony. I just put all the songs in order and wrote the name of each song by the time that I wanted it played.( Prelude:, Bridal Party Processional:, Bridal Entrance:, Recessional:). They played everything exactly when it needed to be played and did a great job. The minister definitely had broken English and struggled with some of the words but it didn't bother us at all. We could still understand her and it didn't take anything away from our ceremony. We did the symbolic ceremony but you still get a certificate of marriage to keep that you sign during the ceremony. Right afterwards, they passed out glasses of champagne to everyone and it was the perfect way to mingle with all our guests right after the ceremony. Oh and it was really windy so be prepared for a crazy veil and hair. FLOWERS: The flowers were delivered to my room the morning of the wedding and they were exactly what I wanted. Mine was long stem white calla lilles and the girls were smaller versions of mine. They were akk wrapped in satin around the stems so I was able to attach my grandmas brooch and the mini photo charms I brought. They were gorgeous! Mine was included and the girls were $45 each. RECEPTION: Even with all the changes, Magdalena really pulled through. We didn't pay extra for any of the decor that was set up. The reception was set up around the pool. We had a sweetheart table and everyone else sat at round tables. They had white chair covers and white tablecloths and a candle for a centerpiece. I just used my bouquet as a decoration for our small table and it looked fine. If I would have known it would be outside I would've hired EW Cancun for the reception decor as well but it ended up just fine. We chose the Carribbean Buffet and it was AMAZING! We got a lot of compliments on the food and the buffet had pretty paper lanterns strung above it too. The Ribs and Kabobs were delish! We used the sound system for dinner music and the dancing and it was a little frustrating. I had to start the playlist myself for the dinner music because the tech didn't speak English and couldn't understand what I was telling him. Then there was no introduction for the first dance or cake cutting or anything. He would just start playing the music and we would have to get out to the dance floor very quickly. Then he mixed in some of his own music which was like Cypress Hill--not joking--and other rap. We had some rap on our playlist but I wish he just would've stuck to ours. This is another area that I would have spent the extra money on for a DJ in hindsight. Luckliy we had a pretty fun group so we danced the night away and had a blast. The cake was delicious! We chose the tres leches cake and they set up the cake knife and server on the table and set out all of our favors at each place setting. We did can koozies for the favors and everyone loved them and used them for the rest of the trip. Make sure someone takes your toasting flutes and cake knife/server back to your room for you. They took our cake knife and server saying they would clean them and bring them to our room and we never got them back. I went to the wedding coordinators 3 times on 2 different days after the wedding and they never found them. I left my address so they could ship them to me but I'm sure they're gone for good. I don't have a lot of pictures of the reception set up but when I get my professional pics back I'll post some better ones. Oh and there was another reception going on at the pool deck at the same time but we didn't see or hear them and they kept us separated very well. We actually met the other bride and groom later at Desires and they were really sweet and fun. We used Playa Weddings for our photography so I can't comment on the resort photots but I HIGHLY recommend Playa Weddings, Rachel and Paul were so great to work with and they even had paypal so the contract and payments were really easy and trustworthy. We all went to Desires, the resort's night club after the wedding and continued the dance party. It was a blast and everyone had a great time! We had some bumps in the planning and communication areas but all in all it was a BEAUTIFUL and PERFECT day and we got so many compliments on the resort and the wedding. You won't be dissappointed in the resort just be prepared for changes and to pay extra for what you want if you have a specific vision in mind. Let me know if you have any questions!

I had exactly the same problem. My contract from Ana stated that I would have the reception in a closed restaurant for NO extra charge. I emailed Gabby about it when Ana left and she gave me the choice of El Patio or Himitsu, again with no extra charge. She said that since I had over 40 people that it would be fine for it to be private and that we would just have to pay per person for everyone over the 20 included in the package. That was fine......then I got an email from my new assigned coordinator, Magdalene or Maggie. She said that she would have to check with management on the availability of El Patio and that it would be $30 additional per person for it to be private. Well I emailed her back letting her know that I was given El Patio as a choice from Ana and Gabby and that I was never informed of an additional cost for it to be private. She got back to me letting me know that it was a mistake and that the $30 per person is for a private party in one of the restaurants like a Welcome Dinner and that we would only have to pay per person for the extra people over the original 20 included in our package and that El Patio would be fine. Lesson Learned: If you get conflicting informaiton, tell them and see if they will honor what you were originally told or if they made a mistake. Hope that helps you!

My wedding is next Friday and I got some prices and info from Magdalene who is our assigned wedding planner at Dreams. Some of the info she gave me was different than what I had gotten from Ana and Gabby so make sure you clarify if you were previously promised something else. Here were my questions/info to her and her answers. Ceremony on beach at 2:00pm (I am using Raffaelle at EW Cancun for ceremony decorations and they should arrive that day to set everything up) ANSWER: CERTAINLY, WE WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH THEM. We are trading the Cocktail Hour for money towards our extra guests. Our guest count is at 42. Can you tell me how much the cocktail hour for 20 is worth and how much we will owe for the extra guests after the discount? ANSWER:THE COCKTAIL PRICE FOR THE EXTRA PERSON IS $26.00 USD PLUS 11% TAX PLUS 15% SERVICE. I AM SORRY WE CAN NOT CHANGE ANYTHING FROM THE PACKAGES. (SHE LATER EMAILED ME SAYING THAT IT WAS FINE TO SUBSTITUTE THE COCKTAIL HOUR TOWARDS THE EXTRA GUESTS BUT NEVER TOLD ME HOW MUCH THE CREDIT WOULD BE, I'M GUESSING IT'S $26.00X20=$520.00) We want the reception to be a private one in El Patio restaurant at 6:45pm or 7:00pm-10pm ANSWER:PLEASE ALLOW ME TO DOUBLE CHECK WITH THE F&B MANAGER THE AVAILABILITY OF THE PATIO RESTAURANT (SHE LATER GOT BACK TO ME SAYING THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE AT LEAST 40 PEOPLE THAT IT IS FINE TO HAVE A PRIVATE RECEPTION AT EL PATIO) We are using Playa Weddings for our photography and will purchase day passes for the 3 photographers that will be on the resort for the day. ANSWER; YES, IT IS CORRECT, THE PRICE IS $55.00 USD DAY PASS PER PERSON I would like to use the resort photographer and our 36 free photos the next day (10-9-10) for a "trash the dress" session. Is that possible? ANSWER:YES, IT IS POSSIBLE We are using the sound system for our ceremony and reception. Does it come with a technician to run it for the ceremony and reception? Also, should we bring CD's of our music or put it on an ipod? And how much will this be to use for the ceremony and the 3 hours of the reception? And will the music tech anounce us as Mr and Mrs H when we enter the reception or can we have one of our family members use the microphone to announce us? ANSWER:THE SOUND SYSTEM COSTS $180.00 USD PER HOUR AND INCLUDES SPEAKERS, MICROPHONE, CD PLAYER, TECHNICIAN.IF YOU CAN BRING YOUR CD’S AND/OR IPOD WILL BE BETTER, THEN YOU CAN GET THE MUSIC YOU LIKE. YES THE TECH CAN ANOUNCE YOU AND YOUR FIANCE WHEN YOU ENTER AT THE RECEPTION I would like my bouquet to be white long stem calla lillies. Is that included in our package? If not, then how much would it be for it? ANSWER:THE BOUQUET IT IS INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKAGE, WHITE LONG STEM CALLA LILLIES How much are small white mini calla lilly bouquets for the bridesmaids (there are 3 bridesmaids)? ANSWER:PLEASE ALLOW ME TO ASK THE PRICE AND I WILL BACK TO YOU SHORTLY The price is $45.00 usd per each one How much is it for a white orchid hair flower for me? ANSWER:PLEASE ALLOW ME TO ASK THE PRICE AND I WILL BACK TO YOU SHORTLY The price is $ 15.00 usd How much will the groomsmen's boutonir's be if each one gets a white mini calla lilly (ther are 6 groomsmen and the best man and father of groom will use the free boutonir in the package)? ANSWER:PLEASE ALLOW ME TO ASK THE PRICE AND IWILL BACK TO YOU SHORTLY The price is $12.00 usd each How much is it to upgrade our cake to feed all of our guests (42 guests besides me and Jake)? ANSWER: A $4.00 USD plus 11% tax and 15% service charge fee applies for additional guests over the 20 guests included in the package. I would also like white flower petals scattered down the aisle on the beach ( we're using a bamboo aisle from EW Cancun.) How much would that be? ANSWER: Bag of Rose Petal $22/bag Can we bring our own ceremony script? I have written our ceremony and sand ceremony. ANSWER:CERTAINLY YOU CAN Will we have the sit down dinner or the buffet? I thought if we had over 40 people that we had to do the buffet. If that's the case, then we want the Carribbean Buffet Menu. ANSWER:CERTAINLY, I ALREADY PRINT IT, I WILL ORDER IT.

Thank you so much for the review and pictures/prices! It looks like your wedding was beautiful!!

I didn't book him becuse of the cost. We're doing the other option which is to bring an Ipod or Cd's and use the resort's sound system. It's $198 per hour which is still pricey but less than a DJ. And it comes with a music technician that will play everything when you want it (first dance, mother/son dance, etc.) Â

Not using Juan but the pictures I've seen have been amazing! We're using Playa Weddings and they have been great to work with so far. I'll post a recap and vendor review when we get back. Only 1 month away!

I finally heard from Gabriela!! She said that she wanted to get a lot of things decided 2 weeks before we get there and emailed me flower options. menu options and confirmed our date and times for the ceremony/reception. I was so happy, it seems like she is alot more organized. Since we have over 40 people she said we can have a private dinner in one of the restaurants--she only gave us El Patio and Himitsu as options though. I emailed her back to see if Seaside Grill is available. Does anyone have pictures of a reception at Seaside Grill or Himitsu??? I've seen El Patio and it looks gorgeous!

Aperkins: Thank you so much for the review! I'm glad your pictures turned out so beautiful!

Great Review Cathyandchin!!!!! So helpful and I loved your pictures!