kitchenwitch

Thanks Kim!  Trying to get alll this done before the end of tax season. :s

 

Originally Posted by CanadianKim 

Hey I just received my marriage certificate as well. I went to ICBC(BC Drivers licensing) to change my name on my licence and the lady told me I have to get it translated, as well as have the translater complete a form that they gave me. I would think Ontario might require the same but they may be more lenient. Its going to cost me $50 and is only taking a few days so not a huge deal just kind of sucks.

 

Hope this helps!
 

 

Hi Ladies!

I finally received my marriage certificate from Eugenia!!!!  Now it's just a matter of taking the time to change my id to my new married name. Any Ontario brides please PM with the process you went through to assume your hubby' name!!  I know there's tonsof posst on this subject but I simply don't have the time search through hundreds of posts. :s

Will I need to have the marricage certificate translated?  Or can I just bring in the marriage certificate to the Ministry of transportation as is?  I've seen conflicting tips on this.  Changing my OHIP card sounds like a pain in the butt.

Thanks in advance!!!

You can choose between two three entrees, soups and salads.  We had three pepper soup and for the life of me can’t remember the salad but the food was great as was the service.   Eugenia had decorated the tables for me with rose petals and our giveaways at each place setting.  There was a separate small round table near the entrance with our guest’s book, champagne for me and hubby to toast again and more of my fuchsia pink roses.  After dinner, our cake was put onto this table.  We had four tables set up.  Our table consisted of parents, maid of honor, best man, groom’s sister, my brother, ring bearer and a cousin.  We let our guests sit where they wished at the other three tables. PM me with your email so I can send you more details.

Originally Posted by Tanya-Karolina 

 thank you so much for your response, so as I understand you are allowed to choose only one entree? What about the table decorations and set up? Do they locate the wedding party separated from all other hotel guests? I would love to hear about all little details Thanks again! 

Hi,

We chose Frutos del Mar which is right by the pool and beach.  We chose teh chicekn supreme as our main.  Being a chef myself, I was sceptical but honestly it was very well done.  The plate presentation was beautiful.  Instead of having dessert we opted for another tier on our tres leches cake.  Everyone was vey happy with the dinner. 
 

Originally Posted by Tanya-Karolina 

Hello everybody! I am getting married in Gran Bahia Principe Akumal on August 5, 2011, and I am trying to choose between Dolce Vita and Frutos Del Mar restaurant for my dinner reception, can somebody suggest me one over another? Which one has a more sophisticated interior and closer to water? I would love to hear all suggestions! thank you so much beforehand! 

I wouldn't be freaking out so much if Eugenia would at least respond back to my emails and reassure me that it will be sent.
 

Originally Posted by CanadianKim 

Hey! I got married November 18th last year and still havent received it yet...its been just over two months now though but I was hoping to get it sooner than 3 months. I figure maybe they tell you three just to be safe so that you arent bugging them for it. Now I'm getting worried since you didnt receive yours within the three months! Hope it shows up soon!
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by kitchenwitch 

Hi Everyone!

 

I hope all you future brides are enjoying the planning!  I have a question for any brides that got married last October, Patoru, etc...  have you received your marriage licence from the reosrt yet?  I know they tell you it take 3 months to arrive.  I've sent Eugenia multiple emails for at least a status of when they will ship and I haven't heard a peep. 

 

This is starting to stress me out! 

 

Hi Everyone!

I hope all you future brides are enjoying the planning!  I have a question for any brides that got married last October, Patoru, etc...  have you received your marriage licence from the reosrt yet?  I know they tell you it take 3 months to arrive.  I've sent Eugenia multiple emails for at least a status of when they will ship and I haven't heard a peep. 

This is starting to stress me out! 

You will not be disappointed with Fernando! It cost me $350 for makeup and hair.  He uses only MAC makeup, perfect for lasting those hours of partying. Gama did an amazing job on my hair too.  These guys are true pros.
 

Originally Posted by cdlillad 

Hey girls! How's it going?

 

I'm still waiting for price quotes from several vendors.  I got an answer back from DJ Mannia but the prices are even higher than the resort DJ.  So I sent an email to DJ Doremixx. 

 

For makeup and hair, I'm still waiting for Fernando to get back to me.  He was traveling in Chicago and said he didn't have his appointment book with him.  He didn't give me the prices yet, but I know that they are a little expensive. So I sent an email to Sara Tamargo to see if she's available to do hair and makeup.  Someone on the forum said that Sara charges $150 for hair and makeup, which includes a trial.  I saw pictures of some of the brides she did hair and makeup for and they all look good.

 

Photos - I'm looking for ways to reduce costs, because I'm really worried that my costs for resort photographer pictures are going to be high.  We want the photographer to take pictures of our ceremony, a photo session after, dinner at Gran Tortuga, and poolside cocktail party with DJ.  Arrecife said it will cost $400 since they are covering 2 extra events.  So then if I purchase 140 photos, it will cost me $2300 additional?  For any of the girls recently married, do they negotiate at all?  I would really like to have a DVD of all my pictures.  I am scared that I'm going to pay $400 extra for the photographer and then not be able to afford to buy any of the pictures.

 

Wedding gown, bridesmaids dresses, flower girl dresses - I found several nice shops in Houston that have dress rentals of designer dresses or other pre-worn designer dresses that you can buy.  This can be a good option, if I decide I really need a designer gown.  :-)  But if I rent a dress, I guess I definitely won't be doing "trash the dress". lol  Not that I can afford that photo session anyway.

 

Christi

Wedding Date: June 11, 2011 Gran Bahia Principe Tulum Gazebo, Dinner at Gran Tortuga

Angie,

You are gonna love DJ Bijian!  He was worth it for the 3 hrs!
 

Originally Posted by Angie1017 

You're the best, Patricia!  Thank you! 

 

I just spent the last 2 days reading this board, and you girls have given us so much information, I feel so at ease having our wedding here.  I can't believe we leave in 3 weeks on Sunday!

 

I just sent an email to DJ Bijan to see if he is available on our date.  Fingers crossed!

 

I look forward to the rest of my planning with you ladies!

Congrats!  Have a great time!
 

Originally Posted by nhedderson 

To Patricia, Thao and Kitchenwitch,

 

THANK YOU SO MUCH for your reviews. I leave on the 20th and i am so excited i can't believe it! we also have 63 people... Including 3 babies. We can't wait! Based on the reviews of others, we're staying an extra week at the Barcleo, for a "family moon" *(we have 2 children) So as soon as i am back i will write a review for everyone else!! I think Canadian kim is there now... GOOD LUCK ON THURSDAY!!!

Congratulations!! Great recap! 
 

Originally Posted by thaodao 

 

Hi girls! I’m back from my November 3, 2010 wedding at the Gran Bahia Principe Akumal.  To all the brides that are still debating which resort to have their wedding at, all I can say is that if you chose this one, you won’t regret it!  We had 66 guests not a single person had anything negative to say!  Everyone was impressed by the service, resort and professionalism of those who work there.  Ok, I’ll get to the review…

 

Check in/Front Desk

We arrived Sunday October 31, 2010 to the Golden Junior section at Akumal in the early evening and were promptly offered a drink while we waited to be checked in.  We got the best room in the resort with a beautiful ocean view, which was close to everything!  Martin at the front desk was awesome.  We saw him through out the week for miscellaneous stuff.  It seems like he is always there… and he always has a smile on his face! Martin was like our personal concierge!  He handled all of our guest’s requests and even set up a last minute scuba dive excursion for eight of us with no problem whatsoever – we even got our own private boat!  INCREDIBLE!

 

The Resort

It’s HUGE!  You’ll need to take the golf cart train to Tulum and Coba, they run until 3am!  You can eat and go anywhere within Gran Bahia Principe. Tulum has a great lobby bar that we frequented and Coba has a better buffet than Akumal - do some exploring.  I’m sure there were tons of things available at the resort that we missed.  Everything was super clean and all the staff was super friendly!   There are lots of activities you can do within the resort such as, snorkeling, Hobe cat sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, ect...  There were plenty of lounge chairs available and you don’t have to walk far to get a drink.  We loved the resort and I am sure a few of the girls in our group will be booking their wedding at the GBP.

 

 

The Wedding Coordinator

Eugenia is AMAZING!  She had everything under control.  In the months leading up to our wedding she presented all of our options to us and answered all of our questions.  She always responded to our emails quickly and addressed all of our concerns.  Upon arrival, Eugenia met with us and had copies of our email communications. She was so organized and it was easy to trust her with our big day.  All we had to do was make a few decisions and that was it.  She took care of everything else.  We brought our own paper lanterns for our private poolside reception and she took care of hanging them for us.  Eugenia absolutely made our wedding stress free and the best day of our lives!  We LOVE the service she gave us – First class!

 

The Wedding Photography- Arrecife Mexico Studios

Some of you may or may not remember our battle we had with GBP about using Claudia Rodriguez photography (an independent company) for our wedding.  At the time we booked, we were not informed that we could not use an independent photographer- GBP provided us with a form that indicated the photography was optional.  We were informed only 2 months before our wedding that our only choice was to use Arrecife photography (the resort’s exclusive photographers).  We were devastated!  Pictures were very important to us!

 

Arrecife promised to give us their VIP service and asked us to trust them.  We were tired of drawing all the negative energy to our special day so; we reluctantly agreed to use them.

 

*Fast forward to our meeting on-site at the GBP*

 

After our meeting with Eugenia, we were introduced to Roccio (manager) and Juan (photographer) from Arrecife photography.  Juan immediately set our minds at ease by showing us his portfolio and describing his artistic style.  We then found out that both Nestor and Juan were shooting our wedding!

 

This is where I eat my words and apologize to Arrecife for causing such a fuss. The pictures are STUNNING!!!  I can’t begin to even tell you how gorgeous they are, but I would be happy to send you a few sample pictures (just PM me).  Girls, if you are worried about the resort photography and contemplating about bringing your own photographer, there is NO NEED!   Leave your photographer at home and trust Arrecife.  They know the resort, the lighting and have expertise to capture your special day and give you incredible pictures!  In fact, my friend (who is a director of photography for commercials) stated he was very impressed Juan and Nestor’s knowledge and technique and would not hesitate to hire them.  We ended spending more than we thought we would on photos- only because we could not decide on photos we didn’t want.  We ended up taking 90% of the photographs- they were worth EVERY PENNY! 

 

My advice to GBP brides:

 

• Don’t sweat it if the wedding coordinator doesn’t get back to you right away- she has it under control.
• Use Arrecife for your photography!  They know what they are doing and have the edge of knowing the best places to capture your special day. 
• Budget a little more money for your photographs.  We ended up spending a lot more than we expected, but when you see your photos, you won’t want to leave any behind
• TIP!  They all work so hard.

 

Hope this review helps, but if you want to PM me for some wedding photo samples, advice etc…  please do so.  Good luck!!!  You won’t regret choosing GBP for your destination wedding.

 

 

Take care,

 

Thao

Hey Kat!
 

Don't worry about the late correspondence.  Its true they really are running around and rarely at their desk.  My ceremony was both in Spanish and English.  I requested the beach location and was barefoot as was my maid of honor.  I put on my heels just before we headed to dinner.  I was worried about my dress and walking on the beach, but my Dad held up part of it as we walked.  I had asked for an early afternoon ceremony but Eugenia said the only time available was 5PM.  It worked out fine as I had a really stress free morning and was relaxing into the afternoon.
 

Originally Posted by kat15.4.11 

Hi

 

Congratulations! We re getting wed 15th april 2011 3pm, 5 months away! Im getting nervous about not knowing much about when we re there, on the wedding day? My wedding co-ordiantor is Karla, anyone had her? Ive only had one email and no response. I think we're in the Coba! I was hoping for the beach but oh well although the restaurant provided med rest. Im not keen on set menu. Did your ceremony get translated or in English? Are there several beach locations or is there a Coba beach wedding? My other half is 6ft 2 and Im 5ft 6 so wanting to wear heels with dress etc, do you think I d walk ok on beach ha ha or maybe ask for wooden aisle? Thanks Id appreciate a lowdown of wedding day/times etc anything really.

thanks xxxx

Hi Ladies,

I accidentally created a new post on the general Riviera May, Cancun forum.  But it should have gone here.

I've been back in Toronto for just over a week now.  I was so sad to leave the resort everyone was amazing!

I thought I'd share with you a quick run down of what my wedding week was like. Sorry if it's toolong!

We arrived in Cancun after 6:45PM local time.  After going through customs, I got a green light. Whoo!  We were off to the buses for Nolitours.  At first it seemed like mayhem with everyone's luggage all over the  place but every piece made it onto our bus.  The majority of the passengers were all going to the Gran Bahia's.  We did a quick drop off for a few folks and finally arrived to Gran Bahia Akumal just before 9.  We were taken to the Main Akumal lobby and were told to take the tram to the Royal Golden lobby for check in. Checkin was fast and smooth.  We chose all our a la carte, you get 4 + the wedding dinner.  After putting on our bracelets (hubby and i got gold ones, this made me really giddy) we headed to our building #68 and had Room 6821 right at the top right corner of the building. 

They bring your luggage right outside the door so no worries there.  Once we got opur bearings we headed over to the 24 hour snack bar and filled up on beer and nachos.  We were in bed by 1.

Monday, October 25th:  Our fist full day in sunny Mexico!  We wook up to a beautiful golden sky and a pretty good view of the beach.  We met our room attendant Iver.  If you get Building 68 you'll probably see him. We gorged at the Akumal buffet and headed over to the Akumal beach side for the majority if the day.  I made sure to bring mostly bandeau bikini's so I wouldn't get any ridiculous tan lines before the ceremony on Thursday.  We took a cab with 2 other couples toPlaya del Carmen so we could buy our mmaraca giveaways for the wedding.  It was nice.  Lots of the same shops, they have a MAC store here with a cop with an AK47 in the lobby area, Hagendaz and other greatlittle stores.  We were offered drugs on numerous occassions, no biggie just say no gracias! This day was pure chill afterwards.

Tuesday, October 26th:  We tried the Tulum buffet for breakfast. Not too bad.   Better selection than Akumal but I'm not really picky. I'm a chef so I'll basically eat anything!  We had decided to book our excursion at the resort.  Marian and Cristelle were vgreat.  We decided to go to Xel-Ha and Tulum for Wednesday.  It cost $125USD per person.  My bff's son who is 8 was half price. 

With that out of the way, we finally got to meet Eugenia at 4.  She had our file and notes all in order.  She was definately on the ball.  She knew everything I had requested in all my many months of emails off the top of her head. I had previously sent her a picture of the flowers I wanted and she confirmed she could get them. We confirmed our dinner at Frutos del Mar and a private poolside reception.  We gave her the ceremony music (4 songs) and taht was pretty ,uch it.  She sent us to the doctor at the Hacienda to get our blood test done.  ($90 USD) They only accept cash.  We were in the waiting room for over an hour as there were 3 other couples there. Once we got there we signed the waiver got our "butterfly" needle and were done.

We had our first a la carte at Mikado for 8PM.  The restaurant was hot.  And let me tewll you I know hot!  It was actually cooler outside than in the restaurant. The food was not as good as the Tripadvisor posts would lead you to believe.  But the service was great!  Our waiter brought out the drink cart during desert and all was well!  Later that night the 8 couples that came down with us including ourselves got into our swimwear and smoked cigars atthe Akumal pool.  Perfect night chilling with friends.

Wednesday, October 27th:  We were lazy and had breakfast at the Akumal buffet.  We met at the lobby before 10.  You get a pink wristband when you get on the bus and the tour guide tells you the schedule of the day.  Basically 10:30- 2:30 at Xel-Ha and the remainder of the day till 5 at the Tulum ruins.

Xel-Ha is huge!  If you don't like to snorkel there is still alot to do for both adults and kids.  A $20 US deposit gets you snorkel gear for the day. I got tired of snorkeling and the not-so-lazy river after the first 1 1/2.  I walked around for a while, met some manatees, cheked out cenotes and wlaked across the floating bridge.  This bridge is on the border of the nature reserve and the ocean. It felt like it was going to flip right over.  Your admission gets you lunch at the buffet.  It was open air, very clean and much needed after all that swiming.

The bus came for us after 2:30 and we were on our way to the ruins at Tulum.  The first thing you do when you get off the bus is get ushered into the jewelry store where you can purchase your name in Mayan, other silver pieces, etcc all from the area.  It was a bit suprising at first as it felt like it was forced on you.  After 15 minutes our tour guide took us through the 10 minute walk to the mouth of the ruins.  He was a great tour guide and you really learn a Cliff notes version of Mayan history.  After the initial tour, you can wander about and go to the beach below.  The waves are mental over here!  I was knocked back by a wave, the pressure pulled off my bikini bottom so naturally I bent down to grab the and lost my new Coach sunglasses in the process.   Alas, a sacrifice to the Mayan gods for allowing me to trample on their land.  Great day overall.  Since this was our excursion day, I din't get to see Patty's (Patourn) ceremony at the gazebo.  CONGRATS Patty to you and your new hubby!  Since the next day was W-Day, we just came back to the resort and chilled at the Hacienda and walked around.

Thursday, October 28th: YAY!

We asked to have our honeymoon breakfast on this morning. We hung out, watched some tv and were generally lazy until Ikicked him out at 11.  Fernando and Gama from themakeupros came promptly at 11:45 and did a beautiful job.  Fernado loved my hot pink Barbie shoes from Town Shoes so much that he took pictures of them.  LOL!  They were so worth the $350 US.  After they left me and my maid of honor just relaxed until 4.  AFter pictures of me gettining into my dress, etc... My Dad, maid of honor and I wee taken by tram just in front of the snack bar just before 5PM.  Eugenia quickly lined us up, ripped offmy resort bracelet with her teeth and off we went.  I was so nervous to see what the decor at the beach looke dlike.  When my Dad and I stepped out I was in awe it was so beautiful. Simple and pink! Teh ceremony itself goes so fast, even though we wrote our own vows.  Teh wedding party walked down to Somewhere Over the Rainbow, I walked down to Se of Love (Cat Power version), we signe dthe certificate to Kiss The Girl and the reessional was Just Like Heaven (The Cure).  We had a champagen toast right at the beach afterwards.  The photographer provided by the resort, Antonio was great.  Your package includes 10 free pictures.  We weren't originally going to buy more but loved them somuch and ended up getting some extras.  It ended up being $700 for a cd of all the pictures he took and 2 huge portraits of our choice.

Wedding dinner was amazing.  I honestly didn't expect it to be that yummy.  Salad, Three pepper soup and Chicken Supreme = Yum!  We chose the 3 milk cake, which was to die for.  Just before 8, Eugenia walked us over to our private reception.  It was beautifullly lit and DJ Bijan was smiling and ready to go.  We partied till 11PM.  So worth it!  We ordered shutter shades from Oriental Trading Co. and handed these out along with our OOT bags on the first day.  Everyone had a greta time, expecially my 1 year old nephew who was hypnotized by DJ Bijan's lights.

The next day I had a deep tissue massage with Waldo by the beach.  The rest of our stay here was amazing.  I wish we had booked a 2nd week for our honeymoon.  This was the best all-inclusive I have ever been to.  It kicks Jamaica, Dom. Rep., Cuba and Costa Rica's butt!   The staff here work so so hard and do not make alot  They truly made this wedding/vacation stress free. From an emergency dress steaming to fixing our clogged (hubby's did it!) toilets they are fast and friendly. So remember to tip, tip, tip!

My advice to those planning their wedding.  It was all worth it!  Don't stress too much, the wc's really know there stuff. Just remember to have a great time! We had 34 guests come from all over the world and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect wedding!  I can't wait to go back!

If anyone has any questions, please pm me!  

Hi Ladies,

I've been back in Toronto for just over a week now.  I was so sad to leave the resort everyone was amazing!

I thought I'd share with you a quick run down of what my wedding week was like. Sorry if it's toolong!

We arrived in Cancun after 6:45PM local time.  After going through customs, I got a green light. Whoo!  We were off to the buses for Nolitours.  At first it seemed like mayhem with everyone's luggage all over the  place but every piece made it onto our bus.  The majority of the passengers were all going to the Gran Bahia's.  We did a quick drop off for a few folks and finally arrived to Gran Bahia Akumal just before 9.  We were taken to the Main Akumal lobby and were told to take the tram to the Royal Golden lobby for check in. Checkin was fast and smooth.  We chose all our a la carte, you get 4 + the wedding dinner.  After putting on our bracelets (hubby and i got gold ones, this made me really giddy) we headed to our building #68 and had Room 6821 right at the top right corner of the building. 

They bring your luggage right outside the door so no worries there.  Once we got opur bearings we headed over to the 24 hour snack bar and filled up on beer and nachos.  We were in bed by 1.

Monday, October 25th:  Our fist full day in sunny Mexico!  We wook up to a beautiful golden sky and a pretty good view of the beach.  We met our room attendant Iver.  If you get Building 68 you'll probably see him. We gorged at the Akumal buffet and headed over to the Akumal beach side for the majority if the day.  I made sure to bring mostly bandeau bikini's so I wouldn't get any ridiculous tan lines before the ceremony on Thursday.  We took a cab with 2 other couples toPlaya del Carmen so we could buy our mmaraca giveaways for the wedding.  It was nice.  Lots of the same shops, they have a MAC store here with a cop with an AK47 in the lobby area, Hagendaz and other greatlittle stores.  We were offered drugs on numerous occassions, no biggie just say no gracias! This day was pure chill afterwards.

Tuesday, October 26th:  We tried the Tulum buffet for breakfast. Not too bad.   Better selection than Akumal but I'm not really picky. I'm a chef so I'll basically eat anything!  We had decided to book our excursion at the resort.  Marian and Cristelle were vgreat.  We decided to go to Xel-Ha and Tulum for Wednesday.  It cost $125USD per person.  My bff's son who is 8 was half price. 

With that out of the way, we finally got to meet Eugenia at 4.  She had our file and notes all in order.  She was definately on the ball.  She knew everything I had requested in all my many months of emails off the top of her head. I had previously sent her a picture of the flowers I wanted and she confirmed she could get them. We confirmed our dinner at Frutos del Mar and a private poolside reception.  We gave her the ceremony music (4 songs) and taht was pretty ,uch it.  She sent us to the doctor at the Hacienda to get our blood test done.  ($90 USD) They only accept cash.  We were in the waiting room for over an hour as there were 3 other couples there. Once we got there we signed the waiver got our "butterfly" needle and were done.

We had our first a la carte at Mikado for 8PM.  The restaurant was hot.  And let me tewll you I know hot!  It was actually cooler outside than in the restaurant. The food was not as good as the Tripadvisor posts would lead you to believe.  But the service was great!  Our waiter brought out the drink cart during desert and all was well!  Later that night the 8 couples that came down with us including ourselves got into our swimwear and smoked cigars atthe Akumal pool.  Perfect night chilling with friends.

Wednesday, October 27th:  We were lazy and had breakfast at the Akumal buffet.  We met at the lobby before 10.  You get a pink wristband when you get on the bus and the tour guide tells you the schedule of the day.  Basically 10:30- 2:30 at Xel-Ha and the remainder of the day till 5 at the Tulum ruins.

Xel-Ha is huge!  If you don't like to snorkel there is still alot to do for both adults and kids.  A $20 US deposit gets you snorkel gear for the day. I got tired of snorkeling and the not-so-lazy river after the first 1 1/2.  I walked around for a while, met some manatees, cheked out cenotes and wlaked across the floating bridge.  This bridge is on the border of the nature reserve and the ocean. It felt like it was going to flip right over.  Your admission gets you lunch at the buffet.  It was open air, very clean and much needed after all that swiming.

The bus came for us after 2:30 and we were on our way to the ruins at Tulum.  The first thing you do when you get off the bus is get ushered into the jewelry store where you can purchase your name in Mayan, other silver pieces, etcc all from the area.  It was a bit suprising at first as it felt like it was forced on you.  After 15 minutes our tour guide took us through the 10 minute walk to the mouth of the ruins.  He was a great tour guide and you really learn a Cliff notes version of Mayan history.  After the initial tour, you can wander about and go to the beach below.  The waves are mental over here!  I was knocked back by a wave, the pressure pulled off my bikini bottom so naturally I bent down to grab the and lost my new Coach sunglasses in the process.   Alas, a sacrifice to the Mayan gods for allowing me to trample on their land.  Great day overall.  Since this was our excursion day, I din't get to see Patty's (Patourn) ceremony at the gazebo.  CONGRATS Patty to you and your new hubby!  Since the next day was W-Day, we just came back to the resort and chilled at the Hacienda and walked around.

Thursday, October 28th: YAY!

We asked to have our honeymoon breakfast on this morning. We hung out, watched some tv and were generally lazy until Ikicked him out at 11.  Fernando and Gama from themakeupros came promptly at 11:45 and did a beautiful job.  Fernado loved my hot pink Barbie shoes from Town Shoes so much that he took pictures of them.  LOL!  They were so worth the $350 US.  After they left me and my maid of honor just relaxed until 4.  AFter pictures of me gettining into my dress, etc... My Dad, maid of honor and I wee taken by tram just in front of the snack bar just before 5PM.  Eugenia quickly lined us up, ripped offmy resort bracelet with her teeth and off we went.  I was so nervous to see what the decor at the beach looke dlike.  When my Dad and I stepped out I was in awe it was so beautiful. Simple and pink! Teh ceremony itself goes so fast, even though we wrote our own vows.  Teh wedding party walked down to Somewhere Over the Rainbow, I walked down to Se of Love (Cat Power version), we signe dthe certificate to Kiss The Girl and the reessional was Just Like Heaven (The Cure).  We had a champagen toast right at the beach afterwards.  The photographer provided by the resort, Antonio was great.  Your package includes 10 free pictures.  We weren't originally going to buy more but loved them somuch and ended up getting some extras.  It ended up being $700 for a cd of all the pictures he took and 2 huge portraits of our choice.

Wedding dinner was amazing.  I honestly didn't expect it to be that yummy.  Salad, Three pepper soup and Chicken Supreme = Yum!  We chose the 3 milk cake, which was to die for.  Just before 8, Eugenia walked us over to our private reception.  It was beautifullly lit and DJ Bijan was smiling and ready to go.  We partied till 11PM.  So worth it!  We ordered shutter shades from Oriental Trading Co. and handed these out along with our OOT bags on the first day.  Everyone had a greta time, expecially my 1 year old nephew who was hypnotized by DJ Bijan's lights.

The next day I had a deep tissue massage with Waldo by the beach.  The rest of our stay here was amazing.  I wish we had booked a 2nd week for our honeymoon.  This was the best all-inclusive I have ever been to.  It kicks Jamaica, Dom. Rep., Cuba and Costa Rica's butt!   The staff here work so so hard and do not make alot  They truly made this wedding/vacation stress free. From an emergency dress steaming to fixing our clogged (hubby's did it!) toilets they are fast and friendly. So remember to tip, tip, tip!

My advice to those planning their wedding.  It was all worth it!  Don't stress too much, the wc's really know there stuff. Just remember to have a great time! We had 34 guests come from all over the world and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect wedding!  I can't wait to go back!

If anyone has any questions, please pm me!

Patty,

You must be so excited!  I wish it was Sunday already!  Teh forecast for next week doesn't look to great,but I'm

 keeping optimistic!  Hope to see you on your big day!

Hey Ladies,

I remember seeing a post about a catalogue with flower choices, etc..  If anyone still has this can you please pm me?  Thanks! 

Congrats!  I'm carefully going to lay my dress over the carryons above us.  I called Air Transat to inquire if they could hang my dress up during the flight and they gave me a hard time and told me they can't.  I'm still goingto give it a shot anyways.

Originally Posted by mannixrox 

My goodness! I cant believe how many bride to be are from vancouver! im from maple ridge and we are getting married at akumal march 3. i have everything booked already and i just couldnt see myself having to stress from organising a traditional wedding at home. it so much easier this way. what arrangements have you guys made for your dresses during travel??

Hi and congrats! We are having our reception dinner at Frutos Del Mer and having the poolside reception afterwards.  The cost to have dinner poolside was not in our budget.  I'm not too sure which restaurants you'll get to choose from on the Tulum side but Ihear they are all great.
 

Originally Posted by melmed 

Hi everyone,

 

I'm a newbie to these forums but I have browsed through the threads and there's a TON of information here.  I'm getting married on the Tulum beach on May 21, 2011.  Are there any future brides out there getting married around the same time?

 

I've been reading lots about the poolside receptions on the forums.  Does anybody know what the food is like? Karla (WC) sent me the menu and I'm having trouble picking a themed dinner.  What did you guys go for?

 

Thanks in advance!!!

Is anyonw planning on doing a slideshow?  This is the only thing I'd miss most about not getting married at home.  I mentioned this to Eugenia awhile back and she never answered me. 

I'm so giddy!  I picked up my dress yesterday from the seamstress and thank goodness itstill fits!  LOL!  I''ve been daydreaming about the beach all week!

Have you figured outhow to bring everything down with you without going overboard? I had to buy a new carryon at Winners.  I hope it's not too big.
 

Originally Posted by Patourn 

Hey Kitchenwitch!

How go things??

Can you believe that out wedding dates are coming up so fast?? We leave 2 weeks tomorrow!! Hope that everything is going well for you!!

Hi Sunnyee!

Thanks!  Stop bye and say hello! I'll see you at the disco!
 

Originally Posted by sunnyee 

Hi Patourn and Kitchenwitch! I was married at the Akumal hammock location on February 25th, 2010 and am returning to the Bahia the week of October 22 - 29th with 13 girlfriends for some R&R and fun. I checked back to this site to see if there were any weddings while we're there and found yours. Best of luck to both of you and heed what others have said...try and relax because everything will work out perfectly! The wedding coordinators do an amazing job of pulling things together. Enjoy your time and who knows I may see you there!   Sunnyee

Hi Kim,

Yes we are having it at the beach.

You can email DJ Bijian at  [email protected]  (http://www.mayanvibes.com)    We paid a deposit with PayPal.  He’s done lots of weddings the resort and is familiar with all the wedding coordinators. I just sent him our song list, so excited!

He’s also doing Patourn’s wedding the day before mine!

It feels like my emails with Eugenia have hit a wall.  I haven’t heard from her in a month.  I had so many questions in my last email. She replied to a few of them but for the rest she simply said we will discuss it when you arrive.

Originally Posted by CanadianKim 

Are you doing the beach ceremony?  She never mentioned we could hire another DJ and just gave us a price of $180/hr for the resort DJ. How does it work for DJ Bijan? Do you have to put down a deposit and is it 100% safe to book him and guarantee he will be there.

 

Have you heard from Eugenia in the past couple of weeks at all? Your wedding is coming up pretty quick! Less than a month you must be getting so excited.

 

 

Congrats!  Your pictures are beautiful!  And I love your shoes!

Hi Ladies,

 

I am looking for a wholesale online store (preferably Canadian to save on shipping) that sells pashminas.  Any referrals would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Congratulations!  You're going to have a blast planning your destination wedding and this forum is amazing!  We have guests from toddlers to seniors coming down for our wedding in October.  We chose the Gran Bahia Principe Akumal.  We're really happy we chose a large resort that has something for everyone.

Originally Posted by Carm23 

HI,

 

I'm planning a wedding for the Mexico Riviera Maya area. I am a people pleaser and I want everyone to have a good time. My sister is coming with 4 kids all under the age of 8!! So i'm looking for a family friendly resort and maybe something that can accomadate a family of 6!! No luck so far. But i also dont' want it to be too family that all the single or older people that are coming can't stand it lol. I'm a little worried about HUGE resorts, I don't know how it is but I would like to be able to hangout with everyone during the day. But there is some people in my family that it would be good if it was big so (newly divoroced parents) didn't run into each other all day. I'm spinning around in circles here.. I need some suggestions please!!

It took Eugenia a while to get back to me to me also.  But you take it with a grain opf salt because shge is also handling other brides requests too. We only have 28 guets coming down but we still wnated the poolside recep and DJ.  We booked DJ Bijian.  It seems like the closer it we get the more questions I have!