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OK ladies...Since this site helped me soooooo much in the planning phase, it's time to do my duty and post a review. I got married at Beach Palace on May 25th. Everything went great despite the relatively poor experience I had on and off with the wedding reservations people. Once I got there things went amazingly smooth! On my arrival, Rebeca Jara, my coordinator met me at the front desk. She took me and my fiancé into her office, went over the paperwork and our choices, did the blood test, etc. I only did the complimentary package, so I can only really attest to how that package worked. I have to say one of the coolest things was that Rebeca recognized us three days later on the beach and said hi to us, by name, even though she had only seen us the one time. It's a silly thing to take note of, but it's the little things like that which make you feel special, you know! I have read a lot of questions about hair...my hair was AMAZING! Seriously, I don't think I could have paid a fancy schmancy designer hairstylist who costs $1000 and had it turn out as good as the Palace stylist did it. Her name was Zugey Chiquini. She is the sweetest person ever. She took what I wanted as far as style goes and really suited it to the shape of my face. It wasn't identical to the picture I brought in, but I thought it turned out even better because it looked great on me, not just on the model from the magazine. Same thing with make-up, she was fantastic. On top of that, they use all top of the line cosmetics and products- like MAC cosmetics and professional styling products. I am not that into hair and make-up, so I don't know all the names, but I know it's the same crap they try to sell me at the high end salons when I can actually afford to go . I also used the in house Smile Market people for my photography. This made me nervous, but I really didn't want to pay a lot to bring a photographer in (being honest here). I know a wedding day is one of the most precious memories, but really why spend thousands of dollars on photos that you will probably just upload on your computer and forget about for years to come. I figured a smaller amount of quality photos would do the trick just fine, but to each their own. So I got the small package...I think 36 printed photos in a book, and I paid $300 for the CD of all the images. The photographer was fantastic, her name was Lucy Cortes. She had a great personality and she was an excellent photographer. She directed us thorough every photo and had ideas for pictures, since I hadn't really prepared any. Since we only had the complimentary package, she took photos during the ceremony and for about 45-60 min after. I think I ended up with almost 300 pictures on the CD...some of them were repeats as she tried to perfect the lighting/blinking/squinting/hair blowing around...but overall I was incredibly impressed. My family also thought they were wonderfully done. The wedding... We did the sky terrace at 6pm. Rebeca, the coordinator, gave my fiancé the play by play right before the ceremony, so he would be prepared, which was nice. Then she dropped of my bouquet in my room, reminded me where to walk, and told me when to head up to the terrace. The bouquet was hot pink roses with off white lilies and looked great. The decor was basic white, but I liked it that way, it looked very streamlined and elegant. During the ceremony, we went through the vows, which they gave us cards to read off of (we did not write our own), then they had us sign the marriage certificates with each of our witnesses, then we cut the cake, and did a champagne toast. This may change if you have a reception planned, but since we did not, they put it all into the ceremony so we would have pictures of all of the landmark moments from a wedding. The only bummer was that we stared into the sun, which made everything squinty and it was quite hot, my fiancé's face was dripping. Also, I was worried about the wind because of other peoples reviews, but it was not an issue at all that night. Onto the cocktail hour...the decor and set-up was amazing. We were at the south sky bar...or whichever one was the side that isn't normally used by guests. They even put private party signs up so that we would have privacy for our group. I never expected things to look so nice for a complimentary package. I thought there would be some food thrown on disposable trays with some bottles of cheap champagne, but I was very wrong. They placed the hors d'oeuvres in these fancy heated silver banquet trays with napkins and real plates. They also accented all of the tables with hot pink, as that was the color of my bouquet. We had two servers and a bartender dedicated to our group, which was really cool...especially considering our group was like 14 people! We were then escorted to dinner at the Italian Restaurant, Bocelli. At the time of booking, I had to narrow the list down to one soup, one salad, and two main dishes (each person picks) for everyone. There was an appetizer sampler and cake for dessert. The wedding cake was ehhhhh, but it's just cake and there are plenty of other dessert options! This meal went really well and they definitely tried to cater to our every need! I think that is about it! Here is the like to the trip advisor review if you want it, but I am sure you all have scoured that site for tips like I did before the wedding:) http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g150807-d152895-r132175635-Beach_Palace-Cancun_Yucatan_Peninsula.html If you have any questions, you can PM me and I will help as much as I can. I was probably the least involved bride ever, so I don't know how much info I have other than the basics because I really didn't care about details. I just wanted the wedding to take place in a beautiful setting with my very handsome husband:) Happy planning to all you future brides, Lisa

Mehganc~ I am surprised at this...my wedding is May 25...and I was actually given the option of using the Colin Cowie packages or the old set of packages that I originally was told about and I declined in favor of the old "complimentary" wedding set-up. I would try asking again. It seems odd that they would have offered it to me when your wedding is three days after mine! Good Luck and See you there:) Lisa Also, just as a note to everyone else...I did not have a travel agent and I booked my guests (6 couples) directly through my Palace wedding coordinator. Palace wedding coordinators are notorious for being difficult to work with because they are swamped. It often took up to two weeks to get answers to very basic and short questions. My guests even had trouble getting ahold of people to book/make final payment. So my biggest piece of advice is to find a travel agent, so he or she can deal with that headache. I am kicking myself for thinking I could handle it b/c I had so few guests. I can tell you that even with only 6 couples, there are tons of changes being made, adjustments, people missing deadlines, a.k.a. a lot of crap I have to deal with. I am a very low maintenance bride, hence the destination wedding, and I even seriously considered changing to another resort and might have, had the invites not gone out, because I was so frustrated with the wedding coordinators at times! On the other hand, the Palace wedding planner I have is great and super responsive! I am confident everything will be smooth sailing from here on out! Plus from what are hear the Palace Resorts are fantastic and they very much cater to brides once they arrive. Happy Planning to everyone! Quote: Originally Posted by mehganc I know communication can be slow with the Palace Resorts, so I thought I would give the heads up for any 2012 brides...I received an email today stating that the Colin Cowie packages will currently not be available until June 1st of this year. I know many brides do not like the new packages, but I am now in a serious predicament because I booked the nautical package months ago for my May 28th wedding. In fact, I initially chose the Palace Resorts because I have always dreamed of a Nantucket wedding and planned to bring Massachusetts to Mexico. I have purchased everything for my wedding surrounding this theme (bridal party attire, invitations, accessories, etc), and I am now told that I have to pick an old package. Anyway, I did not come here with the intentions to rant...I truly hope this doesn't happen to anyone else.

that last answer was for mehganc... I was catching up reading old posts

Since no body answered your question about outdoor restaurants, I will There is Teraza, which is the steak house...it is the patio outside of the Italian Restaurant, but it is considered to be a separate restaurant. The Italian Restaurant, buffet, and the Teraza steak house are all kind of in one building from what I understand. If you have a group larger than 12, you would not have been offered the dinner reception at Teraza, since the group capacity is 12 or less. The only reason I know is b/c I researched the same question. Hope that helps.

Katusha...looks fantastic!!

Not sure about discoloration...I just got mine. I think if you order from China, the material quality will not be as good as the "store" quality, but that's why you aren't paying store prices to get the dress. I wouldn't say the China materials are cheap, but they are a lower grade. I am not familiar enough with fabric to know if things are likely to discolor.

I bought mine from babyonline and it did not appear to be cheaply made, the materials were nice, the stitching was well done, and the dress is actually heavy...Jasmine's may be even better as they cost three times as much

Hilarious about the manequins being marked the same LOL

BABYONLINE:

I got my dress from BABYONLINE. Overall a great experience. I didn't like the beading/lace applique at first but it grew on me and it actually looks nice, not tacky. TIP: if you MUST have lace, ask for it specifically, or go with one of the "more expensive" quotes such as Jasmine's where you can specify you materials. The fit is great. The materials seem very nice and the dress has some weight to it. It looks well made as well. They made it to my exact request (other than the lace). Only thing I am going to alter is getting some cups in the chest to add some oomph (because oomph is essential for your wedding day)!! It may be a little long as well, but I will worry about that later. The only negative I have is that the pictures of the dress before shipping are of crappy quality, which everyone seems to have happen. Other than that I am pleased and would recommend BABYONLINE. If you have any questions, I can try to help. Best wishes! INSPIRATION DRESS:

Oh well, I guess if I don't like it, I can spend $400 to get Jasmines to make it the way I want (I chose the save money route initially thinking I would spend more if I needed to)...at least there are options:) I should receive the dress today, maybe I will like it once it's on?!?!

The only thing I don't understand is what the damn obsession with beading is?!?!?!? I would have rather had just plain lace...I never requested beading...it kind of ruins the "softness" of the dress.

Got photos from babyonline...looks good so far...again, like everyone else's experience, the dress was not fully photographed, but at least it was on a manequin!!! Let's hope it looks good when it gets here and it fits! Original dress BABYONLINE

Hi! I am sorry to interrupt...I know the thread has turned to decor, but I had a quick palace question since you all seem so knowledgeable! I thought I saw this info earlier in the thread, but I have been through soooo many forums, I am lost! Can you use the palace bucks to get your hair/make-up done at the salon? I am staying at Beach Palace, I am assuming the same rules apply to all the resorts. Thanks for the help!

Hey! When were you able to reserve the sky terrace??? I have been asking to make sure I can get that location since I booked the date, but the wedding reservation folks can't seem to make it happen...did you have to wait until the WC contacted you three months before your wedding??

I am getting married at BP in May 2012...I also wanted to start a thread to get in touch with some people that are also getting maried there, so THANKS! Hope to find some more BP brides out there!!!

I am about to order from babyonline...anyone have any tips on color, what to ask for etc??? Also...Very pretty dress misskim!

How is everyone doing with the pull-ups on P90X? I have done Insanity and it's awesome, but I am reluctant to try P90X due to the significant number of pull-ups (which I can't do)...I know they show the use of the chair, but I get frustrated because if I can't do em the real way, what's the point?!? I used to be in pretty decent shape pre-shoulder surgery about two months ago and am looking for tips on where to start up once I am better. For now it's the good 'ol stationary bike.

OMG! I LOVE your dress! I personally am anti-strapless, but I would definately wear that...it's gorgeous. I love the weaving effect. I am not good with quality assurance, so I can't give any tips...just that I love it! Who made yours (I know you had posted the info prior, but I can't remember)?

Hi everyone. I was hoping you could help me! I have contacted numerous people and I have searched through all of the forums and I cannot find my answer! I intend on having a civil ceremony in Mexico and am curious if anyone has filed their Mexican Marriage Certificate with the US Department of State? In California, you cannot just file with the state or county, as the state does not recognize foreign marriage certificates. I have found the Authentications Division of the the Department of the State, but it doesn't give any instructions on "HOW" to send your marriage certificate in or how it becomes authenticated. I don't know if they need the original or translated and I don't know if they send me an "authenticated" copy back or if it just goes on file somewhere. If anyone has done this, I would greatly appreciate instruction or feedback! Please do not try to tell me it's just better to get married in the US, since this is a decision I am not budging on. Thank you and best wishes!

I know this is late...but I have learned through California, which like Texas does not accept foreign marriage certificates, that all you need to do is file your certificate with the US Department of the State. You are filing it federally, so you will be legally married in the US after your Mexico certificate is authenticated by the Federal Gov't. Is a Mexican wedding recognized in the U.S.? Yes, civil ceremonies in Mexico have legal validity in most countries including the U.S. However, religious ceremonies are not legal. Once the civil ceremony has been conducted, couples will need to obtain a certified copy of their marriage certificate (Acta de Matrimonio), which proves they have been wed in accordance with Mexican law. Then, upon return to the U.S., they will need to get that certificate "authenticated." This is done by the Office of Authentications in the State Department. For more information, visit http://www.state.gov/m/a/auth/. This is from this link... http://www.mexico.com/mexico-tips/weddings/legalities/ NOW, my only problem is figuring out how to do this...it appears that you send a cover letter, a copy of the marriage certificate (probably a translated copy too) and $8...not quite sure though! Hope this helps some people...it took me forever to find this out! You would think there would be guidelines for this stuff SOMEWHERE on the internet, seeing as how only thousands of people get married in other countries a year:)

Thank you ladies for the feedback, especially MJKH...reassured me that more people feel the way I do:) @clgriffi7~ that wording is exactly what I was looking for, but it sounded horrible when I wrote it!!! I found honeyfund last night and that seems like a very considerable option since there is only a service fee if a credit card is used. That sets up an option for people and it gets my wishes across. Plus, I have a feeling, at least with my family, that they wouldn't even use the link, but will give us money toward something in person rather than online AND it will prevent toasters/blenders! @cherany~ the photographer gc Idea is awesome...I have been fretting over how much I want to spend and that would be a great way to afford the photogrpaher that I want!

Hi everyone! I have read numerous threads on this topic, but I haven't really found what I am looking for, so I was hoping I could get some of your personal opinions. This is going to turn into a rant and I by no means intend to offend anyone or their ideals, this is just my personal perspective. I am against registering for two reasons...the first being the obvious point that guests are already spending a lot on travel. The second reason is because my fiance and I combined two full households into one when we moved in together and we already have most everything we need. Some guests are stating that it is important that we register, not for our own convenience/selfishness, but for the ease of those who wish or insist on buying us gifts. I absolutely agree with them, but I really feel that we have nothing to put on the registries. I understand the whole "I would rather have guests buy me something I like than something non-returnable that I hate or don't need" concept...but seriously, there is about three things I can think of to ask for. Sure, we could use "better" models of things we already have, but what we have is good enough until we actually need new ones...no need to be wasteful. I despise the idea of "making up" items that I need just to create a registry. The items we do want are really on the high end of the price range (which is why we don't have them yet) and I think it would be unreasonable to have only very expensive things on a registry. On top of that, I find it silly to create a registry with only 10 or less items on it! So, after that long intro, my question is how can I not register while still providing ideas for gifts from people??? I want to put some option out there so people don't struggle in finding something to give, if that is their choice. I have seen the "honeymoon fund" sites, but I think they rip you off by charging 7% for your guests to give you something...a gift magically loses value for the sake of convenience. I want to put this info on my wedding website, but is there a tactful way of saying we already have what we need, but if you really want to give us something here is where we shop and here is where we bank?!?! Sorry, I am tying to be humerous simply because I am frustrated and torn between ettiquette, tradition, and what I think is right. Hope you ladies have some good tips Thanks for the help and best wishes on all your planning!

Ashley, who did you end up using??? I am going to start looking for reviews on people now LOL

Hi Ashley! Thanks for the help! Wow...that is scary if that's the case. I would think being that it is people's once in a lifetime moment that they would hire a dedicated wedding photographer! I really do appreciate the help. With Palace resorts you don't really talk to anyone onsite until three months before the wedding, which kind of puts you in a bind since everyone will be booked. I was hoping to use my "resort credits" on the photographer to save money...but I will definately find money if it's that drastic.