savvybride2010

Hi Everyone,

We got married a few months ago in Mexico and did a symbolic ceremony because we wanted to personalize it. We wrote our entire ceremony taking bits and pieces from other ceremonies we liked/enjoyed.  I wish I had known this post existed prior, there are some really nice ceremonies on here!   Hope this helps someone else looking for just the right wording.   

Greetings:

Welcome Everyone! Chad and Lauren want to thank you all for traveling here today to share in the celebration of their marriage.

We, who have gathered in this circle, are now privileged to witness and share in the joy of this union. We have come to surround them, knowing that by our presence here with them, we are saying that they, together, are loved by many others.

Officiant’s Marriage Address:

Lauren and Chad, you are marrying out of love, because you enjoy each other’s company and because you want to be together. Although you will be sharing one life, never forget that you are two separate people. Cherish and affirm your differences. Love each other. Keep your commitment primary. Together you will laugh and cry, be sick and well, be happy and angry, share and grow. Grow, sometimes together, sometimes separately. But never remain stagnant. Love and life are always changing, always new. If you will ensure a healthy lasting marriage, always, always value each other. Although you will disagree, remember to respect each other’s feelings, needs and wants. Above all, never, ever lose your sense of humor. There is an art to marriage. This art asks that we pay attention to the little things as well as the big ones that are part of the closeness of marriage. Never grow too old to hold hands. At least once each day, remember to say “I love you.†Develop the capacity to forgive and forget and heal quarrels as they happen so that you do not go to bed angry. Your courtship should not end with the honeymoon; so pay attention that you do not come to take each other for granted, and remember to speak words of appreciation and demonstrate your gratitude in thoughtful ways. Support each other's endeavors as well as each other. Promise to share hopes, thoughts, and dreams as you build your lives together.  And strengthen each other through life's joys and challenges.

Exchange of Vows: 

The covenant of marriage is one that can be entered into only by persons who are both legally and spiritually free to offer themselves to each other.  Therefore, in the presence of God and in the presence of all of the witnesses here, Chad and Lauren will state their intention.

Please face each other and join your hands, and in doing so, join your hearts.

Chadrepeat after me:

Lauren, You are my best friend.
And Today I give myself to you in marriage.

I promise to encourage your individuality,  

Because that is what makes you unique and wonderful

I promise to nurture your dreams,

Because through them your soul shines

I promise to help shoulder our challenges,

For there is nothing we cannot face if we stand together.

I promise to share with you in the joys and sorrows of life,

when life seems easy and when it seems hard,

I promise to love you in good times and in bad,

when our love is simple, and when it is an effort.

For one lifetime with you could never be enough.

Lauren repeat after me:

Chad, You are my best friend.

And Today I give myself to you in marriage.

I promise to encourage your individuality,  

Because that is what makes you unique and wonderful

I promise to nurture your dreams,

Because through them your soul shines

I promise to help shoulder our challenges,

For there is nothing we cannot face if we stand together.

I promise to share with you in the joys and sorrows of life,

when life seems easy and when it seems hard,

I promise to love you in good times and in bad,

when our love is simple, and when it is an effort.

For one lifetime with you could never be enough.

Exchange of Rings:

Do you have the rings?

From the earliest times, the circle has been a symbol of completeness, a symbol of committed love. As often as either of you looks at this symbol, I hope you will be reminded of the commitment to love each other, which you have made here today.

Chadand Lauren will now address each other as they exchange rings:

Chad’s ring vows: 

Lauren, I offer this ring to you with the understanding that we each live lives of choice. This ring does not bind you to me; it is our Love that connects us. This ring is a re-presentation of that Love in a form that can be seen and touched.  I am grateful you choose to wear it and I am truly blessed to be a part of your life, which as of today becomes our life together.  I Love you very much!

Lauren’s ring vows: 

Chad, over the past six years we have had so many wonderful moments together.  And each time I think it can’t get any better than this, I find myself more in love with you by the next moment!  I give you this ring as a promise of my love.  I feel so fortunate to have collided with you and look forward to creating more amazing memories as we grow together.  I love you so much!

Sand Ceremony:

Chadand Lauren, You have committed here today to share the rest of your lives with each other. 

Now we will observe you create a lasting visual representation of these promises. 

(Turn to Table)

Your relationship is symbolized through the pouring of these two individual containers of sand;

Each representing all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be.

As you now pour your sand together, your lives also are this vividly joined as one.

Each color holds its own unique beauty, strength, and character. They can stand on their own and be whole, without the need of anything else. But when the two are blended together they represent an entirely new and extraordinary relationship. Each grain of sand brings to the mixture a lasting beauty that forever enriches the combination, and in this way may your marriage be enriched by each other.

Pronouncement:  (Guest Participation)

The moment we’ve all waited for!

Chadand Lauren,

Before this service you signed the legal paperwork.

You received the blessing of your family and friends,

And here you have made your vows and exchanged rings.

Now, I ask everyone to join me in this pronouncement,

Repeating together after me:

"We, your family and friends,â€

“Now pronounce you husband and wife!"

Chad, you may kiss the bride

I am very happy to introduce for the first time as a married couple,

Chad and Lauren!

Thanks Laura, I'm happy to post it, I'll check it out! 

 

Originally Posted by lshaef 

From reading reviews on this site, we also decided to do the legal ceremony in the states and are doing a symbolic wedding.  My FI's uncle will be the offciant so it will be very personalized.  There's a thread already started with ceremony scripts so savvybride2010 maybe you could add it there if you want to share.

 

I think doing the legal part here would just make the whole experience of getting married in Mexico less stressful.  You don't have to tell your guests that you legally did it in the States...no one will ever know!

1106 - I'll PM you our ceremony! 

Thanks so much!  I absolutely loved my bouquet, they were really unbelievable in person. They almost seemed fake like someone had painted them plus they lasted for several days, so nice!  Gabi from Planner1events did all my flowers (the white orchids for my hair were beautiful too!) I highly recommend her!  Thanks again! 

Hi Theresa,

We did the symbolic ceremony for many reasons, but the main one being the personalization.  We wrote our entire ceremony from start to finish (not just the vows) for something that really reflected what this day meant to both of us.  But here are a few other practical reasons why we opted for the symbolic over the civil ceremony. 

Cost - there is a significant cost difference between the civil and symbolic ceremony.  We were told for the civil ceremony that you need to arrive in Yucatan 5 full business days prior to the wedding day in order to obtain the marriage certificate. That means arriving Sunday night if your wedding is on the following Saturday.  You are also required to have blood tests done by a local doctor no less than 2 days prior to the wedding.  The wedding needs to be performed by a licensed judge.  And finally the marriage certificate would need to be translated (for an additional fee) if you wanted it to be recognized in the US.  All together we found that it would have cost us about $2000 extra between additional hotel nights, judge fees, blood test fees, certificate fees, translations fees, etc., over the symbolic ceremony. 

Time - we didn't want to take more than 12 days off from our jobs, so we flew in on a wednesday before our wedding (Sunday) so we could have a longer honeymoon. 

Length of Ceremony - besides customizing the ceremony, we really wanted to keep it short (10-15 min) since we were getting married outside. 

Legal Certificate - we have had many friends get married abroad (Mexico, Bahamas, Fiji, etc.) and everyone of them had to get married again in the states when they got back.  What we found in Colorado was that even though the Federal government (Social Security Card, Passport, etc.) will recognize the marriage certificate from another country,  the state government (Driver's License, Car Registration, etc.) would not, requiring you to go to the judge locally for a marriage certificate in order to change your name.  I guess its not a problem if you don't plan on changing your name, but you might want to check with your local DMV to see if they would take a Mexican Marriage Certificate. 

That said, we opted to get married at the court house the week before.  I will say I thought I would be a little bummed by legally being married before we got to MX but it really turned out not to be a big deal at all.  Our wedding anniversary is still the day we stood on the pier together surrounded by our family and friends, not what the Colorado Marriage Certificate says.  But if that bothers you it might be worth the extra dollars for the civil ceremony, just be prepared to get married again when you get back if your state won't recognize it.   

Sorry for the novel, hope it helps you!  Remember, this is your day so do what you want to do, not what you think you are expected to do! 

Good luck!

Lauren

Ps I'm happy to PM you a copy of our ceremony if you are looking for some ideas or wording.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tweets.13 

Question for you - we currently have a civil ceremony scheduled for our wedding.  We learned that we cannot personalize it (readings, prayers, etc.), so we are contemplating doing a civil ceremony followed by a symbolic ceremony.  Do any of you have any experience, suggestions, comments?

 

Thanks!

 

Theresa

We only offered the all-inclusive rate to our guests.  Mainly because our Travel Agent insisted it was a better deal then the European Plan and paying extra for food and drinks.  Initially we were a little reluctant but we are so happy we went that route now.  Our guests definitely would have paid more and had less fun counting up the drinks.  I think it made things significantly easier on everyone because you knew all of your costs up front, and there wasn't a need to take an excessive amount of cash abroad.  I would highly recommend it because as quaint as Puerto Morelos is, it really isn't a great alternative dining option for your guests.  Hope that answers your question?

 

Originally Posted by lshaef 

savvybride2010 - Didn't the guests have the option to do the all - inclusive??  I was just wondering because we are encouraging everyone to do the AI since the prices of food and drinks will well exceed the difference between the European Plan and the AI plan.

Wow, 70 guests, that will be a great crowd there, close to half the hotel!  We had 44 guests and they all fit on the pier easily.  We had 6 rows of 8 chairs with an aisle down the middle all under the palapa. You could probably fit a row or two more under the palapa too.   Plus there is plenty of space surrounding it (as long as the weather isn't too hot or stormy) that I would think would be fine to extend seating out to the sides or the back.   We were married on October 24th!  Our ceremony started at 5pm, Cocktail hour was 5:30-6:30pm poolside, and the Reception was indoors from 6:30pm-10:30pm. The indoor room is off of the Lobby, so when the dancing ended the party continued at the lobby tequilla bar!  Again, the staff was excellent and more than happy to stretch their work hours for us and stock us up before last call.  I would imagine if you were to use the roof top terrace, that you would probably use the restaurant bar then due to proximity.  I also know for private events you can pay by the hour for private bar service for as late as you want.  

I still need to give an official review of the hotel, but overall I couldn't have imagined doing it anywhere else (which I originally was and changed 2 1/2 months prior, crazy long story I'll spare you).  This place just fit our dreams for our wedding so well, small boutique, all-inclusive, personal service.  Many of our guests are already hoping to make a trip back there next year. 

 

Originally Posted by 1106wedding 

It'll never be too much info for me! This has been one of the harder places to get info on - I should've asked you all sooner! I like your 4-day schedule A LOT. And the weekend we'll be getting married is October 22nd 2011 so good to know about the bar situation. 11:30pm isn't too bad...what time did your wedding reception end? Did you go to the restaurant bar after that? Oh and how many people fit on the pier? 40ish? We're thinking we might have around 70! Thanks everyone!

We used a travel agent who was fantastic and got us an amazing group rate for all our guests (it was off-season though).  We chose to do the all-inclusive plan for everyone mainly because it was a good rate and so much easier on everyone.  I would highly recommend doing the all-inclusive as I think your guests would wind up spending more out-of-pocket and Puerto Morelos (as quaint as it is) isn't a great alternative for dining. 

As far as nightlife goes, there's not a whole lot going on at Ceiba.  But it worked out great for our group because we got a ton of attention and service.  I believe the Arrifice restaurant bar and the tequilla bar (in the lobby) were open until 11pm.  We could generally get them to stay open til 11:30 as long as the tipping was good and then we would stock up on beers and drinks and hangout outside, but other wise things definitely shut down early.  The terrace bar was not open while we were there, probably because it was off-season, so I can't say if that would be any different. 

For a 4-night stay (which most of our guests did) this is what we had going on: 1st night Cocktails in the Lobby, 2nd night Bonfire on the beach, 3rd night Rehearsal dinner, and Finally the Wedding Reception.  Pretty much everyone was in bed by midnight every night, but trust me after drinking all day poolside/beachside, everyone was more than ready!   

You absolutely can do everything off the sand, but still right by the beach with all the views.  We got married on the Pier (there are some pictures posted under my profile) plus they have a whole outside terrace area right next to the beach.  

I'm sure this is more info then you wanted but I hope that it helps you!  Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions. 

Good Luck!

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1106wedding 

Can I ask you all how you're doing the room block? Do YOU choose the all inclusive plan for your guests or does each guest choose? I really want a boutique hotel that's all inclusive and Ceiba sounds like an option. Also, do they have a late night bar or does everything shut down relatively early? Last question...does anyone have a photo of the ceremony and/or reception locations? I'd ideally like everything OFF the sand. Thank you!!!

We used Ceiba's pastry chef to do cupcakes (Margarita & Chocolate Carmel) and they turned out really good.  The Margarita was a vanilla lime cupcake with a tequilla cream frosting.  They also put some of the frosting inside the cupcake which made it very tasty!  I didn't try the chocolate carmel, but those who did say they were excellent too.  We didn't want a formal cake and since dessert was included in the 3 course dinner, we thought cupcakes would make a great snack after all the dancing.  Let's just say they went over well! 

Originally Posted by lshaef 

Hi ladies.  Those of you who have been married at Ceiba...what did you do for a wedding cake - from Ceiba or outside vendor OR did you skip cake and do a dessert table or something else?

Yes, Filemon is a donkey!  This was my husband's idea, and he was so excited about Filemon!  We went with a mexican theme for our cocktail hour (Margarita's, sangria, mexican beers, and mexican cuisine passed canapes) and had the donkey along with a Mariachi band.   They saddled him with small buckets of ice and beer and everyone loved getting their pictures with him (see attached). He turned out to be a very sweet donkey, that seemed to enjoy the attention. I will try to post more pictures in an album this weekend! 

Originally Posted by lshaef 

Congrats Lauren on a great wedding.  Looking forward to seeing picutres!

Who is Filemon??  A donkey?

 

 

Congrats!  Enjoy the honeymoon!!!   
 

Originally Posted by lalanyc 

 

Hi ladies!  I just had the most spectacular wedding week at Ceiba and am now on honeymoon but I'm very much looking forward to sharing my very detailed review plus TONS of information for all you!!!!!

 

Love this board and can't wait to give back!   Meanwhile good luck with your planning!

 

Hi Gabi,  

Thank you for EVERYTHING!  I'm so sorry I didn't get to meet you in person and tell you that you did an amazing job, everything was exactly as I envisioned it would be!   It was absolutely perfect minus the rain, but even that didn't stop us from having a fabulous time at Ceiba!  Filemon was definitely the hit of the evening, Chad was just thrilled to have a donkey carting beers for our cocktail hour!  I even think the Ceiba staff had a great time with Filemon too!  Thank you again, and please if you ever need a reference for a future bride, I am more than happy to share my experience and photos.

Bests,

Lauren

Quote:

Originally Posted by Planner1Events 

Lauren!!!

It´s so nice to know you have enjoyed your day!! We really did our best to deliver everything as you have in your mind! Even with the rain... I know everybody loved Filomeno and we have fun pictures, I will send them to you! I stopped by at the Hotel but you were taking some pictures.

My best wishes for you Lauren!! Please keep in contact!

 

Warmest regards!!

 

Gabi

Hi Tracy,

We just got married at Ceiba Del Mar on 10/24/10 and it was absolutely wonderful there!  We had 24 rooms booked and let me reassure you Paola Sanchez (the onsite wedding coordinator) did a fabulous job, from a beach bonfire one night, a rehearsal dinner the next, to the day of the wedding, and through the reception, everything was seamless.   Now to answer your questions.

1) We did a symbolic ceremony, but used a local officiant, Pam Lopez.   The legal ceremony seemed like too much of a hassle.  Plus we wrote our entire ceremony so it was more personal to us.  

2) We were supposed to have the reception on the terrace, but due to the weather forecast that evening (thunderstorms!), we had to move the reception indoors just a few hours before the wedding.  I had requested 20 (2x10) hanging lanterns for the terrace which they wound up using on the floor of the indoor room and they lit up the room nicely. plus some candles on the tables.  I think the lanterns were around $300, but would have to double check that.  I used Gabi of Planner1 events and everything looked exactly as I had requested, just unbelievable because I think I'm a pretty picky person, she was so easy to work with and very professional.  I'll try to post pics shortly, but feel free to e-mail me directly and I'll send you photos of my flowers and decor.  

3) For the ceremony music we just burned a cd and used the resorts sound system out on the pier which worked great.  For the cocktail hour we had a Mariachi Band that Paola had arranged and they were excellent!  For the reception we used DJ Mannia, and they did a fantastic job.  Almost our entire party was up and dancing the whole evening.  They really know how to cater to the crowd.  

4) I have no idea on what the steel drums would cost, but that sounds like a really cool idea!  I bet Paola or Gabi would be able to get a price for you.

5) We did the 3 course dinner and it was very nice.  But instead of having everyone pick an appetizer, entree, and dessert, we just had them pick entrees.  We went with the proscuitto and melon appetizer, then the guests had a choice of Angus Beef (which was a filet), Sea Bass, Chicken, or Vegetarian.  Then we did creme brulee for dessert.  Plus we had the chef make us cupcakes instead of a traditional wedding cake. 

I hope this helps with your decision making.  Please feel free to contact me if you think of anything else, good luck and happy planning!  

Bests,

Lauren 

Originally Posted by amandamarieb 

 

Married ladies...what did you walk down the aisle to? Tradition "here comes the bride music" or something else? I am struggling with this big time. I think I know what we are doing for the wedding party's entrance, The Beatles' "In my life". Thought about making my entrance to a cut version of Stevie Wonder's "You and I" but not sure if that would be cheesy....or worse, too long! Nothing worse than stalling down the aisle to make sure the lyrics time out. Then as we exit the sky deck, I think we might do Stevie's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered". It's such an upbeat happy song, we love Stevie and it suits the occasion...but I am hesitant...too many lyrics? What did you do? Thanks!

Honestly you can never go wrong with Stevie Wonder no matter how long the song is!  But for something a little different I like Catpower's cover of "Sea of Love", only 2 minutes long or so, check it out on itunes...

 

Originally Posted by tweets.13 

 

Definitely email Diana or Paolo for the list of vendors - or PM me with your email address and I can send you the list they sent me.  We are in the process of booking our florist, DJ, etc., so I can try to answer any questions you have based on the info the vendors sent me.  My fiance and I did a site visit in June, so I can try to answer any questions you have about the property as well.  Don't worry - everything will come together and it will be BEAUTIFUL!
 

Thank you all for the great information!  I'm not sure why my replies aren't posting, hopefully this one works.  Diana is the Sales Manager negotiating our room rates so it sounds like Paola is probably the WC at Ceiba?  I'm sure I will be hearing from her soon, just feeling a bit anxious since the wedding is only a little over two months away.  I think our best bet will be to use a planner in the area, just nervous we may get gouged for the last minute planning.  Oh well, it is what it is I guess, just have to cut back on the extras. Thank you for all the comforting words about the resort. We are really looking forward to staying there now!   

Thanks for the great info!  I'm sure I will be hearing from the WC shortly then.  Just a little anxious since we are getting close to the big day.  Thanks again!

 

Originally Posted by lshaef 

 

The onsite WC should be able to give you a list of vendors that they have dealt with in the past.  Who are you working with at Ceiba?  They have had some changes in the past few months with employees.  Did you visit CDM?  It is gorgeous and you and your guests will have a blast.  It sounds like a lot of people used EW as a vendor who can probably do most of the flowers, decor, etc...

Good luck. 

 

Originally Posted by lshaef 

 

 

 

 

The onsite WC should be able to give you a list of vendors that they have dealt with in the past.  Who are you working with at Ceiba?  They have had some changes in the past few months with employees.  Did you visit CDM?  It is gorgeous and you and your guests will have a blast.  It sounds like a lot of people used EW as a vendor who can probably do most of the flowers, decor, etc...

Good luck. 

 

 

Thank you for the info!  I'm relieved to hear that they do have an onsite WC, I'm sure I'll find out shortly who I will be working with, just very anxious since we are getting so close. Thanks again!

 

Ceiba del Mar Brides I need your help!  We are in the middle of switching resorts (moving to CDM) and we are only 9 1/2 weeks away from our wedding date.  To save you the drama of the last couple weeks our previous resort is under renovations and we are concerned by their behavior that they won't be able to accomodate our entire party and move half of our guests to their sister hotel. That said I am almost back to square one planning a wedding site unseen and very nervous.  The other resort had an onsite wedding planner that dealt with all of the vendors.  But from what I understand about Ceiba, I now need to get in contact with vendors?  Where to start!  Florists, DJ's, Decorations, etc.  I am grateful for any recommendations you can give!  Thanks from the not-so-savvy bride right now! 

 

Originally Posted by taylorwd 

 

Wow!!!  I knew they were doing renovations but man, they've torn out the entire Superior side!  I'm so sorry to hear you had to rebook your wedding somewhere else.  Which resort did you change to?

 

Also, we're planning our return anniversary stay for AB.  Do you know when the renovations will be finished?

 

They should reopen December 1, 2010

Oh I wish I had discovered this post sooner!  I booked Azul Beach for our October wedding back in March and just found out last week the extent of their renovations.  I have attached some pictures of it from a week ago.  So bummed, we just cancelled our wedding there and had to rebook with another resort because of concern all of our guests wouldn't be at the same resort half sensatori half AB.