acw271011

Sorry I can't be of any help with your wedding venue but you'll love Akumal. We were at the sister resort (adults only) Sian Khan in January and weren't thrilled with it. But all of the reviews we've seen of Akumal are fabulous, including family that were there from the UK for 2 weeks. They absolutely loved it! The restaurants are terrific and the food is really good. There are various review sections on the site that might be helpful to you. If you go to the top Search and key in the resort you'll find reviews of the various services they offer and should be able to get more detail on the spa. I haven't heard of your wedding site but again, try keying it into the search bar at the top and see what comes up.

Happy planning!

It is OFFICIAL!!!!! We booked the Grand Bahia Principe for Dec 07th 2017 Wedding in Jamaica for 2pm at the Gazebo.

We were torn back and forth deciding a resort, finalizing our decisions and dates....dealing with family and everrrryttthing else, BUT it is finally over!

I am soo relieved that we can finally relax, we have our date and now we can send out our invites! (I made them and ordered them on-line today. TOO CUTE!)

I can't believe it's all coming together...FINALLY! 

 

ANY OTHER GBP 2017 BRIDES OUT THERE?! 

 

Share your dates & planning!!

 

Let the countdown begin!

 

258 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    

You picked a beautiful place to get married. The photos from the gazebo and the beach area are gorgeous. The resort is wonderful. A lot has changed since we got married in 2011 but they still know what they're doing and will make the day super special!

Good luck and happy planning!

@@kcha0225 There is a past bride that was married at Melia Caribe Tropical. You could read her planning and review. I know she was very happy with how things turned out. She's under kcole123. Just do a search up top under her user name and the planning thread should come up. Good luck!

Thank you for your responses. We are expecting about 150 people. We spoke with agents onsite and have some things going. We are looking for a wedding planner that can help us make our vision come true. Any suggestions?

That's an easy one! Joyce at Dream Weddings Riviera Maya is the best!! We had her for our vow renewal in 2015 and she kept me sane!! I had a pretty good handle on things but Joyce reminded me about things I didn't think of and also handled all of our venues in Mexico. We did it off resort (ceremony and dinner following) and it all worked out beautifully! I would totally recommend her without any hesitation! She's a member of this site as well.

It's your wedding. Do what YOU want to do. I think both are gorgeous!!! But my feeling is for the long. It's simple but very elegant and I think it would suit beautifully for a wedding in Italy. I wouldn't even shorten it for the AHR. You could absolutely but why? It's your time to celebrate. You don't have to go the whole route. You could put a single flower in your hair to make it more simple if that's what you want. But the thing about a destination wedding is there are no rules. Go with what you're comfortable with, not what it her people think you should wear. My vote is for the long dress. Good luck and let us know the final decision.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

Hi Ladies, Congratulations to all of you on your upcoming weddings! This site in incredible for ideas and suggestions, and tons of information! As well the brides here are generally great for sharing experiences and details.

The one suggestion I would make is read, read, read. There are so many brides that have come before you and they've left behind some real pearls of wisdom. I'm the one that originally posted about this resort and so far I think the experiences have been good. Believe me - any question you can think of has been asked and answered here at some point in time. So play around with the search bar up top. Type in different things to see what comes up. Photographers, flowers, OOT bags, even this resort. 

The other thing I'll put up front is don't get impatient waiting to hear from the coordinators. Generally, once your wedding is booked and confirmed, you'll hear very little form the coordinators until your date gets close. Also, if you email - try to list all of your questions in one message so that they can respond rather than sending multiple emails. These resorts have experience with this stuff. They know what they're doing. But the immediate weddings are the ones that get the priority, usually until about 3 months out from your date. I know that's going to be frustrating for you but try to relax. Your wedding will get the same attention. 

A destination wedding can be a fabulous experience if you let it. Planning from far away can be nerve wracking only if you let it. I can say.... been there done that. Twice actually. And for the most part I loved it all. yes - we had some trying moments but in the end what's important is that you're marrying the man you love in paradise. Whether it's just the two of you the way it was for me or a crowd of 100. And there have been brides here that have had that many people.

Again, I can't emphasize enough. Spend some time on this site and read. There is a wealth of information here that I know will help you with having the wedding of your dreams!

@@ep643  Congrats and welcome! TA Wendy has given you some great information for sure! The other thing is you can do is look through the site. There is a ton of information here along with multiple reviews from brides that have had their weddings at the resorts you're considering.

I'd suggest doing a search up top. Just type in the resort and you'll get a bunch of threads that you can read through. That's the one thing with this site - it's so worth taking time to read through what's here. I will say that Moon Palace is a very popular venue and they have the horse and carriage! Something many brides love and of course it makes for gorgeous photos!

@@sassldiva  Those flowers are absolutely gorgeous!!

@@2ndTimeMrs  Oh my gosh you made me cry!! I LOVE your review! It's awesome! As for "talking you off the ledge" lol it was completely my pleasure! We had so much in common as far as circumstances go..... yeah there's a few people I'm still upset with 5 years later!! Wow - we just celebrated our 5th anniversary and it's already a year since Mexico and our renewal! We have to hook up girl! Life just gets so much in the way.....

@sarahjayne07  Hi! Congrats on your upcoming wedding and welcome to the site!

I don't know if this is any help or not. My husband and I renewed our vows in Mexico last October at Grand Coral Beach Club. We stayed at Valentin Imperial. I used Styling Trio @StylingTrio  for myself and my friend for hair and makeup. They are absolutely incredible and totally worth every penny! I don't know anything about the person that you mentioned.

I went to Styling Trio's location in Playa del Carmen for a hair and makeup trial but then had them come to the resort the day of our renewal. All I had to pay was a day pass for them, not the outside vendor fee.

Good luck!

@rebeccarpeck1  Congrats and welcome!

That's such a pretty bouquet! I'm not familiar with the vendor. There was a past bride here that dealt with Stemple Shop. Have you checked them out?

Hello,

 

I'm just starting to plan our destination wedding.  It's going to be very non-traditional small wedding as we have both been married before.  Looking for a great all-inclusive in Jamaica for Jan or Feb 2017 from Ottawa, Ont.    Want at least a 4 star and keep in as cheap as possible for our very few quests and must have a nice beach. 

 

appreciate your suggestions. 

Congrats! and welcome to the forum! There's no shortage of information and ideas here and brides are generally pretty willing to share!

I'm a Jamaica bride - 5 years next month (wow time flies). We were married at Gran Bahia Principe Jamaica and absolutely loved it! There is a whole thread here dedicated to the resort. We found it very reasonable from Toronto although we were in a different time of year. January and February are peak winter travel months so when you say as cheap as possible, you may be in for a bit of a surprise at costs. Definitely get yourself a good travel agent. They'll be able to shop pricing for you for that time of the year. I've added the link for the resort forum. If you can, take some time to read through some of it. You'll get some good information about the resort and the different options that are available.

Good luck and happy planning!

http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/topic/44634-any-gran-bahia-principe-runaway-bay-brides-out-there/

Any brides from Ontario Canada? I am just wondering what exactly I need to send before I arrive? I know a long form birth certificate and a notarized passport. How exactly do you get a notarized passport. Any help would be great as im getting married in November

Congrats on your upcoming wedding! My husband and I were married there nearly 5 years ago already! The time has gone by so quickly!

We are quite a bit older and it was second time around for both of us so we also had to include notarized divorce papers. But nothing else had to be notarized. We sent copies by email of our birth certificates (not long form) and our passports and a notarized copy of our divorce decrees and that was it. it was really easy. To get a notarized copy of any document, you need to find either a lawyer or notary public. there will be a fee for getting this done. Take your original documents to them, usually everyone needs to attend. The lawyer/notary will examine the documents and verify your identity. They will then take a copy of the documents and draw up a certificate that they attach a seal to stating that they have reviewed the documents and declare them to be a true copy. But we didn't have to send those. We emailed the birth certificate and passport copies and a copy of the divorce decrees but then took the original notarized documents with us and passed them to the wedding coordinator at the meeting.

We wanted to have our original wedding on the day, not get married at home and then have a symbolic ceremony in Jamaica and that's the reason we chose Jamaica. Having a legal wedding in Jamaica is much easier than Mexico. You don't have to be there as many days in advance as you do for Mexico, nor have a blood test. It was definitely worth it.

We had our renewal at Grand Coral Beach Club and a dinner afterwards at La Casa del Agua. I would highly recommend the restaurant. Their service was wonderful, the food was delicious and they managed to put us into a private room because of rain that worked out perfectly. My preference would have been for the outside terrace but Mother Nature had other ideas. I have a link with my planning and I think there should be photos there too!

Upcoming Weddings!

 

crystalz - 11/02/2011 - Akumal (visitng 10/28-11/7) Wedding Photos

wesjor17 - 11/03/2011 - Tulum

dfranklin - 11/19/2011

Fally - 11/30/2011 - Akumal Wedding Review

adebe - 12/07/2011 - Tulum

Megz - 12/08/2011 - Tulum

kristi11 - 1/11/2012 - Staying at Coba, wedding at Tulum Gazebo

cdunn517 - 1/13/2012 - Staying at Coba, wedding at Akumal (visiting 1/10-1/15) Wedding Photos | Trash the Dress Photos

jemma - 1/17/2012 - Akumal- (visiting 1/13-1/20) Wedding Photos

Kristi - 2/02/2012 - Coba

Heather 2012 - 2/15/2012 - Coba

vickib - 2/20/2012 - Tulum

andrea2006 - 3/01/2012 - Tulum

pammyk - 3/05/2012 - Tulum (visiting 3/1-3/8)

LindsayDS - 3/30/2012 - Akumal

StylishmeNC - 3/31/2012 - Akumal (visiting 3/28-4/4) Review

JenandKen2012 - 4/14/2012 - Coba

Emily2012 - 4/16/2012 - Akumal

Rachael - 4/23/2012 - Akumal

arielh - 4/26/2012 - Staying at Coba, wedding at Tulum

yeemein - 5/03/2012 - Akumal (visiting 4/28-5/12) Review

MayBridetobe12 - 5/05/2012 - Akumal (reception at Sian Ka'an)

Deborah123 - 5/5/2012 - Tulum

AD2012 - 5/10/2012 - Akumal Review

GenaP - 5/11/2012

Janet Ryan - 5/12/2012 - Tulum

Cynlee143 - 5/22/2012 - Akumal (visiting 5/18-5/25) Review

aquamaniac - 5/22/2012 - Tulum

Isabelle Parent - 5/23/2012 - Tulum

Jacquie Ware - 5/24/2012 - Akumal 

Shan2012 - 5/25/2012 - Akumal

nikki17 - 5/26/2012 - Coba

Coba Bride 2012 - 6/5/2012 - Coba Review

campcariboo - 6/7/2012 - Tulum

anganu - 6/27/2012 - Staying 6/22-6/29

cheeky26 - 9/26/2012 - Akumal (visiting 9/21-9/28) Review

TSilva - 10/12/2012 - Staying at Coba, wedding at Tulum

shellee - 10/17/2012 - Staying at Coba, wedding at Tulum Gazebo Review

gettingwed12 - 10/24/2012 (visiting 10/13-10/27) Review

kluanecat - 10/24/2012 - Tulum (visiting 10/20-10/27)

jennjeff2012 - 11/15/2012 - Staying at Coba, wedding at Tulum Gazebo

fraggle42 - 11/19/2012 - Tulum (visiting 11/13-11/27)

christy12 - 11/23/2012 - Akumal

Sun Surf Sand - 11/29/2012 - Akumal

Tracy Taylor - 11/29/2012 - Akumal

Sunshine2680 - 12/05/2012 - Tulum

Tikka - 12/07/2012 - Tulum, wedding at Akumal

Adel - 12/12/12 - Coba

mexicanbride - 2/1/2013 - Akumal

katiemac - 3/14/2013 - Staying at Coba, wedding at Akumal

MayanBride2013 - 3/23/2013 - Coba

RachC - 4/5/2013 - Akumal (visiting 3/28-4/11)

promise12 - 4/10/2013 - Akumal

JulieMc - 4/11/2013 - Tulum

berg5080 - 5/9/2013 - Akumal

AndreaandAaron- 05/16/2013 - Akumal

WS2013 - 05/21/2013 - Akumal

DanielleW - 5/22/2013 - Tulum

Tammyd23 - 5/25/2013 - Akumal

claruickie - 6/20/2013 - Tulum

eglowa - 6/29/2013 - Tulum

LauraB1105 - 7/22/2013 - Tulum

Katryne - 8/6/2013 - Tulum Gazebo

Worstbride - 11/1/2013 - Akumal

Mtrowsse - 11/11/2013 - Coba

futuremrswarner - 11/12/2013 - Tulum

J1031 - 11/27/2013 - Tulum

egagne87 - 12/19/2013

Lgerry - 01/15/2014

sarakelz - 01/30/2014 - Coba

stephcuz - 02/19/2014 - Akumal

nic817 - 03/15/2014 - Review

sarahlee - 04/04/2014

heatherp1927 - 04/07/2014

breena985 - 04/09/2014 - Akumal

Ams10 - 05/01/2014

MrsMoorsy - 05/07/2014

jenniferlaura - 05/07/2014

alijuanpa - 05/24/2014 - Tulum

KatLew - 08/04/2014 - Tulum

Emma Thorncroft - 08/22/2014

Micflair - 09/01/2014 - Tulum

Alan Lake - 09/11/2014

TartanBride - 09/11/2014

Squeekybubble - 09/12/2014

jfarrowable - 11/18/2014

Debbie Owens - 11/25/2014 - Coba

EmmaNahaylo - 11/27/2014 - Tulum Gazebo

ElenaBrogden - 11/28/2014

My date was October 20, 2011. We're still trying to get back to the resort! Seems like every time we make plans something goes wrong so still haven't been back and it's nearly 5 years!

@@EM1003  Congrats! I'm an October bride too. It's a beautiful time of year in the Caribbean to get married!

There was a past bride here that got married at the same resort just last year. I've attached her thread for you to look through. Her wedding was gorgeous! It might give you some tips and ideas.

Good luck!

http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/topic/78626-kcole123-planning-thread-april-17-2015-melia-caribe-tropical/

@@LeanneP  You have my sympathies for sure! My husband and I are second timers too (nearly 5 years ago now) and we each have 2 kids. All together, they're "ours" now. since we've been together almost 15 years. Our oldest is 35 and youngest is 30 and we have 7 grandchildren. We had the same reaction when we said we were getting married in Jamaica. How they wouldn't miss it and very excited, etc. But when crunch time came it was a different story.

Much like you we've done a ton of stuff for all of our kids. Baby things when the grandkids were born, expensive wedding gifts when they got married and so on. We had a great rate that with credits would have been very manageable. Bit by bit the excuses started and when that happened, it snowballed. Other people started being afraid that if we lost "bodies" the group rate would no longer be available and cost would go up so they backed out too. We changed our plans to get married at home and all of a sudden everyone was on board and going to be there. My husband put his foot down and said no. What was important was us and the plans that we wanted, and we wanted Jamaica. If it wasn't important enough to everyone else, then it was their loss. They were the ones losing out on a great family vacation. So we went to Jamaica just the 2 of us and got married just like we planned.

Don't think it was easy because it wasn't. I, like you, wanted to keep the relationship with my step kids just as much for me as their father. But it was the same thing you're going through. We watched 2 of them spending money and not worrying about saving anything at all. It was frustrating. I've said it many times before on this site and I'll say it again. Sadly, your wedding is no where near as important to other people as it is to you. We want everyone to be as happy about it as we are but that isn't the case. You need to look at what is the most important to you, and everyone's thinking is different. Is it having people there to be part of it, or is it marrying the love of your life in a beautiful Caribbean paradise? Only you can make that decision for the two of you. No one else can. In our case it took nearly losing my husband, because he was ready to walk away over all of the arguing and stress of it all, to make me realize that all I wanted was to marry him on a beach in Jamaica and that's what we did. Just the two of us. No guests at all. For a while it made me really sad but we ended up having an at home reception, which my husband still says we shouldn't have done lol because we catered to everyone else, and we did a photo display that run during the evening. Everyone watched the pictures and that's when we heard about the the regrets. Well - you snooze you lose. We had a wonderful week. The resort I think took pity on us after all of our plans had to change, and treated us like royalty. 

It sounds very much like your step-daughter realizes her behaviour is enabled and it will continue to be until you both put your foot down and force her to grow up and make her own way. She has a partner and a child to support. If being at your wedding was important, she would find a way. I would leave it alone. You've done what you can. Unless you're ready to pay whatever needs to be paid for her to attend and be quiet about it, then I would just count her out. Yes - it's unfortunate she won't be there. But as I said - in the end what's the most important to you? Only you can decide, unless you allow your step-daughter to make the decision for you.

Good luck! Keep us posted on what you decide and how things work out!

I'm going to agree with everyone. Putting as much information on your website for your guests as possible I think is always a good thing. It spells out for them what they can expect and will allow people to make informed decisions.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

@@kcole123 Hey Kristy! Wow girl - how are you!! Nice to see you pop back in!

Life is busy, as I'm sure it is for everyone. We've had a lot going on. Still trying to sort out some health stuff but I still think some of it is old age!! lol

Any more news on the transfer? Hope you're enjoying married life!! Miss you too!!

A.

@ashhtayy  Omg Ash - you were one stunning bride!! Your photos are absolutely gorgeous!! You have some beautiful keepsakes there for sure! I loved your review! Very well written! Definitely something for future brides to look through and I know they'll be able to take something away from it that will help them with their own wedding!

Way to go girl! I'm hardly here at all. Just so much going on that gets in the way. I would LOVE a meet up! Hopefully some dates can get thrown around and something worked out!

I did say it before but again, congrats on being a Mexico Mrs! Everything looked fabulous and even with the hiccups it sounds like it all went great!

@calgarybride2015  So would you be up for getting together? Ladies?@@diadiamond @@deecol @ @@ashhtayy @snswedding2016  I know I'm forgetting some... @meandhim  is anyone available for this Friday?

@@caity59 Congrats and welcome!

There was an Alberta bride that got married I think at Blue Venado last year. I'll see if I can find her thread. I know Joyce at Dream Weddings helped her with it. It's a great location. I really liked it when I heard about it but I was set against sand! lol I wanted to wear heels (yes, shoe slut) so sand didn't work with shoes.

There's a new Secrets in Panama?? Time to take a look.... I think I might hear a winter vacation calling my name....

It was beautiful! I watched the WHOLE thing!!! lol I get emails when Ustream goes live. Gorgeous girl!! Your dress looked stunning on you! I knew something was up with the location.... couldn't figure out what happened. 

Can't wait to see more photos!! Such a cute couple!!! Congrats on being a Mexico Mrs!!!!

@@mitzz52  Congrats and your upcoming DW! Not long to go!

There are a ton of very recent brides that have posted templates for door hangers, welcome letters, maraca tags, etc. including my thread. Definitely do a search up top. If you want to look under specific brides you can try snswedding2016 or perianjay or deecol, calgarybride2015, tygrlilly, ashhtayy and krystalball. Oh yes and meandhim  They all have planning threads and added their templates to their threads and have all been married within the last year and a half. I also have templates at home that I could add in if you get really stuck.

Good luck!