danandjamie

Strawberry Passion. Reception was on Palermas Beach. Coral Beach would probably be tight with tables of 10. It's a small area.

We had a choice between tables of 10 or 8.

You just need to show the resort that you have booked your trip. Then they will hold a spot for you.

we used a travel agent who beat any price you found on the internet by $10. So not only were we getting the best deal but we were all getting the value of using a travel agent. Our travel agent negotiated a free rehearsal dinner for 20 people, a free cocktail hour for 71 people, an upgraded room for us and she made sure all of our guests were around one another. She got everyone private transportation from the airport for the price of the "group" transportation as well. She also got us good deals on the excursions. Basically we told all of our guests when they were ready to book to search the internet for the best deal and then call our agent. It worked out perfectly.

It just depends on where you're planning on having your reception. If I remember correctly the backup for Coral Beach was a banquet hall. However the backup for Colonial Beach was one of the open air grills (one of the reasons we ended up choosing Colonial) We got married October 8th and the weather was beautiful all week. Don't sweat it!

pretty sure its the beach between the palace pool and the ocean

we originally booked Coral beach but our party got too big. I'll be honest, when we got there I wasn't overly impressed anyway. I would choose Playa Azul or Palermas Beach. Coral beach is OK but the trees and shrubs block your view of the ocean and you also don't have any access to the water. The other two are wide open offering beautiful views and access to the water.

sorry the menu is different as well. For us, the beach reception was a must. I completely understand if people don't have the extra money to do it. Even though with 71 people it cost us an extra $3K-$4K we felt like people sacrificed so much time and money to be there that they deserved something spectacular. Plus, it's pretty cool to say you had a reception on the beach Hint: If you're struggling with paying for the wedding Capital One has a 15 month 0% interest credit card with no APR. It also has no international transaction fees. We swiped our whole wedding and divided it by 15. Made life a lot easier.

strawberry passion allows you to have a beach reception where the mint breeze does not.

We brought down a few bags of clear beads, underwater battery operated lights, a few fake orchids from michaels and floating candles. Cost was about $10 per centerpiece. Then we rented the vases and the mirror from the resort for $5 a piece. Instead of table numbers we did Boston / Philly Sports teams. They provided the table number holders at no extra cost.

If the hair and makeup people are outside vendors then yes you have to pay 30% to the resort on top of what you're paying your vendor. This fee didn't used to include Adrian but it does as of October of last year.

We brought a cake topper....which we accidentally forgot to give to our coordinator. Didn't matter though because no one really paid any attention to the cake. They were more enamored with the fact they were eating, drinking and dancing on a beach in Mexico

exactly my thoughts! no need for the DJ Lay out your playlists Create a guide for your emcee to follow Designate one person to work the ipod when needed. enjoy!

The only day it even sprinkled was the first day we got there. The rest of the week was gorgeous. You'll be fine.

They use the Coral Grille for dinner and it's also HUGE! This is why its normally not an option. If they're letting someone use it, it's probably because they're completely booked everywhere else. They'll probably curtain off a small area for the wedding and leave the rest open for hotel guests. If the weather is right, the palace pool will be just as good if not better. I got married October 8th of last year and the weather was beautiful!

The cake is pretty awful. Especially if you're having a beach reception. By the time we got to cut it the humidity had done a number on the fondant. It was sort of wet and slimy? We cut the cake and we just had them take it away. We had 71 people so we bought the extra tier. Looking back the dessert they serve with the dinner is what everyone eats. Once dinner was finished everyone wanted to dance in the sand, not sit down for another piece of cake.

Once you have confirmed your travel (literally show them you booked a flight and room) they will confirm the location you want. It doesn't matter how small your party is, but your party can be too big for certain locations. Obviously, you also need to purchase the particular wedding packages that include a beach reception I always had so many questions but I learned to only ask one question per email. Otherwise they skip over things. My advice, write an email with this question only and see what you get back.

Flowers: Print a picture of exactly what you want and they'll do it. It doesn't have to be anything in the book they give you. Just make sure you get pricing first. if the flowers are not native, you will pay significantly more.

they'll provide big spot lights for the beach receptions (no charge) You can also have the lights on the trees ($5 per tree). The spotlight really illuminates things. Once dinner and cake cutting was done we had them turn it off. You won't be able to do this unless you have the lights on the trees because it would be pitch black.

I think the sun sets around 7:15-7:30 so you should be fine. Ceremony lasts about 25 minutes

We got married October 8th, 2011 and the hotel was only 50% occupied (end of hurricane season). The hotel was so dead that the Colonial was closed (restaurants were still open however) We were supposed to get a junior suite in the Palace but I immediately asked for an upgraded ocean view room and got it at no charge. I would say it depends on when you get married, if you used a travel agent with some pull (we did) what time of year it is and how many people you bring (we brought 71 people)

My travel agents name is Marci. I'll private message you her info. Her travel agency has a rep working at the Palace so she definitely gets whatever you need. She's also great because her philosophy is "whenever your guests are ready to book, have them compare all of the travel sites for the best deal that day and I'll match it". There are a few advantages to this: 1. Everyone books under one group meaning you'll get credit towards free rooms 2. Your guests are booking when it's convenient for them 3. Your guests are guaranteed the best rate they can find on that particular day. 4. You have the travel protection of using a travel agent. If you're not happy with something you can call her and she'll take care of it. We also just used her for our honeymoon in St. Lucia. She got us an upgraded room for the price of a standard room. Tell her Dan and Jamie sent you!

There are a few of them. I had Xhail for all of my planning. She was on vacation the week of my wedding so I ended up with Grecia who was amazing. This is Xhail's email: [email protected]

Pretty sure you're going to have to pay per person for your non-palace guests to drink at the Carey Bar on your wedding day. Not sure how much it is though. We did place cards for our reception. Letting people pick their tables could be another headache in the end. Your wedding coordinator will take your decorations and place cards before the ceremony so you won't have to worry about setting anything up. Have you thought of welcome bags? Also, providing your guests with a schedule of wedding day events? Make sure you bring cash for the minister, the mariachi band (if you decided to use them) and also for tipping (wedding coordinator, musician at the ceremony, hair and makeup people, wait staff at the reception) We just gave the tips to our wedding coordinator in separate envelopes before the day started and she took care of it.

Quote: Originally Posted by MexicoHereICome How many people did you have for the free cocktail hour? I have been debating it and I too just can't decide! I originally thought it was a necessity just because most weddings that you go to have one, but I think its silly to pay for a cocktail hour too at an all inclusive. We had 71 people and they all stayed at the Palace. There is no set "criteria" on what you get for free. I'm sure it has to do with how many people you book, what hotel they book, how long they stay and what time of year it is.