echo73

I went on a wedding website to research possible companies for my guests to use as their airport transfer. I saw great reviews for Entertainment Plus and checked out their website. Apparently, they also use the name USA Transfers. The website was very clear on what the passengers should expect when they arrive and even had photos (this was very useful to hand off to my guests). I contacted the company regarding anything they could do for my party of wedding guests. They gave us a fantastic rate for our guests that was a flat fee for everyone, regardless of the number of passengers per vehicle. Trina was so wonderful about everything despite my huge number of guests and their ever-changing schedules and last-minute decisions to join in on the transfer list. She was organized and open to any ideas for groupings. She communicated well with my guests. I would definitely recommend them for your transfer needs, whether it's for your own trip or a big event such as a wedding!

I would have done chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet. I actually am just going to stick with our dessert cakes and a symbolic wedding cake after trying the delicious tres leches cake they served at the hotel. =)

Petit Lafitte is a good option. That's where a lot of family is staying since we have kids. The bungalows are very cute. We stayed there. I will say the actual garden rooms/hotel rooms aren't as sophisticated as Le Reve but I love the petting zoo, the beach, and the workers. Sandos is not exactly a classy place, but could be fun for the unlimited food, drinks, and kids friendly options. But it is all personal choice.

Also, now that I'm here, I see that drinks run more like $6-7. We are still figuring out what drinks will cost for the wedding though. As I mentioned earlier, you can buy your own liquor at Al Europea (or something like that) and pay a corkage fee.

Good luck! It is really exciting when you can start to imagine your friends and family being at the wedding site with you!

Thanks for your replies! In addition to the ones mentioned, I like Del Sol and La Luna (for a more affordable version of Del Sol). I am researching more so will try to post then.

I will be getting married at Le Reve in Playa del Carmen. I love the work this company in Southern California does http://www.rainbowfishcinema.com/ All their videos make me cry! But I would like to find a company in the Riviera Maya area that can do the same (or better!) work.

Did you find that people were still wanting to party past 11:30? What did you guys end up doing? I am thinking about extending our reception at the wedding site...not sure though.

Hi Jamie, I will be biased when I say YES, Le Reve is the best in the area. But kidding aside, in that area, you have Sandos, an all-inclusive that is a bit cheesy and more family oriented. But like very obviously family oriented with the pools full of kids and kids pottery carts around the pool area. I think you get the bang for your buck, but I doubt the food is all that great. Petit Lafitte is another great option. It is also kid friendly but in a more subtle way. I think the place still gives off a nice, natural vibe and it shares a beach with the gorgeous and luxurious Tides resort. Petit Lafitte gives GREAT rates and offers wedding options. I think of those options (besides Tides and Azul Fives which are luxury resorts), Le Reve is the most elegant option. The setting is sophisticated without being obnoxious. I completely understand your hesitation to invite people to a wedding and then have them pay for an expensive stay. But I will tell you from my experience that our guests are super excited about the wedding and have made a vacation out of it. Most of our rooms at Le Reve have already been booked by guests, and a lot of our guests are using Petit Lafitte as an option or going even cheaper in downtown Playa. Another thing that guests are doing is staying at Le Reve for the wedding events and then moving to more affordable lodging. I was surprised when all the bungalows (the most expensive rooms) got filled first. As for the restaurant, they are closer to American prices but still on the lower end. (Then again, I am comparing to Manhattan prices) A drink will run you about $9-10. If you are concerned about open bar, you should look into Europa. I believe it is a type of Costco-like place that has very reasonable prices for alcohol. Le Reve will allow you to bring in wines with a corkage fee. I think open bar and catering is comparable to other resorts. You can PM me for specifics. I believe if you have older people stay at the ends of the resort, they will not be disturbed. Le Reve is pretty much an open spaced building with no closed off lounges or anything. I will end with this: It is very considerate for you to think about your guests' financial situations. But the ones who really want to make it will make it work. And will probably have the best time ever.

Thanks mrspfafftobe for your responses! I hardly ever see replies to my posts so I apologize for my delay. Hello ladies of Le Reve! I am getting married at Le Reve in May 2012. I am super excited, but it took a while to get planning. Apparently, I am just a little too calm about it all. Everyone else was gasping when I had nothing to say when they asked what I had done so far to plan the wedding. I hadn't even looked at wedding dresses until a couple of weeks ago and people were practically yelling at me to get on it. So I finally got in gear. I have actually visited this site two times before, one being a trip in which I got engaged. So it wasn't a surprise that Le Reve was going to be an option for the wedding site. But it actually wasn't the ONLY option. We researched endless resorts around Tulum and Playa del Carmen. ENDLESS. I am a very practical girl who just wants a fun, memorable party/vacation to enjoy with loved ones. I would much rather spend money on good food and alcohol as opposed to flowers and an expensive dress. This gives you an idea of me. My fiance is more into the aesthetics of a resort. He likes simple, modern designs. A non-pretentious surrounding that at the same time makes you feel like a million bucks. And that's why we chose Le Reve. And when we did, we honestly didn't think about that decision again. It is just perfect for what we want. We love that the beach is literally steps away from the bungalows. We love that it will feel like our own private getaway for our friends and family for the wedding weekend. The staff is friendly. You actually get to know them because you see each individual during your stay, as opposed to faceless workers in bigger resorts. (Now I'm not knocking big resorts. I thought a huge all-inclusive would be a fun option for the wedding. Especially with my side of crazy bottomless pit drinkers and eaters. I'm just stating that one benefit of being in a boutique hotel is personalization. One great benefit of a bigger resort is being able to have all the guests in one place. We are expecting about 100 guests so not everyone will be able to stay at Le Reve. In the end, we knew that we wanted something intimate and different from the mammoth all-inclusives around the area.) Arlenis, Le Reve's wedding coordinator, has been very helpful in my wedding planning. I can attest that she has been very prompt and responsive to questions. I think she has actually been one of the most prompt of my contacts in Mexico, which suits this New Yorker just fine! I am also about getting a good deal (which is how I got my wedding dress for 40% off...yes!!). So I was VERY happy with having the freedom to be able to do so in that we could hire outside vendors with no fees at Le Reve. THANK YOU! I will say though, that Arlenis has recommended great options for vendors. But I really, really appreciate the fact that I am not being limited. I am going to be back at Le Reve next week to meet with vendors. This website has been a blessing in helping me with my wedding planning and I would love to contribute my trials and tribulations, experiences, and advice. I am just getting a hang of this site though, and I don't want to post in the wrong forums, etc. My hope is to do vendor reviews, planning thread, etc. I highly recommend anyone who is considering Le Reve as a wedding site to DO IT! If you look at posts on BDW, there are people who booked Le Reve without even doing a site visit who were so glad that they chose this place. I also had concern about having our wedding at Le Reve and guests not being able to afford to stay there. But Le Reve is in a beautiful area surrounded by different options. We are having a lot of family stay at Petit Lafitte, which has more affordable lodging. To help offset costs, we also supplemented Le Reve's already wedding discounted rooms by paying off a bit of the room rates. It wasn't even much in total, but it seemed to make the rooms much more affordable for our guests. If you really want to have your dream wedding at Le Reve, I think that you can make it possible. =) Feel free to PM me or reply to this thread to ask questions.

My resort Le Reve recommended her. She sounds like a great, affordable option, but I would love to hear reviews and see more pictures!

Thanks! I PM'ed you.

Hi, I've been researching online for a photo booth that can be rented with unlimited photos. I saw one company Love the Booth that has a package for $340/hr, including photos and CD of all photos. I wanted to see other company options and any reviews if anyone has used Love the Booth. Thanks!

Hi, I will be getting married on the beach in Playa del Carmen. I have a DJ in mind, but I would like to be efficient with my DJ start time and use them after the cocktail time. I would only need the sound system for a half hour during the ceremony. For the ceremony, I would need (preferably cordless) mics for the ceremony (minister & vows) and possibly for an acoustic guitarist and of course, speakers. Has anyone had a similar experience where they only needed the sound system for the ceremony? Do you have recs for the equipment rental? Thank you!!

Thanks LeanneMarie & StephyD for your responses! I believe Pasteleria is a very local bakery. I don't' believe they even have a website. I did get a response from muycup.com for mini cupcakes! They are 7 pesos for one with frosting (about 50 cents). I just need to see how small they are. I haven't received a response from either Dolcet or TurtleBay Bakery. StephyD, I believe I saw the difference in what you wanted and the actual cake. =( I'm glad that it was delicious. I will definitely take your experience into consideration.

Hi, I just need to know of a good bakery for regular chocolate/vanilla cupcakes in the Playa del Carmen area. I have looked through MANY posts and they are usually regarding a wedding cake. These are for my wedding, but they just need to be normal cupcakes. Maaaaaybe a cupcake cake where the top is a cake...but I am a fan of keeping it simple. I've heard of Dolcet, Turtle Bay Bakery, and Pasteleria. Any thoughts on those based on cakes or cupcakes you've eaten? And I am referring to a non-fondant cake since cupcakes are similar to traditional cakes. Also, if you have any recommendations for other local bakeries, I would appreciate it.

Hi everyone! I will also be getting married at Le Reve in May 2012. I was wondering if you ladies have figured out your menu options. We are going in December to do tastings, but since we have to narrow down our options of what to taste even before we go there, I thought I'd ask and see if anyone has their fave dishes. I've stayed at Le Reve before but I honestly only had their breakfast. Also, where are you getting cake? The cake at Le Reve sounds good, but I think we are doing cupcakes so we are looking into a good bakery in town. Thanks!

Oh wow! Sorry, I wasn't aware I had any responses to my post. Thank you for taking time to write. Well, we are in the middle of deciding mainly between Petit Lafitte ( I'll just write PLF) and Le Reve. they are both very close to each other and my FI thought the beach in front of PLF was nicer in terms if swimming. LR has a rocky bottom so you have to wear water shoes or just be careful swimming. PLF is more rustic and allows kids. LR is a lot more sophisticated and doesn't allow kids unless you book out the entire hotel. And yes, LR is way more pricey than PLF. PLF has some rooms for about $100 and includes breakfast AND dinner. The two times I've been at LR, we had breakfast complimentary. So in terms of aesthetics, I've touched upon how LF is more sophisticated. There is just no cheesiness to it. It's not that it's necessarily expensive looking, just a nice, clean modern look. I love the rooms with the private little pool in the front. I just don't think any of the rooms should be as expensive as they advertise. We've always been able to get a discounted price for one room, but it doesn't seem like there is any deeper discount for booking out the hotel for weddings than what they offer. I don't know how PLF is, but it does have a pirate theme on the website and signs at the location. I don't know if the pirates theme goes any further than that. I am excited about my wedding, but more importantly, I just want all of us to enjoy our time together and not have to stress about finances and such. Before, we considered having the extra people stay over at PLF. But if the prices for the rooms don't budge, I think we will just try to do everything at PLF. They have great wedding packages and it is all just more affordable. It is on the same beach as LR and the more intimate setting was the main reason we decided on that area rather than a more public beach (although all beaches in Mexico are supposedly public) or a monstrous all-inclusive. I heard the food at PLF is pretty good! I never tried it. We honestly tried to stay away from hotel food and go into town to eat so we really only had breakfast at LR, and it was delicious! I did have their nachos as a bar snack before, and it was very disappointing. The bar outside is so pretty, especially at night! The breeze comes in and their "jellyfish" lanterns sway back and forth...it's really quite magical. I remember even playing word games with my FI and not feeling any rush to order drink after drink. Also, it wasn't ever too crowded at LR, so we could just enjoy everything without waiting, whether it was the bar or getting a lounge chair. The times we went were early Dec 2009 and March 2011. Everyone is VERY nice at LR. I think we experienced one surly waiter, but that's about it. And he was waaay more harmless than any no-nonsense NYC waiter I've come across...haha. Oh, I did get PLF rates for wedding room discounts. I was a little confused because the discounts ranged from 15-35% so I am waiting for a clearer explanation of it. But that may be something to check out if you are interested in a PLF wedding. I guess we will make our decision soon! I will check out the sites, photos, and event planners you all recommended. Thank you!

Hi ladies! First of all, I just joined so please point the way if I am starting a thread when it is answered elsewhere. I have been to Le Reve with my FI twice before so we know how beautiful and sophisticated the place is firsthand. We love it, but there are just a couple of issues at hand. We are expecting about 100 people for the wedding. Unfortunately, Le Reve only has about 25 rooms. Some of those are in a pretty pricey range. We expect the spillage to stay at Petit Lafitte next door. Le Reve wants us to basically book out the entire hotel, which may not be possible with the rates at Le Reve being so high in comparison to Petit Lafitte. We were considering negotiating prices down from their 15% discount for wedding guests. When my FI and I stayed at Le Reve both times, we were able to get a substantial rate difference from what was quoted online. Could any brides tell me what their experiences were in price negotiations? It would help us greatly to fill up Le Reve with our guests if prices were lowered a bit. Also, did any brides hire a good and affordable wedding coordinator to negotiate with Le Reve? If so, any recommendations? We had originally wanted to cater from an awesome taco place in Playa del Carmen for a beach wedding rehearsal dinner, but Le Reve will not allow an outside vendor for that. We think Petit Lafitte may be ok with an outside vendor. Also, we thought about just having the entire wedding at Petit Lafitte, but I have not found many reviews for any weddings held there. So if anyone can point me toward any wedding reviews on location at Petit Lafitte, that would be fabulous. Sorry my topic is all over the place. I kind of feel all over the place right now.