beachbride2013

Hi KC! I'm so excited for you. I am really wanting to go back to Secrets. My husband and I ate still getting compliments on how fun it was. Our wedding photos from Juan were delivered on Friday. I'm going to post a few later today. As far as cake cutting set, the hotel provided it. I don't remember what it looked like but I'm thinking it was nice.

We used Juan Navarro and were very happy with our photographs and experience we had with his company. I would certainly not say he is an idiot(or Adventure photos for that matter). One of my friends used Adventure photos for a session the day after her wedding when the weather was nicer and loved her photos from them. Adventure Photos is actually on site at the resort; Juan Navarro is not and does weddings all over Riviera Maya. Trying going to the Secrets Maroma thread, there are photos posted there from Adventure photos, Juan photos, and other photographers post there as well.

Thank you! And just so you know, some of the ones he put on his blog are ones that I would consider "bad" and didn't choose those out of the 800. There are some that I did choose, but some that I didn't also.

It wasn't hard for me to decide which photos from the 800. They were not all photos that I loved, so I just didn't choose those. There were no photos in the proofs that he sent me that were blurry or with our eyes closed, so he would have removed any of those. I wouldn't say all of the "bad" ones were taken out because there were plenty that I didn't like of myself. I wouldn't really say they were bad photos, just not ones that I loved. For me personally, I felt like 800 was a ton to go through and choose from. I was actually overwhelmed doing it and it took me several weeks. I had several photos of everything, I would say maybe 6 of my dress, a few of my jewelry, tons of us getting ready, and so on. We had plenty of photos at the mansion and of the ceremony. There were plenty of the toasts, etc. For me personally, I didn't need or want any other photos to choose from. Out of the 800 photos, I ended up with 400 good ones that I chose and I am just anxiously waiting for them to come through Fed Ex. I am very excited to see the album. I will be happy to take a few pics of the album so you can see what it looks like.

Hi Newloves, We did special package number 1. It gave us enough time to have them come early and do photos of us getting ready, then the ceremony and photos after. We went to the mansion next door and did photos there. After that we went to the cocktail hour which was pretty much over and he took photos of us doing the cake cutting, toasts, and first dance and mother/son dance. We did all of that before dinner. 5 hours was up at that point and it went by really fast. If you are not having a reception, 3 hours would be fine. He could def make it work for you. He sent me about 800 proofs about 4 weeks after the wedding. I went through and chose what photos or what size I wanted. He has printed them and I am waiting for the Fed Ex package now!

Hi! I have read about some brides having trouble getting starfish into the country. They were sea life before they were dead, so that is probably why. You could always try but I have heard that they may confiscate those. Wedding items are excluded from having to pay taxes on, so you don't have to worry about the $300 limit on your wedding stuff. As far as gift bags, you may need to be under the $300 limit, but that can be split between you and our soon to be hubby I believe...not completely sure about that. For my OOT bags, I had everything sorted out here and then just put each person or couple's bag contents into a separate plastic ziploc bag. Once we arrived at the resort, we put the contents into the actual gift bags.

Hi Lola, What types of things are you taking and how are you packing them? If you are taking any cardboard boxes, call the airline to confirm that there are no box embargos for Mexico during the dates you are flying. They do that every now and then. Other than that, we flew AA with lots of stuff with no problems. Even when we got to MX, I pushed the red button and they didn't open my boxes, just checked my suitcase. It was painless (other than trying to lug all of that stuff around the airport). just be aware of what you can and cannot take in to Mexico (no starfish). As far as my experience, I packed my wedding stuff in cardboard boxes and checked it with the airline. They asked me what was in the boxes and I told them maracas, gift bags, hand sanitizer, lotions, koozies, etc). They said OK and I never heard another thing about it. We landed in MX, our boxes were sitting there with our luggage at baggage claim. We went through immigration and nobody asked or seemed to care. The only issue was trying to carry all of it with only two of us. If you push the red button, the most they would want to do would be to look in your stuff quickly.

Just as KCDawn said, I made the menu so that our guests would know what they were having for dinner as well as it looking nice on the table. They didn't order from it, just were able to view it.

We struggled with this with out wedding. We had vegetarians, one person who won't eat beef, and some extremely picky eaters. We ended up going with the surf and turf and everyone enjoyed the meal as far as we know. We just sort of figured if they hated the food or didn't eat it then they could order room service after the reception. The food is really good at the resort and we figured with surf and turf it sort of gives two options and most would be able to eat one or the other. The beef is excellent quality and is comparable to what you get in an upscale steakhouse in the US. I agree with KC, I don't think that would work KristenLilly. Not to mention, in Mexico when you order off of a menu at a restaurant you could be waiting a looooooong time. They will want to know what time you expect to have your meal, first dance, etc and they will be on time with the schedule that is set. KC- that sounds like a great idea. I wish we had thought of doing that. I think it ended up working out fine though. What are the menu items that you chose?

I saw the doctor's office at the resort. It looked legit so I don't think you have to worry about it. I think they might come to your room to do it, not sure. Just the bruising could be a problem, but hopefully not KC. Jen-I don't think you would be able to get the judge to come to the resort the day before your ceremony. The minister would be the one performing the ceremony and I doubt you would be able to get them to come either. I think they have a limited amount of people performing ceremonies and they do them every day. BUT, I would take an extra copy of your ceremony (vows) with you to give to the wedding coordinator. She will ask for them in your meeting with her. She will make sure that the minister has them. The minister will direct you and the groom during the ceremony. She will let you know when it is time to say your vows. It will be flawless. They do it all the time and they do a beautiful job. As for translation the ceremony will most likely be in English. If for some reason it is done in Spanish, they will provide a translator. I saw several weddings when I was there and they were all done in English. If you need it translated to some other language, you might want to check with your wedding coordinator. I would think they would have German, French, and Italian translators as well. Good luck!

I did not go to the nightclub, but had a reception with dancing and my dress was trashed. We jumped in the pool at the end of the night but my dress had already been stepped on, bustle ripped out, and a large rip in the fabric. So, if you are wanting to preserve your dress and plan on dancing all night like I did, you may want to change. The nightclub doesn't open til later in the evening(10:30 I think) and I didn't spend any time there, but my guests did and said it gets a good number of people.

Hi Dsr, I think it depends on your hair. I wanted to wear mine down but I got married at the end of May and at 3:00 pm. I knew it would be a bad idea. It ended up pouring down rain about 2-3 hours before the ceremony and stayed humid for a long time after. I think if your hair does okay in the humidity then you would be fine, but it does get very humid and hot. I would suggest doing a trial if you are considering wearing it down, that way you can see how it does in the weather there. Good luck, your day is right around the corner!!

Yes but that will depend on the package you are getting. We did Special Package #1 which includes 5 hours of photography. Basically the photog will be there for as many hours as you have hired him for.

Hi dsr- When is your wedding? Before you arrive at the resort, your wedding coordinator will schedule a time to meet with you when you arrive. You will then go over the contract and verify when the photographer will arrive (It is your decision to make, not the hotel). You will want to have as much of your contract complete and already sent to Cecilia/Valeria before you arrive. There is a place on the contract that will have the time for the photographer. Our wedding was at 3:00 and we originally had him scheduled for 3:00. Cecilia suggested in our meeting that we change it to 2:00 so that he could get photos of us getting ready. So, we changed it when we met with her, and she handled the photographer. We didn't have to contact them to let them know. As for the groomsmen and all of that, Cecilia/Valeria will take care of all of that. She will tell you and them the day of, I will be here at this time to get you, this is where you need to be, etc. She came by our room several times while we were getting ready to check in and keep us updated. She kept the groomsmen/groom updated as well.

The resort has a full gym, but I did not see any gym classes going on. You can go in and work out anytime though. The spa has light snacks in some areas (think cookies). They do not have champagne in the spa though. They have coffee, lots of hot teas that you can make, and they have flavored waters (water infused with fresh strawberries is the one that I remember the most). That is what I was offered when I went for my make-up and hair appointment. I went to the spa nearly everyday during my stay at the resort and I never saw anyone drinking alcohol while I was there. There was no menu service for food either. We ate breakfast before we went to the spa, then after I left the spa, I met the girls in my hotel room. We ordered drinks and room service then.

Hi! I think the minister in the video is Roxanna. Maybe someone can verify that for me. She did speak English and no translator was needed. I think that most of the ministers in Mexico will probably speak English (at least in the Cancun/PDC resort area). The vows used were just the vows that the resort usually uses. The minister asked the groom before the ceremony began how religious we wanted it. He sort of said the same thing that you described. Not overly religious, but just a little. It was very sweet and nice. To get the vows, just email Cecilia and she will send them to you. I don't have them anymore. The translation is not great, but when the minister said them they were fine.

Hey Lola, I think the material of the covers and table cloths were cotton. They were a thicker/heavier material, not satin or shiny at all. They seemed more like cotton or something similar.

Hi Lola, I don't know exactly what the size of the tables are because I didn't ask or measure but all size charts I found when I was doing my research for our wedding showed that 8-10person tables are 74in in diameter. After being at the resort, I am positive the tables are not smaller than that. We had 8 at each table and could have placed 10 comfortably.

Nicole, enjoy your trip and your wedding!

I puchased mine online from Amols.com. I ordered large maracas. They sent some medium ones in the box too but I just used them. I didn't send them back or anything.

Hey, I did not go to the disco except for just to check it out (walked in and walked out). I don't think it opens til 10:00 or 10:30. It's usually busier than discos at other all inclusives I have been to. It was nice, just really loud like a club. Y'all should have a great time. A lot of my guests spent several nights at the disco.

Nicc, just talk to Cecilia (or Valeria) when you meet with her. She will help you determine what to do and what time the photographer should be there based on what you want. You will be able to make changes when you meet with her to go over your contract. We had 5 hours of photography which did not allow time for photos of getting hair and make-up done, but did allow time for photos of dress, jewelry, eating and drinking before putting dress on and also zipping the dress. They also had time to go the grooms room and get photos of them getting ready. Cecilia helped us to decide that they should come 30 minutes early for that and she arranged it with no problem. We also did not talk to the photographer before hand about the mansion. I think it just depends on how long you have the photography for.

KC-we did photos in the mansion and I would guess we were there for about 45 minutes. BUT, there are guards at the mansion some of the time and they will not let you in. The photographer MIGHT be able to pay the guards off with a $20, but I heard that they were getting more strict and even chased the photographers and bride/groom out yelling and screaming at them. So, just be prepared that you may not be able to get in. We were able to, but there were no guards there during that time. There was another time we tried to go just out of curiosity and were not able to bc the guards said no. Then the day after the wedding we went again and there were no guards. That being said, there is also an abandoned tiny resort in between Secrets and the mansion. It could be a cool place to get some photos. And if not, the resort has so many unique and beautiful options for photos. Hopefully you can get in the mansion though, bc those pics are amazing!!! Hopefully I will get my photos by the end of this week. I am so ready to see them!!

I'm very excited for y'all! Have a great trip!! *yes there is a scale. lol

Just FYI for those who are curious. The minister in the video above is the same who did our wedding. Those vows are the vows that are provided by the hotel. I think they are really nice. She asked the groom before hand if we wanted religious, not religious, etc. Also, the DJ they used is the resort DJ I think. It is so much fun getting married at Secrets. I loved it so much and am wanting to go back!!!