StaceyFleming

Our wedding at Gran Porto Real
Hotel -Check in at the hotel was different because instead of making us stand in a long line at reception they placed us in a ball room and explained everything to us all at once to speed up the process. I was quite impressed with this as having 67 guests trying to check in could have been a lengthy process but it went smoothly and quickly. Our rooms were impeccable. We stayed in 127 which was nice but loud if you need an afternoon nap. My MOH stayed in room 354 which had the best balcony but two double beds. The rooms were really clean and the food was amazing. The staff at the hotel really knew how to make you feell welcome and special. Definately check out the roof top jacuzzi at the back of the hotel. This is where a lot of our friends liked to hang out. The couples massage and the spa itself was so relaxing. The romantic dinners were so nice. The beach was nice although I was too busy to actually lay down on a beach chair. The hotel has a great architectural style for photos - take advantage of the archways and greenery. El Piscatore was my favourite restaurant - great food, service and atmosphere. The resort had something for everyone which was great for a wedding with guests ranging from age 3 to 86! Everyone enjoyed themselves.

Wedding day - Perfect!
I had an appointment 3 days prior to the wedding to sort out the details with the coordinator and have the blood tests. The doctor was a really nice lady and her equipment was sterile and she knew how to keep my mind off of the needle in my arm. I liked her.
The salon at the Royal did a great job on my hair and makeup and they were really nice too. I brought my own make up for them to use and they knew how to apply. I received so many compliments about my makeup.

Zulma Dominguez was amazing. She does about 550 weddings a year and I could tell. She was great at her job and made me feel at ease. The other coordinators in the office seemed just as capable as her. Zulma had all of the wedding information organized and even made great suggestions. The flowers were beautiful.
The ceremony was beautiful. I went with the white decorations and it was perfect. Zulma had organized everything and the whole day went smoothly. The justice of the peace was very sweet and said a few words about love and marriage and family that was really touching. The harpist was a nice touch. A lot of people that were walking on the beach stopped on the pier to watch the ceremony which was neat to see.

We decided to go with a plated dinner and we chose the following for our menu
Salad - Caesar Salad - good
Soup - Princess cream soup with asparagus and mint - best  soup I ever had. All of my guests were commenting on how good it was.
Entree - Beef filet with mushrooms and the Salmon - both were delicious
Dessert - three milks cake - this was great but I liked the cannoli trio better (tried this at the romantic dinner)
We hired DJ Dorremix for the reception and we danced all night! Definately go with this company. The decorations were exactly what I pictured and I couldn’t have been happier.

I was really stressed out about having my wedding in another country and leaving the details to someone you have never met before but  I wouldn't have changed a thing. I am so pleased with how everything went and all of my guests had a great time. I have pictures and if you would like to see any of them or get more information you can contact me at [email protected]

Happy Planning!

Stacey

Hi Julie,

I think the North Beach is at the royal. I found a map of it and one bride on here said that it was by Pelicano's restaurant. http://www.resortsmaps.com/maps/map-RoyalPlayaDelCarmen-RivMaya.jpg

Wow I am soo nervous about planning a wedding in another country.

Fingers crossed.
 

Originally Posted by Julietisurs 

Stacey,

 

Have you been to the GPR before? I just found a map of the resort this morning.

http://www.mexicobeachexperts.com/maps/gran-porto-map.pdf

 

Where are you holding the cocktail hour?

Is the Trade Winds aka for the North Beach??

How guests are attending?

When are you coming back?

 

So excited for you! Please let me know how things go when you return.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Originally Posted by StaceyFleming 

Hi Julie,

Yes we fly out in 16 days! eek. I'll be off to the gym after this post. lol. My ceremony is at 4:00pm on the North Beach followed by the cocktail hour. Then we are heading over to the Royal to have the reception in their ballroom. I booked DJ Dorremixx and I am still debating on the dance floor as it is quite pricey. I couldn't decide on what to pick for the meal and my family requested more options so we are going with the international buffet - not sure how that will be. At this point I am just going to go with the flow and hope for the best.

 

Hi there,

 My wedding is less than two weeks away and I am havinga hard time getting a hold of my coordinator to get answers to these questions. Maybe you can help...

I was told that if you want to have an outdoor reception that it must end at 9;30 pm the latest. Is this actually true? I don't see anyone posting on this forum about how early this must seem. Receptions at home usually go until 1:00am at home. So now I have paid an extra fee to have my reception at the royal ballroom but I really wanted to dance under the stars. What menu option did you choose?
 

Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Stacey

Originally Posted by ChicagoBride2011 

 

To all you brides frustrated right now, trust me I GET IT! I had many, many meltdowns leading up to my wedding and the second I met Michelle my onsite coordinator I was calm, I put everything into her hands and I cannot say enough good things about her.  I would not have changed a thing and friends/family that attended LOVED the resort and compliment us on our wedding constantly.

 

Every situation is different and I hope you all have the wedding of your dreams!  Remember the wedding isn't about the all the details it about you and your future spouse.

 

Hang in there ladies!!

 

 

I just did my review on Del Sol, and thought I'd share:

http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/products/del-sol-photography/reviews/5261

 

 

 

Hi Jennie,

Which beef filet did you go with? Did they have the mexican coffee also?

Thank you

Stacey

Originally Posted by Jennie0521 

Don't stress on the menu stuff....there wasn't really a salad that appealed to us so I asked if we could just have a ceasar salad (and the ceasar is amazing and beautiful..it actually stands up on your plate...lol) and that was no problem. Also we only had 15 people but I ended up with 3 entree options, most people had the beef filet which was to die for, a few people ended up with the chicken dish and said it was good and 2 people opted for a vegetarian option. They are very accommodating, so anything you think you would like to have, just ask I bet they will make it happen. We actually done the same for the breakfast that they bring you the next morning we requested different things than they offered and it was no problem. 

I was offered a choice between two main entrees. I am leaning towards the buffet though.

Originally Posted by alq212 

Hi everyone!  Gettin' married at the Royal in April!  We are super excited!  We have been laying pretty low for a while just waiting for our guest to book their rooms but I suspect after the 1st of the year, there will be a flury of planning activity! 

 

For now I just have one question....

 

So, I keep reading how most of you brides have been able to give your guests an option of the main course for your reception menu (i.e beef, chicken, or fish).  I have been told that I CANNOT give my guests the option.  All I can do is make a few special requests on the main course for the vegetarians in my party, but other than that, everyone has to eat the same thing.  Were you guys told different or am I misunderstanding something?

 

Thanks in advance for your help...I am so addicted to this forum and everyone on here is so helpful!

 

Hi Julie,

Thank you so much for the map I'll include these in my welcome letters. The cocktail hour is also on the North Beach. Now that I look at the map I am not exactly sure where the ceremony/cocktail hour is but the picture above is what the coordinator calls the North Beach. I'll update you when I get back on the details.  We have 65 guests attending the wedding which is amazing. Our guests fly home on the 4TH of Feb and we fly home on the 11th. Not sure  where we will stay for our honeymoon. Thinking of Isla Mujeres. Let me know if you have any more questions.   SO EXCITED !! 

Take care,

Stacey

Hi Julie,

Yes we fly out in 16 days! eek. I'll be off to the gym after this post. lol. My ceremony is at 4:00pm on the North Beach followed by the cocktail hour. Then we are heading over to the Royal to have the reception in their ballroom. I booked DJ Dorremixx and I am still debating on the dance floor as it is quite pricey. I couldn't decide on what to pick for the meal and my family requested more options so we are going with the international buffet - not sure how that will be. At this point I am just going to go with the flow and hope for the best.

Hi Maria,

My wedding is on Feb 1st 2012 at GPR. Do you have any suggestions for the reception menu?

Congratulations!!

Stacey