kellykellz

Hi FireyNurse,

I am thinking of doing ours through mudcards too. How far in advance should I order? My wedding is in December?? Thanks in advance

Originally Posted by FireyNurse 

I think you mean the clay cartoon character one...if it is I am guessing it is from Etsy seller MudCards as it is very similar to the one we bought, here is what ours will look similar to.

 

I am SO excited for it!

 

 

 

!

 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/84489751/customized-bride-and-groom-fifefighter?ga_search_query=firefighter&ga_search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_5431307

 

 

 

Originally Posted by Sarah80 

 

Hey ladies,

We got married a couple weeks ago on May 18^th and we had an awesome experience.  We got there on a Wednesday and our wedding was that Friday.  We met with Yamina the day we got there to go through everything again.  We were emailing back and forth a lot a couple weeks before.  I brought my table runners and chair sashes but did everything else through the resort. 

 

We went with DJ Mauricio Neri and he was awesome! He also did our music for the ceremony.  We met with him on Thursday afternoon and we gave him a list of songs for the ceremony and he also took good notes on his computer.  We also have him a list of songs we wanted to play at the reception and then just told him to play similar music when that list ran out. 

 

The two nights before our wedding it rained so at 3 on our wedding day Yamina came in and asked if we wanted to move the reception to the ballroom.  I couldn’t decide because I didn’t want to move it inside but I also didn’t want it to rain.  I told her to go ask Luke (my husband) and that he could make the final decision.  He wanted it outside so we decided to keep it outside.  I am so happy that we did because the weather was perfect.  It was windy but it didn’t rain.  The following 3 nights the weather wasn’t good so we got really lucky!

The service at the resort was amazing and we originally booked the honeymoon suite and they upgraded us to the Master suite which was awesome.  Here is my slideshow. 

 

http://180512newman.dreamsriveriacancun.adventurephotos.com.mx/#/newman/

 

Also, if anyone is interested, my husband condensed our wedding video so he could put it on facebook and show it to our friends and family so here is the link to that.

 

The first part of the video is a little cheesy because it is a generic but the rest of it is great.  The first song that they are playing (when everyone is first getting there)we didn’t pick but the rest of the songs  are the songs that we picked during the times that they played them.  The video was just running a little slow on my computer but it might be my internet connection.  The actual video runs smooth.

 

http://vimeo.com/43086731

 

If you have any questions let me know!!

Wow! You are gorgeous! And your wedding turned out AMAZING!!! Question, did you purchase your bouquet and your bridesmaids bouquets through the resort? If so, how much were they? Thanks in advance and congrats to you!! :-) 

Hi Brides,

What are your thoughts of the salon? Are they best at doing updo's are are they good at doing both updo's and half up, half down....Any thoughts, opinions, or photos from previous brides about the salon would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!! :-)

Originally Posted by Soon2bMrsLozada 

 

Ladies,

 

I cannot rave enough about how AMAZING my wedding came out. As a wedding coordinator/Event coordinator, I am very picky when it comes to all the little details that make a BIG difference..

I recommend doing an onsite inspection and booking your date and locations before leaving back home. That way you make sure you get what you want!

Communication with GINA prior to wedding: A

Ladies don’t stress out if Gina doesn’t respond right away, they are REALLY busy down their but they know what they are doing. Luckily for me, I had the same coordinator the entire time I was planning and Gina was very good with responding to e-mails in a timely manner as well as answering my calls. I made sure to send a summary of all the things we had discussed prior to our final meeting and she had everything written down and organized. I also created a timeline and sent it to Gina, Anel, and Mauricio and they all used it during the wedding.

Transportation: A

We used AMSTAR DMC since we had used this same company in Dominican Republic and when we went down to do our onsite inspection. I worked with Lupita and she took care of us. Most of our guest used this company and they were super reliable.  This is the same company in the hotel lobby that organizes tours.

Hotel/Check In: A++

When My husband and I arrived at the hotel, we were escorted to check- in in their VIP area  since we got upgraded to the preferred area. We originally book a plunge pool and got upgraded to a BEAUTIFUL Ocean view room (room 2351). It was amazing! I don’t want to spoil the surprise of the room décor but they really know how to make you feel special. Almost everyday, there was a surprise in our room. J

Final Meeting with Gina: A+

We had our final meeting with Gina the day we arrived. I had booked it well in advanced to make sure I got everything done before our guests arrived. We met with her, went over all the details in DETAIL, gave her the timeline, and a list of all the items I was handing over to her. I wanted to have the lanterns, but since it was raining, I decided to hold off on those because I didn’t want to pay for them, if we decided to move the reception indoors.

She agreed we could play this by ear and we signed our breakdown of the total costs including 5 people that needed day passes. She then instructed us to pay any time after the wedding in the reception area and so we did a few days later with Travelers checks. It was our first time using traveler’s checks and I highly recommend using them.  It is easy, safe, and you don’t have to pay a fee for the currency exchange.

I am a HUGE control FREAK and let me tell you that I felt so comfortable handing over everything to Gina. I gave her detailed instructions as to how I wanted everything set up and her Jorge did just that!

DJ Mauricio: A++

I kept in communication with Mauricio very briefly prior to our wedding and also had a meeting with him the day before our wedding and he had everything down. I even provided him with a CD of the music for our ceremony and reception and he played it exactly as we wanted. He was awesome and had all our guests on the dancefloor the entire time. Just to let you all know we paid $999 for the DJ and this included the lightup dancefloor too. It was well worth it! Any song requested by our guest he had!

Anel and Adventure Photos:  A++++++++

Words can’t express how talented this lady is!! She is super nice, friendly and so easy to work with. We had the complete wedding package and this included a trash the dress session. Since we didn’t want the trash the dress session, I sent her an email a few months before the wedding and requested to have a mini engagement session the day we arrived so we could use one of the photos as our sign in picture. This worked out perfect. My husband and I took some pictures around the hotel and later that night we went back to the studio, choose the picture we wanted, and within minutes, she had the picture printed and in the sign in frame. (We purchased the sign in frame at Michael’s.)

Aside from the engagement session, we also had a welcome dinner at El Patio and used the 50 pictures that were included in our package toward photographing this event. Anel wasn’t our photographer for this but the staff member that assisted us, was also REALLY Great! I’m not sure of his name but he is from Uruguay. I recommend him if Anel is not available.

The day of the wedding Anel started taking pictures at 3:00PM. She started with me and then she went down to my Husband’s room and took pictures of him getting ready. I also sent with her his wedding gift and she captured his expression as soon as he received it. Anel was with us till 9:00PM and she was awesome!! Her pictures say it all.

The day we were leaving, my husband and I choose the pictures we wanted and right before we left, we went back to the studio and picked up our CD. The photobook should be ready in 4-6 weeks and we gave her the full authority to pick the 80 pictures for the book.

Spa: A+

The day I arrived I had scheduled a hair trial and I got my hair done with Ana. She was great and even changed the style a bit so I could have my hair done differently for the engagement pictures. Since my friend who works for MAC was doing my makeup the day of my wedding, I took advantage and used the free makeup included in my package for the engagement session.

I had also scheduled the massage included in our package for the day before the wedding but since we stayed in the preferred area and stayed for 7 days, we also got the honeymoon eternity package which included another message session and we did that the day we left in the morning. Ladies, if you are staying in the preferred area  for more than 7 days, make sure you take advantage of the honeymoon package that is free and also includes a romantic dinner on the beach.

Wedding Day Service: A++++++++++++++++++++

The weather the day of the wedding was not so great. The wedding was May 19^th and I was so nervous about having to move everything inside. No one flies down to Mexico to have an indoor wedding but the weather was out of my control. We had a short rehearsal in the morning and after the rehearsal, Gina and I decided that we would make a final decision on the reception location at 1:00PM.

As I was getting my hair done, Jorge and Gina came down  to see me and as much as I wanted to cry about the unexpected weather, I decided to take their word for it and move only the reception indoor.

The Ceremony went as planned and Linda was great. I contacted her a few weeks before the wedding and she did exactly as we wanted. Luckily the weather held up for the ceremony.

Cocktail took place at the North Jacuzzi area and we had the Caribbean trio. This area was so intimate and the set up was just perfect; simple and elegant.

After my husband and I took our alone pictures, we went to meet everyone else in the cocktail area and asked Jorge If we could see the reception location since it was moved to one of the ballrooms. One word….WOW!!!! it was that beautiful. I honestly think the set up looked better that it would have outside! The room was draped at no additional cost and the buffet was nicely set up.We had 26 guests so we had the Caribbean buffet and everyone raved about how good it was. We had the tres leches cakes and just asked Jorge to decorate it with some of the flowers from the bridesmaid bouquets. The cake was so delicious that I event asked them to take the remaining cake to my room and I picked at it every day.

Flowers: A++++++++

I knew I wanted my flowers to be PERFECT but I didn’t think they were going to turn out as good as they did. The florist will replicate exactly what you want! For the ceremony I had hanging rose balls and after used them as centerpieces for the reception.

Video: A

The wedding video included in the package actually is pretty good quality. The video wasn’t ready before we left but I asked one of my guests to check if it was ready before they left and it was! I can’t wait to watch this every year on my anniversary!

Overall, the service is phenomenal and worth EVERY PENNY! From my experience in planning weddings, I don’t think it worth spending $30,000+  on a four hour wedding when you can spend half the cost and make a vacation out of it.. I know this review is long but seeing all the help I have received from this blog, I knew I had to return the favor. Below is my slideshow, if you have any questions, please let me know and I will be happy to answer.

http://190512lozada.dreamsriveriacancun.adventurephotos.com.mx/#/lozada-1/

You looked Stunning!!! Thank you for a lovely review!!! Every day I read this blog, I get more and more excited for our wedding!!! Thank you!  :-) 

For all the brides that have had their weddings, where is the north beach? Is that a good place to have the ceremony? Is there 2 beach locations for beach weddings, besides the gazebo?? 

Originally Posted by mrskatieperry 

 

Hi Ladies!!  Oh my goodness we leaving next friday...I'm counting down the hours!!!

 

For the MOST part I'm not freaking out-just need to finish a few last minute things for our welcome bags. 

 

One thing I haven't even started thinking about is the music for all of the ceremny and stuff!  We are "dancing" down the aisle to I think I Wanna Marry You, but other than that haven't thought of it.  Also haven't made any decisions about the timing of the reception with when to cut the cake and stuff...

 

We picked a different song for each of our wedding party to enter in with...but they don't know what song it is!  LOL...so like our super tall thin friend is coming in to "will the real slim shady please stand up",.  They are all pretty funny!

 

Any insight or help with the music stuff?  We have a DJ so I guess I'm just thinking I'll leaving it up to him except for our father/daughter, first dance and mother son songs...

 

Happy planning!!

 

Katie

Congrats on your upcoming wedding! Can't wait to see your photos and your reviews. I love the music idea! 

Originally Posted by beachbaby12812 

 

 

Hey KellyKellz, looks like we we're getting married on the same day. Congrats! Have you decided on your ceremony time and location yet? Evangelina has confirmed our ceremony for 4pm. We decided to go with the beach ceremony and the pool deck for the reception. How is your planning going so far?

Hi Beachbaby,

We are having our wedding ceremony at 3pm also on the beach. We originally wanted the pool deck, however Evangelina said that was not available (probably because you are having your reception there), so we are going to have it on the pool terrace. I look forward to meeting you!! :-) 

Originally Posted by WPGBride 

 

Leaving today! Getting married on the 10th, wont be back till the 21 and then I'll give a review

Yay! Can't wait to see your photos and hear about your trip!! Congratulations! :-) 

Does anyone know who the original designer of this dress is? I saw this dress on inweddingdress.com, but I think that is a replica site. Please help! Thanks! :-) 

Originally Posted by Ariane1126 

 

Got my slideshow ladies http://220412zaborowski.dreamsriveriacancun.adventurephotos.com.mx/

LOVE your photos! You look BEAUTIFUL!! I love your dress too! Where did you get it? Did you use the same dress for your TTD? What time in the day did you do your TTD? 

I'm adding us to the list. We are getting married at DRC on 12/8/12. So excited! I love reading all the bride's reviews and looking at all the beautiful pictures!! Congrats everyone!! :-)

Question about rooms??? What room layout do you recommend? Amanda, I see that you stayed in the Preferred Ocean Club view, was this nice? What floor do you recommend? Also, I have to provide room recommendations for my guests, do you have any suggestions? 

Originally Posted by Amanda Kirby 

Tiny, We did the free wedding by staying 7 nights in the Preferred Club Ocean View so it made the whole trip even better. I think the pictures cost as much as the wedding would have and thats all we paid for. We just went to dinner right at 6 as a group and had Yamina bring the cake there so we didnt have to pay extra. My sister braided my hair and I did the rest. 

 

 

Thank you for the kind words. 

 

 

Originally Posted by Amanda Kirby 

Im pretty sure the bamboo arch is included in the wedding packages. The white drapery is also included. It costs extra to decorate it but I brought my own stuff.

 

 

Amanda,

You look stunning! I love your colors! Did you bring your own sand and sand ceremony stuff or did that come with your package? Also, did you use the salon at the resort to get your hair done? 

Originally Posted by Amanda Kirby 

Well you get access to food all day long. We ate breakfast in there almost everyday and they have sandwiches and cakes, cookies, ect. You have your own bar with premium liquor like Grey Goose. We always went there for drinks when we were walking by and at night it was nice because the lobby bar is so crowded and took forever to get drinks. There is also computers just for preferred club. Just having  your own bar was worth it to me. 

 

My family booked regular ocean view room and ended up with a great view and we snuck them into preferred club so they could drink there with us. 

 

I wont be doing a full review since I had such a small wedding and only had the ceremony to worry about but Ill answer any questions and I will post my slideshow.

 

 

 

 

Hi Amanda,

How much extra is it to book the preferred club?? 

Originally Posted by Savs1027 

Yay! Another December Bride!! I'm getting married 12/17/12. When will you be there?? We're going there on the 13th.

 

We're having our reception on the pool deck - the wooden area by the infinity pool. You can also have your reception on the pool terrace, in one of the restaurants, or the beach.

 

If you google Dreams Riviera Cancun Wedding Photos alot of different slideshows will come up and you can see the different options That's how I figured out what I wanted!

 

 

Thanks Savs1027 for the information. I will take a look at google. We will be staying until the 12th of December. :-)

Hi Ladies! Congrats to all of you on your wedding day! I have been an avid reader of the forum. My fiance and I just booked our wedding at DRC for 12/8/12. I have some questions regarding reception locations... What are the reception locations, and does anyone have pictures of them?? Any help would be fabulous! 

I love reading about everyone's wedding and plans. I look forward to hearing back from you lovely brides. 

Thanks,

Kelly

Hi Ladies,

I have finally finished reading through this entire thread and have enjoyed every post as well as learned quite a bit about China dresses. I am also thinking about ordering a dress online, however I have yet to go dress shopping. I think I need to do that first...I look forward to reading more and seeing pictures of your dresses. 

Thanks Maggie! This is a huge help!! 
 

Originally Posted by maggiedinh 

For all the brides who are trying to find the original designer of your dress --> here's how!

 

1. Go to Google Images (http://images.google.com/)

2. Click on the camera in the search bar to "search by image"

3. Either upload a picture of the dress or copy in a URL

4. Voila! It should show up in your search results

Hi Ladies,

What photographers have you used at Dreams Riveria Cancun? Did you go with the package photographer? or did you have a outside photographer come on site? If you used an outside photographer did you purchase a day pass for them, or a room for the night? Looking forward to hearing back from you all! :-)

Yes, I meant Dreams Riveria Cancun. That is where we are planning our wedding. What photographer are people using and are they paying for the photographer to stay the night at the resort, or a fee for him to come onto the resort??

Originally Posted by EmilyT 

Kelly, Dreams Cancun is a different hotel,. they have the same owners but this thread is for Dreams Riviera Cancun.. its in the Riviera Maya.... just wondering if thats whats you meant or if you are on the wrong thread!! if you type in dreamsresortsandspa you can get their main website with all of the different hotel information

 

 

Sorry we are thinking about getting married at Dreams Riveria Cancun, not Dreams Cancun. 

Hi Everyone,

I am new to this fourm and thread. My fiance and I are thinking about getting married at Dreams Cancun. Who is the wedding coordinator there and what is her email address? Also, has any brides  used an outside photographer? I see blogs online for photographers that have photographed weddings and TTD sessions at Dreams. I was thinking of using one of those people, and booking a room for the photographer for the night at Dreams to avoid the vendor charge. Have any other brides done this? 

Has anyone had or is anyone having their wedding or reception at the B Ocean Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale? If so, I would love some details! Thanks :-)