CancunGirl

Hi Nanfa-

I did not mail anything down.  Figured it would probably end up being more expensive than taking an extra suitcase.  My dad actually took a large suitcase filled with my decorations, etc.  My mother-in-law and two aunts took some fragile items in their carry-on bags.  So I would just ask guests/family members to take small things for you.  We booked our catamaran thru one of the beach vendors that walks around with a binder of activities.  It worked out great.  The lady at the Aquaworld kiosk by the pool is kind of rude and we got a better deal from the guys on the beach anyways.

I bought these table numbers on Etsy. Lis placed them in the bowl.  There is a big starfish behind the number

Hi and congrats!

1) Who did you use as a DJ? we used the technician that was provided for $150/hr.  We put our own music on an SD card and gave it to Lis.  We had the folders labeled "dance music, "bride/groom song", "dinner music", etc.  The sound technician did a great job fading the music out and going into the next song when the songs were finished.

2) we were thinking of doing the reception by the pool as well, do we need to rent a dance floor? was it bright enough?  I think the reception by the pool is the best place.  We did not need to rent the dance floor.  The cement area right next to the pool works perfect and we had nearly everyone out there dancing.  It was also definitely bright enough.  They had some spot lights on.

3) we decided to do the buffet, Lis said it would be a quicker dinner and more time at the reception, we were also thinking about doing an extra hour for the reception, how long was yours?  My only regret about the whole wedding was not having extra reception time.  I wanted to pay for the extra hour and my husband said it would be fine for us to all hang out in the lobby bar afterwards.  We only had 3 hours of reception and 30 minutes was taken up w/ the private Fire Show that we had for our guests.  If I did it again, I'd pay for 2 extra hours!  But we did hang and dance in the lobby bar and it was a great time.

4) did you use her centerpieces for the tables?  Yes, she provided centerpieces but I showed her a pic of what I wanted.  She did exactly what I showed her.  I bought some turquoise and light blue table runners cheap on the internet and she included those on the tables too.  I will post a pic of the tables.

5)  any advice you could give us? Pay the extra hour for the reception, but see if you can negotiate the price down a bit.  Pay for the fire show!  Our guests absolutely loved it and keep talking about it.  We took a Catamaran boat to Isla Mujeres the following day with 35 of our guests.  It was $40/person for the catamaran all day, snorkeling and shopping on the island.....drinks on the boat too!  This was a big hit!   

No problem! Nope, those lights are already on the trees every night.

Yes, I bought the paper lanterns from a site called Oriental Trading Co. (pretty cheap).  I found LED bulbs on Amazon to put inside them for when it got dark.  Lis included the white over-lay on the arch for no charge because we did not need bouquets or boutonierres.  I had all my own flowers and things made on Etsy.

More photos from our beautiful day!

Hello, we just got home from our wedding at FACC about 3 weeks ago.  It was amazing and we could not have asked for a more perfect wedding!  We had the ceremony on the beach and the reception outside in the upper pool/garden terrace area.  They block it off to make it private for your party.  We had 54 guests and did the private reception with plated dinners instead of buffet.

I got my hair and make-up done on-site.  It's nice because the people come to your room to do it.  I just showed them a pic of how I wanted my hair and they did exactly what I wanted.  I am also not one to wear a lot of make-up and the eye make-up was a bit much for me (but I got tons of compliments and everyone else loved it).  I think as long as you tell them or show them what you want, they can do it (show them a natural look).  The guy that comes is an actual make-up artist, so he does this crazy stuff where he matches your skin tone.

Our guests booked rooms thru the 1-800 # that we were given with our "wedding group code".  This helps so that the hotel pretty much hooks your guests up with better rooms/locations.  I think it would have been easier for everyone to book thru Orbitz or Expedia, but you and your significant other also won't get extra perks (because the hotel won't know who is actually in your wedding group if you do it this way).  We got hooked up to the master suite because of the # of people we had and also, all of our guests got up-graded to Ocean View for the price of Lagoon View.

Hope this all helps!  I will attach a few reception photos so that you can see the set-up.

Sorry, just saw that you had 25 guests

Thanks for the great wedding review!  I'm getting married here in September.  We are also having a private function.  I know that it's for only 3 hrs. and I was told that each additional hour is $150.  We are having about 70 guests, so $19 per person for each additional hour would be pretty expensive and I refuse to spend that kind of money.  We were already kinda annoyed that we have to pay $48 per plate when it's an all- inclusive hotel.  Do you think the $48 per plate is worth it?  I understand it's private and we are going to have our own bartender, wait staff, etc.  We did visit in January and tried the food options.  I thought the ribeye was so-so and everything else was great! Did you have plated meals or buffet?  How many guests did you have?  Thanks!

Thanks so much!

Hi, we are getting married Sept. 2013 at Fiesta Americana Condesa!  Any info, pointers and photos would be appreciated!  Thanks!

Hi, we are getting married Sept. 2013 at Fiesta Americana Condesa!  Any info, pointers and photos would be appreciated!  Thanks!

Wow!  Thanks for the great response....i appreciate it!  We are going to have what we have counted as "for sures" around 40 to 50 people and then I have some people question marked.  People that we didn't think would want to come are even coming out of the wood-works now.  Wish my parents had a little bit better of an attitude about this whole situation.  They are giving me the hardest time.  I will PM you my phone number and address.  I would love to get more details.  Lis is great, but the language barrier gets in the way a little with certain questions.  Thanks again! 

oh yes, and thanks for the great review!

Oh yes, and thanks for the great review!

Hi Jennyda2!  Congrats on your recent wedding!  We are now looking into FA Condesa because Lis has been so wonderful at getting back to all of our questions (can't say the same for Beach Palace).  I was just wondering what package you decided upon?  We are going to go with the Mar package, but I was wondering what the table set-up would look like for the reception.  Do you have any photos?  I guess I can bring my own table runners and maybe a few centerpiece decorations.  What do you suggest as the best area to have the ceremony and reception?  We have never been to this hotel, and won't be able to visit before the wedding, so are going into this blindly.  Thanks in advance for your feedback! 

I called last week asking about available dates for a wedding next year, and nobody has gotten back to me. We are now looking into Fiesta Americana Condesa. The wedding planner there literally responds right away to e-mails and calls my fiance right back to answer questions. Kinda bummed that BP hasn't called back. We had our hopes up about it cause we have already been there and know the layout. We will have to see!!!

Thanks for all the helpful repies!  I have some more questions..... after looking at theses new Colin Cowie Collections, I think I still like the plain old traditional look of the Complimentary Package.  I initially had decided that I like the Exotic Peacock Collection, but I think it will take away from the beauty of the water and beach itself.  I read a few different things about them charging for you to bring your own chair bows, and other decor?  What are they charging for this?  Do I need to sneak to the ceremony site and decorate my own chairs?

Also, Is it really $200 per table to decorate your own table for the private function?  Might as well do the Exoctic Peacock for $300/table and I won't have to worry about bringing things down in a suitcase. 

What do you ladies think about the photography packages that are included?  How are the photographers and do the photos look professional?  How many of you actually went with an outside photographer and paid the $500 fee?

Did anyone book their rooms with a palace member and not use a travel agent?  We know a member and were just going to book with her instead (will I be poking my eyes out?).

Sorry......lots of questions but I've called the Miami office twice in the past 2 days and get put on hold and don't get my questions answered.  This is the best place!

Originally Posted by saric83 

 

We had our wedding last December, and for absolutely everything from hotel (seven nights - eight days), airfare, travel insurance, ceremony, my dress and accessories, my husband's suit and accessories, wedding bands, reception decorations, favors, wedding party and parent gifts, photos, videographer & web cam, invitations, guitar soloist, fireworks, hair and make-up, private function reception for 40, mariachi band, welcome bags, furniture rental, etc., we were at $12,000.  I would say the only place we saved money was not having a DJ.  We opted for a more chill and relaxed event, so we brought our Bose system and had a playlist on our iPod. 

 

I've been invited to five destination weddings, and the bride and groom has never paid for anything outside of the reception (and we didn't pay for anything for our friends and family.)  Knowing that it's a large expense, you just have to be okay with the fact that some people simply won't be able to make it. 

 

We booked 10 months ahead of time, but I'm sure you can do it now.

wow, thanks for the breakdown! it is very helpful to see and definitely beats the price of a wedding here at home.  one other question??.....we are most likely having over 30 people, so will be having a private function.  can someone explain to me why it costs $50/person for dinner and drinks when we are already paying for an all inclusive resort?  this seems kind of expensive.  seems almost better to just have dinner at the restaurants and eat what is already included in the all inclusive package.  i guess we are just paying for the private service from the hotel staff? 

Originally Posted by CancunGirl 

 

I am most likely going to be an August 23, 2013 BP bride!

That reply was intended for ReneWing32 and any other August 13' Brides

I am most likely going to be an August 23, 2013 BP bride!

Hi Ladies!  I am completely new to the idea of a Destination Wedding, so forgive me if I'm not very knowledgeable in this area yet.  My fiance and I have been to several different venues near our home and haven't quite found where we want our dream wedding.  We were initially set on a price range of about $15,000 to $18,000 total but now with me starting full time in graduate school next month, this may not be do-able. 

We vacationed this past May to Beach Palace and saw a wedding almost every night we were there.  We joked about having our wedding here as we already had our minds set on something a bit bigger (200+ people) and near our home.  Now I'm getting serious about the idea of coming back to BP for our wedding and bringing about 20 to 30 of our closest friends and family.

My biggest questions are:

1.  Can anyone give me a ballpark figure on the total cost for about a week stay, reception, cocktail hour, violinist, beach ceremony?  Are we looking at $10,000-$15,000?  I know how much it costs for an all inclusive week vacation, but I guess I'm just wondering how much these bridal packages cost. 

2.  What is the normal Destination Wedding "etiquette" as far as inviting guests?  Is it normal for the bride and groom to atleast pay for everyone's rooms?  This seems like an aweful lot of money.  How do most guests feel about the thought of spending this much $ on someone's wedding? 

3.  How far in advance does BP book for weddings?  We would be looking at the end of August 2013 or possibly my winter break from school in December of 2013.

Thanks in advance for any replies and good luck in your planning as well!!