lukose

Put a schedule in the bag. Just basic saying gather at this time, at this location for xx. We e-mailed our schedule out before hand and also put it in the bag. Then we didn't have to run around making sure people knew. Times that seem obvious our guests would forget because they were in vacation mode.

My wedding was great - I've been writing a long review in Word to post. We stayed at RIU but with 90 guests, had our ceremony and reception off-site. My wedding was simply amazing, everything I wanted which is what every bride should come home and say! Yes, Chilli's and the Daquiri bar are quite close to each other. There are two elevated terraces of the Chilis restaurant which is where I think they do the a semiprivate reception. I used my 'wedding package' semi private dinner to have a family only dinner and it was on one of hte terraces and felt very private. One tip - don't pay or ask the hotel to hand out your OOT bags. One of our guests checked in and showed the front desk with the travel form for our wedding and they handed her a welcome bag for another wedding. The funny thing is that wedding was the exact same day and time as mine so my friend didn't realize for a couple days that she had the bag for someone else. She kept asking me about things the other bride had scheduled like beach volleyball on Sunday and I was like "I guess we can play volleyball..." Once she realized she returned the bag to the front desk but had already opened things. I actually ran into that bride during my stay and told her about it. That bride told me a number of their bags were given to the wrong people. Too much work goes into them to not have your guests get them!

Bring air fresheners for each hotel room. I just got back from RIU Palace RM. Many of the rooms have a musty smell (noted on Trip Advisor). I went in enough rooms to notice that some were better than others. I think some people probably never used their while other people specifically told us they were good to include.

Liz - I have about 80 people going! Things add up fast at the RIU so we are actually having a reception off-site. It's a whole different set of things to worry about but for us it was the right choice. I think for 45 people you could rent a room at Wickys in downtown playa and have a lot more freedom for things you want to do.

I was planning on bringing in my own people. It's a $200 vendor fee on top of whatever they charge, but I thought it would be a nice afternoon in my room with all the bridesmaids and moms getting our hair and makeup done. I was thinking we'd order a bunch of room service and just spend the afternoon together.

I'm worried and looking into what it would take to switch resorts. I've reached out through my travel agent and the wedding coordinator and I feel like the RIU is ignoring the concerns. That goes hand in hand with Trip Advisor reviews that report the front desk and management is ignoring room issues that guests bring up. If I can't change resorts, then I am putting air freshener and lysol in guests' OOT bags. I hate that I picked the resort and guests are going to have rooms that smell. Yes, definitely going to hand the bags out informally. I've read reviews, actually not specifically for the RIU, of brides paying the room delivery fee and guests not getting their bags until a day or two later. We're also making some bags geared for single people and couples so it will be easiest to make sure people get the correct ones if my mom and I just pass them out. I'd inquired about essentially doindg a semi-private cocktail hour as a welcome party, but the only option my wedding coordinator would give me was a private cocktail hour at the Daiquiri Bar. I would have paid the upcharge for a semi-private area but not what was offered, so we're just going to take over a few tables at the La Plaza Bar. Hopefully no other hotel guests will be upset by that!

Have any of you brides seen the recent reviews for this hotel on Trip Advisor? There are tons of mildew in the rooms, nasty smells in the rooms (indicating mold/mildew problems) and lack of general maintenance leading to running toilets, toilets that don't flush well, cracked sinks etc. I'm concerned because I've already committed to this resort and it seems like its going downhill. Some reviews indicate they raise their complaints to the front desk or management who don't awknowledge or deal with the situation.

When I go for my wedding in April 2014, I want to do an informal Meet & Greet on two nights. Mainly because we have a bunch of people arriving on Wednesday and Thursday. What would be the best bar for us to kind of 'take over?' I'm thinking we will stratgically camp out at a few tables, bring OOT bags to distribute and our group could just chill for a couple hours. In all the promotional photos of the RIU RM I see pics of an outdoor area with tables and chairs near the main building. Is that part of the buffet or a bar? Thanks everyone!