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@@WronLow @@lndzlou03 Thank you, ladies @@WronLow we only supplied our personal vows. The rest was standard, I assume. I think I did mention to the WC that we didn't want anything religious but I don't know if he passed that along.

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@@lndzlou03 Here is a link to the video we received as part of our divine package. https://vimeo.com/163099374

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@@WronLow We were married in April and Juan Carlos was our WC. He is awesome We were at the tequila terrace but I thought the preferred pool was gorgeous. At night, it will be amazing. I've tried to answer your questions below.

Just finished my 48 hour marathon on reading this thread. Thanks to all past, present, and future brides for all your contributions. Getting married on Feb 3, 2017 at Sapphire with Juan Carlo as WC. With 60 people attending we are in a crunch with identifying what is important to us vs. how much we want to spend (and yikes, the costs add up quickly). Sad we could not get the Tequila Terrance and will be having our reception at the Preferred Pool. However, some of the reviews of the Preferred Pool are encouraging.

 

Pending Decisions:

1) Timeline - trying to find a balance to not having the guests wait too long between the ceremony and cocktail hour so we can do pictures (Putting our trust in the Resort Photographer that they will get some decent shots.)

- Question: does any past Bride have any recommended photo shoot locations?

 

- We had our ceremony at 4, cocktail hour at 5:30. We did photos in between and probably got back around 6. Our guests were enjoying drinks and appies by then. No one complained about the break, so I think it was okay.

 

Some good places for photos:

- beautiful and secluded tropical jungle areas around the preferred pool

- immediately to the North of the resort (practically attached to the tequila terrace) is a cool fence. We wanted to do photos there but there were some crazy dogs inside the fence and we didn't feel safe being there's a result. But if there are no dogs, it makes for a great backdrop.

- if you walk down the beach to the south, there is a pier with a palapa on the end at the next resort. However they don't like you being there. We managed to get a few photos before they chased us away. It's a bit of a walk so if you don't have a lot of time, you may want to skip it, esp since they might stop you from taking photos anyhow

- between the end of the now sapphire beach and the pier mentioned above, there are some pilings of an old pier in the water

 

2) Food: Sit-down platted meal vs. Buffet? (we have over 50 ppl so buffet is an option)

- we did sit down as we had less than 50. Food was great and service was outstanding.

 

3) Music: Bring our own (Pro: saves cost Con: someone has to man it) vs DJ (Pro: convenience Con: Costs)

- we brought a Bluetooth speaker (big one) that also had a microphone. We used our iPhone for music. Some friends helped us with the playlists (which we set up using the wedding DJ app) and our MC (my BIL) made sure to keep the evening flowing, using the mike.

 

4) Table Size: I'm thinking round vs rectangle (we have 60 ppl attending)

- we did rectangular for head table and round for the rest. We had about 40 ppl. I think rounds might be easier to place around the pool, but I'm not sure.

 

5) Table decor: we are going bear bones and not bring lots of decoration, but a big white table with white napkins just might be too dull. Do I need a center piece?

- do you have any BMs and will they have bouquets? Ask JC to put the bouquets in vases on the tables and maybe add some more? I have also heard that they will split up the bouquets to spread them out. We did a bunch of little blue vases with only one flower in each to keep the flower costs down but add some color to the tables.

 

I'm sure i'll be posting more as the time gets closer. I am starting to get a bit stressed about this.

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Did anyone rent the bridal suite ?? If is was it worth the extra fee? Tell me the details on it.......i'm having a hard time finding photos or more details on it.

 

 

And - I'm not a coffee drinker.......we drink a lot of energy drinks. Are these available on the resort?  (I'm wondering if we need the taxi to stop at a convenient store when they pick us up at the airport LOL)

@@AmandaU

I did not rent the bridal suite, but I was sent photos by the spa, which I will post. Myself and 2 BMs had our hair & makeup done at the spa - it was a bit crowded when there was another bridal party of 3 in it. You might want to consider it if you have a large group. 

Energy drinks definitely aren't in the room fridges. You might be able to get at the bars - I think my husband ordered the occasional red bull (although they may have carried a different brand, even a no name Mexican brand possibly, if you are picky about what kind). They do have a store that probably carried them as well, but that would cost you money and the store was not cheap.

We are getting married on April 5, 2017 at the NOW Sapphire. I've been reading this forum for DAYS, and I've came up with some questions that I have for all of you past and future brides.

 

Our ceremony will be on the beach with our reception on Tequila Terrace. I think $350/hour for the DJ is insane and the $180/hour rental if you just used the speaker system seems high to me too. I have seen numerous brides post that they used a Bluetooth wireless speaker and made their own playlists and I'm highly considering doing this as well (because as you all know, these extras add up QUICK). My concerns..

 

1. Is a Bluetooth speaker going to be adequate? We are thinking 25-30 guests. Wanted to make sure it would be loud enough. And if the sound was fine, did the ipod playlist and speaker still allow people to have fun and dance? I want to make sure my guests will still have fun.

 

2. How did you do introductions without having a DJ or renting the speaker system? Who introduced you guys when you came into the reception? Who said when the first dance, cake cutting, etc was going to happen? And all of this without a microphone? This question is my biggest concern

 

3. Any speaker recommendations?

@@wvupharmer13

We rented a speaker from a local vendor, who unfortunately is not renting at Now Sapphire any longer. But you could bring your own speaker. We had something like this. It included a microphone. It was great for our needs (group of 40). We used it with an iPhone and the Wedding DJ app. 

We had our MC (my brother-in-law) announce things like speeches, etc. using the microphone. We had another friend who helped to transition between speaking & music, and managing volume & playlists.

@@AmandaU I had our appointments booked for 12 for our 4pm ceremony. I felt a bit rushed when back in the room & getting ready, but we also did a first look and I did photos with my BMs before the ceremony, so that probably all took at least an hour. If you are doing all of your photos after your ceremony, I think you have lots of time. I don't remember specifically how long it took to get hair & makeup done, though.

The spa is in the middle of the property, right by the adult pool, and the Tequila Terrace is on the far end, just past the restaurants. You'd have to walk through the resort and either past the main pool or along the beach to get a sneak peak, so I doubt that will work. You may be able to see it right before the ceremony, as you are waiting by the buffet restaurant/Mexican restaurant to walk down the aisle. It was all such a blur, I'm not sure what I could see from there. 

@@cayls55 - See my answers to your questions below.

Hello brides!

 

I'm getting married there in 4 months on the tequila terrace. Is there sufficient lighting or do you recommend renting other lights than what comes with the package

 

We added some fairy lights & globe lights, but those were for ambiance, not for actual lighting. The lighting seemed fine to me, except when my MOH tried to read her speech haha. 

 

I was also wondering how far in advance you booked the hair appointments and if you had makeup done there and if so if you recommend it?

 

I booked our appointments about 2 months in advance directly with the spa ([email protected]). Overall, we were very happy with the results. I posted some photos in my review, which is linked from my signature, as well as comments about our experience at the spa.

 

Lastly, I read that a lot of people bring extra large cups to all inclusive resorts so you get larger quantities than the disposable cups usually given and don't have to return to the bar as often. Did anyone see these?

 

Yes, lots of people bring their own insulated cups/mugs to all inclusive resorts. After going to an AI the first time, we invested in some good ones that we bring every time we go now. Lots of brides will put these in welcome bags, etc. (we did not).

 

Thanks to much!

@@DinaQtobe thanks! that's what i read most brides do at other resorts and usually the resort doesn't say much.

Do any previous brides have a picture or know what the basic beach setup and tequila terrace is for the Eternal package? I asked juan but haven't received a response. I'm just wondering how many abd what kind of decorations to bring.

Thanks, and sorry about all the questions!

@@cayls55 I don't know specifics for the Eternity package, but the Divine package is pretty basic unless you add to it. You just get the white linens (napkins, table clothes, chair covers). For the beach ceremony, there is an arch, and for Divine it is draped in white fabric, but I think you may have to pay extra for that for Eternity. Also a white aisle runner was included, but not sure if it is for Eternity. You probably get one centerpiece arrangement (again, we did for Divine - not sure about Eternity), which they moved around from the ceremony to the reception. 

@@SSpartyof2 I don't have a TA to recommend to you, but if you poke around this site, you will definitely find some recommendations for ones in ON. Keep in mind, they really don't have to be local. Most/all of your work with them will be done on the phone or via email. They can help you narrow down country/resort/pricing, etc. We went to Costa Rica for our honeymoon - not a lot of all-inclusives there, I don't think. Not that you have to do AI, but it can be easier in a lot of ways.

I also was married at Now Sapphire, near Cancun. It cost us about $2100 CAD per adult (double occupancy) from Vancouver. We booked in 2015 and the wedding was April 2016. Prices are usually a bit less from Toronto if that is your primary departure gate. Our day-of costs were about $6000 USD for 40 people. Don't forget exchange rates, taxes & gratuities (some mandatory/built-in) when budgeting, because they really add up. Hope that helps a bit and good luck!

@@Hbinning Are you working with a travel agent? They can best help you with pricing, etc. for both travel and the wedding packages. Have you looked at the resort threads for each of these?

http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/topic/63282-official-gran-bahia-principe-riviera-maya-thread/

http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/topic/164-gran-bahia-principe-akumaltulumcoba-post-here/

http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/topic/66702-hotel-marina-el-cid-brides/

I couldn't find specific threads for the Sandos properties, but there are lost of posts that mention/discuss them.

@@Gabyc22 Sorry for the late reply. We tipped our WC $100 and the waiters/bar staff $20 each (I think). I gave the money to the banquet captain to distribute evenly (including him - he was awesome). We also gave the head waiter a bit extra because he was amazing. We didn't have a DJ. We also tipped at the spa for our hair & make-up (I think $20 each as well). 

I'm guessing you are there already! Hope you are having a wonderful time and all the best for your wedding day 

@@Johnsonspartyof2 We had the "arch" with white draping (on the beach) included in our Divine package. Also the white aisle runner.

@@Johnsonspartyof2 We rented the sound system and some decor from Love & Lace Wedding Decor. Unfortunately I don't think she is renting to Now Sapphire brides any longer. But worth asking and maybe things will change by 2018.

Did you make your own package or did you use one of the packages they offer? I have been communicating with Anel and she gave me the option of building my own due to the fact that some of the services included we will not need but I am finding this to be a bit more pricey so we are now thinking about choosing a package and just not using some of the things.

 

We went with the Divine package. Early on, I considered building my own package, but it seemed more expensive. I also considered switching to the Eternity package later on, but we ended up sticking with Divine. There were lots of things included that we didn't NEED but we made sure to use every single thing!   Some things were just nice luxuries, such as the couples massage and private dinner. But some we really didn't need at all. For example, we brought our own photographer. So we used the included photo package to do a friends/family shoot on the beach. Let everyone know the time and place and about 10 couples/families came out. I know at least 3 of them have printed & framed the photos, so I think it was appreciated. We also didn't need a musician, as one of our friends is a professional saxophonist and played during our ceremony. But we were able to use the guitarist pre-ceremony. 

 

How did it go with renting the sound system? Did you assign one person to announce your first dance, etc.? We are considering doing the same, I already have an Ipod so it will be saving us a bit more money which is a good thing. 

 

The sound system worked out great. We used the Wedding DJ app on our iPhone to set up various playlists and then we had a couple of friends who took care of forwarding through the playlists, stopping the music for speeches, etc. Our MC (my BIL) announced anything that needed announcing. 

 

As far as makeup and hair-styling did you use an outside artist?

 

I used the spa on-site and was super happy with the results. My BMs also had their make-up done there and one had her hair done. One of the make-up applications was not the greatest (but not horrific), but we were very happy with the rest. I included some photos in my review (link below). 

@@Johnsonspartyof2 Congrats on your engagement and great choice in Now Sapphire. I was married there in April and we loved it! I'll do my best to answer your questions below.

 

1) When planning your wedding did you use a travel planner? Is it best to have a travel planner for your guests? 

Do you mean a travel agent? I would highly recommend using one. I worked with one right out of the gate to help narrow down resort choices, get pricing for both the wedding & travel, etc. Of course, you have already decided on a resort, but the TA can help to make sure you are getting good prices for your guests and taking advantage of any special offers the resort may have for wedding groups. I'm in Canada, so my TA likely won't be the best option for you, but Wright Travel runs this site and has lots of good reviews here. 

 

2) Do you plan on visiting your resort prior to your wedding day?

We didn't plan to visit our resort, but we ended up booking a last minute cheap trip to the area (different resort) about a year before our wedding, so we took advantage of being there and visited for an afternoon. It was great to be able to do that, but most brides don't have the luxury and I think it works out fine for most. 

 

3) I've done some research and found that a lot of brides brought some decorations to help with costs can anyone provide some advice on doing this?

I didn't bring much at all. I rented some decor locally and had minimal decor through the resort (mostly flowers). Basically I just went low key. My feeling was that the setting is gorgeous and memorable. I don't think my guests noticed or cared that my decor was very simple. But everyone is different on this. 

 

4) What date did you book you wedding day for? We originally planned for August 18, 2018 (Our anniversary) but I have been scared off by the chances of rain and it being hurricane season. 

Our date was April 7, 2016. We considered November, January, February and March as well, but couldn't make them work due to other commitments. I've been to the Mayan Riviera in Nov, Mar, Apr and May in the past. For the most part, the weather has been great. Only a couple of days of rain over 6 trips. 

 

5) What is your budget, how easy has it been to stick with it?

 

We had 39 people, including us and 5 kids, and our wedding day costs were about $6000 USD. That's pretty bare bones. It does not include our airfare/hotel or photographer. We also did not get a DJ (used a rented sound system), and I already mentioned that we had minimal decor. Also, we booked in 2015, so we had 2015 rates. They go up every year, I believe. But I would think $15,000 would be quite manageable.

 

We had the Divine package and could offer 2 options to our guests for the main course (plus accommodation for various dietary restrictions). We had to let the hotel know the choices in advance and also spell them out at the receptions, either by "coded" place cards or seating charts.

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I set up a form on my web site so they could fill it out with yes, no or maybe (since I sent it out about a year in advance and they had some time to book). 

@@Kass11Craig I was married at Now Sapphire in April, so I can't speak specifically to Now Jade, but I believe the resorts are similar in terms of their costs, what's included, etc. Make sure you check out the Now Jade thread on this forum, if you haven't already. 

@@dreamweddings is correct in some respects - it is often that brides simply don't understand what's included in the wedding packages. But it's little things that you would never expect to pay for, and that aren't clearly outlined unless you really read closely, that can be pretty surprising and can make it feel like you are being nickeled and dimed. 

Some examples from Now Sapphire:

• $5 for each ceremony chair over the 25 included in the package
• $100 to string lights around poles that I brought myself 
• $100 to put out the vases, candles, etc. I brought
• If you want to string lights across the reception area, you need to rent (or bring) lights - but also the poles that must be installed in order to string them (I didn't end up doing this, so not sure of the cost)
• $15 per person over the 25 included in the package for the open bar at the cocktail hour
• $5 per person over the 25 included in the package for the champagne (sparkling wine) toast

It can seem ridiculous, especially because it's an all-inclusive resort. You think "why am I paying for booze when my guests paid to be at the resort"? But if you think about it, a lot of it makes sense. Your guests did not pay for private service, nor did they pay for a special meal to be prepared for them, etc.. And when it comes to service fees for decor set-up, etc., again there is labor involved in setting up those chairs or stringing those lights.

But it can add up and you can feel pretty frustrated with it. I would recommend reaching out to your WC early (if you can - some resorts don't put you in touch with your WC until a few months before your wedding) to get a good understanding of all the extra charges. While I was surprised from time-to-time during the planning process, I was not surprised when I got to resort and paid for my wedding. Ask lots of questions and get it in writing. Also, note that most resorts do have a lot of extra charges - Now Sapphire and Now Jade are not alone in this. 

It's your big day. Enjoy and have fun!

@@bmillerick That's hard to answer for you, as only you know your guests, their likes/dislikes (in terms of what they would want in a resort) and your best guess at what they can afford.

I think what you will find is that you will be surprised at who comes and who doesn't, and what reasons they each have for their decisions. A lot of the time it is not related to money and, when it is, some of the people you least expected to make it work will be there, while the opposite will also hold true. Advice I've seen here many times is be reasonable with your choices, but remember it's your wedding and you can't plan it around other people. You may end up disappointed if you do. 

I'm sorry to hear of your dilemma. And I'm also very sorry to hear about your father. I can only imagine how frustrated and upset I would be in your situation. I don't have much advice to offer as I'm not familiar with either resort. However I will say that my resort (Now Sapphire) usually does 3 weddings a day and I did not feel like we suffered as a result. As long as they have adequate space and staff to handle it, I don't think it should be a problem. I realize that is not the only issue in question, however.

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@@Gabyc22 We kept our ceremony time the same (4pm) and pushed our cocktail hour and dinner (to 5:30 and 6:30, respectively). Your ceremony likely won't take an hour. Ours was maybe 20 mins and then we had a champagne toast and hugged/chatted with people on the terrace. We probably started photos no later than 4:45. We were fine with the break between. I'm not really sure where our guests went, since we weren't there. From what I've gathered, some hung around (we had music going) - they may have gone to the lobby bar and brought back drinks. I think others may have gone to the lobby bar (about a 2 minute walk) or back to their rooms. No one was missing in action by the time we got back

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@@ashlynm88 How did you indicate meal choices without assigned seating of some sort? Just curious...

@@Gabyc22 We originally had no break between the ceremony and cocktail hour, but I didn't want to miss our cocktail hour and I also wanted the reception to go later, so we changed the schedule. I'm not sure what time we made it back to the cocktail hour, but we probably caught the last half of it. Depends on how long your photos go.

We did a snorkeling cruise with H2Oh Sun Cruises. It's a yacht - not a catamaran. Included lunch, drinks, a cake, etc. Leaves from Puerto Aventuras. I looked at a lot of different options, and their prices were some of the most reasonable I found (however I booked it a year ago, so that may have changed). We had 34 people on the cruise (total 40 were at the wedding). You can read my full review here. Overall, I would definitely recommend them.

@@ashhtayy OMG I can't believe you are leaving in a couple of days. Have the best time and please post photos!!!

Love the travelling wally bag. You guys are awesome. 

@@VancouverGal I just saw your comments on my review. Sorry I missed them. There doesn't seem to be a way to get notifications for them. We've already discussed lighting, but you asked what flavor cake we got. We just got vanilla. I would have done tres leches, but my hubby is lactose intolerant, so I didn't think something that translates to "three milks" was a good plan LOL

@@Gabyc22 I've tried to answer your questions below based on our wedding in April. Hope it helps!

 

I was wondering about sitting arrangements and if I just need to provide JC a list and he takes care of it.  Or do I have to get table numbers and name cards myself?  I want to keep it as simple as possible but I do want to do the list of who sits where.

 

I believe you need to provide both table numbers and name cards. Also note that you need to let JC know in advance meal choices for each person. For that you can give him a list and seating chart, or you can indicate the meal choice on the name card. You also need to provide something to hold the table numbers - I specifically asked about that and they said they didn't have anything. 

 

How many waiters do they reserve for the ceremony?  Does the Divine package include a bar at the reception or do the waiters have to get the drinks from somewhere else?  Also was thinking of doing a signature cocktail.  Does this cost extra?

 

Do you mean how many waiters for the reception? I would guess it probably depends on the size of the group. We had 40 people and I think there were 4 waiters, plus 2 bartenders. It seemed more than sufficient. There was a bar set up on the terrace (we were on the Tequila Terrace - I'm sure other locations have a bar set up close by as well). Note that we had a break between our ceremony and cocktail hour for photos and even though the bar was set up and staffed, they would not serve us or our guests (they did give us a bottle of water before we went off for photos - I'm not sure if they waited until the official start of cocktail hour to serve our guests). We did a signature cocktail. No extra charge, but it may depend on whether you want any special ingredients. 

 

@@krystalball @@deecol As much as we had an amazing time, I was a lot more stressed "entertaining" our guests than I thought I would be. Actually I would say the first 2-3 days in Mexico were the most stressed I got during the entire time leading up to the wedding (but I think I was pretty laid back about planning). I was really surprised by that. Luckily I started to calm down the day before the wedding (the guys going golfing leaving the girls at the pool/spa probably had something to do with that! )

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