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YAY! Congrats 

@@ashhtayy and @@acw271011 I may have posted the longest review ever in the review section. Oh wait, I think @@calgarybride2015 wrote a longer one! 

If anyone wants to read my detailed review - less personal stuff and more about the resort/wedding itself - you can find it here:

http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/reviews/r/5487-now-sapphire-riviera-cancun/

@ Perian, your honeymoon looked amazing! I am so jealous Thanks for your sweet note. And, yes, the gnome was pretty hilarious 

I was going to post a separate review for H2Oh Sun Cruises, but it looks like you can't post a review unless the vendor is already listed, so I will do it here. Note that the photos posted are from our professional photographer, not from the H2Oh photographer.

We booked a yacht cruise with H2Oh Sun Cruises about 10 months in advance. This secured 2015 pricing and we also got a discount from KatyHK of Love & Lace Decor. There are a number of Facebook groups where she is a member and will provide a discount to other members of the group (her husband works for them).

We had great communication with them until it was time to finalize the booking. I’m not sure what happened - I think the person I was dealing with left the company. Anyhow, it took a few attempts, but we were able to get back in touch with them again. At that point, they were going to take a 50% deposit - however, they charged us the full 100%. We contacted them about this and they offered to refund it, but we decided to just leave it. I’m glad we did, because we ended up paying a lower exchange rate (USD to CAD) than if we would have waited to pay the other 50%.

Once it was booked, there wasn’t much to do until it was almost time to go. I did email to confirm a few details and, again, communication was a bit spotty, but we got everything nailed down. I’m actually still waiting to hear back if we owe any additional money or if they owe us, since our numbers changed a bit until the last minute.

The transportation (arranged through H2Oh) arrived on time to take us to the marina in Puerto Aventuras for our 1pm cruise. We had 3 vans for approx 35 of us. It took about 45 minutes to get the PA and then a few more minutes to make our way to the marina. After we unloaded, we had to all sign waivers, take off our shoes and board the boat, which had just returned from a morning cruise.

After we got settled, we got under way, leaving the marina. It was a beautiful sunny day, but it was choppy. Really choppy. It was a rough ride out to the snorkeling spot. It was tough to move around the boat, as it was easy to get tossed around, hit something, fall over, etc. The crew delivered drinks, but we had to put away the salsa & chips I had asked them to put out for a snack.

We finally reached the snorkeling location and the crew walked us through the equipment and safety briefing. A bunch of people jumped in, but found the water too rough and got back on the boat. Those of us who stayed in the water had a hard swim out to the snorkel site. But we were rewarded when we got there. Some people saw turtles and most of us saw rays, along with some fish. I was one of the last off the boat, so it seemed like I had just gotten to the snorkel site when we had to turn around. It was a lot of work for a very short snorkel, but I think the crew was concerned about the conditions and didn’t want to keep us out too long. Actually the guy who was supposed to be the “sweep” following behind the group, seemed to be struggling to stay afloat, which was a little disconcerting.

Once back on the boat, the crew served the food - BBQ chicken, beans, rice, tortillas, guacamole, salsa and chips - all of it delicious. With the wind and the waves, the chips were flying through the air and hitting people in the face. It was pretty comical, but it was tough to eat! Then they brought out a very decadent chocolate cake for us to cut. One of the pieces of cake caught flight, flew about 15 ft and hit one of our guests square in the chest. Again, it was pretty funny, at least to everyone but the guy who got hit.

A few people dove off the boat into the water for a bit and then we were on our way back to the marina. Much less choppy on the return trip, with the wind behind us, but still rough. I think Jeff and I were a little disappointed in the whole thing - but it was not the fault of the company or the crew. Mother nature simply didn’t cooperate and we had high expectations, having done a really fun (and calm) private catamaran cruise a few years back. But our guests seemed to enjoy themselves, despite the conditions. I think they didn’t really have any expectations, so couldn’t be let down.

Overall, I would definitely recommend H2Oh, but don't forget that Mother Nature can mess with your plans.

Also, how long is too long for a review?!? I think I'm writing the world's longest review. I was going to post it in the review section. It has more details than what I wrote above and less about the personal side of our week. It's seriously ridiculously long.

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@@ashhtayy Thank you for your kind comments! I'm glad I've been able to help you out a bit here and there since we've been planning at the same time. Likewise

@@snswedding2016 Thanks, Steph. Everything on this site makes me miss Mexico!!!

@@yycbride2016 Thank you! I was so happy with my dress. I'm glad I stuck to my guns on that.

@@acw271011 Sorry, Ann. No style number. They didn't even come in a box. Here's a photo of one for you (the top is a bit squished). They are wedges.

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Wow. Your wedding was beautiful! Congrats

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@@acw271011 Awwhh shucks, Ann. We were (are) super happy! I will be posting a full album of Costa Rica photos on Flickr, so watch for that post on Facebook. I actually just posted all of our photos from the wedding week. (Not any wedding photos yet, though. Just random snapshots & silly stuff.) But I will probably post a few CR highlights here as well. We loved it! 

Haha you're so funny about the shoes. Sorry, you cannot have them. They were awesome shoes. I bought them somewhat last minute at Winners, so I don't know that you'll have luck finding them. I wore them most nights, even pre-wedding, for dinner. Very comfy yet dressy. Brand name is "Italian Shoemakers" if that helps. 

I'm going to do a more proper review for the Resort Review section with details on the wedding, vendors, etc. I've got it about half written. Hopefully it helps other brides down the road. This was a bit more of a story about our wedding week. 

I can't wait to order thank you cards and prints of our group photos, as well as photobooks. I have something to look forward to, still 

Happy wedding day! I wish you the most wonderful day

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And the final installment, including what you've all been waiting for! 

Thursday, April 7 - THE BIG DAY!!!

Gosh, the whole day is a bit of a blur. We got up (yes, we spent the night together and we saw each other before the wedding ) and went for breakfast. When we were getting dressed that day, I got dressed in the bathroom and Jeff in the room, and we ended up wearing the same shirts unbeknownst to each other. Normally I would have changed, but we kinda looked at each other and said, “screw it - it’s our wedding day - we can match” LOL.

I left Jeff at the adult pool with his family and I headed back to the room. He was nervous! And freaking out about the room key, as he kept demagnetizing his, no matter how careful he was. I guess he went back to the room about 3 times before he had to go get ready at his best man’s room - he wanted to make sure he wasn’t locked out.

I didn’t shower earlier as I wanted to shower as late as possible. So I grabbed a shower and primped myself. My sister came to my room (late as always, of course) to drop off her dress, etc. and then we headed to the spa to meet my BFF for hair & make-up. The salon is quite small and there was another bridal party in there at the time. That meant that we were all spread out and couldn’t really talk to each other. Eventually the other bridal party was done and it was a lot nicer - quiet and more private.

My sister and I both had our hair & make-up done, while my best friend only had her make-up done. Moises was my MUA/hair stylist and I loved what he did with both. I showed him a few photos of hair and make-up and he took it from there. He hardly said a word to me, so I don’t know that he spoke English very well, but he seemed to understand any request that I had or comment that I made.

The hair photos that I showed him were pretty simple, but he really took it up a notch and made it something special. I was a bit worried because he curled my hair at the back and my hair doesn’t usually hold a curl very well. In fact, I chose the styles I chose because I was worried any with curls would fall. But it held. Man, did it hold. Of course there was a lot of hairspray in it, but it did the trick.

I thought my make-up was very natural looking, which is what I wanted. Although if you were up really close, it was a bit cakey. But a foot or two away and in photos, it looked amazing. Again, he did a good job replicating the photos I showed him.

My sister’s hair was beautiful as well - she didn’t come with a photo and simply picked something out of a book at the salon. For make-up, I believe they had her select from a few eye shadow color options and her eyes turned out beautifully. Unfortunately her foundation was quite orange and did not blend well into her neck. We didn’t notice until we left and there was no fixing it ourselves (we tried, but there was no blending to be had). I’m hoping the photographer can touch up the photos with her in it so that she doesn’t look so much like Donald Trump’s orange cousin (at least she has better hair)  My best friend’s make-up turned out really nicely. She was happy with it.

We headed back to the room to get dressed. Wow… time went by fast. I had ordered room service from the salon so that we could eat something. We pretty much had to wolf it down, grab some photos in our robes and throw on our clothes. Luckily all of our dresses are easy to deal with! I would recommend more time rather than less for getting dressed. I definitely underestimated the time we needed.

Juan Carlos delivered the flowers to the room. They were absolutely perfect. I had shown him a bunch of different photos, not one cohesive idea. Yet they were exactly what I wanted and more. The bridesmaids bouquets were simple enough - just calla lilies, but I wasn’t sure what I would end up with for my bouquet. I could not have been happier.

Then it was off for first look photos. The first look photos were a bit weird, because it’s such an intimate moment, but yet it was quite staged. Jeff knew I was walking up behind him and I kept having to stop for another shot. I don’t know if that’s how all photographers do it, but it felt, well, strange. But I still loved that we did it and it is one of my favorite moments from our wedding. The look on his face was amazing (and hilarious).

Background story is that I had originally bought a white sundress that I thought I might use as a wedding dress. I changed my mind (twice!) on that, and ended up with a “real” wedding dress, although it was short. I had worn the sundress on our second night, when we did our informal cocktail hour. It was the first time Jeff had seen the dress. He assumed that I was going with something equally casual, just a different style. So he was surprised to see me all dolled up.

We went our separate ways, to meet again at the wedding ceremony! I had both of my parents walk me down the aisle, as I mentioned earlier. Our friend was playing Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me to the Moon on his saxophone. And Jeff was waiting at the altar for me, on a beautiful beach surrounded by friends & family. There was a nice breeze blowing and it was a little cloudy, which was great because it was much cooler than it was the day before.

I don’t really remember what the officiant said, but she was warm and friendly. Her English was very good and I remember listening and nodding to much of what she said, but I don’t remember anything now! We also said our own vows. Jeff used the ones he used for our legal ceremony, which were provided by that officiant. I found some on the internet the night before LOL  He had his memorized, but I had mine on a little scrap of paper, that I had conveniently placed in my bra (where else do you put it?) so I had dig around to get it out LOL. And then I couldn’t hold it and the microphone at the same time because the paper was flapping around in the wind. So Jeff had to hold it for me. It was actually pretty comical. Ladies - figure out a plan for reading your vows! I’m just sayin’...

The ceremony was short - maybe 15 minutes max? And then we were walking back up the aisle and onto the terrace for a toast with our guests. I had gotten a little teary during our vows, but I lost it when I was hugging Jeff’s mom. She is so sweet and said the nicest thing to me, and the waterworks started. Well, not waterworks I guess. I recovered quickly.

We spent some time on the terrace with our guests - hugs, kisses, cheers - and then off for photos. We did group/family/bridal party photos first on the beach, and then just Jeff and I walked through the resort and down the beach for more photos. We actually got chased off the pier that belongs to a neighboring resort, but it was worth it. I love those photos.

Words of advice for your wedding photoshoot: bring water and gum/mints! Our mouths were so dry and gross by the end, and we were frankly tired of kissing each other LOL.

The photos took longer than I expected - probably partly because the walk down the beach to the pier was about 15 minutes one-way. Our cocktail hour was scheduled to start an hour after our ceremony ended and it was in full swing by the time we got back. The waiters were awesome - bringing us food and drinks right away. I was able to try all 4 of our appetizers and they were all delicious.

I was really happy with the overall set up. We didn’t bring a lot of decor with us. There was globe lights and papel picado to be strung under the pergola; fairy lights to be strung along the balcony railings; and small blue vases to be placed on the tables with individual flowers in them. I didn’t give a lot of direction, so I really didn’t know how it was going to look. But I was very happy with it. I was even happier that Juan Carlos added some extras at no cost. There were lanterns on the cocktail rounds, for example. Also, remember the bride who left me her candle holders, but he said he didn’t have them? Guess what was on my head table?!?  I’m actually really glad we ended up getting those as I don’t think I brought enough vases for all of the tables and it would have looked a bit empty if we didn’t have the candle holders to add.

Then it was time to sit down for dinner. My brother-in-law was our MC and he did a great job of keeping the group entertained without being too much in the spotlight. He also was totally on top of the timing and kept asking me if we wanted to do X now, etc. I would have had no idea if it wasn’t for him. We had speeches from our best man and maid of honor. They were both so lovely, but the best man made us cry (and half the guests, too). It was really touching. We also said a short thank you to everyone.

I managed to try all of the food (I am NOT a girl to miss out on food) and it was all very good. I was really happy with it. The resort also did a great job (as far as I know) with a wide variety of food allergies & dietary needs.

We had our first dance, which was nothing special (we didn’t practice anything or have a routine). The song was “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole & Natalie Cole. We weren’t planning to do father/bride or mother/groom dances, but our respective parents cut in and finished the dance with us, which I thought was really cute. Actually, it made it less awkward than just having the two of us there on our own. Then we moved on to the party tunes!

I was actually surprised at how hard our group partied. There was tons of dancing and lots of shots. We have an older group with most guests being over 40, well over, in some cases, so I thought it might wind down early. Our reception was only scheduled until 9:30 and then I had planned to move to the nightclub. However, the banquet manager was awesome and let us stay. They closed the bar, but we had our own speaker & music, so he just let us stay out there. Jeff and I left around 11:15, I think. I’m not sure how long everyone else stayed - not much longer, I don’t think, but some of them did move to the nightclub.

We arrived back at our room to find it decorated in rose petals, a bottle of prosecco chilling, and a plate of chocolate covered strawberries. A very nice touch. But we were too tired to indulge! We tumbled into bed and went to sleep - so romantic haha.

Overall, it was a perfect day. Sure, there were little things here and there that didn’t quite go according to plan. But nothing major, nothing upsetting. I’m so thankful to the staff at Now Sapphire for making our day wonderful (and not having much to work with - we didn’t have much in the way of decor or extras). And, of course, to our friends and family for coming to Mexico to celebrate with us.

Friday, April 8

We woke up fairly early and enjoyed a lazy morning until our breakfast arrived (part of the package). It was very good and I particularly enjoyed the mimosas on our balcony!

We spent part of the day at the adult pool with some friends (again, lazy) and then went to the Blue Water Grill for a late group lunch, followed by a walk down the beach on our own. We had hoped to make it to Puerto Morelos, but we ran out of time. We made it just back the um, "au natural" resort   and then turned around.

We had a couple’s massage booked at the spa for late afternoon. This was included as part of our package. Jeff had never had a massage before and thought it would be weird LOL. Well, he has been converted! He was asking if we could go for one on our honeymoon, but we didn’t get around to it.

Then off for dinner and back to the lobby bar for more cards & drinks!

Saturday, April 9

The last real day at our beautiful resort. After returning our decor, we spent most of the day at the beach with friends. We got a bocce tournament going and I also went out on a Hobie cat (sailboat) with another couple. Everything was pretty chill.

We also were back & forth from the beach to the lobby as some of our guests were leaving that day. We said goodbye to friends from Australia and a few others that day, which made me sad. I realized when saying goodbye that I didn’t spend nearly enough time with some people. But yet there wasn’t much more time to be had  

As much as I was looking forward to our honeymoon in Costa Rica, and some alone time, I was not ready to leave. I felt like there were so many things we hadn’t yet done. We’d barely been to the main pool, we didn’t do any activities (lots of our guests took advantage of yoga, pilates, organized bike ride into Puerto Morelos, etc.), we didn’t walk to Puerto Morelos, we didn’t take out the kayaks, and we didn’t visit any places outside of the resort (I love visiting cenotes when we are vacationing in that area). And we didn’t get much of a chance to really relax.

I don’t regret Costa Rica one bit, because it was amazing and different from anything we’ve ever done. But I wouldn’t have been disappointed to stay at the resort for another few days or a week. Just a thought for those of you making your plans now.

Saturday night we had a private dinner booked on the beach (again, part of our package). They had “tents” set up side-by-side for each private dinner booked. However it was super windy on the beach. We had sand blowing up and sticking to our lips as we waited to place our order.

When the waiter came to take our order, we asked if we could move up to the Blue Water Grill Terrace. The restaurant wasn’t open that night, so it was completely empty. No problemo! They set up a table for us that was much more sheltered, although maybe not quite as romantic as being directly on the beach. But the servers were wonderful and the food was very good. We had a wonderful experience, and it was nice to have some time to ourselves. I’m glad we did it.

Sunday, April 10

Final day! We had breakfast and then went to the lobby to say goodbye to the Toronto group. Then we made some rounds at the pools to say hello/goodbye to others, since our flight to Costa Rica was earlier than the rest of our group’s flight. We back to our room to finish packing and then we grabbed a cab to the airport. Sad that our wedding week was over, but excited to be off on our honeymoon!

Thanks @@ashhtayy, @@krystalball, @@acw271011 & @@calgarybride2015! We got our professional photos back this week. Whoo hoo! But there are so many. I still need to weed through them. I'm dying to get to it, but it's been a super busy week so far and will continue to be. In the meantime, I'm knocking off a bit more of my "wedding week story", one day at a time

Wednesday, April 6

We had arranged for a quick rehearsal that morning. I ran into my parents at breakfast and asked if they would like to come and they didn’t understand why. I guess I had forgotten to ask them to walk me down the aisle. LOL The rehearsal was quick - we had a very simple ceremony. But I’m glad we did it, so people knew where to stand and the order of things. I suggest making sure you do this.

The guys were going golfing that afternoon, so they all headed off to get their stuff. This was one of the only things during our whole trip that went kind of sideways. The numbers had been fluctuating up until the night before. My uncle’s arthritis was acting up, my dad hurt his foot on the boat, etc. But we’d kept the concierge updated and they said everything was fine.

The pick-up time was supposed to be 11:30 for a 12:00 tee time at the Cancun Country Club. One of the guys happened to be the in the lobby at 11 and the driver was already there, waiting impatiently. That prompted a whole bunch of text messaging and What’s App messages to try to round up the group. Apparently the driver & the concierge were arguing about the pick-up time in the lobby. Finally everyone showed up and they headed off the golf course. When they arrived:

• The golf course had the wrong number of golfers on the reservation. It wasn’t even one of the numbers we had at one point.

• The price was different from what we’d been told.

• There was no all-inclusive food and beverage available, as we’d been told.

In the end it all worked out - they didn’t charge us for the “no shows” and the guys actually ended up paying less than expected. It sucked that there was no food & beverage option, as they ended up barely eating and just drinking (of course). They said even if they had wanted to buy food, the cart only had Cheetos. My recommendation is to at the very least verify the details with the golf course if you book through the hotel. Or maybe just book directly. It caused quite a bit of unneeded stress for Jeff. Thankfully, I was blissfully unaware and lounging at the adult pool

I spent my afternoon at the pool and I also went to the spa to try the hydrotherapy circuit. There is no cost to this if you are a Preferred Club member or if you have booked a spa treatment. You do have to make an appointment though, and they told me that I could stay for one hour. I had some girlfriends show up about 45 minutes into my session, so I ended up staying close to 2 hours. No one said anything

The circuit (if you do the whole thing) is: (1) sauna; (2) shower; (3) steam room; (4) cool pool; (5) warm pool; (6) hot pool with various jetted areas targeting back, shoulders, etc. (7) cool foot pool with jets. It was nice and relaxing. I don’t know that I would be thrilled if I paid for it, but for free or as part of a service, it was quite lovely.

That night we went to the Mediterranean restaurant for dinner. And back to the lobby bar for drinks & games. We also went to the nightclub for a bit. It was karaoke night and I didn’t stay long.

Glad to hear you are getting a good response. That's exciting! I didn't do an at home reception. My cousin threw me a bridal shower - mostly friends/family who were invited to the wedding, but also some cousins came who were not. I think you can do whatever you are comfortable with

@@ashhtayy Wow. That's an impressive weekend. Glad you knocked a lot of things off your list

Thanks, @@deecol, @@calgarybride2015, @@acw271011, @@ashhtayy! The earring thing was hilarious - I love that she captured it and included it in the video. I have written half of my very detailed review, but I still have quite a way to go and I also want to include some of our professional photos in it - which we are getting tomorrow night!!!! I'm so excited 

I also decided to write an account of our week, what we did, how we felt, etc. It's maybe more for me than it is for BDW, as I'm already starting to forget things about our week   I'm hoping this will help me remember always. And maybe it provides you with some reading material while I'm at it. It's long... And I've only written about the first three days so far.

Sunday, April 3

We arrived at the airport a bit early, as we were ready to go earlier than I thought we would be. As soon as we got there, we started to run into friends & family. Everyone was happy & excited, including us!

We boarded the flight (Air Transat) and the couple in front of us were getting married as well. We banded together to take one overhead bin for both of our dresses, as there wasn’t a closet. The flight was pretty uneventful. Our group was seated all around the plane, so we didn’t really have the chance to hang out with everyone. I made the rounds, though, and handed out our welcome letter. We’d planned to have this given to everyone at check in, but I wasn’t able to get it to the resort in time. We did get complimentary baby bottles of prosecco, and a second drink (we stuck with the prosecco), and a box of snacks, which was actually quite tasty.

When we arrived in Mexico, our luggage came right away (we had priority bags - 2 large & 2 small), so we went straight to customs. In case we got the dreaded red light, I wanted to be ahead of our group. But we got the green light YAY! And out into the melee. Quickly found our bus - at the very end of the line, and then we waited, and waited, and waited. There was a couple going to our resort (not part of our group) who never showed up, so an hour later, we finally left.

Everyone was tired, but happy to be there. We bought beers & margaritas on the bus and we were on our way. We were the second stop, so it was pretty quick. When we arrived, we were whisked over to the Preferred Club check-in and sort of lost our peeps. It was a rather chaotic. We planned to meet up afterwards in the lobby bar. We got to our room and the AC was leaking. There was a big puddle in the hallway! But the bellboy called maintenance and they were there within 5 minutes. It was cleaned up and fixed by the time we got back that night, and we had no problems after that. In fact the AC was the perfect temperature the whole time we were there.

We tried to find our group, but of course it took a while for everyone to check-in and then they scattered. We decided to go to the buffet, as we figured most people would end up there looking for dinner. And we did start running into people, including some people who had arrived earlier and/or on separate flights. But I was starving and getting hangry. I just wanted to sit down and eat! This was to become a common theme throughout the week - trying to get somewhere or do something, but running into people everywhere, so it always took more time than it should. Anyhow, we eventually ate and then headed off to the lobby bar for some drinks - most people went to bed pretty early that night.

Oh and I must mention “Gimme” - he is a garden gnome that has made the rounds living with Jeff & his buddies for the last 10 years. He came as someone’s carry-on luggage and was featured prominently in photos, with friends, family and strangers alike. Sadly, Gimme met his demise on the dance floor one night. We are planning to have a “put-Gimme-back-together” sometime soon!

Monday, April 4

We woke up fairly early. It had poured rain the night before and it was cloudy. We had breakfast at the buffet and then headed out of the gates to meet KatyHK to get the decor items we had rented. Then we wandered out to the beach to find people. We spent a few hours on the beach and a bunch of people got fried - they were deceived by the cloudy weather. Even though it was cloudy, it was still warm and pleasant.

We had planned a meet & greet cocktail hour at the lobby bar that night. Nothing official - we were just going to grab a corner of the bar and hang out. Well, that night the bar was hosting the buffet dinner for the entire resort! Oops. Luckily, some friends of ours went early and grabbed a section off in the back. Not really enough seats for all of us, but we kept grabbing chairs when we could and people were milling about anyhow.

I thought it was a lot of fun and it was great for people to meet and start to get to know each other. I found that for the first few days I was quite stressed out by my “hostess duties”. I wanted to make sure people were having a good time, were figuring out the resort, and most of all were getting to know each other - especially some people who were on their own (or maybe a couple) and didn’t really know anyone but us.

After the drinks, we all went our separate ways, with a group of us heading to the Mexican restaurant. And at the Mexican restaurant, they guys started doing tequila shots, which was a bit of a mistake, since our boat cruise was the next day…

Tuesday, April 5

We met with our wedding coordinator, Juan Carlos, in the morning. We took the rented decor and some stuff we had brought from home. Overall, there wasn’t a lot. We had vases, lights, papel picado, escort cards, table numbers & holders, some tealights and limes (for the escort cards). That was about it. When the WC opened up the suitcases, he looked at the stuff and asked us where we got it. I said we brought some stuff from home and got some stuff “in town” - sort of true. And then he asked if some of it was from Love & Lace Decor. Busted. I was worried he was going to charge us an outside vendor fee, but in the end he did not.

Otherwise, we spent time with him going through the form we had sent back, making sure it was correct and that there were no changes. I asked for a few “extras” that I was hoping he might throw in, but he basically said no to everything. I had met a bride in a FB group who got married there about a month before, had the same colors as me, and offered to leave me some of her candle holders (very sweet of her - I was prepared to buy them). But when we tried to coordinate it with Juan Carlos, he said he couldn’t promise that he would have room to store them. I crossed my fingers & hoped for the best, but when I asked, he said that he didn’t get them from her, she had left them in her room. Bummer. Then we walked out to see the Tequila Terrace & Beach. He showed us where everything would be set up. And that was about it. It took about 1 hour.

From there, it was almost time to meet our group in the lobby for our transportation to our H2Oh boat cruise. The day was beautiful, hot & sunny. We loaded into 3 vans and drove about 45 minutes to the marina at Puerto Aventuras. It took a while to get us organized at the dock - everyone had to sign a waiver, but then shoes off and everyone onto the boat.

We had 35 people, including 3 kids, on the boat. There was plenty of room for more, but it was nice not to be too crammed in. Most people were on the top deck or on the main deck at the front of the boat. As we left the marina, it got choppy. I mean really choppy. It was hard to stand upright as we got tossed around by the waves. They had put out some chips & salsa, but had to put it away because it was flying everywhere. We motored north for maybe an hour while everyone chilled with some tunes (and stayed seated for the most part). Luckily there were only a couple of people who were feeling a little green, but not too bad.

Then we dropped anchor to go snorkeling. A lot of people didn’t go - I think some weren’t planning to go at all, but others thought it was too rough. Some even got in the water and then decided to get back on the boat. And it was rough. It was probably the hardest swim of my life (not that I swim a lot). The current was strong and it was really hard to get to the snorkeling area, which was some distance from the boat. I was one of the last ones off the boat, and so one of the last ones to the snorkel site. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to do much snorkeling after all that work to get out there, as our guide decided that enough was enough and it was time to go back. But I did get to see a couple of rays, which was pretty cool. It was another tough swim back to the boat.

Then it was time to eat. We stayed anchored and they put out a late lunch of grilled chicken, tortillas, beans, pico de gallo & guacamole. It was super tasty, but again, the food was flying everywhere. My MIL got about 15 tortilla chips in the face, one at a time. Jeff couldn’t figure out why she wouldn’t move to a different spot on the boat! LOL. After lunch, they brought out a cake for us to cut. The best moment of the boat cruise was when the wind caught a styrofoam plate of cake out of someone’s hand and I watched it fly across the table about 20 ft and hit someone else in the chest. It was pretty amazing. Heading back to the marina, it wasn’t quite as bad. We had the wind behind us instead of at us. Although turning into the marina, we leaned really far to the left side and I seriously thought we were going over. Obviously we didn’t, and it probably wasn’t that close a call. It just felt like it to someone who’s not used to boats. All-in-all, we were out about 3 hours.

We went to the Asian restaurant that night at one of the teppanyaki tables. The food was excellent and the cook was entertaining. Then back to the lobby bar for some Cards Against Humanity, which got a little out of hand, as it tends to do.

More to come...

Thanks, ladies, for your congrats messages! We've been married two whole weeks now haha. I'm finally catching up (or trying to). We got back late Sunday night from Costa Rica. Had Monday off, which was nice to get organized (and also drink a little too much at a sunny happy hour!). Back to work since Tuesday. Real life kinda sucks. We bought a lottery ticket for tomorrow LOL

Overall, we were thrilled with everything. The resort was amazing; our group all got along so well; the wedding itself went off (basically) without a hitch; the boat cruise was fun; and we LOVED Costa Rica. I'll be starting on my review shortly, so more details to come soon. 

One of our friends made a video for us. I just love it and thought I would share. She is our photographer's wife (who is also our friend), so she was along for all of the photoshoots and caught some great moments. 

https://replayapp.com/v/CpMhMDMP9x/

@@snswedding2016 Love your video. Thanks for sharing. Makes me want to go back in time by 2 weeks 

@@cruisebride2016 Congratulations! You are beautiful. And what an amazing location. 

@@deecol I'm finally catching up and glad I've managed to get back here before you leave! Everything looks amazing and you have it all under control. I felt the same way before we left. I wasn't nervous. I was just excited and wanted to leave for Mexico, like NOW! haha But don't be too anxious. It's over far too fast. Wishing you all the best! 

@@ashhtayy I'm finally catching up on your thread. I love your dress and the belt. So glad it worked out for you (finally!). You shower looked amazing. Your BMs and mum did a wonderful job All of your signage and flowers look amazing together. They match perfectly. Your list is amazing. It looks long, but it's lots of little things. You will start whittling it down in no time

Thanks Kim & Ann. We just got to Costa Rica for our honeymoon. Thought I would post this photo sent to me by my photographer's wife. Looks like a sign of good things to come!

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Thanks, ladies for all of your messages. It truly was everything I imagined and more the weather has been beautiful since Tuesday, but it did cloud over yesterday. However it didn't rain and the temperature was perfect with a nice breeze. Plus I think we probably got some amazing photos as the sun was in and out with dark clouds. I only have this one photo so far. More photos and details to come.

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We're here! View from our room. We were upgraded from preferred club tropical view to preferred club ocean view! We did ask at check in, though. Not sure if we would have gotten it otherwise. Now the sun just needs to come out. (It poured yesterday and last night. Looks good starting tomorrow, though.) Thanks for the well wishes, everyone.

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We stayed at GSP a few years back (not for a wedding or anything) and really liked it. The Chill Out bar looked really cool (haha, no pun intended), but we didn't hang out there as I don't think it was included in our package or something. We considered GSP for our wedding but decided on another resort - I honestly don't remember why any more. 

Definitely get in touch with Katy from Love & Lace. She's been awesome to work with!

@@yycbride2016 Your photos are beautiful (as are you!)   Thanks for sharing.

@@WPGBride17, @@deecol, @@ashhtayy, @@snswedding2016 Thanks for your comments I'm glad a few of you mentioned the program fans. I love them. I don't think we need a program, to be honest, but I think the fans will be needed and I think they are super cute!

@@Wafflesmom, @@acw271011 Please, ladies, do not apologize! We all have lives and it's tough to keep up with everything! Thank you for your well wishes I hope you are doing okay, Anne. 

@@calgarybride2015, @ Thanks for the send-offs!

@@krystalball I'm glad my lists helped! They sure have helped me. That sucks about your apartment - not what you need right now, for sure. Are you feeling better? I don't know if I will remember to wish you a safe trip and a wonderful wedding before you go, but please know that I'm sending good vibes your way! 

Alright, I think that catches me up on all the comments. This is it ladies! We leave tomorrow. Some of our guests left today. It's weird. I feel like I should be doing more or feeling more stressed, but it's been pretty relaxing the last couple of days.

My last day at work was Thursday. When I arrived, there was a gift basket on my desk with a balloon, a GC for one of my fav restaurants, a scratch lottery ticket (I keep telling people I'm going to the win the lottery and not come back from the honeymoon LOL) and 7 (!!!) bottles of wine.

Such an awesome gift and it really made me feel special. All day, people kept dropping by my desk to congratulate me and wish us well. And surprisingly, I had my work stuff under control (or at least I think & hope I did!). I even had time to do a few wedding things while at work, as I'd finished pretty much everything by about 3. 

After work, I went to get my hair done (cut & colored). One of my best friends goes to the same hair dresser, so he had scheduled us to overlap and she brought some bubbles that we drank while having our hair done. So cute. 

Yesterday I took my e-ring into be cleaned and picked up some make up (including Laura Mercier powder!) at Sephora. Then I got waxed & lasered to the tune of $375. GULP! Granted, I am pretty much hairless now, except my head LOL. Then finally onto get my mani & pedi (both shellac - thanks for the recommendation, Kim and others). For my mani, I did a really light pink with silver sparkles. My toes are coral.

Jeff left work early yesterday so we finished up a few things at home, cracked open a bottle of wine and then went out for some drinks. His best man and the BM's girlfriend ended up meeting us there for a bit as well. It was really fun and I got really drunk LOL.

Today we packed. Well, I packed. He had packed yesterday for the most part. But we were done by lunch and then went for a walk in the beautiful weather we are having. And that's about it. I've been futzing around, doing odds & ends for the rest of the afternoon. I think I have everything. I hope I have everything. I've got the important stuff, anyhow. The rest we can live without or buy if we really need to. 4 suitcases plus the dress bag. Not bad (but remember I'm not bringing much decor).

I'm a bit worried that I have missed something, because I feel too relaxed and this seems too easy. Hopefully it's not too good to be true! There are still a couple of things I need to do, but we can figure them out on the fly:

• Book transfer from resort to CUN (can do this on site at the resort or just take a cab)

• Finalize wedding day timeline (this is pretty much done, just want to go over it again)

• Write thank you speech

• File taxes (not wedding related, but they are due soon after we get back - might do that tonight, or it can wait until we're back)

So I think that's it! I want to thank all of you ladies for your help, support & encouragement over the past year. It's been amazing to get to "know" you. What a journey we've all been on! I will try to post some updates while we're away, so please keep an eye out here! 

Erin

xoxo

@@ashhtayy Looks like you are making a lot of progress. Your dress fitting sounded, um, interesting. Any update on getting another appointment? 

I got my belt from the same Etsy seller who made my dress. I'm super happy with it. She has lots of options and prices seem to range from $40 - $130ish. Mine was $50, I think. She's located in BC, so it's CAD as well!

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/LAmei