WPGBride17

Thank you! I promise to share more pictures as they come in and I will write a full review upon my return. All I can say now is the wedding department is amazing! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Keely, I just got married on Saturday so I think I can answer some of your questions. 1. Music I just chose songs and they were played thru a speaker. Sounded great. I'm sure you can hire a violinist just shoot the wedding department an email 2. Distance While the resort is large it is deceiving in size and doesn't take too long to get anywhere. Best investment I made was paying the extra cost to rent the shuttle which shuttled my 55 guests to the ceremony and then to our private dinner. I only got the gold package so there was a distance between the wedding and restaurant. 3. Cocktails/Champagne toast Mine took place right at the ceremony location. I also hired the Mexican trio which everybody loved! 3. Times Don't fill out the times as the wedding planner does that for you. She will go over them with you when you get to the hotel. The only time you should worry about filling in is what time you want your wedding to start. Sorry I can't help you with the BBQ as we had the Italian restaurant. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Two days until I leave and honestly I'm more than ready to stop planning and packing and just start enjoying. Enjoying the heat, the family & friends, the whole experience. I managed to get my hair and nails done yesterday and then spent the rest of the evening cutting some the remainder of my stuff on the Cameo. This is the weekly schedule that will go in the welcome bags. They aren't perfect and the times might change but I figure I will let people know of any. Hanged at the welcome dinner. I also made this little cards for necklaces to give to my MOH, and 2 of my friends who have been helping me with the wedding. Today I get married legally in the comfort of my house. I'm excited but at the same time my wedding to me is in Mexico so I'm reserving the bulk of the excitement for then. Thanks you guys for all your well wishes and I hope this thread has help someone along with providing me with memories of my journey. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So I officially leave in 10 days and get married in 2 weeks! It's been a rough week as I found out that Passport Canada lost my pictures. So this 5 year passport is now going to cost me near $300 and it will be ready on Friday (we fly out on Tuesday). I have also wasted an entire week in bed with bronchitis and a sinus infection so it's not my best week lol. Why do I share this? I share because every Bride has their crisis and it's ok. The wedding will still happen and I know it will be beautiful! I've been picking up packages all week and it's so exciting! Today I picked up a special cup and a princess superhero for my flower girl. I wanted to get her something original and i love it! I also ordered these beautiful hankies for my parents When my MOH helped me pack the decorations and welcome bag stuff we discovered that we were 1 tumbler short. After multiple trips to the dollar store with no luck I decided to order a special tumbler for myself lol. Our Ring Bearer is only 1 1/2 years old so we do t really trust him with the rings so I made him a sign to carry. I don't have any pictures of the flower girl basket or crown as my mom is still making them. My biggest concern now is luggage space as we were original told we were allowed 2 bags each at 23kg but that's under the new rules and because we booked last year we are only allowed 30kg ea which kinda sucks but I'll make it work. On the way back it won't be an issue as we will be rid of all the welcome bag stuff. I still want to do a table mock up for the hotel before we leave and I have one more printable to print and cut and I'm pretty much ready to go. Today we went and picked up our marriage license as we are legally getting married here the Sunday before we leave. Tonight is my bachelorette party and we are going swimsuit shopping! Wish me luck! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The countdown is officially on! 1 month until I marry my best friend! So last night my MOH came over and we made some really good progress! First we washed and labelled all 55 tumblers. Then she finished assembling all the escort cards that I pre-cut on my mom's silhouette cameo (I love this machine!) Then we assembled all the hangover kits which contained mini tictacs, bandaids, Advil, Emergen-C, and hand sanitizer. I have also started the canvases that will line the aisle but it's definitely very time consuming. I've finished 2 out of 8 so far. I also got the gift for our ring bearer in the mail today. I ended up getting him a personalized baseball and mini bat. I still have to find a gift for our flower girl but I think we are set giftwise. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

First off Congrats! A few things to keep in mind as these are things I discovered along the way as I'm getting married in January. I believe the palapa only holds 100 guests and you have a pretty large group. You will get a better deal from an outside florist but the resort charges a penalty fee for an outside vendor ($200 USD I think). I think if you want lots of flowers even with the penalty fee you will be better off because what the resort charges is crazy lol. As for the photographer be careful because someone informed me even if you bring your own photographer they charge you the penalty fee for photographers ($300-400 USD can't remember exactly). I contacted the resort because a cousin who is by no means a photographer (she just has a nice camera) is taking pictures as we cannot afford professional photography. The wedding staff were kinda sketchy in their answer saying I guess as the person is a guest here we won't charge you but I had to provide them with them with her name. I'm in no way trying to bad mouth the resort as I'm super excited to be getting married her but just wanted you to know some potential road blocks you may encounter. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So I accomplished yet another task but funny enough this one wasn't on my list. First let me praise the person who is @@calgarybride2015. She is the most helpful person on not only this site but on the FB group for my hotel. I could never thank her enough for all the advice and help she has contributed to my wedding. She gave me the idea of sending a pre-travel brochure to my guests to answer any questions or offer tips to them. She sent me a copy of her brochure and while I did copy lots of it (she had an amazing brochure) I also added some of my own touches. I ordered these thru Vistaprint and took advantage of their Black Friday deals and I can't wait to get them in the mail! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So one more thing checked off of my to do list! Thanks to Pinterest I came up with the idea of not only buying frames from Ikea but to incorporate all the beautiful engagement pictures that were just siting on my hard drive. My FI spray painted the frames silver and the prints cost $0 because I had some free prints at Costco! Here's the final product Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@@scadeau yes I did decide to put a starfish on every chair. I bought them on eBay and paid $32 CAD for 60 of them which was a lot cheaper than the stores. @@rebeccarpeck1 I found the starfish fans originally on Etsy but they were asking some crazy expensive price. In order to save money I went on a local handmade FB group asking if someone could help me out and a girl did it for $20 for the digital file. I then took it to Staples who photocopied it onto card stock and cut them for me. In terms of panicking I went through my on ups and downs. I found I was more stressed in the beginning than I am now and it depends on the situation. I found time has flied by and I can't believe it's only 2 1/2 months left to go. I will admit that on some things I have been dragging my butt but I'm slowly working at it. My biggest stressor right now is fitting everything into my suitcases without being charged extra lol. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So I know it's been a while but after the social I've been crazy wedding planning! Only have 2 1/2 months to the wedding!!! So right after the social all of our decisions were due for the hotel. The flowers were the most challenging part I found as I wasn't sure what flowers to pick. I tried to just provide a color scheme but the hotel said they needed pictures. I tried searching for local flowers to avoid extra costs but to no avail so in the end the FI said just pay the extra. My bouquet MOH bouquet Groom Boutonnière BM Boutonnière FOB Boutonnière MOB/MOG Corsage Gazebo Corsages & Centrepieces I added some birds of paradise to add in orange Tiki Torches at entrance of the aisle Also added birds of paradise Rodrigo convinced me to upgrade to the Tiffany chairs. I'm bringing my own purple chair sashes because I got them for $60 vs the hotel charging me $110. I also bought a bunch pencil starfish from China for dirt cheap to decorate the chairs so they will look like the picture below. I'm making signs on flat canvas to line the aisle I made program fans which I absolutely love I couldn't justify the crazy prices the hotel charges for centre pieces for the reception so I did eBay shopping and bought flameless votive candles, tiny starfish and purchased extra purple flower petals from the hotel. As part of our welcome bag I created hand over kits and designed the label myself. I still have to make a couple of signs and escort cards and I'm done. For table numbers I used various engagement pictures and labelled them with the table numbers. I bought IKEA picture frames for $1.50 ea and I'm just spray painted them silver. I'll post pictures when they are done. Today we got assigned a wedding planner, Diana Palomino. Don't know much about her but I'm sure she will be great. I just have to get my wedding dress fitted and a bustle put in and that's done yay! On a negative note my MOH tried her dress on and it doesn't fit anymore… too small. I refuse to get stressed about it until I see the seamstress and she what she can do. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

A question for past GS Brides. I'm starting to fill paperwork out with all our desicisions and I have a couple of questions. Flowers, I'm having a hard time picking out flowers for the alter and my wedding party. My colours are purple with accents of orange with a starfish theme. My groom really wants birds of paradise so any orange I'm choosing that. Should my bouquet flowers match the types of flowers that the gazebo is decorating in or is ok to have completely different flowers? Also I need ideas for decorating the aisle way and tables for the reception. What did you ladies do? I'm trying to keep within a tight budget and I'm not wanting to add to much extras. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm really starting to get excited especially know that I'm filling out the paperwork. Time flies by as I felt like we just got engaged. I wish we could afford to book the presidential package but it just wasn't in the budget. We are going with the gold package and just having the reception in the restaurant. The palapa looks beautiful and I would have loved to book it. We were shocked with how many booked, 53 total including 12 kids. I'm lucky that no one right now is looking to get pregnant so the Zika virus is not an issue. We would like to start a family soon but I was told that you only have to wait 6mos before you try. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Keely, I'm getting married Jan 2017 and you are right in saying the wedding coordinator contacts you closer to the date as this is what is happening with me now. Rodrigo won't be you're actual coordinator as he assigns one about 2 months before the wedding. As for photography I had a heart attack when I was getting quotes and the FI put a stop to spending that much. I got in touch with a photographer who was reasonable but with the penalty fee of bringing her on resort it was again too expensive. She told me every bride deserves professional photography and offered a package for a couples shoot in our wedding gear a couples days after our wedding ceremony in Playa deal Carmen for a fraction of the price ($500 USD). So we are doing the friends and family thing for the day of the wedding and the couples shoot a couple days later. Hope this helps! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@@calgarybride2015 I know I have been MIA lately but I have been busy planning my Wedding Social which takes place this weekend. Honestly I think planning the social has been way more stressful than any wedding planning but in the end the funds we make will help with the wedding costs. More wedding planning starts right after Saturday as I have to hand in all my paper work next month to the resort. I did get one wedding related task done. I made my invitations! I love how they turned out and can't wait to send them out! I designed them from scratch and feel really proud. I promise more planning in the near future! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@@Chelseaslove did you ever get the price breakdown for the different wedding packages because if not I can email them to you as like calgarybride said I'm getting married in January. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@@yycbride2016 thanks! Just figured it would be smart before I spend money on eBay on starfish to ask! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So I'm starting to nail down some of my decor and trying to keep it pretty simple. I want to bring some starfish as this is my theme but then I started thinking are we even allowed to bring starfish in our luggage? I'm just wondering if maybe this would be something that would not be allowed by customs officials. Any advice? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@@LeanneP it is definitely near be racking especially waiting for the deadline but in the end I know it will be awesome. I find the people on this forum help with the nerves though. I'm so glad I found it! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@@LeanneP congrats! My biggest advice to you is once you get past your deadline is to remember more people will inevitably book after your deadline. I starting diying right after our deadline and bought a few extra of everything but now I'm having to go back and buy even more because more people keep on booking lol. I've run into a couple of issues with this because some of the stuff I ordered had minimum quantities and now I don't meet the requirements to purchase. We were incredible shocked and touched with how many people chose to come. We were expecting 20 and are now up to 51. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's a really tough position and can understand why you are torn over your decision. First off don't be too hard on yourself as all of us make mistakes and other people need to back off because they are not perfect either. This should be a happy time in your life as you found the person you truly want to spend your life with. I think you and your SO need to sit down after your engagement and decide what's important to you for your wedding and if that is getting married in Mexico then I say screw the critics and do it but realize it will have to be different than your first marriage as your guests may not want to pay again to go somewhere tropical. I'm not sure where you live but could you maybe replicate a beach wedding nearby and then there isn't that worry you are putting a financial strain on your guests and then you can honeymoon in Mexico. Personally I wouldn't keep that secret from his family because they will find out sooner or later or it will be the topic at your wedding which will take away from your special day. Hope this helps and good luck! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We're getting married at Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya in January 2018. Our theme is Starfish, colours are purple and orange (birds of paradise) and our wedding budget is $6,000 (not including our travel costs). Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So it's been a while since I posted but I haven't been planning all that much lately but I have already done so much that I think I'm ahead of the ball game. This past weekend my mom threw me a huge shower for all my family, my FI family and friends. She worked so hard and with help from others made all the decorations and goodies herself. It was overwhelming but absolutely beautiful! We somehow got 5 chip and dip bowls which we had a good laugh considering we were registered for one. Here are some pictures: I've also been talking with a past coworker who I found out is getting married at the same place as I am. We've been talking details and figured we might share decorations and then it's cheaper for the both of us. The only hiccup so far has been minor family politics which is to be expected but I'm trying to keep the peace as much as I can. We were thinking of making it legal this summer because it would be easier for our grandparents to attend and then go out for lunch in the summer vs the winter. Also I need a new passport and would prefer to get it under my married name. It still surprises me how many people get bent out of shape of the legal vs symbolic marriage in Mexico. To me the legal is just me signing a paper and my wedding is my Mexico wedding. My MIL sees it differently and wants to tell the whole world when we are getting legally married when I just want to keep it to ourselves. So no summer legal wedding because it was just simply taking away from our Mexico wedding. So I conceded not only to getting married right before I leave but also to let her sisters come as well. I love them all but all I wanted was our parents, his grandpa and my grandma there. Now I kinda wish we would just done it be ourselves but I think our parents would have killed us. Sometimes you just have to give in but we voiced that this is not our wedding date and that January 21st is and will be our anniversary date. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Finally a Winnipeger Bride on here. I thought I was alone. Congrats on your upcoming wedding! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Congrats! My wedding day is January 21, 2017 as well but at the Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya! I'm already full force planning so I don't think you're early at all and have been writing my planning thread since January lol. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just a quick message today. I'm so excited because my welcome bags came in and my waterproof stickers came in! I order these online from the Totebag factory. I was originally going to screen print them myself but for what they charged it wasn't worth the headache of me doing it myself. I would highly recommend them as they did an awesome job! These are my DollarTree tumblers with my waterproof stickers on them. I ordered these through Davet Designs and again I would highly recommend this company as they were amazing to deal with. You can find this company either through Google or she also has an Etsy store. She has a ton of designs to choose from and all reasonably priced. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Here's a little better picture of the labels on the tumblers. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk