ROYAL PLAYA DEL CARMEN BRIDES: were kids allowed for the day? ...and other questions

[Suzy831]

diahr -   I think I read somebody post before that if you don't have 20 people for the reception you can still do the private reception, but you just have to pay for 20... even if you only have 15. That is what we are doing cause my wedding is in April as well and I only have 15 booked right now, and I have a feeling that is all who is coming.  Also, I am just doing the iPod for music(saves me $800 for a dj). 

 

Also, since my group is so small, I plan on just doing a "cocktail social" at one of the bars the night before the wedding, probably the lobby bar and just get everybody together and give them their Welcome bags if they hadn't gotten them already. And I am just going to tell everybody to meet for dinner beforehand at one of the restaurants and ask if we can just sit "near each other" since I know they probably won't seat 15 together... which is fine with me! It saves money on a rehearsal dinner! 

 

We are not doing a cocktail hour... I originally booked one, but decided that since everybody is staying at the Royal anyways, that they can just go to one of the bars to get drinks, plus they pass out champaign for the toast after the ceremony and I've read from other brides that they set up the bar for the reception before the reception actually starts and they will serve you early since they are already set up...(at least I'm hoping that is the case for me!) It might be a problem for those not staying at the Royal though... :/

 

As for the camcorder issue, my FI and I just bought a small one and plan to just have somebody be in charge of it and do the "Pass the camcorder" thing too.. plus we got a "waterproof" one so we can use it the whole trip and not be afraid of it getting damaged in the water or anything.

 

After looking at a million photographers, I booked Gonzalo Nunez. He is soooo affordable and awesome! And he does underwater pics now so we are going to do that for our trash the dress the next day! He was by far the most reasonable yet really good photog I could find!

 

Anyways, we are also paying for the wedding ourselves, and we have pretty much no budget.. lol.. but I think we are going to have an awesome wedding without having to spend a lot!! So I am pretty happy at how everything is going to work out!! Good luck!!

[JoZee84]

Thanks everyone for posting about the transfers,  I think we are going to go with cancun transfers.  When we booked our trip my TA said transfers were taken care of and included but i know its not private and will probably take forever dropping other people off at different hotels.  I just want to get in the car, truck, limo what ever be handed a drink and go straight there.  haha

 

Prettypigpig the invitations came out great!

 

I am sending out formal invitations in the beginning of January,  or when ever the FI finishes painting them!! GRRR taking a long time. 

The bridal party and close family already booked so that was good. 

 

Jlaurr?? -  We booked the Gazebo patio for our private reception.  We have a small party, the pictures look really nice when its all set up.  PM me if you want me to send you pics of it. 

 

We are also running an Ipod for the night.  We are having an AHR and figured we'd spend the money on it then. 

 

News to me!!... I didn't know you have to have 20 people to have a private reception! ? good to know

 

I also like the camcorder idea,  I would recommend investing in a tri pod though.  Theirs nothing worse than seeing your video and wanting to throw up from everything shaking too much.

[speedy130]

Hey Ladies!

 

I am less than 5 months away now, and starting to panic a bit and everything I need to do.  I am debating on the OOT bags.  I really want to give the guests something, but I am not so sure how useful they would find it.  What do you all think?  For recent brides with OOT bags, did the guests like them?  Are you glad you spent that money?  Any suggestions outside of the normal stuff that they really enjoyed?  Some people are only coming for a 3 or 4 day weekend, so I feel like some of the stuff won't be useful to them.  Maybe it would be better to go with another type of gift...

 

[GC2008]

so has anyone started to doubt or second-guess their choice on where to have the destination wedding?  ive booked the royal month ago and i find myself looking at other resorts questioning if i made the right choice.  now im obsessing over Tensing Pen in Jamaica and wonder if it would have been a better choice.  i think im stressing becuase 1/2 of my guests have decided to stay at other hotels, not at the royal nor the grand porto and wondering if would have been a better experience to have done it at a place where everyone would have stayed at.....looks like you book the whole property at tensing pen and about 45 guests can take over the place.

 

anyways, its definitely way too late to make any changes to our wedding....but just wondering if others have experienced the doubts beforehand....

[Suzy831]

GC2008 - I think I've second guessed pretty much every decision I've made about this wedding!! My biggest "doubt" was that when I originally booked the Royal and I told everyone I was going to get married in Mexico, I had like 40 people tell me that they were coming.... and as of right now, I think only 15 people are going to come... so then I kept thinking well maybe I should have just had the wedding here (and gone into debt!! lol)... but in the end I picked the Royal for a reason and I'm just sticking to it and I know my wedding will be awesome! I think that I would have doubts about any place that I would have booked because that is the kind of person I am. You can't make everybody happy on the hotel choice, plus it is YOUR wedding, so you should decide where YOU want to stay and have it, and then others can do what they want!

[Suzy831]

Oh and STOP looking at other resorts cause you will make yourself crazy!!

[Bride2B22]

I def think that alot of us kind of second guess ourselves....my advise would be to stop looknig at other resorts! also, i did not give my guests other hotel choices, i clearly have stated that the Royal and the sister hotel are great hotels, and if they stay at other resorts they will not be able to spend any time with you guys other than the day of the wedding......that pretty much sold everyone.......I am a Royal in Cancun bride not a PDC bride......i know alot of people would want to stay at a cheaper hotel but once they saw pics of the Royal they couldnt resist......1/2 of your guests is alot of people to have staying at other resorts.....that's just how i see it.....I want to be able to spend sometime with everyone and not have to pay the hefty per non-resort guest charge...........Is there a reason why those guests have decided against the Royal?

 

Originally Posted by GC2008 

so has anyone started to doubt or second-guess their choice on where to have the destination wedding?  ive booked the royal month ago and i find myself looking at other resorts questioning if i made the right choice.  now im obsessing over Tensing Pen in Jamaica and wonder if it would have been a better choice.  i think im stressing becuase 1/2 of my guests have decided to stay at other hotels, not at the royal nor the grand porto and wondering if would have been a better experience to have done it at a place where everyone would have stayed at.....looks like you book the whole property at tensing pen and about 45 guests can take over the place.

 

anyways, its definitely way too late to make any changes to our wedding....but just wondering if others have experienced the doubts beforehand....

[GC2008]

ha!  thanks Suzy - yea i really need to stop torturing myself like that...and i have totally questioned every single decision we have made too!  wondering if i should have done june and not april, jamaica or los cabos, etc...im driving myself nuts!  and yes, we totally wondered if we should just have had our wedding here rather than destination too! i guess my concern is making my guests happy.  i know its our wedding and all, but im really stressing over making sure my guests enjoy themselves....

[GC2008]

bride2b22 - i dont exactly know why some guests chose to stay off the resort.  my guess is they felt that the gran porto and royal were to expensive for them.  i cant force anyone to stay at the resort and they all understand they wont be able to spend time with us but they still made the choice, although some of them will be getting a day pass to spend some time with us....

 

i do have 4 guests staying in tulum about an hour away so they wont be spending any time with us including the welcome dinner...i will see them literally only for the wedding....although its there perogative, i think thats extremely rude.

[Bride2B22]

I can totally see that some people will stay in area hotels because the Royal and Gran Porto might be expensive etc...but to stay an hour away is a plain insult! When is your wedding? have you guys decided on a photographer yet? please keep us posted on your planning!

 

Originally Posted by GC2008 

bride2b22 - i dont exactly know why some guests chose to stay off the resort.  my guess is they felt that the gran porto and royal were to expensive for them.  i cant force anyone to stay at the resort and they all understand they wont be able to spend time with us but they still made the choice, although some of them will be getting a day pass to spend some time with us....

 

i do have 4 guests staying in tulum about an hour away so they wont be spending any time with us including the welcome dinner...i will see them literally only for the wedding....although its there perogative, i think thats extremely rude.