Secrets Maroma Brides

[Mandiland]

Semistar, I forgot to ask you what flavor of cake you had? We will have over 50 guests so we need a bigger cake; we are using the one offered with the package as the grooms cake.

[inspiredfyre]

Hello gals! I just got married here on Monday, and the resort is just fantastic!

 

Regarding the chuppa on the beach (smaller gazebo like structure) is at the far right of the beach, and have since added LOTS of chairs...we had plenty of guests, not our own of course, looking over us, and it was a little awkward i must say!! I would just talk to cecilia before hand to see if those can be moved in further away....not sure about the other site, she didn't offer that one to us! Keep in mind it was just me and fi!

 

I will try posting pics as soon as i can! Also, as i was just there, yes, it does get really windy, if you plan on having your hair down, just be prepared....with hairspray, lol!!

[inspiredfyre]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mandiland Semistar, I forgot to ask you what flavor of cake you had? We will have over 50 guests so we need a bigger cake; we are using the one offered with the package as the grooms cake.

Regarding the cake, and I'm not sure if semistar liked hers, I had the tres leches cake, which had extremely thin layers, and was soaked in a sweet milk (very traditional mexican cake) and it was delicious! Yes, I agree with Semistar however, in the fact it was somewhat cheesey and plain looking, and the frosting, a fondant was kind of strange tasting, but the cake? Tasty!!

[Simistar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mandiland Semistar, I forgot to ask you what flavor of cake you had? We will have over 50 guests so we need a bigger cake; we are using the one offered with the package as the grooms cake.

Quote:

Originally Posted by inspiredfyre Regarding the cake, and I'm not sure if semistar liked hers, I had the tres leches cake, which had extremely thin layers, and was soaked in a sweet milk (very traditional mexican cake) and it was delicious! Yes, I agree with Semistar however, in the fact it was somewhat cheesey and plain looking, and the frosting, a fondant was kind of strange tasting, but the cake? Tasty!!

First of all -- congrats Inspiredfyre! Sounds like you had an amazing time and everything went as planned! (Hopefully?:-))

We were actually only offered two choices of cake...chocolate or vanilla...I don't think they were offering the tres leches cake (which is weird, since isn't that a Mexican cake..? Again, though we got married there when the resort was still pretty new-ish...)...
Anyway, we got the vanilla...and it was kind of gross... really mushy and not much flavour...
But it didn't really matter -- b/c they never served it! Seriously! My mother got up and started cutting pieces for a few people...but no one else, us included, was ever brought a piece of cake!
I'm thinking that by now, this kink in the service has been worked out:-)

However, it does sound like they're still making the cakes look kind of cheesey:-)

[Mandiland]

It's so helpful to have people on here to chat with! Semistar, I hate you had so many bad eperiences because you looked so beautiful on your wedding day and everything like the tables, etc looked great too!

 

Did anyone do group bookings? We aren't sure if that's something we want to do or not.

 

Also, does anyone know if they have ivory table cloths for the reception tables?

[Mandiland]

Quote:

Originally Posted by inspiredfyre Cecilia does take great photos, I actually have her booked for Monday, and am stoked!! Wish me luck ladies, I'm off to the airport in 4 hours!!!! I will post pics as soon as I get back...or at least when i'm back down to earth ;D yay!!!

Did you have to pay the resort anything extra, fees etc, for Cecelia to do your wedding pictures? I wasn't sure what their policy is for outside vendors.

[Simistar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mandiland It's so helpful to have people on here to chat with! Semistar, I hate you had so many bad eperiences because you looked so beautiful on your wedding day and everything like the tables, etc looked great too!

Aww...you're too sweet:-)
You know, despite the many small glitches, honestly, no one noticed but me/us...Our group was too busy eating and drinking...mostly drinking:-)...and then smoking cigars and dancing:-)
The only person who still, to this day, mentions the cake, is my mother:-)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mandiland Did anyone do group bookings? We aren't sure if that's something we want to do or not. Also, does anyone know if they have ivory table cloths for the reception tables?

We didn't do a group booking...b/c we had so many people coming from all over AND b/c I didn't want to have to worry about x number of people booking by x date, our travel agent just recommended NOT doing a block of rooms or whatever (if that's what you meant?)...

As for the table cloths...I'm pretty sure they only have white, not ivory...but maybe someone else knows for sure...?

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Originally Posted by Mandiland Did you have to pay the resort anything extra, fees etc, for Cecelia to do your wedding pictures? I wasn't sure what their policy is for outside vendors.

SMB charges about $90USD/pp for an outside vendor fee...
I say "about" b/c before we went Cecilia (the resort's WC) told me it was $100/pp...then when we got there it was $90/pp...so I'm guessing it's still "around" that amount:-)

So, keep in mind, if Cecilia (the photographer) has an assistant, you will likely have to pay for TWO people...

[newyork6156]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mandiland Thanks so much Semistar! I really appreciate all of your information! I read all of your reviews on here when I picked my resort and it was very helpful! I'm not sure if Cecelia has an assistant or not but she is pretty good at getting back to us and our wedding planner. My wedding planner is working with her for other weddings at the resort so they keep in pretty good contact. I found the wedding planner at DestinationWeddings.com and I adore her. I would def. suggest to new brides on here to look them up and use them! We are having our wedding in July so it is going to be realllllly hot! I am also worried about mosquitos. We are having the wedding in an air conditioned chapel at the Marina. When you see that chapel at the El Dorado Maroma it is actually at the marina so people from other resorts can have their wedding there, you go through Lomas Travel. I wonder how windy it is there in July.... I do like the pool side reception, it looks very pretty!

I was married there last July and yes, it's windy and there are mosquitos. I hadmy reception on the beach and my sister had to hold my veil down. It wasn't so windy that sand was blowing up or anything like that and it actually felt good b/c you weren't sweating.

I had my reception in the world cafe red room. The entire restaurant was closed for us that night, but we only used the red room b/c we only had 26 people and I didnt want to feel too spread out. I wanted to be in a/c and away from potential bugs for the reception. At our welcome dinner on the beach it was beautiful with a breeze and NO bugs. At the cocktail hr outside the bugs just started to come out as we were heading inside for dinner so I was really glad we decided to be inside for the reception.

Also, one side of the resort seemed to have more bugs at night than the other. So I would keep that in mind and request to be roomed on the "good" side. (one side of the resort has jungle next to it and the other has another resort, so obviously the side next to jungle was buggier)

I wrote a pretty detailed review about the experience if you haven't seen it.

[inspiredfyre]

Mandiland,

 

about the fees to bring people in...I have read that you had to pay fees for that, as well as what Semistar is saying, but no, I didn't!! no one had to pay any fees, that was wonderful!! We alerted them ahead of time that she was coming in, so they could alert us, so I too feel bad Semistar kept getting the short end of the stick it seems!! You are the nicest bride, esp with your exp!! What it sounds like to me, is that they had originally implemented certain things, and then perhaps took it away afterwards, or perhaps I was just lucky! Who knows!! Cecilia is so great, I have yet to write a thread and post pics, but if you booked her, you'll love her!!

[Simistar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by inspiredfyre Mandiland, about the fees to bring people in...I have read that you had to pay fees for that, as well as what Semistar is saying, but no, I didn't!! no one had to pay any fees, that was wonderful!! We alerted them ahead of time that she was coming in, so they could alert us, so I too feel bad Semistar kept getting the short end of the stick it seems!! You are the nicest bride, esp with your exp!! What it sounds like to me, is that they had originally implemented certain things, and then perhaps took it away afterwards, or perhaps I was just lucky! Who knows!! Cecilia is so great, I have yet to write a thread and post pics, but if you booked her, you'll love her!!

Well, we went when the resort was pretty new-ish, so we knew not everything would go perfectly:-)
On the upside, however, it sounds like maybe they are getting the hang of weddings and dealing with large groups:-)

Now, as for vendor fees... we actually didn't end up paying any of these either! Mostly it was b/c they treated our vendors so poorly when they arrived... but maybe this is something Cecilia deems "discretionary"..?
So, it would be interesting to hear from other past brides whether they had to pay the outside vendor fee or whether it was waived as well...?

Maybe they just SAY you have to pay one to discourage brides from booking outside vendors?;-)