Excellence Playa Mujeres Brides Post Here!

[MsBlissMpls]

LOVE the photos! It's so real time. Your dress is amazing! The chair signs are awesome. I bought a bride/groom one from Micheals but don't necessarity love it. Senor/Senora is so much better  

 

I was thinking we would send tips to the photographers & something to N (if we ever see or hear from her - and if she is amazing) after we get home. Bartenders & waitstaff for sure the day of with $ in envelopes.

 

Do you think Tres leches on the bottom and other flavors on the top would be good? Is the cake three layers? Do they save it for you in the frig. and bring some to you whenever you ask? - I hear they did this for one couple. I love the idea of laying at the beach and deciding it's time for wedding cake!

 

What night is the Mexican Fiesta?

 

 

[Jass7]

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all your photos Iciz! You look gorgeous woman! And thank you for sharing and answering all our questions.

 

I didn't catch, did you have a DJ? Or do they have ipod dock for use at reception?

 

Any pictures of N?

[Jass7]

By the way MsBlissMpls, I love this set up so much! I'm so stealing if that's okay with you!

 

Originally Posted by MsBlissMpls 

For those of you on the Spice Terrace, are you doing any additional decorations on the top (paper laterns, etc)?  One of my questions to N was to see if they can do this at the resort and the cost. but no word back. So I'm wondering if I should just buy these and bring them. Time is gettign short for shipping so I hope to decide to order these today or tomorrow.

 

 

[MsBlissMpls]

I only have 2-3 original ideas. This is not one of them, but I love the look. Thank goodness for the old Del Sol and La Luna photos! They got the best shots and really help sell EPM to me. To bad they are exiled.

 

I just checked on buying the lanters online and the 3 day shipping is $55 to much. I wish N would have gotten back to me so I would have known to order them time for ground shipping. I could have ordered it last week for $13 gound shipping.

[Amanda Gardner]

Thanks so much for the info on the invitations. I'm definetley going to check this out.
 

Originally Posted by May12 

OMG Lciz...you look absolutely STUNNING! I'm so glad it all worked out for you! Thanks so much for the feedback, it's super helpful for those of us freaking out at home! Great info on the rooms! We just changed our reservation recently to the swim up Excellence Club room ONLY because we should get a free upgrade with our travel package to the rooftop suite...I'm REALLY hoping we do get upgraded because that privacy issue will be a big problem! What would they do? I somehow think they wouldn't downgrade us and give us $$ back. I've got to get on this with Nayeli...it's been over a week of waiting for me as well...

 

As for the menu- We did a FREE tasting when we were there last September and planned it out the month before we got there...maybe they only charge when you do it too close to the date?? Once we knew what we wanted, we included menu choices on our reply card with the invitations. We knew we were having filet and scallops, but were still waiting on seafood only options(we did not taste these) so we worded it as Beef and Seafood, Seafood, and Special Dietary Restrictions. We chose and confirmed the chilean seabass once we got the options from the chef. I have an excel spreadsheet with everyones names, days they are staying, meal options and noted the bridal party and other special guests. I sent it to Nayeli so she knows who's who, and what they're getting. Once we're there and meet with her, we'll give her our seating chart. On each Menu that we're having printed will be the guest's name at the top, and the menu will have the entree they chose. The waiters need to know who to give what dish to. Being that we will have Handpainted Margarita glasses and Maraccas as the favors at their seat (we're buying them there), we will be tying the favor cards to the glasses with colored ribbon in our wedding colors. If someone is having beef they will have a brown ribbon, if fish-an orange one, beef and no seafood(we have 1) a burgundy ribbon. Normally they will put a sticker on your seating card, but we didn't want to alter them so decided to do this.

 

For the invitations- We found Ginger, this AMAZING woman on Etsy who is doing all  of our stationary. What we love is that EVERYTHING is customizable....colors, wording, design(and she collaborates with you on this), size, what you want included in them, you name it! What's great, she's REALLY reasonable! Invitations we liked from other websites or at Papyrus were at least double and we couldn't change or tweak anything other that wording/fonts, etc...We felt limited. We've had a TON of complements on the invites and what's best, is that she really captured our style. Now we have her doing a ton of other things for the wedding....she's "branded" us without her even realizing it! Everything will be in the same style/design of our invitations. She's doing favor cards, the menus, name tags for the OOT bags, the Welcome letter, a timeline, a check in card (so people know when to meet us Thurs night for welcome cocktails-OOT bags do not get delivered until turn down service and we were worried they wouldn't have the information before they were out for the night) and a do not disturb sign! (and of course than you cards). Clearly, I can't say enough about her! She's based out of Saint Louis but we do everything via email and an occasional phone call for clarity. She has a TON of really cool designs and ideas including passports, boarding passes, postcards, traditional,etc.. If you want to check her out  her website is www.serendipitybeyonddesign.com or email designs@serendipitybeyonddesign.com

Hope this info helps!!

 

       

 

 

[lciz]

We actually did hire a DJ but then cancelled last min b/c we only had 25 ppl... It wasnt costs that got us, it was having speakers blaring in the ears of our guests that made us cancel. We even lost our deposit, which we knew would happen, but still having a DJ for only 25 ppl was just a bit much for us. Otherwise I think a DJ would be awesome!!! We planned on a DJ the whole time and my husband and his groomsmen are breakdancers so having a DJ was really important to us, but after we did a test run at home we realized the DJ would be more overpowering than the reception all together so we scratched it. Glad we did b/c after toasts and my BFF singing to us, our reception was over so fast! Again though, if we had even 5 more ppl we would have gone with the DJ!.

 

With that said, we brought our own iPod speakers that worked great. Its $400 to rent the ipod speakers here for the reception, but we happened to have bought $150 Bose speakers for Xmas one year that worked perfectly. Also, for the ceremony, they have an ipod dock to use with no charge. I named all my songs "Guests seating 1 through 8" and "bridesmaids entrance 1" "bridesmaids entrance 2" and "bridal march"... and they still got it all wrong, so again, triple check! I seriously could not have been more clear with our songs and I ended up walking to our bridesmaids entrance 1. how they messed that up I have no idea! No one but me noticed though... so  thats good! all thought it was important to me to walk to a string version of my parents first dance... oh well!

 

There are ipod speakers in every room as well, so we made a honeymoon mix that we have been playing non stop :-) !

 

 

My BFF got this shot of my shoes!

 

[stefkva]

Awesome! Thank you!!!!!
 

Originally Posted by May12 

OH almost forgot about the sparklers!!

StefKva, We have to order the sparklers through Nayeli. They are $38 for 10 of them and additional sparlkers are $4. We also found out that if we make custom matches, they may be confiscated as they probably shouldn't go on a plane. Nayeli said they have matches there for the sparklers. I attached the Pyrotechnic catalog for you...

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

PYROTECHNIC CATALOG JPG-BODAS.PDF

[stefkva]

 

Whew! I just finished reading all the posts from today. I love this solidarity...esp since N isn't responding.

 

lciz, thank you so much for sharing all this information with us! You look gorgeous in your pictures!!! Did you have a long table to seat everyone at the reception? I would like to do that type of seating as well (we have 31 guests). Did you and your groom sit in the middle of the table? What kind of seating did you do. Also, did you seat the photographers at the same table?

 

MsBlissMpls, It is crazy that 8 days away and nothing has been confirmed yet....I'm 5 days right after you and I feel like I have nothing decided since I'm also still waiting to hear back from N. Arg!!! Frustrating, but as long as my FI shows up at the alter, it'll be great. 

[IliaPSU]

My reception is at the event terrace, but I am planning on using the paper lanterns.  They said it is $100 to hang 20 lanterns.  It seems a little ridiculous, but I had already bought the lanterns when I found this out, so I figure I will bring them down and then decide if I want them or not.  I saw some pics on Style Me Pretty of a wedding at EPM on the event terrace with lanterns and fell in love and kind of want to recreate the look.  

[lciz]

We had one long rectangle table seating everyone including our photographers at the end of our table. They appreciated being seated with us and to be honest, it would have been awkward to have them off to the side alone. Plus, I just really loved them!

 

Not even joking, the Friday wedding before us the groom didnt show up to the alter!! Can you imagine!! Well, dont, thats crazy!

 

We paid $200 bucks for our table to be lined with tall pillars filled with water and floating candles and since the wind is so nuts, not one single candle stayed lit for more than a second. I was pretty sad about that and am still contemplating asking for my money back.
 

The long table was great for us, very intimate and everyone felt like a part of the family... It was nice

 

I brought paper lanterns as well, I just love how they look in pics!! Unfortunately due to the wind they wouldnt stay up for us :/

I hope the wind is a fluke for us and dies down for you guys!