RIU Palace Cabo San Lucas Bride!! July 2014. Package Question!!! =)

[AlyssaD21]

Hello Ladies,

 

I am hoping someone can help me out. The Riu has 3 different wedding packages and looking at them it seems the basic could work if you do not need the extra frills. For example my hair lady is joining and I plan to get my nails done before I leave and I could care less about a RIU tee-shirt or late check out lol. However I see that the basic package does not include guest, the middle includes 20 and the big package includes 40. Based on past brides experience is it better to get the higher packages with guest already included?? Or add later. We are in the begin stage so do not have an exact number but we expect 20-50!!

 

Thanks!!

 

Alyssa

[melswed13]

Hello Alyssa!! Congratulations!!! I top package at first and then ended up not having as many people come....I would choose the package that allows for 40 people and modify as time goes. I am actually having my ceremony today.....I got married in the states first at the courthouse and decided to have the "ceremony" here. :-) Jatrizi is my coordinator....she's pretty good! Melissa

[AlyssaD21]

Hi Melissa,

Congratulations!!! I hope today goes perfectly =) Hopefully i can get an update after And yes we plan to get married here first as well!

 

Thanks for the tip! I didnt know if it was better to start with the basic and change or start bigger and decrease! Is it pretty easy to change packages during the planning process??

[AlyssaD21]

Hi Melissa,

Congratulations!!! I hope today goes perfectly =) Hopefully i can get an update after And yes we plan to get married here first as well!

 

Thanks for the tip! I didnt know if it was better to start with the basic and change or start bigger and decrease! Is it pretty easy to change packages during the planning process??

[AlyssaD21]

Also, Do you pay for the entire package at time of confirming or is it a deposit??

[RNtoBe]

Originally Posted by AlyssaD21 

 

Hello Ladies,

 

I am hoping someone can help me out. The Riu has 3 different wedding packages and looking at them it seems the basic could work if you do not need the extra frills. For example my hair lady is joining and I plan to get my nails done before I leave and I could care less about a RIU tee-shirt or late check out lol. However I see that the basic package does not include guest, the middle includes 20 and the big package includes 40. Based on past brides experience is it better to get the higher packages with guest already included?? Or add later. We are in the begin stage so do not have an exact number but we expect 20-50!!

 

Thanks!!

 

Alyssa

I chose the Royal package as it was cheaper to pay for each additional guest over 20 than pay an extra $1000 and package I would not fully use. I did not want to get my hair done at the Riu salon and I got my nails done before I left so it didn't make sense to pay more money and not use the entire package. It was cheaper for me to pay an additional $28 per person than to chose the package with a higher guest count (Caprice package). 

[RNtoBe]

Originally Posted by AlyssaD21 

 

Also, Do you pay for the entire package at time of confirming or is it a deposit??

They do not take any payment until you arrive at the resort. Just a heads up, they do no accept US money as a form of payment, you can pay in Mexican peso or credit card. Jatziri is an awesome wedding coordinator!! She is busy doing 6 weddings a day so she may not be so quick to respond to emails. 

[AlyssaD21]

Hi Dayna,

 

Thanks for getting back to me! I think we're going with the middle package as well =) then we can add people on. So, just to clarify you do not make any payments for your wedding prior to the getting there?? Does this make it easy to switch/add/remove things if necessary?

 

Also did you use a TA? I am still unsure of what we should do since we normally book on our own using bookit.com etc when finding a good deal. And since you have to pay for your flight in full when purchasing air tixs is it worth it to use the TA for rooms?

 

If we do not use a TA do we go through someone at the hotel or how do they know that 80% of my guest are staying there?

 

Thanks!

 

Alyssa

 

PS How was your wedding?

[melswed13]

Alyssa, My wedding was AWESOME!!! Jatziri asked for my guest list, so that's how she knew that 80%. We went thorough a travel agent, but it's probably just as easy to go through the hotel separately! No....you don't make payments prior to arriving. Everything is paid after you meet with the wedding coordinator! That way, you make minor changes if needed. Make you get a total before you leave and your paperwork with you....just to have your own documentation. Jatziri is awesome!!! We had our semiprivate meal at the Mar de Cortes restaurant! It was delicious!!!

[RNtoBe]

Originally Posted by AlyssaD21 

 

Hi Dayna,

 

Thanks for getting back to me! I think we're going with the middle package as well =) then we can add people on. So, just to clarify you do not make any payments for your wedding prior to the getting there?? Does this make it easy to switch/add/remove things if necessary?

 

Also did you use a TA? I am still unsure of what we should do since we normally book on our own using bookit.com etc when finding a good deal. And since you have to pay for your flight in full when purchasing air tixs is it worth it to use the TA for rooms?

 

If we do not use a TA do we go through someone at the hotel or how do they know that 80% of my guest are staying there?

 

Thanks!

 

Alyssa

 

PS How was your wedding?

I paid for the wedding when I met with Jatziri. You can small changes if necessary, I added an additional guest to the reception when I met with her. 

 

I did use a Travel Agent as I received a group rate for my guests. I found this to be easier than blocking rooms at the hotel. This way everything was taken care of, flight, hotel, transfers between airport and resort and seating selection on the flight. 

Keep in mind, 80% of your guests are required to stay at the resort, if you have outside guests you will have to pay for a day pass for them to be able to gain access to the resort. There is no way around this and this is the case with all resorts. 

My wedding was amazing, I just posted our video on another Riu forum.