Destination: Riviera Maya

[kateydid05]

Hi Everyone!

Not engaged yet but my boyfriend and I have been discussing the idea of a destination wedding sometime next year. Actually it's more that we decided to do this but now we have to figure out where to go. We have decided that Riviera Maya is where we'd like go and have been reseaching resorts. Neither of us have ever been before but have heard many things about the area; in particular Playa del Carmen. I am looking for suggestions on resorts for a destination wedding. We realized this is difficult because we have to think about our guests instead of just us. As far as the wedding goes we want very simple and relaxed.

Here's what we have going on:

--If everyone we invite can go then we max out around 50 people and that includes children under 10.
--All-inclusive, kid friendly, easy access to activities outside of the resort.
--Lots of dining options--American type food or Italian (picky eaters that I gotta worry about).
--I like ocean front/view rooms or even a terrace with beach access.
--Must have a beautiful beach both to swim/relax as well as for the ceremony.
--Ceremony: On the beach, very casual
--Reception: I would rather have a nice and simple dinner or a bonfire/beach party instead of the traditional reception. So far it's been hard to accomodate 50 people for that. I do not want it in a ballroom.

Ideally I would want guests to spend no more than $1500 per person including airfare.

Some of the places we have looked at are Dreams (Riviera Cancun, Tulum, Puerto Aventuras), Gran Porto Real, H10 Ocean Coral & Turquesa. I am open to any suggestions. I've also been browsing at bestdestinationwedding.com

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!! Thank you!

 

[OUpearlgirl]

I don't know what kind of weddings they do, but several years ago my family stayed at the Iberostar in Playa del Carmen. It was very nice, all inclusive, and very kid friendly. There were also some things only adults could do-- adult only pool, a night club, etc. The food was also great!

Good luck planning the wedding!

 

[Autumnovember]

Iberostar in Playa is a good suggestion---

Main question is, how close do you want to be to Playa?

I lived in Playa for a month and went to Riviera multiple times....

If you're not looking to go to Playa often throughout your stay, the ones you have already found are a good start. Dreams is really good. Friend of mine is getting married there in a few weeks.

In terms of accessing things to do outside the resort, it depends on what you wanna do. For example, if you stay in riviera and want to go to Tulum, it takes about an hour to get there.

 

[kateydid05]

Iberostar in Playa is a good suggestion---

Main question is, how close do you want to be to Playa?

I lived in Playa for a month and went to Riviera multiple times....

If you're not looking to go to Playa often throughout your stay, the ones you have already found are a good start. Dreams is really good. Friend of mine is getting married there in a few weeks.

In terms of accessing things to do outside the resort, it depends on what you wanna do. For example, if you stay in riviera and want to go to Tulum, it takes about an hour to get there.

Which Iberostar? I see many of them in Riviera Maya. Never heard of them so I'll check those out.

There are things that I would like to do but not sure about my other guests. I would just like them to have options besides them being stuck to the resort. I had heard that Playa is a nice little town with shops and such, as well as being close to the ferry over to Cozumel which I had heard good things about. As for myself, I would love to do a swim with dolphins, visit the ruins, and anything else people would suggest is a "must see" since I've never been there. We would also probably switch to another resort for a honeymoon as well so for a decent excursion I would be willing to travel however far. Besides looking at a map I have no real concept on how close or far away things are.

Which Dreams is your friend getting married? I was closely looking at Dreams Riviera Cancun but hate the room situation (i.e. very few ocean front rooms and the ocean view ones do not have that much of an ocean view-more of the gardens).

 

[Autumnovember]

Iberostar in Playa is a good suggestion---

Main question is, how close do you want to be to Playa?

I lived in Playa for a month and went to Riviera multiple times....

If you're not looking to go to Playa often throughout your stay, the ones you have already found are a good start. Dreams is really good. Friend of mine is getting married there in a few weeks.

In terms of accessing things to do outside the resort, it depends on what you wanna do. For example, if you stay in riviera and want to go to Tulum, it takes about an hour to get there.

Which Iberostar? I see many of them in Riviera Maya. Never heard of them so I'll check those out.

There are things that I would like to do but not sure about my other guests. I would just like them to have options besides them being stuck to the resort. I had heard that Playa is a nice little town with shops and such, as well as being close to the ferry over to Cozumel which I had heard good things about. As for myself, I would love to do a swim with dolphins, visit the ruins, and anything else people would suggest is a "must see" since I've never been there. We would also probably switch to another resort for a honeymoon as well so for a decent excursion I would be willing to travel however far. Besides looking at a map I have no real concept on how close or far away things are.

Which Dreams is your friend getting married? I was closely looking at Dreams Riviera Cancun but hate the room situation (i.e. very few ocean front rooms and the ocean view ones do not have that much of an ocean view-more of the gardens).

Okay so here are the things I would definitely do if you stay in Riviera:

-Mayan Ruins
-Chichen Itza (butchered the spelling)
-Tulum ruins which are located on a cliff that look over the ocean...it is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL location. Tulum is still being built up and I am 100% positive that in 10 year it will become similar to Playa.
-Playa IS awesome. There is something for everyone there. It's just a great place to walk around/eat/drink and there is a big playground on the beach for the kids. Lots of different restaurants from various cultures and the great thing is that the ferry is there, as you said. 20 minute ferry ride to Cozumel.
-Xcaret- basically a huge outdoor zoo. Very very fun. You can swim with dolphins there but I would suggest Cozumel for that. Awesome place for kids.
-Snorkeling- Do this in Cozumel, amazing corals and fish to see.
-Swimming with Dolphins- Also in Cozumel.
-Rio Secreto's Cenotes- by far the most beautiful thing I have experienced. Underground caves---so breathtaking. I suggest this one in particular because its relatively new so it isn't worn down from people walking there.

All of these places are about an hour away from Playa with the exception of Mayan ruins which is about 2 hours or more. Depending where you stay in Riviera...you could be up to 40 minutes or more from Playa or literally 10 minutes. However, keep in mind that when you go out and do all of these activities it will be an all day thing so the travel really isn't that bad since they will have vans that are going to pick you up and drive you back to your hotel.

I don't know your price range for honeymoon but check out THE ROYAL Playa Del Carmen, it is all inclusive and very beautiful and right next to the happening area of Playa.

She is getting married at Dreams Riviera Cancun.

They have an Iberostar Riviera Maya that I've been to that was great.

My sister has been to H10 and also had a good time there.

 

[kateydid05]

Autumn thank you for all that information!! I will definitely save that list. Friends of mine are spending their honeymoon at the ROYAL so I will find out how they like it since they have tastes similar to ours. The Gran Porto Real is a sister resort to that one and is the kid-friendly resort. Apparently the Porto is either across the street on next to the ROYAL and if you stay at the ROYAL you have access to the Porto as well (but not the other way around). As a honeymoon we could always jump to the ROYAL for a little more relaxing away from any children. I am leaning towards the Gran Porto based on dining options, affordability, easy access to Playa, and a la carte wedding packages so I could pick and choose what I would like. It's not 5 star unbelievable luxury but I think it has something for everyone. Still not 100% decided though.

 

[Autumnovember]

Autumn thank you for all that information!! I will definitely save that list. Friends of mine are spending their honeymoon at the ROYAL so I will find out how they like it since they have tastes similar to ours. The Gran Porto Real is a sister resort to that one and is the kid-friendly resort. Apparently the Porto is either across the street on next to the ROYAL and if you stay at the ROYAL you have access to the Porto as well (but not the other way around). As a honeymoon we could always jump to the ROYAL for a little more relaxing away from any children. I am leaning towards the Gran Porto based on dining options, affordability, easy access to Playa, and a la carte wedding packages so I could pick and choose what I would like. It's not 5 star unbelievable luxury but I think it has something for everyone. Still not 100% decided though.

No prob! And yes! Gran Porto is really nice. I would definitely have stayed there if I had known about it before booking at Royal.

 

[Tigarlily1]

I'm going to the Royal Playa Del Carmen for my honeymoon in July. Its next too (and we have access too) Gran Porto Real... I've heard GREAT things about it. I'll let you know how we like it.

 

[kateydid05]

I'm going to the Royal Playa Del Carmen for my honeymoon in July. Its next too (and we have access too) Gran Porto Real... I've heard GREAT things about it. I'll let you know how we like it.

Yes please!! I would definitely appreciate it. I doubt I would be able to make a trip down and see it for myself before a wedding would take place so I'm doing this blind. I contacted Gran Porto about a wedding with that many people. She got back to me within 24 hours and mentioned that with that many people it would be a beach reception. I'm fine with that as long as I can eliminate the traditional stuff and strip it down to dinner and cake. I just want to spend time with everyone that will be making the journey. We'll see!

 

[Autumnovember]

I'm going to the Royal Playa Del Carmen for my honeymoon in July. Its next too (and we have access too) Gran Porto Real... I've heard GREAT things about it. I'll let you know how we like it.

I stayed there for 5 nights a year ago...just one suggestion. At night time, don't restrict yourself to staying at the hotel...go walk 5th ave. Great place. Just have to walk out the hotel, cross the street and keep walking straight and you'll hit a ton of awesome shops...the ones toward the hotel are just so-so but if you keep walking you'll hit some happening spots.

 

[nkarma]

There are a TON of resources for Riviera Maya brides on Best Destination Weddings including reviews of every resort in the RM and really anything destination wedding related that you can imagine.

http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/list/4/destination-wedding-in-riviera-maya-cancun-surrounding-areas

I would post what you wrote on there and also maybe contact a travel agent who can help.

 

[nkarma]

Iberostar in Playa is a good suggestion---

Main question is, how close do you want to be to Playa?

I lived in Playa for a month and went to Riviera multiple times....

If you're not looking to go to Playa often throughout your stay, the ones you have already found are a good start. Dreams is really good. Friend of mine is getting married there in a few weeks.

In terms of accessing things to do outside the resort, it depends on what you wanna do. For example, if you stay in riviera and want to go to Tulum, it takes about an hour to get there.

Which Iberostar? I see many of them in Riviera Maya. Never heard of them so I'll check those out.

There are things that I would like to do but not sure about my other guests. I would just like them to have options besides them being stuck to the resort. I had heard that Playa is a nice little town with shops and such, as well as being close to the ferry over to Cozumel which I had heard good things about. As for myself, I would love to do a swim with dolphins, visit the ruins, and anything else people would suggest is a "must see" since I've never been there. We would also probably switch to another resort for a honeymoon as well so for a decent excursion I would be willing to travel however far. Besides looking at a map I have no real concept on how close or far away things are.

Which Dreams is your friend getting married? I was closely looking at Dreams Riviera Cancun but hate the room situation (i.e. very few ocean front rooms and the ocean view ones do not have that much of an ocean view-more of the gardens).

Okay so here are the things I would definitely do if you stay in Riviera:

-Mayan Ruins
-Chichen Itza (butchered the spelling)
-Tulum ruins which are located on a cliff that look over the ocean...it is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL location. Tulum is still being built up and I am 100% positive that in 10 year it will become similar to Playa.
-Playa IS awesome. There is something for everyone there. It's just a great place to walk around/eat/drink and there is a big playground on the beach for the kids. Lots of different restaurants from various cultures and the great thing is that the ferry is there, as you said. 20 minute ferry ride to Cozumel.
-Xcaret- basically a huge outdoor zoo. Very very fun. You can swim with dolphins there but I would suggest Cozumel for that. Awesome place for kids.
-Snorkeling- Do this in Cozumel, amazing corals and fish to see.
-Swimming with Dolphins- Also in Cozumel.
-Rio Secreto's Cenotes- by far the most beautiful thing I have experienced. Underground caves---so breathtaking. I suggest this one in particular because its relatively new so it isn't worn down from people walking there.

All of these places are about an hour away from Playa with the exception of Mayan ruins which is about 2 hours or more. Depending where you stay in Riviera...you could be up to 40 minutes or more from Playa or literally 10 minutes. However, keep in mind that when you go out and do all of these activities it will be an all day thing so the travel really isn't that bad since they will have vans that are going to pick you up and drive you back to your hotel.

I don't know your price range for honeymoon but check out THE ROYAL Playa Del Carmen, it is all inclusive and very beautiful and right next to the happening area of Playa.

She is getting married at Dreams Riviera Cancun.

They have an Iberostar Riviera Maya that I've been to that was great.

My sister has been to H10 and also had a good time there.

The bolded part is probably very true and hurts my heart. I love Tulum (the beach & town not ruins) so much!!! It is in fact the only place I have traveled to multiple times and I feel like a little part of me is always there. I get the people that love Playa and Cancun and the AIs, but can't they leave something for the people that don't want that. There already is a PDC, I don't understand why they can't continue to generate business from people that want to go to Tulum not Playa. The only constant is change though, right?

Sorry for the threadjack. I got married in the RM, a small hotel in Tulum in fact and it was amazing so I am sure your wedding will be great.

 

[Autumnovember]

Iberostar in Playa is a good suggestion---

Main question is, how close do you want to be to Playa?

I lived in Playa for a month and went to Riviera multiple times....

If you're not looking to go to Playa often throughout your stay, the ones you have already found are a good start. Dreams is really good. Friend of mine is getting married there in a few weeks.

In terms of accessing things to do outside the resort, it depends on what you wanna do. For example, if you stay in riviera and want to go to Tulum, it takes about an hour to get there.

Which Iberostar? I see many of them in Riviera Maya. Never heard of them so I'll check those out.

There are things that I would like to do but not sure about my other guests. I would just like them to have options besides them being stuck to the resort. I had heard that Playa is a nice little town with shops and such, as well as being close to the ferry over to Cozumel which I had heard good things about. As for myself, I would love to do a swim with dolphins, visit the ruins, and anything else people would suggest is a "must see" since I've never been there. We would also probably switch to another resort for a honeymoon as well so for a decent excursion I would be willing to travel however far. Besides looking at a map I have no real concept on how close or far away things are.

Which Dreams is your friend getting married? I was closely looking at Dreams Riviera Cancun but hate the room situation (i.e. very few ocean front rooms and the ocean view ones do not have that much of an ocean view-more of the gardens).

Okay so here are the things I would definitely do if you stay in Riviera:

-Mayan Ruins
-Chichen Itza (butchered the spelling)
-Tulum ruins which are located on a cliff that look over the ocean...it is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL location. Tulum is still being built up and I am 100% positive that in 10 year it will become similar to Playa.
-Playa IS awesome. There is something for everyone there. It's just a great place to walk around/eat/drink and there is a big playground on the beach for the kids. Lots of different restaurants from various cultures and the great thing is that the ferry is there, as you said. 20 minute ferry ride to Cozumel.
-Xcaret- basically a huge outdoor zoo. Very very fun. You can swim with dolphins there but I would suggest Cozumel for that. Awesome place for kids.
-Snorkeling- Do this in Cozumel, amazing corals and fish to see.
-Swimming with Dolphins- Also in Cozumel.
-Rio Secreto's Cenotes- by far the most beautiful thing I have experienced. Underground caves---so breathtaking. I suggest this one in particular because its relatively new so it isn't worn down from people walking there.

All of these places are about an hour away from Playa with the exception of Mayan ruins which is about 2 hours or more. Depending where you stay in Riviera...you could be up to 40 minutes or more from Playa or literally 10 minutes. However, keep in mind that when you go out and do all of these activities it will be an all day thing so the travel really isn't that bad since they will have vans that are going to pick you up and drive you back to your hotel.

I don't know your price range for honeymoon but check out THE ROYAL Playa Del Carmen, it is all inclusive and very beautiful and right next to the happening area of Playa.

She is getting married at Dreams Riviera Cancun.

They have an Iberostar Riviera Maya that I've been to that was great.

My sister has been to H10 and also had a good time there.

The bolded part is probably very true and hurts my heart. I love Tulum (the beach & town not ruins) so much!!! It is in fact the only place I have traveled to multiple times and I feel like a little part of me is always there. I get the people that love Playa and Cancun and the AIs, but can't they leave something for the people that don't want that. There already is a PDC, I don't understand why they can't continue to generate business from people that want to go to Tulum not Playa. The only constant is change though, right?

Sorry for the threadjack. I got married in the RM, a small hotel in Tulum in fact and it was amazing so I am sure your wedding will be great.

I hear ya. BUT! From what the natives tell me, Tulum is still always going to have its charm factor of being "secluded." A lot of what they are building there are small hotels and villas, things like that. I was told that in the future they're thinking of building an airport there but thats years away. I've been to PDC 4 times and lived there for a month. It was amazing to watch the town build up to what it has become over the years. Kinda like watching a puppy grow if you know what I mean. Each time I visited it was more and more built up and it did make me sad every time to see how much its changed and how it got more and more touristy but I know Mexico really needs that, mainly because having hotels there opens up a lot more jobs for people there...so it puts me at ease but I know what you mean, definitely.

 

[Pushin40]

Hi Katydid05!

I got married at the Gran Porto Real last November!
WE LOVE PLAYA!!!! Just came back from a short trip 2 weeks ago actually....
I chose GPR for the following reasons:
Price (for my guests)
Location (honestly this is the best location to walk to 5th Ave very easily! No cabs required!)
Kids can stay here too
Good reviews for weddings

I do recommend it. but there are a few things to consider:
This resort tries to upsell everyone into a more expensive room upon check it. It was really annoying...and just cheesy.
Book the highest room category for yourself and your future husband. Well worth it and you'll need the extra room to get ready. You also get a private cabana next to the pool area, and you can eat at the Royal if you choose to.
Strongly suggest to your guests they book at least a Jr Suit. The lowest category rooms are pretty awful (ping pong table outside your door - that kind of thing)
There is a main buffet, which was really pretty good, and 2 a la carte restaurants - Italian (REALLY good) and Mexican. It was sort of difficult to get reservations for a large group so don't plan on dining together every night. And they don't care if you are getting married, either....
The beach is so so but you can literally walk around the corner for some good swimming!
The pool is not that large, there were sort of a lot of kids there when we were (but it was Thanksgiving week) No swim up bar, but there is a pool bar. Hard to get a chair sometimes but that was a really busy week. Great service at the pool.
They basically plan your whole wedding with you via email. Plan your schedule early with them, and you really need to stay on top of it. They "run out" of times for weddings and receptions since they hold multiple weddings a day. I was almost unable to have a cocktail hr after the ceremony and before the reception dinner. I had to make a big fuss then I got my way.

I would have chosen the Royal if we didnt have kids coming and if budget wasn't a concern. The Royal is really beautiful but to me it was more important that my guests could affort the trip, and I also wanted to stay in the same resort as my guests.

We got there on Sat, hung our with everyone all week, got married Friday, then stayed another week as people started to go home.

I got married in the gazebo - its right on the beach, BEAUTIFUL, and it was perfect for us. I saw a few weddings on the beach, also set up for the reception, and OMG you wil LOVE IT!!! It was hot, though, with a "real" wedding dress on. We did a photo shoot after our ceremony on the beach (photographer thru GPR did a great job) but boy was I hot. It was really hard to cool down!

My husband took a walk over to the Blue Parrot beach bar the day before the wedding, and talked to the manager to strike up a deal for our wedding night. You guys have to go here....he told him we wanted to bring our entire wedding (just udner 20 people) have him waive the cover charge, and reserve us a beach table up front for the nightly fire dancer show! Oh, and that we had a few teenagers and wanted them to let them in...which they did. No problem! Look it up on line - this is a famous 5th avenue beach club. We kept this kind of a suprise (the fire dancer show) and it was the highligth of the night. SO much fun! I changed out of my gown, but left my veil on....it was a blast, everyone danced and oh what a memory!!!

I LOVED MY WEDDING!

Please let me know if you have any questions! WE LOVE Mexico and although I (secertly) got married before our wedding trip, Mexico is one of the easier international destinations to get married at. I did hear though that it can take a few months to get your marriage licence....which is a pain if you want to change your name on anything or prove anything for insurance etc.

Have fun planning!

 

[kateydid05]

Hi Katydid05!

I got married at the Gran Porto Real last November!
WE LOVE PLAYA!!!! Just came back from a short trip 2 weeks ago actually....
I chose GPR for the following reasons:
Price (for my guests)
Location (honestly this is the best location to walk to 5th Ave very easily! No cabs required!)
Kids can stay here too
Good reviews for weddings

I do recommend it. but there are a few things to consider:
This resort tries to upsell everyone into a more expensive room upon check it. It was really annoying...and just cheesy.
Book the highest room category for yourself and your future husband. Well worth it and you'll need the extra room to get ready. You also get a private cabana next to the pool area, and you can eat at the Royal if you choose to.
Strongly suggest to your guests they book at least a Jr Suit. The lowest category rooms are pretty awful (ping pong table outside your door - that kind of thing)
There is a main buffet, which was really pretty good, and 2 a la carte restaurants - Italian (REALLY good) and Mexican. It was sort of difficult to get reservations for a large group so don't plan on dining together every night. And they don't care if you are getting married, either....
The beach is so so but you can literally walk around the corner for some good swimming!
The pool is not that large, there were sort of a lot of kids there when we were (but it was Thanksgiving week) No swim up bar, but there is a pool bar. Hard to get a chair sometimes but that was a really busy week. Great service at the pool.
They basically plan your whole wedding with you via email. Plan your schedule early with them, and you really need to stay on top of it. They "run out" of times for weddings and receptions since they hold multiple weddings a day. I was almost unable to have a cocktail hr after the ceremony and before the reception dinner. I had to make a big fuss then I got my way.

I would have chosen the Royal if we didnt have kids coming and if budget wasn't a concern. The Royal is really beautiful but to me it was more important that my guests could affort the trip, and I also wanted to stay in the same resort as my guests.

We got there on Sat, hung our with everyone all week, got married Friday, then stayed another week as people started to go home.

I got married in the gazebo - its right on the beach, BEAUTIFUL, and it was perfect for us. I saw a few weddings on the beach, also set up for the reception, and OMG you wil LOVE IT!!! It was hot, though, with a "real" wedding dress on. We did a photo shoot after our ceremony on the beach (photographer thru GPR did a great job) but boy was I hot. It was really hard to cool down!

My husband took a walk over to the Blue Parrot beach bar the day before the wedding, and talked to the manager to strike up a deal for our wedding night. You guys have to go here....he told him we wanted to bring our entire wedding (just udner 20 people) have him waive the cover charge, and reserve us a beach table up front for the nightly fire dancer show! Oh, and that we had a few teenagers and wanted them to let them in...which they did. No problem! Look it up on line - this is a famous 5th avenue beach club. We kept this kind of a suprise (the fire dancer show) and it was the highligth of the night. SO much fun! I changed out of my gown, but left my veil on....it was a blast, everyone danced and oh what a memory!!!

I LOVED MY WEDDING!

Please let me know if you have any questions! WE LOVE Mexico and although I (secertly) got married before our wedding trip, Mexico is one of the easier international destinations to get married at. I did hear though that it can take a few months to get your marriage licence....which is a pain if you want to change your name on anything or prove anything for insurance etc.

Have fun planning!

I knew there was BWW on here that got married in Mexico! I was looking at this resort for those reasons. I want to be able to stay at the same resort as my guests. It's a shame that the kid friendly resorts are not as nice as adults-only. This seems to have the best combination of price, location, and quality for my guests. It doesn't seem like 5 star luxury but still nice. I want them to be able to afford it. It's also so close to everything! I want to see the ruins and explore a little bit. I don't want to be stuck at the resort.

I was browsing Trip Advisor for GPR and their wedding website and I think that the gazebo is too small for the amount of people that may go (50) and I love the idea of a beach wedding. I saw some complaints that the beach is not as nice (even some pictures of beach erosion and sandbags but I am not sure if that's the same location as where a beach wedding would take place). At GPR I would have to have a reception on the beach which is fine if I can eliminate the dancing and just do dinner. I am even contemplating a ceremony and no reception at all.

I eliminated Dreams Riviera Cancun because the ocean front rooms are always booked (they do not have many to begin with) and the ocean view is really just a view of the gardens and a sliver of the ocean. That left Dreams Puerto Aventuras which I'm still looking into as well.

Thank you for your advice!

 

[Pushin40]

Hi - me again!

I wanted to mention the rooms, all of the rooms, are really nice at GPR. Nicely decorated, liquor dispensers in the room, roomy and comfy. The best rooms are oceanfront but basically they overlook the pool then the ocean is off in the distance. Still very nice. I still recommend teh 1BR suite for you. When you are hosting a wedding people tend to stop by to say hi.....

And you are right abut the gazebo being too small if you have 50 guests. The beach weddings were GORGEOUS, and they decorated so nicely. I can't imagine you won't be happy with that!

We did a semi-private reception which was basically a big table in the mexican restaurant. It didn't cost that much for our small crowd, and I really only did it to kind of extend the wedding itself. The ceremony was literally 15 minutes, and I just didn't want it all to be over that quick.... The food was good, and it gave us a chance to do a few toasts and hang out before going to the Blue Parrot.

Also the beach doesn't totally suck....it's fine. There is just kind of a drop off before you get in the water and I have actually seen this a lot all over the PDC area. Not a big deal. It's not rocky or anything.

I think at GPR you get a lot of bang for your buck.

 

[kateydid05]

Hi - me again!

I wanted to mention the rooms, all of the rooms, are really nice at GPR. Nicely decorated, liquor dispensers in the room, roomy and comfy. The best rooms are oceanfront but basically they overlook the pool then the ocean is off in the distance. Still very nice. I still recommend teh 1BR suite for you. When you are hosting a wedding people tend to stop by to say hi.....

And you are right abut the gazebo being too small if you have 50 guests. The beach weddings were GORGEOUS, and they decorated so nicely. I can't imagine you won't be happy with that!

We did a semi-private reception which was basically a big table in the mexican restaurant. It didn't cost that much for our small crowd, and I really only did it to kind of extend the wedding itself. The ceremony was literally 15 minutes, and I just didn't want it all to be over that quick.... The food was good, and it gave us a chance to do a few toasts and hang out before going to the Blue Parrot.

Also the beach doesn't totally suck....it's fine. There is just kind of a drop off before you get in the water and I have actually seen this a lot all over the PDC area. Not a big deal. It's not rocky or anything.

I think at GPR you get a lot of bang for your buck.

Thanks Pushin! When I originally stumbled upon GPR I found the junior suite with a terrace and beach access. I was not sure if by beach front I would be smacked with cabanas and beach chairs before even seeing the beach. I believe that is the one just under the 1BR suite so I will look into the 1BR suite! I also liked that they do ala carte packages which would help me get rid of the BS I don't care about. All I want is a beautiful beach for the ceremony. Anything else is not as important. If I can have the beach reception without the dancing and such I would be totally sold on the resort. I emailed the WC at the resort and I think she misunderstood me when I asked about the beach reception. I'll have to try again. I would love to have a semi-private in one of the restaurants. It's hard to get the simple and casual I want with the amount of people that would like to come. I guess I wouldn't really know until they start booking.

As long as the ocean is swimmable I will be happy You definitely made me feel better about the beach, especially for the wedding. I love TripAdvisor but sometimes they scare me, haha. I think GPR has the most on my list of "wants" and still being affordable and nice at the same time. I know I can't please everyone but I'm trying!

 

[Pushin40]

The beach front rooms aren't really what you expect for the money - I really think the 1 BR is the way to go!

Try to get your guests to give you a solid yes or no if they are coming, as far out as possible, I found it really hard to make planning decisions because everthing is contingent on headcount....and you need to have your resort and dates all picked out because it impacts price and your guest's decisions.....its kind of hard to manage so I recommend starting a spreadsheet and keeping track of everybody.

Then you can give the Wedding planner the estimated head count so you can start thinking about general the plan.

I didn't want or need much, so like you, I wanted it simple. I didn't care about any of the details....oh - and you pick your bouquet out from the PDF file on the website.....I cannot tell you how beautiful they were in real life! They really do a great job with the weddings and the wedding management.

I'm excited for you!!!

 

[kateydid05]

The beach front rooms aren't really what you expect for the money - I really think the 1 BR is the way to go!

Try to get your guests to give you a solid yes or no if they are coming, as far out as possible, I found it really hard to make planning decisions because everthing is contingent on headcount....and you need to have your resort and dates all picked out because it impacts price and your guest's decisions.....its kind of hard to manage so I recommend starting a spreadsheet and keeping track of everybody.

Then you can give the Wedding planner the estimated head count so you can start thinking about general the plan.

I didn't want or need much, so like you, I wanted it simple. I didn't care about any of the details....oh - and you pick your bouquet out from the PDF file on the website.....I cannot tell you how beautiful they were in real life! They really do a great job with the weddings and the wedding management.

I'm excited for you!!!

Pushin was your ceremony in English or Spanish? That's also a factor. I saw that GPR offers a Justice of the Peace which is great.

Ah spreadsheet!! Can't wait to do that. Love spreadsheets! Were the children counted in your official guest count? I know that they require everyones full names and where they're staying at some point in the planning process but wasn't sure how they count kids.

I should start playing with numbers to see if I should do a package or pick a la carte. This is fun! GPR keeps sounding better!

 

[Pushin40]

It was in English - a non religous ceremony.
I didnt' even lay eyes on her (the JP) till I walked down the isle. She was dressed very casual and was 15 minutes late. She was literally hopping from one ceremony to the next. That was my only real complaint that she was late. But whatever. Everyone was sitting there, getting hot, and it ate into the time I had booked for the cocktail hr. since DH and I were off getting our pictures taken. We missed most of the cocktail hr, but I refused to be upset on my wedding day. Everything else - perfect!

The kids do count in your head count. They also had a great kids club - my FG and RB went there almost every day because they do little projects and stuff. And they will baby sit in the room too. Nice trusworthy girls, and compleley well worth it so Mom and Dad can have some fun time at night too.

Yes, play around with the pricing. I forget which package I picked but it was one of the lwer priced ones and included a semi-private reception for 15 or 20 people. my hari and makeup, cake, and my bouquet and DH's boutineer. BMs flowers were a la cart, etc. Its pretty easy to work through. I downloaded them all and did a prcing chart to include what I really cared about (which wasn't much!)

 

[kateydid05]

Awesome Pushin! Thank you for all your help!