We're getting married on May 8th at the Colonial Paladium Resort & Spa. We invited 18 guests and we're all staying there for 2 weeks. So far, I haven't read too many negative reviews on this resort. This resort used to be called Fiestaval and Fiesta Grand. It's now called the Paladium Resort & Spa. The wedding coordinator is Carola Mendez and you can email her at criviera@fiesta-hotels.com
The resort website is: http://www.fiesta-hotels.com/photel.php?id=39&lang=uk
Here's a great review website. It pretty much has every resort in the Carribean. http://www.debbiescaribbeanresortreviews.com/mexico/mexrevind.html
If you're interested in this resort, here are some reviews: http://www.debbiescaribbeanresortreviews.com/mexico/fiesta.html
I hope this info helps you choose a great location. You can email me anytime for additional questions. We'll be leaving for this resort on May 4th and returning on May 18th. nbrunet@basis100.com
Here is the beach ceremony setup.
Our package includes:
Register fees / Civil Judge
Decoration of the wedding area
Brides bouquet
Grooms boutonniére
Flower arrangement for the wedding table
Wedding Cake
Champagne
Translation of the ceremony speech into English
Cost: US$ 1000. (incl. Tax & Service charge)
Note: This prices are subject to changes
The price offered includes service for a maximum of 8 persons.
Every extra person has a charge of 12 usd (incl. Tax & service charge)
Per person.
Extra children under the age of 16 are free of charge.
The ceremony takes place at either the private terrace area which surrounded by tropical jungle or down on the beach.
The area can be decorated in either a traditional white style or a typical Mexican style.
WEDDING INFORMATION FOR 2003.
The following documents are necessary for a Wedding in México:
·Passports original and a copy
·Birth Certificates – translated into Spanish or international Birth Certificates which include Spanish. Either one must have an “Apostille”. (apostille, is a form of certification, of an American authority, usually the Secretary of State, from the state where they originated, who attaches this apostille to the document.)
(in case you are a Canadian Citizen, you must get them translated and then legalized with the Mexican Embassy or Consulate)
·Tourist cards provided upon entry to Mexico at the airport
Important Information
· The blood test , if previously completed in the US, Canada or Europe documents must be valid dated for 15 days and certificated and translated to spanish by a doctor in Mexico, as required by the civil ministry office ,could be also done at the Hotel in Mexico, costs US$ 120 per couple
· 4 witnesses with their photo ID and a copy of the Tourist card, which they will recive on the airoplane. In case you do not bring any witnesses, the hotel will be happy to provide them.
*You have to be in Mexico at least 3 working days before the Wedding to get all papers arranged ( open Monday to Friday from 08:30am to 3:00)
Here is a review of someone who got married at this resort.
January 2003
We spent our Chistmas holidays at the Colonial Fiesta Resort -- and are already planning a return visit for our anniversay (since we got married on the beach on our third day at the resort)! Three couples went on the trip and we had a fabulous time. I would recommend this resort to all who want to be spoiled for a week and don't mind gaining a few extra pounds as the food and drinks are plentiful and first class. Yes, the resort is massive; however, aside from Christmas Day, it was never a problem, at any time, to get six loungers on the beach right by the bar, or at the pool, and exchanging towels was never an issue.
About the wedding: it was an absolute fairy tale! We had heard awful accounts of people trying to arrange weddings from home and then getting to their resort and being thoroughly disappointed. Not the case at this resort! Carola is the resort's "Special Events Coordinator" and all it took to plan our dream wedding was two phone calls and some emails back and forth regarding the necessary paperwork. All we had to do at home was get our blood tests and have our passports. People have reported that getting married in Mexico is not worth it because of all the paperwork and translations required, but Carola did EVERYTHING for us! When we arrived at the resort, all it took was a one hour meeting with Carola to do the final paperwork, and then she gave all six of us a personal tour of the resort, via a golf-cart-limo (they seat 8 people).
The actual wedding day was perfect. It was like having our own wedding coordinator because Carola was everywhere we were, only 30 minutes before preparing for our arrival. The beach was beautifully decorated in flowers I got to choose, and when I arrived, they had a red carpet rolled out onto the beach from the wedding gazebo, and music playing. The ceremony was amazing (yes, it was in Spanish and translated into English), and ten minutes after we said "I do" we had our complete marriage certificate (which is totally legal and recognized in Canada as an official marriage certificate). The hotel photographer took amazing pictures down on the beach and they were ready the next day! We even got to keep the negatives and the proofs he gave us were all 8X10's. We only had to pay $300US for the photographer for 50 pictures w/ negatives (that's 50 8X10's)!!!!. The quality of the pictures is spectacular and a similar photo package in Canada would have cost over $5000!
After the beach, we had drinks at the Kantenah lobby bar, and then we went for our special wedding dinner at the mediterranean restaurant. Once again, they were totally ready for our arrival and had the entire out-door floating terrace reserved for our little party of six. It was all decorated with the wedding flowers and the servers absolutely spoiled us. With the cake also arrived the mariachi band who played for us. Then, we went to the pool-side bar where they have a different live band play every night, starting at 8pm. They dedicated the first song to the "Newlyweds" and we danced and danced and danced... It was perfect!
The last four days of our stay at the resort proved to be a great honeymoon. It seemed like all of the hotel staff remembered that we were the ones who got married and kept treating our little group of six like royalty. I know that the bride usually feels like a princess on her wedding day, but all six of us felt like kings and queens for the entire week!
So...what was the cost for all of this? Well, we decided to get the basic wedding package which includes the bride's bouquet, groom's boutoniere, four more bouquets to decorate the wedding gazebo, flower centre piece, champagne after the ceremony, marriage certificate and officiating judge, special dinner, wedding cake, champaigne in all of our rooms after the big night...and so many extras like the mariachis, and our "newlywed" dance. I even got to do the traditional father-of-the-bride dance with all of these people watching and taking our picture. With absolutely everything, no hidden costs, it was $1000US. And like I mentioned earlier, that was with all of the paperwork. All we needed was our blood tests and passports -- that is it!
Was it worth it? Absolutely, and we are already planning our return to this spectacular resort.
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