I wanted to write a post about planning our destination wedding and hopefully I can give a few helpful tips to other soon to be brides who are planning! Sean and I had always known we were going to have a beach wedding. When we started looking into exactly where we would have our wedding it only made sense that we went back to the place we met, Mexico. I started researching All Inclusive Adults Only resorts in the Riviera Maya and made a list of the top 5 resorts we liked based upon the resort itself, wedding packages, location, and price.
Sean and I did a trip to the Riviera Maya a year before our wedding day to check out our top 5 resorts that we were potentially considering to host our wedding. I had emailed the 5 resorts before the trip to set up meetings with the resort's wedding coordinators and I would have to say I am SO glad we were able to do this! We saw a couple of resorts that we loved online, but then in person we didn't feel it was what we were looking for. The last resort we had a meeting with was Secrets Maroma Beach Resort (the one I was most excited to see!) and WOW did we fall in love with it! The resort was exactly what Sean and I were looking for!
After the meeting with the WC at Secrets Maroma we went in for a swim!
Sean and I did a trip to the Riviera Maya a year before our wedding day to check out our top 5 resorts that we were potentially considering to host our wedding. I had emailed the 5 resorts before the trip to set up meetings with the resort's wedding coordinators and I would have to say I am SO glad we were able to do this! We saw a couple of resorts that we loved online, but then in person we didn't feel it was what we were looking for. The last resort we had a meeting with was Secrets Maroma Beach Resort (the one I was most excited to see!) and WOW did we fall in love with it! The resort was exactly what Sean and I were looking for!
The beach is absolutely STUNNING!
Loved how the resort was so modern & chic
All of the rooms were gorgeous! (the "Tropical View" rooms as well!)
One of the options was to have a Swim Out Room and there is a pool right outside your balcony to step into! Sean and I had this room for the first part of our trip and it was SO nice!
The pools were beautiful. There was the infinity pool and the middle pool with a swim up bar.
The Spa was amazing! You HAVE to experience the royal treatments at this spa!
Just a few more tips:
-Keep in mind when seeing the Wedding Package prices that this does NOT include everything for your wedding! There will be an additional cost for extra guests (a lot of the resorts have a limit of number of guests included), decor, flowers, upgrade on flowers, upgrade on food, DJ, photographer, videographer, upgrade on cake etc.
- Do your research on the resorts! I found TripAdvisor was very helpful. I also liked reading reviews and discussing with other brides to be on bestdestionationwedding.com
- The sooner notice you can give your wedding guests the BETTER! Also, ask your wedding party ASAP! We sent out our Save the Dates a year before our wedding and I asked my sister & girlfriends to be my MOH/bridesmaids a year in advance!
Our Save the Dates were a "Message in a Bottle
I "Popped the Question" to my sister/MOH when trying on wedding dresses!
My Bridesmaids live in Minnesota so we Skyped when I "popped the question"
-Having a destination wedding your guests have to RSVP much sooner to book their flights and make their hotel reservations! We sent out our Wedding Invitations 9 months before the wedding day!
Our Wedding Invitations were "Passports" with RSVP "Boarding Passes"
- Our wedding package included a wedding photographer that came with the resort, but Sean and I had found wedding photographers in the Riviera Maya that we fell in love with! So we had to pay our wedding photographers separate, pay a fee to have the come on to the Secrets Maroma property and then we used the "included" photographer from the wedding package to come later in the night of our wedding to take "dancing & party" pictures! We think it worked out great!
- I definitely would recommend working with a travel agent. It is great to have someone help your wedding guests with booking their hotel and flights. Also, our TA was there to answer our guests questions and they did not have to contact the bride & groom. Plus you are able to get Group Rates with your TA! We found our wedding TA on bestdestinationwedding.com
- Email, email, email your wedding coordinator! I sent tons of photos to show what we wanted for decor and ideas at our wedding. You can not be detailed enough! Also, be patient when waiting to hear back from your WC if your wedding is over 3 months away when contacting her. She is busy dealing with sooner weddings, but she WILL respond to you!
- Your resort works with a decor company and will go through them to rent the decor that you are NOT bringing to the wedding. We brought all of our signs, table runners (they didn't have the ones I was looking for), guests Welcome Bags, and items the decor company did not have available. I would recommend emailing the decor company directly not through your wedding coordinator!
I hope this helped and please let me know if you have any questions I didn't cover! Even if you're not planning a destination wedding I hope you'll be able to go to Secrets Maroma for a vacation!! I can't wait to go back!!
xo Ashley
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