Desiree's (tylersgirl) Wedding Review RIU Palace Riviera Maya 8-1-09

[tylersgirl]

Tyler and I had an amazing fabulous time!!! We are so excited to be married and I am so glad we had a destination wedding. Thank you so much to all the BDW girls. Y'all have given me such great advice and I hope that I have helped some of you along the way Thanks to Tammy Host for hosting this wonderful forum. I really appreciate it. XOXO Here is my review:

 

Airline (Continental Airlines)A - They were very nice and accommodating. They put my dress in the first class closet without a problem. The plane was on time and we were comfortable and happy. We brought extra luggage so we had to pay $100(there and back) for the extra 2 bags, but we expected this.

 

Transfers (Lomas Travel)A+ - Really professional. They were teal shirts and white pants so they were always very easy to find. The vans are nice and well air conditioned and they have beer available for purchase. They were always on time and very nice.

 

Hotel (RIU Palace Riviera Maya)A++++-one word AMAZING!!! The service, food, drinks, and entertainment were all top notch. The wait staff went above and beyond everyone's expectations. Please say hello the the wonderful Jose, Chano, and Gustavo (bartenders and servers). They were always ready to hand us a fresh, cold drink. The food here is very good! I was skeptical because I am pretty picky, but I could always find something good to eat. During our stay we ate at 3 of the 5 specialty restaurants-Mexican (Agave), Steakhouse (Chilis), and Japanese (forgot the name). They were all good. The steakhouse or the mexican was my favorite. The buffet (Don Monolos) was great for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They have a great selection and every night there is a different theme. The drinks are good here-they have good mimosas for breakfast. As for the hotel, it is very grand. There are fresh flowers and marble everywhere. The staff keep the place spotless. My husband and I speak some Spanish, but don't worry if you do not. The staff understand English pretty well. As for the drinks-I either drank Miami Vice's (1/2 pina colada and 1/2 strawberry daquiri) or Champagne most of the time. I am pretty sure my friends and I drank about 30 bottles of champagne! haha

 

Room-(2 story Jacuzzi Suite)-A++++ If you are planning on getting married here I highly suggest this room. It was beautiful and spacious. We had room 2095 which had great beach and plaza views and was situated right above the buffet and close the the lobby. The jacuzzi was very nice at night and the balcony was big enough for all of our friends. The spiral staircase was great for pics. The closet and bathroom were large and accommodated all of our many clothes and bags, haha. We felt like a king and queen in this room and it was definitely worth the splurge!

 

Excursions

 

Delphinus A-Swimming with the dolphins. This was fun! The dolphins were so gentle and sweet. This was a beautiful place and they treat the dolphins very well. They take pics and videos of you that are available for purchase at the end of the excursion. They provide a shuttle as well.

 

Catamaya A+++ This was the best excursion by far!!!! This is a must do. It is a catamaran cruise with snorkeling, lunch, and drinks included. We all loved this! Say hello to Jose Cuervo (that's what he wants ppl to call him). The boat is pretty large and can hold a big group (70 something). They serve beer, margaritas, and rum punch on board. We also took celebration tequila shots which was fun. The snorkeling was great. We saw cool fish and I got to see a sea turtle which was awesome. On the way back they play dance music and the staff get the women to all dance on the front of the boat. For lunch they served salads, sides, and your choice of lobster, steak, or a hamburger that they cook on a grill on the back of the boat.

 

Cozumel A+-Tyler and I rode the ferry (35 min) to Cozumel and we went shopping and ate at Margaritaville. The food was so good! We recommend the strawberry margarita and conch fritters. Cozumel is very safe and they have pretty good shopping.

 

Parasailing I can't remember the name of the company but it is located on the beach in front of the RPRM. Is is $60 per person and you can go up with up to 3 people. When up in the air you have a beautiful view. On the way down Tyler and I saw a school of stingrays below. My only complaint was that the ride is very short (like 8 minutes). I have parasailed over Lake Tahoe before and my ride was much higher and longer. It was fun though and I took some pics from above.

 

Wedding Coordinators A+++ Ael and Diana were a dream team. They did everything I asked them to. I brought my own fans and chair ties and they set everything up perfectly. They arranged the mariachi band (def. worth the money) and all our other extras (flowers and such). We had a beautiful, amazing wedding and everything went off without a hitch. The ceremony only lasted about 20 minutes and it was so nice. Be prepared though-it was super hot outside!

 

Resort Photographer (Calypso Photo)-A+++ He is FANTASTIC!!! He took great shots and was super nice. The photos came out great and he gave me my prints, CD, and a photo album. I bought extra pics for $15 each and well worth it. You won't be disappointed.

 

 

Just a side note-I know that All Inclusive resorts say that tips are included, but these people work very hard so we tipped very well. I suggest bringing lots of 1’s and 5’s to tip members of the staff that do a good job (maids, servers, wedding staff, etc.)

 

Please PM me if you have any questions!

 

Now here are some pics courtesy of Calypso Photo:

 

[*Nadine*]

yay!!! I am so happy for you! Sounds like your wedding was just perfect and your pics are gorgeous!

[JCruz]

Congratulations and great review. I'm so glad you had an awesome time and your dress looked beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing!

[J&MWedding]

Great review Desiree! I saw your dress before in a thread and I loved it and I loved in these pics as well! I can't wait to see more pics! So glad everything went well for you!!

I actually wanted to go to Riviera Maya for our honeymoon week, but we decided on somewhere else instead - but someday I do want to go to Cozumel!!! I heard it's fantastic!

[Erika J]

OMG Des!! you were such a beautiful bride and sounds like everything was totally amazing! Congrats!!!

[~*Kathy*~]

Thanks so much for the FAST (holy, you just got back woman!) review Desiree! You looked so stunning and I can't wait to see the rest of your pics...congrats!!

[Blkatz]

Congratulations! You looked beautiful!

[LadyTrunck]

Thank you so much for the review! I have been anxiously awaiting, and my FI thinks I'm crazy because I was like, Desiree is getting married tomorrow.... Desirees getting married today!! haha You looked absolutely gorgeous, and I'm so glad you had a great time!!

[~Stephanie~]

Thanks for the review, looks like you had a fabulous time! I seriously heart your dress, its so pretty! And you looked absolutely gorgeous!

[amygirl1169]

Thanks for the quick review! I was so anxious to see pictures of your dress and I wasn't disappointed - STUNNING!

Congratulations Desiree!!!