Destination Bride - Probably Mayan Riviera/Cancun!

Congrats! Picking a resort is the hardest part! The rest of the wedding plan is fun from that point. Good luck.

Hi! to the forum! Happy Planning!

I've cut the list to 3 resorts now... Moon Palace, RIU Palace Las Americas, or Iberostar Paraiso Lindo. I am flying down to Cancun this Friday to do some site visits so I can make up my mind on which of these to go with.

Unfortunately, there were some other resorts (i.e. Dreams Cancun) that I had to eliminate from my list because they did not have availability for a Friday/Saturday/Sunday wedding in Oct. or Nov. 2008.

I would love to hire an outside photographer, but I know this might be a challenge with some resorts. Any recommendations are welcomed!!

Congratulations and welcome! That's awesome that you are able to make a site visit. I'm sure it'll help a lot with your decision. We had to make ours based on TripAdvisor and other web surfing. It's not easy!

Have a great trip and let us know what you decide on!

Andrea

Congratulations!! and welcome to the forum.

Can't wait to hear about your site visit and which resort you choose! Good luck!

Just got back from the site inspection... It was an action packed weekend!

MOON PALACE

Definitely on my top 2 list.

Pros: Guests will not be bored there. There is tons to do and a bunch of free tours. If you book more than 10 rooms, you get a free cocktail hour... more than 20 rooms, you get a free reception. Very experienced staff. Horse drawn carriage!! WOW! If you book airport transportation through them, it is pretty affordable (approx. $23 round-trip/person).

Cons: Resort is enormous. Could potentially feel very impersonal. The beach is very small and full of seaweed. I was told that it was worse now because of the high winds. (It was definitely windy!). The gazebos and terraces are just like in the pictures. Unfortunately, from the Tucan gazebo you can see the other gazebo down the resort. Can't bring an outside photographer (but can bring one if they are a guest).

PARADISUS

Tied with Moon on my list.

Pros: BEAUTIFUL reception and ceremony location. Loved it! Very responsive WC. Can bring an outside photographer (for a fee). Resort is beautiful.

Cons: Can get kind of $$$$$. Pretty much everything is an add-on. (But did I mention it was beautiful?!?!?)

IBEROSTAR PARAISO LINDO

In top 3...

Pros: Great resort, beautiful grounds. Great beach for the beach lovers. Beach ceremony options seems nice, but not sure if the area will be cleared out in time for a ceremony there. Wedding package very affordable. Can bring own photographer.

Cons: Private dinner/buffet not offered. WC will make reservations at a restaurant on-site, but area is not private. There are private rooms available for an after-party, but not impressive at all. The furthest of all from the airport, so transportation can get $$$.

RIU PALACE LAS AMERICAS

Definitely my least favorite.

Pros: Location. It is in the hotel zone, so there are tons of things to do outside the resort.

Cons: Based on my RIU Cancun experience next door, I think the food is terrible (the WC confirmed it is about the same food). The resort isn't really designed for weddings in my opinion. It is very small and it is unavoidable... the bride and groom will be walking through the pool and there will be resort guests in your pictures.

I am leaning towards the Moon Palace or Paradisus at this point... I need to make up my mind by the end of the week!!

Opps, sorry amduran I just saw your last post. Thank you so much for the info! It was very helpful