Matt Adcock

Hi Shauna! I understand you are "frantic", picking a venue is hard if you don't know the destination! I'd like to offer up a couple of other ideas for Tulum weddings, some really beautiful venues available. Akiin Beach club weddings are great, they have a beautiful beach, a large palapa and a coordination team that ensures that YOUR tastes are satisified, very personal detailed service. Las Ranitas weddings, wow, this place is great. Exceptional beach, pretty terraces, a pool (not common in Tulum) and a big beautiful palapa restaurant. This Las Ranitas wedding of Vanessa and Seumas is one of our all time faves for sure. Cabanas La Luna weddings are the third option I will share, they are so charming and intimate. We recently shot a Cabanas La Luna wedding just for two, bride and groom traveled from Italy to have a totally romantic wedding day. When the garden is set up with the twinkling lights, lanterns and candles, it is gorgeous! So many options it is a tough decision! Definitely check out as many photos and reviews as you can to get the "vibe" of the place and ensure it matches your vision. All the best, happy planning!

Chichen Itza is a grand excursion, but it is an all day event so some of your guests may not be up for it. The Tulum archaeological site is closer and can be done in half a day, a good idea for those whose guests may want to return early to the resort. Xelha and other ecoparks are fantastic, but most likely your group would not stay together. If "bonding" and sharing the experience are important, you might look at private tours of some of the smaller cenote parks where you can keep the clan together, Aktunchen and Hidden Worlds come to mind. Xoximilco is a fun night experience, "trajineras" are specialized boats that do a canal circuit, guests are served authentic Mexican dishes, there is live music, games on board and lots of tequila. Your resort may be able to offer a private group tour on a catamaran or snorkeling excursion, always worth asking your coordinator for guidance too as so many hotels have in house tours that may end up being more economical. If your guests have a mixed bunch of tastes, sometimes you may offer a couple of options, ie, golf outing for some, archaeological site for others, snorkeling trip for the rest. I do like the idea of doing something as a group though, makes the experience something special. There are SO many options that it can be tough to decide, I would measure your group's interests (and your own of course, it should reflect your taste!) and narrow down the list. Have fun planning!!

HI @carov No such thing as a silly question, happy to help! The color of the water in photos is affected mostly by time of day, the angle of the sun reflecting on the water will change how it appears. Weddings that start before 3 or 4 will have the turquoise you are thinking of, but you will be quite hot and you will have a longer wait time between ceremony and reception. Sunrise light and or morning light will have a reflection coming from the east until the sun reaches its highest points in the sky and then at sunset hours until dusk, sun passes its highest point in the sky and as it falls, casts a reflection away from the beach and thus, less saturated colors. Sometimes cloudy conditions can cause less saturated colors, depending on the photographers method of making exposures. Water conditions and location play a role as well, if there is a lot of seaweed for example, or in places that have a seabed of grass (turtles love it!). Our Riviera Maya Photography Seasonal Guide has some good advice on picking best times and dates. Hope that helps!

Hi CaroV, congratulations on the engagement and welcome to the crazy world of wedding planning! Choosing the venue is the hard part, though fun too! I have a couple of suggestions for locations for you, hope you find some inspiration! The Secrets Maroma resort is on one of THE best beaches in the world, is adults only, has incredible food and a great wedding coordination team. The Paradisus Resorts are another good option, part of the resort is adults only, part family friendly. They are located close to Playa del Carmen so you can enjoy the nightlife with your young group. Weddings at Grand Velas Riviera Maya are always lovely, great beach, luxurious resort, amazing food and not far from Playa del Carmen. Happy planning!