KellyMN

The RPRM was great! Congrats

Welcome and congrat! Family friend in Mexico - I think Palace Resorts are great for families! Maybe Beach Palace or Cancun Palace in CUN? Azul's are great too - in Riviera Maya. Maybe Azul Blue or Azul Beach. Welcome.

Riu's are great resorts! You'll really enjoy your time at the RMB! Make sure to take a trip to Dunn's River Falls

I'm in a wedding at the Tradewinds Island Grand in March - can't wait!

Welcome and Congrats! We were married there last Jan! You'll love it! Check out our short wedding video: YouTube - Ben and Kelly's Wedding Video #1

Thanks Bridget! IF anyone hears anything about the grand Pineapple, let me know!

I hate to say it... but if people are going to stay at a different hotel, they might as well not come. That's what I always say. It's harsh, but the destination wedding isn't JUST about the wedding.... it's about sharing the whole vacation with family and friends. I wish people would realize that! Personally, I think it's a long trip just to go to a ceremony!

This is the #1 problem with destination weddings.. I hear this situation all the time. What we did, and what I tell others to do is kindly say "if you choose to stay at a different resort, remember there will be a $75 per person charge to come onto the ________ Resort property grounds". And then... tell all sorts of cool great things about your resort and why you chose it somewhere else (website, another insert, etc). Best of luck.

Choosing a resort is the most stressful part of this whole thing! As soon as it's over, it's all easy decisions from here That's what i can say now anyway! Tulum is a little nicer, probably the more expensive one. It's a member of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, a collection of the world's finest independently owned luxury hotels. A big deal in the industry. Another plus is you'd be close to the town of Tulum and the ruins. We had a lot of guests go there for our wedding last winter. Tulum will be more upscale - chill towels, fruit, drinks upon arrival, etc. PA will be more active - fun games around the pool - kind of more of my style than a stuffy luxury place, but it all depends on what she's looking for and her personality. PA would probably be better for kids since it's more active (if there are kids going). Hope those little facts helped!

Welcome and Congrats! I love Chicago!

I, as well as every other DWB, had the same questions at some point. They are charge more because it takes extra work to set up a meal for that many people. For us, they closed down the whole restaurant and had additional staff, extra special drinks, music, etc. I also think they just do this because it's a good way for them to make more money. You'll notice, the resorts charge a ton for things like flowers, chair covers, runners, candels, cake toppers, etc. It's their way to make money - they know that you are (probably) in a foreign country and can't just walk down the street and get your services another way. They know you're forced to go through the resort and they'll make you pay for it It's all worth it though! And there are many ways to save $$$. On another topic, if you're looking to save money, one thing I'd advice against is the group travel option. Often times the company booking your wedding will give you a deal, or offer so many free meals if you travel as a group. DestinationWeddings does this, along with many other destination wedding wholesale companies. Traveling as a group means all your guests have to have the same departure city, room category, number of night stay, etc, which I think limits the options for your guests. I think they are traveling all the way there for you, so you should allow them the flexibility of traveling whenever and from wherever they'd like. I know you might loose the "free" meals, but I'd take money from somewhere else just not to force your guests to do something they don't prefer. That's my two cents

Like Courtney said, El Dorados are great too! Very similar to the Azul's although Azul's allows children, ED's don't.

I love the Azul properties - each one of them! Great food and a beautiful setting. If you liked Xpu-Ha, maybe consider another one of Palace's properties, like Moon Palace or Aventura Spa Palace. The Palace properties are well known for their weddings and the usually offer excursions to ruins and stuff for free (when you purchase a package).

Another note... check out Grand Pineapple Negril (formerly Negril Gardens), it's an AI that allows children. It's small and quaint, but has beautiful wedding ceremonies! It's owned by Sandals, which is right next door, so they have great service and food, just a better value.

Beaches properties are beautiful. And... if there are children coming all the way to your wedding, wouldn't you feel bad if they weren't allowed at your resort the days before and after your wedding? That was an issue for me. I only ended up having two kids, but I was so happy I got to spend time with them in the pool and eat meals with them etc since they traveled so far for us.