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The Mayakoba development is a bit isolated, so unless you want to travel to Playa del Carmen, I would stay within the gated community. If you want to go some place other than than the Rosewood and are going to host a considerable number of people, consider the Terrazo Lawn at the Fairmont. It's elevated with sweeping views down to the ocean. That's where my daughter's Welcome Party was held, and the taco bar is a wonderful selection of local cuisine. This is not "Taco Tico," but very gourmet and reasonably priced. We added the prawns "fountain." In the end, decided that prawns weren't necessary, but it was still a nice touch. For something smaller and more "sit down," look at the Banyan Tree restaurants or La Laguna at the Farimont. I don't know the other resorts' restaurants, but La Laguna also has a lovely view down to the ocean.

I'm the original poster here, and my daughter was married last May at the Fairmont Mayakoba. I would suggest the Fairmont over the Rosewood or Banyan Tree for the difference in price. The Fairmont is luxury and in the same development as the other two, but the room prices will be less. The rooms are large and fantastic (great bathrooms!), and our guests who were used to top end travel were very happy at the Fairmont. We found that our guests were happier with a resort that they might choose for their own vacation versus a lower priced all inclusive. The food at the Fairmont is fantastic, something I appreciate even more now after returning from a high end resort in Cancun. The chef even created a lovely wedding cake so we did not have to search for an outside vendor. I don't think that $129 is a reasonable room rate unless your wedding is being held in the (very much) off season when weather conditions are "iffy." The people who are closest to you will attend your wedding no matter where it is held, and you will surprised how many will choose to make a vacation out of attending your event. I think your guests would rather pay a bit more for a good season rather than risk being rained out or sweltering weather. We held a Welcome Party in lieu of a Rehearsal Dinner. Rehearsal Dinners used to be only for the wedding party and couple's family, but it's now common to expand the guest list. Where do you stop? As most guests will be staying in the same place, it's awkward at a destination wedding to include some guests in an event and not everyone. Besides, what makes a DW specials is that everyone spends the weekend together. We chose to have a Welcome Party on the Terrazo Lawn, an elevated outdoor space that has sweeping views across the resort and down to the ocean. So our guests could mingle, we chose a cocktail party set up with music and served the Fairmont's "Taco Bar," beer, wine and signature drinks. Don't think "Taco Tico" about this buffet...it's fantastic! The wedding was held on the beach and the reception was in the adjoining Las Brisas restaurants. These two spots were so different that they might as well have been in different locations and we didn't have to worry about transportation. The Fairmont's grounds are so beautiful and sprawling that your guests will not have that "Get me out of here!" feeling that they could have at other resorts. Here is a post I made on Trip Advisor where I am Troggs (don't ask!). It describes the process we went through in planning the wedding and some things that you might consider in planning your event. Understand that conditions and policies change. and you may encounter some other issues than I have described here. Some of my comments address issues that have been raised on that forum, but hopefully, some of what's here will be helpful as you start you planning. http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g1-i12292-Destination_Weddings.html Wherever your wedding takes place, my best advice to any bride is to focus on the the things that matter and when issue come up, don't let them ruin your wedding. Adopting an "It is what it is" attitude will help you deal with issues that you can't change, and be patient when negotiating the things that are really important to you and your fiance. Congratulations to all and let me know if I can help you with anything else!

I hope you were talking about the tiles. If so, here's where we bought our tiles: http://www.directfrommexico.com/mt2151.html We used the blue and white tile with white and green flowers, but if you want more color, the tile on the top left is quite nice. Our glassware was the same blue color, and the affect was quite lovely. These tiles are three dimensional and thick, and I really suggest tiles that have a relief as they are richer in appearance than flat samples we also considered. . . . It was actually less expensive to have the tiles shipped to us in the US (free) than to have them shipped to the resort in Mexico (at least $100). By taking the tiles with us, we were assured that they would be there for the wedding. Throughout your wedding planning, continually ask yourself, "What could go wrong?" and avoid possible disappointments, Because of we have numbers 1-10 and when the time comes (no hurry!), we thought it would be fun to have them mounted and framed for a playroom.

On our site visit, we tried hair and make up at the resort's spa, but it was just too much for us. We like things to be simpler, and keep in mind that you are in the tropics. Your hair is going to do what it wants to do unless it is tethered down. My daughters hair is long, so we pulled it back, braided the ponytail, and wrapped it in a bun. It held up beautifully and was very elegant. A friend did her make up and my daughter looked like herself on her wedding day. That's what we wanted. For the gift bags, I bought cheap canvas totes at a local craft store, changed the straps with webbing that I was able to but in bulk for less, and hand stamped a tropical leaf pattern on the front of the bag. It was cute... We filled these with chips and other munchies that we bought at the WalMart in Playa del Carmen. People are always looking for food when they come off the beach, and snacks in a restaurant add up. I would suggest adding a large water bottle to this package. Before our site visit, planned a brightly colored wedding with lots of splash. Once we visited the Fairmont and saw how beautiful the natural landscape was, we decided to compliment it with texture in shades of white, ivory and green. Because the surroundings are so different from a hotel or other venue you might choose at home, you really don't have to do too much besides table flowers and ceremony decoration. Our florist was Vanessa Jaimes and we used Mexican house number tiles for our table numbers. These were simply propped against the glass vases that were lined with a banana leaf. We got the numbers Direct from Mexico, and it was actually cheaper for these to be shipped to us and for us to take them with us than it was to pay shipping inside Mexico. For the ceremony, we used the second picture in Vanessa's slide show as our model. The effect was that the space was defined but we did not fight with the natural landscape. Instead of a sit down rehearsal dinner, we did a cocktail party setting on the Terrazo Lawn with heavy hors d'oeuvres. Ask about the Fairmont's Taco Bar. This is not a fast food taco selection, but it's fabulous food served with a lot of panache. This allowed our guests to mingle and saved on our budget. Another way to save money is to offer signature drinks, wine and beer instead of a full, all night open bar. For this party, the Fairmont had colored tablecloths, and I brought colored votives from West Elm that I left the the events department. They may still have them. Do not ship anything to Mexico. You can hire a customs broker, but your wedding is too important to have anything not get there. On most airlines, you are allowed three bags on an international flight. Load them up and distribute items to your family and friends. We brought everything with us looked like we were moving to Mexico! Let me know if I can answer any more questions.

I would suggest that you call the Fairmont Corporation's "800" number and ask for the Mayakoba, The phone will be answered in Spanish, but they speak excellent English. Ask for the events department, and take it from there. Things always go better when you make direct, personal contact. I have corresponded with several couples here and on Trip Advisor, and once they've made contact and/or a site visit they were delighted with the Fairmont. The reason why I encourage couples to consider the Fairmont over the the other Mayakoba resorts is because the room rates and dining are likely to be less expensive for your guests. Rosewood and Banyan Tree are awesome, but they are pricey and the Fairmont is absolutely beautiful. Family and guests being able to share the whole weekend at the pools, on the beach, in the restaurants, etc. is what sets a destination wedding apart from other plans. You really want everyone to stay in the same place. The more reasonable your costs, the more quests will attend, but you still want to select a resort that is unique and not like places your guests may have visited before. Make it worth their travel dollars without being too expensive, and you don't want your wedding to be too packaged. The event planner that we used is not longer with the hotel, but the management is the same. The couples I've corresponded with have been very happy with Adrienne's response and the services available for their wedding planning. That was our experience, and I encourage you to contact the Fairmont through the corporation's "800" number.

I think that the Fairmont has been renovated since Elizabeth Medina shot the wedding there. Like most of you, her pictures were one reason that we decided on the Fairmont, and we wish Elizabeth had been available for my daughter's wedding. I really can not place where the reception in the pictures was held, but we did use the dark glassware that you see in the pictures. We used blue and white Mexican house tiles for the table numbers, andleaned these against white and green arrangements in glass vases wrapped with a banan leaf. Vanessa Jaimes did our flowers and they were amazing!. Â My daughter's ceremony was held oceanfront to the side of Las Brisas restaurant that is away from the beach area that guests use. We pretty much had the beach to ourselves, and we used the second picture in Vanessa Jaimes slideshow as the model for the decorations. As the wedding was held during the off season (May) and we had a large party, we were able to hold the reception in Las Brisas. We held a Welcome Party on the the Terraza Lawn adjoining the lobby, and I think this is where most receptions are held. The lawn is elevated with a sweeping view of the property down to the ocean. Both areas are lovely. Â As for room pricing, a lot will be determined by when you are getting married. Rooms will be expensive during the high season, but rates are more negotiable outside of that time frame. It's generally good to book close to the open and close of the most popular season. Also, the more guests you are expecting, the better your price is likely to be. Be careful not to overestimate this number, however, as it will be written into your contract, and you could be responsible for a balance if it not met. That said, we met our estimate three times over, and I think that happened because the Fairmont was a resort where I guests wanted to vacation. Sometimes a cheaper location is not one that will excite your guests. Contact the Fairmont's events office and see what you can negotiate. The Fairmont books on the European Plan, so there is also a service charge and a Mexican 11% VAT that you should consider on top of the room rate. Â A wedding at the Fairmont Mayakoba is not budget, but it's not over the top, either. Aside from our personal travel, we did not feel that we spent more than we would have spent on a similar wedding at home. Call the events office and see what you can negotiate. The staff is lovely to work with, and the chef created lovely meals that fit our budget and more than met our expectations. Suggestion: The Taco Bar is a lot of amazing food, not what you would expect at home, and reasonably priced. That's what we served for the Welcome Party and everyone was very happy!

Just wait...it's a bit different from the WalMarts you know and love at home, but it worked. Be prepared for nothing to be bilingual, but by using "animated" communication, we got the job done. Everyone was very nice, and we all kept our sense of humor! There is a line of taxis outside the store, and people are there to help you load. We had a charming young boy and his father help us, and these guys work for tips. It's one of those experiences we'll always remember with a smile! We had 60 bags to fill and we didn't have any trouble getting what we needed at WalMart. We may have had trouble getting that quantity at a regular grocery store, but maybe not. Perhaps other people might have some other suggestions.

Consider putting food and beverage in your OOT bags. When your guests are staying at a resort, munchies can be expensive, and our guests really appreciated snacks when they came in from the pools and beach. We visited a local WalMart (or you can go to rocery store) and loaded up!

If you are happy with your resort's coordinator, I would stick with her and hire your own vendors if your resort allows you to do this. Some do not, or they do so at a pricey fee. A third party can sometimes complicate things, and your resort coordinator has staged multiple events in your venue. You can still make it your own under her guidance. Your florist will likely help you with your set up. We used Vanessa Jaimes and were very happy with what she did for us. The second picture in her slide show was our model for the ceremony. To communicate your reception set up - number, placement and size of tables - use Wedding Mapper. You can allow access through a user name and password, and our events manager was able to set things up exactly as we expected. There were no last minute headaches. There were no last minute headaches Let me know if I can offer more info on how we did this.

My daughter was married at the Fairmont Mayakoba, and she and her husband chose to have a legal wedding stateside. This way, they were sure that everything was properly recorded, that their marriage is recognized in the US, and they did not have to go down early for the blood tests outside their medical community. Rings and vows were exchanged on the beach in Mexico, and there is no confusion over where the marriage took place. Some brides do it all in Mexico, but you need to follow through at home to make sure your license in recorded. The Fairmont is not a packaged wedding site or all inclusive, and the services offered by the hotel were excellent. We were able to use our own vendors to create a unique wedding and reception, and we did not need to use a wedding coordinator. For other brides, an all inclusive package or wedding planner is what works for them. It's a matter of choice. To check out various resorts, a good place to go is the hotel review section on tripadvisor.com and the venue reviews here. TA will not offer many wedding reviews, but the list is probably more extensive and you can come back here to learn more about wedding experiences. I would suggest using both resources. Don't be put off by room rates you may see online as your guests will likely receive a reduced block rate. If you see a resort you like, contact the events office. See what they offer, and what you can negotiate. Be careful about booking through a travel agency or a wedding planning service that may also be a travel agency. While these services can be convenient, airfare and room rates may not be as good as your guests can find online or you can negotiate for your block. Agencies sometimes require a minimum number of bookings, and you could be left paying a balance if your guests find better a deal on their own. Most resort contracts will also have a minimum room revenue number, but that's something you can negotiate. Be reasonable in the dollar figure you think you can generate either through a service or direct booking, and you will be fine These are just some questions to ask as you start your search. There is no absolute right or wrong way to plan your wedding, and you will find a lot of help here on BDW. It's your day, make it your own, and it will be lovely! Let me know if you want more info on our experience.

We did out of town bags filled with snacks that we pruchased at the WalMart in Playa del Carmen. When your guests are staying in a resort, they will be happy to have some munchies in their room. For the wedding, we mounted the program on bamboo fans. The program was simple, so it worked!

Our favorite local photographer was Elizabeth Medina, but she was not available for date. You are right to be cautious here because none of the other details matter if you don't like your pictures. They are your lasting keepsake. We used Henry Shoots from NYC, and not only are his pictures fantastic, but everyone loved him, He and his assistant moved in and out among the guests, and no one noticed until they were happy to see them again! The cost of bringing a photographer with you is not as great as you might think. If you can book Elizabeth, I would do it and work through the other details later. Her pictures are up close and intimate, and not over staged with special affects. Florists can do several weddings in one day, but photographers (and entertainment) are limited. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures that I can share at this time, but Henry might if you want to contact him.

Here is a link to my vendor and supplier reviews: https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#label/Wedding+Pictures/1293ae58c3d4b5ac The Fairmont Mayakoba's events office staged the event (perfectly!), and we used our own vendors for flowers, music, photography, etc. My daughter's wedding was her own, and this is definitely not a package location. Contact the Fairmont's event manager, tell them what you want, and see what you can negotiate! Also, go to tripadvisor.com and read the reviews under hotels. When you find a resort that you like, contact their events department and see what is available. Don't be put off by online room rates as there is usually a block rate for wedding guests. That said, my endorsement is still behind the Fairmont!

My daughter was married at the Frairmont Mayakoba, and hers was the only wedding that day. There are two possible venue locations, the beach and the Terraza Lawn, but they are so far apart that if there was another wedding, one wedding party would never know that the other was there. The Mayakoba development is lovely and secluded, and the Fairmont is the most reasonably priced of the three resorts within the gated community. You get all the benefits of the beautiful location, without the expense for your guests. The Fairmont has won environmental awards for its design, and it's very eco-friendly. The food was fabulous!

We heard many of the same comments from our guests, especially about their wanting to make a vacation out of attending the wedding. My daughter was married south of Cancun at the Fairmont Mayakoba, and our guests were very happy with the resort. They told us they would have picked the location for their own vacations, and some said they were coming back! Two bought time shares in the area (!). and many stayed beyond the days that included the wedding events. The Fairmont development is a bit isolated, but our guests seemed to enjoy that feature. The food was fabulous, the beach and pools were lovely, and the eco-firendly grounds were gorgeous. A taxi into Playa del Carmen was less than $20, and several of our guests spent at least one evening there, although most were quite happy spending their time at the Fairmont. The services offered by the Fairmont's events office allowed us to avoid the cost of a wedding planner or travel agency, and we contracted with local vendors for the decor, ceremony and entertainment. Let me know if you want for info. A good reason for selecting the Riviera Maya for a wedding site is that flights into Cancun are generally inexpensive, and flight times are reasonable from just about anywhere in the US. Don't be put off by online room rates as your guests will receive a reduced block rate as attendees for your wedding. Contact the events offices at the resorts you like and see what you can negotiate, including extending the rate beyond the usual day before to night after package. A good place for searching various locations is under the hotel reviews on tripadvisor.com. Search your city/region, and there is usually a live map that will show you the locations for the resorts reviewed on the site. These won't be wedding reviews, but you can learn more about the resorts.