Moments That Matter

Congratulations and welcome to the forums! There are lots of vendors and brides on here to give you a hand... so just ask! Its a great forum and will give you the upper hand your looking for. Best of luck Lincoln

You could also do a group excursion and rent a catamaran boat and take a group out for a snorkel tour! I've been on that before as a photographer and it was a blast! Also, can turn into a small "couples" shoot on the boat if you want. My only advice... is to bring some Gravol for any guests that start to feel a little ill being on a boat. Best of luck! Lincoln

Congratulations and welcome to the forums! One of the most important things we'd like to stress about a resort is SIZE. Resorts in the Cancun/Mayan Riviera area range from about 60 rooms to 1000. ~ On one hand, the smaller resorts offer close proximity to all resort amenities. This can have a positive impact on the schedule of your wedding day. Smaller resort means the SPA will probably be within walking distance to your room. No time spent waiting for transportation. Your time is important as you prepare for the big day!! In addition to the preparations, the planned wedding activities (ceremony, cocktails, reception & dance) are also likely within walking distance from each other. This is a big bonus for you and your guests, especially if you have older family attending your wedding. Grandma and Grandpa are sure to appreciate a resort where they can get around on their own. Aside from the wedding day, the smaller resorts are group friendly in the sense that you will find family and friends wherever you go on the resort. Consider that your guests may be coming from all over the world. You will be able to maximize your time together with friends & family that you cannot otherwise see very often. We have also found they are able to accommodate your needs quicker and easier. There are fewer hotel guests and weddings for the staff to deal with, which from our experience, means they are more available when you need them. ~ On the other hand, larger Resorts offer more space and selection. Some brides decide to go with mega resorts to give everyone countless options when it comes to restaurants, beaches, etc. The resort premises has plenty to offer. Regardless of your guests varying preferences, they are sure to find something that works for them. And the obvious, space. If you decide on some alone time with your fiancé/newlywed, there is plenty of space for you two to "get away", enjoy the view, sand in your toes and just relax. With regards to the wedding, since these resorts are usually 3 to 5 interconnected resorts, you will likely have more options when it comes to selecting a wedding site and reception restaurant. Hope this helps! I have many more tips like this on my "Choosing a Resort" page: http://www.momentsthatmatterphotography.com/choosingresort.html Best of luck Lincoln

Congratulations and welcome to the forum! Most brides go for the beach wedding... why else did you come all this way to get married if not to head to the beach?!?!?haha Dinner is always nice outside ... but off the beach. Most people like to wear shoes and women with heels do not go on the beach! Plus... usually at sunset the sand bugs come out in full force for about 30 minutes then the are gone. If you can do a diner beside the beach and use the beach as your "dance floor"! That would be tonnes of fun!!! Last... do your 3hr reception and then head to the disco! As a roaming party... you will have fun wherever you end up! Have fun with all your plans... hope this helps Lincoln

Good job... nice images! Lincoln

Playa Del Carmen weather, In our own words: DECEMBER, JANURAY, FEBUARY This is the best time of the year to travel to the Mayan Riviera if you don't like excruciating heat. December and January, temperatures cool down and on cloudless days swimming is just beautiful. At this time of the year you get the least amount of daylight, but Playa Del Carmen & Cancun light up at night so it's not really an issue. Humidity and rain are lowest during this period. If rain or a cloudy days do occur, things can cool down considerably. It is advisable to take a light jacket with you in order to stay comfortable. MARCH, APRIL, MAY Things start heating up mid-February and by April you can be roasting on the beautiful beaches of the Mayan Riviera. Water temperatures have not caught up but outside temps have started to rise. The "rains" start in April peaking in July-August. This is a wonderful time to travel because after "Spring Break", things calm down until the summer travel season starts in late June. Water temps are warm enough to swim comfortably; it's hot but not "July-August" hot. Weather-wise, it's a great time of the year to go. JUNE, JULY, AUGUST This is the hottest time of the year in Playa Del Carmen, especially mid-July and August. During these months the Mayan Riviera beaches fill with vacationers! Summer is also the rainy season however if it does rain, it tends to hit only once a day and for a very short period. Quite often you are happy it rained as it tends to cool things down a little, at least for a short while. On a cloudless day in August the heat can be unbearable for some people. Shoes are needed because the sand can get too hot to walk on. Even walking any great distance can become a chore. Dehydration is a major factor during the summer months as well as sun-burn. At 12:00 noon you can get burned in 15 minutes without proper sun-block. SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER In September and October the ocean water is hot from the summer heat. The outside temperature drops making daytime temps hot but bearable. Evenings are beautiful and you can still swim at night and be comfortable. This is also hurricane season along the Atlantic coast. Hurricanes or tropical storms can occur anytime between June and December, however the common period is September - November. It is advisable to pay close attention to weather reports during these months.

Congratulations... again I think! This is your second post in the same newbies category. Best of luck with all your planning be it Jamaica or Mexico.

Congratulations on your wedding and welcome to the forums! Best of luck with all your planning.

Congratulations and welcome to the forums! I have posted this right out my website... Here is the weather link where you can find the local weather, Sunrise/Sunset information and see a local webcam of the area! http://www.momentsthatmatterphotography.com/mexicoweather.html -------------------------- Playa Del Carmen weather, In our own words: DECEMBER, JANURAY, FEBUARY This is the best time of the year to travel to the Mayan Riviera if you don't like excruciating heat. December and January, temperatures cool down and on cloudless days swimming is just beautiful. At this time of the year you get the least amount of daylight, but Playa Del Carmen & Cancun light up at night so it's not really an issue. Humidity and rain are lowest during this period. If rain or a cloudy days do occur, things can cool down considerably. It is advisable to take a light jacket with you in order to stay comfortable. MARCH, APRIL, MAY Things start heating up mid-February and by April you can be roasting on the beautiful beaches of the Mayan Riviera. Water temperatures have not caught up but outside temps have started to rise. The "rains" start in April peaking in July-August. This is a wonderful time to travel because after "Spring Break", things calm down until the summer travel season starts in late June. Water temps are warm enough to swim comfortably; it's hot but not "July-August" hot. Weather-wise, it's a great time of the year to go. JUNE, JULY, AUGUST This is the hottest time of the year in Playa Del Carmen, especially mid-July and August. During these months the Mayan Riviera beaches fill with vacationers! Summer is also the rainy season however if it does rain, it tends to hit only once a day and for a very short period. Quite often you are happy it rained as it tends to cool things down a little, at least for a short while. On a cloudless day in August the heat can be unbearable for some people. Shoes are needed because the sand can get too hot to walk on. Even walking any great distance can become a chore. Dehydration is a major factor during the summer months as well as sun-burn. At 12:00 noon you can get burned in 15 minutes without proper sun-block. SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER In September and October the ocean water is hot from the summer heat. The outside temperature drops making daytime temps hot but bearable. Evenings are beautiful and you can still swim at night and be comfortable. This is also hurricane season along the Atlantic coast. Hurricanes or tropical storms can occur anytime between June and December, however the common period is September - November. It is advisable to pay close attention to weather reports during these months. Barcelo Maya Palace... taken at sunset...

Congratulations and welcome to the forums! Well... kinda... looks like you have been here for a while. hehe The only advice I will give you is you should find a photographer who's work you are totally in love with. Budget is always a concern and needs to be met... but if your doubting the work of a photographer or finding things you don't like about his/her style... find someone else. There are so many amazing photographers out here with lots of different budgets. The last thing you want is to feel worried or disappointed on your wedding day as that emotion will come out in your pictures. You should be 100% excited and pumped about the art that your photographer is going to create for you and have the confidence that they will! Best of luck with all your planning! Lincoln

I've only shot one wedding at the Aventura Spa Resort. Im not sure if they have changed their resort policy yet, but we were told they did not allow any outside vendors but allowed us on the one time. I have gone on a rented catamaran with a small group for the wedding. You have to remember that this will take up a fair chunk of time to get everybody organized, transported to the boat, tour and back again... so this may be something to think about. While this is a great idea to gather everybody for an adventure... my only suggestion would be to organize it on a different day than your wedding. Take your wedding day in as it unfolds and enjoy every minute of it. Don't try and do too much. There is already enough going on that you need some time to even relax... especially on your wedding day. Even if its for 20 minutes. Everybody always loves the cocktail hour! That is my only advice. Here is a link to the Aventura Spa Wedding I shot over a year ago: http://momentsthatmatterphotography.com/blog/?p=423

Congratulations Cindy and welcome to the forums! If your looking for a gallery of a lot of the resorts here in the Maya Riviera... please check out my FB Albums Gallery! ( https://www.facebook.com/media/albums/?id=18683524486). Here you will find upwards of 100 resorts and wedding pictures from each. If you have any questions about a particular resort... feel free to email me at [email protected]. Talk to you soon! Lincoln

Congratulations and welcome to the forums! If your looking for a gallery of a lot of the resorts here in the Maya Riviera... please check out my FB Albums Gallery! ( https://www.facebook.com/media/albums/?id=18683524486). Here you will find upwards of 100 resorts and wedding pictures from each. If you have any questions about a particular resort... feel free to email me at [email protected]. Talk to you soon! Lincoln ps - I don't like to say bad things or be negative... but the Blue Bay Esmeralda is one of my least favorite resorts. Mainly because the other resorts in the area have so much more to offer you. That is just my opinion and may not be the popular one. This also is an opinion of a photographer... and not a wedding couple or guest that books in there and stays for a week. I've still taken some fantastic shots at the Blue Bay Esmeralda like this wedding: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.486210409486.266714.18683524486&type=1 Mayan Ceremony at the Blue Bay Esmeralda

Congratulations and welcome to the forums! I love The Royal PDC as its such a picturesque resort! Turn around time is always a challenge as I promise 4 to 6 weeks... but most the time I try and make that 2 or 3 weeks. I'm able to do this because I only shoot a limited number of weddings and do all the post production work flow myself. Here is one of my last weddings I shot there that was so much fun!!! The Royal PDC Link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150206092334487.326345.18683524486&type=1

Congratulations Stella and welcome to the forums! Best of luck with all your wedding plans. You never said if your going to go to the DR or maybe come down here to the Mayan Riviera? Regardless... or irregardless as its now been accepted as a word because of mass misuse... haha... have fun with all your planning!

This was one of my favorites that I've seen over the years! They made up passports for everybody. Really cool with all the information. Lincoln

Yes... there is some sea weed at the Moon Palace... but it is still a fantastic resort for a wedding! Here are links to 3 weddings I recently captured there. Best of luck with all your planning! Lincoln Moon Palace Wedding 1: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150167567514487.314165.18683524486&type=1 Moon Palace Wedding 2: http://momentsthatmatterphotography.com/blog/?p=771 Moon Palace wedding 3: http://momentsthatmatterphotography.com/blog/?p=574

What a wonderful review! So much information... Im sure a lot of brides will love your post. Good for you to give back this wealth of information. This is in response to Honeylime who is asking about the weather. April probably will be getting very warm... but it is still tolerable at that time. Well... depends on your tolerance for heat that is! haha Here is a blurb from my website. Hope it helps. Lincoln Playa Del Carmen weather, In our own words: DECEMBER, JANURAY, FEBUARY This is the best time of the year to travel to the Mayan Riviera if you don't like excruciating heat. December and January, temperatures cool down and on cloudless days swimming is just beautiful. At this time of the year you get the least amount of daylight, but Playa Del Carmen & Cancun light up at night so it's not really an issue. Humidity and rain are lowest during this period. If rain or a cloudy days do occur, things can cool down considerably. It is advisable to take a light jacket with you in order to stay comfortable. MARCH, APRIL, MAY Things start heating up mid-February and by April you can be roasting on the beautiful beaches of the Mayan Riviera. Water temperatures have not caught up but outside temps have started to rise. The "rains" start in April peaking in July-August. This is a wonderful time to travel because after "Spring Break", things calm down until the summer travel season starts in late June. Water temps are warm enough to swim comfortably; it's hot but not "July-August" hot. Weather-wise, it's a great time of the year to go. JUNE, JULY, AUGUST This is the hottest time of the year in Playa Del Carmen, especially mid-July and August. During these months the Mayan Riviera beaches fill with vacationers! Summer is also the rainy season however if it does rain, it tends to hit only once a day and for a very short period. Quite often you are happy it rained as it tends to cool things down a little, at least for a short while. On a cloudless day in August the heat can be unbearable for some people. Shoes are needed because the sand can get too hot to walk on. Even walking any great distance can become a chore. Dehydration is a major factor during the summer months as well as sun-burn. At 12:00 noon you can get burned in 15 minutes without proper sun-block. SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER In September and October the ocean water is hot from the summer heat. The outside temperature drops making daytime temps hot but bearable. Evenings are beautiful and you can still swim at night and be comfortable. This is also hurricane season along the Atlantic coast. Hurricanes or tropical storms can occur anytime between June and December, however the common period is September - November. It is advisable to pay close attention to weather reports during these months.

Congratulations and welcome to the forums! Having been down here for the past couple years I have not personally ran into any brides that were not allowed a beach ceremony and reception because of the turtles. I do know that some beach areas have been closed down and roped off because of the turtles... this is a very small part of the beach. I live in Playa del Carmen and have worked many weddings on the beaches of Playa through the years and Im very surprised that you are having this issue here? What resort are you looking at booking your wedding? Is it right in PDC because these are public beaches here and I have yet to see them closed for turtles in town. Hope this helps... best of luck with all your planning and feel free to email me if you have any questions! Lincoln Here are a couple resort in Playa del Carmen that you should not have a problem at: The Royal Playa del Carmen: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150206092334487.326345.18683524486&type=1 Playacar RIU & Kool Beach Club wedding: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150158424544487.299069.18683524486&type=1 Gran Porto Real Playa del Carmen: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150103243824487.283572.18683524486&type=1 Iberostar Tucan Playacar: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.487964489486.267713.18683524486&type=1

Hi Katie and welcome to the forums! Both Dreams Cancun and Dreams Tulum are wonderful locations! I have shot weddings there many times and I love them both. Here are couple links that might help you decide. Let me know if you have any questions! Lincoln Dreams Tulum Wedding: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.459017324486.249397.18683524486&type=1 Dreams Cancun Wedding: http://momentsthatmatterphotography.com/blog/?p=330

Congratulations and welcome to the forums. I wasn't lucky enough to eat at Xcaret when I was there. I can tell you that it is a fantastic place to hold a wedding and the ceremony site in the gazebo is beautiful! Here is a link to a wedding I shot there for you get an idea of the location! https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.387414324486.165112.18683524486&type=1 Best of luck with all your plans! Lincoln

Hola and welcome to the forums! May I suggest you head to your local book store and grab a Lonely Planet book on the area? I guess it all depends on what your looking for but there will be some great information there for you. Once you are here there will be tonnes of brochures on different excursions to do and I suggest you book those when you arrive! Best of luck with all your plans. Lincoln

Congratulations and welcome to the forums! As for the advice between Punta Cana and Mayan Riviera... for me it comes down to what you want out of the location? Putting aside the weather... because we both get the same weather patterns and that is completely out of your control. The only choice you have there is to pick a time of year that is not in the "rainy season". Punta Cana and the Mayan Riveria both offer fabulous hotels and beautiful beaches! Punta Cana is more of a mega resort area where you do not really go out and experience the area and venture into "town". The Maya Riviera has the city of Cancun and small towns along the way like Puerto Morelos, Playa cel Carmen, Akumal and Tulum. I would say there is much more to do and see here outside your hotel for your guests. In the end... this is about your wedding!! Best of luck with all your plans. Feel free to email me if you have any questions about the hotels in the area of the Mayan. Lincoln

The Moon Palace beach is great... but there is sea weed on the beach. Here is a link a shoot at Moon Palace: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150167567514487.314165.18683524486&type=1 . Puerto Morelos area and Playa del Carmen area have the best beaches in my opinion. Again... I tell people this all the time... the ocean may move sea weed from one spot to another on any given day! Best of luck with all your planning! As a quick image list to a bunch of resorts here in the Mayan Riviera, have a look at this album list where you will find pictures from a lot of the main resorts: https://www.facebook.com/media/albums/?id=18683524486 Lincoln

My only suggestion to you is to plan out your entire day with a time line. I shoot 60+ weddings each year and have seen a lot of different ceremonies and events. Its best if you not rushed from doing one thing to the next and leaving some time in there for you to relax. Remember... here in Mexico... things take longer than you expect! :-) Best of luck Lincoln