mandjphoto

We shot a wedding at The Royal and the flowers were done by Marvin. They were really lovely. You will have to pay an outside vendor fee if you don't pick up the flowers. Here is his handiwork: Good luck, M&J

We had a bride who got married at The Royal in Playa del Carmen. She ordered flowers from a local guy and they were beautiful. I think you could contact him with your budget and see what he can do. Just make sure you get the flowers so you can avoid the outside vendors fee. Always ask your resort about this. Here is the bouquet that he made. Contact: [email protected] Good luck, M&J

Whichever location you choose, make sure you ask the hotel about back up locations for bad weather. We shot several weddings in April and May last year. April tends to be warm and dry, but the end of May was pretty wet. One hotel was prepared for the bad weather, another was not and it was a long wet night for the wedding party. So, ask now if you are getting married during the months when it tends to rain (late May - October). Good luck, M&J

Hi Sabrina, If the beach is important, I think it is nicer at Dreams. Now Jade sometimes has problems with seaweed and seagrass washing ashore and the beach is not as wide as at Dreams. Good luck, M&J

We live on Cozumel, so we are a little biased. The Occidental Grand is very nice and has good reports about their food. The same goes for the Park Royal (it is closer to town). However, the Occidental would provide an open ocean backdrop for your wedding, while the Park Royal beach looks out at the cruise ship pier and a harbor with anchored boats. We would choose Cozumel for the variety of water sports that the island offers: diving and snorkeling on the west and south side; bone fishing, kayaking or kite boarding on the northwest side; and miles of undeveloped beaches on the east side. Plus, the Caribbean is warm and clear unlike the colder waters of the Pacific. Good luck, M&J

I would suggest taking a look at a place that is a non-all-inclusive. La Reve in Playa del Carmen is great, as are many of the places in Tulum, such as Ana y Jose or Las Ranitas. Good luck, M&J

Hi Shelley and Eric, Congrats on your engagement. We think there are a lot of questions to ask your two resorts as you move toward your decision. How many weddings do they have per week? Will you be forced to choose a time or location that is not your first choice because another wedding was scheduled before yours? What are the fees for outside vendors? We answer a lot of these questions in a blog post: http://www.mandjphoto.com/2012/03/tips-for-getting-married-in-the-riviera-maya/ The two resorts on your short list are at two different locations. The Tulum location puts you closer to several nice cenotes and the Tulum and Coba ruins, all great for day trips. Overall, Tulum has a more hip, cool vibe than Cancun, but neither resort is particularly close to town. Good luck with your planning, M&J

I'm sure you've already made your decision but for anyone else reading this I recommend that you narrow it down to the ones your like and then get them on the phone and have a conversation with them. I've found that we get the best photos with the couples that we "click" with. Just make sure that you like them, feel like yourself with them, can laugh with them and can forget them - in the sense that they will blend into your wedding party and you will forget they are even there. That allows us as photographers to get the important moments as they happen.... Best of luck to you all in your planning! Jen

Hi Shay12, I agree with Pierre. Right after Easter thru June is a good time and right before and right after Thanksgiving is good. October is usually one of the rainiest months and the buggiest in my experience. Happy planning! Jen

I don't have much experience with Euphoria so can't give an opinion but I can recommend Maria Tripaldi with Weddings in Playa. She's on it and I like her as a person. Happy and positive and like I said - she's on it. Jen

The lobster dinner looks really nice. I don't know if that one goes to Isla Mujeres or not but I've had clients go on the one to Isla Mujeres and they really enjoyed it! I'd be curious to hear what you decide to do. Jen

Thanks for posting these. We get asked to recommend videographers often and this gives us a good idea of who we can recommend! Jen

Hi Sweetmelissaann, If you do a search for "dreams riviera cancun photography" numerous sites come up from outside photographers who have shot there. Here's a couple of examples: http://www.elizabethmedina.com/blog/2012/09/shannon-and-konstantin-dreams-riviera-cancun-destination-wedding-photography/ http://www.gonzalonunez.com/blog/shery-gary-dreams-riviera-maya-cancun/ and there are more so don't give up! Sorry I didn't see your post earlier. Everything is negotiable in Mexico so... be tough and stand your ground! Best of luck to you! Jen

Thanks for choosing us! Can't wait to do your trash the dress! hehe! Jen

Love your dress! Best of luck on you special day.

That's really terrible! Have you tried to track him down through FB or Google+ or twitter and shame him into responding? I'm so sorry this has happened. Hoping it all works out for you.

Please read this post before you book! http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/81589/i-hope-that-you-recieve-your-pictures

Hi SandyK, We shot a wedding at the Iberostar on Cozumel. They provided nice deorations and a gazebo. I think most of the resorts will be able to provide those things. Many brides discover that outside vendors (such as photographers, for example) will cost you extra, since the hotel usually has someone that they use that is on staff or on contract. The fees can be as small as a day pass or in a couple of instances cost you as much as $800 for an outside photographer. In my experience, the talent of the independent photographers on the Riviera Maya far exceeds that of the hotel shooters. The majority of the independents are worth paying the extra fee. Good luck, M&J

Hi chickky311, I would recommend using the TA. When I planned my wedding in Cozumel my now husband, Michael, and I tried to do the bookings and it drove us nuts. Our guests kept changing their arrival and departure dates. If you can push that responsibility onto someone else do it. I would also recommend letting your guests deal with their own flights. Best of luck with your planning! Jennifer