bicoastalimages

Hey @@eauyeung my fellow Torontonian , we just shot a wedding at Grand Sunset a few weeks ago. Our bride was told it was a $200 vendor fee per person coming onto the resort but the good news was that would also include the "day passes". Strange side note: the morning she went to pay the fees at the front reception for us they told her they had never heard of vendor fees and just to buy us day passes so she got really lucky! lol Our couple stayed at Grand Sunset but had their actual ceremony at the little chapel in downtown Playa del Carmen. You can see more from their special day here or visit our website for a little more destination wedding inspiration!

@@dawnb Best advice is to find images from a photographer whose style really suits what you're looking for and to feel comfortable with your photog. It's super important to be able to chat with and connect with your photographer leading up to your big day. Unlike many of your other vendors your photographer is there the whole day and part of so many special & private moments. That will help you make your decision. The good news is Barcelo Maya has plenty of gorgeous spots for photos so you have a lot of awesomeness to look forward to! *To view more images of Rochelle & Cory's beautiful Barcelo Maya destination wedding click here

@@Tanya81 Wow you personalized each one...awesome!!! Also love the Bridesmaid Contract

@@kcole123 Looks awesome!!! Would love to see the final printed invite. Always looking for great options to share with our Canadian beach brides

Great choice @@Sarahop81 on getting married in Playa del Carmen and holding everything off resort!!! Playa's filled with so much energy, life and colour. Happy planning & feel free to check out our website for a little destination wedding inspiration here in the Riviera Maya, Mexico! *To view images of Susan & Andy's awesome non-resort Playa del Carmen wedding click here *To view images of Eugene & Stephanie's super cool Rock the Dress session in downtown Playa del Carmen click here

Hola @@Sarahop81! We've seen our past brides wear everything from super fancy Gucci high heels, custom bling heels, cute flat sandals and even just bare feet I think the biggest thing to consider for your shoes is the actual location for your ceremony. If you're having it right on the beach you will likely want to stick with flat sandals or sandals with a small wedge heel. Our brides that have gone with heels usually have upgraded to have a hard covered platform for the aisle or get married in a gazebo or garden. Feel free to visit our website or Facebook page for a little more destination wedding (& bridal footwear) inspiration here in Cancun/Riviera Maya, Mexico!

Hola @@ASAtobe & @@tmac06 we live just down the beach from Hard Rock Cancun! We have shot a few private functions on the terrace at Hard Rock and it's quite nice. It felt very private and had a great view. We have our first wedding at HRC in a few weeks and will be able to share images then of our couples ceremony on the beach and reception. Until then feel free to connect with us on Facebook to see the HRC wedding images as soon as they're posted. To get a little destination wedding inspiration in general check out our website to view photos from some of our awesome beach weddings here in Cancun and the Riviera Maya! Happy planning! The areas on the far left and far right round terraces that stick out are usually the spots where events and wedding receptions are held...

Hey @@tygrrlily! Have no fear...there are a few awesome non-resort venue options right here in Cancun as well This is a gorgeous ocean front venue just a short drive outside of the busy hotel zone so it's nice and quiet and best of all PRIVATE! It's called Ocean Weddings. There's even an adorable little gazebo right on the premises for the ceremony or a small church just down the street if you want a church ceremony. Here are detail & set-up shots of a beautiful wedding at Ocean Weddings Another pretty cool option is a private venue called Capitan Dulche on Isla Mujeres right across the way from Cancun's hotel zone. We've shot weddings there where the guests actually arrived directly to the venue's dock by boat from across the water in Cancun (how crazy awesome is that to take a boat instead of busses or taxis?). Full Album for Natalia & Ismael's wedding Full Album for Helena & Jason's wedding Keep in mind that these types of venues just come with the bare minimum. The pro is you can completely customize your wedding so it's not cookie cutter. The con is working out the cost & effort required to rent everything you'll need. It would also be recommended to work with a wedding planner here in Cancun for a non-resort wedding to help take care of the finer details and day of coordinating. Happy planning!

@@risken In theory that is a really good idea but I can't say I personally know anyone who has done it. We live here in Cancun and I believe all shipments to be received in Mexico have to be placed via the Walmart Mexico website. I'm also not sure if the Mexican Walmart does delivery to stores. If not you can check with your hotel as often your resort's wedding planning department will accept and hold on to wedding items for you within a certain time frame before your big day (maybe up to 4 weeks ahead of time). You could possibly have everything shipped right to the hotel (if they say its alright and won't charge you an additional fee). Another option would be to work with a wedding planner to assist you with some of your shopping, sourcing out the items you need and having them ready for you on your big day. Happy planning!!!

@@meganstobo2004 Congrats & that's awesome! We actually just had another couple get engaged here in Mexico and decided they loved it so much that they're coming back to also have a destination wedding now!!! Most of our couples start by narrowing down their desired location, setting a per guest budget of what they feel their guests will be comfortable with spending, selecting a month or specific week to travel (prices fluctuate based on dates so if your date is flexible you'll have the best chance at getting a great deal) and then of course choosing a resort/hotel. Go through some of the threads here on BDW for ideas and reviews. You'll find working with a travel agent will be the best person to officially get the big stuff all worked out. Happy planning!!!

@@TinkerSofi We took the second photo during a wedding we shot at a non-resort venue called Grand Coral Beach Club. VERY private, beautiful and located in Playa del Carmen!!! The bride and groom were staying at Grand Sunset Princess, had their ceremony in the small chapel on 5th Avenue in downtown Playa del Carmen and then held their reception at Grand Coral. Their wedding can be seen here

@@diadiamond Super cute engagement story! (I like it even more since Toronto is my hometown ) Even though your wedding is in 2015 you'll have a little extra time to plan so you don't have to worry about every detail and decision all at once. We are from Toronto and now travel full-time throughout Mexico and the Caribbean shooting fabulous destination weddings. Feel free to visit our website for a little beach bride inspiration. Happy planning!!!

@@shelikespink I think so much has to do with your own personal heat tolerance. I'm originally from Toronto, Canada but now live here in Cancun and still love it being HOT HOT HOT (even while shooting all day & evening)! lol As long as your reception starts after sunset (which it likely will) and is near the water you and your guests should have a comfortable ocean breeze keeping you cooler throughout the evening. It might also depend on how formal everyone will be dressed. If your groom, groomsmen and many of your male guests will be in long sleeves dress shirts with long pants and suit jackets they may appreciate an indoor air-conditioned reception but if you're going more "beach casual" than outside in the breeze would be perfect! Here are a few outdoor reception examples for a little destination wedding inspiration...Happy Planning!

@@barbiebec November is an awesome time to get married here in the Mayan Riviera...great temperature and usually a little quieter on the beaches! We're sure you'll get lots of incredible ideas from some of your fellow beach brides here on BDW. We recently shot at Grand Sunset Princess. Below are a few photos from our Grand Sunset couple's special day or you can visit our website for more destination wedding inspiration. Happy planning!!!

Hola @@April2015 & @@nikkicraig10! You'll both find quite a few Grand Sunset Princess brides around. We recently shot at Grand Sunset Princess. Our couple did things a little different since they had their actual ceremony in the small chapel on 5th Avenue in downtown Playa del Carmen (Our lady Del Carmen). You can see images of Grand Sunset on their wedding day here and get a little destination wedding inspiration on our website. Happy planning!

@@RachelHolmes21 Soooo glad you shared your thoughts on the outside vendor rules/fees when it comes to professional photographers vs. those on a hotel preferred vendor's list! Such a sticky topic!!! It's important couples understand that many of the "preferred vendors" pay as much as 40% commission to be on these lists (they're driven by $$$). Although it seems like a great deal at first to save on a vendor fee there is no doubt each and every couple is still indirectly paying the fee (even with those on the preferred vendors list) as those photogs have significantly raised their prices to to be able to in turn pay the hotel the necessary commission. Not necessarily paying more for quality, service or final product! Our best advice is to carefully look through and compare the packages (how many hours, number of photographers included, hi-res digital images included?, edited images?, album?, trash the dress session?, off resort rock the dress session?, do you get to speak directly with your photographer months before the wedding etc.) being offered by anyone you're considering and consider the quality and value with the total cost. Best of luck future beach brides! ***To view more photos of a fabulous Playacar Palace wedding we shot please click here***

@@kikimairi We can give you several suggestions! My hubby & I are pro destination wedding photographers based in Mexico and travel throughout the Caribbean shooting awesome beach weddings but Toronto is actually my hometown. We work with several amazing destination wedding specialists back in Toronto you can sit down with! Let us know if you'd like some contact names -Jen & Manuel [email protected] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@@chefigo My best advice is to have a heart-to-heart with your fiancée. I'm originally from Toronto and my husband is from Mexico. We now travel shooting destination weddings full-time but when I think back to when we were getting married we were in a similar situation deciding on the location for our wedding (which country "mine" or "his"). In the end you guys will have to decide what is best for the two of you. If you decide to get married in India in the end and "if" his mother can't travel to be there often many of our destination clients also hold a small reception in Canada to celebrate with any friends and family who couldn't be there for the main celebrations! Best of luck & hopefully you'll be able to work it all out

@@brownsugarbride You can always give them some guidelines as to the type of tempo or atmosphere you're after and they can take it from there. They could play more traditional, slower, romantic songs or really upbeat lively songs to get everyone dancing (think La Bamba) or of course a combination of both!

@@KLA1220 We just recently shot a wedding at Barcelo Maya and loved it there! We think the beach is BEE-U-TEE-FULL! Too bad you can't find that girl again to tell her to mind her own business! lol Don't worry about a thing and enjoy your special day here in paradise!!! ***If you're interested you can see our entire album from Cory & Rochelle's wedding at Barcelo Maya here or on our Facebook page***

@@Pablou I think it's your wedding and could be a gorgeous addition! Depending on your hotel they may even have someone they use for their romantic beach dinner evenings or special events. It's definitely worth asking and they may even just charge the harpist commission directly. There are definitely various musicians you can hire from the outside and you'd just have to clear it with your hotel what the arrangement or fee would be for you to have them there.

Hey @@reynbow, Playa del Carmen is a great choice but would still require quite a bit of walking around. My hubby and I live in Cancun and when my grandmother came to visit we took her to Playa and she wasn't too happy because of all the walking we still ended up doing while shopping and eating. As long as you just hit up a few streets and take little breaks on park benches when needed I'm sure they'll be fine. For a really cool evening excursion there is a brand new attraction called Xoxomilco you might be interested in. It's located just outside of Cancun and is a dinner cruise on flat bottom boats through calm canals of water. I think up to 20 people fit on a boat. They serve all kinds of great authentic Mexican food and you'll hear some fabulous music from mariachis. I think @@kmk2016 also has an awesome suggestion with the catamaran trip! They can often accommodate a large group and with their design aren't fairly steady and comfortable gliding across the water. As for the Mayan ruin sites there are a few that are closer such as Tulum or even Coba that don't cover quite as much land as Chichen Itza (so possibly not as much walking). Tulum is VERY small but since it's right on the coast it's definitely worth seeing. Coba is spread out but there are guys who can give you a ride right to the bottom of the main ruin site for a few dollars on a triciclo (Mexican bike with seating for two in the front). Best of luck finding the right one & let us know if you have any questions about any specific tours! If we're familiar with it and can give you some insider info on it we will

Hey @@mazarin, @@tygrrlily & @@AyeWatSoon are right. Anytime between January-April is still considered high season here in Cancun and especially when you're looking at booking a year in advance the rates are going to be a bit higher (or a LOT higher) depending on the week and resort. Often our couples are still able to find some great deals during the "shoulder" months (like May-June or Nov-Dec) or of course during September-November. If you're flexible with the month and resort...since you're from Toronto (my hometown...yay!) you're really lucky because there are so many awesome charter options leaving from YYZ to CUN all year long! Happy searching!!!

@@LissaSou Yay for a confirmed wedding date at Grand Palladium! It's a gorgeous resort, beautiful private beach area for ceremonies and lots of awesome spots for photos (quiet beach, lobby, corridors etc.) Here are just a few images from a wedding we recently shot at Grand Palladium Riviera Maya... *click here to view the full album at Grand Palladium & visit our Facebook page for more destination wedding inspiration* We are a husband & wife destination wedding photographer team serving Cancun and the Mayan Riviera, Mexico

@@Tanya81 Are you looking to hold just a reception at a non-resort private venue or possibly both your ceremony and reception? There are lots of awesome private options here in Cancun. We've shot on a yacht, private venues just 15-20 minutes from Cancun, Isla Mujeres and even a private home someone rented for their wedding here in the hotel zone. If you're looking for just your reception a private home or boat would likely be the best options. You can look through some of our Cancun weddings on our Facebook page or website to get some ideas. All of the images below were taken at private venues... Grand Coral Beach Club