essandpea

Love it, Shan 0487 :-) Thanks, Adesir8! We invited 300, so I guess we're looking at a 50% response/acceptance rate! Definitely missing some key folks, but... No Stress = that needs to be my mantra during this whole process!

Thanks, AllieH! We just heard from our coordinator that there's a Sam's Club in Playa that carries some decor items so I think we'll try to avoid bringing too much. Yay for BOBs :-). Shan0487, ahhhhh! I hit that four-month marker tomorrow :-). And you are getting married on my birthday! We thought about doing the 23rd, too, so as to never forget our anniversary ;-P. Our venue only has 24 rooms, and a lot of Tulum's hotels are rustic boutique hotels -- it definitely has given us an extra step to consider for transportation and pre-wedding event logistics. But despite our group size, we wanted something really laid-back and intimate, so decided to go the non-resort way. Thanks for the welcomes! Looking forward to hearing more about everyone's planning processes.

Butting in late to this thread - just noticed it in the Recent Discussions! We're getting married November 24 in Tulum (Riviera Maya). I'm SO glad to not be the only ones not having sent out invites yet. It became a much more complicated process than I had anticipated, as we had to go with two versions for family reasons... Adesir8: SOB (sister of the bride?) -- love it :-). I have a BOB (though he's not at ALL involved ;-)). We also had a groomsman recently cancel, but decided not to dwell on it. We will miss him, but we knew when we started that there would be a possibility some of our closest wouldn't be able to make it last-minute due to, well, life! We're having a City Hall ceremony before we go to avoid worrying about blood tests and paperwork there (and because we live in San Francisco and have a gorrrgeous City Hall). We have 129 people confirmed so far (I know it sounds crazy. But if we had the wedding at home in California, it probably would have been 400-500!). Is anyone having to bring in large decorations like lanterns or tiki torches? Or know of a place in the Riviera Maya to purchase?

Ditto - not weird at all! (at least not to me!) I came up with seven and he came up with three (but felt like he needed to even it out). Parents, friends and acquaintances have said, "Oh no, what are you going to dooo?" I'll have them walk one-by-one, or maybe in triplets, or maybe not do a walk down the aisle at all. I don't think it's necessary to follow "rules" or traditions that don't work for you. Don't cut! What's important is to have the people who are most important to you be part of the day. Speckles121, I love that your fiance has a groomsperson :-).

Thanks for the input! After months of research, it does seem like booking a DJ is the way to go. Glad DJ Mannia worked out for you!

Congratulations on deciding on a location/venue! And thanks for circling back to share about your site visit to Tulum :-).

Welcome! I love hearing from new Las Ranitas brides/grooms. DJ (music, sound, lighting) costs around $1500 USD, with the dance floor being extra. We looked extensively into just renting a sound system and using an iPod, but the sound system alone costs almost as much as DJ services! Plus, you would need a technician to set it up and someone to be in charge of it throughout the night. We also considered purchasing high-quality Bose speakers in the US and bringing them as some couples have done, but the beach can be quite windy and we didn't want to risk nobody being able to hear the ceremony (which forum-users experienced for even smaller 25-person weddings). A great thing about Las Ranitas is the patio area, and Angelina and other brides have told us that it's a great natural dance floor. All you need is some lighting, and you're set.

We were considering Akiin, too -- loved the open, blank-canvas feel. Here's the breakdown of costs our coordinator was able to negotiate: Site fee (all day, private basis): $1,500 Buffet: ~$45/person Corkage (we wanted to bring in our own alcohol): $23/person per hour Decor for the beach club beds and set-up (tables, chairs, linens): $1,500 Centerpieces: $45/each DJ, sound system, lighting: $1,500 Keep in mind there's a service charge and taxes on everything. Our photographer shot a wedding there in January, so you could get in contact with this couple if you wanted to talk to someone who pulled off a wedding there: http://delsolphotography.com/blog/post-1261/Karen-Amando-Wedding-at-Akiin-Tulum-Photos-by-Sol. Good luck!

Thanks for adding that! I should have mentioned that in my post. Isabellef, we did let our guests know that Dreams Tulum is quite a distance from the rest of the hotels along the beach and that they should take that into account. Same goes for Gran Bahia Principe, Barcelo Maya, or houses in Akumal that are advertised as Tulum.

Hi isabellef, Yay, another potential Ranitas wedding! Congratulations :-). We're expecting 125-150 guests, and for spillover, our coordinator recommended: La Zebra, Ahau (formerly Esmeralda K), Coco, Mestizo, Ana y Jose, Om, Casa Violeta, Dos Ceibas, Playa Azul, El Pez, and Casa de las Olas. From those, we narrowed it down to the first four to provide our guests a range of price points (but ensuring 24-hour electricity). But don't feel limited at all; there are SO many hotels dotting the beach along Boca Paila Road. We also have guests renting private homes and a couple who are staying at Dreams because they wanted the all-inclusive experience. Hope this helps!

Hi Kate, I'll definitely share what we come up with with regards to set-up! Angie has recommended the pool area for the cocktail hour, but PamelaVan said she had her cocktail hour on the beach with live entertainment, so both are options. I hear you on the long lines for drinks :-). I'll know more in the next month or so, as we're still discussing what kinds of tables, highboys, chairs, etc., we'll need to supplement what Las Ranitas has available. Also, we just got a quote from OM Tulum as a potential welcome party location. Our coordinator says it's cozy but definitely enough space. More to come!

Hi Kate, We're in the same boat! Las Ranitas (this November), del Sol, expecting approximately 150 guests! Angelina is helping us look for a welcome party venue as well, so I'll share once we find something. You may want to check out Mestizo; I think they can accommodate your party size (they could ours) and there's a fairly-priced menu, and they will waive the site fee ($3000 USD) if you book eight rooms there. We unfortunately couldn't guarantee the eight rooms so are continuing our search!

Hi Kate, We're in the same boat! Las Ranitas (this November), del Sol, expecting approximately 150 guests! Angelina is also helping us look for a welcome party venue, so I'll share once we find something. You may want to check out Mestizo; they can definitely accommodate your party size, had a fairly priced menu, and will not charge a site fee ($3000 USD) if you book at least eight rooms there. We unfortunately couldn't guarantee the eight rooms, so are continuing our search!

Hi everyone, We're planning some pre-wedding excursions for our group in Tulum. If you only had time to visit one cenote, which one would you choose?? Gran Cenote, Dos Ojos, or other?

Congratulations, PamelaVan! Would love to read a review when you've recovered and get a chance :-). We're getting married at Las Ranitas this November!

Hi Sandy, We need a speaker system with mic for 1 hour ceremony, 1 hour cocktails, and ~6 hours dinner/dancing. Nothing fancy, and no mixing equipment, just good quality speakers so that 100+ guests can hear a ceremony on the beach and then music during the reception. If you have any leads for a significantly more affordable price, we'd appreciate them! Thank you.

I thought I had found all the Indian-related posts, but somehow missed this one! Shimona, we are having a traditional Hindu wedding in a mandap on the beach, but in Tulum. The one drawback to Tulum is that we aren't having everyone stay at the same place; the beach is dotted with tons of boutique hotels... though there are resorts (Dreams Tulum, Gran Bahia Principe among them). We're expecting between 100-150 guests and chose Las Ranitas in Tulum. Sandy, we've had so much difficulty finding mehndi services! I will contact you separately about this. Thank you!

Hi all, Our DJ friends from home are preparing mixes for us to play at our November beach wedding. We were hoping to rent a sound system, but are flabbergasted by the cost (way more than rates of vendors we've used in the U.S.). We were quoted nearly $1000 to rent a sound system for the ceremony and reception (it's $1500 for a DJ!, which I understand). Can anyone weigh in on whether this is the going rate? Thanks!

Ben Chrisman! But Anna K. is a favorite, too :-)

Hi BDWF-ers, My partner and I went on a Riviera Maya scouting trip in January 2012. Hope you find this summary helpful! Background: We are based in San Francisco, our families are in Southern California, and we have friends all over the world. We knew we wanted to have a destination wedding, but had to factor in a) difficulty of travel for older folks or those who have never traveled; and cost/time of travel for the majority of our guests. We fell in love with Tulum from internet photos alone, and believed it would be the perfect setting: remote(-enough) and relaxed, and a manageable distance for most. Unfortunately, at the same time, I became obsessed with the idea of having our ceremony at an authentic hacienda. Besides them being utterly gorgeous (to me), I thought their architecture would be a stunning backdrop to the Hindu ceremony (decor, clothing, colors) we would be having. Because haciendas don't exist in Tulum (most of them are in Merida), we had to expand our search beyond Tulum. We contacted several wedding planners based in the Riviera Maya, and felt connected to one person in particular. We found Angie (Angelina Cardenas) through TulumDestinationWeddings.com. She also happens to be the in-house coordinator for Las Ranitas Eco Boutique Hotel in Tulum. Angie said she didn't know of any haciendas in her area, but her friend was based in Cancun and had a lot of great contacts. So we arranged for both Angie and her friend Nallely, also a wedding planner, to meet us in January for a scouting trip down the coast. We arrived at CUN around 9 pm, and were picked up in a big van. Much to our (impressed) surprise, we went straight to our first site visit around 10 pm! Here are the synopses of the visits (please note that we only visited venues that could hold at least 150): Friday night Amarte Maroma: An "elegant, bohemian village" (between Playa del Carmen and Puerto Morelos) 120-150 capacity (at the boutique hotel -- up to 300 in other areas of the property) No site fee Outdoor patio Good in-house sound system Menu: Per person from $65 at Pavo Real restaurant Cool art gallery where a ceremony can also be held Great palapa that could hold a ceremony Great clean, sparse rooms and more upscale bungalows and villas Piano bar Cantina-style Mexican restaurant onsite, great for rehearsal or day-after brunch 20 minutes from beach (but they also have beach accommodations for a wedding) Amarte Maroma was solid. Their staff was great, even at 10 pm. Their grounds are very well-maintened. The boutique hotel is set on a large jungle property, beautiful and peaceful. They are very well-organized, and you would have no problems with resources for planning a wedding here. They are connected to tons of vendors and are very service-oriented. For some reason, as lovely as it was, I didn't get the feeling that this was for me, though I could easily imagine loving attending a wedding there. That night, we slept at Hotel LunaSol, a very affordable small hotel in Playa that we found through TripAdvisor. Very clean, basic. Saturday We met Nallely and her friend Denise, from a wedding planning company, around 10 am. Denise drove us in her car down to meet Angie in Tulum. Las Ranitas Eco Boutique Hotel (Tulum) 200 capacity $3000 site fee Menu starts at $50/person Open bar starts at $16/person Gorgeous multi-leveled dining area that opens up to the beach Recently remodeled As soon as we stepped onto the patio of Las Ranitas, we looked at each other with huge, excited smiles. This place is breathtakingly beautiful. If you are looking at photos, please keep in mind that Las Ranitas was renovated in late 2011. We had some breakfast (very good!) and talked with Angie about the possibilities at Las Ranitas. Denise also met with us to show us her company's portfolio and ask us questions about our plans. We felt a little hesitant to lock ourselves in to vendors already, but went ahead and spoke in generalities. Denise's portfolio showcased large and lavish weddings, so if you're interested in that style, I'm happy to put you in touch. Pre-renovation photos of a wedding at Las Ranitas: Las Ranitas and Sol - Photos by Sol Tamargo La Zebra (Tulum) La Zebra is a popular hotel right on the beach. - Cool restaurant with great wooden furniture and sculptures. - Located directly on the beach in Tulum - 16 jungle-chic suites, cabanas, and room - Private swimming pool - Beachfront Mexican cantina & bar - Outdoor tequila beach bar The beach area, while big, somehow felt cramped to us. We are recommending La Zebra to our guests as a lodging option. Ak'iin Beach Club No one was available to talk to us at Ak'iin, but we really liked it. It was very undeveloped and spacious, and could be decorated however you like. - Beach club lounge furniture included - Onsite kitchen/food services - Site fee is $1500 (all day/private basis) - No lodging here, but that wasn't a problem for us - Blank canvas! Photos of Ak'iin Beach Club weddings by del Sol Photography! Kristy + Bryan - Photos by Matt Adcock Nicole + Anthony - Photos by Jonathan Kelly + Santiago - Photos by La Luna Photographers Michelle + Kevin - Photos by del Sol Associate Ana y Jose Beach Club *the website doesn't seem to be working at the moment (Tulum) We had read a lot about Ana y Jose Beach Club on BDWF before the site visit, and most of it rang true. It's a lovely beach club made for weddings. To see it come to life, check out the following slideshows also from del Sol Photography: Megan + Marc - Photos by Sol Tamargo Lisa + Reed - Photos by Matt Adcock Sangeeta + Cristian - Photos by Matt Adcock Ashley + Hai - Photos by Sol Tamargo Michelle + Mark - Photos by del Sol Associate Irene + Scott - Photos by Sol Tamargo Though we didn't get to try any food, we've heard it's very good. Please note that the beach club is separate from their hotel. Also search the forum for "San Fran Sarah" for her great reviews of Ana y Jose Beach Club. Adonis (Tulum) Adonis felt very grand to me, like a big Vegas resort (Palazzo, maybe?). Lots of marble, huge sculptures, spread-out property. The rooms are very well-appointed. Staff are friendly and helpful. It was surprising to me that something like this would exist in Tulum. Adonis has recently been re-branded as a gay resort and is now adults-only, so that may take this venue out of the running for some of you. In the afternoon, we met with Pablo and Karla from Gourmet Events. Their chef, Federico Lopez, is internationally known and was the winner of the Canadian Iron Chef in 2007. It seems Gourmet Events has access to and contracts with pretty special event spaces. Pablo and Karla took us to: Nha-ha (Akumal?) • Capacity inside the house up to 120 guests • Capacity outside the house up to 250 guest • No time limit • No sound restrictions • Fireworks not allowed • Catering fee may apply to group events smaller to 50 guests • Restrooms capacity included for up to 50 guests $5500 site fee Nha-ha is incredible. You have to see photos (or rather, visit) to understand. It's not for everyone. It's located far from the beach and is privately owned in Sac-be, which from our loose understanding is a preserved and protected Mayan area. There are trees, cenotes!, trails onsite! A super unique house, great jungle-y outdoor areas. But it's not paved, very uneven paths with rocks and roots, there are tons of mosquitos, and you would have to bring in pretty much everything, including a generator, which is expensive, and extra bathrooms. We were worried about the many kids who would attend our wedding, and couldn't shake the anxiousness of having to keep an eagle-eye on all the kids in such a location. If you have a group of adventurous adults, I would highly recommend checking out this place. Villa Sol y Luna (Playa Secreto) Large house in a gated community good for a big group. Great backyard for BBQs or just hanging outdoors. Right on Playa Secreto, which reminded us of some Southern Californian beaches; not too much surf and good for swimming. The house comes with a lot of beach toys and sporting equipment. This house is great for family vacations, but too much like a typical California beach house for us. On Saturday night, Nallely used her connections to get us a fairly-priced room at a brand-new resort in Cancun. We aren't the resort type, so I'm sorry I can't remember the name! Sunday Our coordinators had obviously saved the best for last. Hacienda la Esperanza (Cancun) Hacienda la Esperanza is a magnificent rust-red replica hacienda. Exquisitely done. Not crumbling and authentic, but still vibrant and beautiful. It has a great entrance (perfect for a bharat (Indian procession preceding the wedding ceremony), animals! (dogs, peacocks, horses (I got bitten by one, but that's a whoooole different story), monkeys...), fountains, a pool... just perfect for a hacienda wedding. Unfortunately, it's a $5500 site fee, and Gourmet Events, the only company who can have the site fee waived, was way out of our budget for catering. If you have money to spare, this space fits 500+ and is something to see. It's not on the beach, though, which is of course a top reason for many wanting to have a destination wedding in Mexico. Hacienda Las Marias Hacienda las Marias is a mini-version of Hacienda la Esperanza, carrying a $2500 site fee. It is constructed in the same exact style as Esperanza, but just doesn't have the same grandeur. After the last site visits, Pablo and Karla took us to Gourmet Events for a tasting. It was great, and we met the Iron Chef. Gourmet Events offers a wide range of cuisine, and can customize menus. However, we were deeply disappointed when they presented us with a menu some weeks later with the first dish being steak. We had told them several times how important food was, and how my partner's family is mostly vegetarian (and specifically non-beef eating). We had hoped that someone, either from the catering company or our own coordinators, would catch that. Our decision-making process, in brief (for those interested) When Esperanza turned out to be to costly for us, we were somewhat relieved. Tulum was our first choice anyway! We got quotes from Ak'iin, Ana y Jose, and Las Ranitas. Ak'iin and Ana y Jose came close to our budget, and then in the final round, Ana y Jose delivered the most competitive proposal. We were far along in the process with Ana y Jose, even having signed a contract, but almost a month went by without any communication from them. We tried multiple times to get a counter-signed contract from them. Our coordinators told us that counter-signed contracts aren't customary in Mexico, but we knew from our own experiences and those of people on this forum that we didn't want any surprises. We bypassed our coordinators and called Ana y Jose and were able to reach the owner without problem. She promised to get us the counter-signed contract, but it still didn't come. The onsite coordinator there then emailed to say it wasn't her responsibility to get the counter-signed contract (though she was kind and apologetic). The owner promised to oversee our event herself, but our trust in them had been compromised. Angie and Nallely then informed us that Las Ranitas still didn't have anything booked for our date, and that they were willing to negotiate, so we decided to go with Las Ranitas -- our first choice in Tulum! A case of everything turning out for the best. One big budgeting tip for those considering a destination wedding in Mexico: know that the holiday season in December is the highest of the high season, and the prices reflect that accordingly. Many hotels will require a 7-day stay between Christmas and the new year. One big gripe/question mark about destination wedding planning: We've heard again and again that communication with coordinators tends to fall off for a few months after an agreement is made and before the few months before the wedding. We have found that to be true for us, especially since now (May) is the beginning of peak wedding season). We've also found that almost everyone we work with lacks attention to detail. It's not uncommon for a week to go by for an email to be returned, or for us to have to ask a question repeatedly to get a direct answer. We also find errors in dates, names, calculations, etc., which means we have review everything painstakingly, which is time-consuming. Our coordinators are great (people), but the planning process has definitely been slow and frustrating. We recognize that we are on the opposite end of the detail-oriented spectrum, so we try to be patient and while we wait, do a lot of our own research. I will say that having someone take us around during the scouting trip was very helpful. The only easy part about destination wedding planning has been booking our photographer. As I wrote in another thread: I fell in love with del Sol through their posts on this forum, their website, and communicating with their Sales + PR Concierge, Ael Enciso. They were also mentioned on the blog of my favorite local (San Francisco) photographer, which was a plus, because I really wanted to choose vendors who are local to the Mayan Riviera. Ael has been enthusiastic, kind, informative, thorough, and generous with her time. I never wait more than 24 hours for a response, and all my concerns are handled with understanding and care. When I thought we couldn't afford del Sol, Ael offered me the brilliant suggestion of putting photography on our registry, but also referred me to a handful of excellent other choices that might be able to match our needs. I thought that was classy and professional. Ultimately, we reworked our budget and went back to del Sol. Thank goodness they were still available for our date. Please feel free to ping me if you have questions about anything above. Happy planning!

Hi BDWF-ers, My partner and I went on a Riviera Maya scouting trip in January 2012. Hope you find this summary helpful! Background: We are based in San Francisco, our families are in Southern California, and we have friends all over the world. We knew we wanted to have a destination wedding, but had to factor in a) difficulty of travel for older folks or those who have never traveled; and cost/time of travel for the majority of our guests. We fell in love with Tulum from internet photos alone, and believed it would be the perfect setting: remote(-enough) and relaxed, and a manageable distance for most. Unfortunately, at the same time, I became obsessed with the idea of having our ceremony at an authentic hacienda. Besides them being utterly gorgeous (to me), I thought their architecture would be a stunning backdrop to the Hindu ceremony (decor, clothing, colors) we would be having. Because haciendas don't exist in Tulum (most of them are in Merida), we had to expand our search beyond Tulum. We contacted several wedding planners based in the Riviera Maya, and felt connected to one person in particular. We found Angie (Angelina Cardenas) through TulumDestinationWeddings.com. She also happens to be the in-house coordinator for Las Ranitas Eco Boutique Hotel in Tulum. Angie said she didn't know of any haciendas in her area, but her friend was based in Cancun and had a lot of great contacts. So we arranged for both Angie and her friend Nallely, also a wedding planner, to meet us in January for a scouting trip down the coast. We arrived at CUN around 9 pm, and were picked up in a big van. Much to our (impressed) surprise, we went straight to our first site visit around 10 pm! Here are the synopses of the visits (please note that we only visited venues that could hold at least 150): Friday night Amarte Maroma: An "elegant, bohemian village" (between Playa del Carmen and Puerto Morelos) 120-150 capacity (at the boutique hotel -- up to 300 in other areas of the property) No site fee Outdoor patio Good in-house sound system Menu: Per person from $65 at Pavo Real restaurant Cool art gallery where a ceremony can also be held Great palapa that could hold a ceremony Great clean, sparse rooms and more upscale bungalows and villas Piano bar Cantina-style Mexican restaurant onsite, great for rehearsal or day-after brunch 20 minutes from beach (but they also have beach accommodations for a wedding) Amarte Maroma was solid. Their staff was great, even at 10 pm. Their grounds are very well-maintened. The boutique hotel is set on a large jungle property, beautiful and peaceful. They are very well-organized, and you would have no problems with resources for planning a wedding here. They are connected to tons of vendors and are very service-oriented. For some reason, as lovely as it was, I didn't get the feeling that this was for me, though I could easily imagine loving attending a wedding there. That night, we slept at Hotel LunaSol, a very affordable small hotel in Playa that we found through TripAdvisor. Very clean, basic. Saturday We met Nallely and her friend Denise, from a wedding planning company, around 10 am. Denise drove us in her car down to meet Angie in Tulum. Las Ranitas Eco Boutique Hotel (Tulum) 200 capacity $3000 site fee Menu starts at $50/person Open bar starts at $16/person Gorgeous multi-leveled dining area that opens up to the beach Recently remodeled As soon as we stepped onto the patio of Las Ranitas, we looked at each other with huge, excited smiles. This place is breathtakingly beautiful. If you are looking at photos, please keep in mind that Las Ranitas was renovated in late 2011. We had some breakfast (very good!) and talked with Angie about the possibilities at Las Ranitas. Denise also met with us to show us her company's portfolio and ask us questions about our plans. We felt a little hesitant to lock ourselves in to vendors already, but went ahead and spoke in generalities. Denise's portfolio showcased large and lavish weddings, so if you're interested in that style, I'm happy to put you in touch. Pre-renovation photos of a wedding at Las Ranitas: Las Ranitas and Sol - Photos by Sol Tamargo La Zebra (Tulum) La Zebra is a popular hotel right on the beach. - Cool restaurant with great wooden furniture and sculptures. - Located directly on the beach in Tulum - 16 jungle-chic suites, cabanas, and room - Private swimming pool - Beachfront Mexican cantina & bar - Outdoor tequila beach bar The beach area, while big, somehow felt cramped to us. We are recommending La Zebra to our guests as a lodging option. Ak'iin Beach Club No one was available to talk to us at Ak'iin, but we really liked it. It was very undeveloped and spacious, and could be decorated however you like. - Beach club lounge furniture included - Onsite kitchen/food services - Site fee is $1500 (all day/private basis) - No lodging here, but that wasn't a problem for us - Blank canvas! Photos of Ak'iin Beach Club weddings by del Sol Photography! Kristy + Bryan - Photos by Matt Adcock Nicole + Anthony - Photos by Jonathan Kelly + Santiago - Photos by La Luna Photographers Michelle + Kevin - Photos by del Sol Associate Ana y Jose Beach Club *the website doesn't seem to be working at the moment (Tulum) We had read a lot about Ana y Jose Beach Club on BDWF before the site visit, and most of it rang true. It's a lovely beach club made for weddings. To see it come to life, check out the following slideshows also from del Sol Photography: Megan + Marc - Photos by Sol Tamargo Lisa + Reed - Photos by Matt Adcock Sangeeta + Cristian - Photos by Matt Adcock Ashley + Hai - Photos by Sol Tamargo Michelle + Mark - Photos by del Sol Associate Irene + Scott - Photos by Sol Tamargo Though we didn't get to try any food, we've heard it's very good. Please note that the beach club is separate from their hotel. Also search the forum for "San Fran Sarah" for her great reviews of Ana y Jose Beach Club. Adonis (Tulum) Adonis felt very grand to me, like a big Vegas resort (Palazzo, maybe?). Lots of marble, huge sculptures, spread-out property. The rooms are very well-appointed. Staff are friendly and helpful. It was surprising to me that something like this would exist in Tulum. Adonis has recently been re-branded as a gay resort and is now adults-only, so that may take this venue out of the running for some of you. In the afternoon, we met with Pablo and Karla from Gourmet Events. Their chef, Federico Lopez, is internationally known and was the winner of the Canadian Iron Chef in 2007. It seems Gourmet Events has access to and contracts with pretty special event spaces. Pablo and Karla took us to: Nha-ha (Akumal?) • Capacity inside the house up to 120 guests • Capacity outside the house up to 250 guest • No time limit • No sound restrictions • Fireworks not allowed • Catering fee may apply to group events smaller to 50 guests • Restrooms capacity included for up to 50 guests $5500 site fee Nha-ha is incredible. You have to see photos (or rather, visit) to understand. It's not for everyone. It's located far from the beach and is privately owned in Sac-be, which from our loose understanding is a preserved and protected Mayan area. There are trees, cenotes!, trails onsite! A super unique house, great jungle-y outdoor areas. But it's not paved, very uneven paths with rocks and roots, there are tons of mosquitos, and you would have to bring in pretty much everything, including a generator, which is expensive, and extra bathrooms. We were worried about the many kids who would attend our wedding, and couldn't shake the anxiousness of having to keep an eagle-eye on all the kids in such a location. If you have a group of adventurous adults, I would highly recommend checking out this place. Villa Sol y Luna (Playa Secreto) Large house in a gated community good for a big group. Great backyard for BBQs or just hanging outdoors. Right on Playa Secreto, which reminded us of some Southern Californian beaches; not too much surf and good for swimming. The house comes with a lot of beach toys and sporting equipment. This house is great for family vacations, but too much like a typical California beach house for us. On Saturday night, Nallely used her connections to get us a fairly-priced room at a brand-new resort in Cancun. We aren't the resort type, so I'm sorry I can't remember the name! Sunday Our coordinators had obviously saved the best for last. Hacienda la Esperanza (Cancun) Hacienda la Esperanza is a magnificent rust-red replica hacienda. Exquisitely done. Not crumbling and authentic, but still vibrant and beautiful. It has a great entrance (perfect for a bharat (Indian procession preceding the wedding ceremony), animals! (dogs, peacocks, horses (I got bitten by one, but that's a whoooole different story), monkeys...), fountains, a pool... just perfect for a hacienda wedding. Unfortunately, it's a $5500 site fee, and Gourmet Events, the only company who can have the site fee waived, was way out of our budget for catering. If you have money to spare, this space fits 500+ and is something to see. It's not on the beach, though, which is of course a top reason for many wanting to have a destination wedding in Mexico. Hacienda Las Marias Hacienda las Marias is a mini-version of Hacienda la Esperanza, carrying a $2500 site fee. It is constructed in the same exact style as Esperanza, but just doesn't have the same grandeur. After the last site visits, Pablo and Karla took us to Gourmet Events for a tasting. It was great, and we met the Iron Chef. Gourmet Events offers a wide range of cuisine, and can customize menus. However, we were deeply disappointed when they presented us with a menu some weeks later with the first dish being steak. We had told them several times how important food was, and how my partner's family is mostly vegetarian (and specifically non-beef eating). We had hoped that someone, either from the catering company or our own coordinators, would catch that. Our decision-making process, in brief (for those interested) When Esperanza turned out to be to costly for us, we were somewhat relieved. Tulum was our first choice anyway! We got quotes from Ak'iin, Ana y Jose, and Las Ranitas. Ak'iin and Ana y Jose came close to our budget, and then in the final round, Ana y Jose delivered the most competitive proposal. We were far along in the process with Ana y Jose, even having signed a contract, but almost a month went by without any communication from them. We tried multiple times to get a counter-signed contract from them. Our coordinators told us that counter-signed contracts aren't customary in Mexico, but we knew from our own experiences and those of people on this forum that we didn't want any surprises. We bypassed our coordinators and called Ana y Jose and were able to reach the owner without problem. She promised to get us the counter-signed contract, but it still didn't come. The onsite coordinator there then emailed to say it wasn't her responsibility to get the counter-signed contract (though she was kind and apologetic). The owner promised to oversee our event herself, but our trust in them had been compromised. Angie and Nallely then informed us that Las Ranitas still didn't have anything booked for our date, and that they were willing to negotiate, so we decided to go with Las Ranitas -- our first choice in Tulum! A case of everything turning out for the best. One big budgeting tip for those considering a destination wedding in Mexico: know that the holiday season in December is the highest of the high season, and the prices reflect that accordingly. Many hotels will require a 7-day stay between Christmas and the new year. One big gripe/question mark about destination wedding planning: We've heard again and again that communication with coordinators tends to fall off for a few months after an agreement is made and before the few months before the wedding. We have found that to be true for us, especially since now (May) is the beginning of peak wedding season). We've also found that almost everyone we work with lacks attention to detail. It's not uncommon for a week to go by for an email to be returned, or for us to have to ask a question repeatedly to get a direct answer. We also find errors in dates, names, calculations, etc., which means we have review everything painstakingly, which is time-consuming. Our coordinators are great (people), but the planning process has definitely been slow and frustrating. We recognize that we are on the opposite end of the detail-oriented spectrum, so we try to be patient and while we wait, do a lot of our own research. I will say that having someone take us around during the scouting trip was very helpful. The only easy part about destination wedding planning has been booking our photographer. As I wrote in another thread: I fell in love with del Sol through their posts on this forum, their website, and communicating with their Sales + PR Concierge, Ael Enciso. They were also mentioned on the blog of my favorite local (San Francisco) photographer, which was a plus, because I really wanted to choose vendors who are local to the Mayan Riviera. Ael has been enthusiastic, kind, informative, thorough, and generous with her time. I never wait more than 24 hours for a response, and all my concerns are handled with understanding and care. When I thought we couldn't afford del Sol, Ael offered me the brilliant suggestion of putting photography on our registry, but also referred me to a handful of excellent other choices that might be able to match our needs. I thought that was classy and professional. Ultimately, we reworked our budget and went back to del Sol. Thank goodness they were still available for our date. Please feel free to ping me if you have questions about anything above. Happy planning!

Nope, no beach access, unfortunately :-(. That's the trade-off! When we were considering it, we imagined doing the welcome dinner the night before on the beach, then dinner and dancing at the hacienda. Then back to the beach the day after to unwind -- best of both worlds :-)

Hi CookiePants, Welcome! I'm fairly new here myself, but have been planning for months. We're having a Hindu ceremony in November 2012 in Tulum (Riviera Maya) (groom-to-be is Indian; I am not). We knew we wanted coastal Mexico, but quickly learned that Cabo was possibly the most expensive place to have a big wedding in Mexico. In addition to loving the idea of a relaxing getaway with our closest family and friends, we also thought we would keep our numbers down by having a destination wedding. Not necessarily true :-). We might have invited 500 in California, but still ended up inviting 300 to Mexico. We're expecting/hoping for about a 50% acceptance rate! We didn't want to have our wedding at a big hotel or resort, so had the challenge of finding a unique venue that can hold more than a 100 people. My dream venue is a hacienda like those in Merida, but unfortunately those gorgeous relics don't exist along the Mayan Riviera. We did find a replica hacienda in Cancun that can fit 500, but it ended up being too expensive for us. We've landed on a boutique hotel (Las Ranitas) in Tulum. For our 150, venue/food/beverage is going to cost around $15,000. But you're right -- this varies *widely* depending on the venue and how hard your coordinator (if you choose to have one) negotiates for you. The photographers we just booked (del Sol Photography) were kind enough to send me photos of Hindu weddings they've shot -- I believe these are all in the Mayan Riviera. Check out these links for ideas and possible venues: Karen + Chuck Hindu Wedding and Reception - Photos by Sol Tamargo Palka + Joe - Mendhi Party - Photos by Sol Tamargo Palka + Joe - Grah Shanti + Pithi - Photos by Sol Tamargo Palka + Joe - Hindu Wedding and Reception - Photos by Sol Tamargo Raquel + Jay - Photos by Sol Tamargo Good luck!

Hi there, If you appreciate historic architecture, I would highly recommend checking out Hacienda la Esperanza http://www.olx.com.mx/en/hacienda-la-esperanza-countries-cancun-iid-120565155 and its neighboring property, Las Marias (which is similar but not nearly as grand). Esperanza is just gorgeous. One of our coordinators, Nallely Tamayo Ruiz, and her contact Pablo at Gourmet Events showed us around the property. We were reeeallly close to booking it, but we simply couldn't manage with our budget (our intimate destination wedding has ballooned into a 150+ person affair). Let me know if you're interested and I can put you in touch with Nallely!

Whoops!! Speaking of mistakes - yikes - "San Fran Sarah" with an 'h'