My fiance and I got married at La Amada on May 20th, 2011 - We cannot speak highly enough of our experience. Our wedding completely surpassed our expectations by leaps and bounds!

We went through a grueling experience with planning our wedding. The first resort we booked closed down less than a year before our wedding, and we were in a total bind. When we took our second scouting trip to Mexico to find a new resort in August 2010, we knew that La Amada was THE venue for our wedding the second that we stepped on the property.

We used Wendy Hicks (you can find her on this forum) to help us and our guests plan our travel, get a group rate, secure transportation to and from the airport, etc. I highly recommend using a travel agent for your wedding if you have a larger group, and Wendy is really fantastic. It was her first time working with La Amada, so there were some hiccups along the way, and our guests did have to re-send emails to her a few times to get things situated, but in the end, working with her took such a load off of our plates! It just put us at ease, knowing that there was someone who our guests could trust and go to with their needs/concerns about booking their rooms/travel. And, she put together very simple documents for us before the trip, so we had everything we needed once we landed in Cancun - again, we just felt so at ease!

Here is a bit of a novel about my wedding experience, but I really hope it helps! Since La Amada is still so new, I worked off very little existing wedding advice/tips/tricks, so I wanted to be sure to pay it forward:

VENUE

We had about 50 people come down for our wedding. We were looking for a chic, but intimate resort that offered the benefits and amenities of a larger hotel. And wow, did we find it. La Amada is in Playa Mujeres, about 30 minutes north of the Cancun zone/airport area. It is definitely a quieter, more serene area, but that is just what we were looking for. The hotel is just gorgeous. It's very clean and eco-friendly, and the vegetation on and around the hotel is breathtaking. They have built La Amada to be like a small community - there is a marina, beautiful condos and a golf course all surrounding the resort.

When you walk into the lobby, you are transported into paradise - The bell hops welcome all of their guests with a cool towel and champagne, and the front desk workers take you through all of the amenities. The hotel recently went to an all-inclusive, which was a huge plus for our guests. Everyone took advantage of this!

La Amada has 3 restaurants plus a lounge for nighttime cocktails, a swim up pool bar and great room service. There are 3 pools on the property - one main pool (with the swim up bar) plus 2 additional pools by the room buildings. The spa is UNREAL. It's massive and so serene/pretty. I used it for mani/pedis for my bridal party and they were just divine. My husband and I also had a couples massage and aqua-vive treatment the day after the wedding (such an incredible experience). The gym inside the spa is also amazing. We used it multiple days before the wedding - it's large, with modern equipment, stays very cool and the trainer is always around for questions, to get you water/towels, etc.

You cannot go wrong with any of the rooms you choose to stay in. We stayed in a two story casita for the wedding and just loved it! But, all of the room categories are super - Huge, clean and beautiful. We had a massive bathroom, with an amazon shower, his and her sinks; We had a jacuzzi in our room and a king size bed, there was a couch and an outdoor patio right off the main floor. On the second floor, we had a lounge bed, outdoor pool and outdoor shower. We would watch the sun set and rise every day from the second floor, and it was just breathtaking.

There was not one complaint about the resort - every single one of our guests said it was an amazing place!

FOOD

Wow. That's all I can say. We did not eat or drink one thing that we didn't like. The resort has an emphasis on local, fresh, organic foods and they do an amazing job delivering top-notch gourmet dishes to their guests. Even breakfast, which is buffet-style, is out of this world. My husband and I hosted three dinners during our wedding week - a welcome dinner, rehearsal dinner and the wedding dinner. Each of them were spectacular!

Our welcome dinner was held at Lupita Lounge on Wednesday night. We had them set up a semi-private dinner and used the BBQ menu, as we wanted it to be more casual. It was delicious! They set it up in such an elegant way. We had amazing side dishes and salads, plus fish, chicken, beef, etc. The desserts were also delicious - as were the drinks! The staff served margaritas and mojitos to us during the dinner, but also had the open bar available. It was more of a relaxed vibe, and we played a "do you know the bride and groom?" trivia game after everyone ate - It was a great way to get everyone mingling!

We had our rehearsal dinner on Thursday night in Aroma Restaurant and they served us the Mexican Fiesta buffet. Again, so delicious and so elegant! There was a ton of food, and plenty of choices for everyone. We had them set up our tables on the outside terrace of the restaurant, and it was the perfect setting. I'll talk more about the wedding dinner in the "wedding" section, but no complaints at all! We held our wedding cocktail hour and dinner/dancing at the Isla Grill (the BEST spot for the wedding reception!)

For lunch, most people either ordered food on the beach or ate at the Isla Grill, and there were plenty of choices. We were more than happy with every dish! At night, after the dinners, most of our guests went to Lupita Lounge for cocktails. If there are enough people there, and you're tipping well, they will keep things open past hours to continue serving you and your guests. It makes for an awesome way to end a great night.

STAFF/SERVICE

Out of this world. The staff at La Amada is so accommodating and so on top of everything. Even though we were on the all-inclusive rate, our guests could not stop tipping - they are just that amazing! They make you feel so welcome and they are so helpful with your questions/requests. Note: Ordering on the beach (drinks/food) takes a little bit longer than, ordering a drink at the pool bar or food in the restaurant - but that is our experience with any resort.

WEDDING COORDINATORS

We worked with Ileana and Norma before the wedding on our food/beverage. To be honest, the communication is not amazing before your wedding and can be extremely frustrating. But, from what I gather from other brides on the thread, this is really how most destination wedding coordinators are. So, we knew what we wanted, but we were a little nervous about how everything would turn out. We worked with Gabi Lavor of Planer1Events on our decor/flowers and she is just amazing. We found her communication to be fast and thorough. She gives you great ideas, and is flexible with her options - she works with your vision to really customize your day to what you want!

All said, once we got down to La Amada, any worries we had were no more! We met with Norma and worked with her all week long. We met with her the day after we arrived, and felt very good about all of our plans coming to life. We met with Gabi later that afternoon, and again, felt very good about everything. Both of them went through our contracts with a fine tooth comb to make sure everything we wanted would come to life. Norma was at all of our dinners and on hand throughout the wedding to make sure everything went off smoothly. She worked very closely with the GMs of the restaurants as well. We were in great hands with Norma and Gabi!

My best piece of advice to any bride is to try to have patience and know that everything works out in the end. It's not easy planning a destination wedding, and can be very frustrating at times - you have no idea what anything will look like until you're at the resort and the event is happening. But trust me, it all works out in the end!

DECOR/FLOWERS

We didn't use anything special for our welcome dinner and rehearsal dinner (the resort is pretty enough!). Our wedding colors were navy, fuchsia and orange. We used a combination of roses, calla lilies and orchids and they were so pretty and lush! My bouquet had a combo of all three flowers in the fuchsia and orange color; My bridesmaids carried just roses in the same colors. They looked amazing against their navy blue dresses! For our reception, we used beautiful white folding chairs and there was a small bundle roses attached to the end of each row. Our ceremony arch had a mixture of vines and white orchids. Everything was just breathtaking and exactly what we wanted!

For our cocktail hour, we had clear bowls with floating candles and rose petals scattered on the high tables. Then, for the reception, we used round tables with chiavari chairs. Our centerpieces were composed of two clear vases of roses (one fuchsia and one orange bundle) - both of the vases were lower, so there was nothing blocking anyone's view. We scattered rose petals around the centerpieces as well. We had votive candles on the tables and some pillar candles on the outskirts of the Isla Grill, and had paper lanterns strung on top of the Grill. The soft light really created such a special and beautiful glow!

We brought down our table numbers (ordered on etsy) and we brought down our programs (also ordered on etsy) but Gabi helped us get maracas.  We used the maracas for after the ceremony (our guests shook them when we kissed as husband/wife!) 

My recommendation is not to skimp on the decor. The hotel is so beautiful that you don't need to do much, but you also want to make your wedding ceremony, dinner and reception feel different then any other dinner you may have at the resort. We were thrilled with how everything looked - Our vision came to life in the best way possible!

PHOTOGRAPHER

We hired Daniel Aguilar for our wedding. He was nothing short of incredible, from the very start. He is  a true artist, and produces amazing work. Just look at his website and blog - it's genius!

When we first inquired about his services, he set up a conference call to speak to us over the phone and review his different types of contracts. Amazing service! He took us through each and every detail. We felt so at ease right from the start! The photographer was the most important element to us, so we were very particular about who we got. In our opinion, the pictures are the most important thing you'll have to look back on.

We hired Daniel for 3 different sessions. On Thursday morning, the day before our wedding, we did an "e. session." This is essentially like an engagement session; We had already taken engagement photos in NYC a year ago, but we really wanted to have casual shots before the wedding. To be honest, it was one of the most fun times we had all week, second to the wedding! We had so much fun with each other; At points, it didn't even feel like we were taking pictures because we were just laughing and enjoying the time. We were planning to head into Cancun to take photos in the city, but once Daniel saw how pretty the natural light is at La Amada in the morning, he suggested we stay there. And we are so glad we did! We spent a few hours with him, taking shots in various places on the hotel property - At the hotel spa, the marina, the jetty, on the second floor of our casita, in the water. I cannot wait to see how they came out!

Daniel also shot the rehearsal and the beginning of the rehearsal dinner that night. I was getting a bit nervous and excited for the big day at that point, so I don't really remember him taking shots :) But, I am sure they will come out great! The wedding was just amazing. He and his assistant, Carlos, came around 1 PM that day. They took shots of my dress, the rings, our accessories, etc. Of course, they also got shots of us each getting ready, too! I know that Daniel captured some amazing pictures during the ceremony, the reception and the dancing - Even after the wedding, when my friends and I decided to jump in the pool in our wedding attire!

They were not obtrusive in any way - again, there were times that we didn't even know they were there, taking photos! We really cannot wait to see the final product. With all of the sessions, we purchased a larger package from Daniel, and in the end, we'll get color corrected shots, an album and originals. It takes about 2 months for everything to be ready. We're certainly excited to see everything! Do yourself a favor...and hire Daniel Aguilar!!

VIDEO

We did not use a videographer for our wedding (we put the money toward other things) but we did buy a flip clam before the trip and it was one of our best ideas! We passed the flip cam around the night of the wedding - one of our friends taped the entire ceremony plus all of the big moments throughout, and then got a ton of great dancing clips. It certainly isn't professional, but we like it even better! It's authentic and fun to look at. One of our friends is in video production, so he is going to string them all together and edit the segments. We love watching the videos, and it was great to use the flip cam on our honeymoon in Italy!

DJ

We used DJ Mannia - We secured them through the hotel. No complaints at all! We hired them for 5 hours (cocktail hour and wedding dinner/reception) and they also took care of our ceremony music. There was not one point in the night when the dance floor was empty! He has a great selection, will play all of the songs on your must-have list and his transitions between songs are seamless. We gave him a good size list of "must plays" and he mixed these in with others (our preference was a mix of new pop songs and old school songs). It was perfect! All of our reception songs - The bridal party entry, first dance, dad/daughter dance, mom/son dance - were played perfectly. You're in good hands with DJ Mannia!

FERNANDO FUENTES

I hired Fernando Fuentes to do my hair and makeup for the wedding, and my bridesmaids hair and makeup as well. You are in GREAT hands with Fernando. He is more expensive than other makeup artists I had found online, but comparable to what I would have spent on someone here in NYC. I am telling you, it is money very well spent. I felt so beautiful on my wedding day - my hair and makeup were perfect! I gave him an idea of what I wanted, and he worked his magic. I did a trial with him the night before, and was more than pleased with how it all looked...but he did an even more spectacular job for the wedding! His friend Gamma (I believe that is how you spell his name) is his hair guy, and he is a rock star in every way too - everyone kept telling me that my bridal party looked unreal! And, as others have said on the forum, they are so fun to be around. We had a blast getting ready. They use great products (Fernando only uses MAC) and everything stayed put! I would recommend having hair spray and blotting powder on hand for the night, as well as whatever lipstick or gloss you wear because you'll naturally want to freshen up. Again, do yourself a favor - Hire Fernando for your wedding!!

WEDDING DAY

The best...best...BEST day of our lives! I woke up at 7:30 or so that morning, excited and anxious for everything. I met my mom, mother-in-law and bridal party for breakfast and mimosas at Aroma at 9 AM. It was hard, but I forced cereal and fruit down. I wasn't so much nervous as I was excited! My bridal party and I got mani/pedis at 10 AM in the Spa. This was a fantastic way to start the day. We felt so relaxed and they did a fantastic job (We all had brighter pinks on our toes, with lighter pinks on our nails). Fernando and Gamma arrived close to noon and we started the hair and makeup process in my casita (you get GREAT light there, perfect for makeup/hair). We had such a blast getting ready - We played music, drank champagne, ordered lunch in, and just talked about how much fun we were having! My gals got their dresses on around 3, and I got dressed shortly after 4. It was such an amazing feeling putting the dress on again! While we were getting ready, the boys were getting ready as well - the hotel gave them an empty room to get changed/ready in, which was fantastic.

We started the ceremony at 4:45 PM. This was the perfect time in the day, as it was getting cooler and the lighting was fabulous. The ceremony was just amazing. My husband's brother was our officiant (we wanted it to be more personalized) and we used a ceremony that I wrote (it wasn't easy, but all came together so beautifully). We had two readings (the Irish Wedding Blessing and a passage from "Oh the Places You'll Go!) and once of our friends sang one of our favorite songs, "Make You Feel My Love." We created our own vows and said those, exchanged rings, etc. It really was a perfect ceremony.

It goes by wayyyy too quickly, so we were both sure to take moments to really take it all in (look at our guests, take in the beautiful surroundings, etc). In your mind, you'll likely be thinking "Is this all really happening?" But, it is such a great feeling and experience!

The ceremony ended, and we spent some time just hugging all of our guests and taking the moment in. Then, we went to take pictures while the guests went to cocktail hour. The pictures after the ceremony were one of our favorite moments of the night - We went to the main lobby of La Amada for pictures with our family and bridal party and just had so much fun! Then, everyone else proceeded to cocktail hour while my husband and I took our pictures alone. We didn't get to much of the cocktail hour, but to be honest, we didn't mind that at all. In my mind, that is part of the beauty of a destination wedding - You see everyone and talk for the days leading up to the big event! Pictures were too important to us! And, we really wanted the time with each other, taking in our marriage and the moment.

We proceeded to cocktail hour around 6:45. We didn't eat much of the food there, but no complaints at all! We had a great mixture of appetizers: goat cheese crostini, beef skewers with peanut sauce, veggie summer rolls, coconut shrimp, prosciutto and cantaloupe and lobster corn pops. We then went into dinner, with the bridal party entrance. So, so fun! From there, Tim and I went right into our first dance. It was so special and romantic. We took dance lessons beforehand, so we popped out a few moves, but didn't stress and really just had fun with it!

Dinner was next and wow, we were so pleased with everything. Everyone loved the menu: crab cakes with spinach to start, a Caesar salad in a delicious parmesan shell next, a choice of prime rib or chicken and shrimp for the main course, followed by our dessert. We had a beautiful 3 tier tres leche cake - it was delish! We didn't want any crazy decorations on our cake, so we had simple flowers (calla lilies and orchids) streaming down the side. It was just beautiful..and cutting the cake was so fun!

The speeches made us laugh and brought us to tears, and the dancing was just terrific - As I mentioned, we didn't stop! The DJ ended at 11 PM, but we continued the party for awhile after :) All of our friends and family have been saying that it was the best wedding they have been to! For my husband and I, the entire week was nothing short of perfection.

Can you tell I had a great time at my wedding?! :) I really hope that this review helps and wish you all the very best with your planning!