When we were researching resorts for our wedding, we wanted something intimate with a local ambiance and friendly staff. At first, all we found was the same old thing – huge resorts, with pre-packaged wedding plans, and touristy. They all touted to make your wedding “the most perfect day,” with luring deals if you booked so many people.  While reasonably priced, these resorts were not what our idea of a wedding in Mexico would be like.  Then we looked at Ceiba del Mar. Based on the recommendation of the amazingly talented Del Sol Photography, we started to seriously consider Ceiba. Ceiba was a bit pricier than we were comfortable, but we decided to pursue it to see if it was worth the extra cost (which it was a thousand times over!).

Given that we would be planning this fully from the US, we decided to make a very last minute trip down to the region in the off-season – September – to scope out the resorts. Ceiba was our first appointment. When we drove up to Ceiba, it was like a diamond in the rough. It was a quaint resort set in the seaside village of Puerto Morelos, far from any resort around. It was absolutely gorgeous, fitting perfectly into it's surroundings while still being boutiquey. We were greeted by the most hospitable staff first, and then we met with Diana, who spent over 2 hours with us! She was genuinely attentive and provided us with the sense of trust in her and the resort that our wedding would be in good hands.  This was especially important given that there were no set vendors for the event and that we would all be coordinating it together (exactly what we wanted).  We fell in love with the resort immediately, and the visits to the other  resorts did not even compare.   

While planning a wedding from afar, and picking vendors that we had not met seemed daunting at first, but Ceiba made it easy. They provided us with a list of vendors they trusted and had worked with. Del Sol Photography did the same. I consulted with Ceiba’s wedding coordinators (Diana and Paola) on any questions I had on the vendors along with a million others on details of the wedding. They were kind and honest, and it had the feeling of working with a small family company! 

When us and our guests arrived for the wedding, the resort and it's staff was unbelievable. There were so many fun surprises, they surpassed our expectations at the start! As I mentioned before, the resort itself is inviting and has the perfect mix of down-home comfort and upscale chic. It is small enough that you don’t feel overcrowded on the beach, poolside or at the restaurants.  The staff is unsurpassed, and contributes to the amazing vibe of the resort. I can’t say enough about the staff! The food was amazing…every single meal, unreal for an all-inclusive. Everyone knew who we (and our guests) were, when are wedding was, and made sure we were always well taken care of. They really made us feel welcome. Even when we tried to speak our broken Spanish, instead of changing over to English, they helped us out, taught us new words, and truly enjoyed their jobs! 

Diana and Paola made the whole process of onsite planning stress free for us. Both Diana and Paola were accessible to us the whole time we were there with any questions. We reviewed the plan for the wedding and we went over backup plans (example escort card arrangement and table setup, we had multiple plans for both) so that if our preferred setup wouldn’t work, we knew they could do another that we liked without taking time away from us during the day or preparations right before the wedding. At the wedding, Paola took care of everything – from gathering our things at the ceremony and holding onto them until the next day, to reminding me we had to cut the cake at sometime (I forgot!), they were the right mix of professional and personal. I completely trusted them to get everything done as we planned, leaving me to hang out with friends before the wedding and to not worry about details while I was preparing. The setup, the food, and the vibe of the wedding was phenomenal. All of the guests fell in love with the resort and everything it offered. 

Ceiba del Mar was the perfect place for our intimate wedding with friends and family. I cannot say enough good things about them, and they helped to make our wedding day the most memorable for us and our guests! I would not hesitate to recommend them for a wedding, friendly gathering or a place for two to get away, they are TRULY an AMAZING place! Thank you Ceiba!

Here is the link to our wedding there as well as one to our TDD session! 

http://lalunaphotographers.com/blog/gallery/jonathan/weddings/amy-joey
http://delsolphotography.com/blog/content/galleries/?gal=468