The short story is Dreams exceeded our expectations. Continue reading for the longer review...

I worked with The Dazzling Details to coordinate my wedding. They recommended Dreams resort as our wedding venue because they are able to accommodate a large guest list. They also provided plenty of entertainment options so we did not have to entertain everyone each day for a week. Guests who were nervous about travel to Mexico were able to stay on the resort, while others were able to venture out to the city.

The Dazzling Details also helped us realize that we would be able to use the wedding package provided by the resort as a starting point. Photos of their work are on Style Me Pretty- our wedding was also featured!

http://www.stylemepretty.com/2011/07/11/puerto-vallarta-wedding-by-tara-swain-photography-the-dazzling-details/

I mention this because I saw other weddings that looked like they used only the resort coordinator. Those looked lovely and I'm sure those people enjoyed themselves. However, they did not have a private beach wedding & reception. People were able to walk by and stare or layout as they pleased. They also had the basic wedding decor- based on my view at least. I definitely feel blessed to have had my dream wedding here and that would not have been possible without the help of an outside source. They did an awesome job working with Dreams resort to create a wedding personalized just for us. And within our budget!

We arrived at the resort to cool towels and a refreshing drink while the concierge took our bags to our rooms. My room was located in the Preferred Tower and it was stunning- better than I expected from a resort. The turn down service was a plus too. It was so cozy to come back to soft lighting, the sound of waves crashing below, and chocolate. By the end of the week, I even got used to the meditation music channel they turned on the TV. I did see the other tower at one point during our stay and it was not as new. My guests said they appreciated that I had included both options in the room block because it was more affordable. I know one groomsman didn't see much of his room so he didn't mind... We had one guest that did mind and the hotel was able to move him to the Preferred Tower without problem.

I was able to chill out and relax under the palapas on the beach in front of the older tower. My guests seemed to find other places to be on the resort and that became my little secret place when I needed to sneak away from a huge group.

The spa was excellent. I had a hot stone massage- I'm not a big massage fan, but my sweet groom wanted me to relax the morning of the wedding so he surprised me with it. It was relaxing. I also had my hair and make-up done in the spa- along with all of my bridesmaids. I thought they did a great job- considering I look exactly like my pictures- see the link above. Thanks Blanca!!

I had read a few reviews noting that families complained of loud parties and was a bit concerned that this was going to be like Disney... It was not. Our wedding was fun, but not fratastic so we did not have any complaints from families. We did not see that many families at all during the week- we think it might be because the pool by our tower was adults only and we only went to the family pool during typical afternoon nap times. No crazy teenager sightings either.

The food was excellent, but I didn't let myself indulge too much because I wanted my dress to fit! We spent a few days on the resort before leaving for our honeymoon so I did enjoy some. I thought the Mexican and seafood places were good. We also tried the daily drink and I liked those. Everyone liked the swim-up bar when it wasn't crowded with kids- thank goodness for kiddie naps!

The food at our reception was delicious! We both wish we had eaten more during cocktail hour because we only tasted one of each thing and loved it all. Our dinner was a seated dinner and we ate every last bit of it. We had several options for guest to select so I made sure my husband and I requested each combination so we could taste everything. I'm searching for recipes to recreate it at home.

The housekeeping, concierge & room services were excellent. Our rooms were cleaned daily. They accommodated any need we had quickly and with a smile. The day after our wedding, we did a Trash the Dress session that ended up on the beach and in the water. My dress was FILLED with sand. I tried to get as much of it out of the dress (and the lining, hem, etc) as possible, but sand covered every inch of the bath tub, shower, and even the balcony where I hung it to dry. It was a mess! I tried to clean it up, but they took care of it and never complained once. 

Our guests LOVED that this is an all-inclusive resort. Everyone tipped based on what the bill would have been if it was not all-inclusive and our guests felt like they got a great bargain and supreme service.

We have a place to stay in PV, but we chose this place because of the number of guests we needed to accommodate and I didn't want to drag my dress & stuff across town. My husband and I will definitely go back to Dreams on a 'day pass' to enjoy the festivities of the resort. We will also try to find the food served at our reception.