My husband and I married at the Riu Palace Riviera Maya on March 18, 2011, right on the beach. We stayed at the resort with an intimate group of friends and family, and we were all more than pleased with the service, accommodations, and the resort overall.  First, as a bride who initially fretted about working with a wedding coordinator in another country (and via email), if, god forbid, I ever had to do it again, I would have no hesitation with working with Ms. Nancy Hernandez. Everything was beautiful, flawless, and perfect; I could not have asked for a more accommodating coordinator. 

Resort and Accommodations

If your flight arrives early, they are very good about watching your luggage and directing you to a changing room if you want to swim/freshen up.  We actually had a couple of hours to kill before our room was ready, and it was no problem...there were a ton of stuff to do, including eat as we were starving!  

We went during the "high season," and during spring break. Yes, the resort does discourage spring breakers, but since many people have the time off in the States, people naturally take advantage of a warmer climate, so it was probably busier. With that being said, we were not able to take advantage of all of the specialty a la carte restaurants. You have to make reservations between 12-3, and I would recommend making some dinner reservations once you are able to upon checking in...and you are definitely better off making reservations a couple of days in advance because spots fill up quickly...especially during the high season. If you cannot get a restaurant, you are still taken care of by an exceptional wait staff at Don Manolo's, the buffet. The choices are endless, and they do feature new items nightly. The wait staff effortlessly made sure our glasses were always full and our needs met between trips to the delicious buffet and whilst eating.  In regards to the other restaurants, the fruit was very fresh, and all of it was extraordinary and delicious.  

<a href="http://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j154/La_Femme_Tina/?action=view&amp;current=IMG_3788.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j154/La_Femme_Tina/IMG_3788.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

With our wedding package, a complimentary room upgrade (upon availability) was included.  We actually did have to inquire about it, but received it the very next day, and our ocean view was incredible!

<a href="http://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j154/La_Femme_Tina/?action=view&amp;current=IMG_4052.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j154/La_Femme_Tina/IMG_4052.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

We found the bed to be pretty comfortable, and the room was impeccably clean.  A friend told me it would be common to find geckos inside, but I did not see one critter....except an animal called "agouti" outside. (Don't worry; they are cute and harmless, and it was really cool to see one).  Also, 24-hour room service, which we took advantage of a couple of times, was timely and tasty.  And it definitely is convenient to have liquor dispensers and a daily stocked mini bar in your room!

There are a ton of amenities...a full gym, spa, pools, and a swim up bar.  Pool-side service and the swim up bar was great; the bartenders and staff work tirelessly (and appear as if working effortlessly) to keep you "hydrated."  A few of our favorites were Islas, Santos, Cristina, and Gina. They also have activities throughout the day.

The beach was gorgeous; the waters were unbelievably turquoise, and the white sand was so smooth, I could go running down the beach barefoot.  Both the beach and pool area can get rather crowded quickly, but I never seemed to have a problem finding a lounge chair when I actually wanted one.  The best part was swimming at night as I'm sure it's at your own risk, but we literally felt like the sea was our own, haha.  We had a blast!  

<a href="http://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j154/La_Femme_Tina/?action=view&amp;current=RivieraMaya2011-007.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j154/La_Femme_Tina/RivieraMaya2011-007.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j154/La_Femme_Tina/?action=view&amp;current=IMG_3899.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j154/La_Femme_Tina/IMG_3899.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

The resort is either a $7 cab ride or a 10-15 minute walk to 5th Avenue, where you can do some shopping and/or bartering.  It is a must-see.  You can also have pictures taken with the little carrier monkeys.

Most importantly, Rius have a WONDERFUL staff!  As soon as we checked in, they treated us like they knew us fairly well; they knew our names, felt comfortable around us to joke around with us, and accommodated every request quickly and adequately. I could go on and on about how fantastic the staff is...we hardly had to wait for anything, and it was simply fun to interact with every one of them!  I would highly recommend tipping extra to them; they definitely take better care of you (if that's even possible, haha) and are so grateful for it.  We enjoyed over tipping them; they definitely deserved it!

Wedding Coordinator

It was such a pleasure working with Ms. Nancy Hernandez!  I will admit, I was a bit apprehensive initially because I was working with a wedding coordinator who was in another country and via email.  We picked our package and selected our options.  She was very good at getting back to you within a day and gave thorough answers.  Upon arriving to the resort, we decided on a time to meet, and we went over everything.  She was wonderful; I had complete confidence in her, and she did not let me down.  The day went by beautifully and flawlessly.  If I ever get married again, god forbid, I would not hesitate to work with Nancy again.  We cannot thank her enough!  Also, I had a choice for a bouquet of hot pink roses.  They were gorgeous!

<a href="http://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j154/La_Femme_Tina/?action=view&amp;current=IMG_4113.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j154/La_Femme_Tina/IMG_4113.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Ceremony

The ceremony went very smoothly.  We decided to have ours on the beach.  It was gorgeous; we had the backdrop of the beach, but the one thing we were aware of but did not realize how we'd actually feel was having an audience on the beach.  It was actually really cool and ironic to us....we wanted to have a small, intimate wedding, and we had a couple hundred extra pairs of eyes!  It was great though; people were so happy for you, and their excitement was contagious and added to our excitement.  Our ceremony was at 4 PM, and it was beautiful.  We paid $4 per chair for ribbons, and they gave us a few floral decorations for the ceremony.  You also have the option to choose music from their list or give them an iPod with your own selections.  It ran so smoothly, and we were amazed at how quickly everything went!

<a href="http://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j154/La_Femme_Tina/?action=view&amp;current=RivieraMaya2011-095.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j154/La_Femme_Tina/RivieraMaya2011-095.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Cocktail Hour 

We enjoyed a complimentary cocktail hour at the Lyrico Bar.  Because there was another wedding starting at the Plaza, our cocktail hour (which was 5-6:30) was inside, which was perfectly fine.  We did order additional appetizers, and they were wonderful, but I think you need to order in increments of 8 people (we had 14 total), so we ordered for 16 people.  We had so much food leftover still as the portions are quite generous in size.  Wish we thought to ask to take them with us! haha  It felt very intimate; they closed off a section simply for our group with a few to take our drink orders.  That was executed flawlessly as well.  The staff is great!

Reception

My husband and I chose to have our dinner reception at Chili's.  It started at 6:45, and they reserved a loft-like section for us.  Because it was another level up from the ground floor, it felt completely intimate.  They had some shades drawn, but we requested that they opened them, and it was nice to have the night air blow through...it felt like you were eating under the stars.  :-)  Also, I am not sure if it was just the time of year we went, but there were no pesky bugs around; we could all eat without being bothered.  

The table decorations were gorgeous, and they had a simple but very sweet set up.  It complimented my husband and me, and we were quite pleased.  The food was delicious (I highly recommend the lobster) as well as a plethora of appetizers and drinks.  The appetizers consisted of crab legs, smoked salmon, shrimp, calamari, and caesar salad, and everyone ordered their entree.  All of our guests loved the food, and there was a lot of laughter and conversation.  Our 2 attendants and their manager (I think) took wonderful care of us; not one glass sat empty, and they were prompt with their dinner service (with the perfect amount of time between appetizers and dinners).  They were a lot of fun to interact with.Our wedding cake was chocolate with white icing and strawberry filling.  Delicious!!!!  We couldn't have asked for a better night.  Also, they delivered the remainder of our cake and our table decorations to our room the next day!

<a href="http://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j154/La_Femme_Tina/?action=view&amp;current=RivieraMaya2011-156.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j154/La_Femme_Tina/RivieraMaya2011-156.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j154/La_Femme_Tina/?action=view&amp;current=RivieraMaya2011-161.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j154/La_Femme_Tina/RivieraMaya2011-161.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Renova Spa

We definitely enjoyed our couple's massage, which was included in our wedding package.  I also got a manicure and pedicure, and they did my hair for the wedding.  (A male friend of mine even got a pedicure with green polish for St. Patty's Day!)  Everything was done perfectly.  I showed her a picture of how I wanted my hair done, and it was done just as I wanted.  Also, the prices of the spa for other services were quite reasonable.

Misc

I also got my wedding dress steamed within 24 hours, and it was very inexpensive ($24, I believe), and they delivered it right to my room!

Our wedding was a success.  I will definitely go back to the Riu Palace Riviera Maya in the future.  They provided us with a gorgeous wedding and memories to cherish forever!