Engaged & excited to start planning our destination wedding! But I need help!!!

So my fiance & I got engaged 12/2011 after 5 years, and have decided to have a destination wedding. We want to go to the Rivera Maya area, but not sure what resort. I have looked on line and found really like Dreams Tulum resort and Aventura Cove Palace. Does anyone have information on these two resorts? Do you all recommend any other resorts. We really want to stay in an all inclusive resort as we feel it would be more affordable for all of our guests. Did you all get a travel agent?

Also the wedding is not until 2014 and would like ideas on how to announce the wedding destination and the wedding in general. Is it to early to do something this year?

Overall I really just need ideas and help! I want this day to be perfect for not only my fiance and I, but I would like it to be an unforgettable vacation for our family and friends.

Hi, Frances.  Welcome to BDW!  I wouldn't announce anything until you have the place set in stone (contract, deposit, etc).  Once you do that I don't think this year is too early for a heads up but I wouldn't expect anyone to commit this far off.  When it gets closer you can start communicating more seriously about it. 

I am going to post some links that should help you.  Happy planning!

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Congratulations on your engagement!

I think once you have a date and a venue tell people as early as possible - don't send invitations or anything like that, but give people a heads up so if you want friends to come they'll have a chance to save money and sort out their finances. My wedding is planned for april 2013 and ive mentioned to to the people i hope can manage to join me and they've said they were very glad i told them in advance! Over a year seems like an eternity away but i'm sure it will fly by.

Im looking in the same area, Aventura cove looks beautiful and i'm going to add it to my list of options! My Mexican fiance says the most beautiful beaches are in Playa del Carmen, and overall he thinks its the best option for weddings in that area. As a city girl all the beaches look pretty good to me but im taking his advice under advisement! Its a bit closer to the airport than Tulum as well, which helps in terms of hassle getting there

I also prefer all inclusive resorts as i think its a lot easier paying for everything upfront than doing meals and drinks seperately!

Goodness, i always had zero interest in weddings and engagements and now its my turn its suddenly the most fascinating thing in the world

Thank you for replying. We are planning on taking a vacation there this year sometime and then hopefully signing a contact and stuff.

My wedding theme is "In love 24/7" or something like that so our wedding date is 24/7/2014. ahhhhh, It feels good to share our wedding date with someone finally! We are doing it that far out due to some of our siblings and good Friends being in the military. I am super excited! Thank you once again for all the helpful links. I will definitely let you all know more.

Save the Dates...send them out asap!

Thank you!

for me, sending out the save the dates ASAP didn't make a difference. and my invites went out in august for a may wedding, so I'm afraid most people have forgotten about it entirely by this point.

we have been planning and waiting and planning and waiting and planning some more for what seems like FOREVER. I'm sure I'll look back and relish this time, but I really wish we'd done it within 9 months of our engagement. I made decisions a year ago and can't remember why and now am re-hashing everything.

I think it's primarily important to choose a resort you like, but you also need to consider other things like the cost and ease of traveling there if you want to be accomodating. don't be scared to just go with what you want, but do be prepared that not everyone will follow you. cancun/cozumel are probably most accessible due to the airport location, followed by the riviera maya and playa, and then it's down to tulum (maybe there's a tulum airport? two hours would be far to travel from cancun, but I know someone who had a larger 65-person wedding there).

you may want to do a website first. looking back, I think that would've been the easiest and most cost-effective way to let people know what we were planning up front. that way they can check out your resort, bookmark it, etc. (ours is here: http://jdandkellyswedding.weebly.com/index.html - weebly is totally free and super easy to use. I wasn't a fan of the cookie-cutter wedding sites.)

finally, look at the resort reviews on here. it's where most brides start when they're considering where to go, and take a peek inside the different hotel forums and trip advisor review to make sure it sounds like the place for you. that should help you narrow the selection.

best of luck, and congratulations!!

Frances, congratulations!  I'd say once you make your places in terms of your location, then start thinking about your details.  All I can say, is I'm less than three months away from my date... and I'm starting to feel the panic of things I might not have thought about!  4 months ago, I felt like I still had a ton of time left, and just like that it's around the corner!  So it's never too early to start planning!!  Good luck to you!

Congratulations!  I just found this place myself.  It's an amazing resource and inspiration.

Congratulations! It's never too early to let people know- so they can save up money and vacation time!