Help! Need a PV location!

[Goldstein to Be]

Hi All,

My finance and I just decided that we want to do a destination weding. I thought a destination would be less stressful and would allow us to enjoy our time more. I am definitely not feeling that right now.

 

I keep finding places that look good but then I read TripAdvisor and there are some really good and some really bad reviews. Unfortunately, we can't take a trip down to Mexico to check them out because we both started new jobs and our using all of time off to go to other weddings this summer.

 

I am hoping that your expertise and experiences can help me pick a location for my wedding. We are hoping to get married in June 2009 in the PV area. Here's my limited criteria:

 

- All inclusive

- Affordable ($700 to $800 for 7 days per person - we have a lot of people on limited budgets that I am hoping will be able to make it)

- Size: we anticipate having 60 to 75 people so we will need a ceremony and reception site that can accomodate us

- Location: I'd like to find a hotel that is on the beach and is about $10 from downtown PV, and of course I want it to be beautiful

 

I also wondering if you recommend working with a travel agency or hiring a Mexico-based wedding coordinator. I know wedding coordinators here are very expensive but I'm not sure about there.

 

I appreciate any help you can give me!

 

Thanks,

Bo

[jajajaja]

I think you will have a hard time finding an AI for that price range. I could be wrong but most of my guests paid $1500 for 7 days- which did include airfare. The cost to fly is so much more than it was a year ago when we all booked- so keep that in mind as well.

 

Also, I would ignore tripadvisor. I think the reviews are very unreliable. We had read some really bad reviews about our resort before we went down and I think they were completely off the mark. I just use tripadvisor to look at the candid pics.

[evtalbot]

Take a look at the RIU hotels in Nuevo Vallarta... Like you, most of my guests are on a limited budget. I wanted to have something affordable but also AI so that once they got down there they wouldn't have to worry about anything. I ended up booking RIU Jalisco for June 2009. My local TA quoted me $333 4 nights and $500 7 nights (airfare NOT included). She expects that airfare will be around $450 pp. Their wedding packages are comparable to those at Dreams.

 

There are a couple of girls on here who have weddings at RIU Jalisco and RIU Vallarta (you can find them using the search tool) but I've found it isn't a very popular venue on this forum. I have, however, talked to 3 people from work who have been to both hotels and absolutely loved it. They said the food is amazing!

 

Good luck to you!

 

[Goldstein to Be]

Evtalbot - THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I just looked at Riu Jalisco and really liked it. It looks like I may be getting married there a few days after you! We'll have to share notes. Who is your wedding coordinator there?

[starchild]

Welcome, Bo. If you're talking $7-800 with air you can do it for 3-4 days depending on the hotel, but it won't happen for 7 days. Hotel only, yes, but not with air.

 

I'm biased so I suggest Las Caletas in PV where several of us here got married, but it isn't a resort. We have lots of PV brides here who have used various resorts so search the site and happy planning

[~Melissa~]

Bo; I was married at the Riu Jalisco last October and it was an amazing all inclusive resort. It worked perfectly for all 55 of our guests and we didn't have any complaints.

 

It did cost us around $18 for a can to downtown Pv but it was only $5 to Buccerias. Then there is always the option of taking the bus (30 min aprox for $1-2).

 

My wedding coordinators there were Jessica and Erica

[Celina]

Hi Bo,

 

I too am getting married at RIU Vallarta in November. Right now leaving from Denver for 5 days it is running almost $900 for lodging and airfare.

 

The RIU hotels have really good prices for their wedding packages. When I first started planning I did a comparison on all the amenities and the RIU's had the most for the money. It is a little further away from downtown, but it is probably the most affordable.

 

I toured both the RIU Vallarta and RIU Jalisco and they were both nice properties. The gazebo at Jalisco is stunning. If you stay at the Vallarta you can use most of the amenities at the Jalisco. If you stay at the new RIU Pacifico, you can use most of the amenities at all of the RIU properties.

 

Let us know how we can help!

[akbeach]

A friend of mine got married at the Riu Vallarta and had about 70 guests. She loved it and everything went smoothly. I think you will enjoy PV!

[evtalbot]

Yay! I'm glad your search is going well. I love the Jalisco because of the greenery and the gazebo is GORGEOUS!

 

I am not sure who the wedding coordinators will be once we get to the resort. I went on to the RIU.com website and submitted a "Check Wedding availability" to see if my date was available. Within 2 days I got a response from their Cancun/Vallarta wedding coordinator, Tristan Chacón. I have e-mailed her several times over the last week and she is very professional and quick to reply with all of my questions.

 

The latest news is that they are NOT booking weddings for the new resort, RIU Palace Pacifico, because the resort isn't even open yet! They will start booking weddings there next year. The resort photographer is still Aldo Tovar. She also e-mailed me a price list of additional services beyond the wedding package (DJ services, etc). It is pretty reasonable! I will see if I can post that on here!

 

Let me know if you have any other questions! How exciting would it be to be down there at the same time!!

 

[dinzers]

Hi there!

 

I am also looking into having my wedding at the Riu Jalisco or the Riu Vallarta. I wanted to confirm that my date(s) are available, but I cant seem to find the "chk wedding availablility" thingy.

 

Did you just submit it on the general riuweddings.com "contact us" thing?

 

Please help! thanks!!!