My cry for help- Someone just pick a place for me!!

[highheels]

OK I have spent countless hours trying to pick a place. I just can't do it. There are so many to pick from. I am about to just throw a dart and where ever it sticks that is my place. Can anyone help? All the places have good and bad points to them. I am thinking Nov 08- I have plenty of time but I have a crazy year next year and the more things I can complete the better. I know you must think I am crazy but I am a project manager and I spend all day organizing, making time lines and project goals. This wedding project is starting to test my sanity!

 

Here is what I am looking for:

• Nice packages
• Affordable rates for my guests (around or under $1000/pp for a 3 night stay)
• Beautiful decor (I am as picky as they come and I know- this can be subjective)
• Little or no children
• A great WC to work with
• A resort that just looks cool and will be great for our honeymoon

Thank you for any help!

[Can'tHardlyWait]

Bad news: you will regret letting someone else make the decision for you. I have personally spent the last 2 weeks second guessing my choice because it was pretty much made for me by my inlaws. Do you really want to get close to your wedding date and start thinking "God, I wouldn't have chosen this place"

 

Good news: like you said, ALL the resorts are beautiful, but have pros and cons. You have tons of reviews on this site and others, so it's not like you are completely in the dark.

 

If it's a financial possibility, why don't you visit the area and check out a few resorts? I would suggest narrowing down the choices to 3, that way you don't feel overwelmed...

 

I hope this is helpful, although I know it's not what you wanted to hear

[DreamsTulumBride]

no kids + beautiful + Sandals resorts !

 

There is also Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso (Riviera Maya) (adults only) That resort is serounded by 4 other Iberostar hotels (that allow kids) and have different prices... so you can accommodate all your guests.

 

Iberostar paraiso Lindo

Iberostar Paraiso Maya

Iberostar Paraiso del Mar

... .... Beach

 

When you stay at one, you can go to the others (or almost all)

 

Don't forget, hotels for adults only are more expensive !

[PaulaV]

I agree that this is the hardest decision... took me several weeks!

 

A few questions...

How many people are you expecting to attend?

Do you want a small location or large?

 

I will tell you a few of the places I looked at in the RM:

 

JW Marriott - nice wedding gazebo

Marriott Casa Magna - same gazebo, guests could stay at either hotel

 

Hilton Cancun - modern decor, nice pools and beach area

 

Playacar Palace- in Playa del Carmen, modern decor, all-inclusive, smaller than the other resorts I mentioned. I really wanted to have it here but we had too many people planning to attend.

 

We finally decided on Dreams Cancun... after trying to stay away from AIs due to price, and wanting to give our guests choices... it really is the best option for us. It has a beautiful gazebo that overlooks the ocean and has so much to offer our guests. It is kid friendly that is important to us as there are several little ones attending.

 

I actually put together a spreadsheet with ALL the hotels in Cancun and the RM and looked through the visitor pictures and hotel pictures from Trip Advisor. I made note of the prices during that time frame if given... some were not posted yet, what was included, what the wedding packages were, something that stood out of the pictures that I would be able to remember, and then if I really just didn't like it at all I greyed it out. Once I narrowed it down to about five, my FI and I went over the details of each. We had both really liked Dreams from the beginning.

 

We had a few factors that made us move the date to early next year. So I sent s few dates to their WC, she told it was available and we had a location and date that was a winner!

 

This really is a hard decision, you will find many threads about it here. Tammy(host) has information on many resorts in the RM listed here to assist in your decision making.

 

Good luck and let us know (other than throwing the dart for you) how we can help

 

PS: I am in Columbus Ohio.

[highheels]

Thank you all so much for your replies. I know I have to make the decision on my own- I just don't want to! I am very anal- I want to see pictures from every angle and the little details the resorts provide.

 

I am thinking there will be a total of 20 of us.

 

This is my 2nd wedding, my fiancé’s first. My first wedding was an over the top Cinderella event with my interior designer mother as the wedding drill sergeant. It is so hard the 2nd time around. I think there is a hint of guilt being my 2nd and since we are paying for it on our own all decisions are solely ours. I also feel so bad asking my friends to pay this kind of money because I know they will come no matter what.

 

Enough feeling sorry for myself- I need to suck it up and make a decision! I am starting my excel spreadsheet now.

[REBECCA]

We went to The Royal for our honeymoon. It was AWESOME, but, if you want a private wedding spot, it might not be such a good choice (we saw weddings everyday, but the beach and location of the gazebo is in a really busy spot). BUT an AWESOME honeymoon location and great food!

 

We met a couple there that was were moving to the Aventura Spa Palace because they said it was the most gorgeouse spot they had ever seen. Have you checked out that place?

 

I am an event planner as well and TRUST me, my wedding was the most difficult event I had to plan. Because it is your money...not the companies!!! Ha Ha . Good luck!

[LCBride2007]

For us, we didn't want the resort wedding (no offense to anyone intended!) - we wanted a private wedding and reception, on a beach. That's not easy to find! But it's why we chose Las Caletas. And the wedding coordinators ... they couldn't be any better. But then you choose a resort to stay at indepedantly, and you could choose an adult only resort.

[TA Lindsay]

I have to second Ann's opinion on Las Caletas. Simply put, it was AMAZING. The wedding coordinators are wonderful, they do a fantastic job.

 

There isn't much for "decor" for the wedding, but you do not need it...the surroundings are lush and beautiful. If you want any info on Las Caletas, or Puerto Vallarta, feel free to ask!

 

Lindsay

[MikkiStreak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by annieroy no kids + beautiful + Sandals resorts ! There is also Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso (Riviera Maya) (adults only) That resort is serounded by 4 other Iberostar hotels (that allow kids) and have different prices... so you can accommodate all your guests. Iberostar paraiso Lindo Iberostar Paraiso Maya Iberostar Paraiso del Mar ... .... Beach When you stay at one, you can go to the others (or almost all) Don't forget, hotels for adults only are more expensive !

Did this change recently? When we were talking to them back in March, our TA and the WP said if we stayed in Lindo/Maya and our guests were in Del Mar or Beach, they wouldn't be able to eat in the Lindo/Maya restaurants, etc... without paying for a day pass...

Higheels: Also, I would say that if you're looking for a really beautiful wedding, be very picky about this place--- their wedding decor flowers tend to be fake (which is why they are so cheap) and they look really cheap. That was one of the huge reasons why we decided to move the wedding elsewhere.

Have you checked out Azul Beach? I personally think that place is gorgeous and if we do AI in RM, this will be the place...

[JaimeLynne]

I just wanted to say that I totally feel your pain. Picking a location was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO hard and stressful for me! I felt like I was ready to pull my hair out at any minute! We still are not completely set on a spot, but we've narrowed it down quite a bit and have our favorites picked out. We are going to do a site visit because I want to see the place first. Btw, this will be our second site visit. The first time we went to the Riviera Maya to check out the Iberostar resorts and honestly we did not like them for our wedding. This time we are going to the opposite coast - Puerto Vallarta. We're looking at having the wedding at the Mayan Palace and staying next door at the Westin.

 

I know the process is very trying but in the end when you've found "your place" it is totally worth it!!!! I promise! So hang in there and know that we've all been in your shoes (or high heels, lol). And everyone here is very willing to help.

 

My favorite resort in the Riviera Maya area that we've been to was The Royal in Playa del Carmen. That was the hotel that originally started the idea of wanting to get married in Mexico. That place feels like home to me. I've been there twice. It recently changed to Adults Only so that may be a place for you to check out. It is an all suite hotel, with a large jacuzzi in every room. The rooms are very spacious and nice. (I'm super picky about rooms!) The grounds are BEAUTIFUL. Very classy. Another great thing is that when you walk out the main hotel entrance you are in downtown Playa, which would be a big plus for your guests! Oh man, I'm missing this place - I wanna go back so bad! ... lol