Non-resort wedding in Riviera Maya/Cancun

[ngtngp]

Hi All!

 

My fiance and I are getting married in Fall of 2011 in Houston.  We're Vietnamese, so it'll have to be a big, impersonal charade for our parents and families to show face--the complete opposite of who we are as a couple.  We had initially planned to have a bridal party trip to Mexico sometime before the wedding, so we can all relax and the bridal party can get to know one another and get more comfortable with each other so that the Fall wedding would be more fun for them as a group.

 

Now that the Fall wedding is becoming more of a wedding for our families, we decided to turn the bridal party trip into a secret destination for our closest friends.  Our budget is pretty low since we have the big wedding in the fall, so I think a resort will be out of the question.

 

We were thinking about having it at the Westin Cancun or somewhere non-all-inclusive-resort-style on the beach somewhere with a Mayan shaman and Mayan dancers.  Does anyone have suggestions for a small 20-40 guests wedding on the beach and a reception dinner somewhere nice and quaint that won't blow our budget?  We're trying to keep things under $2500 btw.  Is this possible or are we dreaming? =(

 

Please advise.  I would very much appreciate it!

 

Thank you,

phuong