New to wedding planning!

[Houston11]

Hey. I recently got engaged while on vacation two weeks ago. We were in Aruba at RIU when my fiance proposed to me. We knew from that moment that we wanted a Destination Wedding. I don't know where to begin. We want to get married on the beach somewhere that is all we know. We are thinking Mexico either Cabo or Cancun since there are direct flights there daily from Texas. So where do I begin. Should I go straight to a travel agent? Go directly to the resorts?

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance for you time.

[JanineA]

Congrats on your engagement and welcome to the forum. A travel agent can always lay our your options for you and help narrow your choices but you and FI can also do that on your own as well. Try to make a list of what it is you want out of your destination, are you thinking all inclusive or regular resort? Big resort or boutique style hotel? Do you want seclusion or lots of activities? Once you start answering some of those questions and making your lists your decision will start to slowly form. Browse the different threads and look at some of the resort other brides are using. You'll definitely find lots of help, tips and advice here. Good luck and happy planning!

[mistibuard]

Congrats from another Houston Bride!!!

[jenrick]

Congratulations and welcome to the forum!  I always like to use a travel agent because they might have different ideas and they can make all the plans for you.  One less thing to worry about!

[Le Reve Hotel & Spa]

Hola,

Welcome to the forum and above all, congratulations for your engagement!

Have you thought of the Riviera Maya? One of the best things about Riviera Maya is the fact that you can get everything you dream, and it goes from the simplest things, up to the most elaborated... I am certain that you would love it.

To check out various resorts, a good place to go is the hotel review section on tripadvisor.com and the venue reviews here.  TA will not offer many wedding reviews, but the list is probably more extensive and you can come back here to learn more about wedding experiences. I would suggest using both resources. 

Your wedding is going to be full of magic and this website will help you a lot!

We wish you the best.

Happy planning.

 

[Dmitri_Markine]

Welcome and happy planning!!!

 

 

 

Dmitri

[Moments That Matter]

Congratulations and welcome to the forums! From my experience... I would suggest starting with a TA as they can make the arrangements and organize everybody to be there at as close to the same time as possible. It also gives you a go between for you and the resort if problems do arise as they are experienced working with large groups for a wedding. Once you are booked.. you will most likely deal with the wedding coordinator from the hotel. They can be slow to answer emails... so please be patient with them.

Best of luck with all your plans!

[JenK]

Welcome and congrats! I'm debating between Cabo or Riviera Maya as well. Very different locations, both have a ton of great activities. I would suggest deciding which location you want based on activities, weather, etc and then narrow down resorts from there! Travel agents would also help you with the different locations! Good luck

[Michele4172011]

Congratulations and happy planning! We are getting married in Riviera Maya. Check out some of the Karisma Resorts. I've heard great reviews. Also, if you don't have a TA yet, check out destinationweddings.com. You put $50 up front, but that goes towards your package you book with them. So, essentially, no cost. Good luck, I wish you the best with planning!

[NicoRuskies]

Congrats on the engagement!!! We looked at resorts before we talked with a travel agent so that we had some suggestions and ideas for her to work with. It worked well because we had a handful that we liked and a list of "must haves" and she was able to narrow the resort down to a few that were in our price range. Good luck! It's a great feeling once you've picked "your" resort.