Why get married in the Riviera Maya area?

[ornxoxo]

Like many of the brides here said, RM is very affordable for the guests and you have so many options from very affordable to very luxurious.  I like that there's so many all inclusive to choose from.  I went on a vacation to the Princess hotel and I love that I can stay on the beach or pool all day.  There's always activities to do.  I went to zipline and snorkling and it was so much fun. 

[Moments That Matter]

You`re so right, ornxoxo! and it`s great to see you share your wonderful experiences with your fellow brides here

 

lt can be hard to decide what`s a good `fit`` for your plans - especially when you`re so far away. Info like this is so helpful! to make the best informed decisions and create the right kind of `good times` possible for everyone .......THX for sharing

 

[LoriGran]

Very helpful thread! I'm torn between Cancun and Riviera Maya. I'm looking for crystal clear blue water like Punta Cana and I found that Cancun comes close to that. So I fell for Gran Caribe Real/The Royal or should i say i fell for the chapel.. got some pretty high quotes and weren't too thrilled about that. FI also wasn't too fond of the building style hotel with ONE pool. Now I'm looking at the Barcelo Maya Palace Deluxe. This is more like what we were looking for.. Secluded / resort style. BUT then I see the water and how rocky it looks and that's a bummer. My wedding planning as come to a brief stop until we figure out what to do and wait for quotes from a different TA... Can anyone shed some light on my situation

[LuckyGal4]

Hey Lori!! I got married at TheRoyal in Playa and actually just got back fom Cancun where we stayed at The Royal as well.. Seeing how I have been to both I thought I might be able to help you just a bit! For starters I think that the water in Cancun is def more crystal clear but I love the atmosphere of Playa better! If you stay at The Royal in Playa you literally walk out of the resort and you are on 5th Ave where they have shopping, bars/restaurants, and clubs. It was so nice not to have to take a taxi! In Cancun you have to take about a 5 min cab ride to the downtown area which isnt bad but if you have a group, it is much easier to walk! We got married in Playa last June, half of us stayed at The Royal and the other half stayed at The Gran Porto. If you are going to have people stay at both, Playa is prob better as it is easier to go back and forth between the 2 hotels as they are closer than the 2 (Royal/Gran Caribe) in Cancun. On the other hand, I thought that The Gran Caribe in Cancun was better/nicer than the Gran Porto in Playa. I did see the chapel at The Gran Caribe and it is VERY pretty! The background was absolutley amazing... We got married on the beach in Playa and the scenery wasnt bad their either. As far as the pool situation, the Royal in Cancun has a much better layout than Playa. Yes it is one big pool but they have certain sections so it makes it feel like there are several differnt ones. There are 2 pools in Playa one is more of an activity pool with the swim up bar and the other is more relaxing! As far as the pools go I think I would have to say Cancun is better!! The beaches were about the same but it is def more rocky in Playa than it is in Cancun! I have never stayed at the Barcelo Maya Palace Deluxe and when we were looking for a place I wanted an all-adult resort. Thats why we decided on The Royal cause we could stay there and then our guests with kids would be right next door and we would still have access over there. The El Dorado Royale in Playa is suppposed to be so so pretty ( i think it is a little pricey) Also the Valentin Imperial Maya is supposed to be good as well!!

 

Ok with all that being said... I would def choose Playa over Cancun! Maybe its because thats were we got married but I just absolutley feel in love! Oh and FYI use a travel agent!! I was sooo happy I used one, she took a lot of the stress off of me Please let me know if you have any questions. I have tons of pics on my page and if you want to see some from Cancun let me know and I will post them!!

 

Good Luck!

Kelli

[Moments That Matter]

Congrats on your destination wedding, Lori !!! as you can see from Kelli's review above - each place has its' own balances. Whichever one you choose, you will have a wonderful venue as a backdrop for your gorgeous wedding celebration - so win /win there

 

The Barcelo is a wonderful choice too! and we've captured many magical 'moments that matter" wedding gems there........like these.....with more at the album link here........

Best o luck with all your decisions + plans...........enjoy the journey

 

team MTM asst, Lynda

[JillTran]

Originally Posted by KIM02242012 

 

Thanks, for the info LuckyGal! I've been looking at both the Royal and Gran Porto for the same reasons you gave. Are you having a beach ceremony? Also, why did you choose to have the wedding/reception at the Royal instead of Gran Porto? I was originally looking at Gran Porto...I will have to check out the Royal also!

 

Thanks again! Good luck with the rest of your planning. It's coming soon!

 

 

The Royal is a great resort, true 5 star with luxury amenities and also great location like others BDW brides have mentioned. If the Royal Palace is in your budge you might also want to check out any of the Paradisus Resorts also, there's 2 in the Riviera Maya, (1) the Paradisus Esmeralda which is family friendly, and (2) the Paradisus La Perla which is adults only.  They have beautiful wedding packages available as well.

 

Congrats and Good luck with all your wedding planning =)

 

-Jill Tran

[WeddingCancun]

getting married in Riviera Maya it's like a dream wedding. Just imagine the beauty of Caribbean sea and the gorgeous landscapes..

 

[TinkerSofi]

Originally Posted by janette34 

 

I can't comment on Puerto Vallarta but I love the Mayan Riviera for so many reasons!  First and foremost the Mayan Riviera is very affordable with many options from budget hotels to luxury resorts.  Food and drinks is great, in my opinion much better than the DR or Cuba.  Countless activities are available from visiting the ancient ruins of Tulum to ziplining, horseback riding, snorkeling, catamaran cruises etc.  5th Ave in Playa del Carmen is a whole experience in itself with all of its restaurants, bars, shops and of course Coco Bongo's.

 

The people are absolutely fantastic as tourism is their main income they are so helpful and friendly.  Money exchange is easy with almost every place accepting USD (Tulum Ruins is the only place I can think of that only take pesos).  The Cancun airport is large and sees a huge volume of flights daily so it should be fairly simpe for your guests to get direct flights in and out of the country.

 

On the downside the beaches are not as great as say Punta Cana in the DR, there is a lot more coral but are beautiful to look at and the water is warm!  Also to make your marriage legal in Mexico you must arrive 4 business days prior to the ceremony and have blood work done.  Because of our flight schedule we opted to a symbolic wedding in Mexico, arriving on a Friday night and getting married on Monday, things couldn't have been easier.  We met with the wedding coordinator on Saturday morning to go over the details and then enjoyed ourselves until Monday - no blood work, paper work or passports required.

 

To narrow down the huge lists of resorts in the Riviera you should ask yourself the following questions:

How much do you want your guests to spend?

All Inclusive?

Family Friendly?

Large or Small Resort?

What amenities do you need at the resort?

How long of a drive are you willing to go from the airport?

 

I have stayed at the following so if you have any questions about these resorts in particular let me know.

Grand Sirenis twice

Gran Bahia Coba

Grand Sunset Princess

Ocean Turquesa

Grand Xcaret

 

I also stayed at a resort in Cancun (I think it was a Barcelo) which I enjoyed but I prefer the Riviera.

 

Congrats & happy planning!

 Totally agree. We chose Cancun because of the variety of things to do for our guests and the price. We wanted the nightlife close, so that's why we chose Cancun over Mayan Riviera. If you're going more for the relaxed atmosphere, I think the Riviera is a better choice, although personally I've never been there.

 

We loved Punta Cana and the beaches are much better, but it is too expensive for our guests to come down. I find that you can get the same level of hotel in Mexico for much less. The Mayan Riviera is just beautiful, why wouldn't someone want to get married there?