Hello! And Help!

[bmillerick]

Hello beautiful brides!

I am brand new and TERRIFIED! We still don't have a set guest list (not even the "I know you won't come but here's an invite anyway" complimentary invites), we do have a set budget and that's it. I need to find a resort or location that does DW (I'm open to all locations in Mexico and the Caribbean, the majority of the guest will be coming from the east coast) and go from there.  At this point I'd love any suggestions for resorts. I've looked at Playacar Palace Spa Resort, any thoughts?

thank you for any help! and congrats to everyone!

 

[StylingTrio]

Hi at @@bmillerick and welcome to the BDW forums! You've certainly come to the right place and congrats on your upcoming wedding. Searching around here on this community will help you feel less terrified as you'll get most of the answers you're looking for!

 

Your choice for Mexico and the Caribbean is an awesome one! The "Riviera Maya" Mexico is a spectacular place to hold a destination wedding and there are so many resorts, beach clubs, etc situated so beautifully on the Caribbean sea for you to have a perfect wedding day!  Playacar Palace is gorgeous and there are so many more options up and down the coast from Cancun to Tulum. In fact, I found a great article about some of the best destinations in this area, maybe it will help you with ideas and have a good place to start! For the article click here,

 

Best of luck planning and if you have any questions, we are a makeup artist/hair stylist wedding vendor in this area, located in Playa del Carmen and can provide you with many recommendations for your wedding planning. if we can be of help let us know. Happy destination wedding planning! Enjoy!

[dreamweddings]

Hello beautiful brides!

I am brand new and TERRIFIED! We still don't have a set guest list (not even the "I know you won't come but here's an invite anyway" complimentary invites), we do have a set budget and that's it. I need to find a resort or location that does DW (I'm open to all locations in Mexico and the Caribbean, the majority of the guest will be coming from the east coast) and go from there.  At this point I'd love any suggestions for resorts. I've looked at Playacar Palace Spa Resort, any thoughts?

thank you for any help! and congrats to everyone!

@@bmillerick its only normal to feel terrified, let me assure you dont worry everything is going to turn out way more than you are imagining.

 

My advice first sit down with fiance and figure out the important things you want to see happen around your wedding, also some questions you might ask yourself to help go in the right direction.

Do you thing you will need family friendly resorts?

Or only adults? must the resort be small or bigger?

Do want to have the ceremony on the beach or rooftop terrace? 

 

Once you have some basic draft of your vision. get in touch with a Travel agent who specializes in DW.  They usually can help you narrow down your options. 

 

I see you looked at the playacar palace, have you looked at the other palaces as well? 

 

Happy Planning!

[acw271011]

Hi @@bmillerick Congrats on your upcoming wedding!

 

Picking your resort is the hardest part of your planning I think. There are just so many options out there! But not every option works for every bride and groom. Do you know what time of year you want to get married? Your budget and that of your guests, can be drastically affected just by that. As Joyce mentioned, do you want family friendly or adults only? Have you got a vision of what you want your wedding to be?

 

Definitely get in touch with a destination wedding travel agent. They can help you work within your budget, look at your wants and don't wants and work with you to pick a resort that is going to fit with what you have in mind. The owner of this site, Wright Travel, are destination wedding specialists and I'm sure they would be able to help you put ideas together that will help you make your decision. The other thing is, depending on the resort you choose, you might be entitled to some perks from the resort that you wouldn't event know about but a good TA would! Sometimes they will offer free events, or resort credits that your guests can also make use of. Every resort is different in what they offer and what they include so the help of a qualified TA will be invaluable. Then once that decision is made and you start inviting your guests, the TA will be able to be there and answer all of your guests' travel questions and leave you free to concentrate on wedding planning!

 

Once you have your resort and can apply for a date for your wedding, that's half the battle right there. Then you can start on the fun stuff and putting all of your other details together. You can contact Wright Travel through this site.

 

Good luck and happy planning!

[Moments That Matter]

Welcome to our forum community bmillerick and Congrats on your engagement and upcoming destination wedding!!! Such an exciting time in your life, no wonder you're feeling strongly about what's ahead!

 

However as you can see from the answers you've received already, there are great resources here to help with your planning questions, so...big Exhale.....it's all going to work out spectacular!!!

 

To see some of the beautiful resort choices in the popular Mayan Riviera region check out our blog posts that show what kind of a backdrop they'll make for your wedding photos: Riviera Maya Resorts

 

Wishing you happy research, and all the best with your plans - ENJOY!!!

Moments That Matter Photography team

(psst....we've got your back! )

Edited June 2, 2016 by Moments That Matter

[Mangosong]

@@bmillerick Hi! Welcome and congrats! A budget is a good place to start! 

[tiffanyt]

Hi @@bmillerick and welcome! I think speaking with a travel agent should be the first step. They are very knowledgeable about the resorts and can steer you in a good direction based on what you are looking for in a location.

[bmillerick]

@tiffanyt @Mangosong@acw271011@dreamweddings thanks! I've been in contact with a TA, she's amazing and has been so helpful! We have our own budget (also terrifying) but I'm concerned what a good budget would be to set for my guests. I have a range from early 20s to late 60s and every type of income so I'm trying to figure out the best median number for my guests for 3 or 4 nights, any suggestions?

Thanks!!

[vancouverpetunia]

@@bmillerick That's hard to answer for you, as only you know your guests, their likes/dislikes (in terms of what they would want in a resort) and your best guess at what they can afford.

 

I think what you will find is that you will be surprised at who comes and who doesn't, and what reasons they each have for their decisions. A lot of the time it is not related to money and, when it is, some of the people you least expected to make it work will be there, while the opposite will also hold true. Advice I've seen here many times is be reasonable with your choices, but remember it's your wedding and you can't plan it around other people. You may end up disappointed if you do. 

[JasminMattPhoto]

@@bmillerick Welcome to the forums! Don't be shy to ask any and all your questions here, as there's always a plethora of us waiting to help answer them, or at least try to be of assistance guiding you down the right path for you, your fiancé and your guests.

Definitely have several conversations with a good travel agent to help you figure out the location, before starting to feel overwhelmed with resort options. If most of your guests are travelling from the East, you might want to consider travel/flight times, and stay on the Eastern side of things, such as the Riviera Maya in Mexico (along the Yucatan peninsula), where you will have plenty of resort options. There's also always the option of checking out Jamaica (Runaway Bay is where we'll be next week to photograph a wedding) or Montego Bay. There's also Punta Cana, D.R.

Check out locations and decide what sort of backdrop you want. Keep your options open, as you can choose a beach setting, gazebo, secluded bridge, gardens, or even on a catamaran if you so desire!

I'm including a handful of varying ceremonies we've photographed here in the Riviera Maya as inspiration. Should you have any questions, feel free to ask us here, send a PM, or even send us a direct email. Just remember, planning your wedding should be fun, and be sure to enjoy it along the way.

Cheers!
Jasmin & Matt