Wedding Date: January 13, 2024 ~ Resort: Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta ~ Photographer/Videographer: Del Mar Wedding Photography ~ Bridal Gown: The Wedding Shoppe ~ Tux Salon: Men's Wearhouse
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
We chose RTG because it had stellar reviews, was recommended on several destination wedding Facebook pages, and was based out of our home state of Minnesota. We had an amazing experience with them and are so glad the reviews were right. What led you to choose a destination wedding? We chose a destination wedding with the encouragement of a couple of friends who had done destination weddings for their own marriages and highly recommended it. I was in graduate school and didn't have time to plan a wedding, so doing a destination wedding was the perfect idea for a getaway and involved immensely less planning. What were some of your biggest fears about having a destination wedding? Our biggest fear of doing a destination wedding was the cost. We wanted our loved ones to be able to attend and didn't want them to spend a lot of money. We also weren't sure how many people would want to or be able to come after finding out it was going to be a destination wedding. All our fears were put to the side when out of 130 people invited, 102 said yes. It was absolutely incredible and everyone had the BEST time.
Wedding Date: January 17, 2024 ~ Resort: Dreams Riviera Cancun ~ Photographer: Celia Armijo Photography ~ Videographer: Alejandro Lopez ~ Bridal Gown: Modern Dress in Boone, Iowa ~ Beauty: PrepTulum/PrepWeddings ~ Tux Salon: Indochino
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
We had friends we went to college with that used Romance Travel Group and they had a great experience, so we knew we could trust them with finding us the right resort for our wedding! What led you to choose a destination wedding? We chose a destination wedding because we wanted to spend a week with all of our favorite people at an all-inclusive resort! We have been to a lot of weddings and wanted to do something different. I also am not the best planner and thought this would be the best route to help me with the wedding planning process! How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors? We knew we wanted a smaller resort, one centralized pool area, and a resort with good reviews on food. Romance Travel Group gave us a few options that had all of these, but we ultimately picked Dreams Riviera Cancun based on their wedding package. It was what fit our needs and budget best! What were some of your biggest fears about having a destination wedding? I would say our biggest fear was knowing people we really wanted to be there might not be able to come. This was hard to accept at first, but we knew we were asking a lot of people and also that it was something we could not control and just tried to focus on all of our guests that were coming. Although there were a few close friends and family that could not make it we still had such a great turn out and enjoyed every second with those that could make it.
Wedding Date: October 14, 2023 ~ Resort: Secrets Moxche ~ Photographer: Jonhy and Rose ~ Bridal Gown: Emma and Grace Denver ~ Beauty: Zoe Elizabeth ~ Tux Salon: Men's Warehouse
What led you to choose a destination wedding?
We got engaged in Mexico and had originally planned to get married in Colorado, but the more we started planning, the more overwhelming it felt and it got so expensive so fast! That's when we looked into the idea of going back to Mexico and doing an all-inclusive. We reached out to Romance Travel Group and started talking about the idea of a Mexico wedding. We ended up cancelling our Colorado venue and had the easiest, best time planning our destination wedding. It was the best decision ever! How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors? Abigail ultimately helped us decide on Secrets Moxche. She listened to what we were wanting in a resort and highly recommended Secrets Moxche. We fell in love with the pictures of the cenotes, "Tulum-feel", and the beauty of the resort. It was so unique and unlike anything we'd ever seen. We wanted an adult-only all-inclusive that wasn't too big, but was romantic, modern, and tropical. Abigail nailed it on the head with Secrets Moxche Were there any objections from your wedding guests about your decision to have a destination wedding? If so, how did you handle overcome those? Some of our guests were unable to make it due to the costs or taking time off of work, but we told everyone beforehand that we understand it is a big ask to have them come to Mexico. We didn't want anyone to feel obligated to come and let them know we would miss them and celebrate when we got back.
Wedding Date: November 9, 2023 ~ Resort: Dreams Playa Mujeres ~ Photographer: Andrew Meier Photography ~ Bridal Gown: Savvi Bridal ~ Gown Designer: Casablanca ~ Tux Salon: Generation Tux
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
We chose Romance Travel Group after meeting some of their team members at a local bridal expo. My husband and I had already decided on a destination wedding, yet we were just looking for additional information and location ideas. After having a rough start to the planning process with another travel agent, a meeting with Shelli immediately put us at ease, and we trusted that her team knew what they were doing. The fact that they specialized in destination weddings was a plus, and it helped them help us narrow down resorts based on what we were looking for. What led you to choose a destination wedding? We were living in NC then, and I was from the Chicago area while my husband is from Ohio. No matter where we held our wedding, people would have to travel, so why not make it a tropical destination where we could spend more than one day with our guests. How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors? Shelli and her team did a great job listening to what we were looking for on our wedding day, along with our group size and budget, to help narrow down resorts. We ended up going with a resort that had the wedding package we were looking for, along with amenities and incentives for booking a certain number of rooms. Were there any objections from your wedding guests about your decision to have a destination wedding? If so, how did you handle overcome those? We had a few objections from family and friends about us having a destination wedding. We included why we decided to have a destination wedding on our Q&A page on our wedding website, and we understood from the beginning that only some were going to make it. We had a 2.5-year engagement; by the time a date was set, it was a 1.5-year notice for guests. We tried to be considerate of our guests to be able to plan for time off and save, and this allowed us to save up for our big day, too. The people who wanted to be there would be there, and no matter what, it was a fantastic time.
Wedding Date: December 3, 2023 ~ Resort: El Dorado Royale / Generations ~ Photographer: Off The Rail Photography ~ Videographer: Lux Like Art ~ Bridal Gown: Bel Fiore Bridal ~ Tux Salon: Men's Warehouse
Wedding Date: November 13, 2023 ~ Resort: El Dorado Royale ~ Photographer: Kaitlin Powell ~ Bridal Gown: One White Lane Bridal ~ Tux Salon: Suit Shop
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
We chose Romance Travel Group because I felt like they cared about their clients and their clients' guests, and I felt really comfortable with them after the initial call, I felt like they knew what they were doing. What led you to choose a destination wedding? I have always dreamt of a destination wedding, going on vacation to celebrate our wedding in Mexico with family and friends has always been a dream of mine, and was the absolute best decision ever. How did you come to decide on your wedding date? Is there meaning behind it? We chose our date based on the time of year. We didn’t want it around spring break time, or high season for hurricanes and everyone on summer vacation. Hurricane season ends in October so we decided on November, and we chose a Monday so people could travel on a Saturday or Sunday. Describe what it was like working with the wedding coordinator at the resort? What went well? Any challenges? I really thought the whole process was very easy, we did a lot of emailing and messaging on WhatsApp. In the beginning communication was slow which I was understanding of since they do so many weddings, but I wasn’t worried. The 3 months leading up to the wedding communication was very quick. I would send pictures of my inspiration and they provided everything.
Wedding Date: October 21, 2023 ~ Resort: The Fives Beach ~ Photographer: Dream Bella Photography ~ Videographer: Timeless Photography & Film ~ Bridal Gown: Bridal Boutique of Lewisville ~ Tux Salon: The Black Tux
What led you to a destination wedding?
We chose a destination wedding because of a trip we took together to Cancun back in 2022. It was Gabby's first time traveling out of the country and we had the most fun trip ever, and knew we wanted to relive the fun whenever we got married. We knew to keep it small with just close loved ones and were so happy we did! How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors? We were presented with a wonderful document put together by Romance Travel Group that outlined great resorts - they broke down room rates, resort amenities, wedding packages and more. We narrowed it down to 3 of the approximately 10 sent to us. We went to visit each hotel and we felt the wedding locations at the Fives matched our preferences the best. Along with that, their wedding team was wonderful, room rates were reasonable, and we loved the atmosphere! Why did you choose Romance Travel Group? We sought out Romance Travel Group after an unpleasant experience with a family friend recommended to us. They had raving reviews online, so we decided to set up an intro call. Abigail was incredibly professional on our phone call and gave us amazing details on what to expect when working with them - things such as involvement in rooming lists, transportation, cancellation policies, credits, amenities, etc. We had a great feeling from the start and felt we would be in good hands for the planning, and we certainly were!
Wedding Date: October 25, 2023 ~ Resort: Generations Riviera Maya ~ Photographer: Megan Goggins Photography ~ Videographer: Bridal Moments Mexico ~ Bridal Gown: Something Blue Bridal ~ Tux Salon: Azazie
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
We had googled travel agencies that specialized in weddings and out of 5 we reviewed online, we knew we wanted to reach out to Romance Travel Group first. Between couple testimonies and their welcoming website, we made Shelli Nornes our first call. And after the first call with Shelli, there was not doubt in our minds that we were going to go with Romance Travel Group for our wedding. I am SO happy that we went with our gut because Shelli and Heather made the entire process seamless and exciting. We felt nothing but unwavering support from the Romance Travel Group team and our guests felt incredibly comfortable with their booking processes. What led you to choose a destination wedding? We wanted to plan something different from what our families would expect from us. It is not really in either one of our personalities to do something super out of the box so choosing a destination was something fun for us to do together and we learned a lot about one another in the process. It also helped us to keep our guest list smaller and be able to splurge on some of the more exciting decor such as big light up letters, and LED dance floor, and pyro lights for our entrance. Lastly, given our opposite work schedules, planning a destination wedding also gave us the opportunity to travel with each other and a large group of loved ones - which is something we don’t get to do. How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors? Generations Riviera Maya is a family-friendly property with fair pricing. We chose this resort based on the fact that we knew some family members would want to bring their young children. I (Ashley) also have an 8 year old brother so there was no way we would have our wedding without him. What made Generations stand out is that it is attached to the El Dorado, an adult-only property, that we had access to. This allowed some of the guests to spend time away from kids. It truly was the best of both worlds!
Wedding Date: September 23, 2023 ~ Resort: Hyatt Ziva Cancun ~ Photographer: Ana Lozano ~ Videographer: Great Events ~ Bridal Gown: Bride's by Young ~ Tux Salon: Robbie & Co.
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
We chose Romance Travel Group because they had great reviews as well as connections to resorts in Mexico. After speaking with Shelli on the phone we felt relieved that we had a company that could navigate setting up our room block and take one major task off of our plate. Shelli was personable and very easy to communicate with. How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors? Romance Travel Group provided us a selection of resorts along with a pros and cons list for each. We knew we wanted a beach ceremony and so we looked to see which resort had the best beach. We wanted a resort with friendly staff and that had something for people of all ages to do. We also wanted a resort that had an adults only section since we wanted to stay there for our honeymoon and this resort had an adults only tower. After reading reviews, watching YouTube videos and looking in destination Facebook groups we decided to go with the Hyatt Ziva Cancun. Were there any objections from your wedding guests about your decision to have a destination wedding? If so, how did you handle overcome those? Thankfully we had no objections. Everyone was so excited that more people than we expected booked for our wedding. All of guest saw this as an opportunity for a vacation. What were some of your biggest fears about having a destination wedding? My biggest fear was the resort not looking as it did in the pictures and videos. This resort lives up to the pictures and videos. Also having to put a 100% trust into the vendors you choose and hope that they see your vision as you do. Our photographer was also phenomenal and exceeded our expectations. Describe what it was like working with the wedding coordinator at the resort? What went well? Any challenges? Our wedding coordinator from the resort was very pleasant to work with. She sent us a master planner with four main categories and that’s what we used to plan the wedding. The planner was helpful and very simple to use. She was friendly and closer towards our wedding date she started a WhatsApp chat with us in case we had any last minute questions.
Wedding Date: September 29, 2023 ~ Resort: El Dorado Royale ~ Wedding Planner: Claudia García Exclusive Weddings & Events ~ Photographer/Videographer: AMO Studio MX ~ Beauty: Sara Tamargo ~ DJ: DJ Party Rod ~ Bridal Gown: Lily's Bridal Outlet ~ Tux Salon: Indochino
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
We chose Romance Travel Group because we did a ton of research and we found that Romance Travel Group had great reviews on social media from past wedding couples and they provided all the services we needed for our wedding including the fact that they have had past experience with weddings in the Cancun area. What led you to choose a destination wedding? We chose a destination wedding due to the fact that we both love to travel and a traditional wedding in the USA was not something that we wanted. How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors? We selected El Dorado Royale largely due to the fact that they had allowed and performed LGBTQ weddings prior to ours and it made us very comfortable. There were a few other resorts that also could have been good options for LGBTQ wedding but this resort caught our eye with past couples displaying their pictures and experiences on social media pages. This resort offers 3 "resorts" in one with an adult only side, another adult only side but more of a romantic vibe where you get your own casita, and then a kid friendly side which offered many food options between all three. They gave many different options of where to have our wedding within the resort as well including beach options, indoor options, and a skydeck option. We ended up getting married on the beach. Were there any objections from your wedding guests about your decision to have a destination wedding? If so, how did you handle overcome those? We had no objections from our guests. When planning our wedding, we knew it was a cost for people so we didn't hold it against anyone who couldn't travel due to money or health concerns. For those we really wanted there, we added in our budget to assist those people to get to our wedding.
Wedding Date: August 20, 2023 ~ Resort: Royalton Negril ~ Photographer/Videographer: Tuson Photography ~ Beauty: Jeralyn Langford ~ Bridal Gown: Imperial Bride ~ Tux Salon: Men's Warehouse
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
In August of 2021, one of our family members had a destination wedding in Montego Bay, Jamaica. They used Romance Travel Group and we remembered how wonderful and stress free the process was in working with RTG for their wedding. We knew they were the perfect people to help us with our destination wedding. What led you to choose a destination wedding? My husband and I both love to travel. We always take a big trip every year since we met. We knew in doing this we could not only celebrate our wedding, but also celebrate our honeymoon. Our family and friends could also make this a relaxing vacation for themselves, too. How did you come to decide on your wedding date? Is there meaning behind it? Cedric and I both share birthdays in the month of August. Our birthdays are a week apart. Mine is August 17th and his is August 24th. We chose the middle date to tie it all together. Tell us about your wedding attire – How did you find it? Who went shopping with you? How do you feel wearing your wedding attire? I found my wedding dress at the 3rd wedding dress shop I visited. I had my mom, my God-mom, and my best friend with me. We all knew we found the dress when we all got emotional. I ordered my shoes from Badgley Mischka. My reception dress came from Amazon and my performance dress came from Shein.
Wedding Date: July 8, 2023 ~ Resort: Dreams Macao, Punta Cana ~ Photographer/Videographer: Punta Cana Storytellers ~ Florist: Vlady Flowers ~ Bridal Gown: David's Bridal ~ Tux Salon: Macy's
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
We chose Romance Travel Group because they had really good reviews and while reading the reviews everyone mentioned how smooth they made their wedding planning and that they handled all the guests’ travel arrangements, which was exactly what we were looking for. Not to mention, they also create a ‘Save the Date Website’ as well! During our first phone call with, Shelli was very informative and I felt a sense of ease, like I was making the right decision to book with Romance Travel Group. What led you to choose a destination wedding? We chose a destination wedding because I’ve always wanted to get married on the beach, near the ocean. We also knew that we wanted an intimate wedding (30-40 guests) and thought it would be a great idea to have all of our family and close friends travel with us and make it a group vacation!
Wedding Date: April 27, 2023 ~ Resort: Dreams Natura ~ Photographer: Cineluk (Hector Yupit) ~ Videographer: Cineluk (Luis Paredes) ~ Bridal Salon: The Wedding Shoppe ~ Tux Salon: Express/Lululemon ~ Beauty: Sara Tamargo Makeup and Hair
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
We chose Romance Travel Group because while searching for destination wedding travel agents, we came across them and they had ALL good reviews. When we were going through the reviews, so many people mentioned how they made their wedding planning so much less stressful and that they handled all the guests’ travel arrangements, which was exactly what we were looking for. During our first phone call, Shelli was very informative, supportive, and accommodating to our wants and needs. On top of that, we were told that we would get our money back as soon as we arrived at our wedding destination. All of these things just made our decision to book with Romance Travel Group much easier. What led you to choose a destination wedding? We chose to do a destination wedding because we looked at wedding venues around the city we live in, and we could not fathom how much JUST the venue itself cost. We wanted to spend our money on something that we absolutely loved and we couldn’t find that around us. We always thought it would be cool to get married on the beach near the ocean but we didn’t think we would actually do it. After doing some research about destination weddings, we were sold on the fact that the resort pretty much does everything for you. The beach and ocean are obviously beautiful and that being apart of our venue made us feel at ease that we were going to love it even without seeing it before hand.
Wedding Date: May 5, 2023 ~ Resort: Breathless Riviera Cancun ~ Photographer: Ambar + Alejandro Photography ~ Bridal Gown: BHLDN ~ Tux Salon: Black Tux ~ Beauty: Backstage Hair & Makeup
How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors?
Selecting a resort initially felt daunting. There are SO many in the Cancun area. RTG was a huge help, even on ultra specific things like “which resorts have a brown wooden gazebo by the ocean?” We ultimately chose our resort for its reputation for being lively, its on-site club open until 1am, and the aesthetics of the wedding venues available (including our gazebo!) Were there any objections from your wedding guests about your decision to have a destination wedding? If so, how did you handle overcome those? We definitely had some nerves and even a touch of guilt about having a destination wedding. It felt like a big ask of our family and friends to take 3-4 days off of work and invest in the trip. The reality couldn't have been more different, though. We got more RSVPs than we expected and most of our friends and family were enthusiastic about the much needed vacation. We chose an adults only resort, so there were naturally some objections from our immediate family about kids not being present. We heard everyone out on this, but also helped them understand how the logistics of having kids presented detracted from the quality time that we were hoping to have with them as adults. We also made sure all of the grandmas and grandpas that stepped up to babysit felt special and appreciated! How did you come to decide on your wedding date? Is there meaning behind it? Since Rick and his family are Mexican, part of the reason we chose a destination wedding in Mexico was for the opportunity to celebrate the food and culture. We figured we might as well go all-in and have it on Cinco de Mayo! Even though it’s a very Americanized holiday, it made for a fun theme and gave us an anniversary that will always be easy to remember.
Wedding Date: March 17, 2023 ~ Resort: Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta ~ Photographer: Del Mar Photography ~ Bridal Salon: Blush Bridal Boutique ~ Tux Salon: Men's Warehouse
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
We knew we wanted to do a destination wedding and as I was searching on the internet, I kept seeing Romance Travel Group pop up! I got advice from friends who did a destination wedding to go with a travel agent. But when I kept finding this company I did a little more digging and what sold it for me was seeing it featured on The Knot! I knew, Yup I am using these people! What led you to choose a destination wedding? More bang for your buck! My husband and I were adamant about not going into debt to our wedding and choosing things that were important to us and not everyone else. I had been given suggestions from a few friends that your money goes a little further doing a destination wedding. We also loved, loved the idea of going on a big vacation with our friends and family. The other bonus was that we got to put our money more towards food, drinks and entertainment so our guests had a great time. Being that we were in a beautiful place we paid little money or worry on the decor. How did you come to decide on your wedding date? Is there meaning behind it? Our engagement date was 12.11.21, which if you write it backwards is still 12.11.21 (it's called palindromic I think). Well I wanted to do the same for our wedding or find something unique for our wedding date. I originally wanted 11.11.22 but my military brother was deployed during that time and we wanted to make sure he could attend so we were shooting for March 2023. I chose 3.2.23 and 3.22.23 but my now husband said picking a date during the week made it harder for people to take time off and travel, he suggested picking a date for a Friday. The two dates available were 3.17.23 and 3.30.23, I let him choose between the two and he picked 3.17.23. Only months later did I realize that 17 was a significant number because 2017 was the year we started dating. So without even trying our date became extra special! It is also St. Patrick’s Day so we'll never forget it!
Wedding Date: February 6, 2023 ~ Resort: Riu Palace Jamaica ~ Photographer: Andrea Dobbs Photography ~ Bridal Salon: David's Bridal ~ Tux Salon: Men's Warehouse
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
We chose Romance Travel Group because we had friends (Luke included in that group) use them previously for a destination wedding and had nothing but great things to say about their experience! What led you to choose a destination wedding? When things started to get serious in our relationship we would have conversations about how a destination wedding was what we wanted, it was the only option ever discussed. Neither of us are people that really love being in the spotlight so we knew that a destination wedding would offer a more intimate setting and allow us actual one on one time to spend with our guests that could make the trip. How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors? Shelli really helped us with this one because we came to her with NO idea where to start. She asked us where we would want to go on vacation and she sent us a ton of resort options, from there we narrowed it down to Jamaica, a place Luke knew he enjoyed and wanted to return to and a place Kari had never been. Then based off of price per person and ease of travel from the airport, we found our resort. Were there any objections from your wedding guests about your decision to have a destination wedding? If so, how did you handle overcome those? There were no real objections, at least none that we heard about directly. But due to the price per person for the resort and the insanely high flight prices at the time, even with us giving approximately 1 year to plan, a lot of our guests who had originally said yes to coming, told us they were unable to make the trip. We knew a lot of our loved ones wouldn’t be able to come so we made sure they were aware that they would be missed but we would be having a stateside reception and we would love for them to join the celebration at that point.
Wedding Date: November 11, 2022 ~ Resort: Royalton Riviera Cancun ~ Photographer: Quetzal Wedding Photo ~ Videographer: About Time Wedding Films ~ Bridal Salon: White Traditions Bridal Boutique ~ Tux Salon: Carl's
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
A friend suggested a travel agent since we were doing a destination wedding and I found them on Pinterest. What led you to choose a destination wedding? We love to travel and wanted to share that experience with our families. How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors? A big reason was I have been to a Royalton before and it was wonderful. We picked this one mainly due to the beautiful Gazebo. I knew I wanted to get married in it! Were there any objections from your wedding guests about your decision to have a destination wedding? If so, how did you handle overcome those? Some where just afraid of the unknown because a lot of our guests have never traveled out of the country. Also money...they were a little worried it was going to cost a lot. What were some of your biggest fears about having a destination wedding? The weather! LOL! More than anything, I wanted to get married in the Gazebo. I would have been so sad if it rained. I also worried that they would not capture the theme I was going with. :-) How did you come to decide on your wedding date? Is there meaning behind it? I thought that 11/11 was such a magical number also 11+11=22 so I knew I wanted 11/11/22. Did you invite guests in a unique way, like a themed save the date or announcement party? We did a themed save the date it looked like a boarding pass. They loved it.
Wedding Date: July 11, 2022 ~ Resort: Generations Riviera Maya ~ Photographer: Esteban Bahena
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
After speaking with many other travel agents, Romance Travel Group stood out. Shelli and her team were very responsive and professional throughout the initial consultation and booking process. All information was organized and everyone was so knowledgeable about what different resorts had to offer while keeping our wish list and budget in mind. How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors? We chose Generations Resort in Riviera Maya because we were looking for a high end resort that was affordable for our guests, within a short driving distance to the airport, family friendly and within our budget. Generations checked off all those boxes and more. What made the resort even better was their countless beautiful wedding venue options and that they had 2 other adult only properties next door that we had access to if we wanted to take a break from the activities on the family side. What were some of your biggest fears about having a destination wedding? It is very hard to plan an event at a location that you have never been to before. We had visited Cancun in the past but never saw Generations in person prior to arriving a few days before the wedding. We were fearful that the pictures and reviews made the resort look much better than it actually was. It was also a little nerve-wracking selecting and booking vendors using email/Facebook to communicate and sending deposits via wire transfers and Paypal but luckily everything worked out perfectly!
Wedding Date: March 3, 2022 ~ Resort: The Fives Beach ~ Photographer: Timeless Photography ~ Bridal Salon: Posh
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
After doing some research around how to start planning a destination wedding in Mexico, I came across RTG in a Google search. I chose RTG after having a kick-off call with Shelli. She made me feel very comfortable with the way she explained how her company works, their process, and how they care about each unique wedding; it made me excited to want to move forward with even doing a destination wedding. She is SO friendly! What led you to choose a destination wedding? My husband and I knew we didn’t want to get married in Minnesota (where we live). After exploring destination weddings in other states (Arizona, Florida, and North Carolina), I realized how complex and expensive it’d be to do a “destination” wedding elsewhere in the US. Then, someone asked if I had thought about doing it in Mexico. I was hesitant at first, but after doing some research online, I read that destination weddings at all inclusive resorts in Mexico are so much more affordable! We probably saved ourselves $10-$15k just by doing it in Mexico. How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors? I explained my budget, resort must-haves, and style I was looking for to Shelli. I was excited about all of the unique areas around the resort that would be awesome for pictures and it was family friendly which was important to us since there would be kids traveling. What were some of your biggest fears about having a destination wedding? Planning a wedding sight unseen. But, it ended up exceeding my expectations once I saw how everything was curated and set up for each event. Describe what it was like working with the wedding coordinator at the resort? What went well? Any challenges? The wedding coordinator was very friendly, patient, flexible, and listened to my budget concerns…helping to give me ideas and options that would fit into what I wanted to spend. The biggest challenge was getting timely responses from them. At one point, I hadn’t heard from them for 3 months and we were 1-2 months away from the wedding without having finalized all selections! Once back in touch with them, finalizing planning went well and they were really responsive.
Wedding Date: February 2, 2022 ~ Resort: Azul Beach Negril ~ Photographer: Caribe Photo ~ Bridal Salon: David's Bridal ~ Seamstress: Anniseau
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
We chose RTG because when we were looking for travel agents, they never would get back to us and never seemed like they were truly wanting to help us. Booking with RTG, they were quick to respond and helped us and our guests every step of the way. They helped us narrow down resorts in the area we wanted and worked with the resort that we chose. Any question or concern, they would answer. What were some of your biggest fears about having a destination wedding? Our biggest fears were Covid-19. When we booked late 2020, we hoped most of the pandemic would be over by 2022. How did you come to decide on your wedding date? Is there meaning behind it? We didn’t pick 2-22-2022 for any specific reason at the time other than we didn’t want to go to Jamaica in the middle of their summer/hurricane season. It turned out it was an awesome date, because we got to get married 2 times, as we legally got married in the U.S. on 2/2/2022 and symbolically on 2/22/2022 on a Twosday. Describe what it was like working with the wedding coordinator at the resort? What went well? Any challenges? Our wedding manager, SueAnn, was amazing. She knew what she was doing and most definitely would not let anything go wrong on our day. Working with the wedding planner, Carla, before we arrived in Jamaica was more difficult. The wedding department did not seem to know we were coming on 2/16/22 but thought we were going to be arriving 2/18/2022.
Wedding Date: December 4, 2020 ~ Resort: The Fives Beach Resort ~ Photographer: Meek Monster Media ~ Bridal Salon: Blue Bridal Boutique
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
We ultimately chose Romance Travel Group after our initial conversation with Lisa Ruchti. We were referred by a good friend who had nothing but positive things to say about her experience with Lisa and RTG. I knew immediately that Lisa was our person, and felt confident she would take great care of us and help guide us in our journey of choosing a destination wedding (and this was before the COVID-19 pandemic was even a thought!). How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors? We ultimately chose The Fives Beach because we wanted to make sure our guests were met with unparalleled service. We also needed a family-friendly resort but still wanted our adult guests to feel like they were able to escape and let loose. The numerous amenities, special events, and resort service were really what drew us to The Fives. What were some of your biggest fears about having a destination wedding? Initially, I had no reservations or fears about a destination wedding. My husband and I had discussed what we wanted at length and included our family in our decision-making process. And then, the COVID-19 pandemic happened and we were already over 8 months into planning, with another 7 months to go. Understandable, we were a little stressed and uncertain about what this would mean for our December 2020 wedding. Lisa and our resort wedding coordinators kept us reassured throughout the planning process leading up to our wedding. Despite lingering uncertainties out of our control, Lisa and The Fives staff took great care of us and our guests and really made it a seamless process despite being in the midst of a global pandemic.
Wedding date: December 18, 2021 ~ Resort: Azul Beach Negril ~ Photographer: Rebel Rabbit Photography ~ Bridal Salon: Our Shop Bridal ~ Gown Designer: Mikaella Bridal
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
We chose Romance Travel Group after reaching out to a few different travel agencies and RTG was the first group that was very communicative and also helped guide us so that it seemed like everything was what we wanted but also that we didn't have to lift a finger. It just felt right as soon as we started talking to our agent. What led you to choose a destination wedding? We chose a destination wedding because wanted our celebration to be more intimate. We wanted it to be very special with just our favorite people there and it was exactly what we wanted. How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors? We selected the resort because we wanted a family-friendly resort with beautiful views and gourmet food. Azul Beach was exactly that. It was everything we could have asked for. Tell us about your wedding dress – How did you find it? Who went shopping with you? How do you feel wearing your dress? I had an idea of what I wanted my wedding dress to be but I ended up going with a different one that felt way more flattering on my body. You never really know what you want until you see it on yourself! I went with my mom, my mother-in-law, and three of my bridesmaids. It was the greatest experience to go with all of my favorite people. Describe the booking process for your guests. Did they find that to be easy to navigate? The booking process was very easy to navigate! Due to COVID our rates actually went down through the resort but our agent coordinated all of that with our guests and gave them refunds or informed those that hadn't paid in full. It was a very easy process during a very difficult time!
Wedding Date: May 2021 ~ Resort: Dreams Natura ~ Wedding coordinator: Jennyfer Reyes ~ Photographer: Heber Moran Photography ~ Bridal Gown Salon: Baley’s Bridal
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
We chose Romance Travel Group because we truly felt that Shelli and Heather had the expertise and experience that would be needed to make our destination wedding fun and successful. We had really no experience with planning an event like this on our own, so they put us at ease and we are so thrilled we went with them! What led you to choose a destination wedding? We chose a destination wedding because we had attended one in Mexico a little over a year before and had the time of our lives. All of the hanging out by the pool and beach gave their friends and families so much time to bond and make memories and we wanted the same for our guests when it was our turn. How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors? We selected our resort in particular because it was a newer build and we had stayed at a different location of the Dreams resort chain in the past. We never actually saw our venue until we got there for the wedding weekend, so it was somewhat of a gamble, but we trusted that the service and food would be great just like we had seen at the other Dreams location. Lastly, we found that the prices they were offering for our guests’ nightly stays were reasonable for all that was included, and the resort threw in some extras for things like rehearsal dinner and additional rooms when a certain amount of people booked.
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
We attended a destination wedding in Riviera Maya in 2019 that was planned through Romance Travel Group and loved how seamless the entire booking process was, so we decided to reach out to Shelli to plan our destination wedding! How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors? We were given a couple of amazing options through Romance Travel Group, but we knew we wanted a modern resort that could accommodate all age groups just in case anyone wanted to bring their kids. This led us to the Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos – brand new, modern, and fun for families and adults alike. Plus, they have waterslides!! How did you come to decide on your wedding date? Is there meaning behind it? We decided that a destination wedding would be more appealing during winter months so our friends and family could escape a very cold Chicago. December 5th happened to be the day we first met (in 2012), and we loved that we could make it our official anniversary and celebrate with sunshine.
Why Romance Travel Group? Our original wedding date was set for June 11, 2020. We had been planning our destination wedding since November 2019 with another travel agency. We had a terrible experience and I had felt as though I was basically planning the travel on my own. When we had to cancel the first date due to COVID, I knew I wanted to go another direction with my travel agent. When we began to replan for our second date, I researched online for a travel agent that would be suited for us. I came across Romance Travel Group on the wedding website theknot.com and it was clear they would be the perfect fit! I received quick responses from them and was set up with my amazing travel agent, Ashley Jackson.
Why a destination wedding? Steven and I had talked about what wedding we wanted before we even got engaged. We both disliked that with traditional weddings, the focus is mostly on the guests and worrying with what they want. For us, it was especially important that our big day was about what he and I wanted every step of the way. So, we decided a destination wedding with our closest friends and family was perfect! |
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