The Romantic Setting
At Isla Mujeres Palace, couples can relax and unwind together in one of the most blissful settings in Mexico. The secluded and stunning property is the very picture of romance, boasting a rustic refinement you can’t find just anywhere. Whether the two of you are celebrating something special, or nothing at all, Isla Mujeres Palace allows you to go at your own pace... no itinerary needed.
 
The All-Inclusive Factor
Around-the-clock service? Yep. Signature amenities? You’ve got it. World-class dining? Done. At Isla Mujeres, they set the bar high for all-inclusive vacations. Here, you and your love can indulge in everything from top-shelf drinks and fine dining, to a variety of activities in the sand or the sea. So that fancy dinner you’ve always wanted? Yeah, it’s included.
 
The Modern Luxury
What’s a romantic getaway without a little luxury? This gorgeous paradise offers guests breathtaking accommodations with superior views, not to mention dozens of personal amenities available at the tip of your fingers! Some of our favorites include a fully-stocked minibar and liquor cabinet in your room, a double whirlpool tub and private shower, L'Occitane bath amenities, and more!
 
The Endless Activities
Whether you’re looking to sip on some craft cocktails at the beach, replenish yourself at the spa, or embark on an exotic adventure, the activities here really are endless. Spend your days basking in the sun or letting off steam in the state-of-the-art fitness center, while you enjoy a variety of live shows and entertainment at night. Whatever you choose, it’s bound to be an enjoyable and unforgettable experience!
 
The Generous Resort Credit
It gets better! When guests stay five nights or more, they could be eligible to receive a $1,500 resort credit! Use your resort credit toward a special day at the spa, a golf outing, or even an excursion off-site. The best part? The longer you stay, the more resort credits you receive. It’s that simple.
 
Think Isla Mujeres Palace could be the perfect honeymoon, destination wedding, or romantic retreat for you? Then, contact the romance travel experts today to get started! 

​With over 25% of weddings now taking place away from home, destination weddings have evolved into a cost-effective, meaningful and unique way for couples to share their wedding experience with their guests. Planning a wedding from a thousand miles away can still feel a bit daunting at first, but it is impossible to ignore the gorgeous beach wedding photos on Pinterest and Instagram, right? If you feel the little spark of hope in your heart as you scroll through destination wedding ideas, don’t ignore it! Don’t be afraid of it! Planning a destination wedding has come a long way and is now actually easier to plan - and MUCH cheaper - than a wedding at home. Here are a few questions you may be asking yourself:

1. How will I ever decide on a location and resort?
This is often the most difficult part of planning a destination wedding. Our best advice here is to find a travel agent that specializes in planning destination weddings. Anyone can book a trip. But planning a destination wedding for 20, 40 or 100 guests takes a completely different set of skills. Need a recommendation? Reach out to one of the award-winning agents at Romance Travel Group. Destination weddings are our passion!
 
2. What will my guests think?
Most of your guests will be thrilled at the idea of a vacation with you! Some will be concerned about cost or safety. Your agent will communicate with your guests, answering all their questions and making sure they know everything they need for their trip. Trust us… your guests will RAVE about your wedding. Many destination wedding groups start traveling together every year because they had such a great time at the wedding. They will have a great time, and they will thank you for nudging them outside of their comfort zone a bit.

3. How much will all this cost?
Legit question! We often say that the couple can expect to pay under $10,000 for the trip, ceremony and reception. This can vary, of course, but it is a good estimate. Your guests can expect to pay about $1100 for a 3 night/4 day all-inclusive experience in Mexico or the Caribbean.
 
4. How can I be sure my wedding will be what I want?
Most resorts have wedding departments with a team of coordinators on-site that will execute your vision. You can send them photos, Pinterest boards, spreadsheets, etc, and they will recreate the wedding of your dreams. Just about anything you see at local weddings can also be done in destination.
 
5. Who is going to help with all the travel plans?
Remember that destination wedding travel expert we mentioned? She will work with each guest to create the trip that works best for them. Some guests will make a week-long vacation out of their trip, while others will only be able to sneak away from 3 nights. No problem! Your agent will handle all the details so you don’t have to.
 
6. How will I know what needs to be done?
Your travel expert and the resort’s wedding coordinator will ensure everything has been considered and your big day is executed perfectly. Together, they’ll help you through all the steps and decisions that need to happen. You’ll be amazed at how seamlessly everything comes together.
 
Did we answer some of the questions you no-doubt have about planning a destination wedding? We hope so! We know how overwhelming it can seem at first, but once you find your travel expert, everything will fall into place quickly. You can do this!! Need an expert to help? Call Shelli today!

​Go For A “His” And “Hers”
One of our favorite ways to incorporate both the bride and groom’s personality is to create not just one, but two signature drinks for the occasion. A “his” and “hers” signature cocktail is the ultimate way to cater to both the male and female guests at your wedding. Is the groom a bourbon snob? Then, perhaps his signature cocktail will be some variation of the Old Fashioned to appease the gentleman. Is the bride a total girly-girl? Then, consider something light and crisp – like champagne and citrus flavors, or a fruity martini. 
 
Stick With What You Know
If mixing cocktails isn’t your forte, then we recommend sticking with your go-to flavors and building from there. For destination weddings, the resort’s mixologists will work closely with the bride and groom to create the perfect signature cocktails for their big day. Just tell them your alcohol of choice and they’ll be sure to whip you up something extra special.
 
Consider the Season
Getting married in the heat of summer on a gorgeous beach? Then what could be more fitting than a colorful rum punch or pineapple drink served from a fresh coconut? If you’re getting married in the fall, perhaps a spiced rum signature drink or hard cider option would tie in nicely. The last thing you want is to get married on a 90-degree day and be serving your guests a Hot Toddy – so definitely consider the season before making your selection.
 
Incorporate Your Theme
A cool way to personalize your signature cocktails is to incorporate your wedding theme into the drinks. For example, if you’re having a destination wedding in Mexico, you might want to create a drink with the destination’s favorite tequila. Does your décor have a rustic appeal to it? Then, serve your drinks in Mason jars to complete the look. There are so many ways to get creative with it!
 
Make it Universal
Another thing to consider, is to choose a common flavor to serve as a base for your cocktails. This is to ensure that a majority of your wedding guests will not only enjoy your signature drinks, but so they aren’t racking up your bar tab on something more expensive (depending on your bar package, of course). You really can’t go wrong with a house vodka or whiskey because they work well with dozens of flavors everyone’s bound to love. 
 
Personalize the Name
Once your signature drinks have been perfected, there’s only one thing left to do – name it! This is one of our favorite ways to personalize the cocktails because you can have so much fun with it. Have a wedding hashtag? Then consider tying it into the drink names! Do both the bride and groom have nicknames? Then, go ahead and call it “The Joker” or “The Honey” – whatever you see fit!  
 
Signature cocktails are an awesome way to tie in the theme of your wedding and both the bride and groom’s personal touches. Getting closer to tying the knot? Then, contact Romance Travel Group today for some expert guidance! 

Complete Luxury
From the Hard Rock memorabilia and elaborately-decorated suites, to the Rock Spa and Posh Beauty Salon and Boutique – Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos is guaranteed to wash your cares away. Relax on the sandy shores of the Baja Peninsula, or soak up the sun in five of the resort’s refreshing pools. In addition, guests can enjoy their very own personal outdoor hydro-spa tub for a bit of added luxury!
 
Play Time
At Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos, the entire family can let loose to a variety of daily activities and entertainment. Send the young rock stars in your group to the Roxity Kids Club, or challenge the entire family to a game of bowling or tennis for a little afternoon fun! Are you a fan of rock ‘n roll? Then, be sure to catch the hotel’s daily shows for live music and other exciting festivities!
 
Wine and Dine
Whether you’re looking for a casual bite, or something sophisticated and romantic –Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos does it all! Peruse around the property and find a place to dine at eight of its on-site restaurants, or take advantage of the 24-hour room service options, where a variety of dishes are delivered right to your door. Lastly, guests can enjoy numerous bars and lounges as a post-dinner treat.
 
Celebrations
Looking for a unique place to tie the knot? Or perhaps you want to celebrate a milestone birthday or engagement? Whatever the occasion, Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos will make sure your special events never go unnoticed. Known for their signature hospitality and exceptional service, the Hard Rock staff is dedicated to providing guests the best possible experiences around –so you can focus on making those memories!
 
 If you’re searching for a swanky and lively vacation that’s inspired by the region you’re in, then you’ve found it! For more information on Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos, or to request a quote, contact us today for the details!

​Interested in learning more about these dreamy wedding themes? Then, contact us today at hello@romancetravelgroup.com so we can be of assistance! 

What led you to choose a destination wedding?

Our families and most of our friends are split between LA and Chicago, so at least half of the group was already going to have to travel for the wedding regardless. So, we thought it would be fun to have a vacation together with all of our favorite people!  Having a destination wedding was helpful in limiting our guest list, since both Mark and I have big families and lots of friends.

How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors?

We weren’t able to visit any of the resorts before deciding, so I did a lot of research on a variety of sites. Using the list of proposed resorts from RTG, I read resort reviews on The Knot, Wedding Wire, Trip Advisor, Yelp and Google. I also watched walk-through videos on YouTube and looked at hashtags and geotagged pictures on Instagram! I was very nervous about making sure it was going to be a good choice for all our guests, so I even did keyword searches on the reviews to make sure there were no reports of bed bugs, food or alcohol poisoning, etc. I went to great lengths! But this all made me feel comfortable and confident in my selection of Now Sapphire!

Were there any objections from your wedding guests about your decision to have a destination wedding? If so, how did you handle overcome those?

So many, from the unlikeliest people! Our immediate families were our top priority, so we asked them almost a year in advance if they would be ok with a destination wedding. They all agreed, but then did complain a bit about costs and not being in our hometown where our extended families could attend. To overcome this, we explained that it was very important to us to share this day with the people that we are closest to, and who truly care for us. Also, since we knew that attending our wedding required some planning and saving on everyone’s part, we sent save the dates with location 10 months in advance, so that everyone had time to coordinate. We were thrilled at how many people were able to make it happen!

What were some of your biggest fears about having a destination wedding?

I was nervous about all sorts of things! In the beginning, my biggest fears were 1.) not filling the room block we agreed to because I had no idea how many people would actually travel for us; and 2.) not being able to see all the details in person, like picking the menu and decor. I was extremely pleasantly surprised that we surpassed our room block! It helped to start with a conservative amount of rooms, and then RTG was amazing at helping book the remaining rooms without having to increase the room block! Regarding my second fear, all the research put me at ease, and everything turned out beautiful and delicious!

Describe what it was like working with the wedding coordinator at the resort? What went well? Any challenges?

It was amazing, our coordinator Denisse was so proactive at sharing information and was extremely timely and responsive to all my emails. We exchanged emails a few times when the planning began, and as we approached the 4 month mark before the wedding, we were communicating more frequently as details were being sorted out. The last month, I felt like I was emailing her questions and last minute changes almost 3 times a week, and she always had a quick response and solution. We really didn’t have any challenges, she was spectacular!
 
Tell us about your wedding dress – How did you find it? Who went shopping with you? How do you feel wearing your dress?

My dress was so special to me, my mom made it! I am fortunate to have a very talented mother who is a dressmaker, she has made every dress I’ve worn for every special occasion of my life! We had general ideas of what the dress would look like but wanted to narrow it down, so my mom, sister and I did visit some dress shops to have a more typical dress shopping experience, which was a lot of fun! This helped confirm the silhouette I was looking for and to get a feel for how light/heavy I could handle wearing on the beach! Then I set off to go fabric shopping in the LA fashion district, where I had my “say yes to the fabric!” moment!  I picked a beaded lace, and since we love sparkles, we cut additional beaded lace flowers to hand sew throughout the skirt! It was such a fun experience to have together. The result was a dress made especially and perfectly for me, and I was so happy wearing my mom’s creation. I felt great and so proud of what we created together!

Describe the booking process for your guests. Did they find that to be easy to navigate?

The guests were so pleased with the booking experience, the site was easy to use and had clear information and instructions. The payment process was easy, and the RTG team was so helpful and responsive whenever anyone had any additional questions. The follow up emails with information and tips were greatly appreciated, and the goodie boxes with travel mugs and luggage tags were such a hit!

Tell us about how you chose your bridal party and asked them to stand up with you.

This was really fun for me! I wanted to keep it small since I have so many close friends, so I kept it mainly family, and my 2 best girlfriends. I had 6 bridesmaids total. I chose my sister and best friend to both be maids of honor, because I could never pick between the two! I also had my two new sisters (sisters of my husband), my sister-in-law and another of my best friends who in the end was unable to attend due to her family growing by 1!

When I asked the girls, I sent them cute boxes filled with some beach themed goodies - a waterproof bag for either bathing suit or to use as a makeup bag, a waterproof phone case, a fun inflatable drink floaty for the pool, and of course some face masks! Each came with a small bottle of champagne and a card popping the question!

Describe the meeting you had with the onsite wedding team when you arrived at the resort.

When we arrived, the coordinator met us at check-in which was really nice. She showed us where we would meet her for our walk through of the site the next morning. For the meeting on Thursday morning, we sat with her to re-confirm every detail of our wedding questionnaire (which had everything from chair styles to flower colors to menu and schedule). This was reassuring because then everything was top of mind as we went to do our walk through of the ceremony and reception space. She showed us where we would start our walk down the aisle, where the cocktail hour would be organized, and then we were able to show her exactly how we wanted the tables set up when we were finally on the beach terrace (reception space) for the first time. She took note of everything and then everything was all set!

How easy/difficult was it to travel with your wedding dress? Did you carry-it on, where did you store it? Did you get a lot of comments at the airport?
 
It was only difficult because I had to travel with my honeymoon clothes since we left from Mexico to Europe. The dress took up a whole carry on! I didn’t want to check it, so I checked my bag with honeymoon and wedding week clothes and carried on my dress. I figured if my luggage got lost I could buy new clothes while they found it, but my dress could not be replaced! I folded it neatly and with a little bit of cushion from the tulle skirt, so it didn’t get wrinkled. It helped that the lace was all beaded, you couldn’t see any wrinkles when I took it out! Once I arrived at the hotel, my mom laid the dress out in her room and hung the tulle skirt so that it would be ready for wedding day.

Tell us about your wedding – did you have a traditional wedding with a cocktail hour, dinner reception and dance? What was different about a destination wedding compared to a wedding at home?

It was pretty traditional in terms of the events - we had a cocktail hour with small bites, dinner during which we had a few speeches and toasts, and then dancing for hours! I’d say the difference was that everything felt more fun and light, since we were by the beach and everyone was in vacation mode. Our vows were actually pretty funny, and the guests interacted with laughs and reactions. It was actually really special! There were parts of it where we focused only on each other, but it was really special to feel the energy of the guests during our ceremony. It was not how I envisioned it from being a spectator at other weddings, but it was beautiful!

What was the best part of having a destination wedding?

The best part of a destination wedding was the ability to make so many special memories over the course of the weekend. Due to the travel, we had a wedding weekend rather than a wedding day, and all of the guests were staying in the same place, so we were able to enjoy everyone’s company and spend time with family and friends leading up to the wedding and the day after. This helped us enjoy the wedding itself even more! Since we had been greeting and hanging out with guests the days before the wedding (including a group excursion to Tulum!), Mark and I were able to enjoy the dinner and dance all night! Since our guests had become friends already, everyone was on the dance floor the whole night and it was amazing seeing all of our different groups of friends come together.

In what ways did Romance Travel Group make the planning less stressful for you?

RTG took care of so many things from beginning to end. From the time we began looking for resorts, Shelli was helpful and honest in making suggestions, which made me feel at ease that we would make a good decision together. During the booking process, our room block was filled at the last minute and Shelli made sure to book additional rooms for everyone, patiently working with people emailing for quotes and booking requests - all at the booking deadline! Everyone was able to successfully book and it was a painless process for Mark and I, which we really appreciated!

Leading up to the wedding week, RTG sent emails with information and reminders, and a travel package that had all of the details of each traveler’s booking and transfers to/from the airport to the resort. Our guests felt so special and taken care of!

What would you do differently? What advice would you give to couples just starting the planning process?
 
It was really a pleasant process! I highly recommend destination weddings to everyone, especially if you want to take a more relaxed and stress-free route. I still made all the big decisions and was able to customize things exactly how I wanted them, but didn’t have to deal with various appointments or vendors.
The only thing that I wish I would have done differently is very standard to most brides - a hair and makeup trial! Typically, when your stylist is local to you, you have this trial well in advance. Since I didn’t visit the resort prior to the wedding and had a very tight travel week leading up to the big day, I decided I could just trust the professionals and instead enjoy more time with our guests. On wedding day, I wasn’t 100% pleased with my makeup, and my hair came undone pretty much as soon as I went outside. This was also due to the humidity and wind, and I wasn’t entirely prepared for all that. So, if I could do anything differently, I would have arrived at the resort a couple days earlier to feel out the effects of the humidity on my hair, and have a full trial. In the end, I felt so beautiful in my dress and was so filled with joy and gratitude for everyone, that the hair and makeup didn’t bother me. Other than that, every other detail of the wedding exceeded my expectations!