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.
What were some of your biggest fears about having a destination wedding?
We got married at our resort sight unseen, so we didn't really know what to expect before showing up. One of my biggest fears was that it wouldn't be what we were expecting, or that our guests would be let down, since it wasn't the cheapest resort! Fair to say it exceeded everyone's expectations and was more perfect than we could have imagined :)
Describe what it was like working with the wedding coordinator at the resort? What went well? Any challenges?
To be honest, it was a little frustrating at first communicating with the wedding coordinator at the resort. Response times were super slow and we weren't put in touch with our wedding coordinator until 3 months before the wedding. It felt like a slow process getting everything finalized and waiting for email responses, but it was so worth it! They do events and weddings almost every day, so they know exactly what they are doing and really make your day their priority. We were BLOWN away by how beautiful and amazing our ceremony, reception, cocktail hour, welcome party, just everything was! They exceeded all of our expectations and we cannot get over how perfect and beautiful everything was.
Tell us about your wedding dress – How did you find it? Who went shopping with you? How do you feel wearing your dress?
I got my wedding dress at Emma and Grace in Denver. I went dress shopping in October 2022 and immediately fell in love with the dress, but didn't choose it because I wasn't sure if I would find something else that I loved more. We went to a few more boutiques and I just kept thinking about that one dress. I didn't get a dress that day and didn't go shopping again until January! When we went shopping again, the first place we went was to Emma and Grace to see if they still had the dress I loved and they did! I tried it on again and immediately knew it was meant to be my wedding dress. It felt so perfectly romantic and meant for Mexico. I felt so beautiful in my dress and wish I could wear it everyday :)
Describe the booking process for your guests. Did they find that to be easy to navigate?
Thank God for Abigail and Shannon because we hardly had to do anything to help our guests book their rooms! We hardly even thought about the room block. Shannon sent out a link to book rooms and before we knew it, everyone had their rooms booked and no one asked us a single question about it! It was amazing not having to worry about our guests' rooms!
Describe the meeting you had with the onsite wedding team when you arrived at the resort.
We had about a one hour meeting the day after we arrived with the wedding coordinators and DJ. They took us on a tour of the resort and showed us where the ceremony, reception, and cocktail hour would be. We went over all the decor, seating charts, music, food, etc. It was very thorough and calmed all of our nerves and made us so excited for the big day! Everyone was helpful and so nice! We left the meeting feeling like everything was completely ready and we could finally enjoy our wedding weekend!
Were your guests wowed by the resort and the all-inclusive concept? What was their reaction upon arrival?
Our guests were completely wowed by the resort. They could not get over how beautiful it was! Many commented how they had never been to such an incredible place before. They loved trying out all of the different restaurants, checking out all of the pools, and getting drinks at the numerous bars around the resort. They still talk about the resort and how much fun they had!
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?
Traveling with my wedding dress was a breeze! I was able to fit my wedding dress into a hardcover carry-on suitcase. There was not a storage closet on the plane, so the only option was to put in the overhead bins. I was worried about things getting spilled on it, so I used a carry-on suitcase and it worked perfectly! I wore a little hair clip sombrero with a veil to the airport and got SO many compliments and "congratulations." When we were waiting in line to check our bags, a woman came up and gave us some cash and told us "congratulations" and gave us both hugs. It was the sweetest thing ever.
What was the best part of having a destination wedding?
EVERYTHING! I tell everyone I know to do a destination wedding! Getting to spend the whole weekend with our favorite people in paradise was a dream come true! Everyone had the best time and we have so many fun memories! Having a destination wedding was the best decision ever!
In what ways did Romance Travel Group make the planning less stressful for you?
Taking care of all the rooms and everyone's travel information was so helpful! We never had to worry about what rooms people booked, what days they were staying, how they were going to get to/from the airport. It took SO much off of our plate. It made everything such a breeze and allowed us to focus on planning our wedding and getting excited for our big day! I cannot imagine how chaotic and stressful it would have been if we did not have RTG.
What would you do differently? What advice would you give to couples just starting the planning process?
I would stress less about the planning! Trust the wedding coordinators and that they know what they are doing! They exceeded our expectations and were so professional, kind, and on top of it! The communication was slow, but they are so busy with so many events. They have it all under control and can do ANYTHING you ask them for. They were so incredible!
Congratulations Alexis and Caleb!! Wishing you all our best!