Real Wedding: Jesse & John at Generations Riviera Maya

Wedding Date: May 31, 2024 ~ Resort: Generations Riviera Maya

Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
We attended a wedding back in 2022 and they used Romance Travel Group.  That's actually what made us decide to have a destination wedding!  As guests it was such an easy process, so we decided to ask the bride & groom for the contact information.  After our first conversation we just knew that this was the route we wanted to take!  We got all of our questions answered and got the best advice possible!

How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors?
We spoke with Shelli and went over what we were looking for in the resort.  We definitely wanted something in Mexico, wanted a resort that wasn't TOO big so everyone could stick together, and we wanted a resort that allowed for children.  Shelli gave us a list of resorts that fit what we were asking for based on that conversation and once we saw the Sky Deck that we ended up getting married on we knew that was the place for us!

Did you invite guests in a unique way, like a themed save the date or announcement party?
First we sent out save the dates, with a lot of time in advance to compensate for guests who may need to take off work or make payments over time.  We bought templates off Etsy to make the theme consistent with everything.  For our official invitations, we sent out personalized luggage tags as a little favor with "and so the journey begins" printed on them, with our names and wedding date.

Describe what it was like working with the wedding coordinator at the resort? What went well? Any challenges?
In the beginning, it was overwhelming, and we felt like we weren't doing enough soon enough.  As we continued meeting with our wedding planner, she kept assuring us that we were right on track and she was taking care of everything for us.  With the guidance and patience of our wedding planner, we were able to calm down a little bit and trust the process.  It's definitely something different putting all of your trust in someone who you've never met in real life, basing decisions off of photos and their recommendations, but with those recommendations and teamwork everything ended up being PERFECT!  We honestly regret stressing over it so much because everything was so perfectly done.

Describe the booking process for your guests. Did they find that to be easy to navigate?
The booking process for our guests was super easy.  A couple of times, we would get questions from our guests, and we would direct them to our agent (Shannon).  She answered questions quickly and was able to help them with anything they had questions on.

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What were some of your biggest fears or things you worried about as your wedding date drew near? How did you get through this?
Our biggest fear was definitely making sure things were going to be the way we were expecting and stressing over if we needed to make any last minute changes.  We kept thinking that a few days in advance couldn't be enough time if things needed to be changed around.  We got through it by speaking with other people we knew had destination weddings, along with our planner and Romance Travel Group, and everyone kept saying just trust the process and stop worrying!  Easier said than done, but if I could give anyone advice it would be the same.  Everyone is so helpful and will go above and beyond to make sure that the day is exactly how you want! 

Describe the meeting you had with the onsite wedding team when you arrived at the resort.
When we first met with our wedding team at the resort, we were still a little bit anxious about trusting the process.  But our wedding coordinator, Gloria, was super helpful and was such a pleasure to work with!  Down to the smaller details, she had everything written down and organized.  She went into so much detail for us and was genuinely putting the effort into making the day perfect for us.

Were your guests wowed by the resort and the all-inclusive concept? What was their reaction upon arrival?
Some of our guests have never been to an all inclusive resort, so they were definitely wowed.  They were so excited for unlimited food and drinks.  I'd say the biggest reaction was how gorgeous it was, everyone is still complimenting the choice of resort.

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?
We had a semi traditional wedding with a cocktail hour, dinner reception, and dance.  We wanted to have a lot of the time be spent partying, so we asked if we could adjust the timelines to make our dreams a reality.  Gloria helped us a lot with that!  We wanted the wedding to be less formal than a wedding at home, especially being in such a tropical environment, so our guests were dressed in a formal beach attire.  Other than that we tried to keep things close to a wedding at home!

What was the best part of having a destination wedding?
The best part of having a destination wedding was being able to vacation with all of our loved ones and friends, having a whole week to celebrate with everyone.  It made us feel extra loved that so many people made the time to come celebrate with us.

What would you do differently? What advice would you give to couples just starting the planning process?
The only thing we'd do differently is just relax LOL.  You hear all your friends getting married at home going to the venues, trying the food, trying the cake, meeting the photographers and the DJs, and you can't help but stress.  But you have to just trust the process and allow everyone to do their jobs!  They know what they are doing and are going to make sure that your day is perfect.  If you need any assistance they will drop everything to call you, help you, and ease your worries.

Would you recommend Romance Travel Group to other couples who are considering a destination wedding?
Hands down yes!  The expertise they have in choosing resorts alone is enough to recommend.  But having a point of contact for all of our guests to get any questions answered was a nice weight lifted off our shoulders.  We didn't have to worry about answering questions, reminding them to make payments, reminding them to do really anything because Romance Travel Group did it for us.  10/10 would recommend and we are so glad that we got the pleasure of working with them.

So happy for you two! Congratulations!!