Wedding Date: May 18, 2024 ~ Resort: Dreams Riviera Cancun ~ Photographer: Marina Pochepkina ~ Videographer: Frame Wedding Film ~ Bridal Gown: Alice In Ivory, Jane Hill Bridal ~ Tux Salon: The Black Tux
What led you to choose a destination wedding?
My husband is originally from Belgium and I am from the USA. We knew we would have some guests traveling internationally anyway, so it seemed to level the playing field. We also liked the idea of having extended time with our guests and allowing them to make a vacation out of it. Most weddings in the USA only allow for 4-6 hours of celebration, but here we had 4-6 days!
How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors?
When looking up reviews, Dreams Riviera Cancun had incredible ratings and seemed to be a very popular wedding resort due to the excellent service. When I saw the Lobby Staircase, the Oceana Rooftop and the Beach Deck, I fell in love with the wedding venues. The size seemed to allow for spacious grounds, but was small enough to easily find and spend time with wedding guests.
What were some of your biggest fears about having a destination wedding?
I was mostly worried that some of our favorite people wouldn’t be able to make the trip. But overall I think we had an incredible turnout! I was also worried that the resort might misinterpret my vision and the end product wouldn’t be what I expected. However, they completely brought my vision to life! I couldn’t have been happier.
Describe what it was like working with the wedding coordinator at the resort? What went well? Any challenges?
My mother and I did a site visit about 8 months before the wedding that allowed us to do a food tasting, tour, a flower trial and discuss decor/entertainment options. I was then contacted by the wedding coordinator about 3 months before the wedding to go through the budget planner and details. After that, we discussed questions via email and had a meeting our first day at the resort to finalize choices. The only hiccup was that our wedding coordinator left the resort, but we ended up working with the woman I met during my site visit and she was amazing. I’m pretty low maintenance, so I was never concerned with the communication.
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 got my dress at Alice in Ivory in Chicago where I live. I had been to maybe 10 stores and tried on well over 80 dresses. But when I put this one on I knew it was the one. I felt so confident in it and I never felt more beautiful in my life! The designer is Jane Hill and the quality of her dresses are incredible.
Describe the booking process for your guests. Did they find that to be easy to navigate?
Our USA guests could book their stay through Romance Travel Group. Once they had our wedding website link, it was easy to navigate. The team at Romance Travel Group provided helpful updates along the booking process for our guests and most importantly, it took one thing off of my plate for my wedding planning.
Describe the meeting you had with the onsite wedding team when you arrived at the resort.
We scheduled a time beforehand to meet in the wedding department. Thalia, our coordinator, reviewed all of the details related to our rehearsal walk through, rehearsal dinner and wedding to make sure everything was accurate and we were within our budget. She even had margaritas waiting for us when we arrived!
Were your guests wowed by the resort and the all-inclusive concept? What was their reaction upon arrival?
A few of our guests had been to an all inclusive resort before, but everyone told us they had a great time. They were really impressed with the staff and the service. They seemed to know that our wedding was that weekend and even remembered our guests names.
How easy/difficult was it to travel with your wedding attire? Did you carry-it on, where did you store it? Did you get a lot of comments at the airport?
We ordered a knock off Wally bag off of Amazon and it held my wedding dress, my veil and my husband’s attire. We were fortunate to fly business class and the flight attendant offered to let us hang it in their closet when we boarded. It would have fit easily in the overhead compartment though!
What was the best part of having a destination wedding?
Hands down, the ability to spend an entire weekend with our friends and family. We had sufficient quality time with each guest and it was a surreal experience to have all of those people in one room. It’s unlike anything you could experience at a traditional wedding in the states and made the actual wedding day much more relaxing.
What is your most favorite memory of your wedding experience?
t’s so hard to pick one thing, but I would have to say exchanging our personal vows and hearing the kind words from family/friends in their speeches. The amount of love that I felt in those moments will be forever implanted in my heart. I can’t wait to get our raw footage from the videographer to watch those moments on repeat.
In what ways did Romance Travel Group make the planning less stressful for you?
They made sure that our guests were up to date with payments and travel plans. Guests have tons of questions regarding destination weddings and it felt good to triage that part of the planning with Heather and Shelli. I get easily overwhelmed with that kind of thing, and I’m so thankful I didn’t have to coordinate that for guests. They also arranged the booking of my wedding with the resort and secured me the date/time that I had wanted!