Real Wedding: Laure'n & Jonathan at The Fives Beach

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.

---

Describe the booking process for your guests. Did they find that to be easy to navigate?
Yes! We received many compliments from our guests around how easy, communicative, and professional RTG was to book with. 

What were some of your biggest fears or things you worried about as your wedding date drew near? How did you get through this?
Getting all details finalized with the wedding coordinator. It was indicated that we had to make final selections and payment 1 month before the wedding but I hadn’t heard from them in 3 months. But they ended up letting me finalize and make selections even up to the wedding day! 

Describe the meeting you had with the onsite wedding team when you arrived at the resort.
The meeting I had with the onsite coordinator when we arrived went very well! We went over every single detail. She gave me her whats app phone number to communicate with her leading up to the wedding day which was great for last minute questions. She was a really hard worker.

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 easy to travel with the dress for the most part. I did carry it on and was able to store it in the first class closet on the way down to MX, but on the way back, I had to lay it down in an overhead bin. I did get some comments at the airport on the way down! 

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 welcome reception the evening before the wedding (drinks and apps). The day of the wedding was the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception (+ DJ and dancing!). It was just easy for everyone to be in one place the day before and the day of the wedding. Easy to navigate around from event to event and it just felt more intimate! And each area around the resort that we held the events at were beautiful and unique in their own way.

What is your most favorite memory of your wedding experience?
The reception! It was just so memorable and fun to have all of our favorite people together to celebrate with us. The music, ambiance, and staff made the evening even more special! 

In what ways did Romance Travel Group make the planning less stressful for you?
Being able to book our guests' travel and answering any questions they had!

What would you do differently? What advice would you give to couples just starting the planning process?
I wouldn’t do anything differently. Only advice is to be patient with the planning coordinator as you plan with them leading up to traveling. As mentioned, you may not hear from them for a while but it will ALL come together! Also, think about decor that you can bring down on your own to save $$ (they charge A LOT for decor). We brought down our own string lights, votives + candles, table numbers, and other decor.  

Would you recommend Romance Travel Group to other couples who are considering a destination wedding?
Absolutely! 100%.