Real Wedding: Lexie & Evan at Dreams Las Mareas

Wedding Date: August 10, 2024 ~ Resort: Dreams Las Mareas ~ Hair/Make-Up:  Nadia Cambronero ~ Photographer/Videographer: Adriana Mendez, Lucas Weddings and Dharma & Jurgen   ~ Bridal Gown: The White Magnolia (Buckhead) ~ Groom's Attire: Indochino (Buckhead)

Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
 
We started our destination search on our own, and it was so overwhelming. We knew we were having a larger wedding (100 guests), but still wanted it to be affordable. There were so many options for destinations and resorts. Our initial search deflated us, so we reached out to a few destination wedding travel agencies. After our first call with Romance Travel Group, we knew we could trust them to find us the perfect destination, and they did!
 
What led you to choose a destination wedding?
 
We both knew before our engagement that we wanted a destination wedding. We live in Georgia, but both love the beach & ocean, specifically a Pacific sunset! We also wanted to give our guests a fun, affordable weekend in a beautiful country that they would always remember! So we were looking at Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, the Bahamas, and especially Costa Rica. We got engaged in Costa Rica, so it was definitely at the top of our list.
 
How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors?
 
We had a few criteria we knew we had to have: family-friendly (we have nieces and nephews), beach access, flights from all major cities (guests came in from all around the US), and specifically the venues. Romance Travel Group put together a detailed presentation with fantastic resort options. In the end, we chose Dreams Las Mareas in Costa Rica! Yay!
 
Were there any objections from your wedding guests about your decision to have a destination wedding? If so, how did you handle overcome those?
 
We did experience objections from family. It was really hard as we wanted advice on the destination, but finances clouded the judgement of some. We were very understanding of the ask to take time off work and travel to a foreign country just to celebrate us. We did not ask for gifts as the gift was their presence itself! So we just pushed the objections aside because we wanted to make this decision for us - somewhere that felt special and we could make beautiful memories in In the end, those family members actually apologized for objecting, and said the trip was worth it!
 
How did you come to decide on your wedding date? Is there meaning behind it?
 
We knew we wanted the wedding in August (limited sports on - but we didn't think about the Olympics, haha). When we looked at all the Saturday dates, 8/10 immediately stuck out. We met on the first day of freshman year of college, and Evan lived beneath Lexie. Evan's dorm room number was 610, and Lexie's was 710. So, 610 + 710 = 810. ♥️
 
Describe what it was like working with the wedding coordinator at the resort? What went well? Any challenges?
 
Working with the coordinator was a little difficult at times, but overall our wedding turned out exactly as we had hoped. The logistical and communication aspect was stressful as we had to initiate contact with our coordinator several times, and didn't start planning the wedding until 3 months out. All our other vendors (Photography/Videography, Makeup and Hair artist, DJ, Violinist) were great at communicating with us. The planning of details went great, and all our flowers, decor, venue setup, etc. were perfect!
 
Tell us about your wedding attire – How did you find it? Who went shopping with you? How do you feel wearing your wedding attire?
 
Bride: I went shopping with my mom, future mother-in-law, and best friend. I knew what kind of silhouette, shape and style I wanted, and the stylist at the bridal shop actually picked it out for me! It was a strapless, A-line crepe gown with a ruched, corseted top, scoop neckline and fitted skirt with a train, with buttons running from top to bottom. I felt like a princess, barbie, queen all at the same time!
 
Groom: Evan wore a custom, ivory Indochino suit, with a white linen shirt, and Allen Edmond loafers. It was the perfect Beach Wedding look.
 
Bridesmaids: I told my bridesmaids what color dress to get, but let them pick it themselves! They all have different bodies and figures, and personalities, so one dress wouldn't work for everyone. They blended so well together! I could not have been more happy.
 
Groomsmen: We had the groomsmen wear matching tan pants from Men's Wearhouse, and a simple white linen shirt.
 
Guests: We requested our guests wear semi-formal attire in a beach neutral color palette. All our guests delivered!

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Describe the booking process for your guests. Did they find that to be easy to navigate?
 
All our guests complimented the ease of the booking process. It was very easy to select the type of room, length of stay, travelers, and the best part was the payment plan. The reminder emails were helpful, and Heather and Abigail were both very helpful when our guests had questions.
 
Tell us about how you chose your bridal party and asked them to stand up with you.
 
I had been looking forward to this my whole life! Girls always say "you'll be my bridesmaid one day!", but it was finally time to make it real! I have 2 sisters and a sister-in-law, a life-long childhood friend, a high school friend from my time in Georgia, a high school friend from my time in California, and 6 college friends, so 11 bridesmaids in total! I had my 9-year-old niece as my flower girl!
I made bridesmaids boxes to ask them. It had a bottle of champagne, luggage tag since it was a destination wedding, claw clips, clips to hold your hair back for makeup, candles & matches, and a detail card!
 
Describe the meeting you had with the onsite wedding team when you arrived at the resort.
 
We actually had to initiate this meeting as well. It lasted one hour, and we just went over all the details with our coordinator. We talked about the what ifs (like what if it rains), the start time of each event, and what to expect. By the end of the trip, we were rather disappointed with our coordinator as she charged us for an extra hour, even though we started late because of her lack of organization. 
Were your guests wowed by the resort and the all-inclusive concept? What was their reaction upon arrival?
 
Our guests absolutely loved the resort. There were so many pools, restaurants, and things to do around the hotel. Some guests ATV’ed on the beach, others went on boats and jet skis, and some just stayed by the pool bar all day, lol! Even Evan, the groom on his wedding day, went out on a catamaran and caught 2 fish that the captain made sashimi out of, and saw whales jumping out of the water! It was an incredible resort - one of the best we have stayed at. Our wedding venues were absolutely gorgeous, and the sunset each night took our breaths away. I'll always remember the first night at the Welcome Cocktail Hour, where everyone saw their first Costa Rican sunset. The all-inclusive made it so fun. We ordered the most amount of food at dinner, and drinks at the club! Yes, there is a club at the resort! We thoroughly enjoyed everything about Dreams Las Mareas. 
 
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?
 
Our wedding was both traditional and non-traditional. We did not have a best man or maid of honor - just bridesmaids and groomsmen. We had a Welcome Cocktail Hour on Thursday, Rehearsal Dinner on Friday, and the Wedding Day was Saturday. We had the traditional ceremony with the procession of the wedding party, but since my parents are divorced, I had both my mom and dad walk me down the aisle. It wasn't religious of any kind, but my dad did give a prayer. The rest was pretty traditional - cocktail hour, reception with the wedding party entrance, first dance, father of the bride and mother of the groom dances, cake cutting and bouquet toss! One fun thing we did as our exit was jump in the pool. The pictures are amazing!
 
What was the best part of having a destination wedding?
 
It was so stress-free! We really didn't have to take care of anything (besides organizing the procession at the ceremony lol). It was also surreal being in Costa Rica with 100 of our closest family and friends, to celebrate our wedding. We have never felt so grateful in our lives!
 
What is your most favorite memory of your wedding experience?
 
We loved our wedding day - every part of it. The reception is a highlight for both of us - we had an acrylic dance floor over the pool, and it looked so dreamy. But what was even more fun was when everyone started jumping in! The moment we will always remember is our exit, when "We Are Young" by Fun was playing, and we jumped in the pool. It was such a blissful feeling!
 
In what ways did Romance Travel Group make the planning less stressful for you?
 
We can't imagine booking and managing all our guests' room reservations by ourselves! It was such a blessing to have Romance Travel Group to help us.
 
What would you do differently? What advice would you give to couples just starting the planning process?
 
We would suggest hiring your own coordinator outside of the resort. You need someone advocating for you when things go wrong instead of you having to handle it.
 
Would you recommend Romance Travel Group to other couples who are considering a destination wedding?
 
1000%!!! Our guests were very grateful for the ease it was to book, and we were grateful for ALL the help from Heather & Abigail - from finding us such an affordable and beautiful resort, to booking the room block, and sending weekly updates, there is nothing that would have made our experience better. 

Congratulations to you, Lexie and Evan!