Wedding Date: July 6, 2024 ~ Resort: Dreams Playa Mujeres ~ Photographer: Heber Moran ~ Videographer: Dream Catchers ~ Beauty: Sara Tamargo ~ Bridal Salon: The Brides’ Shop ~ Tux Salon: Ritz Tuxedos
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
My friends used Romance Travel Group for their wedding and we were able to experience them as guests. We had such an amazing experience with them we knew we wanted to use them for our own wedding.
What led you to choose a destination wedding?
We love traveling and wanted to turn our wedding into a vacation with all of our loved ones.
How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors?
Romance Travel Group did a great job asking us the right questions surrounding our vision. They sent us a list of resorts to choose from and we took the time to research each one on YouTube. We made a pro’s and con’s list to help us narrow down our selection. Some of our deciding factors include:
- Price/budget
- Wedding package offered
- Bonuses offered in wedding package
- Food & service quality
- Aesthetics of resort
- Location of resort and cost to fly there for our guests
We ultimately chose Dreams Playa Mujeres because they offer a beautiful over the water glass bottom floor venue. They also specialize in destination weddings.
Were there any objections from your wedding guests about your decision to have a destination wedding? If so, how did you handle overcome those?
No, whoever wanted to be there for our wedding came.
What were some of your biggest fears about having a destination wedding?
My biggest fear was not being able to control the weather. Whether it would be too hot or too rainy. Weather is the biggest factor I could not control. Everything else we can plan for and figure out.
How did you come to decide on your wedding date? Is there meaning behind it?
Our wedding date was July 6th, 2024. We needed to wait until the kids were out of school, so we chose to have our wedding in the summer. We also knew we wanted it early in the summer season so it would not be too hot and so that it would be before hurricane season.
Did you invite guests in a unique way, like a themed save the date or announcement party?
We took each one of our guests out on a double date to invite them personally.
Describe what it was like working with the wedding coordinator at the resort? What went well? Any challenges?
My biggest advice here is to add yourself to the Facebook wedding groups for your resort. The sooner you join the groups the better. This was the most helpful place to get questions answered quickly, get inspo on how you want your wedding to look, figure out what to bring, things to share with your guests, see what decor is offered and read full reviews of past weddings from other brides. They also have catalogs and updated forms/info that was so helpful.
I watched YouTube videos to better understand the process of planning a destination wedding. This also helped me set the right expectations around wedding planning timelines and insight around when you will be in contact with your wedding planner. Because I knew I would not talk to my wedding planner until 4 weeks before my wedding I had peace of mind that it is possible and to trust the process. They are professionals and they know how to make your vision happen with very little time. My wedding planner Monica was very detail oriented, calm, collected and made our process stress free.
While they give you an itemized budget sheet to estimate your cost with, my biggest challenge was the potential price fluctuation (due to inflation) and not knowing what the cost is until the very end. We were able to get very close to their price estimate and stick to our budget. For items that increased more than what we were comfortable with we adjusted and went with items that were more important to us in order to stay within budget.
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 made a list of wedding dress shops in my town and made an appointment with each of them. I wanted to go shopping by myself so I could connect with myself and see how I feel in each dress. Then I would send pictures to my bridal party and get advice on which dress to go with. I am so happy with the dress I picked. It was exactly what I pictured my wedding dress to be.
Describe the booking process for your guests. Did they find that to be easy to navigate?
Once our guests understood they must book through our website with Romance Travel Group instead of booking directly with the resort, the booking process for our guest was a breeze.
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 surrounding the weather and the unexpected storm. Romance Travel Group did a great job in taking initiative and reaching out to our guests with updates.
Tell us about how you chose your bridal party and asked them to stand up with you.
I took each one of them out for a one-on-one lunch date and asked them individually.
Describe the meeting you had with the onsite wedding team when you arrived at the resort.
Because my wedding coordinator and I met over the phone before our onsite visit, she was well prepared and our first in person meeting went well. I gave her all the things I brought from home and went over all the final details. We went over the final budget sheet before I approved it.
Were your guests wowed by the resort and the all-inclusive concept? What was their reaction upon arrival?
They absolutely loved the all-inclusive concept and wanted to plan another trip. It was so easy and stress free for them.
They mentioned our resort was breathtaking and had so many fun things to do.
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?
My dress tailor recommended I put my wedding dress into a medium vacuum storage bag. Once you are at the resort you can give them your dress to be steam ironed and it worked out perfectly. This was the best idea ever. It saved me so much room and it protected my dress because it is waterproof. This made my dress so compact I was able to easily put it in my carryon.
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 the best day ever! We had a traditional wedding with cocktail hour, dinner reception and dancing. We also bought the party package from our resort and that made our reception so entertaining and so much fun. This package came with party favors, drummers, dancers, interactive water drums and more. We kept this as a surprise for our guests so no one knew entertainers were coming. They really helped kick off the dance floor and got the party started.
What was the best part of having a destination wedding?
The best part of having a destination wedding is traveling somewhere new with your friends and family. Being able to build memories away from home. It is a vacation for everyone to let go and relax outside of the normal routine.
What is your most favorite memory of your wedding experience?
Our favorite memory of our wedding was when we all jumped into the pool at the end of our reception. It was just a unique ending and a great way to cool off. We all had so much fun doing it and it was a great way to build new memories together.
In what ways did Romance Travel Group make the planning less stressful for you?
They have such a great process to walk you through each step of the way. They are very professional and knowledgeable. We loved how they took initiative and took care of all of our guests. Romance Travel Group is so sweet and was so on top of everything.
What would you do differently? What advice would you give to couples just starting the planning process?
I wouldn’t stress out so much about the potential price fluctuation and the budget sheet. In the end you will choose what’s important for you to have or not have and everything will work out.
We would recommend trusting Romance Travel Group and their process. Take it one step at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed and stay on track with your deadlines. The earlier you start the process the better.
We would recommend staying longer after guests have gone home so the two of you can soak it all in, relax and enjoy each other.
What surprised you the most about having a destination wedding?
I was surprised with how much you can trust the professionals to execute and let them make your dream wedding come true. Romance Travel Group and our resort truly know what they are doing and they all work together like a well-oiled machine.
Would you recommend Romance Travel Group to other couples who are considering a destination wedding?
I absolutely would recommend Romance Travel Group to anyone and everyone. They were amazing to work with as the bride and also as a guest. Everyone who attended our wedding couldn’t speak more highly of them. I couldn’t have had such an amazing wedding without them. They are amazing and I truly could not have had my dream wedding without them!
Is there anything Romance Travel Group could have done to make the experience even better?
No, we had the most amazing experience with Romance Travel Group. Knowing about the Facebook wedding group for our resort was exactly what I needed. The sooner a bride knows about this the better. :)