Wedding Date: May 2, 2025 ~ Resort: The Fives Beach ~ Photographer & Videographer: Iheart Studio ~ Content Creator: Chic Click by Ale ~ Bridal Salon: Elizabeth Ann’s Bridal ~ Tux Shop: Men's Wearhouse
Why did you choose Romance Travel Group?
After interviewing with a few other travel agencies, nobody felt like they took us under their wing like Romance Travel Group did. It felt like other travel agencies just wanted to sell us a vacation, rather than make our wedding the best day of our lives. We truly felt so supported by RTG and knew they had our backs if anything were to go wrong- spoiler alert, everything went super smoothly!
What led you to choose a destination wedding?
We ultimately decided on a destination as we are lovers of travel and figured what better way to spend time with our family & friends than getting them away on a big friend and family vacation! After 3 visits to Mexico, we knew we wanted to get married there. It was a quick and easy flight for those who are weary of planes, with plenty of flight availability and times that made it easy for our guests to have options on when to travel down. Another big reason we decided on a destination wedding is the repetitiveness of the weddings we were attending. It felt like every wedding we were going to felt the same, and it was one day, one and done. With a destination wedding we had the whole week to spend with our guests! Destination weddings are also more budget friendly than weddings in our home state (Massachusetts).
How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors?
We wanted a resort that was family friendly, because we had guests traveling with kids, but we did not want the resort to feel kid-centric. We were okay with their being kids events and activities but we did not want it to feel like we couldn’t also be adults. There are plenty of areas at The Fives where they designate for adults only. We also LOVED the aesthetic of The Fives. It is not your typical beach resort with an ocean view- it feels like you are in the jungle, especially with the jungle walk and monkeys all around!
I had also joined The Fives brides Facebook groups and looked back on previous reviews! I loved the look of the weddings they were putting on and the details previous brides were describing! I have always had the vision of a rooftop, ocean view ceremony that was private- and The Fives had exactly that.
Describe what it was like working with the wedding coordinator at the resort? What went well? Any challenges?
We were introduced to our wedding coordinator pretty early on in our planning. We were granted access to an online planner which allowed us to browse add-ons for our wedding (almost like a shopping website and we added things to the cart). This included decor, vendors, florals, candles, etc that we could choose from to include on our wedding day. The real decisions did not start until about 3 months before the wedding. Our coordinator was very clear in her email communication and kept great track of our chosen selections. Their communication was prompt and we never had an issue having any of our questions answered.
Describe the booking process for your guests. Did they find that to be easy to navigate?
Romance Travel Group created a user-friendly personalized wedding website with a direct booking link. We included the QR code to this website on our save the dates and our guests could go on and place their deposit by our book-by date. RTG then sent out invoices and monthly payment reminders where they could then go back on and make their monthly payment. My guests were very satisfied with this process and thought it was very easy to navigate.
What were some of your biggest fears or things you worried about as your wedding date drew near? How did you get through this?
We were very nervous to travel in a big group, especially with a lot of extra luggage for decor, etc. We have heard stories of couples paying hundreds at the airport in taxes for goods brought in because they were stopped and searched by customs agents. Abby gave some great pointers and encouraged us to stay in a large crowd- not just our family, and walk straight out of the airport after collecting our luggage. Nobody was stopped and we were smooth sailing to go out and locate our transportation company! We carried along a letter for the customs agent and receipts just in case.
Describe the meeting you had with the onsite wedding team when you arrived at the resort.
This meeting eased ALL my nerves. We met with the wedding team the day after we arrived and went through the wedding day timeline minute by minute. They asked us to bring along all of our decor items and they made notes of where we wanted everything set up. We shared playlists even down to the timing of songs for the ceremony. I walked out of the meeting feeling as if they have a complete grasp on my vision. We opted for a walk through rehearsal of our ceremony and they were happy to make it happen!
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 husband had rolled his suit in his suitcase, as he had a linen suit that would have needed steaming regardless! I carried my wedding dress and veil on, in a garment bag. The flight attendants were amazing and had me hold onto my dress until all of the overhead bins were done being filled. They had an empty overhead bin available so my dress had its own space where we could lay it flat! Luckily, my dress was not very large, so when we arrived in Mexico, I was able to fold it up in the garment bag and put it in my large personal bag. I did not want to draw any attention to myself so this worked out perfectly! I received a lot of congratulations which was so sweet!
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 symbolic ceremony at 4:00 pm. We had my husband's sister marry us and our ceremony lasted about 20 minutes. We then had a 2 hour cocktail hour where they served passed Mexican bites and an open bar. We took advantage of cocktail hour to have our pictures taken and still were able to catch the last 30 minutes of cocktail hour. Our reception started at 7:00pm and went until 11:00pm. We had our grand entrances, first dance and then invited guests to join us for 3 fun songs before sitting to eat. Our dinner was international family style that way our picky guests had plenty of options! We did speeches, father/daughter, mother/son dances and then the dance floor opened! It was a big party the whole time! Our guests raved about how they loved that they did not have to worry about transportation to and from the wedding events. They were able to drink and enjoy themselves knowing that they have a room waiting for them a walk (or golf cart) away.
What was the best part of having a destination wedding?
Having a big vacation with all of our favorite people, with the perk of having them there to celebrate our wedding day! It truly felt as if I could enjoy the days leading up to the big day and take in all the time with my guests. I only had 1 full day dedicated to our wedding and getting the planning meetings over with early on let me sit back and relax!
What surprised you the most about having a destination wedding?
We were surprised that a lot of our guests were willing to travel to celebrate our wedding with us! We had invited about 100 guests, and were thrilled to have 46 people attend! A lot of my guests had never traveled to Mexico before, but were so eager to experience the culture. This gave them the opportunity to get their passports and hopefully spark some more travel interests!
Would you recommend Romance Travel Group to other couples who are considering a destination wedding?
Absolutely!! They did not push anything and completely guided us rather than force things onto us. They let us make decisions for our group for the benefit of our wedding! They made the whole process so easy and I did not have to think twice about my guests’ bookings/travel plans.
Congrats to you, Maddie & Cameron! Best wishes always!