It was over 4 years ago that this sweet couple came to me to plan their first ever trip out of the country. I have had the pleasure of planning Theresa & Jake’s trips over these years. In early 2022, they came to me to say they had enjoyed the all-inclusive experience so much that they wanted to turn it into their destination wedding. I was honored to assist them with the travel planning.

Helping to bring people together in beautiful places is what makes everything worth it!

Q & A WITH JAKE AND THERESA

What was your biggest fear when planning your destination wedding?

Regretting not having it at home and having a more traditional wedding. 

Why did you choose Dreams Riviera Cancun?

I was searching wedding resorts in Mexico on youtube and came across a blog about Dreams. Then I joined a few facebook groups about Dreams Brides and they had really great experiences. I also chose Mexico because it is a more affordable location for people to travel outside of the country.    

What were some of the deciding factors?

The options for locations of the ceremony/reception. Not to mention the resort looked beautiful. It was also affordable. 

Was there anything about having a destination wedding that you were surprised by?

I thought prices of decorations would be less expensive to purchase in Mexico but that was not the case. 

What was your experience with the on-site wedding coordinator?

He was very nice, but the communication is really on their terms. We exchanged emails, had 2 zoom meetings at home and then one on site meeting before the wedding. It is important to have a thought out game plan because you’re pretty much alone to figure things out until it is time to walk down the isle. 

Was there anything you splurged on for this wedding?   Would you do that again?

Photography!!!! I would do it over and over again. I brought a photographer from home whom I worked with before. I already knew we clicked so well and I loved her work. She was able to stay a few days and really get to know the resort and the best locations for pictures. I will say she was our real “wedding coordinator” for the day! Anything we needed she took care of. Shout out to HoneyScout Photography. We also gifted our entire wedding party and their significant others with a 4 hour Catamaran Cruise. It was our way of thanking them. 

Any Vendors you loved and want to mention?

VO evolution® Beauty Van did our hair and makeup. They pick you up and park outside in renovated vans that look like small salons inside (with air conditioning). This way you avoid paying the resort vendor fees. I’d also like to mention Bifloral for personal flowers such as bouquets, boutonnieres, and corsages. Communication was awesome and they delivered the flowers and picked them up from the lobby. This option is very affordable, and although they were fake flowers they were beautiful and you cannot even tell in photos. I purchased favors from The Perfect Gift, they were also great with communication and delivered personalized maracas to the resort. Also an affordable company!  

What kind of feedback did you get from your guests?

No one wanted to leave! My whole family wants to do this more often. So many people said “best wedding ever”! My uncle actually asked me if we could extend the reception time. Overall every one thought Dreams Riviera Cancun was beautiful and a fun time. 

If you could change anything about your wedding at all – what would it be?

Cocktail hour. There was not a lot of food being passed around and every one was starving. I’m not sure why this happened. A lot of people grabbed food from the Barefoot Grill. We also did not have music at cocktail hour and I think I’d add it. 

In what ways did Vacations By Melissa make this less stressful for you? 

Taking care of booking my whole family so I was not constantly bombarded by questions! Also, being available on the whatsapp for any questions we had while away. And of course the nice gifts she has given us to help us relax! 

What is your best piece of advice for couples entering the planning process?

If you feel the need to be in total control of things this is not for you. You have to trust the process. I did not get in touch with my coordinator until a few weeks before the wedding. Really do your research and dig deep into facebook groups, they helped a lot! And understand that not everyone can be there for you.