can't wait!

Good deal, Rhonda! 20% is better than nothing! Karla

Depends on the hotel. I thought there would be but apparently the demand for destination weddings is so high, resorts don't feel a need to attract brides by offering discounts. All you have to do is ask. Of the 4 resorts I visited, only one offered a discount (and it was pretty good).

Amy, I should tell you Sandra said they are very close to hiring a 3rd WC. Hopefully that will help! Just realized I will b getting married the weekend before u! About the beach ceremony, I wouldn't worry. The one wedding I saw went smoothly. And I saw Sandra ask a couple of "spectators" to please move back. She doesn't allow anyone to walk behind where the bride and groom are standing. It actually wasn't a problem. I fell in LOVE with the chapel so I will be married there at 4:30. We will have a cocktail hour immediately after on the beach and then the reception at the SeaSide Grill. I asked about decorations and Sandra seems very flexible. I will be bringing TONS of stuff from home and she agreed it wouldn't be a problem. AND wouldn't charge extra! Oh, and not sure if you know this but you can have a small bonfire on the beach after your reception. We are going to do that!

Just got back from Azul Beach. LOVED IT! But not sure if its what u are looking for. It's small. Real small. And definitely NO nightlife going on either at the resort or around, PDC is about 30 min away. Also to consider, the wedding planner you communicate with is NOT on property. She is in Miami. And I found out she's only been to the resort once. You don't begin any communication with the onsite WC until you arrive the days before your wedding. The onsite WC, Carolina, is so sweet. I don't understand why they would have a "middleman" in the planning process. Some suggestions: Excellence (it's 15 min away from airport), Secrets Capri or Maroma. Good luck!

Yeah! I just got back from a site visit too! I must have just missed you Amy! Your review is quite similar to mine. The grounds were beautiful! The service was amazing! And I felt the food was good, sometimes great (at Bordeaux)! I was pleasantly surprised! So much so I switched from the Paradisus to Dreams Tulum! The WC there, Sandra, was extremely nice. Very busy though so I can see why it takes her a while to get back to you. So now too what I wasn't too crazy about: drive time. I rented a car and it took me 1 hr 20 min to get to the resort. Not too bad but remember there are a gazillion resorts closer in. Also, concerned about the older rooms. I didn't see one because I stayed in a dreams jr suite (amazing) but I've read terrible reviews. And I'm also not too wild about there being other weddings on my wedding day. Dreams allows up to 3 weddings on any given day. My wedding will be at sunset and I'm hoping Sandra won't be too busy to set up my locations. Still, I feel like Dreams Tulum is the place 4 us! If you have a specific question let me know. I also visited Paradisus, Azul Beach and Azul View.

I thought I knew where I wanted to be married UNTIL I went for my site visit. After seeing 4 resorts....my 3rd pick quickly became my 1st and I felt so comfortable with my decision. If you can't afford to go, no worries BUT if you can it is worth every penny. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. That feeling of anxiety over whether or not my guests are going to be happy with what I've chosen is gone. Plus, I was able to try the food and that was very important to me. Many resorts have average food, I wanted something a little better and found it where I least expected it.

Morgan, I just came upon your blog. What a great idea! And I love that you designed a logo. I've read about logos in all the magazines but figured it would be too expensive (the mags suggest I get a calligrapher, designer etc). Sooo, my question to you...how do I get started? My fiance and I are getting married in the Riviera Maya in November. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

I just got back from Dreams Tulum. It was my 3rd choice but once I arrived I immediately fell in love with the place! Yes it is far( the last resort on the strip) but it's worth it. I rented a car and it took my exactly 1 hr and 20 min to get from the Hertz shop at the airport to the front gate of the resort. But the resort is amazing! Food is good, often times great!! And the service was just outstanding. I stayed in an oceanside jr. suite room so I can't speak on the other rooms. My room was big, beautiful, and had an amazing bathroom with robes, slippers, a jacuzzi. What can I say, I fell in love! I chose the wedding chapel because it is so beautiful. The pictures just don't do it justice. Then we will have the cocktail hour on the beach and the reception at an open patio/restaurant called Seaside Grill. Please note, the beach area designated for the ceremony/reception/ cocktail hour is beautiful and to the right of the resort. Meaning you have a somewhat private place. No fat bellies will be walking by while you say I do! FYI Sandra is a very busy woman. And she is almost always walking around the property taking care of weddings ( I hear they have one EVERYDAY). That's why it takes so long for her to respond. If you have more questions feel free to ask. I am so glad I finally chose my resort and know my guests are going to LOVE it.

Just got back from a couple of site visits. Wish I could tell you I went to the Grand Princess but once I was there I fell in love with Dreams Tulum and decided not to keep searching. I heard from several resorts that the reason Grand Princess is doing so bad in service is they switched to a different management company right before it opened. Not sure what all that means but apparently they are still having problems. If you have any questions about Dreams Tulum, Paradisus, Azul Beach, and Azul View feel free to email me.

My wedding will be in November. Yes, I know a lot of people !!!! My mom and I will be visiting Dreams Tulum, Paradisus and Azul View. Azul View is scheduled to open in August so I'm not sure if all the kinks will be worked out by November. BUT, I just love the Azul Beach concept. So I'm willing to see it. I'll post full reports when I get back. Seems like I should be seeing more hotels while I'm down there but I also like that I've narrowed down my choices. Karla

I'm going down for a couple of site visits next week and just came across this thread. Having a hard time deciding if I should even bother to visit here. It looks amazing but is it ready to host my 75+ wedding? Help!

Hey there! I'm getting married in the same area in November. I've been doing tons of research and am actually going down next Monday for a site visit. I haven't heard great things about the Iberostar (mostly b/c of its size) and the food. However, I have heard GREAT things about the El Dorado Royale. The only reason I'm not getting married there is they don't allow children, it's an adults only resort. I've also heard getting in touch with the wedding coordinator there is a challenge but ultimately she comes through. I am looking into Dreams Tulum, the Paradisus, and Azul among others. Hope this helps!

Sahara, I'm going down to Tulum next Monday and staying the night at Dreams. Let me know if I can help with anything. I'm still not sure if that is the resort for us. I'm expecting a larger crowd...about 75 and they are picky eaters so I have to look at a place that has great food! About the goodie bags, one thing your guests would LOVE are big/tall plastic cups. I know it sounds weird but at every all-inclusive resort I've been to the drinks are served in small plastic cups. Sooo you are stuck having to go to the bar every 15 minutes for a refill. I learned quickly and began taking my own tall plastic cup. Bartenders have no problem filling them up with your drink of choice and you will have more time to relax under the sun. And they're really cheap! Hope this helps! K

Sahara, I'm going down to Tulum next Monday and staying the night at Dreams. Let me know if I can help with anything. I'm still not sure if that is the resort for us. I'm expecting a larger crowd...about 75 and they are picky eaters so I have to look at a place that has great food! About the goodie bags, one thing your guests would LOVE are big/tall plastic cups. I know it sounds weird but at every all-inclusive resort I've been to the drinks are served in small plastic cups. Sooo you are stuck having to go to the bar every 15 minutes for a refill. I learned quickly and began taking my own tall plastic cup. Bartenders have no problem filling them up with your drink of choice and you will have more time to relax under the sun. And they're really cheap! Hope this helps! K

So, I'm staying at Dreams Tulum the first night...the Paradisus the second and still trying to figure out where to stay for the third. I'm expecting about 70 + for the wedding! I originally planned on getting married at Azul but later discovered they don't allow groups larger than 60 soooo that plan was quickly scratched. But good news for all those who like the Azul concept. They will be opening Azul View right next to the Azul. The soft launch is August and is twice as large as the original Azul. Going to check it out as another potential site. I'll be sure to post my results when I get back. Am I missing any other resorts?!?!?

Hello Ladies! I'm a newbie from Houston in the process of planning a Riviera Maya wedding for thanksgiving weekend! So excited! I'm actually flying to CanCun in 10 days for a site visit. Planning on visiting Azul, Dreams Tulum and Paradisus. Any other suggestions?