Denver Newbie getting married in Riviera Maya and I LOVE this site!!

Hi everyone!!! 

  I have been coming back to this site for over a week now. I just love all the info!! I can find anything on here and if not, just ask about it! I have a tentative date for 2014, but am still in the process of picking resorts. I am wondering if this process was so hard for other brides? I have researches so may resorts!! I think I have driven my travel agent crazy by now. lol

A couple that I am seriously considering are Dreams Tulum and Barcelo Maya Palace. Anyone have any thoughts?

Congrats on beginning your wedding planning! I live in Ft. Collins and am getting married in Riviera Maya in about a month (3/1/13)!

It was very overwhelming in the beginning trying to decide on a resort that would fit our needs and our guests but you were smart in getting a travel agent, so helpful!! So weird because we were too thinking about the Dreams resorts and ending up choosing Barcelo:)

In the end we chose Barcelo because it is child friendly (we have one couple bringing their kids) and the Dream are adult oriented, also Barcelo has three different hotels within the resort at different price points. From doing my research it seemed like Dreams Tulum is BEAUTIFUL and perfect for a wedding and Barcelo is a larger resort with plenty to keep your guests busy. So it just depends on what your looking for..

One thing I didn't do was research too much on the wedding packages before I picked a resort which was a big regret and didn't find this website until after I booked and you are right it is AWESOME and so helpful, especially when it can be hard to have quick communication with the wedding coordinators.

Anyways good luck with everything and let me know if you have any questions about Barcelo or anything else: )

Congrats on your upcoming destination weddings, DiggetyDawn + mrsnova ! interesting how this is such a great resource - not only from the beginning of the planning process......but right up to getting Very close to the Big Day!

Both options you're considering, DiggetyDawn are gorgeous, so you will have a beautiful location, for sure......as shown here.......

Barcelo Maya Palace........with more at the album link here.....

Dreams Tulum.......with more at the album link here.......

Wishing you both the very best with each of your timelines, and that your wedding celebration is everything you wish for........Cheers

team MTM asst, Lynda

Hi fellow Denverite ...and congratulations to you!!

Originally Posted by JovienCO 

 

Hi fellow Denverite ...and congratulations to you!!

Hi to you too! Thank you!

Hi MrsNova! 

Which barcelo are you staying at? Are all the Barcelos the same as far as the wedding packages? I have been looking at the packages for both resorts and dreams definitely gives more in the packages for not much more, but their pricing for each additional guest over a 20 person maximum is very high... ;( So we are now thinking Barcelo might be the way to go. How has your experience been so far with them in the planning process?

Almost a month away, you are sooooo close now!!! How exciting! Congrats and best wishes to you!

Originally Posted by mrsnova 

Congrats on beginning your wedding planning! I live in Ft. Collins and am getting married in Riviera Maya in about a month (3/1/13)!

 

It was very overwhelming in the beginning trying to decide on a resort that would fit our needs and our guests but you were smart in getting a travel agent, so helpful!! So weird because we were too thinking about the Dreams resorts and ending up choosing Barcelo:)

 

In the end we chose Barcelo because it is child friendly (we have one couple bringing their kids) and the Dream are adult oriented, also Barcelo has three different hotels within the resort at different price points. From doing my research it seemed like Dreams Tulum is BEAUTIFUL and perfect for a wedding and Barcelo is a larger resort with plenty to keep your guests busy. So it just depends on what your looking for..

 

One thing I didn't do was research too much on the wedding packages before I picked a resort which was a big regret and didn't find this website until after I booked and you are right it is AWESOME and so helpful, especially when it can be hard to have quick communication with the wedding coordinators.

 

Anyways good luck with everything and let me know if you have any questions about Barcelo or anything else: )

Originally Posted by DiggityDawn 

 

Hi MrsNova! 

 

Which barcelo are you staying at? Are all the Barcelos the same as far as the wedding packages? I have been looking at the packages for both resorts and dreams definitely gives more in the packages for not much more, but their pricing for each additional guest over a 20 person maximum is very high... ;( So we are now thinking Barcelo might be the way to go. How has your experience been so far with them in the planning process?

 

Almost a month away, you are sooooo close now!!! How exciting! Congrats and best wishes to you!

 

 

We are staying at the Palace. One of the big reasons we originally chose Barcelo was because guests could stay at any of the three resorts and choose their price point...but in the end everyone decided to stay at the Palace lol! I think all the wedding packages are the same prices but I thought I read somewhere there was extra charges if you have your ceremony at the gazebo at the Palace and have guests staying at one of the lower Barcelos...

I think Barcelo is the way to go for larger groups. My experience has been great so far. Planning started out a little slow (took a couple weeks for a response) and some times I have had to ask the same question twice but I think this is mostly due to the language barrier. Jacqueline is my wedding coordinator and she has been great. They send you an excel spreadsheet that has all the planning and you fill it out in sections, so easy!

The only negatives I can say (which this could be the same at other resorts) is I thought the price difference in packages to have an outdoor/beach reception was ridiculous! Also, the resort photographer does not look very good and they charge a $500 outside vendor fee if you use someone else. 

Feel free to ask me an other questions you have and best wishes to you too!

Originally Posted by mrsnova 

 

We are staying at the Palace. One of the big reasons we originally chose Barcelo was because guests could stay at any of the three resorts and choose their price point...but in the end everyone decided to stay at the Palace lol! I think all the wedding packages are the same prices but I thought I read somewhere there was extra charges if you have your ceremony at the gazebo at the Palace and have guests staying at one of the lower Barcelos...

 

I think Barcelo is the way to go for larger groups. My experience has been great so far. Planning started out a little slow (took a couple weeks for a response) and some times I have had to ask the same question twice but I think this is mostly due to the language barrier. Jacqueline is my wedding coordinator and she has been great. They send you an excel spreadsheet that has all the planning and you fill it out in sections, so easy!

 

The only negatives I can say (which this could be the same at other resorts) is I thought the price difference in packages to have an outdoor/beach reception was ridiculous! Also, the resort photographer does not look very good and they charge a $500 outside vendor fee if you use someone else. 

 

Feel free to ask me an other questions you have and best wishes to you too!

Let me clarify..

The wedding packages are the same price no matter which Barcelo resort you stay at (except for possibly using the gazebo)

I think you'll find that paying the outside vendor fee - or - booking the photographer in to the hotel for 2 nts, is by far the better decision. That's what all our brides - who chose to pay the extra - have said most emphatically, and been SoSoSo happy that they did

You can always use the resort photographer for another time - like the rehearsal dinner, or shooting the cocktail hour after the ceremony, while you and your professional photographer team are doing your newlywed photos.....a great solution! .

Hope it all works out just the way you wish it to........Cheers

team MTM asst, Lynda

I think it is a good idea to ask a lot of questions of each resort, especially understand the outside vendor fees. 

We're biased, but I wouldn't trust a resort photographer to document the most important day of your life.

This blog post may help with understanding how some of the resorts work.

Good luck with your planning,

Jennifer & Michael

(former Coloradans)