How I Chose My Wedding Resort

[sassldiva]

I wanted to share with you all how I ended up choosing the resort I am getting married in  in Cancun. I found this to be the most difficult and daunting part of planning. You all have been so helpful so I wanted to return the favor for any others looking or getting started.  I also have more info on my flowers and budget and I will post that separately so people can get an idea of what things will cost.  I was very concerned with pricing and I know asking what you paid for your wedding is a little sensitive but I will start a new thread with my wedding flowers cost.

 

I knew I wanted to get married in Cancun, not Riviera Maya or Playa Mujeras, but downtown Cancun as I have been there many times before and for my group it would be a perfect destination between partying and beach/resort/relaxation.  I started out by writing down all the hotels I liked and then I started emailing info.  All I got from the coordinators were the pdf files with the packages, but realistically, that was not enough to make a decision.  With my personality, I need to know all the ins and outs and what to expect before I choose a resort.  I've heard things can add up and there are a lot of hidden fees.  I don't mind spending money but I want to know in advance what I'm getting into to avoid any arguments later.

 

I also received lots of recommendations to get a travel agent and they would be able to help me.   I did get a travel agent but making the decision on which resort still came down to me knowing all the facts.

 

With the above being said about my personality, a lot of people on this forum as well as the coordinators recommended to choose a hotel based on where I saw myself getting married and which grounds I liked.  For me, this wasn't enough.  I badgered the coordinators to show me all of their fees, including outside vendor fees, how it works with the extras such as dj, photographer, and decor, as well as extra guests and linens, etc.  The hidden fees I found were astonishing, some hotels were charging extra money to walk in sand if you had your reception on the beach or to keep the food warm.  Off the bat, I discounted those hotels since those were things I didn't want to deal with.

 

I chose my resort on one thing alone after all my research: Outside vendor fees.

 

I wanted a resort with low outside vendor fees as I didn't want to be bamboozled into paying high resort pricing when I could get the same thing outside for cheaper. The resort I chose is Dreams Sands Cancun and the date is 1/28/17.  Dreams Sands outside vendor fees are $150 per a vendor which is very reasonable compared to the others who charge $800 or $1000. I made sure this fee was per vendor and not per person.

The resort is not as beautiful as lets say the Hyatt Ziva, but ultimately I would be very agitated had I found out these high fees later on when I started planning.  The coordinator at Hyatt Ziva was actually not very helpful when I contacted her and was trying to get me to book the package on the very first day that we spoke on the phone.  After receiving a more detailed email from them, I crossed Hyatt Ziva out.

 

Thats it, I based it on one factor.  I also made sure this hotel is in a great location right near party city and its affordable for guests and allows kids.

So far, planning seems ok.  Dreams Sands seems easy to work with but I will definitely fill you in on all that as I get closer. 

 

How did you all choose your resort?

[JasminMattPhoto]

Thanks for the great share. It just goes to show how important it is to ASK QUESTIONS. oh so many questions and do proper research. 

[lamariposa]

I Recommend you Hotel in Puerto Plata http://www.amresorts.com/wedding_guides/supop-wedding-guide.pdf?_ga=1.121005965.446275458.1467048106

[MissWest]

Thanks for this post. I too am researching my venues in Mexico currently. I am stuck because I wanted to do Now Sapphire in Cancun however my wedding is in July. I am deciding to push the date back so that I can give my guest enough time to save and rsvp. I do not know the prices for the outside vendor because its not listed on the package.  What questions did you ask the venues to arrow down your search? Also can you give me an estimate on the prices for your guest per night? I am just trying to see if I should change the month or the venue. Thank you

[deedeelala]

HI there,

 

Great job on asking questions!!! I too find it a bit disgusting how some resorts charge for every little thing.  I ended up making a spreadsheet of my must haves and started filling it out with the various packages I obtained from different resorts. I ended up deciding on Bluebay Grand Esmeralda because their package includes everything in my must haves and their outside vendor fee is only $200, which was a requirement for me since we would like to hire an outside photographer.