Our Mexican Wedding

February 25th, 2008 by Kelly - NWA WorldVacations

Ben finally proposed! After seven years of dating, the time had finally come to start planning our wedding….

We’re the type of couple who are always looking for an adventure. We love to explore, be active and see the world! As a matter of fact, Ben’s proposal took place on a 40-foot high cliff, overlooking the waves of the Caribbean, off the coast of Puerto Rico. He cut his knee on the rocky terrain and I got a beautiful diamond!

So, because of our love for the outdoors and adventure, we knew a destination wedding would be perfect for us. I’ve never imagined being married anywhere else except barefoot in the sand, and as much as I think Ben would have chosen to ski through powder and jump off a cliff, rather than walking up and down an aisle, he did admit the beach is where he had always imagined us.

Here’s where the planning all began. It was time to choose a destination. Where do we go to escape the frigid Minnesota weather? Where are there beautiful beaches? What would be most cost effective? What destination would be most convenient for our family and friends? Florida, Hawaii, Jamaica, Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico all came to mind, but never out weighed our love and longing for the Riviera Maya. With non-stop, daily flights into Cancún, the Riviera Maya was one of the most convenient places for our guests to travel. Our guests could stay as many nights as they wanted! Besides the convenience factor, we loved the Caribbean waters, the Mexican sunshine and the fact that we could practice our Spanish.

One of the most challenging steps in our wedding planning process was choosing a hotel. We knew we wanted an all-inclusive, which we felt would work best for our large group … but there were so many! We ended up choosing the Riu Palace Riviera Maya, and we loved it! It was a perfect place for our wedding and for our group. It was elegant enough for our wedding day and had a great location within walking distance of Playa del Carmen. Plus, it offered several dining options to please our wide variety of guests, day and evening entertainment for the active ones, beautiful ocean-side suites, and a lovely beach!

Ben and I, along with each one of our guests, had the vacation of a lifetime! Our friends and family members were constantly telling us how much fun they were having…. sometimes with a tear in their eyes. “This is the best vacation ever”, “Thank you so much for giving us the excuse to come to Mexico!”, “We should do a “5-year Anniversary trip!”. Some days, we hung out at the pool, chatting and sipping cocktails until the sun began to set. Other days were action packed adventures — ATVing through the jungle, hiking through caves, exploring the Mayan ruins, swimming with the dolphins, snorkeling the reefs, deep-sea fishing, etc. The area offered activities for everyone!

Our wedding ceremony took place on January 11th at 4:00 in the afternoon. It was a beautiful day — 80 degrees, a gentle breeze off the Caribbean Sea and not a cloud in the sky. We were married in a lovely gazebo overlooking the beach. The Wedding coordinator at the hotel had already booked our pastor, hired a photographer and a band, ordered our flowers, set up our ceremony location, and reserved a restaurant for our private wedding dinner, so there wasn’t much for us to worry about. We just had to remember our vows! It was a perfect day — easy, beautiful and very romantic.

It’s been over a month since we were officially declared “Mr. & Mrs”. Last night, Ben was looking through our wedding photos (again) and, he said “Gosh… we had the best wedding ever.” I completely agree.

Editors note:
You can have the perfect destination wedding or honeymoon at luxurious resorts in Mexico, the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Hawaii, and Las Vegas with the LIFESTYLE Collection featuring Romance from NWA WorldVacations.