Picking "the dress" and choosing an experienced, artistic photographer are probably two of the biggest challenges that come up in wedding planning- and both are the most important elements of a fun ‘Trash the Dress' photo shoot! Our professional wedding coordinators have noticed that more brides are requesting suggestions for ‘Trash the Dress' photo shoot locations at El Dorado Resorts and Azul Hotels. From the individual swim-up pools to the beach, there are tons of scenic spots on our properties to ‘Trash the Dress'.

Depending on the bride's budget, the wedding dress can be a hefty expense. Often brides purchase an extra, less expensive option that's still photographs well for the trash the dress session. Shoes and accessories are not needed, makeup can be minimal (since it's likely wash off when splashing in the water) and natural, loose hair give the photos a more romantic look. Throwing the groom into the mix for some tender poses makes the photos more intimate and it's a great moment to release the stress of the event and just be silly and kick up your feet up together. For him- a simple white shirt and a rolled up pair of chinos is always the easiest option.

Combining a good dose of creativity with a carefree spirit helps to produce the most lively ‘trash the dress' images. The natural beauty surrounding El Dorado Resorts and Azul Hotels offers endless charming places to get the perfect shot.  Poses can include taking a dip in one of the private swim-up pools with a bright tropical cocktail in hand, or rolling in the sand with big smiles and without a care in the world. At Azul Sensatori, couples can run around in the kiddie water park and at El Dorado Casitas they can hang their feet from a palapa and have the breeze create the ‘windblown hair' effect. Every spot is more stunning than the next and with a sharp artistic eye behind the lens, the ‘trash the dress' photos are guaranteed to get endless compliments when sharing your wedding album.

Photos courtesy of Elizabeth Media Photography http://www.elizabethmedinaphotography.com/

We've planned over 5,000 destination weddings here at DestinationWeddings.com over the years.  As you can imagine, we seen almost everything.  I'm one of the people that talk to couples before they start working with us, and I've found that there are a lot of things that people don't know about planning a destination wedding, so I figured I'd do a couple blog posts to see if I could address some of them.  So here we go....the top 10 things I wish couples knew about planning a destination wedding:

10. You can plan it yourself, but why reinvent the wheel?  I know that wedding planning in general can be a type of "rite of passage" for brides-to-be, and some get really excited about the planning.  You can still be involved in all the decisions with your destination wedding, but you should have someone helping you along that does it all the time. 

9. You're going to want to escape from your guests at some point.  I almost fell into this trap with my own destination wedding last year.  A lot of couples figure that their guests will only do a long weekend, and then they will have the resort to themselves after the wedding.  This is partially true - most guests do book packages less than a week long, but others may not.  This means that you will be running into all your friends and family when you're really going to want some alone time.  Do yourself a favor and either plan to move to anther resort, or an entire other destination after your destination wedding.  We did a separate destination and really liked the fact that we had two totally separate sets of memories - one for the destination wedding, and one for the honeymoon.

8. Group agreements are usually a good idea. Get out of the idea that just because you are traveling with a group that you will get some insanely low rate, it's not going to happen.  Yes, if you are planning a destination wedding with a good planner then you'll receive some benefits, but the main benefit is actually making sure that everybody has a room and is paying the same amount.  As room availability at a hotel gets slim, they usually charge more, and once they sell out...those guests that waited too long are out of luck.

7. Don't sweat the little things! I know that planning a traditional wedding includes getting really detailed about how everything will be decorated.  Do you know why?  Usually it's because the venue NEEDS to be decorated in order to look nice.  Most couples planning a destination wedding are having their ceremonies in an incredible area that has amazing natural beauty (beach, garden, etc).  Let nature speak for itself and leave the pom-poms and doilies at home.

6. You aren't expected to pay for anybody. There is no book of etiquette written on planning a destination wedding.  It's not like a traditional wedding where there are fairly set rules on what you are expected to do.  It is common knowledge that destination wedding couples don't pay for anybody expect themselves.  With that being said, if you have extra money you certainly can get charitable and help certain people out.  Some couples choose to offer a kind of voucher for guests (a certain $ amount per person), to help defray costs.  But again, it's not necessary.

Stay tuned for our final 5....

-Quentin

In our experience as destination wedding experts in the Riviera Maya, we have had the opportunity to create some very different and special events. Many couples have come up with creative wedding themes that have been memorable and fun and our wedding coordinators have always accepted the challenge to execute their visions to a tee.

Wedding themes:

This past fall our team put together a ‘Day of the Dead' wedding for a bride of Mexican descent. The chapel at El Dorado Maroma was decorated in bright orange flowers and at the reception skulls and other authentic Mexican decorations gave the party a traditional but still very modern and cool ambiance. We'd like to inspire your wedding planning imagination with this list of wedding themes for a dazzling reception.

• - Eco- Friendly: If you choose to have your wedding at El Dorado Royale or Casitas, select a menu that includes dishes using vegetables from the hotel's greenhouse. Print invitations on recycled paper and give guests reusable water bottles as wedding favors.
• - Vintage: Pick antique gold as the main color for your decorations and combine with white and pastel flowers. Style hair in glamorous curls -a lá Grace Kelly - and choose a wedding dress with lace details. Add table cloths with a retro print.
• - Peacock: Colors to create this theme should be a combination of royal purples, fuchsias, blues and greens. Instead of flowers, use a peacock feathers for the groom and groomsmen's' boutonnieres and add them to the bridal bouquet.
• - Geek-Chic: Print table cards with your guests' Twitter handles instead of their formal names and create a #hashtag (i.e. #chrisandjulie) so they can share photos and updates of the party with friends and relatives back home. Put a Flip Camera on each table and encourage guests to take short videos to be instantly uploaded on Youtube (and if your new spouse doesn't mind, change your Facebook relationship status at the altar!)

Hope these ideas have sparked your creativity to plan a special reception for your Mexico wedding. Whatever your image for your wedding day is, at El Dorado Resorts and Azul Hotels we are excited turn it into a reality.

-Paula Negrete

Chief Concierge
El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels

 

We are about to announce our Best Destination Wedding Video contest for weddings that took place during the 3rd and 4th quarter of 2009.  As I was going through and editting the videos to post on the site, I just had to throw together this quick 1 minute highlight real of couples and their guests having a great time.  It's always great for us to see our couples and their family/friends enjoying their big day!

 Stay tuned to the website - contest should be up and running by Monday.  Make sure you vote for your favorite video!

 

Thanks to our friends at Karisma for continuing to share some great insider tips on Mexico Weddings.  After reading their advice it's no surprise why our specialists love planning Mexico weddings for our couples with them!

Adding to the convenience of a destination wedding at El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels or Azul Hotels, by Karisma is the opportunity to have your bachelor/bachelorette party in the Riviera Maya. Typically, we ask couples to arrive three days prior to their wedding day, so it's the perfect amount of time to plan one last hoorah before becoming Mr. and Mrs. From golf to bar hopping to massages by the beach, there are endless options for you and your wedding party to hang out and toast to your last days as a single gal/guy.

For a bachelor party we suggest a round of golf- or two - at the lush Mayakoba golf course where you experience 18 holes set in three distinct ecosystems. The course is situated among a mangrove forest with stunning views of the beach and natural obstacles that test the skills of players at every level.  Schedule an early tee time and leave the afternoon open for dinner at one of the lively restaurants in Playa del Carmen. Good food, live music and tequila shots are guaranteed to get the right party started.

Bachelorettes might prefer to indulge in a pampering session with the bridesmaids at one of the state-of-the-art spas on the El Dorado or Azul properties. A wedding coordinator can reserve a spa suite for beauty and massage treatments and have it specially catered with a gourmet lunch and champagne. Everyone is treated like royalty by our staff, so it won't be difficult to disconnect and release some pre-wedding stress here. Girl talk, margaritas and manicures- this is exactly what bachelorette parties were invented for!

Couples can also opt for a combined bachelor/bachelorette celebration and invite the entire wedding party to a private fiesta on the beach. Pick from a menu of gourmet specialties prepared by the chef, and add the music of a steel drum player or a mariachi quartet - we can even have Pancho the tequila donkey make a cameo appearance just for you.

Forget the bachelor/bachelorette party mishaps you see in the movies, at El Dorado Resorts and Azul Hotels your party will be tailored to your specific idea of fun. We promise that saying goodbye to your single days will be exactly how you imagined- unforgettable and exciting!

-Paula Negrete

Chief Concierge
El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels

Sometimes couples are looking for something really unique to do with their guests.  Some couples take great excursions, do activities, or plan events at thier resort.  On my recent trip to Aruba I had the opportunity to visit this great spot for Aruba weddings and/or receptions.

It is a small island right off the coast of Aruba.  It's actually a fairly popular snorkeling/diving island, and you can buy tickets to visit during the day.  However, after I met with the island manager, I found out that we would actually be able to reserve the island for weddings and/or receptions.  It would be a really unique location for two reasons:

1.  Activities.  Guests could have a lot of fun here.  There is a small waterpark for kids (or the young at heart), and INCREDIBLE snorkeling right off the island. 

 

2.  Really great reception area.  There is nothing like being right over the water, and this is a prime example.  Can you imagine the sunset as you dance the night away?  I ate lunch at this restaurant and below is an example of the types of fish that are just waiting to meet you.  This one was keeping me company while I was eating...and sharing some of my food.

Just another great option out there.  Our specialists haven't yet planned an event here, but I'm sure we will in the near future!

It's true that most couples imagine themselves exchanging their vows on the beach.  But if you have something different in mind don't worry  - there are plenty of great non-beach spots out there.

During my recent visit to the Occidental Grand I came accross this great spot for non-beach Aruba weddings.  This second story terrace area is a circular area around a center area that looks down into one of the restaurants.  It is so unique because it has a great view of the beach/ocean, but is completely secluded from everyone else, because it's a story above them. 

The above shot shows the center area, which is nice and tropical looking, and the architecture is great.  You can see one of the lounge beds around the corner as well.  This would be a really unique atmosphere for a post-ceremony cocktail hour as well.

In this shot you can see the great tropically-themed lounging beds and wrap-around couches.  This would be a great spot for family and friends to enjoy the sunset after your ceremony!  The entire terrace is surrounded by a great flower bed, which only accentuates the views of the water/beach.

This is just another reason why our specialists love helping our couples plan weddings at Occidental resorts, and the Occidental Grand Aruba in particular.

Not every couple chooses to have a traditional reception for their destination wedding, but those that do often want to take advantage of the same beautiful scenery that they had for their ceremony.

During my recent visit to the Occidental Grand in Aruba I was amazed at the amount of options for receptions that are possible.  Being a beach fan myself, I had to do a post on the beach options at the Occidental for Aruba weddings.

 

 

 

The Occidental has a great area on the beach for receptions.  They have very tastefully hidden lights on the palm trees around the area, and have a wide variety of styles to choose from that match the natural colors of the area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't think you and your guests can resist the urge to dance at your reception?  No problem, our specialists can work with the staff at the Occidental to have a dance floor setup...right on the beach!

Whenever I am talking to couples about beach weddings I always tell them that they don't have to stress the little decoration details.  It's not like a traditional wedding at home where you are trying to make a ceremony area look great, most spots for destination weddins are naturally beautiful.  It's the scenery that everyone always remembers...and that's free.

However, you do need some things like chairs for guests and many couples choose to mark the aisle and/or have something where the couple and officiant are standing.  There are all kinds of options out there, and several of them were pointed out to me during my recent visit to the Occidental Grand resort in Aruba.  Aruba weddings on the beach are certainly blessed with natural beauty, but the staff at the Occidental are experts at adding to it to create a really unique package.

 

Canopies are always a popular choice.  They are usually fairly simple, with some flowers or fabric.  The key is to have something that adds to the scenery, versus overpowering it.

 

This one to the left is unique because it incorporates a wooden floor (keep you from tripping in the sand - which makes for funny wedding out-take photos...)

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a great example of a canopy

that uses a lot of flowers.  It's a great

way to "frame" the couple, but it doesn't

completely take away from the great

view of the water in the background.

 

 

 

What about pillars?  I have to admit, when the staff at the Occidental Grand mentioned that these are popular for Aruba weddings I was curious how they would look.  After seeing them I have to say that they are a really unique way to enhance the beach for the ceremony.

Again, I'm a purist - I say that all I really need is a beautiful beach, and Occidental has an incredible stretch of paradise on Palm Beach.  But if you are looking to add to the scenery then there are definitely some great options here.  Just another reason why we love helping our couples plan weddings at the Occidental Grand in Aruba.

OK, here is the third post from my recent trip to the amazing Occidental Grand resort in Aruba.  Although I did my share of relaxing on the great Palm Beach, I also was there to see how it was suited for Aruba weddings.  Thanks to Kimberley for providing me with the photos below.

Here are the concerns that couples I speak to usually have about beach weddings in general:

1.  Is it crowded?  Am I going to have a lot of spectators during my ceremony?

Palm beach is a popular spot - so during the day there are obviously other people enjoying it.  However, the Occidental only does weddings on the beach near sunset.  After hearing this I made a point to take a look out at the beach at this time to see how many people were still out there.  Very rarely did I see anyone still by the water, and the only people I saw were using the walkway which runs on the hotel-side of the beach, and is far behind any wedding that would be taking place.

2.  How is the water?  Is it rough? 

This is a loaded question, because the ocean doesn't follow our rules - waves have a mind of their own.  However, this was probably the calmest beach I have ever been to during my stay.  I did a lot of sailing from the beach, and in talking to the staff they said that it's almost always nice and calm.

3. Is it a sandy beach or rocky? 

This beach ranks in my top 3 best beaches regarding sand.  The sand is almost snow white, fine, and extremely soft.  I would have had to really try to find a rock at all, either on the beach or in the water.  Almost too good to be true.

Best of all, the Occidental only does one wedding per day.  If you are looking to do something different on the beach, the staff is ready to get creative.  They have the ability to put a dance floor on the sand, and even have their own in-house performers that can entertain your guests well into the evening