Hyatt Ziva Cancun Destination Wedding: Mariah & Cory

Photo Credit: Great Events Studio

When your guest list is spread across the country, a destination wedding starts to make a lot of sense.

For Mariah and Cory, their loved ones lived all over the United States, so asking everyone to travel wasn’t much different than hosting a traditional wedding at home. Instead, they wanted to turn their wedding into something bigger—a long weekend where friends and family could relax, reconnect, and celebrate together.

Exceptional dining wasn’t simply on their wish list—it was essential. With Mariah’s culinary background and Cory’s passion for great food, they wanted a resort that could deliver an experience every guest would remember.

Finding a resort that offered outstanding dining, accommodated both families and adults, and felt easy for guests to enjoy wasn’t a decision they wanted to make alone.

That’s where we came in.

Photo Credit: Great Events Studio

Like many destination wedding couples, their excitement came with a healthy dose of nerves.

Mariah describes herself as a Type A planner, so booking a resort without seeing it in person felt intimidating. Cory worried whether guests would be willing—or able—to make the trip. They quickly realized they weren’t just inviting loved ones to a wedding—they were inviting them on a memorable vacation where everyone could celebrate together.

After getting to know what mattered most to them, we recommended Hyatt Ziva Cancun. Although it was a bigger investment than some other resorts they considered, it checked every box: incredible dining, beautiful wedding venues, family-friendly amenities, adults-only spaces, and an unforgettable beachfront setting.

Looking back, they both agree it was worth every penny.

Photo Credit: Great Events Studio

One of the biggest surprises?

How relaxed Mariah felt during the wedding week.

“As a Type A bride, the team made me feel so taken care of that I felt minimal stress about the wedding day itself. I knew everything would be beautiful.”

Instead of worrying about timelines, she got to experience exactly what they had hoped for—watching their favorite people build new friendships, spend time together by the pool, and create memories that extended far beyond the wedding day.

One of her favorite moments wasn’t even the ceremony. It was the afternoon before the wedding, when they rented cabanas by the pool and beach. Friends and family drifted in and out throughout the day, her nephew splashed in the pool with loved ones, conversations flowed effortlessly, and guests laughed, sang, and celebrated together. It was a simple moment that perfectly reflected the community they had built and the people they were grateful to have surrounding them.

Their advice for future destination wedding couples?

Take a deep breath. Trust your wedding team. Stay on top of communication, and don’t take it personally if some guests can’t attend.

And one piece of advice we’d happily echo?

Always keep your travel advisor in the loop.

When one of their guests had a return flight canceled, Ashley stepped in and guided them through the entire process. Mariah and Cory didn’t even know there had been an issue until afterward—which meant they could stay focused on what mattered most: celebrating with the people they love.

As Mariah shared, “Having Ashley’s team there to answer any travel question and support our guests gave us complete peace of mind.”

That’s exactly what a destination wedding should feel like.

Photo Credit: Great Events Studio

Real Wedding Q&A with Mariah & Cory

What were your biggest fears when planning a destination wedding?

All the logistics.  Weddings have so many components and the thought of doing it from a different country sounded intimidating.  Cory was fearful a lot of people would not be able to afford to come, but we had to remind guests it’s a wedding plus a very lush vacation.  Mariah, as a type A, was nervous of deciding sight unseen as our schedules would not allow us to visit.  

Is there anything about the actual destination wedding experience that surprised you?

As a type A bride, the team made me feel so taken care of that during the week I felt minimal stress about the wedding day itself.  I knew everything would be beautiful.  The only thing that surprised me was that the week was exactly what I had imagined.  Our favorite people are all in one place building new relationships.

Photo Credit: Great Events Studio

What is your favorite memory of your destination wedding?

That is so hard, we will give a bride and groom a favorite moment.  

Groom: The beauty of our wedding ceremony and reception.  The decoration team really brought our vision to life, Mayra and her team respected and remembered the flow of our day perfectly.  

Bride:  The day before our wedding we rented cabanas by the pool and beach.  Our group came and went throughout the day and at one point so many of us were in the water together.  My college best friend and bridesmaid were taking my nephew for laps in the pool to give me a break.  My other college best friend and bridesmaid hugged and talked in the pool, as a large group of our guests and my groom were singing loudly and taking shots.  Such a perfect moment of seeing the village we have built and the quality of people we attract. 

Did you splurge on anything travel or wedding related? If so, what was it and was it worth it?

Our location, Hyatt Ziva Cancun.  It was pricier than some other options, but the bride and some bridesmaids are chefs, we have a lot of foodies as well so the food needed to be amazing.

Photo Credit: Great Events Studio

Did you attempt to *save* on anything travel or wedding related? If so, what was it and was it worth it?

We went with all in-house vendors.  We did not want to deal with the additional fees or work in coordinating.  Our teams worked seamlessly, our photos and videos are stunning, no notes.  

If you could change anything with your wedding (planning, the day itself, the location, resort, ANYTHING) – what would you change?

Giving ourselves more time on the back end at the resort after everyone left.  We flew in a couple of days early and it was nice to settle in without having a guest to attend to.  It would be nice to have like 3 days after everyone leaves to have a mini honeymoon.  We are doing our honeymoon a year later as we had some other commitments.  

Photo Credit: Great Events Studio

What kind of feedback did you get from your guests?

We were in one guest top 2 weddings, and that only came second to New Orleans, and he’s biased.  The bride’s sister and maid of honor was very skeptical of the work and expense of a destination wedding.  But after days relaxing by the pool and beach, food, relaxation and having a mini village watch after her son, she was sold.  My sister cannot wait to come back.  For days after the wedding, we had guests of the resort commenting on how beautiful our ceremony was.

Now that you’ve been through it, what is your #1 best piece of advice for wedding couples entering the planning process?

Take lots of deep breaths.  Trust the wedding team knows what they’re doing, but also stay on top of communications.  Always cc Ashley’s team, they will help nudge if needed.  Give your people time and do not take it personally if people cannot come, no matter how they handle it.

Photo Credit: Great Events Studio

In what ways did Alpaca Your Bags Travel make this less stressful for you?

Any travel questions Ashley said send her way.  We had guests whose return flights were cancelled.  They followed Ashley’s steps and she walked them through the whole process seamlessly. 

Photographer: Great Events Studio

Travel Advisor: Alpaca Your Bags Travel 

Resort: Hyatt Ziva Cancun