Dreams Playa Mujeres Destination Wedding: Melissa & Travis

When Melissa first called me, she was on her second wedding planning attempt and had given up. You see, Melissa had always dreamed about a destination wedding, but her first go-round with planning left her frustrated and overwhelmed. After trying to DIY wedding planning, she gave up and shelved her dreams for bit.

By the time Missy called me in April 2020, she was ready to get the ball rolling! At that point, life had progressed and she & Travis were celebrating their five year anniversary, their second anniversary of being engaged AND they had welcomed son Reed into their lives.  While waiting for the perfect time to plan a wedding, a whole lot of life had happened!

Melissa started her call with “It’s time to get #destinationDuceatt rolling!”  Wedding hashtag in hand, it was time to start planning.

You may have noticed the timing of Melissa’s appointment – April 2020.  It was not the most popular time to think of planning a destination wedding, to say the least.  But Missy had a vision and she was ready to get started … this group was brave, ready to take what life threw at them and ready to look forward to a great celebration.

Fast forward to October 2021 and they finally had that dream wedding, toes in the sand, surrounded by family and friends!

DESTINATION WEDDING Q&A | MELISSA & TRAVIS

What were your biggest fears when planning a destination wedding?

I was concerned with the overall cost of the trip for myself as well as my guests. Covid shutting down travel out of the country.

Was there anything about planning a destination wedding that surprised you?

I was very surprised to learn that you are given credits with room blocks.  It was a great surprise at the end of our trip! As well as how SIMPLE it was to plan my wedding while there.  I truly wish I did not stress beforehand bc while at the resort the process was SO easy!

What is your favorite memory of your destination wedding?

Walking up to my wedding the day of.  It was everything I had ever dreamed of and wanted. I felt like a queen the whole time!

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

Yes we upgraded our room and it was BEYOND worth it. I was able to enjoy my early morning coffee looking directly at the beach and drunk late night swims when the pool was closed. For our wedding I also upgraded our flower package. Also very happy about this. It added the little extra touch of pretty to the canopy.

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

Nope, I wanted everything to be smooth and RIGHT, anything I was advised was a “good idea” I researched and agreed with .

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

I would have not stressed as much. Everything was laid out perfectly. I am extremely OCD so not knowing is hard for me. I attempted to preplan and upon my arrival to the resort I changed almost everything. The location was beyond beautiful. The staff was beyond helpful and always willing to help. I have traveled to Mexico and the Cancun area many times in the past. This was the smoothest experience I have ever had with travel!

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

TRUST IN THE PROCESS, Stress less and go with the flow everything will turn out Perfect!

What kind of feedback did you get from your guests?

Our guests are still raving about our wedding. They loved the special little touches (fireworks, light show, mariachi band.) It wasn’t just a wedding, it was a fun 4+ day event for our family and friends.

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

I don’t even know where to start with this. When I started my planning it was pre-Covid, the world was a different place. When it was time to “make your reservations” we were in full on Covid time. I had all sorts of different people traveling, young, old, some who were scared, others that just went with the flow. Ashley and the team helped address any and all questions keeping all of our guests at ease. Not one guest canceled and I attribute that to Ashley and her team. Our trip and wedding was Perfect, from the time we left our house till the time we returned we did not experience 1 issue. The resort was a perfect fit for us and our guests!

• Travel Advisor: Alpaca Your Bags Travel
• Photographer: Dean Sanderson Photography
• Resort: Dreams Playa Mujeres, Riviera Maya, Mexico

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