Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen Destination Wedding: Rachel & Jared

Jared and Rachel are a fun-loving couple who met at the gym, where Jared’s the manager and coach, while Rachel does IT consulting. Outside of work, they’re big on staying active, hanging out with friends, jamming to music, catching sports games, and indulging in some junk food (they swear it’s all about balance!). 

When they reached out to us, they were just starting to plan but were already sure about having a destination wedding. They both loved the idea because it allows them to keep the guest list smaller without feeling guilty. Plus, they had been to destination weddings before and really enjoyed the feeling of a multi-day celebration with their closest friends and family.

Even though they hadn’t done much research yet, they had a few things in mind they wanted to avoid. For example, they didn’t want their ceremony to be during the hottest part of the day. And while Jared isn’t a big drinker, they still wanted a bar available for their guests. Overall, they were just excited to get married and didn’t want to stress over planning.

Real Wedding Q&A with Rachel and Jared!

What were your biggest fears when planning a destination wedding?

Making uninformed decisions and second guessing every rate or vendor! We hadn’t traveled in Mexico previously and worried we wouldn’t be able to decipher good options from bad ones, or maximize our budget. 

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

I was pleasantly surprised at the variety of options available for wedding themes and decor. I assumed there would be minimal flexibility, but in reality, there were just as many (if not more) options for vendors, activities, decor – you name it, they could make it happen! 

What is your favorite memory of your destination wedding?

We had an absolute BLAST on the dance floor at our reception. The dance was kicked off with cold sparks and people truly did not leave the dance floor for the rest of the reception (seriously, the catering staff was delivering drinks to the middle of the party!!). 

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

We picked a resort that would normally be out of our price range. We were nervous that our family and friends would question the pricing, but we had 80% attendance and of those who attended, 100% said they were blown away by the resort and were so glad we picked it. It absolutely felt like money well spent and helped us have a week to remember outside of just wedding night! 

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

We did attempt to save on decorations for the wedding (did very minimal florals, aisle decor, table centerpieces, basic chairs and linens, etc.) and we do not regret it at all. The setting we got married in was so beautiful on its own, we truly felt like we didn’t need to spend thousands on extras that people wouldn’t really even remember. Many guests commented on how beautiful the venue and view were, those were the stars of the show and didn’t cost any extra! Plus, we didn’t have any extra stress about “the details” because there weren’t very many added, so it worked out great. 

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

The only thing I would change is having more than one option for dinner! My husband and I made an executive decision to do one meal across the board, and I wish I would’ve allowed people to pick between one or two options. 

What kind of feedback did you get from your guests?

We had MULTIPLE people tell us they had “the best week of their lives” at our wedding, which is so cool!! We chose a higher end resort (for us at least) and the guests couldn’t stop raving about how wonderful it was and how much they enjoyed their time. Not one person felt their money was NOT well spent, and we have since had many conversations about returning for a group trip on our first anniversary. They also really enjoyed our wedding day timeline! That was the other thing we got most feedback on. Our ceremony was at 5pm, and people really loved having the day time to still soak up the sun and enjoy themselves prior to the wedding. It also helped alleviate stress among the wedding party because we didn’t have to start getting ready until after lunch! 

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

HIRE A TRAVEL AGENT! (Specifically Ashley & her team! LOL). There is simply NO WAY we would have pulled off a wedding even half as successful without Ashley’s help. The knowledge Ashley has from first-hand experience & industry tips/connections completely changed the way we would have approached planning and it could not have gone better. I truly would not attempt to do something like that on my own. Also, for all the babysitting that we DIDN’T have to do ourselves because Ashley’s team handled all the coordinating – including hounding our friends & family that weren’t on top of their travel reservations etc! (even if you don’t think you have guests in this category, YOU DO, and not having to deal with that yourself is a life saver, and a relationship saver honestly)

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

ALL OF THEM. The Alpaca team made sure we felt well informed and prepared for our travels and stay in Mexico. They communicated clearly and continuously with us and all of our guests, addressing individual concerns and FAQs! It honestly felt like they were expert professors in “Travel for dummies/anyone” and even our most anxious travelers felt prepped and ready for the trip. Outside of travel logistics, assistance with wedding planning was above and beyond. Helping nudge communications if there was ever a lull or a delayed response, and providing tips to us on best practices for communications with the wedding coordinators at the resorts. 

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Photographer: Adventure Photos

Travel Advisor: Alpaca Your Bags Travel 

Resort: Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen