UNICO 20°87° Destination Wedding: Amanda & Paul

Photo Credit: Kristen H Photography

When you have one partner who would happily celebrate with four people and call it a day, and another who could easily invite 150 guests and throw the party of the century, planning a wedding can get… interesting.

For Amanda and Paul, that exact dynamic became the reason a Mexico destination wedding made perfect sense.

Amanda, an extrovert who loves people, parties, and making things happen, pictured a big celebration. Paul, a software engineer and proud introvert, imagined something much smaller.

Somewhere between “small intimate ceremony” and “invite everyone we’ve ever met,” they found their sweet spot: UNICO 20°87° Riviera Maya.

Spoiler alert? It worked beautifully.

Photo Credit: Kristen H Photography

Like many destination wedding couples, they started with excitement… and a little overwhelmed.

Amanda had already done the deep dive — Facebook groups, YouTube videos, resort research, all the things. Paul, meanwhile, lovingly thought they could “just roll up and get married somewhere.” 

A destination wedding gave them exactly what they were looking for: a celebration that felt fun, intentional, and way less overwhelming than a huge hometown wedding.

Together, we landed on UNICO 20°87° Riviera Maya, and it quickly became more than just their wedding venue — it became an experience their guests still talk about.

Photo Credit: Kristen H Photography

One of Amanda’s biggest surprises? How seamless everything felt once the planning pieces were in place.

Instead of a rushed one-day event, they got something even better: real quality time with the people who made the trip.

Pool days. Dinners. Late-night laughs. Actual memories with their guests.

And while they expected a larger turnout, around 30 guests ended up feeling exactly right.

Their biggest advice for future destination wedding couples? 

In Amanda’s words: You. Gotta. Chill.

Trust your team. Ask for help. Arrive an extra day early if you can.

And according to Amanda and Paul, one decision they absolutely didn’t regret?

Having a travel advisor in their corner.

“The peace of mind that Alpaca Your Bags gave my husband and I was the most valuable thing we paid for. Hands down.”

Photo Credit: Kristen H Photography

Real Wedding Q&A with Amanda & Paul

What were your biggest fears when planning a destination wedding?

Amanda: My biggest fear was worrying that guests might feel offended or pressured by the commitment of attending a destination wedding. I was also worried we might regret not having a more ‘traditional’ wedding at home. (spoiler alert: absolutely NO regrets) 

Paul:  Spending too much money. 

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

Amanda: Once all of the vendors and details were in place, we were honestly surprised by how easy and seamless everything felt. The entire experience ran like a well-oiled machine, which allowed us to truly relax and enjoy the celebration! 

Paul: How busy we were. (Note from Amanda: Paul is an introvert, so he’s talking about being socially busy, lol)

Photo Credit: Kristen H Photography

What is your favorite memory of your destination wedding?

Amanda: My favorite memory was getting to spend actual, quality time with our guests. Like REAL QUALITY TIME! 

I’ve been involved in coordinating dozens of weddings over the years, and traditional one-day weddings often go by in such a blur that you barely get a chance to truly connect with everyone… especially the guests who traveled to be there. 

With a destination wedding, we had multiple days to relax, laugh, catch up, and make memories together, and that made the experience incredibly special!

Paul: Everyone being drunk for the rehearsal because the time got away from us 

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

We thought we were “splurging” on a Travel Agent. Yall. The peace of mind that Alpaca Your Bags gave my husband and I, was the most VALUABLE thing we paid for. Hands down. 

We definitely splurged on flying first class, and it honestly made the entire experience feel even more special. Like we were royalty from the moment the trip began. 

We also invested in a few extra vendors and guest experiences for the wedding itself, and they ended up being a huge hit. There was one food experience I wouldn’t pay for again, but the Mayan Coffee Station was AMAZING!!!

Photo Credit: Kristen H Photography

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

We saved by packing a couple of suitcases full of our own décor to bring with us. It was absolutely worth it, both for the cost savings and because it allowed us to allocate our budget toward other experiences and details that made the wedding day even more special.

We didn’t pay for any flowers and didn’t miss them one time. That was a HUGE savings.

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

Amanda: The only thing I would have changed was trying to take on RSVPs by myself. I worried when I reached out to people that I was personally bothering them about money (I know..it’s silly. We repeatedly told people that there was ZERO pressure to attend)  BUT if I had asked Ashley for a solution, or handed that to my MOH, it would have saved me A LOT of stress!

Also, venue, location, resort stuff: No notes. 100% PERFECT! 

Paul: Come in a day earlier. We came in on Wednesday, and most of our guests came in on Thursday. Looking back, I wish we had come in on Tuesday so we could have had a complete day with just us. Or stay an extra day once everyone left. 

Photo Credit: Kristen H Photography

What kind of feedback did you get from your guests?

Amanda: Most of them told us it was the best wedding they had ever been to..even the married couples..haha

They were all obsessed with UNICO (and rightfully so!!) 

Paul: That we ruined other vacations for them

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

This is a hard pill to swallow…but  You. Gotta. Chill. 

I’m an event planner for a living, so it was hard at times to feel like I had to fully rely on other people (Travel agent, resort, wedding coordinator, vendors, ect.) 

They know what they are doing, and they do weddings all the time. You let them know your vision, and they will make it happen! 

Of course, all of this is contingent on having a resort you can trust – which Ashley and her team will 100% take care of!

Photo Credit: Kristen H Photography

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

Holy crap….Ashley, Mandie, and Elaine MADE THIS TRIP HAPPEN! 

I was getting asked questions, constantly, from our guests, and I know they were too. I cannot imagine if I had to take that on alone. 

From planning the where to the how, travel questions, ect., I don’t think my husband and I could have made it through this process without them. (tbh, I knew I needed them the moment we started trying to find a resort in Mexico.. if you’re questioning whether or not you need a travel agent, just do a quick google search to see how overwhelming it is, haha.)

WORK WITH THEM. YOU WON’T REGRET IT!!! And if you need more convincing, just know that a lot of our guests were so sad to learn that the Alpaca Your Bags team doesn’t come to the wedding. That’s how loved they are! 🙂 

Photographer: Kristen H Photography

Travel Advisor: Alpaca Your Bags Travel 

Resort: UNICO 20°87 Riviera Maya