The Perfect In-Town All-Inclusive Caribbean Beach Wedding Resorts

When it comes to all-inclusive beach resorts in the Caribbean, it's often difficult to find one that isn't situated far away from all of the action. For those destination wedding groups that want to be able to walk right out the front gate and into town, we have compiled a list of our favorite resorts that offer just that. 

Souvenir shopping in Playa Del Carmen

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico

Playa Del Carmen is a bustling little fishing village and tourist town located in the heart of the Mayan Riviera, Mexico. It's famous for the shopping along it's 5th Avenue where vendors warmly and sometimes boldly welcome you into their stores. Here you can find everything from high-end goods to little Mexican trinkets. 

5th Avenue is a safe and lively place day or night. In the evenings, you can sit back on a rooftop patio eating authentic Mexican cuisine and sipping on a margarita while people watching below or stroll through the many shops, hang out at a beachfront bar with your feet in the sand or get energized and dance the night away at one of the local nightclubs. 

Playacar Palace: This is one of our top picks for destination weddings. It's literally a two minute walk to 5th avenue, it's located on an expansive and gorgeous stretch of white sandy beach, the rooms are modern, the service is impeccable, it's family-friendly, and it's a quaint and quieter property but located in the bustle and heart of town. The Palace Resorts chain also offers designer destination wedding collections and every room receive a whopping $1500 resort credit that can be used anywhere - towards the wedding, spa, golf, tours, upgrades etc. It usually prices around the $2000 - $2200 range per person, all-inclusive with air and tax from Canada for seven nights.

Paradisus Las Esmeralda: This is my other favorite in Playa Del Carmen. It's newer, modern, great wedding packages as well, with 5-star service. It's on the beach but it's set back a little as there are mangroves. The plus here however, is the beach is more private than being right central in town so better for a more private beach wedding. You could move over next door to the Paradisus La Pearla (adult only) for the honeymoon. This is pricing at approximately $2000 per person, taxes in.

Sandos Playacar Beach Resort and Spa

Sandos Playacar: This is a little more authentic than other properties, with incredibly friendly service. Every time we have wedding groups here, they keep going back as it's the kind of place that it's easy to befriend the staff etc. It has all of the amenities you could ask for. The property is more a 4-4.5 star but here you get the very best price. It's looking at around $1500-$1600 per person, taxes in so an incredible value!

Gran Porto: This is in the very heart of town and one street from 5th avenue. It's a smaller, quaint property. Good food. It doesn't offer a lot of amenities because most people explore the town for this, but it still offers that all-inclusive feature. The beach is busier here than the other properties above. It's pricing at about $1700-$1800 taxes in pp.

RIU Palace Riviera Maya: This is a popular one for weddings as it feels like a palace. It's great for families and offers a gorgeous beach. It often quotes around the $2200 range.

Divi Resort All-Inclusive

ARUBA
Aruba is renowned for it's gorgeous beaches, neat architecture and dutch culture. Although it has the furthest flights from Canada to the Caribbean, it's worth the extra 30 to 60 minutes ride. 

The Divi Aruba is our top pick for an in-town all-inclusive destination wedding resort. It has stunning white sandy beaches, nice rooms,  and a quaint and friendly feel. This is quoting around $2400 - $2700 per person, all-in.

BAHAMAS
Nassau is definitely a hustle and bustle destination with loads of things to see and do. It's considered America's playground since its so close to Florida and offers casinos, shopping, cruise ports, etc. We love the Melia Nassau Beach for all-inclusive destination wedding groups here. It's quoting around $2200 pp. For the honeymoon, we would send you off to one of the Sandals Emerald Bay in Exuma, just a short island hop flight away, for that adult-only, spoil yourself luxury that you deserve.

Rodney Bay Village, St. Lucia

ST. LUCIA
Rodney Bay Village is the happening place for locals and tourists alike and where you can get off-property to explore a little more of island life. The best situated all-inclusive destination wedding resort here is the Bay Gardens Beach Resort. The beach itself is expansive, the rooms are spacious and clean, and the staff are ultra-friendly. It generally prices out at around $3000 per person from Canada all-inclusive.  

ST. MAARTEN
The Sonesta Maho Beach is located in the heart of Maho Village and the entertainment hub of St. Martin/St. Maarten with duty-free shopping, casinos and nightlife at your doorstep. It's competitively priced at around $2000 per person. A further recommendation is to move up to the luxurious Sonesta Ocean Point next door for the adult-only honeymoon afterwards.

For more information on planning your upcoming destination wedding or honeymoon, please contact one of the certified specialists at Romantic Planet Vacations at inquiries@romanticplanet.ca or 1-866-247-8123.

The Pros and Cons of a No-kid Destination Wedding

As with any parent, we should know that you cannot stand in between them and their children, unless you want a raging mamma-bear attack you. So why do brides try?

As destination wedding specialists, Romantic Planet Vacations gets approached by about five to ten destination weddings brides and grooms a year who want to put the ban on having kids attend their destination weddings, which means, if you want to bring your kids, you're simply not invited.

There is certainly an appeal of having your destination wedding at a luxurious adult-only 5-star resort on the tropical beaches of paradise, minus the screams and cries of little minions running around. These resort properties, such as El Dorado Resorts, Secrets Resorts, Excellence Resorts, Couples Resorts and Sandals Resorts cater to such a market. The restaurants have mature and gourmet menus and no high-chairs, the pools are peaceful and calm with no prospects of unexpected pool splashes in your margarita, and the beaches are relaxing and clean from the clutter of little beach toys. The rooms are romantic, emphasizing king-sized beds, open shower plans, and unobstructed view balconies. There are no kids clubs and no kids pools. Everything is for the enjoyment of adults....only. 

But what do you do if you have one wedding guest who has a child and must bring them? Do you change your destination wedding plans just for that one person or surely the resort will make an exception so to get your big destination wedding group business. Or will they?

There was a situation recently that the bride and groom were getting married a second time around. It was going to be a small wedding and they preferred to get married at a Sandals adult-only resort in St. Lucia. In this particular case, the bride had a 17 year old daughter and the rest of the ten passengers were adults. The team at Romantic Planet Vacations contacted the General Manager at the Sandals property, the sales rep for Sandals, their boss and their boss's boss, and all said there was NO exception on their adult-only rule. The group ended up having to book at a 4 star family-friendly resort in St. Lucia instead and although the wedding was incredible, the bride returned feeling a little unfulfilled. And this is the case with most, if not all, adult-only resorts. If they make one exception, they have to make more and then they will lose the whole concept of the adult-only theme in the first place, so in most cases, they do not, even if it means turning away a whole wedding group. 

What about the option of having those guests with kids stay off-property at another resort? In this case, the adults can come to your resort for the wedding itself, at approximately US$100 per person day-pass rate, but the children must stay away. Knowing today's moms, they don't like the idea of leaving their children alone, even at a supervised kids club, let alone in a foreign country at a foreign resort while their celebrating elsewhere. In most cases, it just doesn't happen. 

However, when you work with a destination wedding travel specialist like Romantic Planet Vacations, they take great pride in being able to utilize their expertise, knowledge, training and experience from over the last nine years of serving destination weddings, to find the right solution to meet your needs and that of your wedding guests. 

Take the case of Natasha and Will, married in Jamaica in February 2013. The bride had been dreaming of an adult-only resort for their destination wedding years before even getting engaged. Under all circumstances, it absolutely had to be a luxury adult only resort for their destination wedding. It was their first and only wedding so it was going to be done right. All plans were in place, engagement ring on the finger, and all guests onboard and excited. Then, her only brother had a child. Although thrilled to have a brand new nephew, she was in turmoil on what to do with her wedding plans as her brother's presence was a must. As a solution, Romantic Planet Vacations found the perfect resort to cater to their needs. The Iberostar Rosehall complex, near Montego Bay, consists of a 5-star adult-only section (The Grand), a 4.5

star family friendly section (The Suites) and a 4 star budget-conscious family-friendly section (The Beach). Although the family-friendly section guests could not enter the adult-only section, the guests from the adult-only section could visit the family-friendly sections, and hence, could also enjoy their vacation with her brother, wife and new nephew. Natasha's brother and wife got to attend the wedding in the adult-only section with the day-pass, while leaving their infant with the resort's babysitter for a couple of hours. The resort even provided them a beeper for that peace of mind and they were literally a 5 minute walk from their child. The bride got her wish of the dream wedding and stay at an adult-only property. Her brother attended the wedding. They visited with their family and friends throughout the resort complex and had a great time. Tragedy was averted.

But what if you want zero, none, zilch, no kids, at all, anywhere near your wedding or resort? What if you want adult fun with your friends and family without having them run off to spend time with their kids? You can certainly find a diplomatic way of advising "adults only" on your wedding invitation, but know that you do risk that these parent-guests will not attend at all. Without getting upset that they can't go, the best advice is to just walk around the bear and her cubs, to avoid an all-out fight. Let the parent-guests know that you do love their cute little cubs but this is your dream from when you were a child and emphasize that you understand fully if they can't make it. 

If you do have parent-guests that are able to make the trip as they have awesome babysitter grandparents at home, but they can't attend for the whole week, there is certainly the option to travel for a shorter duration. Your travel destination wedding specialists can find the airline and package that will cater to this need. At least in this case, they get a break too.

If you need a solution for the best resort to cater to your destination wedding needs, with or without kids, please feel free to contact Romantic Planet Vacations, specialists in destination weddings since 2004. They can be contacted at inquiries@romanticplanet.ca or www.romanticplanet.ca. They offer destination wedding packages to worldwide locales but cater to the all-inclusive places of Mexico, Jamaica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, St. Lucia, Bahamas, Antigua, Aruba, Barbados, Costa Rica, and Panama.

Sirenis Cocotal Beach Resort, Punta Cana JUNE SAVINGS!

Air Canada Vacations is pleased to now offer the Sirenis Cocotal Beach Resort Casino & Aquagames in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic!

 

Check out AMAZING all inclusive pricing for June departures from Toronto ..... only $439 per person + taxes (June 5, 6, 12, 13, 19), $868 per person incl. taxes from YUL (Jun 2, 9 & 16).

 

With 4.3 ratings out of 5 on tripadvisor, this fun-packed 4 star property is ideal for families as this offer includes FREE unlimited access to the Waterpark complete with multiple water slides, an on site casino, 10 restaurants & 9 bars AND the 1st child stays, plays and eats for FREE! 

The unique water park covers an area of 12.000 square metres and has the following services and features:

•  Swimming pool in the central area of the park
•  Restaurant area - grill, hamburgers and pizza
•  10 metre high tower with 2 water tubes, 2 open toboggans, kamikaze and free fall twister
•  aquaracer: 4 lane speed slides
•  Themed Caribbean Pirates children’s area for 4-11yr olds with 10 children’s water slides and 4 splash barrels   
•  Children’s area for 4-11 yr olds with water jets and sprinklers
•  Children’s swimming pool for 2-4 yr olds with animal statues and water sprinkler
•  Nursery

What about getting you and your friends and families to go? You just need a minimum of 10 passengers and you qualify for discounted group rates and possible free travel! 

Contact Romantic Planet Vacations for more details at inquiries@romanticplanet.ca or www.romanticplanet.ca

Best Catholic Chapels for Destination Weddings

We understand the dilemma that many Catholic brides and grooms face when deciding to book a destination wedding and just how they can combine both a Catholic ceremony with a destination wedding away from home. Many times we are approached by brides of grooms of the Catholic faith asking us how it all works, is it even possible and if so, what are the best resorts that offer on-site Catholic chapels or churches. Here, we dive into finding the answers.

In eyes of the Catholic Church, a marriage is a blessed Sacrament. With a Catholic wedding ceremony,  you are choosing the forming of a covenant to serve God, your faith, your community, and your new husband or wife. The ritual is to take place in the presence of Jesus Christ and witnessed by the minister of the church, a priest or deacon. 

A Catholic Destination Wedding needs to follow the same rules and protocol as a Catholic wedding at home. These include that you meet with your local priest in advance, that the couple attend a parish-approved pre-marriage counseling program, that the sacred scriptures at the ceremony be read by a Catholic priest (which can be your own priest or one at the destination that your priest has met over the phone), and that the venue location also be parish-approved. Please note that Catholic beach ceremonies are not approved by the Catholic church as it is deemed not sacred. 

Below are considered as the best and most awe-inspiring Catholic Destination Wedding Venues;

Jamaica - 
Jamaica has limited options for an onsite catholic ceremony service but there are many churches located throughout this Caribbean island that many Catholic get married at. The resort's wedding coordinator can assist with booking the church and your group's transportation there and back. However, for more convenience, even though they do not have a Catholic chapel on-site, we understand that Iberostar Rosehall is one of the few that will perform catholic ceremonies right there. The most popular resort in Jamaica for a destination wedding with an on-site Catholic chapel however, is the adult-only Sandals Montego Bay.

 

 Another alternative might be the Jewel Runaway Bay (formerly Breezes) with their open-aired oceanfront chapel.

The Lady of Fatima church tends to be our most popular off-site Catholic wedding venues in Ocho Rios for destination wedding brides and grooms.

Hawaii - 

Moving on to the other side of the planet, we take a look at the tropical oasis of Hawaii. Here, one of the cutest and most picturesque oceanfront chapel's in the world has be found at the Grand Wailea Resort in Maui. Although not an all-inclusive resort, this property boasts 5-star elegance and charm. 

Other alternatives in Hawaii include the Sheraton Keauhou or the Turtle Bay Resort.

One of our personal destination favorites where money-is-no-object and that provides the most unique experience possible, is the "over-water chapel" at the beautiful Intercontinental Bora Bora Thelasso Resort. Here, you can actually see fish swimming underneath the glass-floor as you walk down the isle! In the background is the most picturesque landscape of the rolling mountains on Bora Bora and the turquoise blue ocean. The average cost of a travel package including flights from Los Angeles and a 7 night stay in Bora Bora is around $8,000 per person.

However, if all-inclusive and affordable is what you are looking for, then the Dominican Republic and Mexico are going to be your very best bet. Here, a travel package for you and your weddings guests including flight, airport transfers, 7-nights accommodations and the all-inclusive feature with all meals and drinks, generally is $2,000 and under per person. 

Rooted in Catholic traditions, each of these countries have numerous Catholic destination wedding options to choose from. 

Dominican Republic -

Our personal favorite and top destination wedding resort in Punta Cana for years, is the Barcelo Resorts. This complex is made up of four different resorts and include a golf course, the most expansive beach in the Dominican Republic, a mini-golf course, casino, water park and so much more. Exploring the grounds by golf cart, we stumbled upon one of the most picturesque, tranquil, organic and natural Catholic chapel we've seen. The open-aired structure over-looks a pond setting with flowers and chirping birds and can accommodate larger wedding groups.

Our other top all-inclusive Punta Cana seller for destination wedding groups is the Majestic Colonial and Majestic Elegance Resorts. Although they do not have sharing privileges, they are sister properties situated next door to each other. Their chapel is reserved for Catholic weddings only.

Outside Punta Cana but requires honorable mention and consideration are the Spanish-colonial style chapels at both Cap Cana and Casa Del Campo. When considering the new development at Cap Cana, you can get married at the Catholic Chapel in town but stay at the adult-only Secrets Cap Cana Resort for a luxurious 5-star experience.

The complex of Casa Del Campo is located closer to La Romana and the capital of Santo Domingo. Our favorite 5-star family-friendly resort here is the Dreams La Romana, then bring your friends and family to the historic Catholic Chapel in Casa Del Campo.

And finally we touch on our most popular place for destination weddings - Cancun and the Mayan Riviera in Mexico. Cancun is one of the most connected airports in the world, allowing guests from every corner of the globe to gain easy access to your wedding. The resort options are endless from EP to all-inclusive from 3 star to 5 star luxury. Here are our top choices for all-inclusive resorts that are 4-star or higher and offer Catholic Chapels right on-site;

Cancun -

The Royal Cancun is an adult-only luxury resort and shares their oceanfront "Our Lady of Guadeloupe" chapel with their next door family-friendly sister property - the Gran Caribe. It offers a glass-protected and enclosed area with the most beautiful view of the azul Caribbean Sea behind. 

Recognizing the demand for more Catholic Chapels in Cancun, The JW Marriott and Casa Magna Marriott have built a new chapel to accommodate their Catholic destination wedding guests.

Mayan Riviera -

One of our top-sellers in the Mayan Riviera for destination wedding groups is the beautiful 5-star family-friendly all-inclusive resort of Dreams Tulum. Here, it's color Catholic Chapel is portrayed to be a part of a Mexico pueblo (small town).

We also greatly favor the Barcelo Maya, Beach, Caribe, Tropical and Palace Resort complex and like their property in Punta Cana, they also have an on-site Catholic wedding chapel. At this all-inclusive resort you will find the whitest, softest and most expansive beach in the Mayan Riviera. It's open-aired chapel feels spacious and natural.

The all-inclusive Palladium Resort complex also consists of a Catholic Chapel but is designed as a Spanish colonial-style building - a perfect backdrop for wedding photos.

If you are looking for an oceanfront Catholic chapel in the Mayan Riviera, then The Moon Palace all-inclusive resort is going to be the place. This is the largest resort in the Mayan Riviera offering three different resort sections and so many resort amenities including a wave rider, dolphin enclosure and golf course as well as a large variety of restaurants. Combine this with their designer wedding collections and $1500 per room resort credit (which can be used towards your wedding, upgrade in room, spa treatments, golf, tours and more), it makes it most ideal for destination weddings. 

 

The Grand Sirenis is another top value-package all-inclusive recommended resorts where the price sells itself. The Catholic chapel here overlooks the ocean.

Said to have the only Roman Catholic Chapel in the Mayan Riviera, is the upscale and all-inclusive resort of the Valentin Imperial. It's chapel is more modern and contemporary with marble, white and brown hues.

If you're looking for an upscale adult-only resort that has a picturesque Catholic Chapel, then you can find it at the gourmet-inclusive El Dorado Royale Resort. Just steps from the beach, this Spanish-colonial white-washed chapel is the perfect setting for an intimate Catholic destination wedding ceremony.

 

Although not located at a resort, we had the opportunity to explore the Xcaret Eco Theme Park in the Mayan Riviera and was truly amazed and drawn into the mystical and spiritual place that it is. Created as a colonial town among the jungle, cenote caves and ancient Mayan ruins, it's truly the most ideal setting for anyone who is looking for that feeling of be re-connected to nature, history, God or your own spiritual being on your wedding day. 

Xcaret has two Catholic chapels that are both recognized officially by the Catholic Prelature in the state capital, Chetumal. Although enjoyed throughout the day, one of the very best times to wed at Xcaret is in the evening as the buildings and pillars are lit up in a spiritually lifting way. The wedding team at Xcaret ensures that no detail is left undone.  

St. Francis of Assisi Chapel is perched on top of a hill at the end of a windy cobblestone road. It's open aired venue is very spacious and feels like you can touch the sky.

The Chapel of Guadalupe is located in the center of the "puebla" (town). On the outside it appears to be a Spanish colonial-style building but as you enter the giant wooden doors, you feel like you've entered a magical world not known like any other place on Earth. This chapel has been created out of an old cenote cave and this giant 'tree of life' appears over the alter. It feels organic, natural and very spiritual and will definitely be a stunning venue that you and your wedding guests will never forget.

If considering the Xcaret Eco Park for your wedding, you can stay at the Occidental Grand Xcaret all-inclusive resort because they offer free entrance and river transfer into the park for you and your guests.

Romantic Planet Vacations has been serving destination wedding groups since 2004 and has heaps of first-hand knowledge, expertise and experience of these resorts and more worldwide. They have organized destination wedding trips for wedding ceremonies of all religion-types including Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and more, as well as non-legal, civil, symbolic and now renewals. 

We can be contacted at inquiries@romanticplanet.ca or 1-877-247-8123 for your group's destination wedding quote or if you have any questions about these resorts and more. For more information about other resort or destination options, please visit www.romanticplanet.ca

Sincerely;

Laurie Keith

President

Romantic Planet Vacations

laurie@romanticplanet.ca