church wedding Archives - Weddings in Playa

The Cost of it All

February 27, 2023

Wedding budgets and how to save some serious $$$$

Dollars are money spent for budgeting wedding — We have been organizing weddings since 2001 and know some tricks!

Weddings in Mexico! white beach, palm trees and tequilas!! Cheap price right? ehemmm…

All in all organizing these events was extremely cheap 20 years ago when we started the business yet certainly this has changed since all venues have doubled their fees and post- Covid prices have increased. Additionally, flights and hotel rooms have caught up.

plants as wedding decor — Plants instead of flowers

Weddings come in all shapes and sizes and with varying price tags. All things considere, hosting a beautiful wedding doesn’t have to mean to go into debt nor breaking the bank (unless you know how to…). We’ve used our collective experience to put together a list of the best wedding budget tips and hacks. Preparation and research can help save you a lot of your hard-earned money as you plan the big day.

Throw the wedding of your dreams with these wedding budget tips and money-savings secrets

You can have the wedding you’ve always wanted without wiping out your savings.

In this paragraph, moreover, i will suggest how to plan your wedding clearly during a less traditional time of year or time of day to make your rupee/dollar/peso/euro as well as that yin stretch… In addition some hotels give great accomodation deals if you book a large group! (we love https://www.hyatt.com/es-ES/hotel/mexico/grand-hyatt-playa-del-carmen-resort/cunpc)

1. Book in the off-season

Above all, if you’re interested in a destination wedding, choosing a wedding date during slower seasons can save you a lot of money on venue rental, overnight accommodations, flights and more, however that is not always the case. Check online deal and your TA or OTA.

2. Avoid holidays

Another key point is to avoid holidays and other special events that raise local prices. All in all in conclusion it should be noted that to have it at one location, so wedding ceremony, cocktail and reception will be less expensive!

dogs at wedding can be fun — Watch our for uninvited guests! Be clear with your friends if you allow +1…

Booking the venue ( Btw: we love https://bluevenadoweddings.com/)

3. Keep the guest list small

Altogether a small, intimate wedding will save the bride and the groom money on venue rental as well as food and beverage service,but in case of a very large wedding (i am planning one for 300 right now!), ask your guests for no gifts but cash contributions: however couples have everything since they already live together and that will help you both to give the party you dream of!

4. Look for venues that allow outside vendor setup

Also bringing in external vendors is often cheaper than using the in-house version and make sure to ask about additional fees for using outside vendors, set up/tear down fees, gratuity, and any other fees that may unexpectedly arise. Ask to see an example contract and compare various venue policies. We love DJ DIego https://www.instagram.com/evolutionmixaudiovisual/?hl=en

5. Create the ideal menu

Dance carefree because your budget is looking good!

Skip a full-plated dinner service that requires serving staff and includes multiple courses. Family style or buffet are great and everyone can get what they want! In conclusion altogether forget the cake and go for the delightful Mexican pastries like the ones we buy at http://www.chezceline.com.mx/ or at https://ahcacao.com/… We are clients and as a result have been buying for our couples their fab brownies ( for https://ahcacao.com/) and the creme brulee and mini tarts (@http://www.chezceline.com.mx/) since they opened!!

Ah cacao brownies, to die for…

6. Extend your cocktail hour to transition into the reception

As cocktail hour is wrapping up, unveil a slider bar, charcuterie station and break out the entertainment to seamlessly transition into the reception without including dinner service.

Signature drinks make your cocktail more you!

Thrifty decorations yet super cool!!

Spend your money where it matters most. Don’t allow decorations to take over your wedding budget; save money with these great tips. In addition, Pinterest is a super great helper!!!

7. Stick with one theme

Choose one style—one color scheme—and stick to it. Extra flowers, tissue paper, or linen can easily be repurposed to save elsewhere. Please no more gold and violet! seen and re-seen…

8. Paper flowers

Instead of shelling out major money for fresh flowers (be planet savvy since flowers have a high cost) , consider mini plants (like the ones at http://www.jardinfloreria.com) or origami flowers or other crafty DIY alternatives. Furthermore, they are they a bargain, they last a lot longer than “the real thing.” Plus they make a great gift at the end of the night! Arches also can be DIY…

Our clients were creative and got a unique decor for their kissable moment!

The look

We all want to look our best on our wedding day too; that’s a given (that is why our make up artists are the best: we use https://www.sarahgarnier.com/ and https://www.dorannahairstylist.com/ . Furthermore, you can still go glam without gutting your expense budget.

9. Accentuate a simple dress with standout accessories

Simple, classic dresses can easily be taken up a notch with an eye-catching accessory. Lastly, choose jewelry, hair accessories, or shoes that stand out when paired with an affordable gown.

10. Choose a simple hairstyle and add a headband or barrette (or find a good friend…)

Stylists are typically needed for excessive updos. Choose a simple, elegant hairstyle accentuated by a headband or barrette to save on styling costs. If you have good friends, you can ask them for a make up or a touch up…

Financial planning

Financial responsibility is essential to wedding planning with less stress. It’s also a core component of a healthy marriage foundation. Start your marriage off right by setting financial goals, tracking expenses, and working with your partner to stay within a designated budget.

11. Discuss your budget with your partner and agree early on

Set goals and limits that you both agree on. Ensuring that you’re on the same page from the beginning will help avoid unnecessary drama down the line. Set a credit limit, and don’t go over it… Be financially responsible with your wedding planning. If you are comfortable paying off $500 of credit card debt this year, for example, set that limit and stick to it. If you can’t afford it, don’t charge anything at all. Only purchase what you can afford right now.

12. Decide what details are negotiable

Pinpoint “must have” and “can definitely live without” wedding details so that you can allocate money to what you want most. Take advantage of credit rewards and benefits. f you already have a credit card or two, research your reward benefits. See which retailers your creditor partners with to find unadvertised discounts and cash-back opportunities.

13. Look for unexpected expenseTry to anticipate any unforeseen expenses. Will you need to rent restroom trailers for an outdoor wedding? Is there ample parking? Most venues in Riviera Maya are far away from the city. consider that… what is the cost of transportation for the guests? and what if they want to leave earlier? Ask us for everything you need to know, we are always available at Watsapp +529838337771. You can never have too many options. Buy and create the items you really want and set for a budget friendly and amazing wedding day!! ENJOY in the creation…

Thanks for the photos to : https://delsolphotography.com/, https://www.lilibretonphoto.com/ https://www.facebook.com/officialABPhotography, /https://deansandersonweddings.com/ https://naalweddingphotography.com/

Weddings In Playa Laura Joe — Thanks to all the great vendors that make my job easy

A BRIEF story of us.

March 22, 2019

Hello everyone and welcome to our new blog!

This is Maria, we have reached this year 18 years of Life at weddingsinplaya.com. Finally we can vote ( or drink)!

Many clients ask us: what is your story?

how did you become wedding planners?

how did you land here in Playa del Carmen?

Today we will unveil the story of us, Erica and Maria.

We were born in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy, a region of great wines (Picolit, among all) and intense wind (bora winds can arrive to 160Km/h in winter through the Julian Alps).

I am the third of three and Erica is only child, but she grew up with her 3 cousins just next to her.

Here is me at one, in the middle, with my two Brothers. They are honorary bros. to Erica as well!

Growing up in a little village, even if Leonardo Da Vinci created the project, is boring ( I tried running away at 2 years old but I was found on the road, happily walking, by a neighbour). Erica, born 6 years later, was facing the same challenges.

Finally one day in 1990, one cold day in October, we met. It was Fun at first sight! We recognised a kindred spirit in one another and we decided to have a good time, whenever we could.

It was a great friendship and we planned a lot of trips and adventures together…. one summer we left with our motorbikes for Rimini, in the Italian Riviera, on board of our Vespa and Ciao, for a long haul of 390 Km… Needless to say it was a cool adventure and a fond memory!

Over the years we lived in different countries: Erica left for Shangai and I went to Australia. After 16 months around the world, after many countries and many beers, at the beginning of 1996, i first saw Playa Del Carmen: it was a simple paradise: 5th Ave. stopped at 8th street and Constituyentes was jungle! Can you believe it?

I fell in love!

This was Playa in 1996. All green…. Porto Real Hotel had not been built and neither the others. I found a job at Viva Maya and met the future husband i did not know I was going to marry.

Destiny is grand and after a year in Playa I went to live in Texas, happy new mother of a baby girl, born in 1998, Skylar. Erica came to visit me and my husband, Sharky, in Houston and assisted to the birth. Happy times! And life flies: we move back to Playa in 1999. Immediately Erica and I got together, just to find out that she was pregnant with Maia, who was born in the year 2000, another incredibly happy event! Here they are, all grown!

But back to business: in 2001, Erica was working at the famous Yaxche’ Mayan Restaurant and was getting a few inquires from American couples to organise a wedding in Mexico. I owned the Coffee Press, a cafe’ for expats that used to wake up at 7a or return from the beach at that time after the party….

One day we were chit chatting and she blurted out: What do you think, Maria, do you want to enter into business and do weddings together?

I said YES I do ( right in theme… ahaha), and that was 18 years ago.

There was only another wedding planner in town, Brenda, an American restaurant owner that organised weddings at her restaurant.

The first year we planned 3 weddings, asking very little money and making a lot of mistakes.

We knew a Mayan shaman and started organising Mayan weddings first at Yaxche’ and then in many other locations.

Then we started getting an education from the best, going to courses and meetings in Usa, like Weddings MBA and courses with Alan Berg.

Once we were on our 3rd years, we were making some sense. On our 10th year, about 30 more wedding planners started to work in town, now we have celebrated over 500 weddings! What i love about wedding planning is that for 1 year, you are the confidential sister of the couple. Then after the wedding has ended, you go back to being nobody: it’s healthy for the ego!

Life has been a wonderful gift, i still meet a lot of ex clients that 15 yrs later come to Playa with their kids and stop by to say hi: we love to see how our clients have kept the promise of Love of their wedding day and transformed into a lovely family!

Photo courtesy of A. E.

So, this is our Story,

we have been so lucky to arrive in Playa at a time when there was so much opportunity, so little people, so much to live. We know that.

We can only say:

Gracias, Playa. Gracias to all of our clients, past and future, that love us, support us and believe in us. We give the best to all of you!

Wedding trends 2019: it’s all about You!

January 21, 2019

Hola everyone,

i hope you all are having a great 2019.

This is Maria here offering a personal and uber selected array of wedding trends for 2019. Ready?

First of all, let’s keep something very clear: it’s YOUR wedding.

Not your mama’s, not your sister’s and not your best friend’s.

So get personal! Hire vendors you connect with on a personal level, not just the ones that suit your aesthetic or budget, you will be working with your planner for a year or more so it would be grand if you 3 click.

You 2 are the heroes of this story and you 2 are going to decide together what is important to the both of you. Never mind grandma wants a Catholic Wedding: if you want to get married by a Mayan shaman on the beach at the sound of drums on a full moon, that is what grandma should see (and she will like it too, because your happiness is her happiness).

Be bold enough to be you: aren’t you worth it?

I always tell my clients : this is YOUR day and you pick how the day will unfold… so go big.
This year’s trends finally are listening to the wisdom of the centuries (ours! LOL): that’s why I am particularly excited about them and happy to introduce my top fav coming up in 2019.

They’re proof that these major life events are becoming more and more about the couple : weddings are getting more personalised and that is a great sign!

No more FOMO nor following the trend: you are the trend, you never missed out anything, because you are creating this Moment!

The year is shaping up to be one of the most incredible wedding seasons ever.

So here we go:

Be you

I never address this topic long enough but mark my words: this is the one day that will be in your memory forever: why not just go all the way?

if you like purple, go purple.

If you want to get married in moody colours, go with them (colour will feature more heavily than in previous years, think deep shades like burgundy and hunter green for a striking and moody look to your day or mix several shades from the same palette to create a fresh style….gowns with asymmetrical elements will also be trendy… bridesmaids no longer in same colour but shades of same palette…)

This one-shoulder dress is from Justin Alexander’s spring 2019 collection. Ovidiu Hrubaru/Shutterstock

Smaller weddings but unique experiences

No one wants to have a cookie cutter wedding or copy Meghan Markle and her prince: the trend now is

THINK UNIQUE

Expect 50 to 70 guests weddings but a lot of flare.

We will see more planners getting out there to create a journey and experience for all the guests to enjoy… not only on the wedding day but also at welcome parties and post wedding brunches (sometimes on a catamaran, sometimes in a cave), something we have always done and got rewarded with lots of loving gratitude from our over 500 clients (yep we have started in 2001, many of our clients are parents and soon will be celebrating 20 years married… Erica Bressan how come we got so grown-ish up?)

Photo Alessandro Banchelli

www.photostudioab.com

www.weddingmexicophotography.com

Food : artistic edible displays

Food as art, amazingly yummy and beautiful to look at!! that is a trend i relate too, as Italian. Many couples are ditching traditional wedding buffets for more memorable options. Popular examples of interactive food stations include tequila tasting with meat and veggie tacos, ceviche bars and churros carts.
Also a trend: grazing receptions, where there won’t be a sit down dinner but more of a selection of different appetisers and snacks with something for everyone, from the vegan to the meat lover. Tom and Jon you are totally 2019!!

Also a trend: less traditional array of seating elements and more fluid use of space: high top tables, pillows and carpets to create a Maroccan suuk with hookas and belly dancers, use of beach chairs covered with Mexican blankets, use of indigenous art like Huichol and Otomi…. in a word: Whimsical!

Photo subject to Author’s right

Greenery instead of too many flowers, but also colours!!

We love palms leaves, they are cheap and beautiful! So many brides are chosing the option of a mostly green arch or bouquet. But also bright and rich colours… You can incorporate these colours in all aspects of your wedding decor from table settings, candles, linens and florals. Turquoise is definitely one of the key colours for 2019… Coral as well.

Matt and Holly, you are trendy!

Photo Alessandro Banchelli

www.photostudioab.com

www.weddingmexicophotography.com

Meaningful ceremonies: variety and real feel

We love our couples and we would love to see something personal in every ceremony. Whether it’s writing vows that tell an untold story, a touching song from your brother or the newest and original rings warming passage (all guests pass the rings in a pouch and hold them in their hands sending their blessed energy to the couple), we love that unique touch that talks about you. Also signs in all languages and fonts!!

Lots of unexpected twists on the traditional wedding in the year….

Photos subject to Author’s right

So you got the idea: it’s all about you! We are here to simply send an invitation: an invitation to living every moment fulfilled. We want to invite you to a dance that will never cease to amaze you. The dance is your life. The invitation is to live it in joy, amazement and infinite Bliss. Your guests will thank you. And years from now, the memories will be amazing!!!!

Melody Vanessa and Axel, Pueblito Mayakoba’ and Grand Coral wedding

January 12, 2019

I know you guys are tired to hear me say that I always get the best clients, but I DO!!!

This week´s featured wedding makes my heart sing. I want to start with a quote from R. Queen, because this quote made me think about what do we do and how we do it. We love our work, because we cherish every client, we never take for granted our vendors and we show our passion. That is the secret of our success.

Axel and Melody Vanessa are such kindred spirits, that when we met via Skype with their young son Mateo i just loved them with a passion.

They were young, in love, accomplished, living in California, had 2 kids, and they had very clear ideas about their wedding.

A Catholic wedding in a unique location. lots of great music, amazing food, incredible scenery. A memory to cherish for years to come.

I had a vision:

the church at Pueblito Mayakoba’ and Grand Coral.

BAM! they loved it!

We want to show it off immediately with a 4´ video:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AQI4_RH7n19wCptITn70NkEpIfd6DJt4/view

Mayakoba, an eco-resort on the shores of the Caribbean in Mexico, opened Riviera Maya’s newest attraction and event venue, El Pueblito, a few years ago.

Modelled after the historic plazas of Mexico, El Pueblito transports the culture and charm of Colonial Merida and San Miguel de Allende to the sandy beaches and jungle landscape of Mayakoba and is set to be the destination’s most sought-after location for weddings and private events.

Anchored by a beautiful white chapel – christened La Santa Cruz – the venue features a cozy park with a traditional kiosk in the center of the esplanade for entertainment, as well as shops and restaurants to create a traditional plaza. El Pueblito is accessible from Playa in 15 minutes and offers guests a new option not only for events, but also for socialising, casual dining, shopping, and fun for the whole family. The gentle manager, Mauricio, even allowed the bride to use the prepping room for make up and last touches! Thanks Mauricio.

The ceremony was touching but also light, with Father Quin performing in English and Spanish for the bilingual families.

After the ceremony, a quick bus ride to Grand Coral for the 55 guests where food and tequila was waiting for all….

Dinner in a simple yet unforgettable setting, thanks to Chef Rigel from Grand Coral Beach Club.

The party was great fun, Axel is a great lap dancer…. ahaha!

Every guest had great fun, including the little ones.

Congratulations for a life time of happiness!!!

Credits

Restaurant

Grand Coral Beach Club, Chef Rigel

Photos and video

Fun in the sun Wedding photography THANKS!

Hair

Vo-evolution by Natasha Bitch

Church

La Santa Cruz Pueblito at Mayacoba

Wedding organiser

Maria Tripaldi at weddingsinplaya.com

Diana and Marco, Blue Venado Beach Club, Destination Wedding, Playa del Carmen

October 17, 2017

Diana and Marco got a married twice! First a traditional Catholic wedding in Nuestra Señora del Carmen Chapel on 5th Avenue and then they moved in the remote area of Blue Venado to have a Mayan ceremony. They combined the Pre-Hispanic with the Post-Hispanic, the vision of the world of the Ancient native American with the Catholicism.

The bride entered with Johann Pachelbel’s Canon in D major played on the harp and the couple was welcomed on the way out with bubbles.

Shaman don Eduardo performed the Mayan ceremony together with two pre-hispanic dancers who played the pax, the classic mayan drum, and the tunkul, a long horizontal wooden slit-gong.

The shaman plays the Mayan conch trumpet, which has three small holes which produce three consecutive notes.

The happy party came from Texas and Mexico and chose simplicity and elegance in the details, playing with the natural wooden colour and white.

And a small cake to respect the tradition – and why not?!

A dance on the beach and than late at night the party was on and on till 2 am!

Jordon and Javier Part 2, Kool Beach Club, Destination Wedding, Playa del Carmen

November 1, 2017September 15, 2017

Back in June we brought you the video of Jordon and Javier’s wedding and now we’d like to show you some of the beautiful images from their special day too!

Jordan told us:

“The most important thing for me is that both of our cultures are recognized. I am from Georgia, USA and Javier is from Colombia. I would like that the wedding recognize traditions from both. The music is also a big part because our families listen to very different music.”

190 guests came from all over the world came to celebrate the couple’s marriage which was held in a Catholic church and performed by the Bishop of Bucaramanga, Colombia. The following reception at Kool Beach Club featured a Mexican style buffet, a Cuban band, Pre Hispanic music and dances by El Aguila and DJ Diego with Evolution Mix.