Riley & Bo
DESTINATION WEDDING IN MEXICO
Riley and Bo recently tied the knot in a gorgeous destination wedding at the luxurious Royalton & Hideaway Riviera Cancun. It was an absolute pleasure to plan this incredible wedding with them and their amazing families and friends!
Wedding date: December 2024
Travel advisor: Andrea Norfolk
Destination: Cancun, Mexico
Resort: Royalton & Hideaway Riviera Cancun
How did you meet?
Bo and I met in 4th grade at camp! We ended up being in the same friend group in high school and even went to Prom together. We started dating shortly after graduation. 5 years of long distance, 4 college graduations, and 2 apartments later - the rest is history! We actually got legally married in the US on our 7 year anniversary before our wedding in Mexico 6 months later.
Why did you choose to have a destination wedding?
The absolute most important thing in our lives are our people. There is nothing we love more than spending quality time with our friends and family. We couldn't wrap our heads around having only one day (but really only a few hours) to celebrate with everyone we love!!
We are very fortunate to have friends and family who are healthy and willing to travel and who value experiences and spending time together. We knew early on that if anyone could pull off a destination wedding - it was us! We are SO grateful to have had a whole week of celebration and vacation with our loved ones.
Why did you choose to have your wedding at Royalton & Hideaway Riviera Cancun?
Our biggest 'must-haves' included:
A resort with both adults-only and family-friendly sides, with a relatively short drive to and from the airport.
A resort large enough where a group of our size could spread out, but small enough that we could easily walk from one side to the other.
A destination with an established wedding industry.
We had a group of about 80 pretty young and lively guests. Royalton Riviera Cancun and Mexico just checked all of our boxes. We loved that we could be in the adults-only areas, but that it didn't restrict our guests with children from attending. We loved that it was a short drive from the airport, because after a long day of travel, we didn't want to spend hours in a van commuting to the resort. We loved that it was large enough to provide a variety of food, drink, and entertainment options and that we could all spend time together but also split off and do our own thing. But, it was also small enough that our group could spend a day at the same pool, and our grandparents didn't have any trouble getting around the resort.
And finally, it was important to me to be at a resort that knows their stuff. RRC hosts SO many weddings. Not to mention, the staff and planners with Royalton know what they are doing, and we were able to trust that our vision would come out exactly as we wanted it to. There were fantastic Facebook groups for brides to share experiences, check invoices, and help each other out.
What was your most memorable moment during your ceremony?
One thing about Bo - he doesn't cry. In our 7.5 years of dating prior to our wedding, I had only seen him cry twice. I didn't have any expectations of that "magical" moment when the groom sees the bride for the first time, or walking down the aisle to my teary-eyed husband. BOY WAS I WRONG! From our first look through our first dance - I think this man cried the entire time!! It was the sweetest, most unexpected thing, and definitely one of my favorite moments from our wedding day.
What was the best part about having a destination wedding?
A week in paradise with all of our favorite people! It was the most fun and memorable quality time with everyone. We got to have conversations, share meals, and enjoy pool days with each guest in the days prior to our wedding. We loved that we got to see all of our friends and family throughout the week, and there was no pressure to greet everyone throughout the reception. So by the time it was officially wedding day, we just genuinely had the best time partying and celebrating with everyone!
What was your experience working with Shoreline Destinations?
Shoreline Destinations was absolutely incredible. From our first conversation with Andrea, we could tell this girl knew her stuff! She was PICKY about her resorts - and we immediately knew we could trust her. She listened to us, was very honest and candid, and guided us through so many options. We knew we were in good hands, and getting things started was a breeze.
Meredith did a phenomenal job assisting and catering to our guests. She made it so easy to get bookings done and was SO responsive and helpful with all of our (and our guests') questions. Working with so many people is not easy, and Meredith handled everything with grace and always kept us in the loop.
Ellen was truly a type A bride's sidekick. She made sure our website was up to date and included all important information. My favorite thing that Ellen did for us, was make a "Know Before You Go" guide for our guests - outlining all important events, dress codes, packing items, and more!
The team at Shoreline was incredible, and read our minds/knew what we needed before we did. I cannot thank them enough for their help and guidance and ensuring our wedding week went as smooth as possible!!
WORK WITH SHORELINE DESTINATIONS!
✔ Customized destination wedding proposal
✔ Contract review & room block recommendations
✔ Custom wedding website
✔ Guest reservation management
✔ Discounted resort site visits prior to your wedding
✔ Transportation & excursion recommendations
✔ Access to “The Vault” filled with wedding planning tips
✔On-site representation*
*Based on room block size. Contact us for details.
