Destination Wedding | Barcelo Maya Palace, Mexico • Xsperience Photography

Holly and Tom’s destination wedding at Barcelo Maya Palace in Riviera Maya, Mexico was one for the books! They kept it intimate with just 28 of their closest friends and family members. Even though it was small, this group knew how to party! The day started off with a relaxing morning at the spa, followed by a beautiful ceremony alongside the ocean, but ended with a celebration full of dancing, fun speeches, shots, more dancing, fire drums, Holly surprising Tom with a song she wrote and sang for him, and then yup…MORE dancing!!

“We are so glad we made the decision to have a destination wedding! The whole week (and day) was stress free, relaxing, and a celebration of this next chapter of our lives.” ~Holly and Tom

Why did you choose a destination wedding in Mexico?

We wanted our wedding to be about us and for it to be stress free and relaxing. We were looking for something intimate while still including our closest friends and family in the celebration. Holly had the vision of our closest friends and family spending time together and getting to know one another in the days leading up to the wedding, making the celebration that much more intimate the day of and a destination wedding gave us that ability.

What was each of your favorite part of the wedding day?

Tom: The intimate day with friends and family and getting to dance the night away with them (and getting to marry my best friend)

Holly: The whole day was literally a dream come true! Starting the day slowly as a family (Tom, Harmony and I), walking down the aisle to my soulmate and soon to be husband, seeing the emotions of our friends and family throughout each moment and surprise we had planned, and having the best dance party with all our guests. Sneaking away during the reception to step back and view the celebration from afar together allowing us to take it all in. I wish I could relive the day over and over again.

What did you love most about having your destination wedding at Barcelo Maya Palace Resort in Riviera Maya Mexico?

Water Drums at our reception
Sneaking away during the reception to step back and view the celebration from afar together allowing us to take it all in
Swimming with sea turtles nearby
Plenty of amenities but small enough to have quality time with our family and friends for a few days away from distractions.
Hydrotherapy spa
Pool time with everyone throughout the week

Would you recommend Barcelo Maya Palace to other couples planning a destination wedding in Mexico?

Yes! It was a bit stressful/scary taking a leap of faith planning a wedding via emails and 1 video call with our wedding planner, but in the end everything turned out excellent. The wedding team at Barcelo are pros when it comes to weddings and know how to make things happen. Our wedding coordinator, Angel, was amazing at communication and kept us at ease throughout the entire process. The wedding dinner was delicious and the waitstaff was amazing! Best service we’ve experienced. The resort was BEAUTIFUL! The whole complex was clean, easy to find our way around, the pools were awesome (we tried them all!) and the beach and ocean were gorgeous! All our friends and family were already planning future trips to come back.

Any tips or advice for engaged couples?

Plan the wedding you want. Remember what the day is really about and don’t worry about anything or anyone else. Don’t get caught up in the little things, the day will go by fast and the little things won’t even phase you. Allow yourself to be present with one another throughout the big day and take moments for just the two of you.

We’d love to share the poem that Holly’s brother Trev Cimenski (@of_a_hound) wrote for us:

What is time? If not another blanket to share with you. What is the dark? If not my hands guiding yours. What is my breath and worry? If not the things you take. What are our hearts and our names? If not the things we share. What is death if not another promise kept? And what is love without all of them? If I repeat this lyric does it make it poetic?If I repeat this lyric does it make it a wedding? Or have I already married you? Said yes to you in a soft moment where we weren’t looking. Moments like the seems holding us together. Anyways, we are looking now.