Two software engineers walk into a wedding… That’s not the start of a joke, that’s exactly what happened at this beautiful Paradisus Playa del Carmen destination wedding of Steven and Ivey!

Yep, these two lovebirds met while working at Google (what bosses!), and eventually their love led them down the aisle in Mexico!

When we first held our complimentary consultation call, and their cats climbed on the tree behind their screen, and my cat walked across my desk, I knew we were destined to be a great team!

Steven and Ivey, as well as their fabulous guests, were a joy to work with! After narrowing down resorts and settling on Paradisus Playa del Carmen (a family friendly resort in Mexico), we dove in and started work on their room block contract.

While I handled the room block details, they were able to work on invitations, wedding attire, rings, etc. They ordered some fabulous, customized items as well, to give their big day their own personal touch!

They were so sweet to let me watch their wedding video as well, and I can attest that they had a gorgeous wedding day in paradise. Family came from across the US and Canada to celebrate, give speeches, and love on them!

Steven and Ivey’s destination wedding at Paradisus Playa del Carmen was a stunning, love-filled day!

I’m so excited to showcase their gorgeous day and happy memories!

Destination Wedding Couple Interview – Ivey and Steven

Ivey and Steven were so kind to share so many of their beautiful destination wedding photos with us, and to answer some questions about their experience planning a destination wedding with me at an all inclusive resort in Mexico. Check it out!

What were your biggest fears / annoyances before planning a destination wedding?

“Planning, logistics, the possibility of getting ripped off by a resort. Anxiety about people not being able to come because it might be too expensive.”

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

“The reception venue was about $10k, but it looked so much better than the cheaper options, so I think it was worth it, despite the heat!

The photography package was $6k – expensive, but really important.

We also paid about $3k for makeup for Ivey and all the bridesmaids, which was a fun experience for them and worth it!”

Did you try and save money on anything wedding or travel related? If so, what did you save on, and was it worth it?

“Mostly we didn’t want our guests to spend too much money, and we wanted a location that wasn’t too hard for anyone to get to.

We also saved a bunch by bringing some of our own decorations like name cards, meal selection cards, etc. We got most of these on Etsy, but I wish we had started thinking about that earlier, because one of our orders got delayed and didn’t make it in time.”

If you could change anything with your wedding, what would you change?

“Mostly getting started on the personalized decorations earlier. Also, I probably should’ve familiarized myself with the restaurants and concierge system of the resort beforehand.”

Was there anything about your final destination wedding experience that surprised you?

“The animals on the property – in a good way!”

Now that you’ve been through it all, what’s your #1 best piece of advice for couples who are just getting started on the planning process?

“Get started early, so it’s less stressful in the long run!”

In what ways did Allison or Tailored Travel Experiences help make the destination wedding planning process less stressful for you?

“It was extremely helpful not having to deal with room logistics for all of our guests, especially the less tech savvy ones!”

What was your favorite memory of your destination wedding trip?

“After we checked into our room, we wanted to take a quick walk around just to see what the resort looked like. We ended up bumping into friends in front of the main buffet, and then more and more of our friends and family saw us until we filled up half the lobby!”

How many guests did you originally invite, and how many ended up attending your destination wedding?

49 guests out of the 70 we invited attended our wedding.

Photos of Ivey & Steven’s Destination Wedding at Paradisus Playa del Carmen

Steven and Ivey were so kind to share many of their photos with us, taken by the fabulous team at Lifetime Photo Film. Thank you so much for sharing your big day with us!

Thanks again Lifetime Photo Film! And thank you to Ivey and Steven! Your wedding was beautiful, and I was so happy to play even a small party in your big day!