After getting engaged in 2019 at only 18 and 19 years old, Makenna and Ben thought they’d take their time with the wedding planning and have a traditional wedding in 2022 when they had turned 21. But, as Makenna describes, once you get engaged you want to start planning and get married sooner than you may have originally thought.
Unfortunately, the COVID19 pandemic hit while in the middle of their planning, and the uncertainty of their traditional wedding started to sink in as the future became more unknown. Ben then suggested that they revisit the idea of a destination wedding, after the couple wrote it off previously. Soon after they met with a travel agent, and within a weekend were on their way to planning the destination wedding they were now sold on.
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The Resort – Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta
Makenna and Ben had previously been to Puerto Vallarta, so choosing a location for their wedding was fairly simple as they knew they already loved that area.
Their travel agent, Jody with Allied Travel, recommended Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta and Ben had been to previous Hard Rock resorts in the past. At first, Makenna was a little concerned about the size of the Hard Rock resorts, but this specific location has fewer rooms than a standard Hard Rock Hotel, making it more intimate and personal. Makenna even said that most of the resort staff and fellow guests knew them by name by the 2nd or 3rd day.
When asked if Makenna wanted to share anything else about the resort to fellow brides she said, “The staff were all very accommodating and helpful through the whole process. There was a lot of miscommunication through email so some things were messed up when we got to the resort, but the staff made it up to us and fixed everything right away!”
Makenna’s rating of the resort amenities:
Service: 10/10
Pool: 7/10
Beach: 5/10
Food: 9/10
Spa: 10/10
The Wedding Planning
When Makenna and Ben were planning their traditional wedding, Makenna visited a wedding show in her area. She ended up meeting Jody, her travel agent, who specialized in destination weddings. Although Makenna wasn’t thinking of a destination wedding at the time, she still thought it was worth getting her information for potentially helping them plan their honeymoon. Thankfully, once the destination wedding became more of a possibility, she had her Jody’s information still saved, and ended up using her to plan and book their wedding.
Jody and Allied Travel was great, but she did say she ran into some communication issues through the resort when it came time to start planning her wedding. Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta doesn’t pair you with a wedding coordinator until 6 months before your wedding, and an on-site coordinator 3 months before your wedding. They also outsource their coordinators out of Florida, so due to the time difference between Florida and Iowa (where Ben and Makenna live), and the staff shortages due to COVID, Makenna would go a month without hearing from her coordinator. She admits that this was a main source of stress in her wedding planning.
When it was time to work with the on-site coordinator she was very responsive and great to work with, but the initial planning through the resort left much to be desired. Makenna also mentioned that Jody was very surprised by this, as she hadn’t had issues with communication through this resort in her experience. Ultimately, COVID19 staff shortages were most likely the culprit. Makenna was also thankful for her travel agent during this period because she stepped in to make sure the resort coordinator stayed on task and were doing things properly.
This is just another reason why we strongly recommend hiring a travel agent for your destination wedding. If you’re on the fence about getting one yourself, check out our post, “Everything You Need to Know About Travel Agents for Your Destination Wedding.”
Bridal Q&A
Q: If the resort had wedding packages, which one did you pick?
A: We did the complimentary one with some added decorations
Q: Where did you have your ceremony and reception? (i.e. pergola, beach, etc.)
A: Ceremony – The gazebo on the beach, Reception – Indoor hall
Q: Did you pay for any add on’s that were not included in your wedding package? If so, what were they?
A: Yes, extra flowers, sparklers, extra light, and the DJ services
Q: What was your biggest challenge in planning a destination wedding?
A: Planning all through email and then not getting back to us at a timely matter
Q: If you could change anything about your experience, what would it be and why?
A: The time of year we went
If you need help determining what time if year you should have your destination wedding check out our post, “When Should You Have Your Destination Wedding? 7 Things to Consider.”
All in all, Makenna and Ben were so glad they ended up having a destination wedding. In fact, when asked what her biggest piece of advice to brides is, it was, “If you’re on edge about a destination wedding, do it. It’s 1,000% worth your time. We just got a big vacation with everyone.”
For more of our destination wedding reviews head here.
Vendors
Dress: Weddings By Design
Bridesmaids Dresses: Weddings By Design
Photographer: L. E. Photo
Travel Agent: Jody with Allied Travel