I think it’s only fitting to start off the first destination wedding review with my very own wedding. After all, the reason I started this blog was because of my experience with having a destination wedding and wanting to help other brides on their journey to planning their destination wedding as well. So here it is – my bridal review of Dreams Jade Riviera Cancun.
Dustin and I got married at Now Jade Riviera Cancun (they updated their name to Dreams Jade in 2021) in April of 2017. When we first started planning our wedding I had always envisioned a destination wedding but Dustin needed a little convincing. Once I showed him the estimated cost per guest for dinner and vendors for a traditional wedding it wasn’t long before he was on board with saving some money and getting married in Mexico.
Picking a resort was one of the first to-do’s on our list and we really didn’t know where to start. As fellow destination wedding brides know, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of resorts to choose from and this is one of the first daunting tasks.
What I recommend (and what we did) is to hire a travel agent who specializes in planning destination weddings. They’ll have a list of recommended resorts they’ve been to and have had direct experience in planning a wedding there before. Now Jade Riviera Cancun was one of those resorts recommended to us based on our budget, must-haves, and how much we expected our guests to pay for their trip.
The Resort – Now Jade Riviera Cancun
Set along 2,600 feet of pure crystal white sand and refreshing azure waters just south of Cancun, Now Jade offers the perfect escape for couples, families, and friends. Now Jade offers several amenities including a world-class spa, gourmet dining options, and various activities and entertainment.
One of the things we loved most about Now Jade was that it was family friendly so all of our nieces and nephews could join us, but also had adult only sections for those guests that would want some separation from children. That, on top of 24/7 room service and affordability, made this resort perfect for us.
My review of the resort amenities:
Service: 10/10
Pool: 8/10*
Beach: 9/10
Food: 10/10
Spa: 10/10
*Note: I gave the pool an 8/10 only because we had a poor experience with some spring breakers in the adult only pool. The staff did their best to mitigate that, but since they were all 18 years old and paid for the adult only pool access there was little they could do besides give them several warnings. Be mindful of your destination wedding date so you run little risk of this (although most resorts say they don’t accommodate spring breakers, you can never be too sure.)
The Wedding Planning
When planning the logistics of our wedding we relied heavily on our travel agent. Not only did she take care of all of our guest’s flight and resort accommodations, she was also in constant contact with the on-site wedding coordinator to make sure they were up to date on our wedding planning.
Not sure if you should use a travel agent for your destination wedding? Check out my post “Everything You Need to Know About Travel Agents for Your Destination Wedding.”
Our on-site wedding coordinator was Emmanuel and if he’s still employed there at the time you read this review we would highly recommend him. Once we arrived at the resort he was constantly checking in with me to see if I needed anything and if everything was up to my standards.
Bridal Q & A:
Q: If the resort had wedding packages, which one did you pick?
A: The Divine Wedding Package
Note*: Now Jade has the following wedding packages:
Your Moments ($999 or free)
Now to Eternity ($3,399)
Divine ($3,799)
These prices were accurate at the time of this review. Please always contact the resort directly regarding pricing as it is subject to change.
Q: Where did you have your ceremony, dinner and reception? (i.e. pergola, beach, etc.)
A: Ceremony – the pergola (pictured)
Dinner & Reception – the beach
Q: Did you pay for any add on’s that were not included in your wedding package? If so, what were they?
A: Since the wedding package only includes 25 guests, and we had 50, we had to pay extra for each guest’s dinner. Also, the sound system for our reception, violinist for the ceremony, and fireworks for our first dance (pictured above).
Q: What was your biggest challenge in planning a destination wedding?
A: Planning everything through email. Great communication between your travel agent and on site wedding coordinator is key! Thankfully, I don’t have the personality that needs to see and be aware of every single detail, so this came easier for me.
Q: If you could change anything about your experience, what would it be and why?
A: Looking back at our wedding, we can honestly say we wouldn’t change anything big. I do have a post, ” 6 Destination Wedding Regrets From My Own Wedding” on some smaller things we would have changed now that I have much more knowledge on and experience with destination weddings at this point. Overall, we had such a great experience with the staff and resort.
Q: Anything else regarding your wedding planning and services that you would like brides to know?
A: Watch out for add on costs. The package seems like it includes anything you need, but you’ll realize you’ll want certain add on’s. Make sure your budget accommodates for that! Also, see if you can be upgraded to Unlimited Luxury for having your wedding there. They upgraded us without even asking and the extra amenities were amazing!
Looking back at our wedding leaves me with so many happy memories. Having our closest friends and family in one beautiful place for a week was one of the highlights of our wedding trip. We talk about going back to Now Jade Riviera Cancun for our anniversary all the time and can’t wait until we do!
Vendors:
Photographer: We used the resort photographer included in our wedding package. They go through Adventure Photos and our photographer was Miriam, she was amazing!
Dress: Sottero & Midgley
Suspenders: Amazon
Bowtie: Etsy
Looking for more resort reviews? Check out our page Destination Wedding Reviews to see them all!