Our Destination Wedding at RIU Palace Mexico by Barefoot Bride Grace Lombardi

Overall, I couldn’t have been happier with our destination wedding at RIU Palace Mexico. Everything from the resort to the ceremony and reception went beautifully, and our 51 guests had an amazing time celebrating with us.

The only real challenge we faced was with the wedding planner, which caused some stress leading up to and during the day—but in the end, we were able to make everything work and still have the wedding of our dreams.

This blog shares the details of our experience, from the resort and wedding package to the ceremony, reception, and extra touches that made the day truly special.

Resort

We chose RIU Palace Mexico for our destination wedding for a very special reason—my partner’s parents have been visiting this resort for over 20 years, and it was also the destination of our very first trip together. That history made it feel like the perfect place to start this next chapter.

The resort itself has a more relaxed, intimate feel compared to larger all-inclusives. It’s on the smaller side, which made it ideal for a wedding group since everything felt close, easy to navigate, and never overwhelming. This is definitely a resort geared more toward relaxation than a high-energy party scene, which was exactly what we were looking for.

During our stay, the resort was preparing for a major renovation, but everything was still very well maintained and clean. You could tell the staff took pride in keeping the property in great condition despite the upcoming updates.

One of the standout aspects was the staff—they were consistently friendly, helpful, and easy to work with throughout the entire experience.

The food was another highlight, especially for an all-inclusive. There were several options to choose from, including a buffet and five specialty restaurants, so there was always something for everyone in our group.

There was no shortage of things to do either. The resort offered a variety of daily activities, nightly entertainment, and multiple bars to enjoy. And of course, the beach was a major win—RIU Palace Mexico has noticeably nicer beach conditions compared to its sister resort, RIU Palace Riviera Maya, which many of our guests appreciated.

Overall, it was the perfect balance of meaningful, relaxing, and fun—exactly what we envisioned for our wedding week.

Wedding Package

RIU Palace Mexico offers five different wedding packages, which makes it easy to find something that fits your guest count and overall vision. Since we were planning for over 40 guests and knew we wanted a full reception, we chose the Indulgence Package, which ended up being a great fit for us.

This package included so much, which really helped simplify planning. For the ceremony, we had a beautiful flower ring huppa, along with florals for the wedding party including bouquets for myself and my Maid of Honor, and boutonnieres for the groom and Best Man.

It also included a private cocktail hour with 45 minutes of live music, followed by a 4-hour private reception. The reception came with a special menu, DJ, wedding cake, and open bar—everything you need to create a full wedding experience without having to coordinate outside vendors.

There were also some great personal perks included, like a bridal hairstyle, a couples massage, a manicure and pedicure for the bride, breakfast in bed the morning after the wedding, and a private romantic dinner on the beach, which was such a special and intimate way to celebrate together after the big day.

While the package already includes a lot, there are plenty of add-ons available if you want to customize your day further. We decided to add a 5-person mariachi band for 45 minutes, which was such a fun and memorable experience for our guests, and extra string lighting to enhance the ambiance at the reception.

Overall, the package provided a strong foundation and made planning a destination wedding feel much more manageable, while still allowing room to personalize the experience.

Wedding Planner

All of the wedding packages at RIU Palace Mexico include a resort wedding planner, which is a huge help when planning a destination wedding. However, it’s important to know that they typically don’t begin outreach until about three months before your wedding date, which can feel a bit late if you’re someone who likes to plan ahead.

During my planning process, I actually worked with two different planners, and my experience varied significantly between them.

My first planner, Ayamali, was wonderful to work with. She was responsive, helpful, and took the time to answer all of my questions thoroughly. I felt confident and supported during that phase of planning.

Unfortunately, about a month before the wedding, I was switched to a different planner, Gloria, without any prior notice. From that point on, communication became much more challenging. Responses were often slow, and interactions felt more difficult than collaborative. It added an extra layer of stress so close to the wedding date.

When we met Gloria in person at the pre-wedding meeting, it didn’t leave us with a great impression. The experience felt rushed, and it didn’t seem like there was much attention to detail or flexibility in working through decisions.

The most challenging part came on the wedding day itself. About 10 minutes before the ceremony, there was an attempt to move the ceremony indoors due to supposed weather concerns—even though it was sunny with clear skies. This led to a stressful situation where I had to pause getting ready to advocate for keeping the ceremony on the beach, which ultimately caused a delay.

Similarly, we were required to move the reception indoors due to the possibility of rain, with no flexibility or alternative options presented. While I understand the need for backup plans, the lack of willingness to explore other solutions was disappointing—especially since it did not end up raining at all during our reception.

Overall, while the resort provides the structure and coordination needed to execute a destination wedding, the experience can vary greatly depending on your assigned planner. My advice to future couples would be to stay proactive, ask detailed questions, and be prepared to advocate for your vision when needed.

Ceremony

Our ceremony took place right on the beach, which made for such a beautiful and memorable setting. We had Tiffany white chairs, a floral huppa, and a decorated table for the signing portion, all of which came together for a simple but elegant setup that really complemented the ocean backdrop.

One thing the resort did really well was managing the space. The staff made sure that random beachgoers stayed out of the way during the ceremony and photos, which made everything feel much more private and intimate than you might expect from a public beach.

The officiant was another highlight—fun, personable, and engaging. He struck the perfect balance between meaningful and lighthearted, which made the ceremony feel very “us” and kept our guests fully engaged.

There was one small hiccup where the wrong song was initially played for my walk down the aisle due to a miscommunication from the wedding planner to the DJ. Thankfully, it was corrected quickly and didn’t take away from the overall moment.

They also provided flower petals for our flower girl and for guests to toss at the end of the ceremony, which added such a fun and celebratory touch to the exit.

Overall, the ceremony was beautiful, well-coordinated, and one of the most special parts of the entire day.

Cocktail Hour

For our cocktail hour, we chose to have a violinist for the 45 minutes of live music, and it ended up being an electric violin performance—which was such a fun surprise. The music was amazing and really set the tone for the evening. It added a unique, modern touch that our guests loved and made the whole experience feel elevated.

The hors d’oeuvres were good, though nothing particularly standout or memorable. That said, the drinks were definitely flowing, and guests had no complaints there. It created a relaxed, social atmosphere where everyone could mingle and enjoy the transition between the ceremony and reception.

The only downside was the layout of the space, which felt a little awkward and not as intuitive for guests to move around in. Overall, it was a fun and lively hour, with the music being the clear highlight.

Reception

Our original plan was to have the reception outdoors in the garden with seven round tables, but it ultimately got moved indoors to the steakhouse. The setup change meant switching to rectangular tables, which unfortunately threw off our seating chart and required some last-minute adjustments.

Despite the change in location, the staff did a great job with the details that mattered. They set up all of our favors and our guest book at the entrance, which made everything feel organized and welcoming as guests arrived.

We kicked off the evening with our first dance, followed by dinner. There were multiple buffet options to choose from, and we went with the “International Buffet – Special.” The food was actually very good and exceeded expectations.

One of the best decisions we made was having the 5-person mariachi band play during dinner. They were incredible and brought such a fun, authentic energy to the evening. It really set the tone and got everyone excited for the night ahead.

Instead of a traditional toast, we did a celebratory tequila shot with our guests, which was such a fun and memorable moment—and a perfect way to get the party started.

From there, the dance floor stayed packed all night. The DJs were fantastic and did an amazing job keeping the energy high and playing music that everyone enjoyed.

The bartenders were also a highlight. They were quick, friendly, and made great drinks all night. They even accommodated a special request of ours by including our favorite bartender, Pastor, which was such a personal and appreciated touch.

Even with the last-minute changes, the reception turned out to be an absolute blast. We had multiple guests tell us it was one of the most fun weddings they’ve ever been to—and honestly, we couldn’t have asked for more than that.

Photographers

For our wedding, we went with the resort-recommended photography team, Wedding Day Story. We opted for their largest package, which included two photographers and two videographers for six hours, along with all digital copies of the photos.

By the end of the day, we received just over 1,000 photos, a highlight reel video, and a full 17-minute video of the entire ceremony. We were really happy with the results. The photos weren’t overly edited, which we loved—they captured the natural, joyful moments of the day perfectly and really reflected the fun and energy of our wedding.

Overall, the photography team did a fantastic job documenting the day, and having all digital copies made it easy to share with friends and family afterward.

Extras – Favors

For wedding favors, we decided to do two fun and personalized items, both sourced from Partylougue. We chose Talavera shot glasses and handmade personalized maracas, which fit perfectly with our destination wedding vibe.

Working with Partylougue was a breeze—they were responsive, easy to communicate with, and made the entire process stress-free. Best of all, they delivered everything directly to the resort, which saved a lot of hassle and made setup effortless.

Our guests loved the favors, and they added a unique, memorable touch that tied in beautifully with the overall wedding theme.

Conclusion

Planning a destination wedding comes with its challenges, but our experience at RIU Palace Mexico was overwhelmingly positive. From the beautiful beachfront ceremony to the lively reception and all the little details in between, it truly felt like a dream wedding.

While the wedding planner presented some hurdles, we were still able to create a day that reflected us and gave our 51 guests an unforgettable experience. Every moment—from the music to the food to the extra personal touches like favors and the mariachi band—added up to a celebration we’ll cherish forever.

If you’re considering a destination wedding, especially at RIU Palace Mexico, I hope our experience gives you a realistic and helpful look at what to expect—and inspires you to create your own perfect day.