Occidental Grand Xcaret wedding—one of the Caribbean’s best bargains
Destination weddings may sound expensive and exclusive, but we just learned of an insanely good deal at the Occidental Grand Xcaret, a vast all-inclusive resort on Mexico’s Riviera Maya–south of Cancun on the country’s Caribbean coast.
Their most basic package, called Simple Love, includes the planning services of a coordinator, setup for a small ceremony beside the turquoise sea (a tulle-trimmed canopy, rose petal aisle, and pretty white chairs on the beach), flowers, ceremony music, sparkling wine, and a wedding cake. The staff will steam your dress when you arrive and mark your honeymoon with a gift. The price is $949—but if you book seven nights in a master suite, or if friends and family reserve 10 deluxe rooms for three nights, they’ll throw in the wedding for free. (If you’re worried that your guests will have to go into hock to finance the wedding, fear not: Deluxe rooms are under $100 a night.) And of course the packages get bigger from there–topping out with the Fiesta, which includes an open-bar cocktail party for 20 guests that you can snag for a cool $2,499.
If that stunner of a price isn’t enough to convince you, consider this: The resort is home to a 10,000 square-meter open-water dolphinarium, where you can celebrate taking the plunge by literally taking the plunge, dress and all. It’s a whole new angle on the “trash the dress” phenomenon, and if you’re looking for a truly memorable post-wedding photo session, this could be just the ticket. Besides, you’ll give the dolphins a good laugh.
The snug beach at Occidental Grand Xcaret
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Want to know more about planning destination wedding travel to Mexico, or anywhere else in the world? Our travel partners at Coastline Travel Advisors, a Virtuoso agency, are ready to help.
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