Two Months to Go!

It's true - time flies, even during a long engagement like ours. We're getting so excited for the big day, which is about two months away right now. You should be receiving your invite in the mail in the upcoming days. We wanted to take the chance to answer a few questions you may have once you receive your invite...
1. Why are you getting married in Mexico?
As you most likely know, Brian and I met in Australia. When we were looking at locations, we knew we wanted to bring our wedding to a destination, and a tropical destination at that. We also loved the idea of being able to take a vacation with our closest family and friends. Finally, we've never been to Mexico and wanted to have a place that we could continue to go back to to re-live our wedding day!
2. Is Akumal safe?
Yes! We know there's always information in the news about Mexico being dangerous, let us assure you - we did not choose a dangerous location for our wedding! The problems in Mexico are isolated in the North (much closer to the US border). We'll be surrounded by higher end vacation spots.
3. If I decide to come to the wedding, when should I plan on arriving?
You can plan to arrive anytime, however we would recommend flying in at least a day ahead of time. When you book your flight, we'd love for you to send us your details so we can keep track of everyone. Brian and I will be in Mexico from Sunday, June 27 - Tuesday, July 6.
4. Which airport do I fly into?
Cancun International is the closest airport. From there you'll either want to rent a car, or grab a shuttle to your accommodations.
5. Where should I stay?
As this is a smaller wedding, and we are not staying in a hotel, we did not book out a block of rooms anywhere. Instead, depending on how long of a trip your planning on taking, we'd love to suggest some options. If you're planning on staying for more than 3 days, we'd suggest looking into one of the condos available on http://www.locogringo.com/. Specifically search in the Akumal area. For those of you staying for a shorter period (or who just prefer to stay in a hotel) - there are hotels in Akumal, and many resorts/hotels in Playa del Carmen (15 - 20 minute car ride from Akumal). Luckily we're going in the off season, so there are some great rates to be found! If you need any help finding somewhere to stay - please don't hesitate to call/email us.
6. What should I wear, is this thing on a beach?
For the wedding/reception we'd prefer you dress in beach cocktail attire. We'd rather not have anyone in jeans or shorts. The rest of the week - it's gonna be hot, we're guessing you'll be in a swimsuit :)

We're so thrilled that the wedding is quickly approaching! Looking forward to seeing you in Mexico!

Krystle & Brian's Wedding - Review of Details

We're nearing the 5 months out mark and save the dates are going out this week - so thought it might be nice to do a quick review, for folks looking for an all up view of the details.
Flights:
- We're not booking group flights or anything like that, as we're sure people will want to stay for different amounts of time.
- Make sure you fly into Cancun - it's the closest airport to Akumal
- If you're planning on doing travelling other than to Akumal, rent a car...otherwise, if you're just staying in Akumal - no need to. Just hop in a shared van, one recommended provider is: http://www.cancuntransfers.com/express/ You can even reserve online if you'd like.

Accommodations:
- Pretty much all types of hotels, B&B's, condos, all inclusives, and hostels are available in or near Akumal. Check out our earlier post for specifics on hotels, condos, and all inclusives.
- If you're looking to stay in a bigger city, Playa Del Carmen is 15 - 20 minutes away and has the bigger, brand name hotels (Marriots, Hiltons, etc.). Just remember that you'll need to find some transportation to the wedding. (Taxis and collectivos are easy to hail)
- If you stay in Akumal, everything is less than a mile apart, so you won't need to worry about getting around.

Akumal:
- Akumal is about an hour South of Cancun, away from the giant resorts and crazy amounts of tourists.
- Known for snorkelling and diving, there's pristine beaches with reefs that are a short swim from shore.
- Also within a short drive/taxi ride are the Tulum ruins and many cenotes (caves for diving).
- There are little restaurants, shops, and places to grab a drink along the beaches of Akumal.
- The wedding party is staying at the Romero Compound - located on a lagoon. Typically people need to pay to use the lagoon, with the exception of those staying on a private property, so feel free to come by for a swim in the lagoon or one of the pools!

The wedding/reception:
- The wedding is on Saturday, July 3 at 5:30pm at Casa Romero
- Dinner, drinks and dancing will follow at the same location
- Dress is beach cocktail - we'd prefer no jeans, shorts, or flip flops for the ceremony... however we do understand it's Mexico, in the summer - so feel free to get more comfortable for the reception.

Your presence at our wedding is the best gift we can ask for, however - for those who have asked - we are registered at Crate & Barrel and at Macy's .
When we're closer to the date, I'll provide the phone number to where the bridal party will be staying, along with more details (as they become avialable). If you have any other questions, please shoot us an email or leave a comment and we'll get back to you!

So looking forward to our wedding and seeing everyone in Mexico!

New Year, More Photos, More Details!

First off, Happy New Year to all! We had our last Christmas apart (thankfully!) and enjoyed the holiday time with our families. We've also been working on the wedding details and getting more and more excited to go to Mexico!

We did receive the rest of our engagement pictures, to view them visit here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2208207&id=25900729&l=ee39250c78 or check them out from our photographer's page here: http://www.kristenmarie.org/blog/2009/12/26/krystlebrian.html

In wedding planning news, after a FULL year of searching... I finally chose bridesmaid dresses! Very exciting, very cute dresses, and now feel like planning is really under way!

Finally, for those who may be joining us in Mexico but haven't yet found somewhere to stay - there's two townhomes still available on the Romero compound (where the Watson family and Murphy family, as well as bridal party will be staying). Each fit 4 people and are $1500 for the week. If you're interested, please let me know and I'll put you in touch with the owner.

We're less than six months out, save the dates will be sent out soon. I'm sure before we know it, we'll be in Mexico!

Hotels, Resorts, and Condos - Where to stay in Akumal?

Maybe you’re trying to decide if you want to come down for the wedding, and obviously cost is going to be a consideration. There are a variety of accommodations for a wide range of budgets. Below is a list of hotels and resources for accommodations priced as low as $89 nightly. Also, we’re looking into getting a block of rooms in a nearby hotel (if there is enough interest). Let us know if you have any questions about the areas these hotels are in relation to the wedding and other things to do in Akumal.


Hotel Akumal Caribe: Beachfront hotel rooms. Room rates for a double - $109 USD nightly; triple - $124 USD nightly; Bungalows: double - $89 USD nightly; $104 USD nightly
Gran Bahia Principe Akumal: All inclusive resort – double - $230 USD nightly
Vista Del Mar: Beachfront 2 bedroom condos from $110 USD nightly
Las Casitas Akumal: 2 bedroom condos from $220 USD nightly
Akumal Beach Resort: All inclusive resort from $90 USD per person, nightly
Loco Gringo: Great search engine for reasonably priced, well-maintained condos and houses for rent.