Unico Riviera Maya Wedding in Mexico: Karin & Randy
- Jodi Schlichting
- Jul 2
- 7 min read
Updated: Nov 12
Mexico Destination Wedding Details
Wedding Date: May 2nd, 2025
All-Inclusive Wedding Resort: Unico Riviera Maya
Wedding Location: Riviera Maya, Mexico
Wedding Venues: Wedding Gazebo & Costera Terrace
Wedding Photographer: JJ Studio
Destination Wedding Travel Agent: EverAfter Travel
Unico Riviera Maya Wedding Resort Overview
Adults-only, all-inclusive resort
Beachfront property located about an hour and 15 minutes south of the Cancun International Airport (CUN)
Located on a beautiful long stretch of white sand beach
Only about 30 minutes from the Tulum ruins
All guests have a "Local Host" (a.k.a. concierge)
Most rooms have ocean views and soaking tubs on the balcony
Designed by a woman with a gorgeous "modern Mexico" feel
Top-notch food using locally-sourced ingredients
Mixologist on staff who creates delicious handcrafted cocktails
All guests receive a sunhat that can be custom painted at no charge
Six dining options with cuisines like Italian, Asian, French and Mexican plus an adorable cafe/coffee shop (there's a focus on quality over quantity of restaurants)
Five bars including two swim-up bars and a Cuban cigar bar
Three pools: the main activities pool with a swim-up bar, a central pool that's a little quieter, and a hidden/separate relaxing pool with its own swim-up bar
Daily activities and refined nightly entertainment with local musicians, performances in the Palmera Lounge on select nights, and a DJ for dancing
Want a deeper dive into this resort? Read my full blog post about Unico Riviera Maya here.
Unico Riviera Maya Wedding Review: Karin & Randy
Why did you decide to have a destination wedding?
We decided to have a destination wedding to ensure the entire process was as stress-free as possible. We both love to travel to warm destinations, and a destination wedding fit us perfectly.
More importantly, we wanted to spend a few days with our closest friends and family, rather than just a few hours, which is typical for a traditional wedding.
What were your biggest concerns about planning a destination wedding? What were you struggling with the most before reaching out to EverAfter Travel?
Our biggest concern was finding the right resort and venue. We knew we wanted our destination wedding to be in Mexico, but we were completely overwhelmed with where to start our research and how to choose the perfect resort. There are just so many options!
What were your "must haves" for your destination wedding? What were the deciding factors for choosing your resort?
Our 'must haves' for our destination wedding included a tropical location with a beautiful wedding venue that wasn't directly on the beach.
We were looking for a medium-sized, adult-only, all-inclusive resort with a relaxed atmosphere, known for its excellent food and drinks.
After searching the internet for reviews and considering Jodi's recommendation, we decided on Unico 2087 Riviera Maya. We are so glad we did. We loved it!
Tell me about your wedding e.g. events, venues, special touches, etc. How many guests did you invite to your destination wedding and how many people ended up attending? If you're comfortable sharing, how much was the total cost of your destination wedding celebration (not including things like travel expenses, your dress, etc.)?
The total cost of our destination wedding celebration was approximately $16,000. We aimed for a group of 50 attendees, and 46 people, including the bride and groom, were able to join us.
We began the celebration with a 2-hour welcome party on the beach the night before the ceremony. There was an upcharge to have the party on the beach but it was so worth it! The resort set up a full bar, high top tables, and served delicious cocktails and appetizers.
We hired a Mariachi Band to perform for part of the welcome party. It was such a fun touch to have them playing on the beach in the background while our guests mingled. The welcome party was a great opportunity for our guests to meet and be together for the first time.
We chose the Wedding Gazebo venue for our ceremony. It was such a beautiful setting with palm trees and the ocean in the background.
Following the ceremony, the cocktail hour and reception was on the Costera Terrace. Dinner was served buffet style and it was delicious! Our guests raved about the food.
We hired a DJ and danced the night away after dinner. It was such an unforgettable night!
Was there anything you splurged on for your destination wedding and if so, did you feel like it was worth it?
We hired a Mariachi Trio for our beach welcome party and cocktail hour after the reception. They were fantastic and added an authentic touch to the events. It was so much fun and definitely worth it.
We also splurged a bit on the welcome bags for our guests, ordering beach bags and customized tumblers directly from the resort. This way, we didn't have to worry about traveling with the items. Our wedding coordinator had everything ready for us upon arrival. We assembled the welcome bags in our room and had the resort deliver them. Our guests absolutely loved them!
Was there anything you tried to save on for your destination wedding and if so, did you feel like it was worth it?
We decided to save on decorations for both the ceremony and the reception, believing that most of our guests wouldn't pay much attention to the décor.
We chose the most basic flowers for the ceremony and simple centerpieces for the reception. Despite being basic, the flowers and centerpieces were beautiful.
We let the stunning beach and resort serve as our main decorations!
What were the most helpful online websites/social media groups/content creators/YouTube links that helped you during the planning process?
The most helpful online resources during our planning process were content creators from Instagram like @igotyou_weddings, @unpluggedbride, @the.weddingduo, and @heybridey.
Additionally, I joined several Facebook groups specifically for the resort and destination wedding brides.
Shout out to any wedding vendors you loved e.g. photography, DJ, makeup, etc.
Our photographer from J&J Studios was fabulous! She did such a wonderful job, and we were so pleased with our wedding photos.
The women from Bloom who did my hair and makeup were amazing! I looked like myself, just the best version of myself.
Our onsite coordinator at the resort was incredible. He was organized, helpful, and thoughtful.
What kind of feedback did you hear from your guests? This could be about the resort, the wedding, and/or EverAfter Travel.
Our guests loved Unico 2087! They raved about the food and drink, and the service they received was top notch. They thought the Wedding Gazebo was beautiful.
We received compliments about Jodi at EverAfter Travel from all of our guests. They were so impressed with how easy it was to book their reservations and how extremely responsive Jodi was to all of their questions. She went above and beyond by providing emails loaded with resort-specific advice and travel tips.
What advice do you have for other couples planning a destination wedding?
My advice for other couples planning a destination wedding is to definitely use a travel agent who specializes in destination weddings. I can't imagine handling all the details on our own!
What were your favorite parts about your destination wedding?
Our favorite part of our destination wedding was spending quality time with our friends and family. Everyone was relaxed and in a great mood, enjoying the vacation together!
Is there anything you would change about your destination wedding?
I can't think of anything I would change about our destination wedding. It was so much fun, I wish I could do it all over again!
Why did you choose to work with EverAfter Travel for your destination wedding?
I Googled 'destination travel agents' and EverAfter Travel was at the top of the list. After browsing the website and seeing all the rave reviews, we reached out to Jodi. We knew she would be a tremendous help with choosing a resort and handling the travel arrangements.
How did working with EverAfter Travel make planning your Unico Riviera Maya wedding easier/better/less stressful? Would you recommend EverAfter Travel to other couples planning a destination wedding?
If you're planning a destination wedding, I highly recommend Jodi from EverAfter Travel. Jodi was incredible to work with—she's highly detail-oriented and exceptionally thorough.
After sharing our list of "must-haves," Jodi suggested the perfect resort for our wedding: Unico 2087 Riviera Maya, which both we and our guests absolutely loved!
Jodi handled the finer details, such as negotiating contracts with the resort and setting up the room block, simplifying the booking process for our guests.
Her quick responses to questions were appreciated by everyone. She even went above and beyond when one of our friends faced a flight cancellation, staying in touch with them and keeping us informed throughout.
The emails Jodi sent with travel tips and resort-specific advice were exciting and incredibly useful. Our guests consistently remarked on the outstanding service Jodi provided, and many expressed how impressed they were, recommending her without hesitation.
Review posted by Karin & Randy about their experience:
If you're planning a destination wedding, I highly recommend Jodi from EverAfter Travel. Jodi was incredible to work with—she's highly detail-oriented and exceptionally thorough.
After sharing our list of "must-haves," Jodi suggested the perfect resort for our wedding: Unico 2087 Riviera Maya, which both we and our guests absolutely loved!
Jodi handled the finer details, such as negotiating contracts with the resort and setting up the room block, simplifying the booking process for our guests.
Her quick responses to questions were appreciated by everyone. She even went above and beyond when one of our friends faced a flight cancellation, staying in touch with them and keeping us informed throughout. The emails Jodi sent with travel tips and resort-specific advice were exciting and incredibly useful.
Our guests consistently remarked on the outstanding service Jodi provided, and many expressed how impressed they were, recommending her without hesitation.
If you're considering a destination wedding, reach out to Jodi at EverAfter Travel. She'll make the planning process not only stress-free but genuinely enjoyable!
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