Our 20 year vow renewal at Xcaret Mexico was truly a dream, honestly I’d dare to say it was even more special than our original wedding. Our event was April 3rd and April 4th. This wasn’t just a recommitment to our love. It became a celebration of our village, the family and friends who have carried us through 20 years of marriage. Having our boys take center stage made it deeply personal and meaningful in a way I’ll never forget.
We hosted 98 guests, many traveling to Mexico for the first time, and it was incredibly important to us that they experienced the richness of Mexican culture. Most stayed 4 to 5 nights, and with so many families, teenagers, and kids, balancing family time with social time required thoughtful planning, especially around reservations and excursions. This was, without a doubt, the most challenging part of the process.
We could not have done this without Cheryl and Monica from Yellow Umbrella. Their expertise, connections, and deep knowledge of Xcaret made all the difference. Because our guests booked through a mix of Costco, Yellow Umbrella, and AMEX Travel, we faced challenges up until the day before arrival, but Cheryl stepped in time and time again, even helping guests who didn’t book through her. Those who worked with Yellow Umbrella had a seamless experience, and I truly don’t think our event would have gone as smoothly without them.
Tamara from Xcaret Weddings, while our partnership had a bit of a rough start as we worked to clarify roles, became an incredible support throughout our stay. She was especially helpful with reservations and day of coordination, and our guests had nothing but great things to say about her.
Medellin from Magic Dream Weddings was our boots on the ground. While there were moments early on where we needed more alignment, once we locked in our vision, she connected us with outstanding vendors and helped bring everything together beautifully. Planning something of this scale while balancing full time lives in the US and raising three active boys would not have been possible without her coordination and support.
Every vendor exceeded our expectations.
Corazon Flowers brought our vision to life and beyond. Our florals were breathtaking, from the welcome party to the ceremony, and guests are still talking about them.
DJ Effie was incredible. Our dance floor was full all night, and he truly brought the party to life. He had guests dancing from balconies in Casa Viento.
Pixan Photography, Vicent and team, captured every moment so beautifully. When we received the photos, it felt like reliving the entire experience. Beyond their talent, their energy made them feel like part of our celebration.
Perfect Gift delivered high quality, thoughtful welcome bags that our guests absolutely loved.
Our invitations from Beyond Design on Etsy set the tone from the very beginning, they were stunning.
If there was one area for improvement, it would be Xcaret’s reservation and guest services process for large groups. There isn’t a clear system to manage events of this size. Without Yellow Umbrella, we likely wouldn’t have secured key reservations like our welcome dinner. Some guests experienced delays in confirmations, we didn’t receive reservation numbers until about 25 days before arrival, and upon check in, some rooms were not ready until late afternoon, with a few discrepancies in room types. That said, we also recognize we were traveling during one of the busiest times of the year, with the resort at high capacity.
Even with those challenges, if we had to do it all over again, we absolutely would.
If you are planning a wedding or event at Xcaret, I strongly recommend having Yellow Umbrella as your advocate and an external planner like Magic Dream Weddings to help coordinate vendors and logistics. For smaller groups, this may not be necessary, but for larger, multi day events, it is invaluable.
To everyone who made this celebration so unforgettable, Cheryl, Medellin, Tamara, Vincent, Effie, and so many others, thank you for creating memories our family and friends will cherish forever.
For reference the welcome party pictures are from Xcaret Photography which was included in our package.
Jeanne Natalie
