My First Destination Wedding -- Day 3

The wedding wasn't until 4:30p and we hadn't been over to the Shopping Mall area yet, where there were bicycles to ride and I'd heard there were great crepes, tacos, and burgers (all true!)

Got a fabulous Segway tour of all 5 resorts from Ari -- what fun! -- then my last chance at the pools and beach before getting ready for the big event.

After the wedding, we toasted the happy couple with champagne, ate canapés while sitting on the catamarans, and listened to the best electric violinist I've ever heard. Dinner followed in the steakhouse and then we were ferried by shuttle to the Galaxy Disco for the dancing portion of the evening, decorated in a Star Wars theme that delighted the groom.

And so, after a final room service breakfast of eggs and french fries on my balcony, fending off colorful birds and listening to the wake up call of peacocks, I flew back to Ohio. As all weddings are, this one was memorable with the added bonus of a nice vacation in paradise to boot.

My First Destination Wedding -- Day 2

Rested and refreshed, on Sunday morning I decided to hit the beach, the lazy river, the wave pool, the sports pool, and the swim-up bar. In fact, I figured out how to walk from the lobby to the beach and back pretty much in a pool the whole time. Amazing how I thought I stayed in the shade all day and used 50 SPF sunscreen and still got pretty sunburned. I guess it is the tropics, after all.

While the wedding party was at the rehearsal dinner, I made a reservation at the seafood restaurant and enjoyed steak and lobster. It was adjacent to the buffet, so we chose our appetizers and dessert from there; I loved the selection of olives and cheeses. It's hard for me not to take too much food from a buffet. I sampled a really nice pumpkin soup that was "summery," quite different from the ones we make for Thanksgiving. Resisted our waiter's persuasion to taste various tequila shots but we did ask him for his dessert suggestions. He said chocolate and I had to laugh because there were about 50 different chocolate selections on that buffet; yes, we sampled them all!

The place was beautiful in the evenings and the moon was full so I headed out to the beach where I discovered a wedding reception with dancing in full swing on a lighted dance floor and even with lighted drinks! Joined in the fun and noticed a couple being served a romantic candlelit dinner for two in the gazebo on the beach where Amy's wedding took place the next day.

My First Destination Wedding -- Day 1

Just returned from my first destination wedding at Iberostar Paraiso Lindo near Cancun, Mexico and had a wonderful time. Planned to fly down Saturday and get oriented, enjoy the resorts on Sunday while the wedding party rehearsed, celebrate the marriage of Amy and Mark on the beach Monday, and head back to the USA Tuesday. I learned that 3-4 days is probably the most I'd want to spend at an "all-inclusive" resort like this because being able to eat and drink whatever I want whenever I want is dangerous ... how much steak, lobster, champagne, and margaritas can you have, after all?

I'm not much for "queueing" and there was a lot of standing in line at airports on Saturday but once transported to the resort, I started digging the spectacular weather and how beautiful and well-maintained this complex of 5 resorts is.

Had a little trouble finding a place to eat lunch but finally discovered an international buffet that was open while they prepared my room. I'd packed a carry-on with bathing suit, towel, hat, sunscreen, cover up, etc. but the place was so big I couldn't find one of the many pools until stumbling upon this "Kids' Club" which was only 1 ft. deep for little ones, so the water was kind of warm but needed cooling off from the hot sun.

After checking into a nice room with a mini bar well stocked with bottled water, soda pop, and beer, I fortified myself to go looking for the beach and explore more of the property.

When I found it, it was beautiful and the waves were strong, there was a nice breeze, and the water was cool.

Iberostar Paraiso Maya did not just have buffets but also restaurants; while confirming my reservation at the French gourmet one, I bumped into the bride and groom-to-be, looking happier than I'd ever seen them look. Wonderful! We all enjoyed the restaurant, with this "Moulin Rouge" mural decor.

There's a reason you taste wine before it's poured; we got a bad bottle but once that was rectified, I enjoyed the pate, duck, lamb, and dessert and we celebrated my friend's milestone birthday, along with her daughter's wedding.

Travel-tired on my first day, I was ready to turn in. Had been prepared for the cute "towel animals" by reviews on Trip Advisor but still charmed by the elephant I found atop my bed before retiring.