Kelly and Nick Gloede

As lovers of nature and beautiful beaches, Kelly and Nick knew that their special day had to be framed by Mexico’s breathtaking tropical scenery. UNICO 20º87º Hotel Riviera Maya proved to be exactly what they were looking for. Despite some unprecedented bumps in the road, Kelly and Nick were able to have the destination wedding of their dreams surrounded by all of their closest friends and family, who also got to enjoy a full week of rest and relaxation in paradise.

What led you to choose a destination wedding?

We loved the intimate setting that the beach provides for weddings, limited decorations are needed when you have such a beautiful backdrop. We are both lovers of nature and the outdoors and couldn't think of a better place. We also have family that lives all over the U.S. so travel was going to be a part of our guest's plans regardless of where our wedding was held.

How did you select the resort? What were the deciding factors?

When looking at resorts we knew we wanted our ceremony on the beach so we searched for a beautiful beach, which is not hard to find in Mexico! Then we knew we wanted an adult-only resort with a unique feel. We looked at several chain style resorts but wanted something one of a kind with wonderful food and expansive pools, this led us to UNICO 20˚87˚!

Tell us about your wedding dress – How did you find it? Who went shopping with you? How do you feel wearing your dress?

Searching for a wedding dress was harder than I expected. I am a very indecisive person and ended up going to 9 different bridal stores before finding my dress at Bridal Aisle Boutique in Osseo, Minnesota! My sister and maid of honor were with me! Once I put the dress on, I knew!

Describe the meeting you had with the onsite wedding team when you arrived at the resort.

We met with Diana the day after we arrived at the resort. She was organized and walked us through everything we needed to know. We still had some decisions to make about music and she was patient with us through the process. She went through all of our details to ensure her notes were accurate then she took us on a tour and showed us exactly where everything would take place.

What was the best part of having a destination wedding?

We loved that it gave our family and closest friends a chance to get to know one another while we spent our week in paradise. It was an overall perfect opportunity for the people we love and care about the most to talk, laugh, and relax together.