I’m from Canada and I booked a group of 55 to stay at the Riu Emerald Bay Jan 2-9 2026 and had planned to hold my wedding there until I learned it was way more than I wanted to spend, and they refused to customize anything.

Instead I booked with Mr. Lionso‘s, a restaurant that’s an eight minute walk down the beach from the Riu, with a gorgeous terrace and tons of great reviews.

I would like to share that Denisse, their certified wedding planner (and restaurant manager), was absolutely fabulous to work with! She was extremely good at communication not only because she easily spoke English, but she was also very accessible, fast and thorough with her responses. She also made the wedding completely customizable and helped me create exactly what I was envisioning.

She recommended several local vendors, including a florist, a videographer, a photographer, a baker, and a Hair & Makeup team, and a shuttle driver to go back-and-forth to the Riu because I had some guests with mobility issues. She helped facilitate the international transfer of deposits and ensured we got a face-to-face video discussion with each of the vendors so that there was nothing lost in translation. All vendors did an excellent job, and the photos are so beautiful that they almost seem fake. The coconut cream cake was so delicious, and I can’t wait to see the video!

I can’t say enough good things about her and her team and I would highly recommend booking a wedding here. In fact, I’ve already recommended it to two other brides that have booked here. It was truly everything I had dreamed of.