Love at first sight with Amanda Aerin and Shawn Cruise

What were your first impressions of each other?

AA: I felt that Shawn had great energy. I was instantly drawn to him and liked his fashion sense, including his long wool coat, dark rimmed glasses and a shaved head.

SC: Amanda reminded me of a childhood crush with her short blonde hair. I also found her to be disarming and really down-to-earth, which I liked a lot (and still do to this day)!

Tell us about your first date.

SC: After chasing Amanda for some time, she finally agreed to go on a date with me at a steakhouse in Toronto. For the first part of our date, we sat across from each other, talking non-stop. About halfway though our evening, Amanda asked to join me on the same side of the table. We talked, laughed and shared food like we had known each other for years.

Can you describe the proposal for us?

AA: If I had to describe it in one word, I would say it was surreal. Shawn proposed to me during a romantic dinner overlooking the Toronto skyline at the base of Casa Loma. He confessed that he had been hiding my custom ring for weeks alongside our twin girls who were in on the secret. The evening was beautiful; we had been together for years and it felt so effortless to say yes to my best friend.

What drew you to choose a destination wedding and what made it the right choice for you?

AA: We investigated several options to bring together our family and friends for the wedding. Because our favourite people are spread out across Canada and vary greatly in age, we settled on a destination wedding as it could accommodate guests of all ages, and we could enjoy a weeklong celebration together, similar to a family reunion.

Can you share a bit about the destination wedding planning process?

AA: Once we decided on Cancun and Royalton Riviera Cancun, An Autograph Collection All Inclusive Resort and Casino for our destination wedding, the planning process was quite straightforward. Our guests received an introductory email with details on the resort and amenities, booking links so they could easily make their travel arrangements and other practical information. We enjoyed a wedding kick-off call to chare our wish list for the event with the Sunwing Weddings team who then provided is with a clear budget breakdown and details about our wedding week itinerary.

What stood out to you the most about the wedding planning experience with the Sunwing Weddings and Royalton Riviera teams?

AA: Having a dedicated Sunwing Wedding planner was invaluable. Our dedicated wedding planner, Tiffany, clearly understood the layout of the resort and was quick to present us with décor quotes, food menus and entertainment ideas like event fireworks for our bride and groom dance! Yectli, our eyes on the ground at Royalton Riviera Cancun was a pro at practical arrangements including ordering an electric wheelchair for my mother and ensuring menus catered to a variety of dietary requirements.

What was your favourite moment during your wedding?

AA: Realizing that the song that we had chosen for our first dance at the wedding ceremony, Stay by Rihanna, which had represented so much turmoil throughout our relationship, had now become the song representing so much joy and happiness for our whole family. That very song often kept us together even though we were thousands of miles apart at various points in our relationship. Being able to have this song take on a new meaning was so impactful for us.

If you could give a few tips to newly engaged couples about planning a destination wedding, what would you say?

AA: First, use a mood board to pull together your general wedding ideas. This will help relay your wedding vision to the Sunwing Weddings planning team during your initial call. Second, be open with your wedding planner about your budget. The great part about arranging your destination wedding through Sunwing Weddings is that there are multiple packages and offerings tailored to various styles and budgets. Lastly, don’t ask family for too much advice! We really enjoyed keeping much of our vision a secret as it amped up our guests’ excitement and allowed us to focus on keeping our dream wedding authentic to us.