[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”]
We wanted Casa Hyder’s vibrant colors to sing in the background, so we kept the color palette soft and light. We used soft spring neutrals—white and cream flowers with pops of light pink, peach, blue, and tons of lush greenery. We also encouraged our guests to have fun with their attire and embrace color – everyone certainly understood the assignment.
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[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]
Grant and I share a love of travel and experiencing new places together, so we always knew we wanted a destination wedding. The merging of two worlds and seeing our favorite people become friends (and family) throughout a weekend-long celebration was something we dreamed about. After visiting San Miguel in 2022, we fell in love with the city’s stunning architecture, amazing food, and warm hospitality. Knowing most of our guests had never been to central Mexico; we couldn’t think of a better place to bring together the people we love most. Many of our guests turned our wedding trip into an extended vacation – exactly what we hoped for. The vibe we envisioned for our day was timeless, elegant, romantic, but also wild and fun. From a design perspective, lots of lush greenery, soft, elegant florals, personal touches, and plenty of tequila, mezcal, and dancing were front of mind as we started planning. True to us as a couple, the vision for our day was twofold: a romantic, elegant garden dinner party turned epic Mexican disco dance party. San Miguel’s historic Casa Hyder was the perfect backdrop with its lush gardens and vibrant old-world architecture. More than anything, we wanted our wedding to feel like an intentional and authentic celebration of our love, one that reminded guests of the love they cherish most in their own lives. Our incredibly talented planning team at Penzi Weddings did a stunning job bringing our elegant garden party meets Mexican disco dance party vision to life. We wanted our wedding day to feel like magic, and it truly did. Everyone vibrated at a higher frequency that day.
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[field title=”Proposal Story”]
Our proposal story starts with Grant forgetting our two-year (dating) anniversary. After an intense and demanding professional year for both of us, moving out of state, and buying our first house together, I was disappointed, to say the least. We left a few days later for a planned vacation in Mayakoba, Mexico. After staying there on our first vacation together as a couple, Rosewood Mayakoba had become one of our favorite places. Two days into our trip, Grant said dinner was a “surprise.” I didn’t think much of it and assumed he was trying to make up for missing our anniversary. A proposal never even crossed my mind, as I was sure Grant hadn’t asked my dad (something he knew was important to me). A golf cart picked us up for dinner, and as we pulled up to the empty beach, I noticed flowers and candles everywhere and remember thinking, “Wow, Grant’s pulling out all the stops for this anniversary dinner.” We’d only made it a few steps onto the sand when Grant got down on one knee. I think the first thing I asked (through my tears) was, “Did you ask my dad?” A photographer and mariachi band came out from behind the trees, and we had a private dinner on the beach. It was the most romantic and special night. It turns out that, yes, he did ask my dad.
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[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]
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[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]
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[section title=”The Fashion”]
[field title=”Wedding Gown”]
Parade & Welcome Party: For our Callonjeada and welcome party, I wore a cream, off-the-shoulder Cult Gia Muna dress.
Wedding Gown: Going into wedding dress shopping, the only thing I was sure of was that I did not want a ballgown. Yet, after trying on several dresses, I fell in love with a Chosen by Kyha gown with a full skirt and train. The dress was the iconic “Davis,” a modern spin on the classic ballgown, with a dramatic low back, train, and high slit in the front – giving the classic style a bit of an edge. In alterations, we decided to make the sleeves detachable to give my arms full range of motion on the dance floor. I’m so glad we did! I felt like a Disney Princess in the best possible way.
Second look: For my second look, I knew I wanted something that fit the disco theme. Nadine Merabi’s Sadie dress was exactly the silver showstopper I was looking for. It was the perfect dress for spinning around our Mexican disco dance floor late into the night.
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[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”][/field]
[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]
Grant wore a custom black tux from SuitSupply. Fun fact: Grant is the type of person who sees every social event (big or small) as an opportunity to wear a costume. He would have opted for far more color and flair if it was up to him. My one request was for him to wear classic black for the ceremony, and I’m so glad he did. He’s never looked more handsome. (Grant brought all the flair with his after-party look!)
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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Party”]
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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]
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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]
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[section title=”The Details”]
[field title=”Food & Drink”]
Together, Grant and I love to experience cities and cultures through food and drink. That part of our weekend was important to us, and we felt so lucky to work with Penzi and their world-class catering team. During cocktail hour, we served traditional Mexican bites, including mini potatoes with caviar, Camembert cheese-filled mushrooms, and green ceviche tostaditas. Cocktails included the world’s best spicy margarita. The four-course dinner menu included dishes like smoked salmon & avocado millefeuille, chicken supreme with squash blossom & cilantro sauce, and deconstructed tres leches cake. I fell in love with carajillos while working in restaurant PR years ago. We served them with churros as the after-party kicked off. During the pool party on Saturday, guests enjoyed a traditional Mexican chilaquiles brunch, along with fresh frozen mango margaritas and micheladas.
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[field title=”Florals & Decor”]
Casa Hyder’s vibrant and romantic old-world architecture was part of what drew us to the historic hacienda. It was the perfect backdrop for our dream day. The florals and decor were nothing short of breathtaking. From the wild and elegant flowers lining the aisle to the showstopping arch of ivory blooms and fresh greenery we exchanged vows in front of, the ceremony space had an airy and romantic feeling that was palpable. A clear-top tent over the reception space helped tie in the garden party feel, opening the space up to the natural elements of the sky. The light in the tent changed beautifully over the course of the evening as the sun set in the background. Dramatic greenery and foliage swept across the top of the tent, with 80 candles hanging above us, creating the most dreamy ambiance. Touches of green in glassware and napkin linens on the tables tied in the lush greenery above. Since the “dinner party” vibe was important to us, we opted for lots of smaller table florals and candles so guests could easily chat (and cheers!) from across the table. The glow of the candles on the tables and hanging above us was absolute magic.
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[field title=”Wedding Cake”]
Our wedding cake was Funfetti with white buttercream, adorned with fresh flowers. Funfetti was very much a nostalgic flavor choice for us. In all the excitement on the dancefloor, we somehow forgot about our cake until the after-party. Pro tip: Funfetti wedding cake is even better served with champagne by the pool the next day.
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[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]
The ceremony was full of personal touches that felt truly authentic to us as a couple. Grant’s childhood best friend (and best man) officiated, and we wrote our own vows. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the crowd, us included.
Ceremony music – Penzi hired the Sonus String Quartet to play during our ceremony. I’ll never get over how magical they sounded, filling the ceremony garden with an almost audible beauty. I walked down to an instrumental version of “A Thousand Years”
Reception songs – Our reception entrance is very much a core memory. Grant and I came out to Tina Turner’s “The Best,” which turned into an epic dance floor moment with everyone cheering around us. He surprised everyone (including himself) by nailing that “dip!” My dad and I danced to Van Morrison’s “Days Like This.” I’m the oldest of three children and was the last of us to get married. Dancing with my dad was so special was I started getting emotional as soon as the song started playing.
Grant and his mom danced to the Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows.” My parents’ favorite song is “Love Shack” by the B-52s, and it’s become a family signature over the years. When we opened the dance floor with it, not a single person was left sitting.
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[field title=”Special Detail #1″]
o Ring Pop: The day after Grant and I met at a mutual friend’s birthday party in 2019, he texted me a photo of a blue raspberry ring pop he bought for me at a gas station. At the time, it was the cheesiest thing I’d ever seen. Meanwhile, Grant bought it and told our friend he was going to marry me. Our mutual friend’s mom saved that ring pop for almost six years and brought it with her to San Miguel. Grant finally gave me the ring pop after we exchanged vows. Six years later, it was the farthest thing from cheesy.
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[field title=”Special Detail #2″]
The People: We were truly blown away by how many people traveled to San Miguel to celebrate with us. My cousin chose to skip her college graduation to be there, friends traveled to Mexico from Slovenia, my 87-year-old grandparents made the trip from Ohio, and we accidentally picked a wedding date that happened to fall on a good friend’s birthday. Having our village from all different phases of our lives come together in one of our favorite places on earth was the best thing we could have ever asked for.
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[field title=”Special Detail #3″]
Uber Disco Dance-Dance: During the reception, our good friend Max (who emcees parties and events all over the world) grabbed a mic, jumped up on one of the tables, and got 100 people doing an Uber Disco Dance-Dance. Galantis’ “Peanut Butter Jelly” + Max is a combo that always gets the people going! So much so that my cousin even asked me if we hired him for the wedding. Nope, just one of the many wonderful humans in our village.
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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]
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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]
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Photography: May Iosotaluno | Event Planning: Penzi | Floral Design: Florklor | Wedding Dress: Chosen by kyha | Catering: Penzi Weddings | Groom's Attire: Suitsupply | party dress: Nadine Merabi
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