Riviera Maya Wedding at Azul Sensatori
For those of you currently spending your cold winter days dreaming of a sun-filled Mexican vaca (read: all of you), this darling day captured by M&J Photography is for you. An oceanside affair with those stunning crystal blue waters as an amazing backdrop, it's a beautiful BHLDN gown meets bundles of vibrant colors meets all kinds of happy. See every last moment right here in the full gallery.
From the Bride... From the first moment Martin walked into the room, time stood still. My cousin introduced us, and from there our conversation began immediately as if we were old friends catching up. When we met, Martin was living in California and we began our long distance friendship through snail mail. Our love continued to grow deeper for one another through the years.
While Martin was living in California, I made a weekend trip to visit him in Laguna Beach. He surprised me by renting a Duffy boat in Newport harbor.When we got into the boat, he told me to go to the front where I found a small mailbox (we had written letters to each other, every day, for the past year!). By the time I finished reading the letter that was inside, he was down on his knee asking me to marry him. After I said yes, he asked me to look at the pier where a photographer was documenting the moment. Unforgettable!
Martin and I fell in love with the natural beauty of Mexico. The Riviera Maya worked for ease of travel for our family and guests. The fact that we were able to say our vows on the beach, in front of one of the largest coral reefs in the world, is something that has a spirit of grace and unity.
Planning the details of our wedding was a way to express who Martin and I are as a couple. I started with designing the save the date magnets, which led to envisioning and creating our wedding invitations.Throughout our journey we have used the scallop shell as our "wedding symbol". Being a sign of a pilgrim and pilgrimage, it has many meanings within Christianity as well as in daily life. Martin had a scallop shell on his boutonniere that his grandfather had given to Martin's grandmother on their wedding day.
The magazine, with digital and printed versions, was a way to let everyone know the events of the wedding week and to introduce all of the guests (and the photographers).
We placed custom mailboxes on all of the dinner tables, since we have a strong tradition of writing letters while apart. Each guest's place card had space for them to give us advice and then place the card into the mailbox. We plan to open a mailbox each year and read the cards for the next several years on our anniversary.
I made my bouquet with silk flowers, then took the first gift Martin gave to me and a cross he always wears and hid them inthe bouquet. The lace wrapped around the flowers came from my mother's wedding veil. The brooch holding the lace together was a gift from my grandma. The bridesmaids flowers were made by the resort, but I gave them color swatches of the dresses so the flowers would match the pastel tones they would be wearing.
My dress was by Catherine Deane for BHLDN, with some custom touches. The buttons on the back came from my mother's and my grandmother's wedding dresses. The sandals were Klub Nico, also from BHLDN. OPI's "Teal the cows come home" not only acted as my "something blue on my toes" but it honored the "Schreiber" family name, since they are cattle farmers. The fingertip veil was custom designed by Carol Tuazon in Chicago, to create a "waterfall". We used magnetic weights by Jill Watson of Save the Veil, so it wouldn't blow away in the Riviera Maya breeze.
Martin's suit came from Zara on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, IL, and his ocean-blue bow tie was from "1910". His shoes were from Nordstrom, and his 'something blue' socks were by Paul Stuart. I sewed his initials along with our wedding day into the lining. Both of our rings also have the wedding day and the saying "All is Well" engraved into them-- a saying that we have used throughout our wedding planning!
While Martin was living in California, I made a weekend trip to visit him in Laguna Beach. He surprised me by renting a Duffy boat in Newport harbor.When we got into the boat, he told me to go to the front where I found a small mailbox (we had written letters to each other, every day, for the past year!). By the time I finished reading the letter that was inside, he was down on his knee asking me to marry him. After I said yes, he asked me to look at the pier where a photographer was documenting the moment. Unforgettable!
Martin and I fell in love with the natural beauty of Mexico. The Riviera Maya worked for ease of travel for our family and guests. The fact that we were able to say our vows on the beach, in front of one of the largest coral reefs in the world, is something that has a spirit of grace and unity.
Planning the details of our wedding was a way to express who Martin and I are as a couple. I started with designing the save the date magnets, which led to envisioning and creating our wedding invitations.Throughout our journey we have used the scallop shell as our "wedding symbol". Being a sign of a pilgrim and pilgrimage, it has many meanings within Christianity as well as in daily life. Martin had a scallop shell on his boutonniere that his grandfather had given to Martin's grandmother on their wedding day.
The magazine, with digital and printed versions, was a way to let everyone know the events of the wedding week and to introduce all of the guests (and the photographers).
We placed custom mailboxes on all of the dinner tables, since we have a strong tradition of writing letters while apart. Each guest's place card had space for them to give us advice and then place the card into the mailbox. We plan to open a mailbox each year and read the cards for the next several years on our anniversary.
I made my bouquet with silk flowers, then took the first gift Martin gave to me and a cross he always wears and hid them inthe bouquet. The lace wrapped around the flowers came from my mother's wedding veil. The brooch holding the lace together was a gift from my grandma. The bridesmaids flowers were made by the resort, but I gave them color swatches of the dresses so the flowers would match the pastel tones they would be wearing.
My dress was by Catherine Deane for BHLDN, with some custom touches. The buttons on the back came from my mother's and my grandmother's wedding dresses. The sandals were Klub Nico, also from BHLDN. OPI's "Teal the cows come home" not only acted as my "something blue on my toes" but it honored the "Schreiber" family name, since they are cattle farmers. The fingertip veil was custom designed by Carol Tuazon in Chicago, to create a "waterfall". We used magnetic weights by Jill Watson of Save the Veil, so it wouldn't blow away in the Riviera Maya breeze.
Martin's suit came from Zara on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, IL, and his ocean-blue bow tie was from "1910". His shoes were from Nordstrom, and his 'something blue' socks were by Paul Stuart. I sewed his initials along with our wedding day into the lining. Both of our rings also have the wedding day and the saying "All is Well" engraved into them-- a saying that we have used throughout our wedding planning!