A Colorful Dream by Wedding the Sea on the Balearic Islands
Dreaming up the design and vibe of our wedding came naturally to us. With Zach being a restaurant owner and talented chef, and me owning a flower shop in the States, we both knew that we wanted our celebration to be intimate, centered around incredible food, and surrounded by nature. Besides having our family and closest friends by our side while celebrating our love, the two most important things to us were creating a space to share as much love with our guests as they’ve shown us throughout our lives together. Our vision was simple yet heartfelt, and we wanted an intimate celebration that blended our love for delicious cuisine and the beauty of nature into one unforgettable evening. We also wanted our guests to feel truly special, especially since many were traveling from the West Coast to join us in our favorite country, Spain. To make the experience one to remember, we planned for our wedding to start at the beach and end in the ocean. The festivities began with welcome cocktails at a beach club, followed by our wedding at a small private villa. We capped off the celebration the day after our wedding with a boat day, exploring the sea, in Formentera.
We both took the month of September off to explore France, Spain, and Morocco. We both fell in love with the Balearic Islands of Spain. One of the highlights of our trip was visiting Formentera, and the boat ride from Ibiza to Formentera was breathtaking. We found ourselves dreaming about bringing our closest friends and family to experience everything we had on that unforgettable, love-filled weekend. On the day of our proposal, we spent hours snorkeling in the crystal-clear waters and searching for the best paella Spain had to offer. We also scouted out our favorite beach on the island that day. As the sun set on our last evening there, Zach proposed. Honestly, I don’t think he had a specific plan for where he’d ask me to spend forever with him—he just knew it had to be in a place that felt special, one we could return to time and time again. Ruinart Brut Rosé champagne quickly became a theme of our trip, and the remainder of our European tour turned into weeks of celebrating our love, sightseeing, and immersing ourselves in the beautiful cultures of that part of the world.
I feel so fortunate to have visited Paris, France, and shopped at Metal Flaque, a boutique known for its stunning collection of bridal gowns. With less than six months to plan our wedding after getting engaged, finding a boutique that offered beautiful gowns off the rack was important to me. So I was so excited to find a dress by Inbar Dror, a renowned Israeli designer who is known for her intricate, detailed bridal gowns. The detailing and simplicity of the gown felt like the perfect choice for our special day.
We decided to surprise our family and only told our siblings on the day of the wedding that they would be walking down the aisle with us. Everyone wore a color they had chosen and a dress they felt beautiful in. My only request for our guests was that they embrace color, which made for a celebration that was vibrant and full of life and color.
Food was at the top of our list, so with the help of our wedding coordinator, we arranged a special trip for food tasting. We found the most wonderful culinary team, a husband-and-wife duo behind Zest Ibiza, who reminded Zach and me of our love for working together. During our tasting, witnessing their passion for food and dedication to creating memorable experiences was refreshing. We left our tasting with full hearts and happy bellies, knowing they were the perfect choice for our celebration. Fast forward to our wedding day, we kicked off cocktail hour with our favorite tapas that blended our love for Asian cuisine with Zach’s Lebanese roots. Among the passed hors d'oeuvres were dumplings, patatas bravas, and lamb kafta, delicious bites that reflected our love for food from around the world.. We also customized “his and hers” cocktails, one of which paid tribute to our seven-year-old goldfish, Dottie. Dinner was held under the stars on the lawn with string lights, candlelight, and airy, whimsical florals, Dinner was everything we had dreamed of and more. We wanted the meal to feel like one of the warm, flavorful dinners we cook at home. Being half Venezuelan and half Filipino, I wanted to incorporate cultural traditions, so we surprised my dad with a lechon, a roasted pig that was served tableside. Lechon is known to bring good fortune, and I think it did just that.. The culinary team from Zest Ibiza exceeded every expectation, working closely with us to create a menu that embodied the flavors we love. Everything was served family-style, making our dinner feel extra intimate. The Zest team didn’t stop there, they also provided midnight snacks to ensure our guests left with full bellies. They curated a specialty bar menu featuring our favorite liquors, and we ended the meal with mini fruit tarts, espresso martinis, and special birthday cakes. We celebrated not only our love but also my mom’s 60th birthday and a few other family and friends’ birthdays on our wedding night. It truly was a magical night filled with so much love, joy, and celebration for not only us but the ones we love and hold closest to our hearts.
Our florist was incredible. As the owner of a floral shop that handles large-scale and intimate events, I was excited to find a florist who could mirror my design style. I wanted someone who could complement the surrounding landscape without competing with it, and someone as passionate about mixing unique textures and floral varieties as I am. I found all of that with The Floral Studio Ibiza. Francesca truly brought our vision to life! Our inspiration was peachy tones and the natural bougainvillea found all around Ibiza. We wanted her to draw inspiration from the bougainvillea, its movement, and vibrant peach and fuchsia tones. So that the florals felt like they were complementing the surrounding landscape and design. It was also important to incorporate florals with personal significance and symbolism to us. Roses in honor of my grandma Rose, and tulips to honor Zach’s late grandfather. He had a deep love for tulips and would plant hundreds of thousands of bulbs a year.. Francesca and her team also run a flower farm, so using locally sourced, seasonal florals came naturally to her. She took my ideas and ran with them, going above and beyond to ensure that what she created truly reflected our vision for our special day. As a beautiful surprise, she even sourced my favorite flower, sweet peas! She is one of the sweetest and most talented florists. I will forever be so thankful for the beautiful team created for us.
We couldn’t pick just one officiant, so we had two of our closest friends officiate our wedding. It was an easy choice, as we knew they would perfectly express our love and gratitude for one another, as well as for our guests who traveled to Spain to celebrate with us. They both brought so much love and a beautiful perspective of what it means to unite and grow together. We also wrote our vows that reminded us reminding on our seven years of courtship. Having them both lead our ceremony was one of our favorite moments, as we admire them deeply for leading by example and raising beautiful families of their own. For the music, we kept the prelude and ceremony classical, and then brought a more Latin and jazzy vibe to the cocktail hour. The Ibiza String Ensemble provided the beautiful tunes.
There were so many special details throughout our weekend, including the escort cards for our guests. Each card featured a sketch of their birth flower, accompanied by a handwritten note expressing our gratitude and love for them. Another memorable moment was our 'first look,' where we shared an intimate moment, then another ‘first look’ with our families before our ceremony.
Our ceremony design was deeply meaningful to us. We wanted to feel surrounded by flowers and our loved ones, so we chose a less traditional setup with an open semi-circle on both sides. This allowed our family to be as close to us as possible while we enjoyed the breathtaking ocean view, all while being surrounded by the most beautiful flowers.
We wanted our family and friends to experience our love for Ibiza, so we shared a stunning sunset view as our welcome party arrived at Experimental Beach Club the day before our wedding. Guests enjoyed cocktails and appetizers, setting the tone for the celebrations ahead. The day after our wedding we rented boats from Coral Yachting, giving everyone the chance to explore the beautiful waterways of Formentera with us. A weekend we will never forget.
