Mexico Weddings

Raise your hand if you’ve fantasized about having an incredibly intimate and undeniably romantic ceremony on a beach somewhere. You too? Even though I wouldn’t change a thing about the barn wedding I had, I’ll always have a thing for pretty beach getaway weddings. And this adorable couple’s day is just how I would have done it; sweet and simple and ending with a bon fire. Lyde & Wright Photography captured all the pretty and you can see it all right here.

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From Lyde & Wright Photography… Jamie and Grant chose to have a small destination wedding at the beautiful Westin Resort in Cabo San Lucas. With close family and friends, they had their ceremony right on the beach. Jamie works as an event planner in the state of Washington, so most of their decor was DIY. Her mother-in-law embroidered all the napkins for the reception, and they made gift bags for all the guests with treats from the Los Cabos area. The ceremony took place just before sunset, allowing most of their formal portraits to be taken right as the sun was going down over the desert. The reception was on an open air patio, secluded from the rest of the resort. The night ended with a campfire by the beach, roasting marshmallows and lighting sparklers. 

Wedding Photography: Lyde & Wright Photography / Wedding Venue: The Westin Resort & Spa, Los Cabos in Los Cabos, Mexico / Event Design: Del Cabo Event Design / Floral Design: Emporio Arte Floral / Wedding Invitations: Darling Press & Stationers / Wedding Dress: Wtoo / Bride’s Shoes: Tory Burch

Happy Halloween, lovelies! We are seriously pinching ourselves this morning because we couldn’t have asked for a prettier or more festive wedding to share with all of you today. Sent into us by the super talented, and not to mention timely, Sara Richardson Photography, this Dia de Los Muertos inspired wedding will have you smiling from ear to ear all day long. It’s bright, casual and whimsical all at once and it’s all right here for you to see. 

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From Allure Event… Dacia and Daniel, who live in Australia, were interested in having an out-of-the-ordinary wedding for their guests who were traveling from around the world to join them. Daniel is a drummer and covered in tattoos, and Dacia loves vintage ’50s pinup style! In their words, they wanted a bright, fun, Mexican fiesta with a vintage touch. To bring their vision to life, we incorporated authentic Mexican elements such as the equipal tables and chairs used for dinner, colorful otomi table runners, prayer candles, clay serveware for the taco buffet, sugar skulls as favors and cempasúchil flowers in vintage glasses.

We kept the ceremony setting relaxed and intimate by placing large drop cloths on the sand with colorful feather pillows for guests to sit on. A Spanish guitarist played as guests arrived at the ceremony site and continued to play as Dacia and her father made their way down to the beach for the ceremony. A light turquoise arch with a simple papel picado banner framed the bride and groom during the ceremony. Daniel’s ex-stepfather officiated their ceremony and Dacia’s father read “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss in lieu of a religious reading. After the kiss, guests showered the couple with dried basil flowers (they symbolize “best wishes”) to honor Dacia’s Italian heritage. To hold the basil flowers, we created small cotton cloth sachets and tied them with little milagros charms with red string and placed them in a vintage suitcase with a wooden sacred heart with little milagros.

The reception was held under the large palapa at Villas de Cerritos, which had been decorated with colorful papel picado banners hung over the equipal tables and two bright piñatas over the dance floor. For the cocktail hour, we created an intimate sitting area we named the Frida Lounge and used more colorful feather cushions, carrying some of the same elements used for the ceremony. A seven-piece mariachi band serenaded guests during dinner, while a DJ played for the rest of the evening. For the centerpieces, we used a combination of vintage goblets and glasses and modern bud vases filled with cempasúchil flowers, as well as garden-style arrangements in shades of red and pink with hints of purple and yellow. The wedding cake was flavored Mexican vanilla and filled with nuts and cajeta. The three-tier cake was decorated with Day of the Dead sugar skulls, which also served as the cake topper. The couple also cut into a Pan de Muerto (sweet, orange blossom-scented bread), which was served alongside the wedding cake on clay plates.

Wedding Photography: Sara Richardson Photography / Ceremony: San Pedrito Beach in Cerritos, Baja California Sur, Mexico / Reception: Villas de Cerritos Beach in Cerritos, Baja California Sur, Mexico / Event Planning: Vari Avila of Allure Event / Floral Design: Florenta Floral Design / Catering: Jennifer O’Toole / Wedding Cake: Criss Cake / Mariachi: Mariachi Cabo / DJ: Alex DJ / Wedding Dress: Zimmerman / Bride’s Shoes: Giuseppe Zanotti / Guitarist: Alonso Aguirre / Caterer: Jennifer O’Toole

When you think of Los Cabos, you most likely begin daydreaming of warm sands on open beaches and maybe the most gorgeous terrain in North America. But I bet you don’t think of an organic farm as picturesque as Huerta Los Tamarindos that seems to have been tailor-made for these two lovebirds to exchange their vows. Surrounded by sunflowers and marigolds of the prettiest of arrangements from Cabo Flowers & Cakes, every image from Sara Richardson Photography seems to glow those brilliant golden hues. See it all in the gallery right here.

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From Rachel Hansen of Infinity Weddings… Nita and Aaron loved the country/farm concept for their wedding, which is not common for Cabo destination weddings. It took us a while to find the perfect location to host their special event, and what better than a certified organic farm less than a mile from the beach? Huerta Los Tamarindos has been producing organic produce for local restaurants and exporting to the US for the past 10 years. Their large property had ample space to host all wedding events on site for Nita and Aaron’s 100 guests. Seeing the sunset over the crops while drinking organic mojitos and munching on the fresh farm food just added to the overall charm of their wedding. We decorated the ceremony arch and dinner tables with fresh sunflowers, cilantro and marigolds grown on the farm. Cabo Flowers added special touches of baby’s breath, daisies and alstromeria to complete the centerpieces in various glass jars and containers. Aside from the scenery, other fun elements for this wedding included a photo booth, DJ music until the wee hours of the morning and sparklers for the newlyweds’ exit.

Wedding Photography: Sara Richardson Photography / Wedding Venue: Huerta Los Tamarindos in Los Cabos, Mexico / Wedding Planning: Rachel Hansen of Infinity Weddings / Floral Design: Cabo Flowers & Cakes / Wedding Cinematography: Jorge Ibarra / Catering: Lazy Gourmet / Music: Victor Palma of MX Trio (624-126-9527) / DJ: DJ Ricardo Patino / Rentals: Diamante Rentals / Transportation: David Hernandez (624-154-2128) / Wedding Dress: Wtoo

Even though this adventurous couple booked their wedding a year and a half in advance, they were only allowed to coordinate with the hotel on wedding plans during the final two moths leading up to their big day! But they didn’t freak out and instead turned their last minute plans into a shopping adventure and sourced all the decor locally. And we totally love that! Brittanee Taylor Photography captured each and every meaningful moment and there’s a whole lot more right here in the full gallery!

Don’t miss the gorgeous film by Brittanee Taylor Photography:

From the Bride… Tim took me on a trip to his hometown, Seattle. One morning, we woke up early to explore the famous Pikes Place Market. After walking the market and getting breakfast and coffee, Tim took me to a park overlooking the Puget Sound, dropped to one knee, and asked me to marry him. Of course, I said yes! We wanted someplace that would be inaccessible by cell phone so we didn’t have to bring our blackberries., and we booked the destination venue about a year and a half ahead of time. We did small preparations throughout that time, but the hotel’s policy only allowed us to communicate with the planner during the last two months before the wedding! We went most of the planning phase without having any idea what was going on!

As far as special touches, I had two pieces of jewelry from my grandmothers that were incorporated into my bouquets. We made message in a bottle placeholders using Cabo San Lucas sand. Everyone could take their bottles home with a little bit of Cabo with them. We also bought 50 or 60 different glass cups from the local Mexican Walmart, filled these with Cabo sand and candles and used them to decorate the tables. It was fun going down there without knowing what we would find and making it work. It was a shopping adventure.

Wedding Photography: Brittanee Taylor Photography / Wedding Venue + Floral Design: RIU Palace Cabo San Lucas in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico / Wedding Cinematography: Andrew of Brittanee Taylor Photography / Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal / Sandals: Rainbow

Cabo del Sol is clearly to-die-drop-dead-gorgeous on its own, but SIGNATURE Event Consulting & Design managed to double the TDDDG factor with their midas touch. This Alvina Valenta clad bride takes it over the top with her stunning big day look, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that the groom is a sight for sore eyes. To add to the recipe behind this wedding location sweetness: Cabo just so happens to be the locale of this lovely couple’s engagement. If your eyes are in need of a vacay, be our guest and rest them on Amy Bennett Photography‘s stunning shots in the full gallery!

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/44220220 600 337]

From the Bride… Greg and I have a soft spot for Los Cabos — we just love it there! He proposed to me in Cabo last summer, and we knew we had to find a way to fit this place into our wedding plans. Shortly after our engagement, we did some research and found our amazing planners from Signature Mexico: Sarai and Martha. We scheduled a trip to meet them, and we immediately loved their styles and personalities. We were thrilled they 100% understood our wedding vision – a fun and “intimate” wedding weekend for 120 guests. These two ladies are amazing at what they do. I’m still in shock how they kept their cool during the whole process.

Our wedding weekend started on Thursday night. We had a very small group of people for dinner at Esperanza Resort, where Greg and I got engaged. On Friday night (the day before our wedding), we hosted a welcome reception for everyone. This gave us the opportunity to talk to all our friends, relax and have fun. The Hilton set up amazing food stations and desserts to die for – but Sarai and Martha added the finishing touches on the design and décor that made the night perfect! In fact, we scheduled the reception for two hours during the sunset, but since everybody was having so much fun, we had to extend it! For our wedding, we always dreamed about exchanging our vows in front of the ocean surrounded by all our friends and family, so we decided to marry in Cabo del Sol. We both come from very traditional families, so even though a traditional church wedding was a little more complicated, we wanted to make sure the reception was all about having a big party with our friends and family!

We loved our vendors. Planning a destination wedding can be sometimes challenging, so the ladies at Signature set us up with a list of amazing vendors who fit our tastes and expectations (the hair and makeup team made me and all the bridesmaids so happy, the flowers were so beautiful, the music during the reception was awesome, and all our friends were fascinated with our DJ). And last but not least, we wanted to make sure we documented our day with the best photographer in town, and that’s why we hired Amy Bennett. The photos are sweet and geniune, and she was able to tell a beautiful story in pictures. We loved her energy and how great she was with us and all our guests. We had the time of our lives. Cabo will always be a part of us and our relationship!

Wedding Photography: Amy Bennett Photography / Wedding Venue: Cabo del Sol in Los Cabos, Mexico / Wedding Design + Styling: SIGNATURE Event Consulting & Design / Floral Design: Pina Hernandez / Wedding Cinematography: Amy Bennett + Tomek Szott / Wedding Invitations: Smock / Programs + Menus: Shine Invitations / Music: Los Pulpos en su Tinta + DJ Ricardo / Wedding Dress: Alvina Valenta / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo + Badgley Mischka / Bride’s Jewelry: Mavilo / Bride’s Hair Fascinator: Joann J. of Abloom New York / Hair + Makeup: Suzanne Morel / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J.Crew / Groom’s Attire: John Varvatos

We have on our hands quite the Destination looker. It comes in the form of an AHMAZING film by the masterminds behind bubblerock studios. I’ll set the scene: Mexico, love, love and more love and maybe even a tequila tasting party. Intrigued? This is the recipe for the perfect destination nuptials crafted by the Bride (also the voice behind The Oceanside Bride) and Jacin from Lovely Little Details  and you, my dears, have a front row seat to all the festivities. Enjoy!

And before we bid adios, enjoy a few great shots from the Tequila tasting welcome party. Does that sound like a good time or what?

Click here for the FULL gallery!

From the bride (of The Oceanside Bride)… After ditching what became a headache of a plan to marry in southern California (we were planning it ourselves from Florida where we live), we decided to go destination all the way and head to the paradise location of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I would have thought planning within our own country would have been easier, but for us it didn’t work out that way.  After “meeting” Steph from Bubblerock Studios on Twitter and later being introduced to Jacin from Lovely Little Details, with less than four months to the big day, I was convinced I had to have both on my destination wedding dream team. It may sound like an oxymoron but our wedding vibe could be described as “Modern Vintage” and had a few reoccurring themes intertwined throughout, which included vintage doilies, an old school and new-age music-theme, and tributes to our beloved Boston Terrier who we had to leave back at home. We used the summer colors of gray, turquoise, coral, and cream to compliment the sandy, ocean, and mountainous landscape of Cabo.

In all, we had four additional suitcases filled to the brim with wedding day details! Most details were DIY or purchased from Etsy. We collected non-matching picture frames, which were later spray-painted silver, and instead of numbering the tables, we named them after some our favorite music artists. Tables were adorned with vintage doilies collected from antique shops, silver votives, and small medicine bottles filled with baby’s breath. My mom and I hand-stitched over 75 fabric flowers to put at each place setting and several more that were used for mother corsages and groomsmen boutonnieres. The cake topper was hand painted by me and made out of small wooden pieces which were little replicas of my groom, me and our fur baby. Instead of a guest book, we had Bella Puzzles create a custom puzzle for us in the shape of Mexico that we had all our guests sign on individual pieces.

Our best decision though was having Steph and Jacin there. From designing all the fun details of our tequila tasting to scouting out local Mexico-themed goodies for the out-of-town bags and coordinating the entire wedding day, Jacin was a dream come true. For the last four months before our wedding, I never had to worry about anything. She had so many great ideas and added the best personalized touches to our entire wedding weekend that had our guests raving. And Steph and Robin from Bubblerock — well, just watch one of their videos and you’ll be left speechless (and in tears!). We couldn’t feel luckier that they joined us in Cabo all the way from New Zealand to capture the beginning of our lives as husband and wife. And because Bubblerock documented all our wedding weekend events, friends and family who were not able to join us in Mexico have said they have been able to relive the celebration as though they were there.

Cinematography: Steph & Robin Killip of bubblerock studios / Venue: Dreams Los Cabos in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico / Tequila Tasting Photography: bubblerock studios / Wedding Day Photography: Fabian Espinosa / Styling + Planning – The Bride (of The Oceanside Bride) + Jacin from Lovely Little Details / Flowers: Lovely Little Details / Officiant: Reverend Marco Arechiga / Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal / Groom’s Suit: Hugo Boss / Wedding Invitation Design: Such Sweet Tierney

It just doesn’t get more luxurious than this Cabo San Lucas beach chic celebration designed by Yifat Oren & Associates and captured beautifully by Jonas Peterson. Each awe-inspiring image makes me feel like I am right there with this beautiful couple, toes in the sand and a margarita in hand.  And that dress? That picture perfect Vera Wang stunner that little girl’s dreams are made of? Well, the bride is giving it away to one oh so lucky bride through her site Beyond Yoga! Does it get any better than that! So be sure to enter, and don’t forget there is even more pretty in the full gallery of images!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Yifat Oren & Associates…Los Angeles tastemaker, daughter of legendary producer Peter Guber and creator of luxury lifestyle brand Beyond Yoga, Jodi Guber, wed Seth Brufsky, a Senior Partner at Ares Management, an alternative investment company, last December in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Yifat Oren, of Yifat Oren & Associates in Los Angeles, worked with Jodi on making her wedding an affair to remember. No stranger to unforgettably stunning events, Yifat’s high-profile clientele includes Reese Witherspoon, Mariska Hargitay, Jason Bateman and Kevin Costner – just to name a few!

The Los-Angeles based couple planned an enchanting ceremony and reception at The One & Only Palmilla, an oasis on the tip of the Baja Peninsula, were they celebrated with 98 of their closest friends and family. The couple and their guests all donned white for the truly breathtaking occasion, which infused color and vibrancy through décor details, bold flavors, Mexican fare and flare and a never-empty dance floor.

The rehearsal dinner took place on the beach, as did the couple’s magical ceremony. Jodi and Seths’ guests were greeted by a tequila tasting station and a buffet filled with authentic Mexican eats. Authentic fabrics from Puebla were used as colorful inspiration for the evening’s décor which was completed by Mexican flag swathed photobooths that bore the words “Jodi and Seth” and “Mazal Tov”.

For her ceremony, Jodi dreamed of something unexpected and mirage-esque, which Yifat illustrated by flanking the Chuppah’s surrounding areas with lace and organza flags. Traditional Mexican Aguas Frescas were served as guests arrived while being greeted by a band featuring traditional Mayan instruments, with the bride’s entrance announced with the blowing of a 2,000 year old conch shell. The Chuppah’s design was inspired by classic, European fashion – “it reminded me of Chanel, meets Lanvin meets Vivian Westwood,” the bride explained, “layers and layers of organza and lace with a Dupioni silk runner in white.” Jodi’s Vera Wang wedding gown continued in the same vein, layering dramatic tulle and organza fastened with a white silk sash for the ceremony and then a black one for the reception where Jodi and Seth made a dramatic entrance. A bed of rolling hot pink paved (the e needs and accent on it!) florals spilled on to the sand from underneath the Chuppah and served as the sole splash of color aside from the exceptional hues of the ocean at sunset. 

At the reception, dinner was served in the Palmilla’s Agua Restaurant, where guests dined on handmade appetizers amongst bold hot pink centerpieces of Cymbidium orchids in driftwood vessels and votive candles. Champagne linens covered each surface, with each place setting featuring a single succulent placed in the fold of a linen napkin with delicate croched scallloped edges. After dinner, dancing took place in the Agua Bar, where the DJ had guests on their feet late into the night. Custom lounge furniture created the sultry, nightlife vibe the couple and Yifat had envisioned for festivities and guests dined on a dessert buffet which included miniature authentic churros dipped in hot chocolate sauce.

Jodi could not have been happier with her romantic, intimate and joyous celebration. Now, with her Prince Charming and two beautiful step daughters, Caroline, 11 and Georgia, 8, she truly feels as though she has it all.

Jodi believes in paying it forward and has decided to give away her wedding dress in order to help create a ‘Beyond’ moment for someone else that was as meaningful and memory filled as hers was. Look gorgeous beyond your wildest dreams and enter for a chance to win this flawless Vera Wang wedding dress. All you have to do is share with us why you deserve this beyond amazing opportunity at Beyond Yoga.

Wedding Dress: Vera Wang / Wedding Photography: Jonas Peterson / Floral Design: Baura NY / Event Design + Production: Yifat Oren & Associates / Ceremony + Reception Location: The One & Only Palmilla / Invitations: Tiny Pine Press / Music: Patrick Belton of Dubgypsy / Rehearsal Dinner: Palmilla’s North Beach

This gorgeous Los Cabos soiree by Floataway Studios is what destination dreams are made of.  The breathtaking setting, the rustic meets organic vibe, the soft color palette of yellow and gray, the succulent-filled florals by Florenta Flower Design… There isn’t a moment of this charming affair that I don’t absolutely adore.  Not to mention the very (very) stunning bride and groom, who just so happen to fill each and every single photo with pure joy… and, trust me, you won’t be able to help, but smile.  So, join me in the gallery for all of the pretty and then stay tuned for even more lovely from Floataway Studios below!  (Hint: It’s an amazing film!)

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

As promised, we are sending you off into the weekend with one very fabulous film by Floataway Studios!  Enjoy!

From the Bride… After a whirlwind year together, Greg proposed and we began planning the most significant day of our lives thus far. With family spread out all over the globe, we quickly decided that a destination wedding was the best fit for us, and luckily came across the absolutely gorgeous Dreams Los Cabos Suites Golf Resort & Spa, in Los Cabos, Mexico. Dreams Los Cabos provided the perfect backdrop for our day: sweeping views of the Sea of Cortez from the garden ceremony location, an intimate pool reception, lots of palm trees and all the sunshine we could ask for!

One of the most important elements of our day was how it would be chronicled, and Greg & I felt quite blessed to come across Mary & Scott of Floataway Studios. They are both absolutely gifted in their respective fields (photography and videography), and made us feel absolutely comfortable in front of the lens. It is an amazing moment to look back at your photos and watch the most important moments of your day unfold. (The expression on Greg’s face as I walked down the aisle as captured by Mary, is something that I will absolutely cherish forever!)

When setting out the vision of what I wanted the day to look like, I tried to keep it as simple as possible: sunny yellow contrasted with sea glass, organic burlap fabrics, wood-grained paper details and reclaimed barn wood. One of my favorite decor elements of the wedding were the vintage glass beer bottles we used for flowers at the reception – I spent months hunting down those just-perfect blue-green colors until I had the perfect collection! We wanted a warm, rustic feel contrasted with the bright, airy-ness of the resort setting, and all of the small details came together beautifully. Another detail we felt necessary to incorporate was our shared love for Rob Ryan, the paper-cut artist. Greg surprised me earlier in the year with a Rob Ryan brooch that said “Our Adventure is About to Begin.” I wore it clipped to my bouquet. Our wedding programs featured a beautiful excerpt from Rob Ryan’s book “This Is For You” in tribute of Greg’s mother, who passed away in 2009, shortly before we met.  (I wear her wedding ring on my right hand.)

One element that was very important for me to incorporate was my Greek heritage. Going against the grain and not having a “big fat Greek wedding” was a first in our family, but I was determined to bring a little bit of Greek to Los Cabos! A fun tradition that occurs at Greek weddings is the “breaking of the bread.” This custom entails that the bride and groom fight over a large loaf of bread (Which was lovingly baked by my best friend and brought over from Toronto!), to win the larger piece. The person who succeeds in obtaining the larger half will ultimately “wear the pants” in the relationship and be the dominant decision maker. Coming from a long line of very strong-willed women, I was absolutely sure I would win! The photos tell the hilarious story – needless to say, I am a very poor loser!

After an evening filled with dancing, cocktails, and a lot of humidity, we surprised our guests by leading them down to the beach, and asking them to send a wish into the sky for us by lighting a floating lantern. Our guests were so surprised, and we had so much fun with our toes in the sand, watching the lanterns drift off into the night sky!

Wedding Photography + Videography: Floataway Studios / Wedding Location: Dreams Los Cabos Suites Golf Resort & Spa / Wedding Dress: Alvina Valenta / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bride’s Bracelet + Necklace (Day-After Session): Stella & Dot / Bride’s Veil: Paloma Blanca / Floral Design: Florenta Flower Design / Brooch Clipped to Bride’s Bouquet: Rob Ryan / Cake Topper: Lollipop Workshop / Hand-stitched Guest Book: Brooklyn Bookbinder / Just Married Burlap Banner: Victoria Station / Garter: Rosebud Lips / Groom + Groomsmen Attire: J.Crew / Bridesmaid Dresses: After Six / Wedding Program, Signage, Table Numbers, Seating Cards, Tags + Burlap Table Runners: The Bride / Bride’s Wedding Ring + Engagement Ring: Tacori / Bride’s Hair + Make-up: Neysa Berman of Blanc Salon

Oh, how I adore this stunning Los Cabos affair by Picsee Studio.  The breathtaking location, the amazing florals, the pretty orange, pink and brown hues… I am head over heels (and then some) for each and every darling detail.  And just when I thought it couldn’t get any better than all of this lovely, that beautiful gown literally knocked me off my feet with its very chic, very gorgeous self.  Swoon.  I can’t think of a better way to start the month of November than a day spent wrapped up in this fabulous soiree.  Join me in the gallery for even more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Picsee Studio… There are so many awesome images that we love, it was so hard to choose only a few! Jennifer and I were there to capture the entire wedding event from start to finish!  We began by eating dinner with the whole wedding party when we arrived on Thursday, next was the beach and rehearsal on Friday, the big day was on Saturday and we finished up with Matt & Tara’s ”afterglow” session on Monday.

The ceremony was cliff-side so you could see the beach on one side and the mountain on the other, and the clouds were perfectly placed in the sky for awesome evening light!  The reception was so much fun – the wedding party was introduced and then danced to thriller – oh yeah!  The food was GREAT and the dancing was hilarious!  Matt and Tara, Gouges and Lorencens, we cannot thank you enough for allowing us to be a part of this special event and we are OH so excited for you to see everything from this beautiful weekend!

Wedding Photography: Picsee Studio / Hair + Make-up: Suzanne Morel of Suzanne Morel Face and Body Care / Wedding Location, Design + Planning: Cabo del Sol Golf Course and Resort / Bridesmaid Dresses: Forever Yours International / Wedding Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas / Musicians: Violetta Poletek (Violinist)

I thought I was okay with the arrival of Fall, but this charming Los Cabos wedding by AMY DeYOUNG photographer has me missing summer in a big, big way.  Yes, I think a vacation to Mexico might be in order now that I have laid my eyes upon each and every fabulous detail of this magical affair, including beautiful orchid-filled blooms by Mazarte Floral, a breathtaking gown and one insanely gorgeous location.  Seriously, does it get any more stunning than this?  I’ll most definitely be spending my day in the gallery, just dreaming away.  Join me there for even more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From AMY DeYOUNG photographer… This destination wedding took place at the One and Only Palmilla, Los Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  Vanessa and Reid knew early on they wanted to marry one another.  Their first Thanksgiving together was spent with Vanessa’s family in Cabo. The night of Thanksgiving dinner, Reid stayed around after everyone had left the table to talk with Vanessa’s father.  He asked Vanessa’s father for her hand in marriage.  He said yes and even though Reid had not yet asked Vanessa, in the Colombian culture, this is when the engagement begins and is considered official.  So Vanessa’s family started celebrating!

When Vanessa and Reid returned from Cabo, Vanessa traveled with her mom and sister to New York City to go Christmas shopping.  While in NY, her mom and sister convinced her to try on some wedding dresses at the Pronovias flagship store, which happened to be across the street from their hotel.  Vanessa felt a little awkward since Reid had not yet officially asked her to marry him.  She was convinced to go and the third dress she tried on was THE ONE.  Vanessa admits to feeling embarrassed because they kept asking about wedding details and she didn’t even have a ring yet.  Not to worry…

The day after Vanessa returned from NYC, Reid asked for her hand in marriage.  They decided they wanted to be married in Cabo because that is where Reid asked Vanessa’s father and they absolutely love spending time there.  The location of the One and Only was chosen simply because nothing else compares. It is stunning!  They welcomed family and friends as they celebrated at the One and Only.  The ceremony took place in the chapel on the grounds.  Vanessa was escorted in on a horse drawn carriage, the same one that Reid and Vanessa would exit on as Mr. and Mrs.  The party included live music, spectacular food, and lots of dancing.  Such an amazing event!

Wedding Photography: AMY DeYOUNG photographer / Wedding Location: One and Only Palmilla / Wedding Coordinator: Martha Huerta, One and Only Palmilla / Flowers: Mazarte Floral, Martha Zarate Pimentel / Catering, Cakes + Horse and Carriage: One and Only Palmilla / Drapery, Furniture, Lighting + Plates and Chargers: Oxten, Patricia Portugal / Linens: Myrna Special Events / Wedding Dress: Pronovias / Groom’s Tuxedo: Perry Ellis via Dillard’s / Bridesmaid Dresses: Nicole Miller / Bride’s Shoes: Cole Haan / Bridal Jewelry: Vanessa’s “Something Borrowed” / Wedding Ring: De Beers

This Cabo San Lucas wedding is fun, fun, fun in the sun!  bow tie & bustle event design + styling went all out for this vibrant beach bash.  The colors are just delightful and the details extraordinary from the ribbon decor found everywhere from the ceremony aisle to the chairs to the desserts.  There is absolutely nothing bland or boring about this affair and you can see all the excitement in the full gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From bow tie & bustle event design + styling…Vanessa and Tony are every wedding creatives dream couple. They are hilariously witty, beyond genuine, incredibly gorgeous, super intelligent and have a love for each other that just oozes from their fingertips. They were married this past April in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico at Cabo Surf Hotel. Cabo Surf offered the most glorious backdrop to their day, complete with a beach ceremony, palm trees, and tropical cocktails.

One thing that is unique to Tony and Vanessa is that they are both doctors, spending gobs of times as working professionals (we’re talking 100’s of hours each week at the hospital), with their love story actually beginning in medical school. Therefore, I felt it imperative to include medical details throughout their wedding day design to speak to their medical backgrounds.  In addition, many of the details throughout the day were inspired by Vanessa’s love for wine and their time spent together vacationing in Napa.

Since Vanessa and Tony were interested in having an intimate beach affair we used one long banquet table to create a “family style” atmosphere at their reception. Antique medicine bottles, including ones with distressed and worn prescription labels were used to create vignettes across the reception table. The bottles were sporadically tied with twine and buttons and placed amongst various vintage pieces including little clocks, amber-colored glass, ceramic pots and wine bottles. Pops of color were added to the centerpieces with flag bunting, curly paper flags, succulents and romantic florals. A 27-foot burlap table runner gave the reception an organic feel and each place setting was accented with calligraphy place cards in cork stands, individual scalloped menus and succulents. Antique stethoscopes were hung from the sides of their chairs and strands of textured ribbon were tied to the back, with orange striped pillows to complete the look. Shredded pages of a vintage Grey’s Anatomy medical book were placed in their “message in a bottle” invitations, as well as in the base of the cake stand, and also sporadically in vases on their reception table. I added a variety of florals to the vases and bottles the morning of the wedding to create a romantic and whimsical vibe. Succulents were a necessity to Vanessa so they took center stage in the design and were used generously throughout the day, including at each place setting, amongst the centerpieces, on the dessert table and also in the bouquets.

The ceremony was held on the beach, with an ivory satin covered canopy tied with burlap ribbon standing as the focal point of the ceremony. The aisle was lined with various colored wine bottles inspired by sea glass and Vanessa’s love of wine. Curly paper flags were added to the bottles for a pop of color. Vanessa and Tony did not want a traditional wedding cake but instead opted for a dessert table…yippee! Whoopie pies, mini fruit tartlets, brownies, cheesecakes and key lime pies accented their miniature wedding cake. More curly flags were used to highlight each little dessert, and hand marbled paper was used to create name cards for each of the desserts. The marbled paper was also used to hold together their invitation scrolls and as the tags for their welcome bags. The cake was finished off with fabric flag bunting, a butterfly and a tiny silver mountain bike (Vanessa means “butterfly” and Tony is an avid mountain biker).  Guests signed square pieces of fabric with well wishes, intended to be sewn together as a lasting memento for the couple. Paper flag bunting finished off the edges of the guest book and dessert tables.

Event Design, Styling, Floral Concept + Coordination: bow tie & bustle event design + styling / Wedding Photography: Mo Hines Photography / Flowers: Mazarte Florals / Calligraphy: Letters By Ellen / Venue, Catering + Make-up: Cabo Surf Hotel / Paper Goods + Invitations: bow tie & bustle event design + styling / Bride’s Hair: Mandi Rhodes / Wedding Dress: Jim Hjelm / Wedding Cake + Desserts: Cabo Surf Hotel

I think I just decided to have my wedding in Los Cabos.  Yep, all it took was one look at this stunning affair by Gary & Courtney Photography and my decision was made… A Los Cabos wedding is most definitely in my future.  And if it is even one tenth the fabulous that this soiree is, then I think we can call it a good day, because this fête is all kinds of awesome, complete with crazy gorgeous florals by Pina Hernandez, a beautiful color palette, a breathtaking wedding gown and my new favorite shoes.  And don’t even get me started on the calligraphy by 2 Hearts B 1 Designs.  Swoon.  All designed and planned by the amazing Sarai Flores of SIGNATURE, Event Consulting and Design, I simply can not get enough of all of this pretty.  Join me in the gallery for even more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride… Soon after our engagement we took a vacation to Los Cabos, Mexico and instantly fell in love with the breathtaking beaches and vivid cultural. After that trip we came home envisioning a wedding that was intimate, romantic and an amazing experience for our guests. We were inspired by the bright sky, blue ocean and Mexican tiles, which lead to a blue mosaic tile theme throughout the wedding. I worked closely with Heidi Jimenez of Zenadia Design on our invitation suite and printed materials to feature patterns with different shades of blue, which conveyed the feeling of Mexico without being too beachy. Style Me Pretty also inspired many of our DIY projects and décor. I was truly smitten with all the stylish floral arrangements and gorgeous details featured on the blog.  We incorporated luggage tag save-the-dates, ribbon wands, a Just Married banner, Novio and Novia signs and canvas welcome bags filled with beach towels, passport holders and local Mexican treats.

I often received advice that you have to really like your wedding planner and photographers, because they are going to be around you the whole day. We were lucky enough to actually love ours! Hiring Sarai Flores of SIGNATURE Event Consulting and Design, was one of our first and best decisions! I knew you lose a lot of control when planning a destination wedding and that we would need great partners. We immediately feel in love with Sarai’s calm nature and European style, and knew that we could completely trust her. Sarai really went above and beyond to ensure our vision was executed flawlessly and that we were able to relax and enjoy every second of the wedding.  When my Aunt introduced us to husband and wife photography team, Gary and Courtney Christenson, we were blown away with their creativity and talent. They have such fun-loving personalities and an amazing passion for travel, which really proved that they were the ideal photographers for us.  Not only did they document the entire weekend in Cabo, but Gary and Courtney genuinely listened and cared about our ideas, and we had a blast along the way!

It had always been a priority for us to be married in a church and be united as husband and wife with God. Throughout our engagement I even converted to Catholicism, so I could fully participate in the mass. We loved the romantic and historic features of the Mision de San Jose del Cabo, located in an artistic downtown area. Many of our family and friends had important roles in the traditional ceremony and we were so filled with emotion as we joined in the sacrament of marriage. We wanted the reception to resemble an intimate, alfresco dinner party complete with delicious cuisine and impeccable service. We subtly paired the intricate club house with our blue mosaic details and crisp white for a sophisticated look.  From the “Ants Marching” introduction, to my uncle’s heartfelt blessing and humorous toasts, paired with all night dancing and cigar smoking, the night truly amazed us! Our wedding day was such an incredible celebration. Javier and I are so fortunate to have created many beautiful memories with our family and friends that we will treasure forever!

Wedding Photography: Gary & Courtney Photography / Event Design + Planning: Sarai Flores of SIGNATURE, Event Consulting and Design / Wedding Ceremony Location: Mission of San Jose del Cabo / Wedding Reception Location: Cabo del Sol / Floral Design: Pina Hernandez / Invitations + Stationery: Zenadia Design / Calligraphy: 2 Hearts B 1 Designs / Wedding Cake: Jennifer Hatton of The Dessert Diva / Wedding Dress: Judd Waddell / Bride’s Shoes: Nine West / Bride’s Sash + Brooch: Erin Cole / Bride’s Bracelet: J.Crew / Hair + Make-up: Suzanne Morel / Groom’s Suit: Ermenegildo Zenga

Altura Studio always, always, always sends us some really swoon-inducing events. Today is absolutely no exception. They were lucky enough to “work” from the beach on Cabo San Lucas for this affair, and I’m pretty sure the ocean-adjacent, piñata-toting, s’more roasting affair was less work and much more swoon worthy play. The laid back and beautiful couple seems so in love, so relaxed, and oh-so-happy. All things you would hope a fantastic locale like Cabo San Lucas would warrant. Click here for more of this beach party on Altura’s blog!

Click here to see the full image gallery!

From Altura Studio … Scott and Zoe’s destination wedding was a celebration of connection, relationship, and relaxation for the couple and about 50 of their dearest friends and family. The Sheraton Hacienda del Mar in Cabo San Lucas was the setting for three days of celebration in the early Spring of this year.

A petite pinata motif appeared throughout this wedding. Guests received their invitations hidden inside a the tiny paper burro. Apparently, some of their friends took a while to realize that a wedding invitation was tucked inside. The same motif graced gift bags awaiting each guest in their hotel room.

I’m not sure which was more fun: the barefoot-in-the-sand rehearsal dinner, or the elegant, oceanfront reception. Beautiful details graced both events, including a romantic beach bonfire at the conclusion of the rehearsal dinner.

Beside being wildly charming, Zoe and Scott are both smart and thoughtful. Theirs was the first wedding where I had heard Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey referenced in the couples vows. Their wedding weekend was a fitting tribute to the affection and connection they feel towards one another and to their dearest friends.

Photography: Altura Studio / Event Planning & Design: Kenia Quiroz & Brenda Unzueta, Beso Weddings / Ceremony Location: Sheraton Hacienda del Mar / Reception Location: Sheraton Hacienda del Mar / Bride’s Gown: “Abigail” by Caroline De Villo, Haute Bride | San Francisco

Have you ever seen so much cuteness packed into one wedding before?  This adorable Cabo affair from Constance Curtis Events definitely brought it in the completely and utterly darling department!  There are so many sweet details from the yellow and white straws to the coordinating bouquets and milk glass centerpieces. The awesome, hand-painted maraca favors/escort cards might be the big winner in my eyes but they are followed closely by the ribbon-clad ceremony decor and reception chairs.  Click here to see the full gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Constance Curtis Events…Duncan and Rebecca Lavery got married in Cabo San Lucas on June 4th, 2011 at the Sheraton Hacienda Del Mar Resort and Spa. Duncan is from New Zealand and Rebecca is from the States, so choosing Mexico as their destination wedding location, fit perfect, 3 countries uniting!

Unique ceremony elements included custom picados and flags with their names and wedding date. Hand painted maracas with guests names were used as escort cards. They also had a mariachi band at the ceremony and cocktail hour. Their colors were grey, white and yellow.

At the reception area, custom made coasters, made and flown in from New Zealand were given to each guest. Instead of a cake cutting, they did a churro and dessert bar! And instead of a champagne toast, they did a tequila toast!
There was also a photo booth full of festive props including sombreros and tequila bottles.

Unique elements of the rehearsal dinner included a tortilla making station and a fortune teller bird. Guests would say their name, the bird would come out of its cage and grab a hand paper fortune for guests to read!

Event Coordination + Design: Constance Curtis Events / Wedding Photography: Aaron Young Photography / Location: Sheraton Hacienda Del Mar Resort and Spa / Wedding Videographer: Photo Andrik / Floral Design: Elena Damy Floral Design / Hair + Make-up: Blanc Salon / Rentals: Del Cabo Event Design / Wedding Invitations + Printed Items: Mintwich Design

Cabos wowbos!  Can you really go wrong with romantic nuptials on the sandy shores of Los Cabos?  I think not.  Add oodles of details full of color and merriment, an amazing Melissa Sweet gown and vibrant photography by Nakai Photography and you have one babelicious Baja beauty!  Click here to see even more in the full gallery!

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… We knew from the beginning that we wanted a small destination wedding. We own a customized catering company and work really hard to create events and weddings all over the Chicagoland area- for us, having a wedding here was just another Saturday night at work. We needed to think very outside the box…outside the country!

The start of the planning was pretty painless. I am not much of a “researcher.” I like to make decisions and I don’t spend a whole lot of time dwelling or shopping around. I googled “Cabo wedding planner,” clicked on the first result (or maybe it was the name I liked best), gave Baja Weddings a call and it was done and done! Jenny was amazing- she helped us narrow down the best locations for us from a few thousand miles away. We went to Cabo for 3 days on a mission to find out where all of this bliss would happen. Immediately, we both were impressed by Cabo. I had never seen such a landscape in my life- mountains, ocean, desert, cacti, palm trees. Just beautiful scenery. Jenny drove us around ALL DAY- looking at hotels, restaurants, resorts, and nothing was calling our names. Then, she said, “Please just check out this golf club right before I drop you back off.” And there was Cabo Del Sol, calling, screaming, our names. It was absolutely perfect and just what we wanted. Beautiful, open air space with incredible Mexican architecture and decor. It was perched up on a hill overlooking the ocean, but the ceremony would be a little golf cart drive down to the beach. It was perfect!

I truly feel like planning our wedding was so fun. It wasn’t all totally easy and I had a lot of really helpful opinions from my sisters, friends and mom. My wedding planner Jenny seemed to really ‘get’ me and my style. When you have a destination wedding, by nature, you are giving up a lot of control. I really didn’t want to get so crazed over the details, so being far away, you are forced to trust. We had spent months developing a relationship with Jenny and I was so happy to have someone who knew my vision planning my wedding. Until she called me two months before the wedding to let me know she would be leaving Cabo and returning to the states. Dum dum dummmmmmm. She assured me that Roxanne, who would be taking over for her, was great. Great would be an understatement. She was absolutely incredible. Although she serendipitously became part of our wedding, she quite deliberately helped us create the most special day of our lives.

The ceremony was MAGIC. Driving down to the beach with my dad all ready to walk down the aisle was the most emotional moment for me. I knew everyone was down there waiting for me, that Vaido and I were about to see each other and that I was about to WALK DOWN THE AISLE on my wedding day. Unreal. As my dad and I started walking, he squeezed my arm and with a cracked voice said “I love you.” I have heard him say I love you every time we talk, but I have never heard him say it like this. It was such a special moment that I will cherish forever.  Our ceremony was perfect. Most of what I remember was staring into my Vaido’s eyes and feeling the warm sun on my face. I kept turning around to everyone and smiling just so they knew I was happy they were all there sitting behind us. Our kiss. The best. Right when we kissed, a surprise mariachi band that snuck up on the hill behind everyone started playing “Son de la Negra,” a traditional Mexican song. It was so fun to walk back down the aisle, everyone throwing rose petals on us, to the live mariachi band and even more fun that no one knew it was coming! It really made it feel like it was time to fiesta.

Our incredibly talented photographer, Kenny Nakai, knew that I felt pretty strongly about not having many formal posed photos taken. Our parents are both divorced and remarried, so making sure all the combinations of family had photos would have taken forever. The great part about having such an amazing photographer is that I didn’t worry for one minute if there would be good photos. He has a vision no one else could imagine and is able to capture moments you could never plan or anticipate.

The reception is so cool- just a big party that you planned for all of your favorite people to enjoy! I love white linens and I’m kind of a less is more when it comes to table decor, so we kept it pretty simple. The dining room at Cabo del Sol is beautiful and I didn’t want to take away from that in any way. The centerpieces were pretty simple too, a beautiful mix of succulents and cymbidium orchids flooded with candles. Our five-course meal was sprinkled with the most lovely toasts and speeches that of course made everyone laugh and cry. We were then invited to the outside bar and dance floor where the band began playing. We had a Cuban cigar table that Roxanne set up and I loved that even my girlfriends were puffing away. The reception was exactly what I had hoped for: lots of laughter, champagne, dancing, sweating, great music, and memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Everyone had So. Much. Fun.

I think the key to truly enjoying your destination wedding is to get lost in the moment of it, trust the people that are putting it together fully and don’t worry when things don’t go as planned. Isn’t the whole point of wanting everything perfect so that you can enjoy this day? Let it be magical and it will be magical!

Wedding Photography: Nakai Photography / Wedding Coordination: Roxanne of Baja Weddings / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Venue: Cabo Del Sol / Makeup: Suzanne Morel Spa / Flowers: Cabo Flowers / Band: Déjà Vu / Wedding Dress: Melissa Sweet / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bride’s Earrings: Ippolita / Groom’s Suit: Express / Groom’s Tie: Saks Fifth Avenue / Groom’s Cufflinks: Banana Republic / Groom’s Shirt: Armani / Groom’s Shoes: Aldo

Get ready to soak up some fabulous Cabo San Lucas gorgeousness. The bride = gorgeous. The styling (the majority of it also being DIY) = gorgeous. The images from The Youngrens = gorgeous. The stunning Cabo back drop = gorgeous. Seriously, so.much.gorgeous to be had, and lucky for all of us the full gallery of images is oozing with even more.

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… To have a destination wedding was an easy road for us with no arm-twisting needed. We had originally planned on having a large wedding in Los Angeles, but with both sides of our family being spread out all over the country planning such a large affair turned out to be…not so much fun. After one overwhelmingly long night of vendor searching and location finding we jokingly said, “Lets just get married on a beach somewhere.” It only took one look to know we both agreed and into Google search we went. Esperanza Resort of Auberge Resorts in Cabo San Lucas was the first location we found and we knew it was the one; a week long vacation with people we love and adore like crazy was exactly the kind of wedding we wanted.

As crazy as it sounds for a type A like myself, we never even visited the resort before getting married. Our gut instinct was so strong and the reputation of Auberge Resorts is so wonderful we just knew it was perfect in every single way. Once we decided on the location my inspiration for a theme was based on the resort itself. My favorite colors are cobalt blue, sunflower yellow and off white and that tied in perfectly with the resort decor. Since the wedding location also happened to be cliff side overlooking the gorgeous Sea of Cortez, I knew that nautical-seaside-romance was exactly what our wedding would be. It took no time at all for all the details to start falling into place.

I might have been a tad over confident in the beginning about planning a wedding in another country, but I knew I wanted to be my own wedding planner. I was smitten with so many ideas and I also knew the image I had in my head was something only I could create. I also mean create literally because about 70% of the wedding was DIY. I’m happy to say I managed it all and lived to tell about it, but it was far trickier then I imagined! The first projects were creating our save the dates and the passport covers that we sent out with them, which were hand stamped with “All You need is Love” on the bottom of each one. Josh’s family had never traveled out of the country and this was an extra special touch that they really enjoyed. We sent the bridal party some cute (and tasty!) cookies in the shape of a dress with “Will you be in my bridal party?” written in icing. It was a fun and cute way to ask people!

The dinner and reception decor was not only my biggest challenge, but it was also the most fun because I had to be incredibly creative with customs. I knew I wanted to create a lot of the details myself but with the restrictions of what and how much you could send through customs it was incredibly stressful. I can guarantee I did not sleep much until I knew my shipment had made it to the resort safe and sound. Someone referred to me as a “customs ninja” and it’s a title I will proudly wear because it was tricky! Another obstacle was the flowers we could use for the ceremony and reception.  With the intense humidity, real flowers were out of the question. My vision for the centerpieces was manzanita trees with blossoms and crystals, but to import real manzanita to the florist was incredibly difficult through customs. I opted for very realistic (though faux) manzanita trees and decorated them with crepe paper flowers I bought on Etsy and hanging crystals with candles. As I set it up on the morning of the wedding it looked better then I could have ever imagined. At the last moment before we left I wanted to be sure to have table numbers for easy guest seating. I hand made moss numbers and hung them from the trees on the tables and it worked perfectly.

Looking back on the entire wedding day it seems like a daydream though there were some very real moments I’m especially thankful for. The genuine amount of love, care and immense appreciation we had for everyone there was thick in the air and it lent to the feel of our entire wedding. I will never forget the intimate moment with my Mom seeing me in my dress for the very first time and helping me into it. When she handed me my bouquet she had adorned it with my Great Grandmother’s wedding ring and a sweet note that my Great Grandmother wrote before she passed, all tied off in her favorite scarf. I felt flooded with love and warmth like she was there with us. We also had a special tribute to a very young woman and my dear friend, Alicia, who had very recently lost her fight with cancer. During the reception we played a song Ali and I always used to sing together. To see and feel everyone I love gather in one big circle and sing “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond at the top of their lungs through laughter and tears was magical and touched me so deeply. It’s a moment I will never forget.

Most importantly, however, we have our amazing photographers, Jeff and Erin Youngren, to thank for a lot of our favorite moments.  Not only did they capture every smile, look, and tear of the entire week as our photographers, but as our friends they made us feel so loved and comfortable that we never even noticed the cameras.  The moments they so lovingly guided us into were magical.  I know Josh and I will never forget when we first talked to Jeff and Erin on the phone. They called us in the middle of their amazing vacation in Thailand just to talk to us about our wedding. As we carried on a call from two opposite sides of the world, we felt like we were catching up with two people we had known all of our lives. As the call was ending, I looked at Josh and we had the biggest, cheesiest smiles on our faces and we knew Jeff and Erin were not only going to be our photographers, but lifelong friends and mentors as well. The last thing I said to them that evening was ” We would love for you to come to our wedding as our friends who just happen to have really nice cameras, not as vendors.” That’s exactly what they did and who they were and we know our wedding would not be half of what it was without Jeff and Erin being the people they are. They are such a gift and any couple that finds them behind the lens on their most important day is absolutely blessed.

We could only have planned our wedding day so far in our heads and the actual event far surpassed anything I could have imagined. We wanted our wedding to be about love and spending all the time in the world with those you care about and for people to feel that. They say all you need is love, and we got that and so much more.

Wedding Photography: The Youngrens / Flowers: Los Cabos Flowers / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Esperanza Resort / Bride’s Shoes: Grazia (Valentine) / Dress: J.Crew / Hair & Makeup: Suzanne Morel / Event Design & Planning: The Bride / Bridesmaid Shoes: Grazia (Tiffany) / Bridesmaid Dresses: Amanda Archer / Wedding Invitations: Two Yellow Shoes / Dinner Thank You Cards: A Graphic Artist / Wedding Clutch: Kiu Designs / Rice Paper Candles: Blossom / Mr. & Mrs. Forks: Beach House Living / Crepe Paper Flowers: Treasured Editions / Moss Numbers & Manzanita Trees: Kate ‘n Kylie / Groom & Groomsmen Attire: Banana Republic + Tommy Bahama / Planning and Coordination: Katie Rebecca Events

We’ve got a feeling that today is going to be a really, really good day on Style Me Pretty. Our favorite photographer extraordinaire, Jose Villa, has sent TWO blissful weddings our way and our jaws literally had to be picked up off the ground when we first laid eyes on the goods. So grab a comfy seat, hunker down and prepare for a full day of JOSE.

First up is a dreamy destination wedding held on the beaches of Los Barriles, Mexico. The bride (who happens to be one of our favorite fashion and design bloggers) took a classic, less is more approach to all the gorgeous details and they couldn’t be a more perfect mix with the sunny locale and Jose Villa’s eye for the best photographs. Plus, we are major suckers for a great pair of sparkly shoes. Be sure to stop by the gallery for more of the good stuff and we’ll be back in a bit with another heartbreakingly beautiful day. Seriously, does it get any better?

there is eve more of this drop dead gorgeous affair right here!

It’s often said girls spend their lives dreaming about their wedding. Well, if that’s true, I guess I broke the mold. I barely given a single thought to what I’d want my wedding to be like until I found myself staring at my (then) boyfriend on bended knee proposing (at homeplate of my favorite team the Seattle Mariners no less). Amazingly, everything fell into place very quickly though. We knew we wanted simple, low key and meaningful with side of warm, beach and tequila thrown in for good measure! A family-favorite getaway destination in Mexico proved to be the perfect spot for what turned out to be a truly perfect day (and I can still say it was perfect despite power outages, no running water and crazy wind!). Among immediate family and our closet friends, we exchanged vows, ate the most amazing food and threw a party I know we, and I hope our guests, will never forget.

To plan, I pulled in every resource I could think of – I would have been completely lost without the world of wedding blogs like SMP – to plan a long distance wedding, in a remote location, in country who’s language I do not speak! I had help from so many amazing people, my brother the Spanish-translator, destination planning extraordinaire Alison Hotchkiss of Alison Events, uber-talented Etsy designers, my dearest girlfriends, my invitation designers and of course my beloved photographer extraordinaire, Jose Villa, who captured everything more beautifully than I ever could have hoped. For the girl who’d never put a lot of thought into weddings, the whole process turned out better than I ever might have dreamed.

Photography: Jose Villa / Invitation suite: Brown Sugar Design / Calligraphy: Grace Edmands and menus by Primele on Etsy / Gift bags, signs and other decor: All DIY / Wedding Dress: Robert Bullock / Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Jewelry: Badgley Mischka / Hair & Make-up: Self + girlfriends / Pompoms: Party Poms on Etsy / Napkins: Country Life Naturals on Etsy / Catering: Local Baja restaurant Campestre Trini / Location: Casa Baha Sonadora Los Barriles, Mexico / Ring Bowls: Paloma’s Nest

It looks like sunny skies are on the agenda for this weekend (at least in Southern California) so we are going to get your appetites whet with a sunny Mexico wedding that didn’t leave the glamour at the door despite the beachy surroundings. The bride’s dress is seriously to die for and the pops of orange are the perfect compliment to this Mexico extravaganza. Anna Kuperberg was the phenom behind the lense and she photographed a ton of gorgeous for us to drool over. So thoughtful of her! And don’t forget, there are loads of pretty images in the gallery if you are yearning for more of this Cabo soiree.

{click here for the FULL wedding gallery}

Having spent many wonderful vacations at my mom’s house in Cabo, especially the trip when Michael proposed, madeCabo San Lucas an easy choice for our wedding location.  Since the beginning of our engagement we both agreed that we wanted our wedding to be small and intimate, attended by only those who were most important to us.

Being the hopeless romantic that i am, I wanted to make our wedding as romantic and timeless as possible starting with lace envelopes for the invitations all the way to the ceremony itself. I wanted to convey a feeling of being in an early 1900’s Mexico Hacienda: truly lost in time. The venue where we had our ceremony and reception, El Dorado Golf and Beach club, was a perfect fit. The club had a beautiful beach for the ceremony accentuated by a tangerine rose covered chupa, a grassy area on top of a hill overlooking the ocean for our cocktail hour and a traditional Mexican courtyard filled with candles, flowers and lights with a balcony for the acoustic guitarist to play music during the dinner reception. It was a night filled with amazing food and drinks, fireworks, great company and lots of dancing! We celebrated until 2:30 a.m.! The late night taco stand was a perfect way to end the night.

Photography: Anna Kuperberg / Venue: El Dorado, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico / Flowers: Cabo Flowers / Rentals: Lazy Gourmet / Cakes and Cupcakes: Sweet Dreams / Makeup: Senza Salon and Spa / Hair: Velinda / Band and DJ: Cabo Max / Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Paper Goods: Izzy Girl / Bridesmaid Dresses: Jim Hjelm / Videographer: Angel Zapien

As you are all aware by now, we are saluting the Little Black Book Cinematographers who were named by Event DV as the hottest and most influential filmmakers in the wedding world! Whether relative newbie’s or seasoned veterans at filmmaking, these guys have impacted their industry in an oh-so-awesome way and caught the attention of not only the couples they serve, but that of their fellow-cinematographers.

This year, Event DV started something new. In addition to naming the Top 25, they also recognized 25 additional event cinematographers that deserve a shout out for the excellence of their art. Again, we’re so pleased to say that many of our Little Black Book cinematographers were listed in this group as well!

First up in this group are our friends, Julie & Alex at Elysium Productions.

A brief story about us: Alex and I started Elysium when our own wedding video turned out horrible. By horrible, I mean there is stock footage of a beach sunset included (and I should mention that we weren’t anywhere NEAR the ocean on our wedding day), loads of cheesy effects and animations, and it was just plain too long and unwatchable. Even though neither of us had touched a camera professionally (or edited) we knew this was something we could do and do well. We had a gut instinct so we bought gear and trained ourselves! Now ten years later we are even more passionate about making very watchable cinematic films for our distinguished couples. We have to pinch ourselves daily because we are so lucky to be doing what we are doing!

We are located in Orange County, CA but travel the world often to provide our unique style to distinguished couples with exquisite taste. This year we are hitting almost every continent and couldn’t be happier working with amazing couples every week!

This film is really special to us. Christie & Andrew weren’t going to hire an event filmmaker at all – but then they saw one of our films and decided to go for it. We put together a contract and the next thing I knew, we were on a plane and headed to the beautiful One & Only Palmilla in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I never met the couple since they live in NYC and we are on the west coast, but it was really clear when we met at their rehearsal dinner how in love these two are. Their whole event was incredible from start to finish and we not only had a great time, but felt really special to be involved and honored to film this amazing love story. Below is a short trailer of their day with more to come later!

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Elysium Productions

View Portfolio

If I could transport myself to one place right this very second…it would probably be to this rehearsal dinner. It’s blissful. Beyond blissful. And I am insanely jealous of the lucky bride and groom that got to call it their own. Designed by Alison Events and photographed by Anna Kuperberg, this gorgeous Cabo rehearsal dinner just might be one of the prettiest “weddings” I’ve ever seen!

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

I know, right? A girl can dream. Oh it gets better…listen to some of these details. Traditional hand woven Mexican linens, mariachis personalized for each guest, a rooster pinata, a mariachi band and get this…a shoe valet!! Crazy amazing. Thanks Alison!