Mexico Weddings

It is so very fun to get to pour over gorgeous weddings day in and day out. I seriously love my job. But what is even more fun is when one of those weddings happens to be someone near and dear and this wedding is just that. Not only is it so very cute and filled with Mexico goodness but it also is celebrating the love of my friend Erin and her husband Damien. These two are so sweet and have such a great love story, I am more than elated to get to share their special day with you readers. They celebrated in style at a gorgeous villa overlooking the beach and it was all captured by the lovely Michelle Turner. I know they say what happens in Mexico, stays in Mexico but not this time. These images are meant to be shared. Enjoy and congrats Mr. and Mrs. Vanderburg! We wish you a lifetime of happiness.

{click here for more from this gorgeous fiesta}

Damien and I met on a sunny Sunday afternoon at a quaint San Diego outdoor cafe, called Cafe 976. I was reading and love the sun, so i kept moving tables to stay out of the shade. As the hours passed by, i moved about 5 tables, always moving towards Damien. After several hours, his was the only table left in the sun, and Damien asked me to join him…

Our coordinator incorporated this into our wedding night by transforming one of the rooms in the villa and recreating Cafe 976 as a flaming coffee bar that entertained guests with amazing tricks and delicious, intoxicating coffee drinks.
A few years later Damien secretly brought both of our families to San Diego. While I was under the impression he and I were on our way to see a matinee showing of “Fiddler on the Roof” we popped in for a quick lunch on another beautiful Sunday afternoon, back at the same cafe, same table and you know what happens next…There was no lunch or show, just a bouquet of hidden flowers and our families waiting at our favorite restaurant right next door where we began our celebration!

My mom and I flew down to Puerto Vallarta and met with Kristin from the Dazzling Details.  We checked out several villas but I immediatly fell in love with Villa Celeste.  Damien is a surfer and I knew he wanted to get married on the beach, I am a traveler who loves culture, so this villa was perfect! Cobblestone streets, tile roof, beautiful beach, it was perfect!
As guests arrived to the beach they took their shoes off and were greeted with mojitos while a spanish guitarist played. I really liked the idea of our friends and family surrounding us during the ceremony, so we had seats set up in a circle, it was so intimate, we were able to make eye contact with everyone there…so special! Our close friend performed the ceremony. One friend read the Dr. Seuss poem “Oh the Places You’ll Go” and another played the ukelele during our family filled sand ceremony with sands from 4 different beaches poured by 12 of us, again…so special! Incorporating the mexican Lasso tradition, our moms placed a lasso around the two of us to signify our unity and unconditional love. When the ceremony was over we set up a foot bath to rinse off before heading up to the villa at the end of a quaint cobblestone street.

Living in San Diego, we crossed the boarder to Tijuana often for a fun afternoon of tacos and margaritas.  One of my favorite memories of doing this was taking a picture with one of the donkeys set up for us tourist.  I  thought it was only natural to have a donkey make an appearance at our wedding. And what better way to spend the cocktail hour? We had guests take their picture with the donkey and then we printed them out on a portable printer, popped them in cute frames and had them on the tables at brunch the next morning for guests to take home with them.  Everyone had sooooo much fun! And the pictures turned out great! We had a marimba player to provide music while guests sipped cocktail, and munched on hourdurves.  It was such a great way to start a FUN wedding! Damien choose his favorite surf spots as table names.  During the cake cutting we surprised guests with a huge, beautiful fireworks display. Overall it was more of a wedding than we could have ever dreamed of!

Photography: Michelle Turner / Venue: Villa Celeste / Wedding Coordination: The Dazzling Details / Wedding Dress: Mikaella / Makeup: Alexis Jensen / Invitations: Erin Ever After /

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

All I can say about this next wedding is…beam me up, Scotty. It’s perfection on the beach which is the BEST kind of perfection there is, with this simple and yet totally chic style that I have fallen hard for. Photographed by Jillian Mitchell and styled by Puerto Vallarta based designer Mishka Designs, this wedding is pure bliss. Click here to see lots more details.

Click here to see more fabulous details!

This is the wedding of Sara Walker and Nic Santana, styled by a fabulous up and coming wedding designer in Puerto Vallarta, Mishka Designs. Sara sent Mishka this quote for her design description, “Overall, we like earth tones or white with a pop of color. Simplicity, romantic, chic, natural – style , not ornate – style, no sea shells or day of the dead, but like the vibrant colors of Mexican textiles.”

Every piece of design you see was handmade by Mishka and her family (the other half of her business) except for the Star lights. Those she had shipped from Hawaii because it was the only place she could find the exact colors that Sarah wanted! Her husband made all of the wood block table names with the lights in them and her brother-in-law all of the ‘amor’ candle holders. Mishka had wanted traditional Mexican textiles for the pillows, but couldn’t find any within the wedding’s budget so she decided to make her own out of traditional style Mexican dresses that they sell in Vallarta. All of the fans are handmade by Mishka and her team as well. She had the flowers for the bouquet and boutonnieres flown in from Holland and the cake was kind of a fluke. At the last minute there was a decision to put flowers on it and Mishka stepped up. It came out gorgeous!

Photography: Jillian Mitchell Photography / Flowers: Mishka Designs / Event Design: Mishka Designs / Event Planning: Kerry Moehler Weddings / Pre-Ceremony Location: Casa Teitiare (Teitiare House) / Ceremony Location: Playa Carrecitos (Carrecitos Beach) / Reception Location: Brisa del Mar Palapa / Catering: Naef Cuisine

The color scheme, the mariachis, the beautiful couple – Olé! This Puerto Vallarta beauty of a wedding is a destination wedding dream. Try, just try, to look at these gorgeous images from Elizabeth Lloyd Photography and not accidentally reach for one of the mouthwatering margaritas. The color palette and vibe of this vivacious wedding immediately put me in vacation mode. And really, what better mode is there? Wedding mode? I agree, and luckily we get both with this fabulous affair. … xoxo ~ (the other) Abby from Life in the Super Burbs. Be sure to check out the gallery for the full fiesta.

{check out all the colorful photos in the gallery}

From the lovely bride:

On our first trip to Puerto Vallarta, we saw a destination wedding and immediately knew that we wanted a similar affair!  Two years later, after a quick 7 month engagement, we returned to Puerto Vallarta  with family and friends in tow, to be married.

Our vision for our wedding was a unique, intimate, colorful, and most importantly fun event.  Step one was picking the venue and Terra Noble Spa, nestled high up in the hills behind the city, was perfect.   A unique blend of interesting architecture, colorful foliage, amazing views and intimate spaces created the perfect backdrop for our bright pink and orange themed event.  Entertainment came in the form of a mariachi band for cocktail hour, a trio of fire dancers, and finally a DJ who kept the group on their feet until late.  My favorite details included the flowers, the lighting of the venue with candles, the amazing sunset views, and the comfortable and plentiful intimate seating areas that gave guests a place to rest their tired feet.

We were overwhelmed with the final product and I credit Hector and Priscilla of Prisar Events for that.  I was very involved in the planning and wanted to weigh in on all of the details; however, the end result was so much better than what I’d pieced together in my head thanks to their hard work!

Vendors: Photographer: Elizabeth Lloyd of Elizabeth Lloyd Photography /Planners: Hector and Priscilla of Prisar Events / Venue: Terra Noble Spa

We have a dreamy destination wedding from LBB Members, John and Theresa at Altura Studio, today. Just two months ago, Jennifer and Brian invited their closest friends and family to Zihautanjo, Mexico to share in the intimate weekend celebration of their wedding. Like SO many couples, they were torn between a smaller destination wedding or a larger local wedding. The gorgeous bride tells us all about it …

click here to see more photos

Jennifer says, We chose a destination wedding for a number of reasons. One of the main reasons was that we had heard from so many people who had recently been married about how their day was a blur or didn’t feel that they had the opportunity to really connect with people at their wedding.

We felt this was a natural way to keep it intimate and knew that only our closest friends and family would attend. We were right. We got a vacation and real connection with many of the people that we love most in the world. And many people came away with friendships they didn’t have before which was such a treat for us.

A destination wedding gave us a fun instant theme to weave into our wedding weekend. We were married in Mexico at Hotels Las Palms and had such a great time planning the decor ~ from day of the dead invitations, candy and favors for the welcome dinner and wedding to pinatas for the reception and maracas. Additionally we researched Mexican traditions and wove that into our ceremony.

Lastly we chose it because of cost. Although we probably spent the same amount of money that we would have spent had we had a larger wedding at home. An intimate destination wedding enabled us to really treat our guests that were able to attend well. We were able to subsidize trips for a few people who wouldn’t have otherwise been able to afford it, we included every guest in an entire weekend of events from a welcome dinner to the wedding day activities and a day after brunch. This made it so very special and enabled people to really get to know each other and share more fully in the experience.

There isn’t much that I would do differently, I would just say that if you have a destination wedding, you have to be prepared that there may be a few people that are important to you that can’t make it. If that happens, I suggest video taping it! We didn’t think we cared about that and when it turned out so amazing, we wish that we had captured it so that we could share it with loved ones who missed it and also have it for ourselves.”

Thanks SO much to Jennifer and Brian for sharing your day and our sincere Congratulations!!

To see and hear more about their destination beach-side wedding to Zihautanjo,Mexico, take a look at Altura Studio’s blog feature or the SMP photo gallery of their images.

We recently featured another of Altura Studio’s terrific weddings ~ Yohanna & Craig’s snowy Oregon mountain-top wedding at Silcox Hut.  And to see more of Altura Studio’s terrific work, check out their super blog, Aisle Style! They also have great examples of how the completed albums will look, another

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

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I know I cry wolf a lot on SMP. It seems like every wedding is my very favorite wedding. Ever. But I swear, this time it’s true. At the very least, it’s some of the most beautiful photography I have ever seen. Images that seem more like art than wedding photographs. Kate Webber is the genius behind the lens and I am so beyond thrilled that she chose SMP to debut this gorgeous (and very intimate) wedding. Click here to see lots more.

{click here to see the full, totally off the charts gorgeous wedding}

Milton and I were neighbors. We would see each other in passing and then one warm day he approached me and offered to help me carry bags from my car. After that fated encounter we secretly went out of our way to bump into each other and after our first date, we’ve been inseparable ever since. Milton surprised me when he proposed in Venezuela with his family present an hour after the stroke of midnight on New Years Eve.  We knew that our wedding would be nontraditional because getting both of our  families together in one place just wasn’t possible – distance was a major factor. So we got creative and came up with a perfect solution for us– after a very special legal ceremony in our hometown, with my family present,  we flew to Mexico and had our beautiful wedding ceremony ~ just the two of us!  It was incredibly intimate and so very perfect for us!  We waited until this special moment to exchange rings and handwritten vows.

Once we decided that we were going to forgo a traditional wedding in the US with guests, we started looking all over the world for a dream destination. Since a big wedding was out, we could splurge on a luxurious location just about anywhere. We searched the web and travel magazines and somehow stumbled upon Cuixmala in Costalegre, Jalisco, Mexico. It was exactly what we had in mind – secluded, private, luxurious, tropical, and stunningly beautiful.  We love the ocean, nature, wildlife, delicious food, art and architecture.  Cuixmala had it all and in every way it exceeded our expectations.  The property is stunningly diverse. The large estate has fields of zebras and antelopes, palm trees and organic gardens, miles of raw beach with crashing waves, small secluded bays with calm and breathtaking beaches.  It is amazing and made our wedding celebration extraordinary.

Finding just the right artist to capture such a special time for us was so important to us!  Kate Webber, our wedding photographer was a dream come true!  Initially, I had hesitations about having a photographer from the U.S. come to Mexico with us because we didn’t even have family coming, but it was THE best decision!  Kate is so incredibly sweet, not to mention astonishingly talented!  She was like a bridesmaid to me (I’m so grateful) and her photographs continue to blow us away! She captured the textures, warmth, colors, and beauty of Cuixmala and the tenderness and joy of our wedding perfectly.

Our ceremony was romantic!  I walked down a sweeping staircase from the top of the bluff, where La Loma, the mansion is, to Milton on the beach.  We wrote our own vows and read them to each other for the first time after reciting the more traditional vows.  Those words of love and commitment will be with us forever.  Our vows are uniquely ours.  We kept crying tears of joy and actually kissed spontaneously before the “you can kiss the bride” moment.

Maria, the Public Relations Manager at Cuixmala, handled the coordination for the flowers and other on-site details since we did not have a coordinator. I really trusted that they would be wonderful.  The staff at Cuixmala, especially Maria, could not have done more for us.  They tended to every detail and made our wedding extraordinary!

I chose to wear a dress that had a perfectly simple, timeless, destination wedding elegance.  Milton’s light gray suit and black tie, also carried through his clean, modern but classic style and fit in appropriately with the location.

It’s hard to even pick out the best moment of the day.  It really was magical. The very best moments though were our ceremony and the moments just after.  The joy in promising forever to each other and celebrating our union is just unspeakable  joy!  The second best moment was when Milton walked in to see me in my dress—the look in his eyes…I just knew that he was full of amazing love for me!

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Thank you so much to Kate Webber for sharing this gem with us. To see more of Kate’s work, check out her fabulous blog!

Okay, kids. If you weren’t already jealous of the insanely gorgeous weddings we’ve been featuring today…you will be after this. And I mean really jealous. Green with seaside envy. Had I known this wedding was happening, I would have literally BEGGED the bride to invite me. Photographed by J. Cogliandro, this wedding is TOTAL bliss. Click here to see the whole shebang.

{click here to see the full wedding}

Sandy and Eddy’s wedding was a true day of paradise – 84 degrees, sun shining, a perfect breeze. We knew this wedding had to be picture perfect as Sandy, one of our most active Facebook fans and a wonderful bride, wrote us after nearly every wedding this past fall stating, “This is my NEW favorite! I love it!” After about four new favorite weddings, all of which were entirely different, she had us really pondering her wedding and design for hours and hours on end. She wanted a palette of blush colors – creams, whites, pale pinks but also loves a pop of color! She loves flowers – and really wanted bougainvillea incorporated; She wanted a touch of something tropical, and she wanted to surprise Eddy with a special mojito-related something in honor of his favorite drink! So…. without further adieu, this is what we came up with for Sandy’s wedding (oh yeah, Eddy’s wedding too!)

The ceremony took place on the garden overlooking the ocean. Pomanders hung from wrought iron hooks along the sides of the ceremony, and bougainvillea covered the top of the ceremony gazebo where the bride and groom stood to exchange vows! I always love the guest gasps and comments as rose petals are being sprinkled on an aisle. I think the intoxication of the lovely aroma makes them giddy!

Design by Dazzling Details / Photography by J Cogliandro Photography

Ohhh Mexico, your beaches sound simply divine right about now. You know what else is divine – why this little nugget of goodness from Sabine Scherer of course. For some reason, I am completely obsessed with lace dresses on sandy beaches and this bride rocks it ever so beautifully.  Get ready kiddos because this pretty parade is about to get started and you might be yearning for margaritas and yummy tacos when all is said and done. More you say? Click on the gallery for the full wedding fiesta.

{Click here for even more Mexico goodness}

Geoff and I both love old world Mexico.  We wanted our wedding to be small, intimate, elegant and on the beach.  We wanted to invite a small group of our family and very close friends, so we could spend several days with them. We selected this lovely historic fishing village, which has become a 5-star resort destination while maintaining a quaint authentic Mexican feel. We chose The Tides Resort, which is set on a private beach, just off Playa La Ropa on Zihuatanejo Bay. The staff was wonderful in assisting me to plan and design the wedding of our dreams.  Since most of our guests live in North American cold climate cities, most of them planned a 5-7 day vacation. We organized many fun events, including a candle-lit beach barbeque welcome event at the resort, golfing and a private fishing trip.  After our rehearsal on the beach, we took a private bus out to the main dock in Zihuatanejo to board our 80’ catamaran for a sunset cocktail cruise.  We then walked the historic village to our rehearsal dinner, held at a very traditional old world Mexican restaurant.  It was magical!

I wanted the beautiful tropical surroundings to be the focal point, so I kept our wedding attire neutral.  The guys were in beige cotton suits and white linen shirts.  The girls were in champagne cocktail dresses.  Our flowers were white and green orchids and lilies.  My dress was Monique Lhuillier, layers of thick ivory lace, modern, but still reminiscent of old world Mexico.  My jewelry was custom designed by my friend, Anna Sheffield.  She took my mother’s green peridot pendant and reworked it, along with two other peridot stones to make my drop earrings.  She also made my one-of-a-kind art deco pave diamond wedding ring.

In designing the wedding ceremony, cocktail reception, dinner and beach lounge, I wanted to create an intimate and comfortable environment, bringing the inside outdoors.  Instead of chairs, we used comfy cushioned benches at the ceremony.  Accompanied by our Mariachi band, we walked down the beach to our cocktail reception and dinner.   Our dinner environment was an outdoor veranda, adjacent to our candle and paper lantern-lit beach lounge and dance floor.  Orange floral arrangements and lots of candles adorned each table, along with hand-made menus and individual green orchids.  Our red wine for the dinner was a very special jeroboam (double magnum bottle) we special ordered and once empty, used for our guest registry.  Each guest wrote a short note with a gold metallic paint pen.  We now have it displayed in our dining room.

As our guests finished dinner and our custom Tres Leches wedding cake, we made our way down to the beach lounge for our first dance (to Jason Mraz “Lucky”).  We had a shoe valet for guests to check their shoes, to go barefoot on the beach and dance the night away. The after-party was designed as a cocktail lounge on the beach, using teak benches with cushions and pillows, end tables, paper lanterns, glass hurricanes and a fire pit. A local cigar expert rolled custom cigars and we gave our guests traditional terracotta tequila cups for our wonderful sipping tequila!  Then the staff brought out our custom piñata filled with local candies, for the smaller guests.  A very good ending to our amazing wedding was traditional Mexican coffee and churros for everyone! Salud!!

Photographer: Sabine Scherer / Venue: The Tides Zihuatanejo / Wedding Planning and Design: (The Bride) Suz Maxwell LLC / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Shoes: Guiseppi Zanotti / Jewelry: Anna Sheffield / Groom’s Suit: Canali

Let’s hear if for all you “yellow” brides!  I have to say, yellow accented weddings are a particular fave in my books.  They’re sunny, vibrant and cheery.  Just like this Mexico destination wedding photographed by Tec Petaja. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Tec’s photography, you’re in for a treat.  Tec is an artist with a knack for capturing every. little. detail. And Lindsay and Campbell’s wedding is the perfect combination of beachy elegance and DIY cuteness.  But a warning, there is some definite subliminal messaging behind these pictures below.  I came away thinking: Must book a trip to Mexico. Must get a glass of lemonade. The latter is sadly the more realistic and affordable option for me.  Humph. Click here to see TONS more fantastic images.

(click here to see the full wedding by Tec Petaja}

Our bride, Lindsay tells the tale of how their day came to be:

Campbell is from Australia, I’m from Colorado, and we met and live in New York City. Any destination we picked for our wedding was going to be a trek for a number of our guests, so we decided on neutral territory in Sayulita, Mexico…kind of sort of in the middle!

Our theme was casual beach organic. We loved the idea of a happy, natural style wedding that celebrated our Mexico location in subtle ways, but that wasn’t the dominate theme of the day. We used a Mexican folk art heart Milagro as the “hook” on everything from the invitations to a hand stamped version on our welcome letters, muslin favor bags, and homemade banana bread send off gifts bags.

Lemon yellow was our main color as it expressed the happiness of the occasion as well as the bright and sunny beach location. We achieved an organic feel through Kraft paper printed materials, barnyard wooden frames, muslin favor bags and burlap table runners.

We loved planning our wedding, and spent many weekends together in our 250 square foot New York City apartment working on multiple DIY projects. And through the process, I’ve come to realize that perhaps Campbell, an accountant may be more creative than me, a marketer!

DIY Projects:

• Table numbers and signage
• Hand stamped wood guest seating cards
• Hand stamped muslin favor bags/place card tags
• Mexican tile magnet favors
• Homemade banana bread send off gifts (courtesy of the groom’s mother)
• Personalized canvas welcome totes and welcome letters

The day was perfect, and there is not one thing we would have changed about it. What we loved most was seeing our friends, from all parts of the world, come together during the course of the wedding week to form new friendships. We had a few side romances, and I think there will be some Americans visiting Australia soon!

Thank you Lindsay and congrats!

xoxo Chantale from La Belle Bride

Wedding Coordinator and Design: Marweddings /Venue: Villa del Oso – Sayulita, Mexico / Wedding Dress: Nicole Miller / Shoes: Manolo Blahnik / Bridesmaid Dress: Banana Republic and J Crew / Groom’s Suite: Ralph Lauren / Caterer: Naef Cuisine / Invitations: Dizzy Wizzy Design / Florist: Detalles de Lujo / Entertainment: Guitarists: Zoe and Alfredo from Mango Trio Cuban Band: Sabor a Cuba / Bridal Hair flower: Oh My Deer / Photography: Tec Petaja

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!

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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!

I always get excited when people ask me to speak at various events. It’s always an awesome experience, as you get to meet such great people, connect with some of the brightest industry folks and of course, shmooze with readers! But this time, if it’s possible, I am even MORE excited than usual. I am bursting at the seams actually.

This upcoming November 7th thru the 11th, 2010 Tait and I will be packing it up and heading to Ahualulco del Mercado, Mexico to speak at one of JOSE VILLA’s photography workshops! How freaking cool is that! So, not only do we get to see what goes on behind these incredible workshops , we are thinking we might even pick up a few photography tips of our own from Jose Villa..who just happens to be the best! And we would love nothing more than to see you there!

So here are the deets…

Date: November 07-11, 2010

Location: Hacienda El Carmen, In Ahualulco del Mercado, Jalisco, Mexico about 45 min. north of Guadalajara, Mexico Workshops

Website: Jose Villa Workshop Website

Guest Speakers: Style Me Pretty (Yours Truly) / Jill La Fleur (Wedding planner to the stars) / Karina Puente (Inspirational Speaker and Painter) and Joel Serrato Films (incredible cinematographer and filmmaker)

And speaking of Joel Serrato (who we are equally as obsessed with and SO excited to meet), he sent us an amazing little vignette of a past workshop so that you can see the magic for yourself!

jose villa mexico workshop 09 from joel serrato on Vimeo.

So for all of the seasoned and not so seasoned photographers out there…now is your chance to learn from the best in the biz. You will of course learn all about composition, about lighting, about the art behind the photography. But you’ll also get insider tips and instructions on how to book destination weddings, how to develop your portfolio, how to submit to magazines and blogs, how to develop relationships with area vendors so that you can promote each other and SO much more. Seriously so much more.

And all from a photographer that has been published in every major magazine, has seen about a million weddings of his own right here on SMP, has recently been named one of the top 10 photographers IN THE WORLD. If you want to have a future in photography or you simply want to hone your skills and spend some QT with people who have the passion and the drive to have build an incredible business…this is your chance!

I know I sound like such a salesman but it’s only because I believe SO much in what Jose is doing and truly think that the knowledge you will get from one of these is invaluable. But hurry, they always fill up fast! Have I convinced you yet?

If you are still swooning over the emerald beauty, fear not. I have a ton more eye candy for you. This wedding is bursting at the seams with personality and the colors; oh the colors. I am almost ready to book a ticket to Mexico on the spot. Suzie Q of Q Weddings did such an amazing job of capturing the essence of this day. The pictures really need no introduction.

A few more details about the big day:

After a locally grown Mexican dinner under the stars, Farra changed into a traditional mexican skirt given to her by her mother in law and the party really began. Guests gathered around the bonfire and danced, danced, danced the night away to mariachi music before sending the couple off on a romantic honeymoon in Saulilito, Mexico. You can see even more great details from this destination wedding weekend on Q Weddings blog.

Vendors:

Venue: Hotel Desconocido / Photography: Suzi Q of Q Weddings / Wedding Dress: Gucci / Invitation Design:  Jonna Isaac / Invitation Letterpress: Quality Letterpress / Videography: Randy Stubbs-Silver Star Enterprises

SO excited to introduce Erin to you. Erin is the voice behind one of my all time favorite blogs (which you have to check out if you don’t already obsess over it) Erin Ever After. It’s this great little fairy tale of goodness where she calls things “lovelies” and “pretties” and uses words like “liggity love, love, lovin.” So you know she is a girl after my own heart. Erin is our newest contributor and she is coming out of the gates with one of the most gorgeous weddings EVER.

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Where oh where do you start with a wedding like this?  With the fabulous jade colored Gucci dress perhaps?  That is some serious drool worthy fashion.  But that is just the tip of the iceberg for this vibrant affair.  The couple is charming, the locale exotic and the details are impeccable.  Farra and Juan managed to have a gorgeous destination wedding in Mexico full of personal touches while letting the beauty of their surroundings really shine through.  Q Weddings was the photographer behind the day and captured all of the pretty, pretty action.  Now enough chatting, lets feast our eyes on some lovelies, shall we?

A few details about the weekend…

Farra and Juan were married at Hotelito Desconocido, an eco-resort 60 miles south of Puerto Vallarta. Forty-four of their closest family and friends gathered for a three day extravaganza that included world class yoga, rowing, swimming, lounging in hammocks and nightly bonfires on the beach. Did I mention the fresh fish and locally grown food? Sign me up.

This magical place is like a little rustic gem where candles are the only light and time slows down.  This offered the perfect backdrop for Farra and Juan.  When planning their destination wedding, two things were certain. One, Farra knew she wasn’t a white dress kind of bride (thus entered Gucci) and second, they wanted to have a ceremony that truly reflected their personalities and beliefs and included all of their loved ones. The couple had not one, but two ceremonies. A traditional ceremony officiated by their best friend started off the festivities followed by  nuptials involving Native American customs. A beautiful sunset followed suit where the guests were serenaded by a local band. Up next, even more vibrant details from this gorgeous fiesta.

Yet again…Lisa Vorce of Oh How Charming!, Aaron Delesie and the florist behind the event, Mindy Rice, have completely blown me away. This elopement is just about the prettiest thing that we’ve ever seen…and I say “we” because I made my husband come over and look at it for inspiration (renewal of vows, hint, hint). Thank you so very much to all three of you for inspiring us to no end!

More from Lisa…

Their ceremony was held in the Hacienda’s chapel which has the most amazing view of the city, the cathedral, and the ocean. It is extraordinary. Our dear Mindy Rice did THE most fabulous petal treatment in the chapel and stunning altar arrangements. For dinner — we scoped out a private corner and created a fabric draped entrance to a gorgeous table for two! Muy caliente! Tabella created a ruffled table linen with coordinating ruffled napkins and chair cushions. For dessert — we surprised Kara and Ray with a gorgeous dessert display and two wedding cakes!

The elopement was beyond romantic and Kara and Ray were such troopers. They had no idea what we were planning, and they enjoyed every second of it. I always love the way Aaron captures our events – but this one in particular made my heart melt. So, so gorgeous!

There is something blissfully romantic about an elopement. Although I can’t say that I’d ever do it, I looooove reading about couples that threw caution to the wind, hopped on a plane and celebrated their wedding completely alone. It’s right out of a movie really.

Well, this one…is basically as beautiful as you can possibly imagine. Planned by Lisa Vorce, it’s completely delicious. Oh and the photographs…Aaron Delesie. GORGEOUS.

From Lisa…

We immediately locked in The Hacienda San Angel in Puerto Vallarta as the venue. It is a small boutique hotel and it is beyond romantic. It is one of my favorite places on the planet. Upon Kara and Ray’s arrival – we had a beautiful welcome gift waiting for them with traditional Mexican sweets and a gorgeous bottle of Tequila.  Xandra from XYZ Ink did all of calligraphy for the event including the gorgeous note in the welcome gift.

SWOON. So much more to come!

I think that this might be the first elopement that we’ve ever featured on SMP! And, it’s a pretty drop-dead-gorgeous elopement at that! Lisa Vorce of Oh How Charming! is the designer behind this amazing spread and Aaron Delesie is the photographer. It’s a Lisa + Aaron kind of day here and I am SO glad that they have agreed to share all of this gorgeousness.

All my weddings hold a dear place in my heart — but this one is extra special!! I was working in my studio one day and received a phone call from a potential client named Kara. She told me that she and her fiance were going to elope. All she really wanted was for me to design a special “table for two” for her elopement. I got so excited about being involved in an elopement and the thought of designing one very special table — that I kind of went a little out of control. I wanted to design the entire wedding!

I knew of the perfect little romantic hacienda in Mexico for Kara and Ray — and knew my amazing team would be on board to rock out an elopement (and not just a table for two!). I told Kara my thoughts and she was delighted! From that moment on — she let me do my thing and said “I trust you”. (Music to my ears!)

We have a few more absolutely gorgeous photographs and details that the fabulous Margaret Singer sent over for today’s featured affair. An affair that seems to just get better and better, doesn’t it?

From Margaret…The wedding ceremony and reception took place at the Hotel Antigua Villa Santa Monica, a boutique hotel with 14 rooms converted from a monastery built in the 1400’s. The couple knew they wanted the wedding events to take place outside and this venue provided multiple settings for the ceremony and reception. The outdoor pool provided the perfect backdrop for a garden ceremony and cocktail hour. The reception was held in the open-air courtyard of the hacienda.

This could be my new favorite wedding. Thank you so much to Margaret for sending our way. We LOVE your work and can’t wait to see what else you have up your sleeve. If you haven’t already, spend some time on Margaret’s site. It’s absolutely incredible.

Margaret Singer always sends me the best weddings. Each one is so unique and yet so incredible vibrant.  Remember Chris and Todd’s intimate ceremony and chic reception on the beach? Well today’s featured affair is just as lovely, just as fun!

LOVE the colors, love the festive, fun environment. Most of all, love the bride and groom that look like they are having a really great time. Just as it should be. So much more on the way!

The best part about today’s featured wedding is the couple. Hands down one of the most gorgeous and fun loving couples we’ve ever featured, full of spunk and personality, not afraid to let loose and really enjoy their affair!

The bride is rocking a Pronovias gown and the groom is in a Mark Shale custom suit. Here are a few more wedding details from Margaret Singer, the photographer behind this gorgeous wedding…

Guests were greeted at the hotel prior to the ceremony with traditional Mexican drinks, Jamaica water and horchata. After the ceremony the couple was escorted into the pool-side cocktail hour by a ten piece mariachi band. A traditional “tequila donkey” roamed the courtyard providing tequila shots for guests from custom made porcelain shot glasses. Table cards were tied to tin Mexican stars which each guest took to find their tables aptly numbered in Spanish. At the tables guests were given a bag of Mexican wedding cookies. A surprise fireworks display and taco cart at midnight was the perfect send-off and conclusion to this modern Mexican wedding.

Ahhh, swooning. I SO wish that I was at this wedding. It’s just so full of life, it looks like a complete and total party. We have lots more on the way so stay tuned!