Mexico Weddings

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Al Fresco

From The Bride…Melissa Fuller, Little Black Book wedding photographer and her husband Josh, immediately fell in love with the vibe of Sayulita, Mexico after a long bout of indecision of where to host their very own wedding. “There is a slowness to the days in the charming town, situated just outside of Puerto Vallarta. When visiting you spend your days in a salty wash, getting in and out of the slow breaking longboard wave, shopping the beautiful local art, and eating fresh fish tacos,” writes the bride whose heart was an easy win.

When deciding what to do for our own wedding, the answers came easily once we established our theme. I’m not talking about colors and decor…I’m talking about the feel. And the theme we chose was literally marooning our closest friends and family in a tropical place and having the most wild free party we could manifest. We ended up making decisions on everything from that mantra. The next order of business was deciding how much tequila we needed to buy!

Pulling from the town, Josh and Mel decided to go with a neutral and white palette. With a destination wedding you are limited by the amount of things you can bring on an airplane. Writes Melissa, “One thing that was safe was knowing that white, cream and stone would all compliment the already beautiful gardens at the venue. We also wanted our guests to arrive and feel as if they had been taken away to a retreat. Guests were asked to wear white and shades of neutrals. I designed a tipi to serve as a natural wood cathedral that was built buy the local palapa builders and embellished by family with rope chandlers that I created. It was stunning. For decor, I spent my evenings leading up to the wedding doing a lot of DIY macrame and twine making with a cup of wine in hand. I knew that I could make a lot of twine flags and later make decisions about where they should go and just string them up around the property. All of the decorations fit into one large suitcase!”

They leaned heavy on their friends and family whose contributions came together, culminating in what become an epic party. One of their favorite memories is sitting in a beach house the day before the wedding with their friend, The Whooligan, covered in sand sipping on beers while putting together the playlist for the wedding at the final hour. “It all just came together like that. You do as much as you can before, but it was the moments of everyone coming together and splitting up into little groups for little adventures that we will always remember. We threw songs out there, cracked jokes, and got pumped for the big day laughing at each other’s suggestions. It was the best!” they share.

The couple also owns a company making re-useable stainless steel cups and being environmentally conscious is high on their list of priorities. They served a mix of specialty cocktails, hibiscus margaritas, local beer, and aqua fresca from the cups which doubled as gifts for their guests. Guests were also given wood veneer etched artwork from the folks at 5 Points Collective that matched a screen print the couple used in lieu of a traditional guestbook. “I wanted something that I would want out at our house not something that would tucked away and never be seen again and for our guests to take home something that wouldn’t end up in the trash or their nic-nacs drawer,” writes Melissa who found the artists while window shopping in Venice one day. The message on the print, “See the Unseen, Be the Unbeen,” was perfect and the art couldn’t have looked more like a scene from Sayulita.

Melissa used Squarespace to design the wedding website which aided in relaying ever-changing travel and accommodation information to their guests. She used the images on the home gallery page to tell people what they needed to know about the feel of the days to come. “It ended up being a huge success, one of my favorite pages I created was an RSVP page where I populated an image of our guests after they said they were coming. People had a lot of fun watching familiar faces pop up and it helped build the anticipation of the wedding and get folks to know each other who might not have met yet.”

For fare, Mel and Josh kept it simple and delicious. Everyone loves tacos. After the ceremony and before sunset guests milled the beach eating a mix of tamales, ham and pineapple tacos pastor, wood fired pizza and late night churros. To counteract the effects of the tequila bar they had a stack of fresh coconuts with straws prepped to keep partygoers hydrated.

It got sweaty, shirtless, and barefoot. “It was f*%#ing awesome!!” summarizes Josh who doesn’t dice his words.

We would like to say a huge thanks to the people who came together for our lives and this event. Laura Austin, Frank Harrington, John Lucarelli, Miguel the man with the plan, their parents and families, and Trev and Amanda, their friends who turned their Thanksgiving break into a wedding scouting mission. JJ & the folks at Pizzeria Rustica where they had their rehearsal dinner. To the talented Meghan Minillo for her lovely signage. And to Johannes and Anne who created a home so beautiful beyond imagination that our wildest wedding dreams came true.

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Vibrant + Romantic Mexico Destination Wedding

This isn’t your average run-of-the-mill wedding—it’s a fiesta. With some of the coolest bridesmaids’ dresses ever, authentic touches from the little town of Sayulita (tin stars, bright flowers, maracas and vibrant textiles) and the ultimate beachside setting, it’s clear this wedding was unforgettable, so enjoy each moment planned by The Dazzling Details and captured by Jillian Mitchell in THE VAULT.

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Beach Weddings Outdoor Weddings

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Classic Weddings

From The Bride…Jimmy and I feel in love with the beautiful little beach town of Sayulita, Mexico on our first romantic trip together as a couple. Two years later he proposed to me there during a New Years trip, so we clearly knew there was no other place in the World that we’d rather get married. During our visits I became obsessed with the vibe of the town, the people, all the beautiful and fashionable local shops and restaurants, and the many vibrant colors decorating the streets. So when planning our wedding, Sayulita itself had a huge impact on my inspiration. The Dazzling Details did an amazing job of capturing exactly what I envisioned for florals and decor. My bouquet and tablescapes reflected the bright colors I wanted but nothing too over the top, and just enough to add to the already beautiful scenery. We really wanted to let the beauty of the venue and beach speak for itself, so keeping it minimal was something we really tried to do. One piece of decor that I became totally obsessed with during our visits were these little tin stars that are used in the decor everywhere. I wanted to be sure to incorporate these in our wedding somehow and decided it would be perfect to have them hanging off the back of the alter… and it ended up looking great! Johann, the owner of the venue was amazing making sure every little detail was perfect for us. Small details aside, we really just wanted everyone to wear their party pants, have a good time, and fall in love with Sayulita just like we did.

We couldn’t be happier with the vendors we choose. I took a lot of time researching and making sure I picked vendors that seemed to be a good fit, and it all worked out wonderfully! Investing in our photographer was very important to us, and Jillian Mitchell gave us killer photographs that we will cherish forever. We also happened upon our venue two years prior to our wedding just walking down a secluded beach and stumbling on this incredible house sitting on the cliff. The next year, when we got engaged in Sayulita, we walked by the same property and this time there was a little sign out front that said ‘Teitiare Estate’. I took a photo of it, researched it when I got home, and lucky for us they had just started doing weddings! It was an absolutely dream of a venue, and to be honest, I wish I lived there!

There are so many favorite moments of our wedding day, its hard to narrow it down to just one. But for me, it would have to be the ceremony. Walking down the aisle with both of my parents to the love of my life, with “shes got a way” playing on acoustic guitar was a moment I will never forget *insert tears*. And standing up there with my best friends by my side and many other amazing friends and family watching from the crowd. There was a moment when Jimmy was reading his vows and you could hear the crashing of the waves and feel the ocean breeze. Right then, I made conscience point to be present in that one moment, as I knew the rest of the day was going to fly by. I looked up and saw tears in many our friends and families eyes, and it meant so much to know everyone present was there to celebrate us and our love. It was such an unforgettable day and I couldn’t be happier! We just hope everyone had as good of a time as we did, and we can never thank our loved ones enough for being apart of our day.

If I could give any advice it would be to take every moment in because the day flies by in the blink of an eye, it really does! From the moment you wake up try not to rush things and give yourself time to be able to just hang with your bridesmaids and mom/mom-in-law etc. I feel like I was stressing and rushing around all day and didn’t really get much time relax with my girls, and I wish I would have. Also, make a point to take time alone with your husband after the ceremony, even if only for 15 minutes. It really makes a difference to just sit for a second and be together as new hubs and wife, to be in that moment together. Other than that, I wish I had hired a full time planner. Even though my day-of venue coordinator was awesome, I really would’ve been more relaxed if I had someone handling all the little details and worries of the day. As my husband said, the day was legendary and we wish we could live it all over again, and again.

From the Groom… We did most of our own planning so the few hours before the ceremony were not as relaxing as we would have hoped, the weather was still questionable and on top of all that I forgot the vows at home that I spent so much time writing the month before the wedding… My mind was going to a million different places, I had a lot of things to do and time was flying. Still stressed and sweating by go time I remember seeing her come down the hill for our first look and she looked so beautiful, so classic, against the lush landscape at Teitiare she stood out like the sun. I knew in her smile that everything was going to be perfect, at that moment I found absolute peace and it set up the rest of the night which was legendary to say the least.

Fun Sayulita, Mexico Wedding

The best part about a destination wedding? It’s the very best vacation of your life and you get to share it with everyone you love. Sounds like the perfect recipe for a fun wedding, but fun might be the understatement of the century with this wedding from Kate Price Photography. I don’t know about you, but I may or may not (okay, I’m guilty) have started dancing in my seat as I made my way through this gallery!

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Winter Weddings

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Beach Weddings Destination Outdoor Weddings

From the Bride… Sayulita was on my husband and my radar from the second we got engaged. Both being born and raised in Seattle, and currently living in San Francisco, we loved the idea of our friends and family packing up to head somewhere sunny for a week of celebrating. Sayulita was our first vacation as a couple and a first vacation with both of our families, so it felt very natural to choose to get married there. Natural, ended up being an understatement.

From the second we arrived, we were blown away not only by our accommodations but how much our friends and family loved it. It was a non-stop party from the moment we arrived, to the day we hopped on the airplane home. The feeling of having everyone that’s important to us in the same beautiful property, drinking tequila, watching fireworks, eating late night burritos, and participating in what was the most epic dance party of all time is indescribable. Of course, none (and I mean NONE) of it would be possible without Yazmin our planner, and Kate our photographer to capture each amazing moment. As the Instagram photos say….#vivalaslogan.

Laid Back Wedding Love at Sayulita’s Villa Amor

When the getting-ready shots include a little dip in a rooftop infinity pool, a few kick-butt yoga moves and cocktails? Well you know what follows is going to be ah-mazing. With Jonas Seaman behind the lens, DIYs made pretty by this fun-loving duo, topped off with a bit of bougainvillea and a whole lotta love, it’s easy to get lost in the gorgeously relaxed vibes of this soiree in Sayulita.

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Romantic Mexico Destination Wedding at Villa Amor

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Villa

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Vintage

From Jonas Seaman… I shot this really beautiful wedding in Mexico last year. It was such a spectacular day. Hannah & Tim had so many little cool DIY touches that they brought in from the states: boxes of nick-knacks, owl figurines, bird cages, personal photos, and signs for the table settings. It was such a beautiful day all around.

From the beautiful Bride… The tiny surfer town has zero pretense and is super laid back. It also happens to be stunningly beautiful so the wedding decor was built in! We knew that no matter what snafus may or may not occur, people were going to fall in love with the town as much as we did.

Tim has eight musically inclined aunts and uncles who write and perform a song unique to each bride and groom in their family. The one they performed for us was to the tune of a Johnny Cash song, and was one of the most memorable moments of the weekend. Here is a link to the song.

The napkins were easy, affordable, and fun. We went to a local fabric store, bought several different patterns, pinking shears and voila! Instant color. We acquired a random selection of tins and vases from local vintage stores and yard sales which made for the wonderfully eclectic table setting. We had many a wine-fueled gathering with our craftiest friends. Without them, many of the garlands and other details would never have gotten done.

The bride and groom should each pick the one thing that is most important to them. For me, it was photography. For Tim, the music and bar. On everything else, we decided to cut corners. Instead of pricy flower arrangements, we opted for minimal wildflowers. Instead of a fancy sit down meal, we opted for a buffet which people loved because it was less formal and stuffy. Instead of an unnecessarily expensive cake, we chose to have churros which were delicious!

Instead of spending one evening with your closest friends and family, you get to spend a whole weekend or longer. Guests would run into each other in town, and many new friendships were formed. Our guests came from their hotel after a day at the beach which helped the mood immensely and took the pressure off us to make everything perfect. We found Mexico, and Sayulita and general to be very welcoming and friendly to us. Plus, our wedding day was bookended by so many additional memories!

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Glass Jar Photography has a way with the camera. A way that never fails to leave me speechless and in complete and utter awe of their talent. And this Mexico wedding is the perfect example. Overflowing with light and love, this gallery is simply beyond. Get lost in even more lovely here.

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Mexico Dreaming: A Destination Wedding in Sayulita

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Destination Villa

From Glass Jar Photography…A Mexican destination wedding with Emily and Jared. They invited all their friends and family and planned an amazingly beautiful, vintage meets timeless wedding at Villa Amor in Sayulita, Mexico that completely captures their roots of love with each other, and all the vibe and excitement of Mexico.

Sayulita is pure magic. Sunny, tropical, ocean views for days magic. And for a couple who wanted an intimate, zero fuss affair with a side of churros and the best dance party ever, this locale was a winner. So with fancy wedding day attire packed, loved ones in tow and Jillian Mitchell Photography enlisted to capture all the awesome, these love birds said “I Do” in true destination wedding fashion.

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Winter Weddings

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Destination Villa

From Jillian Mitchell Photography…This wedding is close to my heart. Danielle is a photographer in California and contacted me about a year before her wedding to see if I was available and tell me that she may or may not have been stalking me. I knew immediately that I had to document her day and I am so glad I did. The love that she and David have for each other is infectious and just being around the two of them makes you yearn for the kind of love they have.

From The Bride…Entering the crazy realm of wedding planning solicited many conversations between my husband and I in terms of what was truly important to us for our special day versus what we didn’t need to spend much energy on. There were many wedding traditions that didn’t make sense for us, and that we didn’t feel the need to participate in, and it took us awhile to realize how much control we actually had in personalizing our day in a way that made sense for us as well. When it really came down to it, what we wanted more than anything was to have a personal, intimate wedding, with little frills and zero fuss…and…we also really wanted a churro maker and the most intense dance party that would make anyone’s toenails sore the next day.

Choosing to have a destination wedding kind of forced us to think outside the box, and by default, there were so many wedding related details we couldn’t possibly worry about, simply because we knew we wouldn’t have access to them. While we didn’t really have a theme, a consistent color palette, a bridal party, or other traditional elements, we were diehard about providing an environment for our friends and family to truly unplug, where cellphones didn’t really need to be on, and one that would undoubtedly encourage everyone to slow down a bit, with the end goal being that we could all truly “live in the moment” with each other. While traveling is such a part of our identity, the need for adventure makes up an even larger percentage, and we deliberately chose a wedding location that many had to pull up a detailed map of Mexico to find, and a location we had actually never been to as well (although it had come so highly recommended by a plethora of other travel-obsessed friends, we knew wholeheartedly that it was a perfect fit for us). Beyond the wedding day being one of the most emotionally exhilarating days in this kind of out-of-body way that we’ll never be able to articulate, we had invited all of our guests to our villa (that overlooked all of Sayulita and all of its wonder) for a cocktail party the night before. Seeing all of our favorite people meet for the first time and connect with one another was undoubtedly one of the most indescribable feelings that still makes us smile, months later. All of these people that we’ve loved over the course of our lives were so excellent to each other, and we had a mutual sense of proudness to call all these amazing people our biggest supporters. The memories we’ve collected from our “wedding adventure” in Sayulita still flood our daily lives and we still love to reminisce about “that one time we went to Mexico and got married in a place we’ve never been”. We STILL know exactly what those churros tasted like based on collective memory, and we still reference our dance party and the group speeches immediately followed by tequila shots. For lack of a better phrase, we wouldn’t change a thing about our wedding day, it could have been more “us” if we tried.

Colorful Sayulita Wedding

Do me a favor: take a minute to picture everything you’ve ever imagined a perfect destination wedding to be… then feast your eyes on this lovely Sayulita affair from Dekker Photography. Because that perfect destination wedding? It’s a total reality. Think a crystal blue ocean backdrop, vibrant + colorful details and a stunning bride who knows her way around DIY. It’s everything, lovelies. See it all right here.

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Sayulita, Mexico Wedding from Matt Edge photography

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Eatery Villa

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Romantic

From the Bride… When Dan and I began planning our wedding, we knew we wanted it to be a laid-back, fun, and beautiful adventure to bring our closest friends and family together. We found Villa Amor on Style Me Pretty and loved what we saw. We planned a quick weekend getaway to travel to Mexico and immediately fell in love with not only Villa Amor, but the whole town of Sayulita.

I love any and all DIY projects. I started with our wedding invitations, which included RSVP cards that were written like Mad Libs. When I was done, I still had extra fancy paper which I wanted to use for another wedding project, I just didn’t know what yet.

I started thinking about table names and wanted to do something unique. All of our guests were Americans and the majority of them spoke limited or no Spanish. I thought it would be fitting to have table names after Spanish love or wedding words. Then at each table, the table name was displayed similar to a Spanish – English dictionary. For example, our table name was “La Boda,” which means “The Wedding” in English. I also made place cards with the same matching paper as the table names.

Another fun DIY project I did was the wedding maracas. I ordered plain painted pink and purple maracas online from a party store. Then a girlfriend and I drew Mexican folk art hearts (Milagros) on each maraca using gold Sharpie. There was a maraca at each guest’s seat at the dinner table.

I would have loved for every item at my wedding to be a DIY project, but time didn’t allow for that, so I turned to Etsy, where I ordered tags for the maracas, “Hola!” welcome bags, and wedding programs.

I also made a “Wedding Day Survival Kit” for my husband-to-be. I ordered custom cuff links from Etsy. Each cuff link was a map; one of Sayulita, the other of our home, San Francisco. I also ordered custom collar stays from Etsy that were engraved with our wedding date.

Our wedding ceremony was at Don Pedro’s Palapa on a gorgeous bluff overlooking the ocean. Dan’s aunt performed our ceremony and we each wrote our own wedding vows. Then guests were shuttled to the “Gran Villa” at Villa Amor. Guests enjoyed fresh coconuts and cocktails on the patio of the Gran Villa overlooking all of Sayulita. Next we moved to the brick courtyard for dinner and dancing. Dinner was delicious; we opted against cake and instead had a couple making fresh churros on the patio for dessert all night long. Everyone had a wonderful night of dancing and we concluded the festivities with a surprise fireworks display overlooking the ocean.

Friday’s seem like the perfect day to get lost in a destination wedding weekend. It’s a little break from work to peer inside the makings of a beach affair in Sayulita. Photographed by Matt Edge with planning by Luz Ochoa with Sayulita Weddings, this is a celebration that marries the vibrancy of Mexico with a toes in the sand celebration and it lasted a whole week. Now that is how you do a destination wedding. Check out the gallery for even more.

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Destination Hotels + Resorts Weddings

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From the Bride… Both Cory and I wanted a wedding that wasn’t just one night. A wedding in which people showed up only to leave hours later without forming a connection with our venue or the other guests wasn’t an option. We strived to provide an environment where the build up to the ceremony was palpable. A situation where our wedding would be the perfect send off to the perfect week. With an amazing combination of culture, fun, and beautiful surroundings the town of Sayulita made this all possible.

Marring each other with the view of the ocean behind us, our best friend officiating, and our closest friends and family surrounding us was always our dream. Everything had a personal touch that represented the two of us. The flowers on the table represented the Tucson desert and the colors of Pasadena. The music from the first dance to the dance playlist was all hand picked and meaningful. Even the late night taco man was a dream fulfilled. In the end it was simple, we threw the party that each of us wanted to go to.

Sayulita, Mexico Wedding at Palapa Brisa del Mar from Derk’s Works

Everything about this sweet Sayulita wedding just feels right. Sun, fun, and seaside views to take your breath away — in other words, all the makings for a perfect destination “I do.” Derk’s Works captured every moment, and you won’t want to miss a single one! Find it all here.

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Sayulita, Mexico Wedding from Jillian Mitchell

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Outdoor Weddings

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Casual

From the Bride… The feeling David and I were going for was vintage and intimate. We wanted unique touches throughout the weekend but most of all we wanted out guests to feel special and appreciated. We threw in a great welcome party with free flowing margaritas to really introduce our guests to the amazing town of Sayulita. We finished the weekend off with an amazing firework show over the bay as Mr and Mrs with an amazing group of supporters around us.

I know that Yazmin had all of the table linens custom made, along with the custom orchid draped arbor we were married under, and all decor she sought out from all over Mexico just for our wedding. She custom made the napkins, menu card and table numbers with custom paper to match the custom linens. She swagged white linen around the edge of the palapa which added so much. Also we had a great lounge area with Edison lights strung across for ambience. We asked the guests to write well wishes on paper hearts we cut out and have used to make a piece of art in our home.

One of my favorite things was my garter – my aunt made it out of the silk and satin from my late paternal grandmother and great-grandmother’s vintage hand gloves. On the inside she embroidered in blue, K + D and our wedding date, 3.24.12 — I also carried my great grandmother’s pearl hand bag from 1939. David wore his late maternal grandmother’s bracelet.

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Monique Lhuillier

Monique Lhuillier Bridal Fall 2015

Monique Lhuillier Bridesmaids Fall 2015

Spring 2016

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It takes a certain kind of couple to pull off a destination wedding. But a destination wedding like this requires ALL hands on deck. And with the help of their ultra crafty crew (like the Bride’s brother and step-dad who rushed to the rescue with a hand-picked bouquet!) this style-savvy duo aced the day big time. See every little detail snapped up by Jillian Mitchell plus their gorgeous day-after session right over here.

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Beach Weddings Destination

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From the Bride… We wanted our wedding weekend to be as personal as possible. We love to throw parties and said we wanted it to be like an ultimate dinner party. We tried to incorporate as many personal touches as we could. We had a director friend shoot & edit our funny save the date video, friends designed & letterpressed our invites, my mom hand- dyed each of the napkin ties & sewed pillows and table runners. I made the jewelry my bridesmaids and I wore. My brother and step-dad rushed to the rescue to create a stunning (and gigantic) bouquet picked from the Sayulita hillsides when my bridal bouquet had gone limp. (The flowers at the reception site were beyond gorgeous, thanks to our florist, Flor Mimo)

Music, Food & Photos were the most important things to us. My brother composed & played a beautiful song for us to walk down the aisle to. We had a mariachi band surprise our guests as we celebrated our first kiss. We had an incredible band, Los Tikkilyches, who not only learned our first dance song, but learned 3 additional songs & had our friends dancing all night long. Don Pedro’s food was to die for. Jillian Mitchell has given us a lifetime of memories and we can’t ever thank her enough for the gorgeous photos she took.

We were so grateful to be able to spend so much time with our loved ones to celebrate our love for one another. We are completely smitten with Sayulita & the fantastic people who helped make it all come together.

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Nicole Miller

Spring 2015

Fall 2014

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Mexico Destination Wedding from Jillian Mitchell

In the SMP land of all things lovely, this wedding ranks among the very best. It’s a celebration set in the most stunning Mexico locale with pretty pops of pink sprinkled all along the way. Jillian Mitchell perfectly captured this all-out party and Karen Ruezga made certain it went off without a hitch. Enjoy a swoon through out favorite photos, and then get your gush on in the full gallery right here.

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Beach Weddings Destination Hotels + Resorts Weddings Outdoor Weddings

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Styles

Casual

From the Bride…Brad and I met five years ago in typical New Orleans fashion: at a bar. Bound both by our love for New Orleans and our passion for music and food, we danced and ate our way through the city and quickly fell in love. After a Mardi Gras proposal at the bar where we met, it was time to plan our ceremony. It seemed as if a grand New Orleans wedding would be in order, but a traditional affair just wouldn’t have been us.

Being that I was raised in Seattle, Brad in Louisiana, and that our friends were sprinkled throughout the United States, we knew we wanted to have a phenomenal destination wedding that everyone would enjoy. We chose the charming beach town of Sayulita, Mexico knowing our guests would constantly bump into one another on each corner. After initially worrying about trying to plan a number of daily wedding activities, we finally settled on letting Sayulita take care of itself. Our guests lined the beaches and shops by day and filled the bars and restaurants by night.

Villa Amor was a wonderful choice for our wedding venue in Sayulita. Besides being one of the most beautiful places we’d ever been, their staff was overwhelmingly friendly, their wedding services were outstanding and it was the ideal size as our guests filled up almost every villa in the resort. Karen Ruezga, our wedding planner, made our dream wedding come to life and Jillian Mitchell’s gorgeous photography captured every moment. Our wedding was absolutely perfect. Although it was an unbearably humid July evening, my mother had collected dozens of vintage handkerchiefs for our guests and they were all put to good use! One of our best friends served as officiant and surprised us with a sweet reading from Dr. Seuss’ Oh the Places You’ll Go and another close friend read a beautiful passage from The Velveteen Rabbit. As every New Orleanian knows, a good party is incomplete without great music – so we flew in the band closest to our hearts: Country Fried. They rocked a hand-picked set list filled with our favorite songs. Our reception began with our first dance to an achingly beautiful rendition of Neil Young’s Harvest Moon and didn’t end until the wee hours of the morning. Our all-night party, complete with a cigar roller and an impromptu New Orleans-style second-line, was even capped off with a fireworks display overlooking the entire town.

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Watters

Willowby Fall 2014

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Alfred Sung

2014

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Sayulita Wedding from Joann Arruda Photography

The smile on the Bride’s (beautiful) face says it all – this was truly her best day ever. And we get to spend our morning joining her in the biggest of smiles as we pore through the images of their Sayulita soiree from Joann Arrunda Photography. Those images? They happen to be stunning, by the way. It’s a gallery filled with the most perfect details for a destination wedding surrounding a duo who couldn’t be more darling and vistas that couldn’t be more lovely – and it’s all sitting pretty right here.

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Sayulita, Mexico Wedding from Vallarta Weddings

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Destination Eatery

From the Bride… The entire day was beyond anything we could have imagined. There are several things that stand out in my mind. Tommy and I wanted to share a moment together before the ceremony. We wrote each other letters and stood on either side of a door and exchanged them. Knowing he was on the other side and reading the letters was such an overwhelming feeling. That moment was incredibly intimate and calming but also filled with anticipation and excitement.

Walking down the aisle and looking out at all of our closest friends and family was absolutely incredible. We are still taken back by the number of people that traveled from all over to celebrate with us. Still there are smaller moments that I think about daily, holding my dad’s hand and trying not to cry before we walked down the aisle – all he could say to me was “honey, I’m not going to say anything cause I might cry,” those were the only words I need to hear from him. We had a mariachi band play during the cocktail hour but the real treat was when dinner was served. The mariachi band started to play slower more romantic music. We had no idea they were going to do that and they even began to serenade our guests. It was such a fun surprise and our guests love it!

We had so many wonderful people help us with the wedding. Beyond our family and friends, our wedding coordinator, Yazmin went above and beyond to make the day extra special. Our photographer, Joann Arruda, captured every moment and was incredible to work with. Our wedding day was truly perfect and it will probably be the only time in our lives that our two worlds came together to share in such as special celebration.

The inspiration behind our big day was a collaboration of feelings and ideas. Travel and adventure are very important to us and we wanted that to be a guiding force at our wedding. Once we decided on a destination wedding we wanted to create an event that was truly a “unique experience.” We wanted our guests to be relaxed, try something new, get to know each other, and have a blast. The word “experience” was our guiding light. I have always felt that the small personal touches are what makes weddings unique. I wanted the details to stand out and be a part of the larger experience.

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Maggie Sottero

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Dessy

Bridesmaid 2014

Women's Tuxedo

Tuxedo

Fall 2014

Spring 2015

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We love it when a bride and groom aren’t afraid of a little color – and this adorable Utah duo is most definitely a fan of vibrant hues. So much so, in fact, that they filled their entire Sayulita wedding with one crazy gorgeous detail after another, all in bright pops of fuchsia, orange, yellow and green. Vallarta Weddings styled the entire affair to absolute perfection and Donna Day Photography was on hand to capture every fun-filled moment. Join me in the gallery to see it all.

From Vallarta Weddings… Tessa and Tim, from Salt Lake City, Utah, went for a vibrant and colorful wedding in Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico, because they wanted their guests to experience the “Real Mexico!” They could have not chosen a better location than the beautiful Casa de los Delfines! The villa is a beautiful property above the quaint town of Sayulita with an awesome ocean view and the most beautiful, vibrant Mexican colors throughout the house. The ceremony took place in the beautiful manicured garden of Casa de los Delfines. A simple but beautiful floral altar with colorful tropical flowers (yellow and orange lilies, purple irises and other tropical flowers) and the palm trees and ocean were the perfect background for the ceremony! Scented sandalwood fans with an intricate carved design and a delicate white tassel attached awaited on each guest’s chair! They were the perfect wedding favor choice for those warm days in Mexico. The beautiful and meaningful ceremony, officiated by a dear friend of bride and groom, got some of us very emotional. A mariachi band played a romantic song for the bridal processional and a festive song for the couple’s recessional.

Then the mariachi lead the guests to the cocktail area by to the pool, just in time for them to enjoy the amazing sunset and cocktails. Waiters received guests with trays of margaritas on the rocks! Mexican lanterns hang above the cocktail tables provided a beautiful dimmed light, and the bar area was adorned with paper picado banners! Also during cocktail hour, the bride and groom and guests had photos taken with a cute Mexican donkey who was dressed for the occasion with paper flowers and more papel picado. An engagement photo of the happy couple with a blank cardboard frame was the photo “guest book.”

After the cocktail hour, guests proceeded to the reception dinner area, where an amazing selection of delicious Mexican dishes awaited them in the buffet area. Hand-made escort cards with a green palm design were placed at the entrance to the reception to direct guests to their tables. The entire property was decorated with colorful papel picado and illuminated with colorful Mexican paper lanterns called “farolitos.” In lieu of a traditional wedding cake, bride and groom opted for colorful cupcakes with the cutest Day of the Dead bride and groom topper! After dinner, the traditional toasts were given with a traditional Mexican drink (tequila, of course!) Then the amazing rock band played a marvelous version of the “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole for the bride and groom’s first dance. Then all the guests got in the dance floor and danced the night away!

Wedding Photography: Donna Day Photography / Wedding Venue: Casa de los Delfines in Sayulita, Mexico / Wedding Design + Planning: Vallarta Weddings / Catering: Don Pedro’s / Wedding Cupcakes: Charme Reposteria / Band: The Zippers / Wedding Dress: Priscilla of Boston (Now Closed) / Bride’s Shoes: Enzo Angiolini

Sayulita, Mexico Wedding by Nate Broshot

Sayulita is such a pretty little spot for a destination wedding. The sun, the sand, the laid back atmosphere: it all makes for a dreamy beach escape and one perfect for saying “I Do” with all your favorite people in tow. Which is EXACTLY what this fun loving Bride and Groom did and from the looks of the fabulous images by Nate Broshot, this wedding/vacation was Destination done so, so right. See it all here!

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the Bride… Our story began at a triathlon in Rocky Point, Mexico. We met at the awards ceremony, where the man I would later marry was celebrating his team’s victory by parading around in Speedo goggles and a half-burned sombrero. I was instantly drawn to his fun-loving, adventurous spirit. Lucky for me, our chance meeting in Rocky Point was just the beginning of an amazing life together. Six years and 10 countries later (yes, his sense of adventure wore off on me), we were tying the knot in Sayulita, Mexico. Needless to say, we’d gotten to know each other pretty intimately over the course of several nail-biting excursions, and it was clear there was no other person I’d rather share all of life’s ups and downs with.

We’d visited Sayulita for the first time a year before. From the moment our feet hit the sand, we knew it was the perfect spot for our wedding. It was quaint, charming and vibrant with a cozy, modern feel. The ideal mix for the less-experienced travelers in our family. Everything fell into place from there, thanks to our incredible wedding planner, Yazmin of Sea of Dreams.

From the Groom… We knew that we wanted a small, intimate villa wedding. What we got was a week-long experience where our friends became family and everyone left with a collection of memorable stories and adventures. The day of the wedding was special for us. As the groom I had three responsibilities – be on time, look good, and hire the photographer. This trifecta aligned perfectly with Nate Broshot. Nate was awesome! His style complemented ours, and by the end of the day, he not only knew everyone’s name but also how we knew them. Nate made my job easy, which left me plenty of time to work the DIY element into our wedding. I first ventured down this path with our save-the-dates. Since we met at a triathlon, we focused on a bicycle theme and rode with it. The save-the-dates, invitations and guest bags all had a bicycle element. For the wedding I also created Papel Picado guest cards. Each card was hand cut, and then lovingly inked by each of our guests. Some drew pictures, others words of wisdom but all were truly unique. Some even tried to take them home… Blue is our favorite color, so from blue on the save-the-dates to cobalt blue Mexican glassware, the touch was everywhere. Our wedding planner had a knack for bringing together every last detail. On the whole, this stunning day in Sayulita turned out to be a perfect expression of our relationship.

Wedding Photography: Nate Broshot / Ceremony: Playa de los Muertos in Sayulita, Mexico / Reception: Casa Los Arcos in Sayulita, Mexico / Wedding Coordination: Yazmin of Sea of Dreams (yazmini@hotmail.com) / Floral Design: Francisco Salazar of Vodax Detalle de Lujo / Catering + Cake: Naef Cuisine / Wedding Invitations: DIY by the Groom / Dinnerware: Purchased at Guadalajara Mercado / DJ: Vallarta No Problem / Guestbook: DIY by the Groom / Officiant: Rollie / Wedding Dress: Pronovias “Hebra” / Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman / Bride’s Earrings: 1920s Crystal Chandeliers Worn by The Bride’s Sister at Her Wedding / Bride’s Crystal Bracelet: Nordstrom / Hair Piece: H&M Ivory Cloth Flower + Tarina Tarantino Swarovski Crystal Clip / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Caché / Bridesmaids’ Shoes: Payless / Bridesmaids’ Jewelry: Forever 21 / Hair: Kolor by Kori / Groom’s Suit: Calvin Klein / Groom’s Shoes: Rainbow Sandals / Groom’s Accessories: Nixon / Groomsmen’s Pants: Calvin Klein / Groomsmen’s Shirts: Express / Ring: Designed by the Groom + Machined by Boone

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Pronovias

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Sayulita Wedding by Jillian Mitchell Photography + Sea of Dreams

If the thought of the imminent winter has been giving you the blues then this Sayulita wedding by Jillian Mitchell Photography and Sea of Dreams might be just what the doctor ordered. I certainly have been holding myself back from getting too click happy on the travel websites. The colorful, laid-back vibe is so warm and inviting I just want to hop on the next southbound jet plane. Click here to see all the fabulous details!

Sayulita Wedding by This Modern Romance Photography

From Jillian Mitchell Photography…Chelsea and Matt got married at the Brisa del Mar palapa in Sayulita, Mexico. Guests came from as far as Australia to be a a part of this intimate affair on a cliff top overlooking the long stretch of beach in town below. They got ready at Villa Amor a gorgeous hotel just below the ceremony and reception site and we took most of the wedding portraits there and at Playa de Los Muertos a small private beach down the road. Yazmin and Nierica from Sea of Dreams Weddings kept the design simple, but elegant with gorgeous flower arrangements and white and yellow accents. Of course no wedding in Mexico would be complete without some tacos al pastor and fireworks to top everything off.

Wedding Photography: Jillian Mitchell Photography / Wedding Cinematography: Luz Hererra / Floral Design, Event Design + Planning: Sea of Dreams / Ceremony + Reception Location: Brisa del Mar Palapa / Wedding Dress: Poepke / Groom’s Suit: J.Crew

Nothing screams ” hop on a plane NOW and indulge in a south of the border fiesta” like a gorgeous wedding weekend in Sayulita. And Villa Amor just might be the perfect place on the planet for such an event. (Really, the name says it all) This Modern Romance Photography captured all of the festivities and their images are not only artistic and downright gorgeous but chalk full of color and other festive details right down to those perfect shoes. Wait, I really think we need to have a moment for those shoes. Take a moment or thirty with all the gorgeous images you could dream of in the full wedding gallery. Still destination dreaming? You can catch more lovelies over on our Destination Weddings Blog.

Sayulita Wedding by Joann Arruda Photography

From the Bride…We wanted our wedding to feel as personal as possible. Having a destination wedding in Sayulita was the perfect fit for our vision of an intimate and casual wedding. We approached the wedding as a vacation for our friends and family with a wedding thrown in.

We tried to include as many personal touches as possible. Our cake topper was custom-made for us by Etsy seller “Garden 4 Arts” and is our pug Todd and his favorite toy, a stuffed hedgehog we named Angelina. Rather than print paper programs for the ceremony we worked with Etsy seller “The Little Bells” to have our programs printed on vintage handkerchiefs. We had two signature cocktails to honor our moms, a Tequila Sheila margarita and a Mary Mojito. On each table we had a classic novel and a list of questions and asked our guests to write in the books in lieu of a traditional guest book. Our table numbers were paintings done by Nick’s mom and showcased different places that we have traveled to together.

We decided early on not to choose a “wedding color” but instead just chose to use light colors. We also wanted to include pieces of Mexico in our décor. We used pink, peach, and ivory flowers native to Mexico for the bouquets, boutonnieres, and centerpieces, and we had white papel picado hanging over the patio where we had our reception. For our escort cards we made miniature books with bookmarks. Hanging from the bookmarks were silver Milagros and the text of the book explained the meaning and use of Milagros in Mexican culture. For the escort card table the bride sewed a tablecloth of vintage handkerchiefs. The centerpiece flowers were held by mason jars that we brought from San Francisco and sat on lace doilies that the groom’s mom collected, some had been made by the groom’s great grandmother and were already in her collection and others were collected by the groom’s mom over the year of our engagement.

Wedding Photography: This Modern Romance Photography / Venue: Villa Amor / Coordination + Florist: Karen Ruezga / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Groom’s Attire: J.Crew (suit) + Burberry (tie) / Groom + Groomsmen Shoes: Custom Converse / Table Arrangements: Groom’s Great Grandmother / Guest Favors: “Milagro” Heart Charms / Necklace: All Things Tinsel / Cake Topper: Garden 4 Arts / Program Handkerchiefs: The Little Bells / Wedding Dress: Vera Wang

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Vera Wang

Spring 2015

Fall 2014

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I have been dreaming of warm, sandy beaches and gorgeous sunsets that only Mexico can deliver with such beauty and charm and this Sayulita wedding has me ready to book my ticket pronto. Photographed by Joann Arruda with beach chic styling by Marweddings, it’s a little slice of destination heaven perfect for easing into the weekend festivities. See it all here!

Sayulita Engagement Session by Jillian Mitchell Photography

From the Bride…Funny enough, we had never been to Sayulita before we decided to have our wedding there. But as we stood on the top of a beachside cliff with your best friends and families and the tropical ocean below, we realized that we could not have found a more perfect place in which to get married. Plenty of details await the attention of the bride and groom ( and their mothers) planning a destination wedding from afar – from scouting out musicians on YouTube to finding the right combination of local and imported wedding flowers for the bouquets. Fortunately, with the help of our fantastic wedding coordinator, everything came together perfectly on top of that cliff.

Our vision was beach chic, balancing modern elegance with organic elements from the beach. A pop of vibrant color in the centerpieces brought the warmth of Mexico into this otherwise restful scene. We chose coral as our primary color and used sand, green, and white to create a more natural feel. Our table settings were in keeping with our theme of clean lines rectangular tables, square plates and simple flower arrangements (two types of brightly colored flowers submerged in water). We used sand-colored table runners against white table cloths, and gauzy white panels to create a breezy style that would fit in with the stunning background. Candles and luminaries were employed to create a more intimate feel.

For DIY projects, we created welcome bags from Mexican market bags (that could double as beach bags) and filled them with treats from Mexico and beach necessities. A cute map of the town, with our event venues highlighted, was creatively displayed. But we have our guests to thank for our best DIY project, our guestbook, which showed off their festive spirits on Polaroids.

Wedding Coordinator: Marweddings / Wedding Photographer: Joann Arruda Photography / Wedding Dress: Lazar0 / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mishka / Bridesmaid Dresses: Sophia Tolli / Groom’s Attire: Haspel / Wedding Venue: Villa del Oso / Wedding Veil: Sister of the Bride / Caterer: Naef Cuisine / Wedding Invitations: Smock / Bridal Hair: El Corte / Floral Design: Iris Design

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Badgley Mischka

Spring 2014 Bridal

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Lazaro

Spring 2016

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Sophia Tolli

Best Sellers

Spring 2015

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Spring 2017

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Is it just me, or is Sayulita some magical place that produces beautiful images bursting with personality? Maybe it’s just the uber talented Jillian of Jillian Mitchell Photography that made me realize a trip to this gorgeous surfer town needs to move up on the to-do list. This engagement shoot is just too lovely, and the absolutely perfect way to get your weekend off to a sunny start, so be sure to spend some time soaking up the full gallery of images!