I’ve been getting quite a few emails lately with requests to see some destination weddings + any tips for planning one. So, today I have not one, but two gorgeous destination weddings to share! The first takes place in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and was photographed by the lovely Sarah Yates. Thanks to Grace for sharing some details into their day!
When it came time for us to come up with a theme, it was so difficult to choose! There are so many different directions you can go and tons of great ideas out there. As we started to narrow things down, it became clear that we kept coming back to the word “timeless”. We realized that we wanted a wedding that could be appreciated at any point in time, whether it be yesterday, today, or tomorrow. We tried to stay away from anything too trendy and hoped that we wouldn’t raise our eyebrows 50 years down the road, wondering why we did certain things.
Since we were also getting married on the beach and at a private villa in Mexico, we wanted to make sure to draw from our surroundings and incorporate things from nature. All this said, we decided to go with a bit of bohemian and a bit of chic. Thus, with the help of the lovely ladies at Dazzling Details, we created a world that was just that.”
One of my favorite memories from the day was my dad asking me how we should walk down the aisle and telling me he wanted to hold hands rather than being the traditional “arm escort.” It was so much more personal, and I was so touched that he was the one who suggested it. To walk down the aisle, my cousins (who performed on Broadway for years) sang an a cappella version of “Flower Duet” that was done by East Village Opera Company.
There were so many memorable moments from the day! Having Mike’s aunt kick off the dancing from the minute the music started, even before the younger folks made it to the dance floor… then watching a dance-off that she won. That was the true moment when we realized that everyone (young and old) was having a great time. And then sneaking down to the beach towards the end of the night and lighting a wishing lantern. It was so special to share a quick private moment and do something with just the 2 of us around. We set the lantern off into the sky, while our guests watched from the villa above. Set to music, they watched it float away and made wishes for us.
What advice to you have for those planning a destination wedding?
• Make a decision, stick with it, and move on. There are too many things to do while wedding planning and way too many choices. Indecisiveness and letting yourself fall into buyer’s remorse will be the death of you! Once you decide on something, don’t reconsider or doubt that you made the right choice. There is so much out there that you can always find something that may seem better and the more confused you will become. Be confident in your choices and move on.
• Be flexible and even more so for a destination wedding. Because so much work and preparation goes into wedding planning, it is easy to become obsessed with things going perfectly and according to plan. Be prepared that it won’t. During our wedding, there were endless situations and things that went awry. However, we went with the flow and tried not to let things bother us. It was the best thing we could have done. None of our guests noticed in the end, and we all had a great time nonetheless.
• All of our friends who had gotten married before us had warned us that the day would go by fast. Oh boy, were they right! It was such a blur, and it was all over before we knew it. As obvious as it sounds, really do try to enjoy every single second of it.
Thanks so much Grace and best wishes to you and Mike!
Vendors
Venue: Casa Guillermo (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)
Photography: Sarah Yates Photography
Wedding Dress: Lazaro
Hair and Makeup: Sebastian Salon (Romantic Zone)
Shoes: Pour La Victoire
Bridesmaid Dress: Priscilla of Boston
Hairpieces: Purchased from Lovely Bridal Shop in NYC
Groom Suit: Express Men
Event + Floral Design: Dazzling Details
Invitations/Paper Goods: Twin Ravens Press
I’m not sure what I love better — the trees as tabletop centerpieces or the lounge area just steps away from the water! Beautiful wedding!!
This is just wonderful! On the beach ceremony… gorgeous flowers all around… cute couple! This wedding does make it hard to pick a favorite element!
This is beautiful – I love the doorway!
Yay for Puerto Vallarta! We honeymooned there, and it was beautiful. Love this wedding, the flowers are perfection.
I was one of those readers asking for more destination weddings and you definitely delivered. This is such a beautiful wedding. The centerpieces are amazing.
What a beautiful wedding! I love her dress! And I love the way they did the seating chart and table numbers! Congratulations to the Bride and Groom!
Beautiful wedding! So many wonderful details but I love the arrangements on the tables. Great combination of textures with the trees, botanicals and lanterns. Thank you for sharingn
Such a beautiful, romantic wedding in a picturesque spot. I LOVE her wedges, perfect for a beach wedding! Great colors and I love the bride’s gown. Her hair and makeup are lovely!
“”””Make a decision, stick with it, and move on. Indecisiveness and letting yourself fall into buyer’s remorse will be the death of you! Once you decide on something, don’t reconsider or doubt that you made the right choice. There is so much out there that you can always find something that may seem better and the more confused you will become. Be confident in your choices and move on”””””
THANK YOU GRACE!!!!
SOOOOO TRUE! I NEEDED TO HEAR THAT BECAUSE JUST YESTERDAY I HAD A MELTDOWN ABOUT SOMETHING.
IT TRULY CAN BE THE DEATH OF YOU!!! NO MORE!
XOXO
SAM
OH AND OF COURSE
YOUR WEDDING LOOKS AMAZING!!!!
Best Wishes for you both!!!
Your picture shows how romantic a beach wedding can be! Great combination of textures with the trees, botanicals and lanterns…gorgeous flowers all around… cute couple! I hope my wedding will be on the greatest beach too.
Beautiful wedding and gorgeous location!
Beautiful! Where did you get the wish lanterns from??
great tips and of course, gorgeous photography.
Beach, sun, sea, flowers….
The best combination…
Amazing photos.
What perfect photography and of course, great info!
What an amazingly gorgeous wedding! I love the door!!!
Thank you everyone for the kind words! It was such a surreal and amazing day. I just wanted to give credit where credit is due…We couldn’t have done any of this without the help of Kristin & Michelle at Dazzling Details. They brought all of this magic to life, and we would recommend any couple to work with the DD team if they are considering a wedding in PV. They are so incredibly creative and their attention to detail is unmatched. We couldn’t have done any of it without them – Thanks again, Kristin & Michelle, for being so great at what you do.
(oh, and aubrey – we got the wishing lantern from wishinglantern.com)
Oh, and of course – Sarah Yates! Sarah Yates! Sarah and Jack are 2 kindred spirits who will capture the true essence of your wedding day and who you will want to call your friends by the end of the night. It was so much fun to work with them!
What a BEAUTIFUL setting! Wow! My hubby and I did a beach wedding, too. Since we weren’t doing a honeymoon right away, we splurged for a private air charter to take us and our small wedding party a couple days in advance. We hooked up with http://www.aircharteraccess.com which was great for our budget haha! Our setup wasn’t quite this breathtaking, though!
Wow. I’ve seen a lot of beach weddings, and this one is definitely at the top of the list. The combination of beautiful couple, amazing location (the rocks make it the perfect spot), beach lounge (loving so much!), and truly beautiful photography, makes this wedding a standout. Love the shots of the ceremony set up taken from the high vantage point. Great perspective.
Love the images on the beach of the beautiful couple.. WOW! This wedding is the definition of stunning!
everything is SO beautiful and amazing, great photography and AMAZING details by the team of The Dazzling Details, LOVE THEM!!! <3
Another gem!
Beautiful setting and bride!
What a day!
Thanks for sharing!
Love that photo with the door on the beach. Really amazing photos.
Fantastic landscapes and location. Everything worked flawlessly here, from the color scheme to the details to the couple`s energy and joy!