Wedding Date on Jun 21, 2014

From the bride... When wedding planning began for me, I already had a little fantasy destination budding in my mind, I had been told by a friend of the "most magical little town" in Mexico where she visited years before for a wedding. As she described the venue and the city, I fell in love with the vision. It was everything I wanted and nothing that I didn't. As decision making with weddings goes, I was trying to be diplomatic and considerate and worried that this sleepy beach town would be too remote for guests, that it was more of a dream than a reality… I searched and searched and hoped something else or somewhere else would be just as lovely, just as perfect, but they weren't. My, then fiancé, finally and thankfully just made the call. He said that he knew my heart was already decided and that nothing else was going to compare. We booked Villa Amor in Sayulita, Nayarit, MX then and there for our 2014 wedding, let go of the second guessing and worries, and never looked back. Traveling with our closest friends and family to a place we'd never been was the greatest gift our guests could have given us and it was the greatest gift we've given to ourselves. It was perfect. Through the venue I had a wedding planner who I corresponded with daily. I chose to trust this person on the other end of the emails, whom I hadn't met, but also to trust that regardless of what may or may not happen on my wedding day, that I knew it would be my "best day ever" no matter the circumstance. This was the most freeing and the most challenging part of going somewhere site unseen for my wedding day. I used almost entirely the vendors my coordinator suggested and only brought in my Videographer and Photographer as people I'd pursued personally. Having a destination wedding provided me with the perfect balance in planning. I am such a detail driven person that I knew that I would enjoy the process and the day more if I did not have the opportunity to obsess over every candle stick and each flower placement, yet I also wanted to be able to lend my own vision and personal style to this day and venue. I was able and assisted in doing just that. I traveled to Mexico with one additional large suitcase packed meticulously with my crafted and repurposed decor pieces that I'd been collecting from thrift stores, yard sales and family members and painting gold, and a huge bubble wrapped box incasing my precious piñata. (This was not an easy travel item and even lead me to calling the airline for a final OK and almost having my brother strip searched when arriving in Mexico as he was the (un)lucky one carrying it and informed security he "didn't know what was in it and it wasn't his". Not really what they want to hear when crossing the border with a large suspicious cardboard box). BUT it was well worth it. We were fortunate to have sixty guests of family and friends join us in Mexico. Most stayed and vacationed for four days and we had a Welcome-Dinner party the night before the ceremony that included all our travelers, in lieu of a traditional rehearsal dinner. We were not traditional in the sense of having wedding party attendants either. We planned for this to be an intimate affair and a wedding-party didn't feel necessary. We knew that those closest to us would be by our side and a part of our day despite being asked to wear matching dresses. ;) My wedding vision was to create a tropical elegance that would be romantic and timeless, yet down to earth and fun. Having a Mexican destination wedding allowed for all these elements to come to life in the perfect way for us. I wanted to only incorporate white and gold as part of our attire, flowers, linens etc. allowing for the rainforest and ocean landscape of our venue to not be competed with, but complemented. For the ceremony, the white chairs we're adorned with white lace fans and custom white and gold maracas with our names and wedding date. The "alter" backdrop was created from bamboo that was draped in white fabric and rows of delicate white flowers strung by twine. The base of this backdrop were two lush, potted succulent plants, all set looking over the ocean. It was unique and stunning yet so simple. The reception decor included "Papel Picado" custom hand cut white tissue paper flags that adorned our names and date. Smaller versions of these traditional, custom Mexican flags were placed among the white flowers and gold candlesticks that lined our two long reception tables and atop our wedding cake. Delicate doves and hearts lined the rows. White lights hung above the brick dance floor. Last but far from least- A gold, glitter-fringed, heart shaped piñata filled with tequila bottles! This was such a fun end-of-the-night surprise. My ceremony was pure magic for me and I would live it over and over again if I could… but our reception was the greatest party I've ever been to. Our friends made the dance floor epic that night, so many laughs and so much fun. "That's Where I Wanna Take Our Love" by George Strait was our first dance song. It's an old favorite that reminds of the small town my husband and I both grew up in and it paints the scene for how I've pictured our future. On the menu was an authentic Mexican feast, from fajitas and grilled shrimp, to the most incredible fresh salsa's you've ever tasted, topped off with hand made churros where dessert was made to order… all washed down by a fresh coconut cut open in front of you and filled with your choice of tequila or rum. Though I wanted this to be a "pretty" and elegant affair, I also wanted it to be a lot of fun for everyone. I think we found that perfect balance at our Sayulita, Mexico dream wedding.