Here they are! Thanks again to Monica Lopez (photography), Vanessa Dominguez Alvarez (makeup), Mommy (made my dress), Garrafon Park (best location ever) and God (for the nice weather… and the Caribbean Sea).
For all the other Trash the Dress photos, check here:
aaand a final thank you to Jorge for holding my purse whenever I need it.
Monica send us more photos of our Trash the Dress shoot at Garrafon Park today! There should be 1 more batch of photos after this. I’m thrilled we got so many good shots!
Credits and thanks:
Location: Garrafon Park, Isla Mujeres
Photography: Monica Lopez
Makeup: Vanessa Dominguez Alvarez
Dress: MOM!
I’ve been living in Cancun since I was 19, but had never attended a local wedding until last year. Now that I’m well into my 20s, many of my friends are starting to get engaged and get married (including myself… heh).
My best friends got married on the beach in Puerto Juarez, Cancun
I’d never before realized just how amazing Cancun is for a wedding, but in the past year I’ve had the chance to see several stunning beach weddings right on the Caribbean.
With unique chapels set under a palapa-roof, intense turquoise waters and bright white sand beaches, brides and grooms in Cancun don’t even need to buy large flower arrangements or expensive decorations to set the mood for a romantic beach wedding.
Couples getting married in Cancun can experience an elegant ceremony at one of this destination’s incredible resorts, or choose a more secluded oceanside event venue in areas like Puerto Morelos and Puerto Juarez, both located within 20 minutes of the Hotel Zone.
The gorgeous Ilse of Diamant Events
Why do so many people choose Cancun for their destination wedding?
Because people get more for their money in every way. Cancun offers amazing background colors for your beautiful wedding photos. We also have very good weather almost every time of the year.
What inspired you to choose Cancun for organizing destination weddings?
I know Cancun is still a young city and the wedding industry is growing fast around the world, and Cancun is the perfect place to do things the right way. If we all have good and certified wedding planners, we can raise the bar for quality weddings and become the world’s top wedding destination, not just the Top 10.
A daytime beach wedding by Ilse at Diamant Events
What are some fun traditions you’ve seen being used here?
An evening beach wedding by Isle at Diamant Events
Any wedding with a parasailer in the background is all right with me.
What’s your dream wedding location?
Disclosure:  I am being compensated for my work in creating and managing content as a Community Manager for the Mexico Today Program. All stories, opinions and passion for all things Mexico shared here are completely my own.
My frequent readers will know that Jorge and my best friends are Juan and Viri. They already had their civil ceremony back in December, but this past weekend was their big Catholic wedding. It was SO MUCH FUN!
The wedding was held at Ocean Events, a beautiful outdoor venue set on the beach near Puerto Juarez, right in front of El Meco ruins. (Jorge and I almost chose this venue for our wedding last year, before deciding to get married in Merida.)
I got to be a bridesmaid (there were TWELVE of us!), and of course I took pictures… you know me.
The ceremony venue
I told you there were 12 of us
It's a Mexican tradition for family and close friends to pay for certain parts of the wedding. Juan and Viri sponsored our wedding cake, so we sponsored their dessert table... money well spent.
Here's a Mexican wedding tradition for ya... the men carry the groom off to the restroom. They undress him (completely), and bring his clothes back to the bride, who then has to go to the restroom to dress him again.
Here they are bringing the clothes back.
The wedding was filled with great food (especially the cupcakes… ooooh, the cupcakes…), tons of dancing (the dance floor was NEVER empty, and the salsa music was the most popular), and tons of friends. We ended the night around 2 am.
Congratulations, Juan and Viri!
Today is our one year wedding anniversary. We’ll be celebrating with a romantic dinner tonight! (I have no idea where, as it’s a surprise)
I’ve finally decided to catch up to technology and insert a slide show of our wedding day. Love you, Jorge!
A close friend of mine recently started a wedding coordinating business. Last weekend, she had her first wedding and asked Jorge and I if we would help out as part of her staff.
I spent half of the reception seating guests at their assigned tables as they arrived. Let me tell you, some people do NOT know who they are. (Once gentleman told me he was the father of the bride. After 5 minutes going through the list with him, it turns out he was actually her grandfather and had a completely different last name than what he had originally told me.) Other than a few minor last name setbacks, things went very smoothly with the seating.
I also got to practice my nighttime photography, which I’ve mentioned before is VERY hard for me. I loved the centerpieces, but couldn’t get a good shot. This is the best I could do:
Jorge was in charge of the candy table. Mexican candy is very, very different from American candy. They prefer things to be a mixture of salty, spicy and sweet, and they often cover them in chile powder or chamoy. The candy table even featured a chamoy fountain (as opposed to a chocolate fountain), which was used to drizzle over cucumber slices, jicama, carrots and homemade chicharron (fried pork rinds). It was a huge hit with the guests!
Overall, it was a fun and successful event, even though it didn’t end until 5 am!
Thanks to our friends and witnesses Juan, Viri, Dama and Mickey…
For helping us to make this possible…
We’re legal!
Guess what? Tomorrow morning Jorge and I will be legally married!
I know, I know… we already had the wedding, but we haven’t signed the marriage certificate yet (in Mexico these concepts are a bit more separate than in the US, or so I understand)
After way too much money and paperwork given to immigration and civil registry, we were finally approved! $500 – $800 pesos handed over to civil registry can get the process done a bit faster, in case you were wondering. I’m not sure if that’s an “official” payment or something more under-the-table… but it worked!
The bad news is that today, Jorge, Viri (my witness) and myself seem to have all come down with something simultaneously. I started off the morning with stomach pains, which turned into nausea in the afternoon, and has now translated into an achy body. I reeeaaally hope this gets better by tomorrow.
So it looks like tonight I’ll watch an hour of House Hunters International, then sleep for 2 hours, then give myself a mini pedicure, then iron the dress I’m going to wear for tomorrow. I hope Jorge’s feeling better so he can be my nurse for the evening.
Wish me luck!
First of all, a little explanation. Here in Mexico, when you get married, you have to get married twice. One is the religious ceremony, which is the big ceremony and reception, like an American wedding. Second is the civil ceremony, where you have to say your vows and sign a paper, to show you’re legally married.
Jorge and I did the religious ceremony back in July, and we’ll be able to do the civil ceremony soon.
Our friends Juan and Viri, however, did it the other way. They had their civil ceremony last Saturday, and the big formal wedding will be in August.
Some Mexicans just go to the courthouse for their civil ceremony. Others have a small, informal ceremony and party.
Juan and Viri hosted a party at La Europea, a wine and liquor shop in the Hotel Zone. La Europea has a small tasting room in the back for events, along with a beautiful garden and balcony overlooking the lagoon. It’s a great spot. Seriously, the next party I throw will be here! haha
Me and Jorge (in the background across the lagoon is the spot where he proposed!)
Brothers... Armando, Arturo and Juan (the groom)
Looking down onto the garden ceremony area
And now for the ceremony photos (please overlook my poor nighttime photography skills)…
Viri's parents signing the papers
Placing their thumbprints on the papers
Some centerpieces Viri put together with her favorite flower
hors d'eouvres and cake! (The food was amazing, by the way!)
Me with the bride!!
After dinner, a bunch of us stayed out on the balcony for some drinks. I was lame and went home at 1 a.m., but Jorge didn’t get home until 4! Must have been quite a party 🙂
Here are the links to all the rest of my wedding-related photos…
Out first visit to check out Hacienda Teya
Hacienda Teya at night (spooky!)
Visiting Hacienda Teya with Mom
Family vacation in Puerto Morelos the week of the wedding
Bachelorette party at Coco Bongo in Cancun
Bridal Shower
Getting ready before the wedding
Reception (guest photos) Part 1 and Part 2
We finally got our professional photos! I tried to scale it down, but there were just so many great shots. Enjoy!
Jorge took about 30 seconds to cry before he could say his vows... then half of the guests broke into tears as well (so I hear).
My sister and dad singing "Rock of Ages"
Jorge's parents placing the "lazo" on us
This was later referred to as Jorge's "quincenera" photo 😉
"La Serpiente" a Mexican wedding tradition where all the single ladies form a sort of congo line, going all around the room and under the veil held by the bride and groom
My sister Sarah caught the bouquet! (and Aubrie, the gracious loser)
Another favorite Mexican wedding tradition... the men form a line and get tequila poured down their throat by the groom
My grandpa singing "Cielito Lindo" with my college buddies... Aaaah, weddings 🙂
Grandma and Grandpa dancing to the mariachis with my in-laws
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