Post Sponsored by Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita Riviera Maya

Danielle & Rich

May 6

Riviera Maya, Mexico

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Q & A with the couple:

What was the one thing about your venue that made you know it was the one?

It was a small, intimate resort with a beautiful, clean beach and a pier. With all of those aspects, we knew we had the right venue.

Which details from your wedding were your favorites?

One favorite was the ideal location of our ceremony on the beach. We were able to have the wedding party walk through a vine covered gazebo out onto the beach. My big concern as the bride was to ensure that my groom didn’t see me until I was walking down the aisle to him. The gazebo was the perfect barrier to make sure he didn’t see me a moment before!

Another favorite detail was the sand ceremony we did after exchanging our vows. The pouring of two contrasting colored sands into one vase was symbolic to us. We were both raised by single moms and wanted them to be a part of the ceremony. We asked them to take part in this ceremony to symbolize the blending of our families.

If you could offer one piece of advice for other couples planning their wedding, what would it be?

Make sure you scout out locations in person before booking a venue when planning a destination wedding. Pictures can be deceiving and going in person is the only way that you can truly get a feel for the venue. Another reason we chose Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita was because of the exceptional service they provided while we were there during our site visit. We felt confident that they would take great care of us and our guests throughout our wedding weekend.

I would also highly recommend utilizing your trusted vendors. We booked del Sol as our photographers purely based on their exquisite work, but they also ended up being our best resource for recommendations for all aspects regarding our time in Mexico. Their team was able to recommend the make-up/hair vendors we used (which we loved) and had endless recommendations for us during our planning period. It was an unexpected bonus to booking them.

Give us the one moment in your wedding day you can’t stop thinking about.

We loved the way we set up our table for the reception. We always knew we wanted a small, cozy group of guests for our big day. Instead of separating everyone during the dinner portion of the reception, we set up one large family style table so we could all sit together. The location was perfect as well, on the property’s garden section overlooking the beach, pier and spa pool. It was truly the picture perfect location for our special day.

Katherine & Roger 

July 6

Kaaawa, Hawaii

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Q & A with the Bride:

1. What was the one thing about your venue that made you know it was the one?

We wanted our feet in the sand and the gorgeous scenery of Hawaii in the background. Although the groom is from Oahu originally, we had several out-of-town guests in attendance and wanted to give them an unforgettable (and non-Waikiki tourist) experience. Kualoa Ranch was magical!

2. Which four details from your wedding were your favorites?

1. Having the guests and wedding party board a boat to head over the fish pond for the Secret Island ceremony and back for the reception was breathtaking.

2. The food was incredible. An upscale luau with simple yet elegant food. Delicious!

3. My custom handmade dress. I designed my dress and beaded it with over 30 hours of love! It was so beautiful and comfortable.

4. We had a luau performed by Chief Sielu and his team of performers. What an amazing fire show for our guests.

3. Give us the one moment from your wedding day you can’t stop thinking about.

Seeing our smiling faces in every photo, some even in hysterical laughter. We had such a wonderful time and didn’t want it to end.

Hilary & Kevin

February 24

Santa Teresa, Costa Rica

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From the Photographer: “Hilary and Kevin hail from Texas where they met while working at Neiman Marcus. Many people think that all destination weddings end up having a very similar tropical color scheme, but the reality is – your wedding should incorporate the colors that speak to you and that you love. Hilary created a really pretty yellow and gray color scheme and bucked that tropical trend. And it turned out gorgeous! 

The ceremony was in such a unique spot – a coconut grove. The couple said their “I do’s” under an arch that was handmade from driftwood and incorporated that lovely sunny yellow color in the sunflowers and gerberas. To quench their guests’ thirst, the couple offered Coco Locos, a drink of local coconuts and Costa Rican rum. Delish! All the decor pieces had a “found object-ness” about them – from hand-painted driftwood signs to recycled mason jars with candles that hung in the trees.

We adored the kids’ table – so much fun with crayons, glitter, paints, stickers, you name it! The kids were kept busy all night and had a grand time! They also had a babysitter who looked after them all so that the parents could really have a fun time, too.

The seating chart was such a unique idea. It was an old wooden ladder with jute rope – the place cards were held on by clothespins. It looked so divine. We really loved the bridesmaid dresses that brought in that fun yellow again and flowers too. Again the couple bucked the trend and told the bridesmaids that they could pick any dress they wanted that reflected their own personality, the only stipulation was that it was in the same color scheme – and the flower girls were beyond adorable in their Crewcuts by J.Crew dresses. Hilary stole the show in head-to-toe BHLDN – she looked amazing yet not fussy. She was able to enjoy walking on the beach and dancing the night away in her beautiful dress, perfect for a destination wedding.” – A Brit & A Blonde

Whether you’re saying your “I do’s” on a beach overlooking the crystal clear turquoise waters in the Caribbean or in an intimate chapel in Mexico, you might want to consider a few of these ceremony touches to make it one-of-a-kind:

1. Fans: Keep your guests cool with fans that double as your ceremony programs.

Photo: One Love Photography

2. Music: Consider a steel-drum band or a mariachi band for your entertainment.

Photo: Dino Gomez Photography

3.Refreshers: As your guests arrive to your ceremony venue, offer them an ice-cold signature cocktail or bottled water and as your guests leave, offer them a sweet treat like popsicles or freeze pops.

Photo: Kate Headley Photography 

For more inspiration, browse other destination wedding articles. Or are you ready to start planning your destination wedding? Get started now.

Joni & David 

July 6 

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

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Q & A with the Bride:

1. What was the one thing about your venue that made you know it was the one?

We both love great food, so initially our venue’s reputation for amazing food is what piqued our interest. After seeing the beautiful view at the ceremony site and the beachfront area for the reception, we knew that this venue was “the one.” It was gorgeous and low-key at the same time, which was exactly what we wanted. We were treated wonderfully by staff of Hacienda and really couldn’t have made a better choice!

2. Which four details from your wedding were your favorites?

1. The music-We had a trio for the ceremony, and a mariachi band for the reception. I walked done the aisle to “Sweet Child of Mine,” and the recessional was “Home” by Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeroes. The trio did such a great job of making this fun but still classy. We the song “Home” because it is so fitting to our life. Dave and I will travel around the world for his career, so home will be “whereever I’m with you (him).” The mariachi band was amazing, and the perfect touch for the fun celebration we wanted our wedding to be!

2. The flowers- Oh my, what can I say about the flowers? They were amazing! The tables at the reception were my favorite. It was like an absolute dream. The flowers were so beautiful, and the places settings were so perfect. I adored the napkin and flowers at the place settings. There is one photo of the tables with the ocean in the background that is to die for! My bouquet was amazing as well! 

3. The lace aisle runner- This detail gave my wedding a little bit of the vintage feel I wanted. I had a hard time deciding between a beach or vintage style, and Amy, our event designer,  did an unbelievable job at incorporating both!

4. One last thing- Amy surprised us with a caricature artist at our cocktail hour and reception. It is definitely not something I would have originally thought to include, but it was so great. He was very professional and really kept people highly entertained as well as giving them a memento to take home! 

3. Give us the one moment in your wedding day you can’t stop thinking about. 

Walking down the aisle with my mother, who I love dearly. The photos of that are absolutely priceless to me. Also, seeing David at the end of the aisle smiling at me and having no control over the giant smile on my face in return! He held my hand the entire ceremony and for some reason that sticks in my mind too.