Cabo San Lucas Wedding – Part 2
- Describe the ceremony:
Our ceremony was held in the Farm’s Mango Grove, a truly natural setting with lush fruit trees and fragrant gardens. We were married at sunset under a romantic arch adorned with soft ivory and white roses with the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains behind us. Our minister, Minister Marco, is also a stand-up comedian, so as you can imagine, our ceremony was fun and full of laughs. Our guests were totally surprised! Before the ceremony started, we could overhear Minister Marco telling our guests how nervous he was and that he was actually a plumber, which I think many people believed until the ceremony started! Ryan and I are both quite shy when it comes to being the center of attention, so Marco took all the pressure off by making us laugh, while still keeping the ceremony reverent and sweet.
- Describe the reception:
After the wedding, guests were escorted to a nearby cocktail hour, where our planners and Baja Boutique Rentals had set up multiple lounge areas underneath the shade of a large tree. Guests sipped on hand crafted cocktails and listened to a classical guitarist as Ryan and I took pictures. We even had a surprise guest turn up, Paco the beer burro!
After cocktail hour, our guests walked over to the main attraction: a light filled reception area. Guests found their seats on an escort card display featuring clear glass blown hearts made from a local Cabo vendor. My family has been collecting these hearts for years, so it made the structure that much more special. Guests sat around a mixture of round and rectangular tables, which were arranged under a canopy of string lights, creating the illusion of a tent. We highlighted the intimate and warm ambiance with tons of candles and soft florals, which included garden roses and fresh lavender. Here, guests dined family style on an organic and local menu of homemade burrata, roasted chicken, fresh caught tuna, and roasted field vegetables. After dinner, Kilometro, our band, kicked off an epic dance party on our custom painted dance floor that lasted well into the night. We ended the evening with delicious homemade wood-fired pizzas. As two self-proclaimed foodies and music lovers, our reception was all about the tequila, good food, and live music. We wanted our reception to be as fun and relaxed as possible, and it was everything we hoped for and more. Who doesn’t love a canopy of lights under the stars and a hand-crafted margarita?
- Did you do any pre/post activities? If so, please describe them.
We decided to have a destination wedding so we could spend as much time as possible with our loved ones, so we had a weekend of activities planned.
On Thursday night, we hosted an intimate dinner for both our immediate families at Edith’s, a fabulous restaurant overlooking the Cabo San Lucas marina. We felt it was important to have this special time with just our families.
On Friday, Ryan spent the day with his groomsmen by the pool, while I had brunch with my bridesmaids on the beach. Much of our wedding party is scattered throughout the United States (one groomsman even came down from Canada), so having this time with our friends was so great. That evening, we hosted all of our wedding guests at a casual welcome party at the Cabo Azul Resort. We served fajitas, tacos, Mexican beer, and margaritas and had a classical guitarist playing instrumental version of top hits. An impromptu dance party even broke out! The evening finished with a few speeches, including a moving speech from Ryan, and heart shaped fireworks over the beach! The hotel does this every weekend, but everyone thought they were for us! Finally, on the day of the wedding, I had scheduled yoga on the beach with my family, before everyone started getting ready. It was such a fun morning and set the tone for a relaxed wedding day!
- What did you use when planning your wedding – internet searches, wedding magazines, personal referrals, wedding planner?
When we were planning the wedding, we pulled from all different sources of inspiration, including Pinterest and Instagram, and relied on our wonderful wedding planners to tie all of our ideas together.
- What was your favorite moment on the wedding day?
After the ceremony, our photographer led us around the farm for photos before our reception entrance. I remember floating around with a smile on my face so wide my cheeks were sore. We stopped at a beautiful flower alcove and I remember thinking, “something is about to happen.” Ryan turned to me and said, would you like your wedding present? He had already surprised me with a wedding band during the ceremony- the man loves a good surprise! He then told me we were going to Italy for twelve days and he had planned the whole thing. I just had to pack my bags! Everyone was in on it- our guests, my work, our families. It was such a romantic gesture and I will never forget the shock and excitement that I felt.
- Do you have any special advice you would like to share with our readers to help prepare them for their day?
If I could give any piece of advice to couples planning a destination wedding, it would be to just let go and enjoy the weekend the second you step foot on the plane. Sit back and enjoy the time, and roll with the punches, because as everyone says, it goes by fast!
Location: San José del Cabo, Mexico
Wedding Date: April 6, 2019
Couple’s Social Media Handles (Instagram/Facebook/Twitter): @cafrinnnn @ _mckee
Photographer: Gideon Photography
Wedding Planner: Amy Abbott and Ximena Marentes with Amy Abbott Events
Ceremony/Reception Site: The Mango Grove at Flora Farms
Mailing Address: 5007 Purdue Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75209
Distance from Destination Wedding Location: 1,600 miles
Florist: Pina Cate
Stationery: Bells & Whistles Design
Gown Designer: Carolina Herrera
Groom’s Clothing Designer: The Black Tux
Bridesmaids/Groomsmen’s Clothing Designer: Joanna August for Bella Bridesmaids and the Black Tux
