Spending an entire week in Puerto Vallarta with your closest friends and family is one seriously awesome vacation, on that we can agree. But spending that seriously awesome vacation all in celebration of your Big Day? Even better. Which is exactly why these two sweeties rounded up their nearest and dearest and headed south of the border to say “I do” amongst the breathtaking landscape and towering Palm Trees. It was a week that was more beautiful than you can imagine, complete with sweet DIY details, a stunning Pronovias gown and one gorgeous moment after another captured by Elizabeth Lloyd. See it all in the full gallery.
From the Bride… When Rob proposed to me during a backpacking trip along the Lost Coast, a 25-mile stretch of uninhabited coast in Northern California, every part of it was perfect. The sun was setting above a clear day and we were alone on the beach with the nearest person miles away. We were without our cell phones and I had to wait until we returned from our trip to share the news with family and friends (which was no easy feat!), but spending the first two days of engagement alone was special. Much like the announcement of our engagement, we took our time planning our wedding, making sure to take in each step of the process, enjoy the moment, and cherish it.
As we began discussing our wedding plans, our vision was clear. We could not fathom an entire year of wedding planning for just 6 hours with our family and friends on our wedding day. So, just like that we decided on a destination wedding in Puerto Vallarta. We rented the Quinta Maria Cortez and Casa Tres Vidas, a beachfront bed and breakfast and it’s adjoining 3 villa property for 4 nights, filled it with our closest friends and family, and had the most epic wedding week ever. For our theme, we wanted a rustic yet elegant and romantic feel and chose soft pinks, taupe, ivory and pops of coral for our colors. We had a simple ceremony on the beach, officiated by our friend who introduced Rob and I, a cocktail hour on the beach listening to the sounds of a live trio band, then moved into one of the villas for the reception.
I spent months leading up to our wedding working on DIY projects. I sewed every single chiffon flower on the napkin rings to match our rustic, blush pink and ivory color theme. I incorporated our multicultural roots by making straws and cocktail stirrers that said “cheers” in Korean and Portuguese, and of course Spanish. I made pinwheel fans printed with significant dates in our relationship, places we traveled and dined, concerts and movies we watched, and words that described us as a couple. Our guests later told us how much they enjoyed reading the fan as they waited for the ceremony to begin. For the ring bearer pillow, I made a burlap pillow with chiffon flowers for my nephew to carry down the aisle. Lastly, for our program I drew two lovebirds on the program wearing running shoes. Rob and I first met on a relay running team, and we trained for and ran a marathon together. It has played a big role in our relationship and our programs were the perfect place to symbolize it. I gave boxes of everything I made to Tamara and Lucie of Vallarta Incredible Weddings days before the wedding. They pulled all of our ideas together (there were many), and beautifully executed how we envisioned our wedding. Full of our closest family and friends, food, and love, our wedding celebration went beyond anything we could have ever dreamed up!
Wedding Photography: Elizabeth Lloyd | Assistant Photographer: Yanen Ali | Wedding Venue: Casa Tres Vidas in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico | Event Planning: Lucie Aubert + Tamara Bradley from Vallarta Incredible Weddings | Wedding Stationery + Decor: DIY by the Bride | Guest Book: Etsy | Wedding Dress: Pronovias | Bride’s Veil: Melissa Sweet | Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade | Groom’s Attire: Hugo Boss
