Blucacao Beach Club Wedding by Megan Thompson Photography

These lovely Playa del Carmen nuptials by Megan Thompson Photography have all of the right ingredients for a destination wedding done oh so right.  Bright pops of color, a breathtaking beachside ceremony and, most importantly, a bride and groom having the time of their lives.  Add to that equation some crazy awesome DIY projects, including a ceremony arch like no other, and you’ve got yourself a pretty incredible day.  I only wish I could have gone, too.  All planned by Erica Bressan of Weddings in Playa, it’s one gorgeous detail after another.  See it all here!

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From the Bride… Travis and I met on a hot spring day on the week we graduated from college. He walked into the restaurant that I had been working at and applied for a serving job. After sharing stories and discussing our histories, we realized that we had spent four years socializing in similar circles and going to the same parties. Our relationship moved fast but marriage came slowly. We never felt in a hurry to get married. We were together for more than seven years before getting engaged. We had carried each other through some tough times: Travis lost his grandma, I lost my father, and we lost our doggie. We also celebrated the good: we moved to a new city, bought a new house together, and started our careers.

When I started planning our wedding, I labored over coming up with an overall theme that represented our past, present, and future. Decisions are not my strong point and I couldn’t think of just one thing that would encompass our relationship. It took months of pouring over the pages of Style Me Pretty before I figured out that we didn’t have to create a theme based on our favorite objects or hobbies and our theme could simply be “us.” We created a “B & T” logo and Travis designed our own Mexican skulls (Calaveras). In order to accomplish a wedding that was about “us,” we knew we had to tie-the-knot on neutral ground. We had just traveled to Playa del Carmen, Mexico to see one of my best friends get married and we both fell in love with the city. My aunt was getting married there over the summer and I knew it would be the perfect trip to plan. Planning a wedding in Mexico was refreshing. My wedding planner Erica Bressan was quick to teach me the rules- drink, eat, and then, dance in the water. I met with Erica six months before the wedding. In one trip, we picked a venue and we discussed our vision for the wedding. I was on a budget but we didn’t want to sacrifice the food, drink, or location.

We did our best to finish all of the decorations before we traveled to Mexico. We planned the décor based on how the items would pack. We brought the paper flowers, table numbers, programs, banners, and LOTS of ribbons. We split up the items and enlisted our family members to pack a share of wedding décor so we wouldn’t have to pay a big luggage fee. We arrived to Playa five days before the wedding. On the first day, Erica took us to a Wal-Mart, Office Depot, and paint store. We were able to get everything we needed to make the alter. We bought vases at Wal-Mart and used loose-stemmed flowers for the tables. We purchased mini tequila bottles for the favors, which were a big hit. To save money, we skipped hiring a DJ (luckily the venue had wireless internet so my “DJ” friends were still able to play requests). We chose a somewhat isolated venue that allowed us to get married on the beach without charging us extra to close it down. Erica bartered to get deals on various items- like the wine and flowers.

Thanks to our friends and family, we had the perfect weekend- I wish I could do it all over again, again, and again!

Wedding Photography: Megan Thompson Photography / Wedding Planning: Erica Bressan at Weddings in Playa / Wedding Invitations: Paper Boat Studios / Guestbook: All Along Press / Rubber Stamps, Bridesmaid Jewelry, Programs: Artful Illusions / Save-the-dates + Tote Bags: The Curtain Factory / Venue: Blucacao Beach Club / Rings: Adam Foster Jewelry / Condo Rentals: Maya Villa Condos