Cuba Wedding Ideas and Inspiration

High School Sweethearts Say I Do in Havana Surrounded by their Children & Family

Today’s wedding wasn’t solely a union between the Bride & Groom. For Kaprisky and Jose, it was a day of love for their entire family (including their three sweet children). A marriage wasn’t the start of their family journey, but more of a celebration of the beautiful life they’ve built together. AIRE DE FIESTA and Coordinate Cuba made sure their destination fete went smoothly, while Ayenia Nour documented every moment for a collection of memories they can enjoy for years to come.

From the Bride… Jose and I met and dated in Anchorage Alaska while in high school. We come from big families—all immigrants, constantly seeking change so we ended up in Alaska. We lost touch after I moved back to Massachusetts after my freshman year, years went by and we had yet to reunite but I always had this feeling. About eleven years ago, I went to New York to visit a friend, I wanted to switch it up and needed a change of scenery. I was coming off an uptown train when I saw Jose. It was a love that never faded or changed–it was patient and waited for us. Ten years later we were celebrating our anniversary in Havana, Cuba where we got married surrounded by our beautiful children and family.

Jose proposed in November 2017 just after we bought our first home. It was a whirlwind since then trying to plan a wedding on top of raising three children, working full time and renovating our home. A small destination wedding made the most sense for our hectic schedules. We’d already been together for many years and done the whole kids and house thing, so a wedding was just the cherry on top, something for us to really celebrate the life we’ve built together. My new last name would be Castillo (castle in English) so it was fitting to create our hashtag of #BuildingCastillos (building castles). That’s exactly what we have been doing, building our foundation stone by stone. Building Castillos! We knew our ceremony had to be in February (our anniversary month) and if we were going to spend so much money on this wedding it’d better be somewhere warm. With our Dominican background, our destination had to be in the Caribbean. I absolutely could not deal with our relatives complaining otherwise and the kids needed distractions which the sun always provides. An intimate ceremony made the most sense to us–a week long getaway for us and our favorite people. Havana was always on our bucket list to travel so without a moment of hesitation we decided to get hitched in Cuba and it was perfect.Traveling to Cuba may seem scary as an American but you can still travel under specific visas. We traveled under the “support the Cuban people” visa which is quite perfect for those travelers who want to know and understand the Cuban culture. Under this visa, you would support Cubans by staying in Airbnb’s, eating at none government owned restaurants and purchasing at none government owned stores. We created an itinerary and went on tours, beaches and bar hopped right through the Airbnb website; amazing experience! Cubans are full of love and culture and are eager to help. The friends we made during our stay will always remain close to our hearts.

My cousin recommended I contact with a photographer named Ayenia Nour and we started planning the wedding immediately. It just felt right—almost like I met Ayenia when I was supposed to. Ayenia listened to our story and was so excited with us every step of the way. We checked in from time to time and she made sure all our questions were answered without hesitation. We built a relationship and we still keep in touch. Ayenia introduced us to Mariam Gonzalez from Coordinate Cuba who, hands down, is the best destination wedding planner anyone could ever have! There is not a more powerful duo than a bride and her planner and we were it. Her attention to detail and professionalism goes a long way. We fell in love and booked our wedding location prior to seeing it in person. Crazy! La Guarida had a rustic and glamorous look that we loved. We needed every part of our wedding to speak a story. Our love has never been simple, it’s changed and grown as much as we have as individuals. On our visit in July 2018 our decision to have our wedding in La Guarida was affirmed as soon as we walked in. I felt it in my bones, this was the place we were meant to get married.

Jose has an old soul and is attracted by all things antique and vintage. I wanted to make sure our invitation suite reflected his vintage style. I found calligraphy writer on Etsy, Hannah Yoder. We chatted for a bit via email as we went back and forth on what I envisioned. Hannah knew exactly what I wanted and even sourced homemade paper from Share Studios for our unique invitations. Combined with a stamp seal from Stamptitude and Hannah’s design, our invitation suite were better than what we imagined. The flat lay photos were perfection which included many trinkets and items I sourced at local antique shops and of course a ring box from The Mrs. Box. Some of the flat lay photos display a piece of the fabric used to make my dress which set well with the beautiful ribbon from Silk and Willow. It was all so special.

I started looking for a cinematographer in January 2018. I found a Miami based company, Dream Light Visuals, who have worked with couples in Havana. I reached out to them and was put in contact with Junior Garcia and his wife Vanessa. I love a good power couple. Another perfect match only sweetened by Junior’s Dominican heritage and Vanessa’s Cuban descent. The wedding was in good hands. Every detail and every person needed to speak to who Jose and I are. We are people of the people, supporters of our culture and admirers of growth. Coming from a family of immigrants is the central point of our story, it’s influenced who we’ve become and the opportunities we’ve received. Junior and Vanessa add a sexy Caribbean vibe to their work which Jose and I fell in love with. Our conversations always included our elevated voices to the point where I would screech with excitement with all of his wonderful ideas. I will for sure miss it!

My wedding dress was the only detail I did not struggle with. Contrary to many brides, I knew exactly what I wanted. In the start of my wedding dress hunt, I’d gone to a traditional bridal boutique where I was encouraged to buy something simple and timeless. I think that was just code for white and boring. I still ended up buying a dress I wasn’t in love with, but I just kept going back to our story… the complexity, our history and who I was. This wedding was just for Jose and I to begin with but I lost sight of that with my dress. My wedding dress meant everything to me. I needed something with more meaning—so I sold my first dress six months before our wedding and enlisted a local designer named Yanell Galva. She made the dress I imagined my children wearing. I didn’t tell anyone except my sister that I’d changed dresses. My mom would’ve had a heart attack, but I knew that I needed to trust my gut. In the end I wanted to surprise them all! Yanell is a young woman who grew up in the town where my children were born and who also has a Dominican background. She’s a spiritual woman with a hip rock flare who’s soft spoken and so gentle. We connected immediately and she took my vision and ran with it! Yanell also kept the dress a secret and worked around my schedule for fittings and updates. She worked diligently through most nights and made sure I was aware of every detail. Did I mention this was her first wedding dress? When I mentioned I trusted my gut, I meant it. Yanell listened to what I wanted, and I trusted her from start to finish. Her craft is genius.

(continue reading the Bride’s story below!)…

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Upon our arrival to Havana in February, we had an agenda and knew exactly what to do and what to expect. I spent my days drinking Guava juice and eating ceviche with my gorgeous family. Our wedding was a dream to say the least. I couldn’t have been calmer. I’m pretty type A so everything was very organized because dealing with three kids means I don’t have time for any more stress. Our ceremony and reception were breathtaking. Michel Valdes from Aire De Fiesta Cuba is truly a master at his work. From our ceremonial large archway to the mojitos being served upon guest arrival, Michel understood my attention to detail. The different unique chairs was definitely a vision I had and Michel made it happen. Jose and I love greenery and Michel was a bit nervous when we told him less flowers and more greenery but it all turned out beautiful! I wanted to create an experience for our small party (26 people to be exact), one they’d live with for as long as I did.

Meeting Jose meant learning to lean on someone else. My wedding day served as the biggest test in trust. All this preparation and planning leading up to a day entirely out of my control. And you know what? It was complete bliss. My wedding was the least stressed I’d ever been. I had so many people in my corner who wanted to make sure I had the best day possible. I’m a mother and it’s hard to find those selfish days where I can think about myself for a change. If I hadn’t of had my sister with me that day I probably would’ve melted. She ran around me in every which direction to make sure my dramatically and dreamy long veil was always sorted. Umm…my veil was 200 inches by the way! Heather from Sash + Veil knew I meant business when I requested a drop veil made with 200 inches of her silky soft material. It was a vision!

Our first look was out of a storybook. We first saw each other at the Plaza Catedral. I walked towards Jose with our children standing close by. I saw our eldest daughter Paris crying and couldn’t hold back my own tears. Jose was in love with me. I wasn’t just the luckiest woman in the world, I was the luckiest mother. I could not have ever imagined us getting married without our children present. It didn’t make sense to us. There is everything Jose and I want to teach our children but for myself, as a woman, I wanted to show my children what it means to fall in love with someone who deserves you and how to accept the love you deserve. Jose loved my dress and made sure to tell me exactly why when he first saw me.. Swoon!

I planned to walk down the aisle alone until we factored my veil in, then my sister volunteered to walk right behind me, and I got to walk into the next phase of my life with all the support I needed. Brides say they never hear the music being played as they walk down the isle because they’re so nervous. I heard every chord. I Could Fall in Love by Selena was played by a Cuban quartet who almost understood the support I needed. I could fall in love and I could have the wedding I always dreamed of as a little girl. I just needed to have faith, the rest was quite simply a dream.

Jose and I could barely get ourselves together to speak our vows. It was so emotional, and everyone was ugly crying as Jose said his vows and Spanish and I said mine in English. We made sure to follow Dominican tradition and include the exchange of thirteen arras. Each arra (coin) represents a value we will share with each other. Our children were all involved with the ceremony as this was as much their wedding as it was ours. Our reception was unreal! It was located on one of La Guarida’s rooftop terraces which has an amazing view of Havana. We walked in and danced our first dance to a live band playing Juan Luis Guerra “Burbujas de Amor”. A Cuban band playing a Dominican love song, it couldn’t have been better. We were presented with a 10-course meal of the finest dishes from La Guarida and it was ALL so delicious! I’m a trained dancer so of course I changed into something livelier to keep up with the musical night. The sexy white fringe jumpsuit from Meshki did the trick and Jose could not stop staring. Mission accomplished! Our small wedding was the perfect mixture of everyone we needed. Heels were thrown aside to accommodate the endless dancing that ensued. We were all drunk uncles in the end: pretending the band was ours and owning the Havana night like it was our last.

Ultra Romantic Wedding Inspiration in Old Havana

I could just lie in these pics all day long, surrounded by the fabric and florals and so, so much beauty. Between the classic old Havana spirit and the gorgeous work by Designs by Hemingway, this shoot from Matthew Ree’s workshop in Cuba earlier this year is pure magic. Sit back, relax and travel back to a place with dreamy dresses, stunning sites and more – all in our Vault right this way!

From Matthew Ree… We had attendees from all over the US and England attend our first photography workshop in Havana, Cuba. This was our second trip to Cuba in one year and we saw changes right away. Upon landing, we noticed a new terminal in the airport for all the exploding arrivals coming from the US. In the city of Havana, there were new hotels being built, tour buses on all major roads, and the American tourists from cruise boats were flooding the streets of Old Havana. If you want to see Havana before it really changes, plan a trip now!

We are still in love with the romance and charm of this cultural city. The weathered patina colors of buildings, amazing textures, patterned tiles, and narrow streets are like no where else. The ombre glow at sunset is beautiful against dilapidated grandeur buildings of era’s past. It really is a photographer’s dream come true to be there now before the big changes come. All the attendees were mesmerized by its charm. Cuba has a way of making you immediately feel like you have stepped back into a time warp. We had four days with all the photographers styling shoots around the city during the day and riding around in vintage cars at night exploring some of the city’s best paladors.

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Romantic Havana Wedding Inspiration

Stepping into Matthew Ree’s and CLY BY MATTHEW’s pics from a recent trip to Havana is like going back in time, from the vintage cars that rule the road to the old world romance radiating from every single image captured. With the styling expertise of Designs by Hemingway on full display, we’re whisked away to this magical space and I don’t want to leave anytime soon. See it all in our Vault right this way!

From Matthew Ree… The trip felt like we were in a time warp traveling back to the 1940’s and stepping onto a movie set that someone forgot to tear down. Within an hour of arriving, we were wandering and exploring on foot through the streets of Havana. Drawn to the weathered patina colors, amazing textures, patterned tiles, narrow lanes and mysterious dilapidated stairwells inside of old but beautiful faded buildings. The layers of distressed colorful and chipping paint everywhere makes Havana an intoxicating backdrop to style a photo shoot.

Our styled shoot began at the famous Cuban parador, La Guarida in Central Havana. This crumbling yet grandeur building was the inspiration for our couple shoot. The grand and ornate staircases go up to three separate levels with a rooftop bar that has a splendid view of Havana. Our model, Carla, wore a Claire Pettibone dress “Raphaella” so beautiful with winged sleeves and a blue silk lining. Everything came to life after designing vintage brass candlesticks leading up the grand staircase. Flowers were in short supply and you can not ship them in so Debbie had to forge everything from locals which was fun in itself. With a dress change to a Claire Pettibone “Alma” dress, we took the shoot onto the streets of Havana. Old vintage cars are roaming around on every corner, the cobble stone streets and amazing colors and textures are everywhere! This place is seriously magical!!
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Colorful + Romantic Havana Anniversary Session

When the amazing Rebecca Yale is your sister, you are one lucky lady. First, that means Rebecca Yale, one of the sweetest people ever, is your sister. Second, it means that Rebecca Yale, the incredibly talented photographer, can shoot the most romantic anniversary session in Havana. Three years after he got down on one knee and ten years after they first met, this gorgeous couple posed for some equally gorgeous photos (that I totally want to frame). See all the pretty and escape to paradise in The Vault!

From Rebecca Yale Photography…My family loves to travel and I have had the pleasure of shooting my sister and her husband all over the world so when we decided to all go to Cuba for New Years I knew we had to do a very special anniversary session. It was the three year anniversary of when her husband proposed (on New Years day in Antarctica) and just a couple months short of the 10 year anniversary of when they met (at a bar in New York). I found the most perfect red hat at a little hat shop in Key West a few days before we left for Cuba and we let the color red inspire us for a bold editorial inspired anniversary shoot on the streets of old Havana. We wandered the streets at sunrise, taking in the beautiful old buildings and wall after wall of chipping paint. The streets were were already buzzing with locals, waking up early to sit on their stoop and chat with their neighbors. We made our way to the city center where we grabbed a vintage taxi- a bright red Chevrolet of course- and took a few more photographs with the beautiful vintage car.

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Authentic Colorful Cuban Wedding Inspiration

Here at SMP we get pretty excited when fresh ideas come across our desks so when The Venue Report sent over images by Jose Villa and Joel Serrato from their recent Cuban inspired shoot, well, let’s just say the rest of our day wasn’t all that productive. Taking their cue from the romance of Cuban culture, The Venue Report created a celebratory scene that I’m aching to jump right into. From Found Vintage Rentals‘ colorful pieces and the most fabulous outfits – courtesy of Grey Likes Weddings’ styling talents – these pics are basically our summer wedding daydreams come to life.

From The Venue Report… We produced a shoot inspired by Cuba right before the travel laws shifted! Photographers Jose Villa and Joel Serrato had been a few times and it topped our list of places we also wanted to visit. Going to Cuba you feel as if you have stepped back into a bygone era. The cars parked on the streets are still from the 1950’s.

With the recent travel laws changing we are sure we will see even more gatherings and homes inspired by the Cuban culture as it opens its doors for tourists to visit.

It was incredibly hard finding interior design inspiration from Cuba so we became instead inspired by the romantic touches of Cuba. Its colors, its food, its cocktails, cigars, cars, the Cuban cement tiles and the colorful macaws in the archipelago of Cuba.

We produced this gathering at the historic Lombardi House in a palette of mint, spring greens, mustard, poppy red. It’s a fresh palette and combination that you will find across Cuba in the homes, tiles, kitchens and cafes. Guests were served handcrafted mojitos.

One of our favorite design elements of Cuba is the Cuban cement tiles. We recreated these into cut wood tile placemats at each setting, adorned by tropical bird plates, hand calligraphed place cards and mojitos with raw sugar sticks.

Romantic Old World Havana Wedding

I have an ongoing wanderlust list but all those must-visit destinations just got pushed back, with Havana taking over the lead spot thanks to Brittrenephoto’s pics from her time there capturing her stunning sister’s wedding. I’m left enchanted by the beauty of this city and this celebration sparkles even more in its warm character. Get ready for one gorgeous gallery that I guarantee you won’t leave anytime soon.

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From Brittenephoto… Oh my goodness! Talk about a wedding of the year! My baby sister got married in a city that holds so much history for our family: Havana, Cuba! I can go on and on about our week spent in a city virtually untouched by tourism, the amazing people and the fabulous time we had celebrating Suzie and Max, but I’ll let my sister do the talking and my pictures do the walking.

From the beautiful Bride… Our wedding felt like a dream from the minute my ladies arrived at our penthouse overlooking the Atlantic for our hair and make-up session. My Dad, looking dapper in a custom made tuxedo from Hong Kong, arrived shortly after to take me to the church in a 1955, Tiffany-blue, classic American car. My something blue! The church was built at the end of the sixteenth century and was the perfect setting for our ceremony.

The aisle for the walk to my groom – who looked very “1950s Havana” in his white tuxedo jacket – was decorated with rose petals and bunches of Baby’s Breath in tall glass vases for a mystical feel. We lit our unity candle from Lourdes, France and were blessed with holy water from the region as well, both of which my Grandmother gathered from her recent pilgrimage to France. The organist, soprano and harpist created the most captivating music throughout the ceremony and the most beautiful version of Ave Maria was sung, lifting our spirits!

A wedding in Havana wouldn’t be complete without a fleet of classic American cars to take you from the church to the reception. So off we went in 27 vintage cars to the San Carlos de la Cabaña Fortress, an eighteenth century fortress complex, located on the Eastern side of the harbor entrance of Havana. Chandeliers sparkled over white modern furniture on a grassy area by the water for the cocktail hour and salsa dancers started to teach the guests some dance moves. Mojitos, cava and Cuban-inspired canapés were enjoyed by our 103 guests from 39 different countries as the sun set over the dynamic city of Havana Vieja.

Skilled fire dancers then captured our attention before the guests collected their seating cards from cigar boxes filled with coffee beans. The dinner tables were decorated with candelabras of cascading white roses and glowed under strings of fairy lights brought from Hong Kong. Speeches were given, tears of joy were shed and we danced the night away to sounds from the incredibly talented Jazz Quintet, as well as Luna Manzanares, Cuba’s soul diva, and DjoydeCuba, Cuba’s best house DJ. We couldn’t have asked for more from the city that holds so much history for my family!