Jenny and Jeff - Villa Verde

Funny thing. Lots of couples these days want to get married in Mexico but want very little Mexico reflected in their wedding. I get it. Many people immediately associate Mexico with sombreros, pinatas, cactus and tequila.

What many people forget is that Mexico, as much as it has its share of sombreros, pinatas, cactus and tequila, is also a country wealthy with hand-painted pottery, intricately beaded artwork, festive colors, beautifully-designed iron work, succulent tropical fruits and so much more. A Mexican-themed wedding can speak to the vibrancy of the culture through subtle and natural elements as in Jenny and Jeff's wedding this past Monday! Their color palette of fuschia, orange, red and green brought a punch of color to the brick terrace while the decor focused on Mexico . . . in a beautiful, non-sombrero way!

Believe it or not, our inspiration for this wedding came from a couple cakes Jenny liked:



Both cakes had the word "Love" on them - well, we decided to take that idea, add local flare and voila! "Amor" was the theme of this wedding . . . and wow, did it fit the occasion! This celebration focused on the love, uh hum, amor between this amazing couple, their gathered family and group of friends!

A beachfront ceremony in June calls for some shade for guests, and what better way to add color to the beach than with natural bougainvillea suspended over a natural wood structure. Ivory curtains blocked sunlight filtering in from the sides while still allowing for a beautiful view!







Upstairs on the terrace, festive and shaded "cabanas" awaited guests during cocktail hour!





A special children's area was set up for five youngsters! Of course even their area combines with the rest of the wedding!



Guests were seated at beautiful dinner tables that popped with colorful flowers emerging from terracotta pots filled with limes!




Gotta love the cake! A fun and festive combination of several cakes Jenny loved . . . made with "amor" by Charme Reposteria!


After dinner and dessert, guests danced the night away beneath the palapa! Additional seating was placed around the space for those who needed a rest, and decorative terracotta pieces added candlelight and flowers to the area!






Mexican tortas (sandwiches), cookies and milk were served at the end of the night - what a popular treat!

Congratulations Jenny and Jeff - we loved being a part of your festive Mexican celebration . . . filled with mucho amor!

Stacy and David - Copa de Oro

The month of March started out what we call our “wedding marathon!” Our spring “high season” begins around the first week of March and lasts through the beginning of June. Wedding planners across town may be found running sprints through the streets of Vallarta, occasionally hyperventilating and, rumor has it, purchasing Red Bull and Diet Coke in bulk to keep both spirits and energy high throughout the season!

While every wedding and every couple is very special to us, my favorite wedding ever kicked off this spring’s marathon! Stacy and David (my baby brother!) tied the knot at gorgeous Casa Copa de Oro in Conchas Chinas on March 7th.


Casa Copa de Oro is perfect for small, intimate weddings! Groups of up to 50 guests fit very nicely onto the oceanview terrace for ceremony, and then while cocktails are being served in the nearby lounge, the ceremony area can be quickly converted into a beautiful and romantic dinner setting.

Stacy and David described their perfect wedding as “colorful, elegant and personalized.” We were able to achieve just that with their great input and ideas. Stacy chose a bright blend of colors including reds, oranges and fuschia to be the central theme of the celebration, and The Dazzling Details created a festive yet romantic ambiance for their wedding day.

Stacy carried a bouquet of yellow calla lilies and bright roses.


As the ceremony terrace would later be converted into a dinner area, a simple yet stunning ceremony backdrop was called for; the couple stood in front of two traditional Mexican wrought-iron arched pieces which were intertwined with roses and candles.


Terracotta flower pots overflowed with roses at every turn. Colorful maracas hung from each of the chairs (for shaking at the kiss, of course!), and bright arrangements of roses floated in the pool behind the guests.




Guests mingled in the festive lounge area sipping on flavored margaritas while the ceremony terrace was converted into the dinner area (this can be done in 10 minutes, by the way, and if done correctly, is not an eye sore for your guests. In fact, they most likely won’t even notice it’s being done until they realize there is a dinner table where their ceremony chair used to be!)

Here are a few photos from the cocktail lounge and dinner area:


(Just an FYI – the bride and groom don’t normally lay around like this in fancy clothes . . . the photographer made them do it! Don’t they look great?!?







There were, of course, a few "dazzling details" incorporated into the day that made Stacy and David’s wedding extra special:

1. Stacy and David (like many couples) chose to honor passed loved ones on their wedding day. For this occasion, we chose to place chocolate-painted frames with each person’s name next to a pillar candle on a gorgeous stone bench in the entryway of the villa so that upon arrival, guests would pass by the memorial.


2. As we know both the bride and groom are avid golfers, we decided to incorporate a touch of their passion for the game into their wedding day. Seating assignments were posted on a personalized golf course map titled “Copa de Oro Golf Club” and table numbers were printed on miniature golf flags that peaked out of the table centerpieces.



3. Along with their chosen wedding cake flavors, we surprised the bride and groom with mini cakes – including a few in the groom’s favorite flavor – Confetti Boxed Cakemix (brought specially from the USA for the occasion). Imagine trying to convince PV’s best cake-baker to use a box mix – he just about fell over dead at the thought! But it was definitely worth it!


4. Having had to leave behind the “other love of their lives,” we made special tribute to the couple’s furry friend left at home. A photo of their beloved dog Bosch posing with a “Congratulations Stacy and David” sign was placed in the corner of the lounge – literally bringing tears to their eyes when they saw it! (Sorry – not the best photo! It’s tough to take a photo of a photo!)


And we tried something at Stacy and David’s wedding for the first time that quickly became a new favorite for us! At the end of the night, we invited the couple out onto the terrace for a final dance. We lit and passed out Mexican long sparklers to guests, and they surrounded the couple on the dance floor. It was a fantastic and oh-so-romantic end to the evening!

The popularity and success of the sparklers at this event caused us to recommend them at a later event where they provoked an equal reaction! So keep this in mind as a a great alternative for couples who want a “fire element” that is easy on the pocketbook!

The ever-popular taco cart opened up, and so ended the first wedding in our spring streak!

Congratulations Stacy and David! It was a privilege to not only be a guest at your wedding, but to help you plan this great day as well!