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With a shared love of travel, Jessica and Jonathan knew they would say “I do” in one of their favorite countries–Mexico. After settling on Hacienda Yaxcopoil–without ever seeing it in person–the couple’s dreamy glamorous old-Hollywood day came to fruition thanks to planner Tailor Made Dreams. With simple rattan decor and orchids and Calla Lilies arranged by Pure Love Floral, the focus remained on the beauty of the venue’s lush palm trees and old-world facade.
Along with the natural decor, we can’t stop dreaming about Jessica’s Pronovias gown, which she fell in love with because “the subtle beading reminded [her] of palm fronds,” which matched the hacienda’s greenery beautifully. Not to mention Jonathan looked Rico Suave in his cream linen Suit Supply tux, perfect for the warm Mexican sunshine.
So get those bags packed (and don’t forget the sunscreen) because this wedding–beautifully captured by Ana Hinojosa–will transport you right into the heart of the jungle.
Destination wedding or not, don’t compromise on your vision before finding out if it’s possible! I wasn’t sure my vision would work out, but after exploring and talking to a few local wedding planners, I realized it might be. Of course, it requires taking a leap of faith, and you definitely need to do your research and find the right people to help, but we were 100% happy with our wedding and the entire experience around the wedding day.
Why A Merida Destination Wedding
We settled on Merida because we were in awe of its layered history, opulent architecture, and lush landscape. Although we’d traveled to other cities in Mexico, we’d never been to Merida. We had the great fortune of engaging wonderful local wedding planners, Fernanda Sánchez and Yonatan Lara of Tailor Made Dreams. They made the entire process seamless and assuaged our fears about getting married in a foreign city we’d never even been to. Fernanda helped us virtually navigate the myriad of breathtaking haciendas in the region, even making the three hour trip from Playa del Carmen to send us videos of the haciendas. While there are several amazing haciendas in the greater Merida region, each with its own appeal, Hacienda Yaxcopoil was the one that best melded the glamour of old Merida and the natural vibrancy of the Yucatan.
Embracing The Mexican Culture
We loved hearing from so many of our guests how much they loved Merida and what a great time they had. As we had hoped, many of our guests made a short vacation out of our wedding and stayed a few extra days to explore the city, nearby ruins, cenotes, and even nearby towns. It warmed our hearts to see so many of our guests see what we see in Mexico – the wonderful people, amazing food, and endless beauty.
Congratulations again to Jessica and Jonathan on their elegant Merida destination wedding! Big thank you to Ana Hinojosa for capturing the beauty of the day. We know that planning destination weddings can be confusing, which is why we’ve gathered destination wedding etiquette tips you need to know!
Even in 2021, it’s hard to find gender-neutral wedding songs, let alone a gender-neutral wedding playlist. The world is so binary, especially in the mainstream media. But you’re on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum and as such, you want/demand/hope for something that is a bit more unique. As a transhuman, I want to help others find ways to celebrate their love and commitment together, while not feeling awkward as your first dance song plays, singing about a gender that neither you nor your partner identify with!
This playlist was built with pronouns, or the lack-there-of, in mind. As such, a significant amount of modern and even past songs are scratched off the list. These songs can be great for your first dance or even a dance with another significant other such as a parental unit!
However, as a wedding photographer, I’m also avoiding some popular songs because of their insane overuse at weddings. Sorry Bruno Mars, but today just simply isn’t your day. Uhm, if you chose this song, my deepest apologies. I’ve just been to way more events than you have, I guarantee.
But ignore my hypocritical ass, because I love the shit out of “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri. Makes me choke up every time. I’m also a massive sucker for “Fools Rush In,” by any singer. That is probably my favorite and my skin is covered in goosebumps every time I hear it! It does mention, “men,” but I take it in abstract form. I’m sure you’ll find something to love on this LGBTQIA+ wedding playlist. These gender-neutral wedding songs are on repeat for me!
There’s a saying “everything is bigger in Texas,” and Kimberly and Clint proved that to be true with their colorful Gage Hotel wedding in Marathon, Texas. The couple knew they wanted to incorporate their love for the desert into their special day, so when they came across the historic hotel, they knew it was the one. Their desert theme was apparent with a coral and sage color palette, Mexican blankets, margaritas, and succulents decorating the space.
The dreamy day also included a DIY macrame backdrop, custom handwritten gift bags for the wedding party, boho wedding fashion that’s to die for, and a donkey-led parade down the streets of West Texas. That’s right–a police escort even stopped traffic for this lively fiesta.
If you’re searching for desert wedding inspo, look no further. These photos beautifully captured by Jadie Photography will have you ready to break out the maracas and tequila!
I wore my hair in a fat fishtail braid, tied with a piece of my mother’s wedding dress, which was my “something old.” My Matron of Honor offered me her stunning diamond earrings, so that was my “something borrowed.” The chic, military-inspired hat I donned at the reception absolutely made the look. As for the hat’s custom details, I had a Dry Creek Turquoise thunderbird pendant that I found on a girl’s trip in Fredericksburg added–and it’s permanently mounted on the hat–and represented my “something blue.” There’s also leather cording and my mother’s wedding dress carefully twisted with horsehair & sage around the hat.
Choosing A Gage Hotel Wedding
About a year before the wedding, we went on what we are called “the West Texas tour,” with the Gage Hotel being the last venue on our expedition. We had seen photos of the Gage and had a brief conversation with them over the phone to get an idea of what it would cost to celebrate there. It was definitely not in our budget, but I thought we should check it out anyway. When we pulled up, we looked at each other and said, this is it, we have to make this happen. We were determined to make it happen, and we did!
A DIY Backdrop
At the ceremony, we flaunted a 12-foot handwoven macramé backdrop that was handcrafted and woven by my mother and me. It was a learning experience for the two of us–we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into–and an opportunity to plan and bond prior to the big day. All in all, it took us about 42 hours to construct. We watched countless hours of YouTube videos to learn how to tie all the knots and weave an exquisite masterpiece. The macramé now resides in our stairwell, and it’s a daily reminder that with patience and persistence, we can do anything we put our minds to.
A Parade Down The Streets of Marathon
One of the coolest and most memorable aspects of our wedding was the donkey processional from the ceremony site to the reception and cocktail hour. Unbeknownst to me, we had a police escort, and all traffic passing through town stopped for our mini parade. Our beautiful donkey named W.T. led the way to the party! In addition, our guitarist Nick strummed some fun Latin tunes on the march over while everyone held hands and danced with maracas.
Congratulations again to Kimberly and Clint on their colorful Gage Hotel wedding. We’re so thankful that Jadie Photography was there to capture their special day. To get started on planning your own dream desert affair, check out these southwestern color palettes!
Date and location of wedding: The Poe Museum in Richmond, VA. 2/29/2020
Our offbeat wedding at a glance: The theme was a rustic garden with a goth twist in plums and burgundies in an enchanted sea of green. The Museum’s Founders were inspired by Poe’s poem “To One in Paradise.”
Thou wast that all to me, love, For which my soul did pine— A green isle in the sea, love, A fountain and a shrine, All wreathed with fairy fruits and flowers, And all the flowers were mine. ~Edgar Allan Poe
We chose to do a handfasting wedding with a ring exchange. [Editor’s note: we’ll be sharing the full handfasting ceremony script in a few days!] We felt that it was more of our style and the way we feel about each other.
Photos by Aniko Levai Photography
We walked separately on the brick garden steps across the “sea of green” and met at the fountain. He offered me his arm and I then took it as we walked towards the Poe shrine where we would stand and speak our vows. This was done as a symbol of being apart and joining together as we walked past our friends and family.
Our rings are unique. Mine is a gothic wedding set (with skulls) and Lee’s was an ogham ring with the wording of my choice, which was our wedding song “Nothing Else Matters.”
I had a custom necklace engraved with our wedding date from Pyrrha’s “We Two Are One” that features two ravens holding a ring in a heart to reflect on our chosen venue. The description: The ravens on this talisman are symbolic of a strong and mysterious force surrounding you. Together they hold a ring, signifying a faithful and loving bond.
We also had custom bowties made in our wedding colors for The Poe Museum’s resident cats Edgar and Pluto!
Tell us about the reception: We treated our guests to a guided museum tour while we were having our photos taken after the ceremony.
We had our first dance to a cover of “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica by singer Lissie when the guests returned from their guided tour.
We had a hot chocolate bar, hors d’oeuvres, and then celebrated with a cake ceremony.
What was the most important lesson you learned from your wedding? The biggest wedding challenge was staying true to our personalities. Establish boundaries from the start. It is your day because when you look back, you get to enjoy the look, feel, and photos. We also felt so loved by our friends and family that traveled a great distance to celebrate with us on our wedding day.
My parents were not able to travel, so my mother made me my “something blue” from a piece of light blue cloth from a quilt my nanny made that I treasure. It is so old, it is falling apart, but that just means how dearly I loved the quilt she made me when I was smaller. It felt like I had my nanny and parents with me that day.
Imagine a snow-capped mountain reflected on glass that is surrounded by a luscious green forest. Now, end that stunning scenic route with a quaint dinner for two and you’ll get Sam and Ashley’s North Cascades elopement. Sam and Ashley chose a mountainside elopement to celebrate their love for each other and for the great outdoors. From getting ready together and writing vows, to professing their love with the mountains as their witness, this elopement was anything but ordinary.
After exploring through meadows and sneaking a few romantic kisses, Sam and Ashley headed back to their log cabin for a home-cooked meal and to read notes from their loved ones—so incredibly heartfelt. Thankfully, Wild Coast Photography captured every moment from start to finish. Lace-up your boots and let’s head to the North Cascades.
The Couple:
Sam and Ashley
The Wedding:
North Cascades, Glacier, Washington
Be Present And Enjoy Every Moment
Because we had so much time to ourselves that day, we had lots of special little moments that we’ll always remember. We started by taking a run together out along the Nooksack River, showered and made breakfast, then sat writing our vows until our photographer arrived. One of our dearest friends officiated, and she spent the whole week prior asking us questions to help us reflect on our relationship and what we loved about each other. We were primed to just be present and enjoy every moment.
A North Cascades Elopement Moment
During our ceremony, we shivered through our vows, tears nearly freezing on our cheeks. Probably the most memorable moment was just after the ceremony, we continued exploring the stunning meadows and found ourselves yards away from the photographers. Thinking we were alone, we laughed, cried, and snuck a few kisses—it was absolutely perfect. When we received our gallery from Jenn, we found that moment. We’re off on our own, next to a big evergreen, mountains shining behind us. From afar, she secretly captured it so now we have that image forever. It’s definitely one of the more special shots.
Wedding Advice: It’s Your Special Day
Do what you and your partner want, what will be meaningful for you. Try not to feel obligated to do what’s expected of you. It’s your special day and you should celebrate it in a way that honors your relationship, rather than anyone else’s preconceived notions of what a wedding should be. Find a photographer that can understand your vision for your day, matches your vibe, and will elevate your experience and memory of the day without being a focal point.
Be open to going with the flow and it will all work out. You can have the best, most fool-proof plan, but when you’re planning an outdoor adventure wedding, things can change in minutes. Be okay with changing locations at the last minute, shivering a little, having photos with coats on—as long as you embrace wherever the day takes you and focus on each other, it’s going to be perfect.
Every element of our wedding dinner was special to us. Sam made our pizza dough from scratch, using our own sourdough starter. We made prosciutto, arugula & pear pizza, which was the first meal we cooked together when we started dating. We brought our favorite red wine to pair with the pizza. Plus, we have a tradition of seeking out cheesecake wherever we travel, so for our wedding cake we had our neighborhood market, Little Lago, bake us a cheesecake. Everything they do is delicious but this was over the top – it was the best cheesecake ever and we enjoyed it all week.
