Relinquishing all wedding day decisions and handing wedding planning duties off to a talented team of vendors can be difficult for some couples. For wedding giveaway winners Mariela and Gilberto, the risk paid off. Every detail—from the personalized ceremony script to the hand-crafted menu—of this iridescent color palettewedding was carefully crafted to authentically celebrate this nontraditional couple. 

This emotional and intimate affair was full of tears, good food, and a view that will have couples dreaming of their own destination elopements. Though the El Pretexto venue spoke for itself, wedding planner Ana Maria Hernandez enhanced the space with tropical floral arrangements by STEM Events and a geometrical, iridescent ceremony backdrop—hand-crafted by Liliweds. 

We can’t take our eyes off these precious moments captured by photographer Phosphilic. Grab your tissues and get ready to step outside the traditional wedding planning box while scrolling through these images.

Planner Ana Maria Hernandez On This Iridescent Color Palette Wedding

It all started with wanting to show a different style of wedding in Puerto Rico. A giveaway was created in hopes of creating a unique wedding for a real couple. The winning couple—Mariela Colón and Gilberto Rosario—had to fully trust the talented wedding vendors behind this magnificent event. This event was unique, creative, and created for the couple. It was also a look into the future of weddings after COVID—smaller, intimate, shorter, focused on experiences rather than traditions.

The Couple:

Mariela and Gilberto

The Wedding:

Cayey, Puerto Rico

Personalized Ceremony Surrounded By Loved Ones 

The wedding ceremony was very emotional and special. We weren’t sure if some of our family members were going to be able to attend for health reasons, but they made it. Our ceremony was written for us by Ana Maria and she included part of our story. It was magical. 

Every Detail A Work Of Art, Literally 

It all felt like a dream, everything was so well thought out. Every detail blended so well with the next: the dress, the groom’s suit, the cake, the ceremony backdrop, even the menus were literally a work of art. 

Working With Phosphilic

Our photographers, Rey and Natasha from Phosphilic were amazing! They made us feel so comfortable and they really outdid themselves capturing every detail and every moment of our wedding.

From the tropical decor to the colorful fashion, no aspect of this iridescent color palette wedding was traditional. It celebrated the couples uniqueness and proved that sometimes less is more. If you’re feeling inspired to ditch tradition or looking for fun, creative ways to set your wedding apart—like rocking a non-white wedding dress—check out this guide for planning a unique wedding.

Bold is an understatement when it comes to Badger and Jess’ Farmin’ Betty’s wedding. Top to bottom, their ceremony was drenched in unique details—disco balls, a retro movie sign, vintage chairs for the sweetheart table, and a cube-shaped altar arch! Even their wedding day fashion was bold. Jess wore a black and white print two-piece wedding gown paired with tall black cowboy boots. Badger opted for an emerald green suit—two colorful choices! Then, let’s pause to enjoy the perfectly mismatched wedding party looks. 

We love what their photographer–and Junebug member–Erika Diaz Photography had to say about this day:

“Jess and Badgers’ boldness to embrace their personal styles and creating a day that highlighted something viewers will be excited and inspired by. I admire their willingness to infuse their wedding day with personal touches, fashion, and details that were completely unique to them.”

The Couple:

Badger and Jess

The Wedding:

Farmin’ Betty’s, Columbus, Wisconsin

Planning A Wedding During A Pandemic

After being engaged for two and a half years, we made the decision early in the pandemic to become husband and wife on September 26—even if it was just us. We originally planned to have 250 guests, but after a series of COVID-19 restrictions forced us to reduce our guest list to 50 loved ones, we were left reimagining the entire day. We called each guest and vendor to discuss what we could do to make them feel safer in a COVID-19 environment. For example, we changed our formal sit-down dinner to a cocktail-style lounge space so guests could distance themselves based on comfort level.

Taking COVID Precautions

We often questioned whether having a wedding during a global pandemic was even the right thing to do. Though all vendors and guests remained safe and healthy after our nuptials, we were emotional wrecks waiting for the fourteen days to pass afterward.  For couples who face similar decisions, we hope you can force yourself to see that the real magic of the wedding day is the commitment you make to one another through marriage. Any resemblance of a wedding after that is just icing on the cake.

Advice For Nearlyweds

Just do you! That’s our advice. Our wedding strayed from tradition in so many ways, making it hard for others to envision how our wedding day would turn out. There were countless times Jess would share her latest ideas, and they’d be met with raised eyebrows and well-intentioned skepticism. However, without trusting in our shared vision, we would’ve never had the things that made our day special, like including our fur babies in the ceremony or having our wedding party in mismatched attire.

A Farmin’ Betty’s Wedding

When we got engaged, the big question was where we would tie the knot since our families were not centrally located. Knowing that many of our guests would need to travel regardless of where we chose, we decided on a location that was special to us. In 2018, we purchased our first home together in Columbus, Wisconsin, and felt that this area was perfect to begin our union. Vintage Fields at Farmin’ Bettys had everything we needed and we instantly gravitated to their charming refinished barn nestled in the countryside. The beautiful outdoor space allowed us to hold our ceremony on the grounds before moving to the rustic barn to dance the night away!

Personalizing Everything

Badger is a romantic at heart and frequently writes creative short stories, so we knew right away that we would personalize our ceremony by writing our vows. The rest of the ceremony magic we really owe to our co-officiants, Jace and Mikaela—our college best friends. Since we went to different universities and didn’t meet until after our wild college years were over, Jace and Mikaela had the challenge of writing a wedding script together without ever meeting before. And they crushed it! There were so many tears, laughs, and even a well-placed Meatloaf song reference that had Badger commit that he would love Jess and would love her forever.

Congratulations to Badger and Jess on their bold Farmin’ Betty’s wedding. Major shout out to Junebug member Erika Diaz Photography for capturing and sharing this beautiful day with us. To see more of Erika’s work, check out her profile in our directory of wedding photographers from around the globe!