I have so many wonderful things to say about Sarah and Marc’s beautiful destination wedding in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  But my FAVORITE thing about their wedding is the fact that from the moment she walked down the aisle, they quite literally beamed at one another.  Their never-ending smiles were infectious- I challenge you to look at the two of them below and not beam right back at them.  For me, at least, it’s an impossible task.  I’m smiling right now as I write this blog post!

Sarah and Marc met at work– they are both teachers in California.  Sarah is a special education teacher, and Marc is a math and science teacher.  When they started working at the same school, their classrooms shared a wall, and Sarah said that she first noticed the sound of Marc’s voice from the other side of the wall.  They became friends first, though, and didn’t start dating until they had been friends for more than a year.  They started spending time together in a group during happy hour after work, and Sarah told me that they shared their first kiss after work in a dive bar!  They decided to get married while Marc was teaching in South Africa– Sarah visited him there, and he surprised her with the ring!

I asked Sarah and Marc to share their favorite moment from the wedding with me.  Sarah said: 

When I came around the corner to walk down the aisle- I remember hearing the ocean, which I love deeply- I had both my parents next to me and I felt like I locked eyes with almost all of my friends… and then I saw Marc and we both started laughing we were so excited. I was stunned by how much fun I had at our actual ceremony. I have never lived more fully in a single moment.  Marc said that his favorite moment was right after our ceremony, when we got to spend a few minutes in Yichud. In a Jewish wedding the bride and groom spend a few minutes in seclusion after the ceremony to let what has happened sink in. We got to taste all our great food- we toasted each other. It was so special to have those few minutes alone just us- at the same time we could hear our friends laughing outside which made us both realize how lucky we were to have each other and to be surrounded by these incredible friends and family.

Here are a few of my favorite images from their beautiful wedding at the Playa Fiesta Hotel:

I asked them why they decided to have a destination wedding, and Sarah said:

Since our best friends are scattered around the country we knew we wanted some real time with each one of them. A destination wedding allowed us to be on a vacation with them. We both felt we got to have meaningful extended time with each one of our 34 guests and we both commented on how we felt closer to every one of them after the experience. We also wanted our wedding to reflect who we are as a couple. Marc and I have both been profoundly changed by our time teaching in other countries and we bounded over our passion for this early on- so a wedding with a global theme seemed like the perfect fit.

Sarah and Marc had some wonderful details! They shared them with me:
 
*Dress- Anne Barge- Bliss Bridal in Del Mar, California (also where Sarah bought her earrings and her hair piece)
*Shoes- Badgley Mischka (Zappos)
*Invitation- Made by minted and then Sarah and Marc stamped and cut out the compass embellishments.
*Programs- The covers were designed on Esty by Robin Bellomy. Marc and Sarah designed and assembled the rest.
*Menus- designed by Marc, assembled by Sarah
*Favors- Since Marc and I met as teachers we wanted to pay tribute to that. We chose to donate school supplies through the United Nations Children’s Fund to Children in Internally Displaced Person’s Camps. I also spent time working for a school in an IDP camp- so this was a great opportunity for us to celebrate who we are while honoring the students who have enriched our lives. Marc designed and printed the cards.
*Table Cards- I purchased the international mailing stamps on Etsy, and then used rubber stamps to create the rest of the table card. This was another opportunity bring in our shared passion for teaching and learning around the world. Each table was named for a place we have taught or a place where we have worked on educational policy.
*Additional Table Décor- (Globe, suitcase,plane, etc)- Pottery Barn
*Escort Cards- Purchased on Etsy by SunshineandRavioli
*Chair signs, cake topper- Purchased on Etsy by Morgann Hill
*Straws- “Coconut Kiss Margarita, Love S & M.” – Classy with a touch of irreverence We had these made on Etsy and then cut them down ourselves to fit the margarita glasses.
*Chuppah- Handmade by Marc’s mom and completed with Marc’s grandmother’s lace table cloth
*Ring Box- It was a vintage cigar box that belonged to my grandfather. It used to hold his harmonicas. Hearing him play was a favorite childhood memory of mine.
*Yarmulkes- handmade by Sarah’s dear friend Mary Piper as well as Marc’s step mom.
*Welcome Bags- Marc designed and printed the tags to match our menus. He designed the perfect little vintage looking plane.
 
Thanks for reading!  Have a wonderful week!  Post by Puerto Vallarta Wedding Photographer Michelle Turner.
 

I had such a wonderful time working with these two women on their wedding day!  There is so much I can tell you about their wedding– that Rachel’s son (Gabe- now Rachel AND Annbelle’s son!) gave one of the best speeches I have ever heard at any wedding, that the entire group laughed and danced all evening (it was one of the best parties I have ever been to!), and that I loved all of the funny stories they told about their courtship.  But instead of going into a lot of details, I’m going to let Annabelle tell you their story herself- she sent me such a detailed description of how they met and how they developed their vision for their wedding that it would be an absolute crime to simply paraphrase.

From Annabelle:

How we met: Annabelle and Rachel met at a local Chicago club called the Funky Buddha Lounge and while their first interaction was less than romantic, they always seemed to bump into each other and have an inseparable chemistry. It wasn’t until two years later that they finally decided to date officially and shortly thereafter moved in together along with Rachel’s son Gabriel. 

Proposal: It was Mother’s Day in 2010 when Rachel decided to pop the question. After a comical episode of some truly awful wedding dresses on TLC’s Say Yes to The Dress, Rachel asked Annabelle when she would wear a wedding dress. Annabelle laughed it off, but Rachel continued by getting on one knee in the living room and asking Annabelle to marry her. Thinking it was all a joke- Annabelle laughed hysterically and it wasn’t until Gabriel came running upstairs insisting that it was true did she respond with an enthusiastic “Yes”. 

Venue & Vision:  Rachel and Annabelle had both always envisioned their wedding as a small and intimate affair surrounded by close family and friends. Being a wedding and event planner, Annabelle had lots of ideas on just how to achieve their goal. Ultimately, it was the idea of a week long wedding extravaganza and a family bonding experience that sold them on a destination wedding. Having traveled to Puerto Vallarta together for their very first vacation together, Rachel and Annabelle decided that it was the perfect place to have their wedding. After some extensive Google searching, Annabelle found Playa Fiesta and immediately said – “this is it”! 

Details: Leading up to the wedding, Annabelle immersed herself in the little details and décor for all of the planned dinners and events. Packing for the trip was definitely difficult as was traveling with their 12 pieces of luggage – only 3 of which were actually clothing. Annabelle made and designed all of the favors and décor right down to the “just married” sign that hung on their chairs during the reception. Rachel lovingly helped out along the way – in fact—she hand painted the maracas that were given out to the guests during the ceremony. Some of the favorites from the week included the luggage tag seating cards from the welcome dinner, the habanero plant and cactus centerpieces from the fiesta style rehearsal dinner and the orchids that were included in all of the bouquets, on the cake and in the beautiful orchid centerpieces all of which were provided by a local flower shop in Puerto Vallarta. Perhaps the best detail was the enormous sparklers that were lit later in the evening on the wedding night as Rachel and Annabelle gave their first speech as wives. 

Experience: The whole experience was nothing short of sheer magic for us and our family and friends. There were so many special moments that we will never forget—the sand ceremony with our son, the many touching speeches from our wedding party, the delicious food and the late-night jump into the pool in our wedding dresses — all of which were done while enjoying the breathtaking surroundings of Playa Fiesta and Puerto Vallarta. Perhaps the most touching moment, was walking into the honeymoon suite at the end of the wedding night to find a path of carefully laid candles and details creating a memory of the whole week for us. Many of our guests who had not met before the trip are now lifelong friends bound by one special week celebrating our love for each other. Playa Fiesta will always hold a special place in our hearts. 

Congratulations, Annabelle and Rachel!

Post by Puerto Vallarta Wedding Photographer Michelle Turner.

Melissa and Gary were married at the beautiful Playa Fiesta Hotel in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in January.  Melissa told me that most people don’t know that Gary had proposed exactly one year before the wedding date, and that’s why they chose January 21- it held special meaning for them.  The proposal was so cute- Gary had their English Bulldog run by Melissa with a distinctive blue box in his mouth- Melissa opened the Tiffany box to find a gorgeous engagement ring!  She said that she wasn’t surprised that their dog was a part of the proposal since he is a big part of their family!

Melissa and Gary met in 2004 when they were introduced by their friends, Nancy and Robert (they were also in the wedding party).  Puerto Vallarta was an easy choice for them once they decided on a destination wedding- they had been to Vallarta quite a few times together, and it was the one place that they could envision asking all of their friends and family to gather.

Melissa wore a beautiful Monique Lhuillier dress (a gift from her dad!) and Jimmy Choo shoes.  Gary and the groomsmen wore Hugo Boss suits.  Melissa also brought a few details down for the wedding- the place cards were from Etsy (Left Beach Fotos), and the giftbag was also purchased on Etsy (from Mis Nopales).  Melissa and Gary are from Chicago, and Melissa brought down one of her favorite Chicago treats for the giftbags– Popcorn Balls from Garrett’s, which are a Chicago tradition.

Here are a few of my favorite images from the day:

Congratulations, Gary and Melissa!  I really enjoyed being a part of your gorgeous wedding.

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful weekend!