I’m excited beyond words! What should I say? :o) Not sure if there is a bigger honor than having a wedding published on a bridal blog or … MAGAZINE!!

Destination weddings are like little (ok … HUGE) treats for me as I loooove to travel (I’ll admit it, I’m a beach girl) + love to shoot weddings. Can you imagine a better mix? I love my job :o)

Since you can’t really read the article below, I copy pasted the text, hope that’s ok :o)

Love of cinema connected Brooklyn, New York, couple Rafael, a freelance filmmaker, and Nicole, a marketing manager for a television content provider, who met while working on a film. After they dated three years, Rafael popped the question on their anniversary — but only after a foiled proposal attempt on a Florida vacation. “He wanted to propose while kayaking, but I was nursing a New Year’s Eve hangover and told him he should go without me,” Nicole laughs. “I had no idea; I was totally clueless.”

The couple chose Mexico for its affordability, convenience and great cuisine, and they set the date for Presidents Day weekend to give their friends and family a break from winter. Searching online, they found Al Cielo, a four-room boutique hotel in Riviera Maya that was perfect for their nuptials. “It was everything I was looking for in a location: stunning, small, rustic and remote,” Nicole says. The 46 guests stayed in the nearby town of Akumal, and the couple hired Ismael Sauceda from Sauce Vacations to handle transportation throughout the week. The rehearsal dinner was held at La Buena Vida, an informal beachfront restaurant, where guests noshed on fish tacos, sopa de lima and homemade flan.

The next day’s sunset ceremony was held on the beach at Al Cielo. Donning an Amsale gown and a white orchid in her hair, Nicole walked down the aisle lined with palms and rose petals to meet Rafael under a wooden altar adorned with white fabric and orchids. The personalized ceremony was a family affair: Rafael’s father, Jose Ottoni Lima, officiated, and the groom’s 12-year-old niece read Dr. Suess’ Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Nicole and Rafael read aloud vows their guests had devised for them; then the couple exchanged their own self-written promises. “Reading the vows our guests had written was a lighthearted, fun portion of our ceremony because neither of us had any idea what they would write,” Nicole remembers.

Afterward cocktail hour was held on the beach, where guests were greeted with margaritas and hors d’oeuvres like salmon mousse, totopos and coconut shrimp. A traditional mariachi band provided background music while everyone mingled. For the reception, the party moved to the thatch-roof restaurant for a sit-down dinner overlooking the ocean. Instead of a wedding cake, the couple incorporated a bit of local flair: caramel and chocolate churros brought in from Charros Churros, in nearby Playa del Carmen. “They were a huge hit!” recalls the bride. “Our family and friends are still raving about them.”

The Details:

Venue: Al Cielo Hotel, Xpu-Ha Beach, Mexico

Bride’s Dress: Amsale

Groom’s Attire: J.Crew

Hair & Makeup: Finny Bell

Dessert: Charros Churros

Planner: Whimsical Weddings Tulum

Photographer: me-me-me :o) A Brilliant Photo

If you want to have a peek at some of the other photos, click HERE

Happy first anniversary!!! :o)

agnieszka