Emily and Dan at Cabo Azul Chapel

We’ve all heard the phrase “a match made in heaven,” but when I first met Emily and Dan – this is exactly what came to mind!

Their wedding weekend started with the rehearsal dinner at Mi Casa Restaurant, hosted by the groom’s parents, Jeff and Kathy.  All 75 guests were able to find their designated table seating with their name and table number attached to brightly colored maracas!

The centerpieces could not be more perfect with child size sombreros made even more festive with  yellow, orange and red Gerber Daises!  The bride and groom’s chairs hosted full size sombreros with the bride’s sporting a bridal veil!   Great food, lots of tequila shots, and some funny toasts all equaled a great time for everyone!

Emily  and her bridesmaids had hair and make up completed by Suzanne Morel Spa and could not look more lavishing! www.suzannemorelspa.com

I first saw Emily during Pre-Photo shots.  She looked so lovely and perfectly calm, knowing all the details were being taken care of.  Even when the bride’s father forgot his socks and a quick run to the local Mexicanmarket was a necessity by BW, Emily was taking it all in stride with big wide smiles and happy giggles!

I love it when a bride is this relaxed and truly able to enjoy the day without worry,  knowing every details she has envisioned will be carried out as she has dreamed.

The wedding took place at Cabo Azul, the ceremony in their chapel and receiption beachside – a beautiful back drop for a wedding!

My favorite part after the ceremony is having the Mariachi’s play . . their festive sounds bring so much character and liviliness to the moment. You can’t help but smile during their performance.

They completed their reception with several hours of a DJ who helped them all dance the night away.

We couldn’t be more honored to have been a part of your Big Day, Emily & Dan. Thank you for putting your trust in us!

Christie and Clint – The Hilton

Earlier this month, I had the honor of helping Christie and Clint have a wedding event they will always remember!! 

Along with almost 100 friends and family, they had an amazing vacation at the Hilton – hanging out at the pool, a night club crawl in Cabo one night, spa party, golf…you name it, they did it! 

The wedding day dawned with some strong wind, but the Couples weren’t discouraged.  The beach was just as beautiful, the Bride was stunning, the Groom was enamored, the tequila shots kept flowing, and the dancing continued until the very end (including a back flip 

Congratulations once again Christie and Clint!!!

Jenny 

Family Matters

If your family stepped out of an episode of ‘Leave it to Beaver’ read no further…for the rest of us, some advice:

Many of our family trees include branches of stepparents, children from previous marriages and all the extended relatives that come along with blended families. Considering your family dynamics during your wedding planning is a key factor in creating a comfortable environment for all those in attendance.

As your wedding coordinators, we urge you to share enough detail with us regarding relationships that we are prepared to meet, greet and organize your family, attendants and guests. We want nothing more than to assure you the most stress free wedding day possible and we find knowing these more intimate details saves us any day-of surprises.

Each of us has a favorite story of doing something either embarrassing or inappropriate with regards to unknown family dynamics. We laugh together at these stories now, but would have given anything to avoid the situation at the time. Don’t be afraid to share the Do’s and Don’ts of your family with us prior to your arrival. We will take note and be certain not to create any uncomfortable situations for ourselves, or your families.

It may make a good story later on, but let’s save those for your Big Day I Dos!

The Media on Mexico

For all that have visited beautiful Baja California, you already know that it is not “Mexico.” Technically, yes, but Baja California, and especially our beautiful beach towns at the tip, are so far removed from all the hustle, bustle, politics and most importantly – crime – than the mainland that besides the language and landscape and margaritas, you’d hardly know you were in Mexico!

Please be wary when reading and listening to the media about traveling to Mexico. The US Government always runs a strong anti-Mexico campaign before and during the Spring Break season, and this year is no different, especially with the drug related violence that has been occurring. As the Baja Insider put it recently – “concern for events in Cuidad Jaurez while visiting Los Cabos or Cancun is like worrying about a crime wave in Chicago while in the Florida Keys. The regions are vastly remote.”

You can read the full text of the article here : http://www.bajainsider.com/baja-california-travel/mexico-travel-warning.htm

Our point – as proud as we are to be Baja California, Mexico, we are not “that” Mexico! Come stay and play in our beautiful town. The beaches, dining and nightlife await you!

We look forward to sharing Spring and Summer with you.

All Aboard!!!

Our office was invited to join the CaboRey’s Sunset Cruise this week. We had a GREAT time! The cruise started off on the top deck with cocktails as we strolled around the Bay and took advantage of the birds-eye view of Lands End.

A band entertained us with live music – a great repertoire of selections so everyone enjoyed the tunes. We were lucky since it’s still whale season. While out on the Pacific, we had the opportunity to watch a Mama grey whale and her baby frolic around – jumping, rolling, slapping their fins…..it was pure delight to watch!!

After the sun started dropping on the horizon, we were invited to dinner on the main level.

An elegant set up of table linens and flickering candle centerpieces greeted us. We thoroughly enjoyed our 3 course meal, the background music, the service, and then……Wow, what a show they put on!

The CaboRey has a wonderful entertainment team showcasing the sounds and rhythms of Latin American including Tango dancers, Mexican folk dancers, and Argentine boleadores. We were so impressed with their skills; it provides a fun opportunity for Visitors to see a glimpse into a different culture and heritage.

Whether it’s just the Bride and Groom who want to have dinner following their ceremony, a rehearsal dinner for any size group, or those who want to have the boat to themselves for a private event, the CaboRey is a great option to consider!

Welcome aboard!!         http://www.caborey.com/

Jenny

Mandy and Andy – Pitahayas Restaurant

Mandy and Andy inquired into Baja Wedding’s services on Christmas Eve of 2008. What a wonderful Christmas present! I knew almost immediately that we would coordinate their wedding and they would become close friends. We talked for almost an hour that first morning! I also knew during that first telephone conversation that Pitahayas would be the perfect location for their wedding.

Pitahayas was the ideal location for them for many reasons! It offers this spectacular and intimate beach setting while still maintaining a formality to the ceremony in the decor, but also because Mandy wanted to honor her families heritage with hints of Asian flare. The Pacific-Rim infused cuisine at Pitahayas was a hit with her parents and the rest of her family!

Photographer Daniel Jireh did a great job with their photos, and Donna from Cabo Cakes recreated the cake design Mandy wanted perfectly!

Mandy and Andy also had read about Jenny and my story about becoming PADI Certified Divers and decided to become certified for their honeymoon in Cabo. We were able to join them for a dive into the channel at Land’s End. We had a great time creating new adventures together not only at the wedding but also as friends!

April

Mandy and Kris Dreams Los Cabos

As exciting and emotional as it is for me to see all of my couples get married, Mandy and Kris’s wedding brought me to tears like no other.  When rainy weather threatened their Big Day, they didn’t let the approaching clouds worry them.  After all, isn’t it good luck for rain on your wedding day!  Mandy even changed her vows to Kris that left not a dry eye in their intimate ceremony!

Mandy did a great job at incorporating her color scheme and personal touches into every part of their ceremony – from the baseball glove for the ring bearers to carry (as Kris plays Minor League Baseball) to the touches of blue in everything from the shoes to the menu cards to her purse!

Mandy looked gorgeous after a day of pampering from Suzanne Morel Spa, and photographer Gilda Badillo captured some great moments with the two of them and their adorable daughter Bella.

When portraits on the beach the day of the wedding may not have been possible the day of the wedding, we decided that a photo session the next day would be best, and did they reap the benefits of the sunset that day!

Congratulations Mandy and Kris!

April

To Be Plated Or Not To Be?

There are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when deciding whether to offer a plated or buffet style dinner for your event: 

1) Space:  a buffet line will take up more space at your reception site so will decrease the usable space for dinner tables and dance area.  

2) Choice of main course: if offering a plated dinner with an option for the main course, you’ll need to utilize the RSVP card in your invitation to have your Guests make their selection.  So, this requires time to make your menu decisions prior to the invitations being mailed out as well as tracking the entrée selections as the RSVPs are returned. 

3) Serving main course:  if you opt to offer multiple options, you’ll then need to have something on the dinner table to indicate what each Guest selected for their main course so the Waitstaff knows what to serve to whom. Most Couples include this on the placecard – maybe a different color ribbon to differentiate the options, or a sticker, or different color card stock. 

4)  Timing:  the timing of special events throughout the reception will be a bit different.  Once Guests begin going through the buffet line, there’s really no way to interrupt for toasts or special dances.  So, we would either take care of these before dinner starts or wait until everyone is finished.  With a plated option, everyone is seated for the duration of dinner and with the time in between courses, we can go ahead and have some of those special events take place. 

5) Variety: with a buffet, you’ll be able to offer a much larger selection of dishes to your Guests.  Instead of one appetizer, one salad and the main course during a plated event, there will often be 3x that many for each course.

My mouth is watering as I write this!

~Jenny

The # 1 Way To Ensure a Smooth Wedding…

Be on time.

A sunset ceremony isn’t one if you’re not there when the sun is going down! Please help us help you and be on time. There is nothing more disappointing for everyone, including my staff whom have seen hundreds of our amazing Cabo sunsets, than to spend so much time planning your perfect “sunset ceremony” and missing it and all the gorgeous photo opportunities that follow.

We will always use our experience to guide you when making your day-of appointments, but please do not forget to take into account your personality and tendencies and those of the people who will be spending time with you beforehand. Does anyone typically run late? Require more attention? Try on three shades of shadow before their makeup is just right? These are the little things that will add up and can potentially cause undue stress and frustration.

Not only can we not stop the sun from setting, we cannot stop your wedding day vendors from leaving for their later evening obligations. So, pad your schedule with plenty of extra girlie time and if you’re early, you’ll find more time to relax before heading down the aisle. Stress free brides always look more radiant!

Enjoy your sunset, and a few more, on us.

To punctuality!

By Roxann

Sara and Drew at the Sheraton Hacienda del Mar

When Sara contacted Baja Weddings in late 2008, she was very excited about her intimate destination wedding! She wanted the beauty of historic Mexico; Drew wanted the beach. I knew that the Sheraton Hacienda del Mar was the perfect fit for her group of 20.

Fast forward to October 2009 – Their wedding group overnight became 60 people. A true demonstration of Sara’s and Drew’s different cultures, the group celebrate with everything half in Spanish/half in English. From the ceremony to the toasts to the music, it was the perfect blend!

Sara was gorgeous on her wedding day. She worked with Suzanne Morel Spa to ensure her bird’s nest veil was just perfect and transitioned well from ceremony to reception.

And her reception!!! As guests approached the Palapa at the Sheraton, the seemed speechless. It was GORGEOUS!

Of all the great images that photographer Tomas Barron took that day, this may be my favorite one! Sara and Drew were a very relaxed couple and really enjoyed each others company. This picture radiates just like they do!

April