Ashley and Taylor wanted an intimate wedding and a sunset ceremony. They rented a villa to host their 16 guests and started planning their epic Mexico wedding!

COUPLE: Ashley & Taylor

DATE: May 17, 2024

GUEST #: 16

CEREMONY LOCATION: Villa Balboa - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

RECEPTION LOCATION: Cafe des artistes (DINNER), El Colibre (SPEAKEASY DANCING), Clubs on the Malacon followed by swimming at the pool in the villa. "I found this on my own by searching rental sites. I wanted a villa to host the entire guest list plus a space that can double as a sunset ceremony space. We wanted to make our Mexico wedding unforgettable."

PHOTOGRAPHER: Free Spirit Wedding "We found Danielle from a local Facebook Page! She was amazing. My husband is camera shy and she made it so comfortable and easy to work with her. She was amazing and the perfect choice for our Mexico wedding." - T

COLOUR PALETTE: "I wanted a simple white, vintage look mixed with tropical elements to match the mountain and ocean sunset background. The wedding flowers were vibrant but not overwhelming. Fun fact: we used real touch silk flowers from a local shop in Manitoba. Our flowers cost under $300 but looked like a $3,000 bouquet and arrangement. It was perfect because they didn't wilt in the heat. We brought them to dinner to decorate the table after the ceremony!

TELL US ABOUT YOUR WEDDING DAY!: "The wedding was picture-perfect but a bit unconventional. We wanted a micro-wedding with 16 of our closest family members in our favorite place for 4 days. We rented a beautiful oceanfront villa that featured a private chef, staff on site, an infinity pool, and some rooms with ocean-view Jacuzzi tubs. The villa also had a koi fish pond, an elevator, a rooftop terrace, a water wall, dolphins in the ocean, a game room, and a movie theater.

Brides often find themselves frantic and busy on their big day. They're trying to greet each guest, not having time to spend with their new husband, and spending a ton of money on the event. I wanted to spend the same amount but give my closest family an experience they would cherish forever. We spent the same as an average wedding but extended it across 4 days. Bringing our two families together into one big, happy family.

The first look was a private moment on the rooftop terrace beside the koi fish pond. Followed by first looks with our dads. The ceremony, hosted by the groom's mom, began at sunset. With not a cloud in the sky, and our kiss happened at the exact time the sun went down. It was a fairy tale.

After the ceremony, we went to a highly-rated tasting menu restaurant in Puerto Vallarta with a private area for speeches, a live garden wall, and live violin music. Our family enjoyed an amazing gourmet meal, and we gave speeches. Instead of a bouquet toss, we dedicated two bouquets to our moms. We had a small dog figurine on the dessert to represent our pups, with a small chunk of dessert taken out to make it look like the figure was eating the cake!

We then went to El Colibre, a speakeasy under the stars with live saxophone house music and gourmet cocktails. Later, we went to nightclubs, danced to Bad Bunny, and got bottle service. At the end of the night, we all jumped into the pool!

I had an itinerary set for the whole weekend. The next day, we planned to watch a movie in the villa's movie theater. Day three included a morning hike to a waterfall, followed by taco tours, an ATV ride, and an Olympic-style family game night where we all competed with our significant others for a cash prize and a fake Oscar!

One of the highlights of the weekend was a surprise fireworks display on the final night. We all gathered on the rooftop terrace to watch the fireworks light up the sky, and it was a magical ending to our celebration. The entire weekend was filled with laughter, love, and unforgettable memories. Overall, having a micro-wedding allowed us to create a truly personalized and intimate experience that we and our families will cherish forever. It was the perfect way to start our married life together."

FLORAL: Weddings by Abby "The flowers were perfect for a Mexico wedding!" - T

BRIDE'S ATTIRE: Lillian West Gown

GROOMS ATTIRE: Handford Drewitt Suit

BIGGEST CHALLENGE: "The language barrier was a bit of a challenge, but having back up plans, and confirming a day/week before the event was helpful in ensuring everything was right."

BEST MEMORY: "24 hours after the ceremony, my husband and I snuck away to watch the sunset on the rooftop together. It was a chance to slow down and really savor the moment. Everything goes by so fast, so making a conscious effort to take it all in was special. We also got married the same weekend as my Oma and Opa, who have been together for 69 years and are very dear to us."

ADVICE FROM ONE COUPLE TO ANOTHER: "Cut spending where it counts! I highly recommend using silk touch or fake flowers. You can customize them exactly how you like, they wont wilt in the sun, they look real in person and in the photos plus you have them forever for a fraction of the price. I also purchased my dress and veil for half price by buying it from the website Still White."

You can see this Mexico wedding article in the Fall/Winter 2024 issue of The Wedding Ring Magazine

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FREE SPIRIT WEDDING | To speak with Free Spirit Wedding about your wedding options, you can reach them using the form below.