Kathleen + John
Kathleen and John are simply two of the most delightful people that I know. I first met Kathleen and her mother, Duff, as they were beginning to plan Kathleen and John’s wedding in Oregon where Kathleen grew up. The date was set for late winter when Kathleen would be able to take time off from her final year at medical school and we began looking at venues, imagining a place where all their friends and family could gather for a weekend to spend time together catching up, take a break from the busyness of modern schedules, and celebrate with a really fun wedding.
As I considered their vision for the wedding, coupled with the fact that all but a handful of guests would be traveling for an Oregon destination wedding, it occurred to me that perhaps a long weekend of friends and family gathering from the snowy Northeast and rainy Northwest would best be spent in the sunny tropics! The Mayan Riviera in Mexico was an easy choice, accessible from both coasts of the USA with a relatively short flight, and home to a wide range of beach resorts. Kathleen and John settled on The Grand Xcaret Resort, with a pristine private white sand beach in a quiet cove abutting an ecological park featuring the ruins of a Mayan village.
They hosted their intimate ceremony just before sunset atop the Mayan ruins with a spectacular view over the turquoise Caribbean. Bamboo chairs and purple and green hued tropical flowers set the tone for their casually elegant day, with bronze Moroccan-style lanterns lining the aisle and adding even more of an exotic flair to the setting. A traditional Jarocho trio entertained guests during cocktail hour on the private beach club deck overlooking the ocean. Guests found their tables named after the locations of Kathleen and John’s favorite lobster rolls, and a lavish Mexican buffet was set out for dinner. After the heartwarming and funny toasts, Kathleen and John hit the dance floor and partied the night away with their friends and family!
I am endlessly grateful to Quetzal Photo for capturing the day with such vibrancy and clarity, storing up those sunny memories for all the days to come. What a day! Congratulations again, Kathleen and John, and thank you for trusting me to send you off with your sense of adventure into a Caribbean sunset!
Photography: Quetzal Photo | Florist: Alquimia Events | DJ: ENCORE | Music: Party Planet Jarocho Trio