A destination wedding was the perfect way to bring Michael’s Australian family and my Minnesota crew together to meet and mingle some for the first time before we married at La Mansi³n Vallarta. It was also an easy getaway for our friends in LA, where Michael is a lawyer and I work as a publicist. In fact, Michael proposed to me on vacation at La Mansi³n, and we attended two friends’ weddings there.
One of the brides recommended our planner, Talbot Ross of Talbot Ross Weddings and Events. Our families stayed at Villa La Mansi³n, and we reserved rooms for 70 guests at Garza Blanca Preserve Resort & Spa. On the Thursday before the wedding, we hosted a welcome reception at La Cerveceria Union, a boardwalk restaurant in Puerto Vallarta, and our guests bonded over the possibility of a hurricane, which (thankfully) never arrived.
On Saturday, October 24, 2015, everyone gathered at sunset for pre-ceremony sangria before hearing our personal vows on La Mansi³n’s beachfront. We served cocktails and passed appetizers like mini burritos before a buffet dinner that included roasted salmon and marinated arrachera (flank steak).
Guests loved our tres leches wedding cake by Tentacion Pasteleria and the surprise fireworks that announced the start of our dance party hosted by DJ Spase. We served some late-night tacos, which were a huge hit, and ended up in the pool. It was such a fun and memorable day that felt like a true reflection of who we are as a couple.
