Cancun Capers
There are two kinds of weddings, according to Tara Thorp, principal planner with Forever True Wedding Planning and Design. There are local weddings, which are about the couple, and then there are destination weddings, which are about the guests. “Destination weddings are more about the romance of the location, not necessarily about the location itself,” says Tara.
When Vancouver bride Amber Maivs was looking for a location for her destination wedding to Tyler Pratt, location wasn’t the primary factor. “I wanted elegance and the high-end look of a Vancouver or LA-style wedding, but on a beach with crystal clear water,” she says. Mexico was an easy choice, especially when she considered the cost and logistics of travel for her guests. “The most important thing was to be able to have my family there,” Amber says. “Mexico gave us the opportunity to have more than just a simple Mexican wedding; we could have an elegant, gorgeous, upscale wedding in a beautiful setting. I really wanted that ‘Wow’ factor.”
From the outset, Amber and Tyler knew they would recruit the services of a planner to help organize their destination wedding. They’d met with a couple other planners, but things clicked on their first meeting with Tara. “I saw right away that we had the same sense of style, the same personality,” Amber recalls. This was confirmed over the course of their meetings as Tara’s ideas and suggestions complemented Amber’s tastes and flair.
Amber and Tyler confirmed Mexico as their general destination, and when Tara was in Mexico for another destination wedding, she scouted out The Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort. “Amber wanted an elegant and glamorous wedding with a Mexican backdrop,” Tara says. “The Dreams Riviera Resort fit the bill perfectly.”
Next came the details. Amber loved the work of renowned wedding designer Preston Bailey. “I love the way he’s so over-the-top and extravagant,” she says. “We used his boldness as inspiration. We started with yellow, lavender and soft aqua as my colours, but Tara suggested we scratch the aqua since we were on the beach and had the blue of the ocean in the background. She suggested we go with mauve instead. This worked perfectly with the girls’ dresses, their tanned skin, and it really complemented the lavender.”
One challenge with getting the elegance and glam that Amber wanted was the uncertainty of vendors in Mexico. To get around that, Tara brought everything she could from Vancouver. “I brought the paper and stationery, even the linens. Basically, if I could get it in a tote-bag, it came with me,” says Tara.
“At customs I always try to be up-front and honest. They always stop me because I have all this stuff. I have to assure them that I’m not planning to sell it and that I’ll be bringing it back,” she says. “But last year, the customs agent at Puerto Vallarta was a bride-to-be planning her own wedding. She went through all my stuff asking questions about how to use it, getting ideas for her own wedding.”
Customs was one challenge for Tara. Other hurdles included the language barrier and the work ethic in Mexico. “I went through a lot with the resort explaining things several times to make sure everything was clear. It’s a process of constant communication with the resort around specific details. This is very important,” Tara says. “As a planner, you have to be ready to put out a few fires. With this wedding, I lost six pounds from running around in the heat in that first week.”
The heat was certainly a factor in this May wedding, where daily temperatures topped 37 degrees and humidity was high. To give guests a chance to acclimatize, Tara included a couple of low-key days in the itinerary before the wedding. “I made sure everyone took it easy and stayed hydrated,” she says. The heat was especially an issue with the ceremony flowers, which had been flown in from Amsterdam. “We were putting them out at the last minute to keep them as fresh as we could. The florals were important to Amber; we had 12 different types of flowers in the arrangements. The Mexican florist I worked with did his best to ensure everything would be fine.”
Despite these challenges, the wedding day flowed with grace and elegance. “I loved being close to the beach for the ceremony,” Amber recalls.“Tara had used flowers to decorate the bamboo arch beneath which we were married. It was so Caribbean but had that elegant West Coast feel.”
After the ceremony, guests gathered in the resort’s Jacuzzi area for cocktails and appetizers. Amber had wanted to make a grand entrance, so Tara suggested they use cold sparks—a type of fireworks that don’t produce high heat. “Because of the fire hazard, regulations prohibit fireworks in the area unless it’s recently rained,” she explains. “Plus the local waters are a spawning ground for turtles so it’s necessary to minimize the environmental impact.” As Amber and Tyler entered the cocktail area, six fireworks went off, followed by a performance by fire dancers, giving guests a taste of excitement and entertainment before the reception.
Amber recalls walking into the resort’s El Patio restaurant for the reception. “I loved the feel and warmth of the room when I walked in; the high ceiling, the way everything was put together, the purple highlighting. I loved the look of the gorgeous well-stitched linens and the Chivari chairs – these were something I had to have.”
Behind the scenes, however, things moved a little less gracefully. “The day started a bit chaotically,” Tara recalls. “In Mexico it seems they feel they don’t have to set up until the last minute. The restaurant where we were to have the reception was full of people all day. The furniture had to be cleared out. I had to go up the chain of command until I found the right manager to get the Chivari chairs I’d ordered put in.” “We worked hard to get it all set up. We had to place linens and overlays on the tables. Then there were the settings, the flowers, placecards, menus and candles.” By the time the ceremony took place, there was no sign of the mayhem. “I was impressed with how easy Tara made it all seem, and how well she nailed it,” Amber says.
For wedding favours, guests received fabric beach bags in the wedding colours. Each bag contained a bottle of tequila, lip balm, a reusable plastic cup, “floaties” to help people stay up in the water, and an assortment of goodies handy for fun in the sun. Tara included her contact information in the bags so guests could reach her anytime if they needed anything.
In the days following the ceremony, guests went on local excursions, a shopping day for the moms and the girls, and a trash-the-dress day. Tara had rented a SUV and a couple vans, “and we went in an entourage to this pristine beach where there are fresh water pools, caves and rock walls. Amber bought a second dress similar to the bridesmaids’, dressed and got into the water with it on.”
“They had a couple of nights out, so I arranged transportation into town and back for a night of clubbing,” Tara continues. “It’s important to acquaint destination wedding parties with the local customs.”
In the end, it was everything Amber wanted—and more. “I was so happy with the way it all turned out. I wouldn’t change a thing. We still watch videos of the wedding and every time we do, I say ‘Let’s do it again!’”
Amber & Tyler’s Wedding Vendors
Venue – Ceremony & Reception | Dreams Riviera Cancun
Bridal Planner | Forever True Wedding Planning and Design
Photographer | JLS Photography
Videographer | RF Productions
Bride’s Jewellery | Elsa Corsi
Bride’s Dress | Bisou Bridal
