Patrick and Danielle decided a Cabo San Lucas, Mexico destination wedding fit the intimate vibe they were looking for. Having a wedding in their hometown would have meant more than 200 guests, but the couple wanted something more private. “Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach is a place we had traveled to together before and we figured it would be the perfect fit for what we were looking for. Simple, beachy and breathtaking,” says the couple. 

Even though planning a destination wedding in a different country seemed like a daunting task at first, the couple knew that their guests would love the location as much as they did. “We chose this location because we wanted our toes in the sand as we said, ‘I do!’” say the newlyweds. Some of their guests had concerns about the cost to attend the destination wedding, but the couple gave almost a whole year’s notice, allowing for plenty of time to make accommodations.

Planning a wedding in a country where they speak a different language didn’t frighten the couple. “There is an obvious language barrier that we did have to struggle through. It was all in faith what we were planning because our communication was never 100%. It was not something that would stop us from doing it again,” the couple says.

“Every wedding has its planning challenges, but we always had the end goal in mind, ‘I get to marry my best friend!’ If you have this in the back of your mind, nothing can bring you down on your big day,” says the happy couple. The newlyweds relied on the resort for most of their planning. “If they were not able to accommodate something, like Patrick and his family’s gluten allergy, they would resource us out to vendors they used. In this case, our delicious gluten free lemon wedding cake by B Sweet Cake Design.”

One thing the couple wished they knew was that the resort charges additional fees for using your own photographer, hair and makeup artist, DJ, etc. Since they didn’t know about the rules, they ended up having extra costs for the vendors that were not on the resort’s list.

One way the couple managed to save money was with DIY music. “I downloaded five hours of music onto an iPad and hit play as the reception began. We did have special songs like our first dance, cake cutting and father-daughter dance. We just had someone press play for those special songs,” says the couple. This way, the newlyweds were able to save money on a DJ, have music they knew they would love and let guests make fun requests.

For the couple, having a destination wedding saved them money in the end. While it may have cost more money for their guests to attend, having a wedding back home would have meant paying for more than 200 people. In Mexico, the couple had a total of 30 people to celebrate and share a mini vacation. “We wanted to be able to spend a decent amount of time with each of our guests and tell them on our wedding day how important they are to us and how they played a role in our new union as husband and wife. I would say everyone was able to share drinks, laughs and, of course, happy tears,” says the couple.

We asked what advice the couple had for others planning a destination wedding. Here’s what they said: “The most important thing to remember is this day is about you as a couple and no one else. Whether that means eloping just the two of you or inviting 200+ people. Do what you want to do! On that note, always do your best to stay on budget. You’d be surprised that the extra little detail you wanted to spend more money on will be the last thing you are thinking about on your big day. So just enjoy the moment because YOU’RE GETTING MARRIED!”

Vendors: Photographer: Amy Bluestar Photography, Ceremony/Reception Site: Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Gown Designer: Martina Liana; Hair and Makeup: Suzanne Morel; Cake: B Sweet Cake Design, Groom’s Designer: Egara; Bridesmaids Dresses: Victoria Rose Bridal