Gina and Eric had a streamlined engagement and wedding from start-to-finish! The bride has vacationed in Cabo, Mexico for over 20 years, so when the time came to pick a destination wedding location, the couple didn’t even consider anywhere else. “Eric quickly fell in love with Cabo on our first trip together in 2015,” says the bride. “We chose a destination wedding, as we wanted a small intimate wedding with our immediate family and close friends.” Taking into consideration that most of their guests would be traveling from the Pacific Northwest, the couple decided on a date over a holiday weekend, so guests could extend their visit.

Not only were their guests on board with the idea of a Cabo destination wedding, they actually encouraged it! “Ironically, after we got engaged, our friends were pushing for us to set a date as they wanted to go to Cabo,” says Gina. “[The] only negative reaction from some family was the cost of taking the vacation, but they all loved it and cannot wait to go back.” Beyond being confident that Cabo was their dream destination, the couple also knew they wanted to hire a wedding planner. In fact, reaching out to Karla Casillas and Co. was one of the first things they did. 

“We outlined what we were looking for and estimated that we would have about 75 guests,” explains the couple. “We had proposals for five locations in about 3-4 days…we instantly fell in love with The Cape Hotel. We chose this destination as it was modern, chic and every aspect of the property is simply amazing. Once we decided on location, it was a smooth process and all of our vendors were so great to work with.” The couple trusted in their vendors to plan their dream wedding and did their best to be perfect clients.

“In order to have a low stress destination wedding, hiring a planner is a MUST,” says the bride. “We took two trips to Cabo prior to our date to go over our vision and pick vendors. Our wedding planners were so organized and our vendors were so easy to work with. When we arrived in Cabo, we did a walk through, handed over the items we brought and we felt like we just had to simply show up at the wedding.” After pulling off a dream destination wedding, we asked the couple how their experience might have been different had they held a hometown event. 

“I think if we had gotten married in Spokane or Coeur d’Alene, it would have been more stressful and a lot more people,” says Gina. “Having a destination wedding helped keep it small and intimate. We would have likely spent about the same either way. However, with the destination wedding, we hosted the welcome dinner for all wedding guests. Had we got married locally, we would have had a larger wedding, but would not have hosted two dinners. [Also,] The Cape Hotel is so breathtaking and the most magical backdrop for our wedding.”

We asked this success story of a couple if they had any final words of advice for others currently considering or planning a destination wedding. “Hire a wedding planner – that way you can enjoy your time with your guests. Having someone manage the timeline, coordinate vendors and all the little details while we were over 1,000 miles away was worth every penny.”

Vendors: Photographer: Sara Richardson Photography, Wedding Planner: Karla Casillas and Co. (Karla, Cristina and Pamela), Ceremony/Reception Site: The Cape, A Thompson Hotel, Florist: Main Event Cabo, Stationery: Minted, Hair & Makeup: Cabo Makeup Studio, Gown Designer: Christos Bridal, Groom/Groomsmen’s Clothing Designer: Jos. A. Banks, Videography: Angel Zapien with CinematicTouch