Tracy and John love to travel and wanted an intimate wedding in a beautiful location. As a result, a destination wedding was the perfect decision. Thankfully, their loved ones were on board with the idea. “Our friends and family had a very positive reaction to our decision to have a destination wedding,” says Tracy. “They knew we had heavily weighed our options and were very supportive of our decision to make our wedding day special and unique to our personalities.” Now that everyone was willing and able to get airborne for the couple’s wedding, it was time to decide on the “where.” 

“When we first started putting thought into a destination, we knew we definitely wanted a beautiful backdrop for our vows. Because most of our preferred travel destinations tend to have a tropical climate, we decided a destination with a beach would be perfect for us. We chose Los Cabos, Mexico, because it is a quick flight from Houston and Dallas, where the majority of our guests would be coming from.” Tracy and John made a logical and natural decision to say “I do” in Los Cabos. Unfortunately, Mother Nature was about to throw the couple an unexpected curve ball.

“Unfortunately, Hurricane Odile hit the Baja California Peninsula and left widespread damage and devastation to Los Cabos prior to our wedding, and it took many months for the area to fully recover.” Planning a wedding brings out a lot of emotions and creates lifelong bonds and this was definitely true for Tracy and John. “Although we had plenty of time to plan our wedding after the hurricane hit, our concern was for the well-being of our vendors and their families,” says the bride. “Cabo didn’t have electricity for several days and we didn’t know if everyone was safe and if their homes had survived through the extreme weather. We immediately sent out emails to try to contact our vendors to check on them, hoping and praying that they would respond when the electricity came back on. It was very scary not knowing their situation, but luckily we heard back from everyone informing us that they were all right. When you start planning a wedding you get very close to many of your vendors because they are helping execute such an important and special event in your life. The ‘work relationship’ evolves into friendship and they become a meaningful part of your life.”

Prior to hiring their vendors, the bride relied on lots of research, referrals from her wedding planners and recommendations from other brides. “Our overall planning experience was fantastic because we had the best vendors. We did extensive research on every vendor and chose the ones whom we believed were the best fit for our vision. Looking back, researching and finding the right vendor group was imperative to planning a destination wedding. We were very impressed with the quality of work and expertise that was put forward.

“Our advice to other couples would be to do your research, find a planner and/or vendors with a vast knowledge of the destination you choose, and also when you get referrals from real brides the information they can give you is essential to helping you create your perfect wedding experience. Our planners and photographers were not only experienced with Cabo weddings in general, but with our venue the Esperanza, and most importantly they lived either full-time or half of the year in Cabo.”

Overall, Tracy and John had a very positive planning experience and don’t regret opting for a destination wedding for a second. The only downside the bride mentioned was that communication took a bit longer because her vendors were in another country rather than right down the road. “Due to the many emails back and forward, it sometimes took a little longer to solidify ideas than if we would have been able to have a conversation in person. However, we knew when we chose an international destination that was ‘the nature of the beast,’ so to speak. It definitely helped to have a longer engagement to ease the stress of planning.” 

Leading up to the big day, the couple provided their guests with updated information about the wedding via a custom website and Facebook group. Thankfully, there wasn’t much help needed on the part of their guests, since most of them were able to book direct flights from their hometowns to Cabo. When asked how a hometown wedding would have been different, the bride had an obvious, but cheeky response. “If our wedding had been held at home our invitation list would have been considerably larger and probably less guests nursing a sunburn under their fancy attire!”

Looking back, Tracy and John have only fond memories of their wedding – thanks in large part to their decision to host it abroad. We asked the newlyweds if they had any final words of advice for other couples currently planning a wedding away and Tracy had a heartfelt response. “We feel that during the wedding planning process it is important to remember that your wedding day is about you as a couple making a promise of love to each other to share the rest of your lives together and enjoying that special moment with the family and friends who are important to you. We believe that once the vows have been said, the cake has been eaten, and the feet have danced to the last song, that the memories of your wedding day celebration are really just a fancy way to mark the beginning of a new journey with your life partner.”

Vendors: Photographer: Alec & T Photography, Wedding Planner: Candela Gomez with Be That Bride Events and Nubia Villa with Esperanza Resort, Ceremony/Reception Site: Esperanza Resort, Florist: Cabo Flowers, Stationery: Papellerie in Houston, Texas, Cake: Esperanza Resort, Hair: Ashley Smart from Houston, Texas, Makeup: Simply Flawless by Brandi from Houston, Texas, Gown Designer: Lazaro, Groom’s Clothing Designer: Hugo Boss, Bridesmaids/Groomsmens’ Clothing Designer: Aidan Mattox/Men’s Wearhouse, Linens: Wildflower Linens and A Memorable Event, Officiant: Reverend Marco Arechiga, Acoustic Guitar & DJ: Adan Mijares, Bride’s Shoes: Sophia Webster, Bride’s Sash: Anne Barge, Cake Toppers: Toppers with Glitz (monogram) and Weddingstar.com (dog), Floral Ribbon: Froufrou Chic