What to do when a Midwestern boy meets an Aussie girl? It was after the guest list started to be compiled, that David and Allie recognized the majority of their guests would have to fly into Washington, D.C (the couple’s home) to attend their wedding. That’s what started the idea of having it somewhere other than ‘home’.

“After looking at the budget and cost of a wedding in DC, we loved the idea of bringing our closest friends away with us to celebrate in the sun and sand, for a few days,” the couple says. David and Allie looked at a few destinations and even traveled to a few, but when they got to Cabo, the beautiful venues and scenery, the amazing people, the great weather – they all made for the perfect location to say “I do.”

“The Cape Hotel itself is just… perfect. We know that’s a strong word to use, but from the service and the locally sourced food, to the views and setting, to the layout and design of the rooms, and that free bottle of tequila they give away with the room is some of the best tequila we’ve had – and yes, we’ve had plenty,” bride Allie says.

Unfortunately, the planning process wasn’t all sunshine and margaritas. In fact, the couple admits planning from afar with the additional language barrier made the whole process much more daunting. Enter the heroes of so many destination weddings: location expert, bi-lingual planners. “Ximena was so fantastic,” the bride says. “It was a little chaotic at times in the months leading up to the wedding week, but with several phone conferences and a great deal of support from Ximena, when we arrived to Cabo for the week of the wedding, she had really thought of everything. And knew how to follow through on the last minute details.”

With Ximena tackling the hardest parts, Allie and David were left to put their own little stamp on their special day. “What good is great food without wine?” the two ask. That was the thought that sparked the first of many DIY projects for David and Allie. They noticed that they had a plethora of corks at home in D.C., so they made place card holders by gluing together three corks and having heart cardholders glued into the center of them. Each cardholder had its own little handmade bouquet. The next touch was that Allie would wear a bouquet pin and David a coat pin specially made in honor of both of their fathers. Additionally, the couple had welcome cards and bags thanking everyone for making the trip. “The cards then went into a mini-treasure chest with local chocolates,” the two say. A few other, smaller projects were taken on by Allie, and when it was time to transport it all to Cabo – it all fit in a single suitcase. Now, that takes talent, folks!

After their time in Cabo went by in a flash, the couple says there is one thing they cannot stress this enough. “Throughout all the planning, we would find restaurants or events like doing a boat trip with the guests. Having someone from the area like Ximena, she could give us really solid guidance on what is good and what to avoid. TripAdvisor and Yelp can only go so far. Ximena was such a key part of finding vendors and every vendor turned out so perfectly,” David and Allie say.

For this real wedding couple, hosting a wedding abroad meant making all the choices for their big day that fit their vision and nobody else’s. 

Find more images and detail by checking out Anna Bowser Photography’s blog.

Vendors: Photographer: Anna Bowser Photography; Event Planner: Amy Abbott Events; Second Shooter: GVPhotographer; Musician: Arturo Sotomayor & Kimbara Fusion; DJ & Lighting: Alex DJ Cabo Events; Beauty: Blanc Bridal Salon; Reception Venue: The Cape, a Thompson Hotel; Floral Designer: Flowers & Events Los Cabos; Event Design: Del Cabo Event Design & Cabo Rental Decor; Bridal Gown Designer: Karen Willis Holmes; Groom’s Clothing Designer: Hugo Boss; Fireworks: Cabo Firework Company; Stationery: Minted & Bells and Whistles