Every now and again, we get submissions from couples that could easily be full-time writers for us. That’s when we like to give them the stage to tell their story in their own words. Being their second marriage, Diane and Lance were more focused on creating a fun experience for everyone in a palooza of colors. Close your eyes, smell the salty air and feel the sand between your toes as the bride takes you back to her Mexico destination wedding!

How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.

“We actually met and dated in college. We both married other people and reunited 25 years later! He proposed to me on a kayak in Sea Ranch.”

Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day?

“I should start by saying that I am a creative director by trade and tend to really micro-manage this sort of stuff. However, this was a second wedding for both of us so we just wanted it to be fun and meaningful, and we didn’t want to stress the details. We wanted it to be bold, fun and authentic. I told my florist that my theme was ‘Dr. Seuss.’ Essentially, I wanted whimsical, odd and fun. Because the wedding was in Mexico, we used some pop culture elements like brightly colored Pompoms.” 

How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?

“The wedding was on the beach so it didn’t need a lot of decor. I wanted it to be minimal. We wanted benches on the sand and wanted the focus to be a funky wooden arch with pompoms and large palm fronds. I originally wanted to pull palm fronds myself for my table centerpieces, but my wedding planner told me that the last time a client did that hundreds of spiders crawled out at dinnertime!”

Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment, etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?

“Everything in the day was personalized in different ways. My favorite part was Igor, the tequila donkey. I am obsessed with donkeys and this was a must on the bucket list. As the guests entered the dinner reception, they found their name on a small flag that was in a tequila shot. The music playlist was carefully curated by us and approved by my teenagers. All very dance-able by all! Once we finished our first dance, the entire party flooded the dance floor and never got off ’till it was over! We surprised everyone with huge fireworks over the ocean during our first dance. That was pretty remarkable.”

Let’s talk about fashion. How did you both choose your wedding day look?

“I just wanted it to be simple. My daughters (ages 11 and 14) kept asking me why I wasn’t stressing out about it. But, the perfect white wedding dress wasn’t important to me. I wanted something very simple and non-wedding-dress-like. I chose a blush, sleeveless dress from Anthropologie. I found it online, tried it on and bought it. My daughters and the bridesmaids wore different dresses in forms of light pink and taupe. I was most excited about my fiancé and son’s outfits. We had a bow tie and suspenders custom made from a fabulous Italian men’s store in Santana Row. Lance wore super cute traditional boy shoes. And no one else wore shoes!”

Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you’d like to share with other couples planning their day?

“Create a day that aligns with your innermost selves. Be authentic. Do what you want and not what others expect of you. The things that go wrong are funny and the most memorable.” 

“Best wedding advice I ever got: In the middle of the ceremony, grab your new mate, go to the corner of the reception and take it all in. It goes so fast that otherwise, it becomes a blur. Take a mental photo!”

Vendors: Photographer: Dekker Photography; Event Planner: Lovemotion Weddings; Floral Designer: Flora Amor; Reception Venue: Punta Monterrey Beach Resort & Hotel; Hair & Makeup: Ella Leyva Hair & Makeup