Alina & Bruno

Seismic Love: A Oaxaca Real Wedding

CATEGORIES

October 11, 2024
Words by Kristi Blane
Photos courtesy of Chucho Potts

New Yorkers with a passion for travel, Bruno and Alina, sought out an enchanting yet easily accessible destination to host their wedding away. The city of Oaxaca, Mexico’s vibrant colors, cobblestone streets, papelle picado, enticing aromas, and lively calendas music made every moment feel like a celebration for the couple. Below, Alina and Bruno give us all the details of how it came together and the day itself… including the ground shaking surprise during their recpetion!

“Our chosen venues, Grana and Criollo, mirror our love for a rustic, homelike aesthetic. Both places, adorned with greenery, offered a cozy atmosphere. Criollo, with its beautiful backyard garden and a culinary experience we fell in love with during tastings, ensured our guests would savor the enchantment we discovered.”

“From the outset, we were unwavering in our decision to host a vibrantly colorful wedding, and our floral designer, Buke, truly brought our vision to life with incredible artistry in decorating both the ceremony and reception spaces.”

“Several truly special moments made our wedding unforgettable. The first was our dog stepping into the role of a flower girl. Despite our initial nerves, she exceeded all expectations, becoming a topic of conversation among our guests even to this day. Clad in a white floral dress, she charmingly ran up to Bruno and, with admirable patience, sat in the middle of the ceremony, wagging her tail.”

“Equally noteworthy was our choice of wedding officiant – Bruno’s longtime friend Stacey. Adorned in an outfit that cleverly combined our favorite colors, Bruno’s purple and Alina’s green, she added a personal touch to the ceremony. Beyond her vibrant appearance, she delivered an exceptional speech, skillfully weaving together the deepest connections between us.”

“One amusing moment from our wedding serves as both a humorous anecdote and a valuable lesson for anyone tying the knot in Mexico. In the midst of our preparations, our wedding planner recommended renting a power generator, a suggestion that initially raised eyebrows for both Bruno and me. Nevertheless, we decided to heed the advice. Fast forward to the dancing portion of the evening, a friend surprised us with a vinyl DJ set as a wedding gift. As he was spinning Lionel Richie’s classic hit, “All Night Long,” the moment took an unexpected turn when the song started skipping. Confusion ensued as our friend glanced between the vinyl and the lights above, which began to tremble. Suddenly, the entire garden and nearby buildings plunged into darkness—except for our illuminated dance floor, powered by the generator we had doubted the necessity of. Amidst the chaos, alarms on phones sounded, alerting us to the fact that it was an 5.5 magnitude earthquake. Thankfully, the earthquake proved to be brief and inconsequential, causing no disruption beyond a momentary pause in the festivities. Soon enough, we resumed our celebration with renewed vigor, dancing the night away. Yet, the incident left us with a lasting joke: our love was so seismic, we quite literally shook the earth.”

“We both recognized the importance of dedicating more attention to getting ready part on our wedding day. Reflecting back, we wished for a more leisurely pace to enjoy moments with our wedding party, capturing photos together, and indulging in a pre-celebration without the pressure of time constraints.”

“While we opted out of the first look to honor tradition, we found ourselves yearning for additional moments to capture memories together after the ceremony. Unfortunately, as the day progressed, the sun began to set earlier, leaving us little opportunity for these cherished photos. It’s a lesson we learned for future couples: consider scheduling your ceremony earlier to ensure ample time for every aspect of your celebration!”

Vendors: Photographer: Chucho Potts; Wedding Planner: Yadira Castaneda;Ceremony Venue: Grana B&B; Reception Venue: Criollo; Florist: Buke Floral; Hair & Makeup: Proyecto 110; Wedding PR: My Planner Journal; Gown Designer: Chosen by KYHA; Groom’s Clothing Designer: Cremieux; Brides shoes: Manolo Blahnik; Grooms shoes: Kith
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