Leona and Jake wanted to be able to savor every moment of their wedding celebration. So, when they set off to plan their wedding in just six months time, a destination wedding in Cabo sounded like the perfect opportunity to celebrate their nuptials over a long weekend with close friends and family.

“We chose the location because of its proximity to LA, the quick flight, weather and the selection of resorts where we felt we could plan a special event,” the couple says.

And plan a special event they did, but not without the help of wedding planner, Nelya Tarakanova. Leona and Jake admit planning their destination wedding from afar was no easy task, especially with the language barrier.

“However, having an incredible team of vendors including Butterfly Floral and entertainment from Marat World and DJ Legacy, all who truly committed to the unique logistical planning of a destination wedding, made it much easier,” the bride says.

With such a solid team behind them, the couple planned their long wedding weekend celebration to include a welcome dinner, breakfasts, the ceremony, reception, and a farewell brunch. 

“We certainly feel that we got more bang for our buck planning a wedding in Cabo over LA,” the couple says.

Although some family and friends couldn’t make Leona and Jake’s wedding weekend due to the time commitment, travel, etc.–the pair tells us this is something they’d prepared themselves for when deciding on a destination wedding.

Ultimately, Leona and Jake couldn’t have dreamt up a better day celebrating the start of their lifelong love story, and they walked away with the wisdom and experience they hope to impart to other couples looking to say “I do” far from home.

“Surrender to the fact that you may not be able to control every single detail the way you would with a local wedding and that things may take longer, so plan accordingly,” Leona says. “Also, take advantage of the destination and plan multiple events over the course of a few days because this will be your once in a lifetime chance to celebrate with your loved ones – on vacation!”

Vendors: Photography: Lindsey Boice; Planner: Nelya Tarakanov; Floral Design: Butterfly Floral & Event Design; Rentals: Del Cabo Event Design; Entertainment: Marat World Entertainment & Kirill Sokolinsky and DJ Legacy