I leaned into jewel tones for the colors at our wedding and wanted a lot of variation.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Ben and I (Sara) grew up in Dallas, Texas, where we went to the same high school and lived across the street from each other, but never met until we’d both graduated from college and returned home. We met after midnight on New Years Day 2019 at a mutual friend’s New Year’s party, and had an instant connection. We have two dogs, Ollie & George, and we’ve been pretty much inseparable since the day we met. While we’re both pretty similar in a lot of ways, we’re quite different where it works. Very yin and yang.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
*see above* Ben and I both felt like we’d never been more interested in anyone else than we were interested in knowing each-other. I loved the way that Ben listened to everything I had to say and seemed to really care. Ben says his first impression of me was that I was “sharp and spirited”. I was really taken with how smart and funny Ben is. I’d never felt like I was able to go back and forth with anyone like I was with him right away.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes etc.).
I leaned into jewel tones for the colors at our wedding and wanted a LOT of variation, as opposed to choosing one or two colors. The only thing I really avoided were pastel tones – I liked darker colors, and I think it really exaggerated the beauty of the location and our photography. I told bridesmaids and family members to try to pick jewel toned colors, but ultimately I just wanted everyone to be comfortable and feel confident in what they were wearing. Ben tried on the white tuxedo on a whim and we both really loved the way it looked. Ultimately I think the white tuxes in contrast with the other colors were a great choice.
What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee, etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).
I centered a lot of my decisions around the beauty of the location/venue. We knew we wanted to have a destination wedding, and I was pretty dead set on a small, outdoor wedding, while Ben was excited about the idea of getting married in Mexico. Neither of us had ever been to San Miguel de Allende, but after seeing photos of Casa Adela I knew we had to get married there.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
I absolutely loved the process of designing my wedding stationery and day of details! So much so that I decided to leave my job in healthcare to pursue commission artwork and wedding stationery full time. My best advice to anyone getting married would be to remember that your wedding is a celebration of you & your partner, and that if something doesn’t feel true to you, don’t do it. Our relationship is so sacred to both of us, and I wasn’t willing to compromise by having a wedding that didn’t feel authentic to the relationship we’d built over the last 5-6 years. For us, that meant having a small, intimate wedding with opportunities for lots of sweet moments and time with the people we’re closest to.
Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?
YES! When anyone asks about our wedding I have such a hard time not mentioning the vendors. Working with vendors in San Miguel was like a total breath of fresh air. Our wedding planners with Monserrat Guerrero were absolutely phenomenal and thought of every last detail, taking so much pressure off of me so that I could truly enjoy the planning process and the wedding day. Monse recommended to us our florist and caterer, the mother-daughter duo at Vasija Floral and Maye Cordova Eventos as well as our Dj, DJ Esli. There is not enough time to explain how happy we were with everything they all provided to us. The food, flowers and music were so perfect.
I don’t think that a lot of people can say that there wasn’t a single thing they would have changed or done differently about their wedding day, but we can! Anna Sauza’s photography absolutely speaks for itself. I can’t believe the way that I can look back at photos from that day and feel the beauty and joy of the moment all over again. It’s priceless! I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how lovely and kind each vendor was to us. When we return to San Miguel we know we have real friends to visit!
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?
My wedding dress was hands down the only dress I tried on that I liked. Everything I tried on (and I tried on quite a lot of dresses) felt like a costume. I just didn’t feel like myself in anything, and I was beginning to feel really frustrated with the process. The second I tried on my wedding dress I was sure it was the one – even the girl helping us at Lovely Bride said she could tell right away the way I seemed so much more relaxed.
Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.
No big story behind the rings! My engagement ring is a solitaire oval diamond and I knew I wanted something a little more unique for the wedding band, since the engagement ring was so simple. I worked with a private jeweler to design the bezel cut oval diamond band.
What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).
We definitely anticipated spending more on wedding photography. My goal was to invest in photography so that we’d be able to remember the wedding the way it was and I’m so glad we did! We also wanted to make sure we had a seated meal, something we knew would help us in our effort to have more one on one, special moments with our guests.
Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?
If I had to choose from just two moments, the first would be our ceremony. It was so perfect, short and sweet. We were officiated by my husband’s brother and best man, Grayson, and read our handwritten, personal vows to each other. I don’t think I’ve ever smiled more in my life! A close second would be surprising my dad with the video footage of us dancing together when I was a little girl during our father-daughter dance to “Gypsy” by Fleetwood Mac.
BRIDE Sara, @sarawlarrabee GROOM Ben, @ben.larrabee LOCATION Casa Adela,@casaadelamexico PHOTOGRAPHER Anna Sauza, @annasauzaphotography VIDEOGRAPHER Ricordo Media , @ricordomedia PLANNER Monserrat Guerrero, @monserratguerreroweddings FLORIST Maye Cordova , @mayecordovaeventos ; Vasija Floral, @vasijafloral CELEBRANT Grayson Larrabee (Ben’s – Groom Brother) ENTERTAINMENT DJ Esli Cano, @djeslicano HIRE Warehouse Guanajuato, @warehouseguanajuato CATERING AND DESSERTS Maye Cordova, @mayecordovaeventos STATIONERY AND SIGNAGE The Bee Paperie, @thebeepaperie ENGAGEMENT RING Mariloff Diamonds, @mariloff_diamonds WEDDING BAND Carter Malouf, @bigdjeweler OTHER SIGNIFICANT JEWELLERY Hampton Blue Topaz Ring – David Yurman, @davidyurman ; Diamond studs (made from the bride’s great grandmother’s brooch) from Carter Malouf, @bigdjeweler BRIDE’S MAIN OUTFIT “Gloria” Gown – House of Flora, @_houseofflora_ ; Toni Federici “Wedding Cake” Veil – Lovely Bride, @lovelybridedallas BRIDE’S SHOES Coach, @coach HAIR AND MAKEUP DaniPal Hair & Makeup, @team_danipalmakeup.hair BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE Nectarine Blossom & Honey from Jo Malone, @jomalonelondon BRIDE RECEPTION SHOES Michaela Shine Mary Jane Flats- Sam Edelman, @sam_edelman GROOM’S MAIN OUTFIT & SHOES Mister Tuxedo, @mistertuxedodallas GIFT REGISTRY The Knot, @theknot
