Kristen Silvestri first met Anthony Zanetich after graduating from college in 2013. The two were working together and, a few weeks in, were officially introduced.
“After talking for the first time, we realized that we had actually met before,” Kristen shares. “In high school, two of our close friends dated; and because of them, we had attended some of the same events. Also, because of that, I initially kind of ruled out any chance of dating between us! Anthony had other ideas though, and it only took a few months before we were together. Fun fact: both friends were in our wedding party!”
“WE BOTH ABSOLUTELY LOVED BANYAN TREE.”
The proposal took place on the steps of the couple’s house. They had gone to dinner nearby and were supposed to stop home before meeting another couple for drinks. Kristen was shocked to find all of their siblings waiting inside the house, ready to join in on the celebration. When the group continued to their favorite bar, Kristen and Anthony were met by their closest friends for a fun and unexpected night out.
“In the beginning, the only thing we were sure of was that we wanted a destination wedding,” shares Kristen. “We spent hours and hours researching hotels and resorts before finding Mayakoba. From there, it was easy. We both absolutely loved Banyan Tree and received such prompt and helpful answers to all of the questions that we asked their team.
They helped guide us to the best vendors and got us in touch with our wedding planner, Michelle from My Perfect Wedding, Mexico. She and her team oversaw all of the coordination leading up to and throughout our wedding weekend. The service that we received from Michelle and Marine at Banyan Tree was instrumental in our process, especially because we were planning everything from out of the country.”
The morning of the wedding was a rush of excitement as the bride and groom were busy getting ready and having their photos taken. They didn’t even have time to feel any nerves until right before the ceremony, and they made sure not to see each other until that moment.
“The reception was beautiful,” says the bride. “The ambiance at The MK Blue is perfect on its own – quiet and secluded with water as the backdrop. We kept the decor simple with candles and flowers with touches of pampas grass. My absolute favorite decor was the hanging flower arrangements. We chose to go with a non-traditional approach and broke a wedding cake pinata in lieu of cutting the wedding cake. On the wedding day, the groomsmen lost one of their bow ties. You wouldn't be able to tell in pictures, but one of them is wearing a cloth napkin in its place.”
Kristen and Anthony’s honeymoon plans have been put on hold, but they hope to travel to Greece and Italy within the coming year.
WEDDING TALENT
Location: Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico; Planning: MyPerfect Wedding Mexico; Floral Design: Vanessa Jaimes Floral
