A Classic Oceanside Wedding at Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in Puerto Rico

Denise Rodriguez first fell for Muquaddin Shafi’s attentive and approachable personality when they met at Bible study class. “I loved his smile and gentle spirit,” she says. “I felt like he saw me for who I was.

After eight months of dating, Muquaddin showed up at Denise’s workplace, got down on one knee, and proposed. He had just picked up the engagement ring from the jeweler and couldn’t wait to pop the question.

In a mere three months, a destination wedding in San Juan, Puerto Rico was perfectly planned with the help of Zahira Domenech of Eventus by Zahira. Unlike the traditional wedding planning process, it was Muquaddin who was helping with all the wedding preparations. Before their July 2015 nuptials, the couple had cancelled their original wedding due to the market crash in the US. “He always promised that we would have that Puerto Rico wedding and that it would be better than I had imagined,” Denise explains. “So he took it upon himself to plan it with Zahira to make it extra special for me.”

The wedding took place at San Juan’s Condado Vanderbilt Hotel. That morning, the bride kicked things off with an Oceanside yoga class and breakfast at the hotel restaurant. As everyone started to get ready, clouds rolled in along with heavy winds and rain. The bride always had her heart set on an outdoor ceremony facing the ocean, and the change in weather was compromising the beautiful ceremony décor that had been set up. Immediately, the groom went to speak to the team of vendors and rally them together. The planning team began resetting the ceremony and delayed the wedding for 30 minutes; and by the time the bride made her way down the aisle to the music of a live four-piece ensemble, the sun was shining.

After the ceremony, the newlyweds and their guests relocated to a jaw-dropping reception space. The décor featured beautiful floral arrangements, a custom dance floor, and a lounge area with gold chairs. “The white glove service of the hotel staff was top notch,” says Denise.

“Some of the staff even cried tears of joy and happiness with us, and Iris was there every step of the way to make sure each detail was taken care of.” The night also included a live band, a DJ, and Salsa dancers for guests to enjoy. By the end of the festivities, everyone agreed it was the best wedding they had ever attended

“When we arrived at our suite that night, Iris had a bottle of champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, and a framed picture of our ceremony with a lovely note,” Denise says. “It was the cherry on an already perfect weekend event!”