A Destination Wedding at Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit with Neutral Aesthetics and Vintage Glamour
Angel and James Boisdenghien first met in 2017 while attending college in Sacramento, California. James made the first move by asking Angel to dinner the following day, and she was immediately attracted to his approach to getting to know her better. She adds, “From there, everything was instant.”
A Proposal in the Bahamas
For Angel’s 30th birthday, James invited her family and close friends to a celebration in the Bahamas. He set up a surprise dinner, which started with the couple’s butler at the hotel blindfolding Angel before leading her to the beach. While “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran played from the hotel’s sound system, Angel arrived to find the beach scattered with candles and red roses, with a giant “Marry Me” sign on display.
“The décor theme of the couple’s wedding was based on neutral aesthetics and elements of vintage glamour.”
Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit
While planning a destination wedding often involves the couple making at least one trip beforehand to tour their wedding venue, Angel and James chose not to see the property during the planning process. Since they chose Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit to host their wedding in Mexico, they also wanted the resort to double as a honeymoon destination.
The couple arrived at Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit a week early and spent some quality time together before guests made their arrivals.
A Wedding with Neutral Aesthetics and Vintage Glamour
The décor theme of the couple’s wedding was based on neutral aesthetics and elements of vintage glamour. Details also included satin bows, white roses, and touches of greenery.
For the wedding ceremony, guests were seated on clear round chairs, surrounded by greenery and white roses. Cocktail hour included vintage sofa sets and tall tables being set up along the beach while everyone sipped His and Her drinks with customized toppers. To add to the ambiance of vintage glamour, a playlist of the bride and groom’s favorite oldies love songs played in the background.
‘I could not have planned my wedding without my planner, Leticia,” says the bride. “She handled all of the vendors directly and she made it as seamless as possible for me. We had a longer engagement of a year and a half that helped. This gave me the time to think of the things that I really wanted to include. It’s truly the best time planning your own wedding and seeing your vision come to life.”
After cocktail hour, guests received glasses of champagne with velvet ribbon name tags to find their assigned seating. Tall bouquets of roses were placed on the tablescapes along with mini bud vases that consisted of single stem roses. Paired with the sunset and Mexico’s coastal backdrop, it was an exquisite setting.
The wedding menu included mahi mahi, short ribs, a vegetarian option, and a vintage-inspired vanilla wedding cake with three tiers.
“I really wanted the night to feel romantic” Angel adds, “so I opted for chandelier lighting only, to give the perfect warm ambiance. We had cold sparklers for our first dance and ended our night watching fireworks set off from the beach.”
WEDDING TALENT
Location, Caterer & Cake: Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit, Nayarit, Mexico; Planner: Leticia Pena Ponce; Floral Design: Ale Magana Art and Flowers; Invitations: Shine Wedding Invitations Lighting & Entertainment: Celtrev Audiovisual Services; Engagement Ring: Benz & Co New York; Ceremony Dress: Lazaro Bridal; Reception Dress: BERTA; Bridal Salon: Chic Parisien; Hair & Makeup: Nikki Notarte; Groom’s Attire: House Of Suits Miami; Groom’s Watch: TAG Heuer; Content Creator: Little Nostalgic Moments By Lisette; Photography & Cinematography: Jorge Mercado Photography