A Magical Destination Wedding at The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort in Puerto Rico

Glendaliz Acevedo Martinez and Fahad Ghaffar were introduced by a mutual friend at a hip restaurant in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Immediately upon laying eyes on Glenda, Fahad thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever met. He was drawn to her magnetic personality and wanted to get to know her better. At the time, however, Fahad was traveling back and forth from NYC for work; so, they carried on as friends for a about a year until he moved to Puerto Rico permanently, which is when they started dating.

Nearly three years later, after the couple had moved into their new home on the beach, Fahad had their butler spell out “Marry Me” on the beach in white stones. He then walked Glenda out to the deck, where she could see the stones, and proposed while down on one knee. After she accepted, Glenda was further surprised by 360 red roses, a photographer, her whole family, and her best friends who were hiding in the garage and waiting to celebrate.

Right after the engagement, Glenda and Fahad proceeded to choose a wedding date. Given that Fahad’s family and friends live all around the world, the best time frame was right after the holidays. It also made sense to host the wedding at one of the properties owned by his company, which is how they decided upon the St. Regis in Puerto Rico – a tropical paradise with 2.5 miles of beaches, 550 acres to explore, 72 acres of lakes for kayaking, and enough rooms to host everyone on the guest list. From the invitations to the small details, Glenda and Fahad worked together throughout the entire wedding planning process with the help of a talented group of decorators, planners, and hotel staff.

The wedding day was magical with picture-perfect weather, a refreshing breeze, and a calm ocean setting. As the bride walked down the path to the ceremony, orchids, roses, and candles paved the way. With everyone gathered together, the bride and groom recited vows they had written, and the judge gave an emotional speech that brought tears to the eyes of most guests.

After the ceremony, the newlyweds were transported to their ballroom reception via white horse and buggy, and guests were received with champagne and shots of tequila and pineapple – a favorite of the couple. Cocktails lasted for over an hour, and dinner consisted of guests being serenaded by a famous local band, and a Cirque du Soleil dancer twirling from the sky. During Glenda and Fahad’s first dance, Glenda ended up stealing the show with a mashup performance to four songs. The dancing continued well into the night, and everyone enjoyed an unexpected appearance by a top Spanish hip-hop artist during the afterparty. 

The couple spent their honeymoon at Amanpulo in the Philippines, where Fahad surprised Glenda with a small wedding – just the two of them – with a priest on the beach. Afterwards, they continued their travels to New Zealand and Kyoto, Japan.