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A Vibrant Mexican Wedding on the Baja Peninsula

A Vibrant Mexican Wedding on the Baja Peninsula

Colorful details amongst a historic setting for this beautiful celebration of love

In the vibrant town of Todos Santos, under the warm Mexican sun, loved ones gathered to celebrate the union of Trey and Andrew. Held at the idyllic Hotel San Cristobal, the couple embraced the destination wedding experience in a country they both love. The weekend was filled with personalized details that honored both their Southern roots and Bolivian heritage, and the reception itself was nothing short of magical. With bohemian chandeliers, vibrant florals, and hand-painted plates, the venue was transformed by the thoughtful details of their chosen vendors. As the sun dipped below the horizon, a surprise mariachi band ushered in the evening, filling the air with music and setting the stage for a celebration brimming with joy, laughter, and unforgettable moments. Trey and Andrew’s wedding was a true reflection of their love—a beautiful celebration that will linger in the hearts of all who attended for years to come.

Our Love Story

^{The Day We Met}

We met in 2017 in a very analog, very gay way: at the gym. Trey was a regular at a Wednesday evening Barry’s Bootcamp class in San Francisco, where I spotted him and made a point of returning to the same class each week to keep crossing paths. Eventually, I complimented Trey’s backpack as my opening line, and over the course of several months, we continued flirting through small talk. We had our first date a few weeks later and have been together ever since.

^{The Proposal}

After packing up the car to head back to San Francisco from spending New Year's in Palm Springs, I insisted on taking our dog, Gus, on one last walk through our favorite Palm Springs neighborhood. I argued that French bulldogs need at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, so we should go before the long drive. Trey eventually relented, and I proposed at the end of the walk. Trey screeched, "YES!" and we then drove to a surprise weekend celebration I had arranged at Ventana in Big Sur.

^{The Engagement Ring}

We both have simple gold bands from Tiffany. Trey’s is engraved with “A & T,” and mine with “T & A” to remind us to put the other first.

Our Wedding

^{The Vision}

We knew we wanted a destination wedding and felt pretty sure it would be in Mexico, a place we both love. From there, we thought about how we wanted to feel and what we wanted our guests to take away from the weekend—thoughts that came to mind were celebratory, colorful, thoughtful, with unexpected moments of joy. This created a guiding vision that informed all our decisions going forward.

^{Our Team of Vendors}

The most credit goes to our wedding planner, Sydney Keeney, at Baja Wedding Planners, who was fabulous (her business partner, Jayna, was amazing, too). Here’s a special shoutout to everyone involved: Baja Wedding Planner ensured every detail ran smoothly; Hotel San Cristobal provided outstanding catering and event production; our dear friend Diego beautifully captured the weekend in photos; Allium created the florals of our dreams; Warehouse Rentals supplied stylish, comfortable furniture; Los Hijos Band played at our rehearsal night; and DJ Michaelangelo graciously stepped in last-minute after our original DJ, Mike Vosters, had to cancel due to injury. Mike spent hours helping us plan the perfect vibe, and Michaelangelo picked up seamlessly where he left off. We couldn’t have asked for a better team to bring our vision to life.

^{The Location}

We hosted the entire wedding weekend at Hotel San Cristobal in Todos Santos. After several weekend trips there over the years, we found the secluded boutique hotel's landscape to be idyllic, the staff incredibly kind and welcoming, and the food consistently delightful. We didn’t seriously consider any other location.

^{The Ceremony}

We were both surprised at how meaningful the ceremony was; despite being just 25 minutes of the entire weekend, it was the highlight. We were each walked down the aisle by our mom and dad, and my best friend, who has become a dear friend of Trey’s as well, officiated. He’s the funniest person we know, and he nailed it—it was the perfect combination of humor and emotion, honoring the special moment. We wrote and recited our own vows, and there was a lot of ugly crying. A guitarist played some of our favorite songs. Perfection!

^{The Reception}

The reception was held in an old cannery that now sits in ruins on San Cristobal’s property. Thanks to Baja Wedding Planner, Warehouse Rentals, Allium for the florals, and the San Cristobal staff, to name just a few vendors, they transformed the ruins into an incredible venue. Some of our favorite touches were the Sia-like chandeliers, the hand-painted plates, and the flowers. We loved the burnt sunset colors of the florals and the asymmetrical design that Allium put together.

^{The Special Touches}

We wanted the transition from cocktail hour to the reception to set the mood for the rest of the night. Guests were able to get their fortune told by Pepe the bird over drinks and found their table numbers tied to custom maracas. A surprise mariachi band emerged at sunset to lead everyone to the reception (after Trey’s brother banged a gong right at sunset). It felt like a party—a moment—right away.

^{Our Favorite Moment}

Trey’s mother, who has a flair for the dramatic, really wanted fireworks—and who were we to disagree? After our parents and sisters each spoke, we danced with our mothers. Then, very suddenly, the lights went off, Beyoncé’s Summer Renaissance started blasting, and fireworks exploded overhead (the venue is open to the sky). That was everyone’s cue that the dance party had officially started. That song still gives us both chills. A Vibrant Mexican Wedding on the Baja Peninsula

Our Style

^{Our Rehearsal Dinner Looks}

For the rehearsal dinner/party, we had custom Bode suits made, accented with their signature embroidery. Trey’s suit was light blue, with embroidery representing his background, including lily pads and landscape scenery from Mobile, Alabama. My suit was light green, featuring mountains and llamas as a nod to my Bolivian heritage on my mom’s side, Jasmin—the official Syrian flower (my dad’s side)—and wild parrots, which fly around our home in San Francisco.

^{Our Grooms Looks}

For the wedding day, we both opted for classic Tom Ford tuxedos with white dinner jackets. Our day-to-day style tends to be a bit kooky, but it felt right to go timeless for such a special day. Our beloved Frenchie, Gus, is too naughty to have joined us for the wedding weekend, but we had custom Stubbs & Wootton velvet slippers made with his face embroidered on them. We also had a life-size poster of him printed, which was a fun way to incorporate him—he was there in spirit. Our cufflinks represented our heritage: mine were made of ancient Middle Eastern gold coins (I'm half Syrian), and Trey’s were made of mother-of-pearl and belonged to his great-great-grandfather from Alabama.

Our Advice

^{For The Planning Process}

Give yourself enough time. We had an engagement of over a year, which allowed us to secure the venue for the weekend we wanted, and then we could take our time with planning to get the details right.

^{For On The Day}

We made the day our own. While traditional weddings separate the couple ahead of the ceremony, we preferred to spend the day together and include some time for ourselves. There was so much going on, but we took time that morning to enjoy quality moments together. We also got ready together, and that was a really special time for us.

^{For Post-Wedding}

First, go on a do-nothing honeymoon right after, even if it’s short. The wedding weekend experience was wonderful but also overwhelming, and it was really nice to have a few days to relax by the beach and pool and integrate all the emotions. I recommend journaling to remember the details and be able to look back on them. Second, we printed all our wedding photos cheaply from Walmart and have been handing them out when friends come over. It’s a really fun way to relive the experience.