All you need is love was the motto for this stunningly simple New Orleans elopement. Foregoing their large guest list, venue, and reception, Michelle and Ryan were able to shift their focus from material wedding day details to cherished moments. They wanted a day with no time constraints that fully allowed them to soak up the soon to be memories.
If you’re not yet convinced small “I do’s” are for you, you will be after catching one glimpse of these inspo-rich photos. Get your Pinterest boards ready and keep scrolling for a legendary outfit change, hotel room cake cutting, and a sunset rooftop first dance.
Congratulations to Michelle and Ryan on their New Orleans elopement. And big thanks to Erin and Geoffrey Photography for preserving the love, laughter, and tears that filled this beautiful day-long celebration.
An impromptu elopement, a ripped wedding dress, a colored custom suit, and some not-so-bridesmaid bridesmaid dresses–this opulent and fashion-forward Antigua wedding was far from traditional. Sonya and Daniel didn’t let COVID get in the way of their special day. With 30 of their closest friends and family members, the two said “I do” in a truly magical destination wedding.
With the help of planner Carolina Mendez Events and second shooter Brogen Jessup, the Santa Clara Ruins were transformed into a breathtaking wedding venue. The dilapidated ruins were complete with lush greenery, an abundance of pink florals and baby’s breath, and a runway fit for a fashion show.
After exchanging vows, the newlyweds partied the night away under the stars in an outdoor reception at Pensativo House Hotel. Details included colorful glassware and candles, a canopy of lights, and a fire show on the dance floor. Luckily photographer Daniel Lopez Perez was there to capture every well-thought-out aspect of these trendy nuptials.
Antigua has the most beautifully colored walls of any town you’ll see. There was one wall in particular that I fell in love with and saved to show my photographers. On the morning of our wedding, we had 30 minutes for portraits until the ceremony, so we snuck out without anyone noticing and caught two tuk-tuks to my beloved wall. Mishka–our photographer–was in the first tuk-tuk, and Daniel and I were in the second tuk-tuk following her. As we drove down the road with all the bystanders waiving to us, I felt a tug on my dress. We came to a screeching halt, and I jumped out to see what happened. My wedding gown was wrapped so badly in the wheel of the tuk-tuk that we couldn’t even get it out. The driver had to drive forward so we could pull it out. Once we got it free, we saw that it was ripped from my calves down! I was in shock. Miska jumped into action and reminded me that it didn’t matter. What mattered the most was our love and that we were getting married.
We had an impromptu “elopement” when we scouted Guatemala with a local Shaman, Isaias, and his wife. Only me, my dad, and my now husband were there, but the stars aligned and we went for it. We were meeting different vendors during that trip, and he said the date we chose in the future was not an ideal date for marriage, so we asked when a good date was, and he said the next day. We went for it! Fast forward a year to our actual wedding, and we asked if he would share our experience with our guests and perform a ceremony with our officiant and best friend, Mike.
Going The Unconventional Route At The Antigua Wedding
My mom told me not to go to “trendy” and that it’s better to be “classic.” When you look back at your photos, you want them to be timeless. If you go too outside the box, then you might regret it. Sure, I see the beauty in the classic black tuxedo and wedding dress, but I am more dynamic than that. I can have elegance and still bring something more to the table. I am so glad we went for it–from Daniel’s green custom-made suit to the bridesmaids’ not-so-bridesmaid dresses to the unique color palette. It was much more our style!
Congratulations again to Sonya and David on their fashion-forward Antigua wedding! We’re so thankful that Daniel Lopez Perez was there to capture the day. To get planning started on your own destination wedding, check out our destination wedding budget breakdown!
After their 150-person wedding was postponed twice, Becca and Yoni decided to run off and tie the knot in a secret yet totally epic South Congress Hotel elopement. While it may not have been the wedding they originally envisioned, the couple still incorporated all of the personalized touches that spoke to them.
With the help of planner XO Moreau Events, the Milton Suite was transformed into a ceremony space complete with a golden chuppah draped in fall-colored florals from The Farmer and I. And if that wasn’t romantic enough, the two galavanted around Austin for portraits before enjoying a private snack of oysters and champagne at the hotel’s restaurant, which was closed to the public–a date night tradition they like to call “bite and a bev.”
Photographer and Junebug member Amber Vickery Photography did a beautiful job capturing the stylish details of this day–from the gold sequined wedding gown to the big city strolls with their furry friend to the Japanese whiskey enjoyed at the end of the night. Whether you’ve downsized your special day or you’re looking for boho meets glam wedding inspo, these dreamy city “I do’s” are sure to inspire.
I have a white dress at home, one that I still hope I can wear someday, but I purchased it with my mother, and since she wasn’t going to be there, I didn’t want to have that moment without her. I always knew I wanted gold sequins somewhere on my wedding day, so I figured this would be the perfect time to pull out an over-the-top gold sequin batwing dress that I’ve actually gotten a lot of use out of!
Our original 150-person, meticulously planned wedding had been scheduled for April 5, 2020. We had to make the gut-wrenching decision to postpone it 19 days beforehand due to rolling shutdowns and the pandemic. It was one of the hardest decisions we had to make as we were so close to the big day. Our incredible planner, Alex, worked with all our wedding vendors to reschedule to November 1st (before we knew this was a pandemic), but by mid-August, we knew it wasn’t realistic. So in October, we made the hush-hush decision to elope when we knew we would be traveling through Texas. (We spent the second half of 2020 living in an RV – another story!)
The South Congress Hotel had always been the inspiration for our original wedding. We loved the soft brass, warm greens, caramel leather tones, and the slight nod to Palm Springs in the different spaces. And while it wasn’t the fit for Wedding 1.0, we saw this as our opportunity now that it was just the two of us! We booked the Milton Suite simply because it gave us enough space to stay and have our ceremony together. We also loved the large outdoor patio and wanted to utilize it as much as possible. In our original wedding plan and this elopement, we focused on selecting spaces that didn’t need a lot of decoration and stood out on their own as incredible backdrops.
Incorporating Date Night Traditions
One of the cornerstones of our relationship is what we like to call a “Bite and a Bev.” Yoni and I absolutely love doing restaurant crawls where we sit down at the bar at a packed or popular spot, order one drink each and one small plate, get the check, and move on. To incorporate that into our elopement, we asked the hotel if they would let us sit at the bar at Central Standard. The restaurant was closed that day, but the amazing team there worked with us to set up a plate of oysters (one of our favorites) and a bottle of champagne to enjoy after the ceremony. Some of my favorite photos are of us, post-ceremony, sitting at a restaurant bar and enjoying our favorite foods together. If anything captures us it’s these moments.
Working With Junebug Member Amber Vickery
Amber is incredible. We chose to work with her because I loved that her photos felt almost documentary in style, with a balance between film and digital. We wanted someone who could capture the candid moments but also knew how to help us pose (we’re kind of awkward). We did not want a photographer who was in our face but someone who knew how to capture from a distance. It was one of the best decisions we made to work with her. On top of that, she is just a genuinely amazing person. We continue to keep in touch and share book recommendations!
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