WEDDING BLOG

Puerto Rico Destination Wedding at Hacienda Siesta Alegre

November 8, 2020 | riley

With family all over the Caribbean, Elena and Wesley knew they would have a boho wedding with a backyard vibe in Puerto Rico. After settling on Hacienda Siesta Alegre–without ever seeing it in person–the couple’s dream day came to fruition thanks to planner Rosalina Momentus. With lush palms surrounding the venue, the pair opted to keep the decor simple with light pink drapery, soft blush floral arrangements put together by Jat Lozano, and Chinese lanterns floating in the night sky.

Although we would love to describe everything we love about this wedding, we think that the couple’s photographer–and Junebug member–Melody Joy Co. described the day beautifully.

Melody Joy Co. On The Details of The Day

Hacienda Siesta Alegre has stunning views of the El Yunque rainforest mountain range. There were so many beautiful corners in the hacienda, including arched doorways and French window panes on a corner, where the couple read their vows.

They had so many unique details, like a cigar bar where handmade cigars were made and given to the guests. The outdoor reception consisted of beautifully decorated farm tables that surrounded a courtyard with a fountain in the center. The courtyard was lit by string lights that set the mood for both the reception and, later, an epic dance floor.

Elena and Wes surprised their guests by having Plena music played by the local group, Yuvi Plena! They had the crowd doing a dance train around the entire venue–a perfect complement to the evening, tying in a bit of Puerto Rican tradition for the guests with an exciting twist. They ended the night surrounded by sparklers and their loved ones!

The Couple:

Elena and Wesley

The Wedding:

Hacienda Siesta Alegre, Rio Grande, Puetro Rico

Sharing Private Vows

The most memorable part of the day was exchanging our vows privately to one another before the ceremony. It was so intimate, and we were happy to have a brief moment before the festivities to share our love and commitment to one another.

Why Hacienda Siesta Alegre

Our venue was a reflection of our culture and styles. Wesley is Cuban and my family is from Puerto Rico, so I knew that’s where we would have our wedding. We weren’t interested in having a beach wedding—instead, we wanted to get married at a house or a Hacienda. When we were searching, we found Hacienda Siesta Alegre and knew it was the one. We put down a deposit before seeing it in person to secure the date. When we flew down to Puerto Rico we scheduled a site visit and were absolutely blown away with the beauty of this place.

Wedding Advice From The Bride

Talk to other brides! They may have resources or decor from their wedding to spare. Also, some details will be forgotten and not everything will go as planned. That’s okay! Try to be present in the moment and enjoy the celebration.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Melody Joy Co.
Event Planning – Rosalina Momentus
Venue – Hacienda Siesta Alegre
Floral Design – Jat Lozano
Catering – Mesa 364
Cake – Gabriel Diaz
DJ – Big J Music
Live Music – Yuvi Plena
Videography – The Film Writer
Makeup Artist & Hair Styling – Javier Moreno
Wedding Dress – Gali Karten
Bridal Accessories – Cassouto Jewels, Bella Belle Shoes
Bridesmaids’ Apparel – Show Me Your Mumu
Groom’s Apparel – Suit Supply
Groomsmen’s Apparel – The Groomsman Suit
Rings – Creative Design Jewelers
Favors – Flipeate

Congratulations again to Elena and Wesley on their Puerto Rico destination wedding! Thank you to Junebug member Melody Joy Co. for capturing the day so beautifully. To see more of her work, check out her profile in our directory of best wedding photographers in the world!

Burgundy and Gold Ace Hotel and Swim Club Wedding in Palm Springs

November 7, 2020 | Junebug Weddings

dark red gold sage green

A guitar used as a guest book, bohemian decor, and the Ace Hotel and Swim Club in Palm Springs are just a few of the details that made this wedding truly special. Every unique touch of this burgundy and gold wedding paid homage to the couple’s favorite things and what brought them together.

This couple kept their guests in mind while planning every detail to ensure the day was perfect for them and their guests. Thanks to the help of Details, Darling, Ashley and Jake thought of it all. Some of our favorite details from their wedding include tacos, s’mores, dogs, and even a marijuana bar! See what we mean? They wanted their guests to have a good time. We’ll let Kaylee Chelsea Photography’s photos do the rest of the storytelling!

The Couple

Ashley and Jake

The Wedding

Palm Springs, California

Desert Fall at the Ace Hotel

We knew we wanted the wedding in Palm Springs because we love the city’s vibe and the backdrop of the desert and San Jacinto mountains. The desert in fall is so beautiful and the weather is perfect. We chose the Ace Hotel and Swim Club because it fit the vintage and laid back style we were going for perfectly! We decided on it the day we saw it. They are also dog friendly and of course our two dogs, who are basically our children, needed to be a part of our wedding. I also love the marquee they have which they let you personalize for your day. I’m a Harry Potter nerd so our marquee said “After all this time? Always” with our initials and wedding date.

Music Brings People Together

Music is a very important part of our lives. Jake plays guitar and piano and my favorite pastime is going to shows and concerts. I didn’t finalize our wedding music until the week before because there were so many songs to choose from that were special. The procession for the family and bridesmaids was “In My Life” by The Beatles, one of our favorite bands. The song that my dad and I walked down the aisle to was a song I have had picked out for this moment for my entire adult life — “Over the Hills and Far Away” by Led Zeppelin. The recessional song we chose was from Bright Eyes, called “First Day of My Life”. I always thought our first dance would be Queen’s “My Best Friend”, but we saved that for the grand entrance. Instead, we went with a cover of a song called “I Love How You Love Me” played by Rusty Clanton for our first dance.

Food and Fun For Everyone

Honestly, we just wanted everyone to have fun. I’ve always loved being a wedding guest and Jake usually does not, so we really wanted this to be a celebration where every guest could enjoy themselves and not get bored. We had an open bar, dancing, a photo booth, s’mores, late night snacks and a “marry-juana bar” so we had a little something for everyone. Our one requirement for the wedding was tacos! We love tacos and could not imagine having anything else at our wedding. Rather than a traditional cake cutting we roasted marshmallows for s’mores and for dessert, we had mini pies and donuts. We had a signature cocktail called the Desert Facial which is a vodka cocktail with cucumber, pineapple and mint—one of the most refreshing drinks ever!

Unique Touches + DIY

My cousin Carly helped me DIY a couple things for our wedding. The first was a black denim jacket I could wear at the reception. We designed it to match the decor with burgundy and rose gold succulents surrounding our last name in white script. We also used a white acoustic guitar as our guestbook so we made a rose gold label with our initials and wedding date to personalize it a little more. Finally, we made personalized welcome bags for guests staying at the Ace which said “Palm Springs is Always a Good Idea”. We also gave out potted succulents, chocolate cookies from Milk Bar Los Angeles for guests to take home and even favor bags for our guests’ dogs!

Wedding Advice For Brides?

Get a wedding planner and go with the flow on your wedding day. Things might not go as you imagined, but it is your day and it will be beautiful and special and memorable no matter what happens. I really don’t know what I would’ve done without Mackenzie from Details, Darling! For me, I didn’t want to burden my friends and family with planning details. I wanted everyone to have fun and enjoy all of the parties leading up to the wedding and the wedding itself. There are so many vendors out there that it’s overwhelming trying to choose who will be right for you. Mackenzie really helped in narrowing the choices down—she did an amazing job at bringing our design to life. She helped make it unique to us and we were thrilled when we finally saw everything come to fruition. Our wedding was perfect.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Kaylee Chelsea Photography
Event Planning – Details, Darlin
Ceremony Venue – Ace Hotel and Swim Club
Reception Venue – Ace Hotel and Swim Club
Catering – Kings Highway
DJ – Ian – Dart DJ
Invitation Design – Minted
Makeup Artist – Cheek to Cheek Artistry
Hair Styling – Cheek to Cheek Artistry
Bridesmaids’ Apparel – BHLDN
Groomsmen’s Apparel – Men’s Wearhouse
Rings – Robbins Brothers
Day of Signage – Double Dipped Calligraphy
Photo Booth Bus – Traveling Photo Bus
Napkins/Linens – ModMix Studio
Furniture Rental – Arrangements Floral and Party Design

Congratulations again to Ashley and Jake on their fun-filled wedding! Special thanks to Mackenzie from Details, Darling for sharing this gorgeous Palm Springs Ace Hotel wedding with us. If you loved the music this couple chose for the whole ceremony, get started on building your own with this wedding reception playlist. Your wedding DJ will be glad they’ve got inspiration to work with.

Vintage Rings Versus Lab-Grown Diamonds

November 6, 2020 | riley

When you’re ready to purchase an engagement ring, one quick online search will provide more information than you’ll ever need. Whether you’re looking for how to purchase, where to find the ring, or what the perfect ring looks like, the information and options are endless. Your research can quickly get out of hand but you’ve come to the right place. Wedding and engagement planning are sort of our thing. So, take a deep breath and don’t get overwhelmed. We’re here to help you navigate all of the latest engagement ring trends—including vintage rings and lab-grown diamonds.

There’s a lot of buzz about vintage rings and lab-grown diamonds. That’s why our friends at Taylor & Hart teamed up with us to help set the record straight. Are these simply buzz words, or does your future spouse need one of these special options?

What Are Lab-Grown Diamonds?

Lab-grown diamonds are on the rise with many companies utilizing this strategy to create diamonds ethically and with immense care. Their special growing process means they cost slightly less than classically mined diamonds. Which means you can get a larger diamond for less.

Diamonds mined from the Earth are sometimes referred to as ‘natural diamonds’ but don’t let that name fool you. Lab-grown diamonds carry an identical crystal structure as mined diamonds and are both real, natural diamonds. These aren’t the synthetic gemstones or zirconia often found on department store jewelry shelves, these are gorgeous diamonds.

Vintage Rings Aren’t Just Grandma’s Jewelry

After hearing the phrase “vintage rings” you’re likely picturing a family heirloom steeped in history, passed down through generations. In reality, it’s much more than that—we promise. Just ask celebrities like Olivia Wilde and Jennifer Aniston.

Vintage rings can be aesthetically similar to antique rings but jewelers like Taylor & Hart allow you to create your own unique vintage look with your favorite aspects of design through history. On top of that, many vintage or antique rings weren’t built using modern quality techniques. The updates to ring making techniques make vintage rings crafted with real life activities in mind.

The most special aspect of vintage rings? They never go out of style! Vintage ring styles benefit from carrying a timeless look forever.

Why Taylor & Hart

Taylor & Hart is a radically transparent company. It’s important to know what you’re looking for in an engagement ring and many companies don’t make this information as readily available as our friends at Taylor and Hart do:

Find honest companies. There is no structural difference between lab-grown diamonds and mined diamonds. Some companies take advantage of this by selling lab-grown diamonds for mined-diamond prices to make a higher profit.
Earth-grown diamonds often get a bad rap for having negative impacts on their local ecosystem, but lab-grown diamonds aren’t all roses either. Growing a diamond in a lab takes a lot of energy—meaning their carbon footprints can be huge.

The other thing we love about Taylor & Hart? Their process to create your engagement ring is only five steps. Whether you start with a ring from their collection or design it from scratch, their simple process will create the perfect ring to ask the most important question of your life with.

Getting down on one knee is exhilarating—make sure you’re doing it with the right ring in your hand. Congratulations from Junebug Weddings and Taylor & Hart! Our team can’t wait to help you plan your dream wedding.

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