Lida and Nima’s tropical chic Kima Tulum destination wedding is the epitome of tropical opulence–a 2020 wedding trend–and we are madly in love! The all-white details of the flowers, the bride’s off-the-shoulder fit and flare gown, chairs, napkins, and even the venue itself, are stunningly contrasted against the greenery of Tulum’s lush jungle.
We could go on, but we’ll let these photos captured by Memory Box Photography do the rest of the talking for us while we update our own wedding mood boards. Pin these photos, bookmark this post, and get ready to be inspired. Let’s dive in.
Our theme was a magical memory in the jungle. We immediately fell in love with the venue (Kima Tulum). All of our guests were traveling a long way to share this day with us, so we wanted to give them a unique experience. There is something special about being in the middle of the jungle that makes it extremely enchanting. We picked white florals and earthy tones to compliment the space.
Including Their Persian Heritage in the Ceremony
We had a Persian ceremony. We are both proud of our heritage and wanted to incorporate it on our day. Elements of the Persian ceremony included a sofre aghd–also known as the spread of engagement.
A Quiet Moment Together As Newlyweds
Following our close friends’ advice, we took a moment at dinner away from everyone and watched our family and friends smiling ear-to-ear. We were both filled with immediate gratitude and love.
Calling all Stevie Nicks fans–this wedding is for you! Saori and DeVante’s earthy boho wedding at Cypress Falls Event Center is giving us all of the rock n’ roll vibes. Rather than choosing to go down the traditional route, they decided to add personalized touches that spoke to who they are.
The guestbook was replaced with a stack of vinyl albums for people to sign and the seating chart was a world map labeled according to the places on their bucket list. Saori dawned a bell-sleeved lace Rue de Seine gown to harness her witchy goddess side, and rather than a suit, DeVante looked cool and casual in an outfit from Zara and Levi’s.
Oh, and there also happened to be llamas, tequila shots, a wine wagon, and a 90-year-old flower girl. If there’s one thing we’ve learned from these photos captured by T & V Photography, it’s that these two definitely know how to throw a party.
Our wedding was a direct reflection of our style—bohemian wanderlusty earthiness -–inspired by travel, music, and the great outdoors. The seating chart for our guests was a world map, labeled according to the places on our bucket list. A guestbook was replaced by a stack of vinyl albums for people to sign “for the record.” Our “centerpieces” were inspired by the elements: fire (in the form of candlesticks), scavenged twigs, branches, and moss. It sounds like a hot mess, but it was so perfect, organic, and so us.
Stevie Nicks is and has been my style icon for a long time. I wanted to wear something ethereal that made me feel like a woodsy forest queen or a witchy earth goddess, and the Sia gown from Rue de Seine was my match made in witchy heaven.
We put our own twist on absolutely everything we could and shared so many laughs. I dropped a few F-bombs in my vows. DeVante spoke passionately from the heart and improvised his vows on the spot. I lovingly spoke of his butt hairs and smelly boots, and he made sure to mention my road rage. We had our 90-year-old grandma as one of our flower girls, and our dog, Jax, stood in as a groomsman. The best part about the ceremony was taking shots of tequila with our wedding party and our officiant (who we met at a karaoke bar in Austin). It was amazing. It was us.
Why Cypress Falls Event Center
We always knew we wanted to marry in the Texas Hill Country. We came across Cypress Falls on The Knot and scheduled a tour immediately–we didn’t bother booking any tours anywhere else. It was everything we wanted. And sure enough, we knew we found the spot as soon as we pulled up. After we drank a beer with the owner, we basically begged her to take our money and locked everything down with no regrets. Best. Place. Ever.
Including Their Cultures
The two most important things for us to include were our families and our cultures. Nearly every single vendor was a Black or Brown owned business and we had a beautiful blend of R&B, reggae, and Mariachi music as the soundtrack to our big day.
The Couple’s Memorable First Dance
Our llamas escorted us in and we were surrounded by our favorite humans on the planet under twinkling lights. All of them surrounded us while we danced. We just felt the greatest sense of accomplishment because we finally made it. Who knew that a random night full of beer, smoke, and karaoke would bring our wild souls together? A love story 13.8 billion years in the making, finally coming together underneath the moon in Wimberley, TX—definitely a moment to remember.
COVID-19 has taken the world by storm and has particularly impacted the wedding industry. Lavish weddings as we once knew them are changing shape overnight. If you’re dealing with rescheduling or trying to trim down your guest list to follow government guidelines and ordinances, know that you aren’t alone. Couples getting married in 2020—and likely 2021—will face a list of new challenges that others have never had to deal with before. Navigating these changes can feel overwhelming and advice on how to change up your wedding has been sparse—until now.
First, start with revisiting your guest list. Trimming your guest list down is already a headache when wedding planning. But now more couples are choosing to throw micro weddings with their closest friends and family. After making this decision, the next question is: how do you determine who will be invited to celebrate with you on your special day?
Give the Option to Attend Virtually
Virtual weddings are becoming increasingly popular because of COVID. This option is especially important if you have elderly or immunocompromised guests on your list. If you hired a wedding planner, they likely have opinions about which video platform you should use for live streaming. At Junebug, we love Zoom, Google Hangout, and Skype. Go out of your way to make any virtual guests feel included by allowing them to request a song or make a speech if they are near and dear to you and your spouse.
Plan a Celebration for a Later Date
For some couples, the idea of not having certain friends and family at their wedding is devastating. If you’re still looking to tie the knot now but you do so in an elopement or a micro wedding, consider hosting a wedding reception party in the future. We love the option of celebrating your first wedding anniversary with a giant party surrounded with your loved ones.
Consider Which Guests are Vital
While this may sound like a silly question, which guests can you not imagine your wedding day without? Those guests are vital to you. These are likely the people you first told you were engaged or the first ones you would share any life news with. Jot down their names, then call them or shoot them a quick text to see if they are available for the day that you’re planning to get married. Since COVID micro weddings are only a small number of guests, this shouldn’t require an overwhelming amount of communication. This will help you determine if you have availability to invite other guests.
Questions to Determine Who is Vital
But how do you take the list you’ve already trimmed and make it even smaller? Professional wedding photographer The Archivers recommended this list of specific questions to couples facing this difficult task:
Can you imagine getting married without this person’s presence?
How often do you see this person?
Has this person really been there for you throughout your life?
Do you feel competition with this person? Are they going to judge you?
When is the last time you saw each other or had a call?
Do you feel comfortable sharing your most intimate feelings and vows in front of that person?
Do you feel pressured to invite that person? Is a family member pushing you to invite that person?
We know we touched on this earlier, but keeping your loved ones safe should take priority. The idea of not inviting the sweet elders in your life may feel like tough love. However, the elderly especially are at high risk with the coronavirus.
If you have vulnerable guests on your non-negotiable list, think about how you can incorporate extra safety precautions to keep them safe. Whether it’s hand sanitizer at every table, utilizing outdoor space, or passing out masks the guests will greatly appreciate the effort.
If you are worried about the risks, keep in mind that many vulnerable guests may be happy to avoid being in that position. Consider having them virtually attend—as we discussed above. If virtual attendance doesn’t feel like enough, you can send them their own bouquet, visit them in your wedding attire later on, or have them write a letter to be read on your special day.
International Guests Face Different Risks
There’s no need to immediately uninvite your best friend from another country, but consider the risks they are taking with international travel. Many countries are currently not allowing international travel. If guests are able to travel, there’s a good chance they will have to quarantine when they arrive and when they get back home.
The future is uncertain, but it’s likely going to be a while before travel resumes the way it once did. Letting any international guests know that you don’t expect them to attend might be quite a relief for them and lift any pressure they may be feeling to navigate the situation.
Politely Uninviting Once You’ve Already Sent Invites
If you’re looking to make the switch to a micro wedding, but you have already sent out invitations, there are a few ways that you can delicately let guests know that your plans have changed. Don’t forget that everyone —seriously, globally—knows the situation and should be understanding if you are honest and straightforward.
As soon as you know that you will be trimming your guest list you should communicate the decision. Be upfront and let them know their safety is your priority.
Rather than send out a mass email, opt for phone calls. If you can’t feasibly speak to each person by phone, send personalized letters, cards, or emails. Explain that while it is unfortunate, you are looking forward to celebrating your wedding with them at a later date.
Use A Wedding Guest Template to Track Your Guest List Changes
We recommend using a wedding guest template to track the number of guests with their mailing addresses, email addresses, and whether or not they will be attending. This allows you to visualize numbers when they’ve RSVP’d, and quickly provide an accurate guest count. The template also allows you to track any gifts and whether or not a thank you card has been sent out!
Communicate Postponements, Too
If you are postponing rather than canceling, send out ‘change the date’ cards as soon as possible. This gives your guests time to prepare for any travel changes and allows them to make plans sooner rather than later. They’re especially important if you decide to change not only the date but the venue as well.
Trimming your guest list is less than ideal. We get it. While you may be mourning what your wedding was once supposed to be, going smaller does have its upsides. Micro weddings–while small–can still be extravagant. Use the money you save on guests to upgrade an area of your wedding experience. Whether you’ve been eyeing a photographer out of your budget or can’t get enough of the luxury glassware, you can choose to put the money you’re saving back into your micro wedding.
With a smaller guest list, you are also given more quality time to be present with each guest. While there’s nothing wrong with a wedding of over 100, it can be hard to take the time to talk to each guest or get photos with them. Plus, it will have everyone else feeling safer and more relaxed so that they can spend the day celebrating rather than worrying about getting sick.
We asked expert wedding photographer and Junebug member LIT Photography what the benefits of a micro wedding are and this is what she had to say:
“They are so incredibly special, relaxed, and focused on what truly matters: you and your marriage. I’ve found that couples have been able to relax and enjoy more time with the people that are there. The whole vibe has just been so much more chilled out, and they’ve been able to savor every moment.
There are also some budget benefits–although you can go as big or small with a micro wedding as you want. There’s no reason you can’t have all the amazing details like stunning flowers and pay more for your photography because you’re saving money on the food bill, etc.”
While turning folks away from your wedding day will never be fun, it may be necessary in these trying times. We hope these tips gave you the confidence to make those tough decisions a little easier. To see some Change the Date card inspo, take a look at the examples we put together with Minted. No matter what, know that you’ve got this, Junebabes!
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