WEDDING BLOG

Neutral Secrets Moxché Weekend Long Wedding

March 20, 2024 | justine

Monica and Marc didn’t have a clear picture of what they wanted their wedding to look like, but they knew they wanted something special and personalized to reflect their relationship. Choosing Mexico as their destination, they set out to create their perfect celebration, and with the expert help of Junebug vendor and wedding planner Lucy Gallagher, they brought their dream wedding to life. With beautiful neutral tones, breathtaking florals, elegant decor, and chic fashion, the couple went the extra mile to give their guests a Secrets Moxché weekend long wedding they would always treasure.

Their rooftop ceremony–set against the breathtaking backdrop of the sea–was truly unforgettable. Delicate florals lined the aisle, leading to a lush arch framing the stunning views. The moment they exchanged their vows was sweet and memorable, marking the beginning of their journey together. The timeless reception that followed showcased clean lines and elegant decor, ensuring all attention remained on the newlyweds. Evoking a sense of sophistication and refinement, the tables were adorned with delicate centerpieces and soft candlelight, creating an atmosphere of intimacy and romance.

On their special day, the couple combined classic elegance with their personal style, and trust us when we say it’s a must-see. Luckily, Michelle Gonzalez was there to capture every beautiful moment of their magical celebration. Keep scrolling to experience the beauty and charm of their wedding day.

The Couple:

Monica and Marc

The Wedding:

Secrets Moxché, Playa del Carmen, Mexico

A Detailed and Personalized Secrets Moxché Weekend Long Wedding

We didn’t have a specific vision for our wedding, which was a blessing. We wanted a weekend-long celebration that reflected us and our relationship. Given our love for hosting and attention to detail, we opted for an airy, timeless, yet detailed affair. Personalizing every aspect, from stationery to color schemes, was a joy. Our weekend included a rehearsal dinner, a welcome party, and our special day. We infused elements of the location and our personalities into every detail, from fun facts on napkins to signature margarita drinks. Our wedding day, with its neutral palette and soft textures, was brought to life with my favorite flowers tulips, adding a special touch to the occasion.

Stumbling Upon Their Venue During a Vacation in Mexico

When we were deciding where to have our wedding, we thought Mexico would be a great choice. It was an easy decision since we love Mexican food and tequila. We wanted our wedding weekend to be easy for our guests and us, so we chose Playa del Carmen because it has a good airport and lots of venues to choose from. We hadn’t heard of Secrets Moxché before, but we stumbled upon it on our last day in Playa del Carmen and fell in love with it as soon as we saw it. The rooftop, overlooking the ocean, sealed the deal for us. The hotel is beautiful, from the lobby to the rooms, and we knew it would be the perfect place to host our family and friends and have the timeless wedding we wanted.

Tips for a Stress-Free Wedding Planning Journey

Here’s some advice for couples planning their wedding: Enjoy every moment. Planning should be fun, not stressful, and it flies by quickly. A friend once told me that the engagement period is the shortest phase of a relationship, and it’s true. So, make the most of it. Understand that there will always be things you can’t control, but in the end, you’ll realize how perfect the day was. Work together as a team when planning. Each of you has strengths, so use them! Your wedding day is about the two of you, so the more you both contribute, the more satisfaction you’ll feel when it all comes together. Don’t just follow trends because they’re popular. Whether you prefer something traditional or more unique, go for it. Your wedding is about celebrating your love with your loved ones while reflecting on who you indeed are.

How Attention to Detail and Personal Touches Made Their Secrets Moxché Weekend Long Wedding Special

Thanks to the stationary and design vibes, our wedding had a consistent and unified look and feel throughout the weekend. It was easy for everyone to recognize it was our wedding because of the unique touches we incorporated everywhere. From the personalized treats in the welcome bags to the traditional coasters and fun facts in the ceremony program, attention to detail was crucial for us, and we’re thrilled it showed throughout the weekend. We aimed for our wedding to reflect who we are and the love and respect we share. It was important to us to take care of our guests and ensure they felt appreciated for making the trip to celebrate with us. Our wedding wouldn’t have been as magical without the support of our family, friends, and vendors. We placed a high priority on surrounding ourselves with the best company and working with top-notch vendors.

Thoughtful Welcome Bags Filled with Treats and Hidden Surprises

One of my favorite parts of the wedding planning was preparing the welcome bags for our guests. I was so excited to share them! I personally designed the tags with our M|M logo and the newspaper that was tucked inside. The newspaper included all the weekend events, a fun crossword about us, local attractions, and useful Spanish phrases for the weekend. We included plantain chips and chili mangoes as “his and hers” snacks and delicious popcorn. Each bag also contained coasters made of Talavera ceramic. On the bottom, it said, “Made in Mexico, Marc & Moni 2023.” We didn’t want to overload the favors with our names and wedding dates, so we hid it under the coasters. Every item in the bag was chosen with care and meaning, and we were thrilled that our guests loved them.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Michelle Gonzalez
Event Planning – Lucy Gallagher
Venue – Secrets Moxché
Floral Design – Cherry Blossom
Videography – Frame Wedding Film
Makeup Artist + Hair Styling – Sandra Carolina
Rentals – Minimal Design Studio & Rentals
Favors – Wedding Decor & Gifts

Congratulations to Monica and Marc on their neutral Secrets Moxché weekend long wedding. Thanks to Michelle Gonzalez for capturing every stunning detail and memorable moment of their big day. And, of course, big thanks to Junebug planner Lucy Gallagher for her professional expertise in ensuring this couple had their dream wedding. To see more of her elegant celebrations, check out her profile in our directory of the best wedding planners worldwide.

This wedding wonderfully showcases how your chosen venue can shape your entire celebration. As you plan your own special day, remember that the venue you pick is crucial. For helpful tips and advice on finding the perfect location, check out our detailed guide.

13+ Garden Wedding Ideas For Your Outdoor Celebration

March 18, 2024 | kailey

Image by Joel and Justyna. See more of this real wedding here.

Outdoor garden-themed weddings are elegant and whimsical. With lush greenery, seasonal blooms, vibrant color palettes, and thoughtfully planned decor, we’ve seen couples transform ordinary spaces into the ultimate secret garden oasis. If you find yourself admiring romantic floral-filled weddings like this on Instagram or Pinterest and wondering how they pulled it off, you’ve come to the right place.

From ceremony decor to subtle reception details and even themed favors, we’ve created a list of our favorite garden wedding ideas you can share with your trusted vendors. With these inspiring ideas, your dream of hosting an enchanted garden affair will become a reality.

Pick a Fitting Theme

While it’s not necessary, incorporating a theme into your wedding can enhance the overall experience in several ways. It offers aesthetic benefits and provides guidance when it comes time to select your color palette, decor, and more. Having a clear vision of your wedding design allows you to make better decisions throughout the planning process, ensuring that every detail aligns with your desired theme.

In need of some garden wedding theme ideas? Here are a few of our favorites:

Quintessential English garden tea party
Rustic garden romance
Enchanted fairytale
Butterfly garden wedding
A luxurious boho garden theme
Tropical oasis garden getaway

Prioritize a Venue with Stunning Existing Outdoor Space

Choosing the right venue is crucial when planning an outdoor garden wedding. Since the natural surroundings will play a major role in the overall wedding ambiance, it’s essential to select a venue with a stunning existing space.

When touring potential venues, look for gardens with lush greenery and picturesque backdrops. This not only sets the stage for your celebration but also makes the job easier for you and your vendors. With a beautiful setting, you’ll need less decor to enhance the space, saving time and money. Plus, the backdrop will create some breathtaking photos that will preserve the magic of your big day.

Image by Lara Onac. See more of this styled shoot here.

Consider an Intimate Greenhouse Wedding

In the early stages of planning your garden celebration, it’s natural to envision a sunny outdoor wedding. However, it’s important to remember that there are numerous ways to create a romantic wedding in a garden setting. One of our favorite options, especially for intimate weddings, is hosting your event in a greenhouse.

A greenhouse is a charming blend of rustic and romantic, providing a unique backdrop for your special day. This option is also ideal for couples in areas with unpredictable weather, ensuring a beautiful garden wedding regardless of the weather conditions.

Add Floral Details to Signage

While wedding signage serves a practical purpose, it doesn’t have to be boring. With some color, customization, and flowers, your signage can be much more than just functional. From welcome signs to seating charts, each piece of signage can become eye-catching decor that adds to the overall ambiance of your celebration.

Incorporate Vibrant Hues and Pastels into Your Color Palette

The colors you select for your wedding play an important role in setting the tone for your special day. Whether you’re aiming for a bold, vibrant palette or a softer, pastel one, embracing color is key to bringing your outdoor garden to life.

Going bold is sure to add that extra pop of personality that’ll leave a lasting impression on your guests. Sticking with the subtlety of pastels exudes romance and creates a soft ambiance. Regardless of the color palette you choose, don’t be afraid to embrace color.

Image by Katherine Larson.

Have Your Wedding Party Wear Florals

Floral fashion has been taking the wedding world by storm, and this is great news for those planning an outdoor garden celebration in spring or summer. Adding floral attire and accessories is a subtle touch guaranteed to enhance your wedding day look.

For your bridesmaids, have them mix and match floral bridesmaid dresses. As for the groomsmen, accessories will be key. They can play around with floral ties, bowties, pocket squares, socks, and even boutonnieres. These floral accents add personality and will contribute to the overall floral theme of the wedding.

Use Petals to Enhance the Space

You’re dedicating so much of your time and energy to designing large floral installations. While these staple pieces will be a stunning addition, it’s equally important not to overlook the smaller details when discussing your floral vision with your florist. Consider incorporating extra petals to elevate your wedding space in a subtle yet show-stopping way.

You can scatter petals along the ceremony aisle to add a touch of romance or swap the traditional confetti for floral petals during your grand exit. The creative possibilities for using petals to enhance your garden soiree are endless.

Ceremony Fan Favors

Wedding favors are a thoughtful way to thank your guests for being part of your special day. Unfortunately, favors tend to be leftovers and forgotten by many guests. So, choose something practical and useful if you’re set on thanking loved ones with a gift. For an outdoor celebration during the summer months, custom fans make an excellent choice.

They keep your guests cool and comfortable and serve as a keepsake guests can take home after your wedding day. We love practical and stylish favors, and your guests will too.

Image by Steve Steinhardt. Wedding planning by NK Weddings. Flowers by Botanica Design Studio. Wedding venue at Ritz-Carlton Sarasota.

Include a Floral Ceremony Backdrop

Your ceremony backdrop sets the stage for one of the most important moments of your wedding day—the exchange of vows. For those planning a garden wedding, you can get creative with a stunning arch adorned with flowers, lush greenery, or a combination of both.

Don’t know where to start? Hire a trusted florist! They will help bring your vision to life. They can guide you in selecting the perfect blooms that complement each other and serve as the focal point for your ceremony.

Make a Statement with Hanging Floral Installations

While it’s tempting to stick to ideas you’ve seen on Pinterest, it’s important to think outside the box. When it comes to your decor, don’t forget to consider unique and unexpected details like hanging floral chandeliers. Hanging floral installations may not be considered “traditional,” but they can be truly memorable when executed thoughtfully.

Image by Misha Lee.

Garden Wedding Ideas: Top Your Cake with Flowers

There’s one thing that can make your wedding cake even sweeter: flowers. Whether you’re envisioning real blooms that match your decor, icing flowers, or a vibrant pressed flower design, adding this touch will surely give your traditional wedding cake some extra pizzazz.

Garden-Inspired Dinnerware and Linens

As we’ve said before, functional wedding details can be transformed into stunning decor details that enhance the overall day. When it comes to your tablescape specifically, switching traditional white dinnerware for floral-printed plates is an easy way to add an extra floral touch and a pop of color to each place setting.

You can also incorporate floral linens to further enhance the garden feel of your reception tables. These smaller details help create a cohesive reception design that complements the garden theme.

Image by Laklin Brooke Photography. See more of this real wedding here.

Finish Cocktails with Floral Garnishes

When crafting custom cocktails, go all out. From the recipe to the bar menu and even the garnishes, ensure every detail authentically represents your love and wedding theme. For those hosting a garden wedding, consider adding delicate blooms as the perfect finishing touch to your cocktails.

Now that you’ve gathered all your garden wedding ideas, there’s just one thing you’re missing—a trusted team of wedding vendors to bring it all to life. A trusted team of wedding professionals can truly make all the difference in bringing your garden wedding vision to life. If you’re looking for top-notch vendors, start by exploring our directory of Junebug-approved wedding vendors from around the world.

Image by Tiffany Longeway.

Colorful Backyard Picnic Inspired No Vacancy Wedding

March 17, 2024 | justine

When Riley and Mark were planning their wedding, they aimed for something special: the same cozy vibe they cherish during their friend get-togethers. They loved the thought of a backyard picnic, with all its mismatched chairs, vibrant decor, and lots of candles. And guess what? They pulled it off! Their picnic inspired No Vacancy wedding struck just the right balance between classy and fun. By day, it was a stunning affair, but when evening fell, it transformed into an epic bash, complete with unlimited drinks and shots for all to revel in.

The couple couldn’t have picked a better spot to bring their vision to life. The hotel’s unique interior perfectly matched their style. And when they stepped into the outdoor courtyard, they found themselves surrounded by even more charm. Against the vibrant mountain mural, they shared their heartfelt vows. Then, after the ceremony, they gathered around a beautifully set table adorned with garden florals, golden accents, and antique touches, all illuminated by the gentle flicker of candlelight.

If you’ve ever dreamed of a cozy celebration surrounded only by your closest loved ones, let this event be your inspiration. Take a look through these stunning images captured by MK Zach Photography to see exactly what we mean.

The Couple:

Riley and Mark

The Wedding:

No Vacancy, Kansas City, Missouri, United States

Turning Their Party House Vibe Into a Picnic Inspired No Vacancy Wedding

When planning our wedding, it was really important that the day felt uniquely ours. We had been together six years by the time we got married (engaged for two), and we felt like people expected a lot from us when it came to the actual day. My husband and I have the “party house” of our friend group. We’re always the first to throw a pregame, a game day, or a themed party. We love doing that because we always have a blast. I enjoy hosting—setting out food, making a unique cocktail, hanging up decorations—even if it’s just for something silly like the Kentucky Derby or a 26th birthday party. So when it came time to plan our wedding, I knew I wanted the same sort of vibe that we capture when we have friends over. The “backyard picnic” aesthetic inspired me–mismatched chairs and place settings, pops of color, lots of candles, that sort of thing. With that aesthetic, we knew we could have a good balance of a beautiful formal event and an insane party with bottomless drinks and shots once the sun went down and our grandparents went to bed.

How the Bride’s Brother’s Unexpected Role as Officiant Turned Their Ceremony Into a Touching and Hilarious Special Moment

My little brother officiated our wedding. We’re both very close to our families and knew from the beginning of our planning process that we wanted to find a way to involve them as much as possible, given our wedding was so small. My brother is a natural public speaker (high school teacher and former minor league WWE wrestler), and he killed it. We gave him no guardrails about what we wanted, and he managed to create a ceremony that had everyone crying—from both laughter and because it was so moving.

Breaking Tradition: Why Your Wedding Should Reflect You, Not Others

Here’s some advice for couples navigating the wedding planning process: prioritize yourselves above all else. Don’t let the expectations of others or traditional norms dictate your day. Making decisions that authentically reflect your relationship and desires is key—you won’t regret it. Remember, amidst the whirlwind of planning, it’s normal to feel consumed by wedding details, but trust that this phase will pass. Stay true to yourselves and cherish every moment of this journey. We wanted the day to feel like a big party. We didn’t necessarily want it to feel like a “wedding,” more of a “celebration of love.” I wanted the whole night to have a picnic, family-style dinner feeling. I kept repeating to vendors and friends that I wanted “an all-night party.”

Working with Local Vendors Who Shared Their Vision to Bring to Life Their Picnic Inspired No Vacancy Wedding

For the most part, my husband and I planned our wedding by ourselves, with my mom’s help (which I will forever be grateful for). Weddings are a numbers game. Anyone who has planned a wedding or been in one knows that it’s all about money. So when we started planning, we knew we didn’t want to work with big vendors who do 50+ weddings a season. It was essential for us to work with smaller local vendors who understood our vision and who genuinely were interested in being a part of our day. That reflects a lot in their work—whether the flowers, table settings, cake, or catering. Our vendors were great, and we could not have had a better team of people around us.

From Wedding Logo to Home Decor

I don’t know if I would call it a DIY per se, but we had a custom neon sign of our wedding logo, the tiger in the martini glass, made. It was easily the centerpiece of our reception, and now it hangs above our home bar, making for a perfect wedding day favor for us. The tiger in the martini glass logo was on our wedding stationery, including our matchbook favors. It was designed by East + West Designs, who did all of our paper. She did such a lovely job. The inspo I gave her behind it was “a doodle you would do on a bar napkin.” It pays homage to how we met: at the University of Missouri (Mizzou, home of the Tigers! M-I-Z), where we both graduated from. It’s one of my favorite things we made for the wedding, and I will probably talk to people about it forever.