It took Katie nearly a year of searching to find Hacienda Uayamón, a centuries-old property in Campeche with weathered red walls, jungle greenery, and the kind of Mexican ruins that immediately ended her venue hunt. There was just one problem: the hacienda had been closed for years.
Getting married there would eventually require the owner to reopen the property exclusively for Katie and Nick, plus a team of around 30 people working behind the scenes for an elopement with exactly two guests of honor. Deep red flowers, orchids, candlelight, a sheer lace gown, and piano arrangements of the couple’s favorite EDM songs filled the old stone spaces for a romantic glam goth ceremony that was years in the making.
What We Love About This Mexican Ruins Wedding
- A closed historic hacienda reopened exclusively for a two-person elopement
- A romantic goth glam palette of deep reds, amaranth, white orchids, and candlelight
- EDM songs from the couple’s relationship rearranged for live piano
- A four-course dinner for two in Chablé’s wine cellar
Their First Date Joke Eventually Became Their Legal Wedding
Before Mexico, there was Las Vegas. And before Las Vegas, there was a joke on Katie and Nick’s very first date. The two met through a mutual friend, and their first date happened to be a work dinner for Nick with his business partner and several other couples. When someone at the table mistakenly asked how long Katie and Nick had been married, Katie joked that they should head to Kiss Mini Golf afterward and make it official.
Years later, that joke became unexpectedly useful. Complications prevented the couple from completing their legal marriage in Mexico within their timeline, so on May 31, 2026, they planned a Vegas wedding in less than 24 hours. They found outfits the night before, bought temporary rings, and were legally married at Kiss Chapel of Love at the Rio by a Gene Simmons tribute artist. Their actual wedding ceremony followed one week later, on June 6, at the hacienda Katie had spent more than a year trying to reach.
Finding the Right Planner Made a Closed Hacienda Possible
Katie’s search for a venue lasted nearly a year before she came across Hacienda Uayamón. “Hacienda Uayamón was the only venue that stopped my search after an entire year of looking,” she says. Finding the property was one thing. Booking it was another. The hacienda had been closed to the public for years, with no obvious way for Katie to contact anyone about holding a wedding there.
She eventually found Junebug vendor Yucatalove, whose team had coordinated a wedding at the property while it was still operating. Their planner contacted the owner directly, and he agreed to reopen the hacienda specifically for their elopement. That connection also helped them build a vendor team capable of handling a remote, closed property with more complicated logistics than a typical venue.
The venue, florals, and production became the couple’s biggest investments. Katie’s work in the touring industry helped offset some of the costs elsewhere, particularly flights, hotels, and transportation.
Borrowing a Funny First-Look Idea They Found Online
After Katie finished getting ready and took solo portraits, their photographer arranged for her to hide behind a wall while Nick arrived for his own photos. Nick stood with his back to her and his eyes closed, unaware that Katie was already nearby.
Katie had previously come across a first-look photo online in which a bride surprised her husband by pinching his butt. She decided to borrow the move. “The look on Nick’s face when he spun around made for some of the best photos of the entire day,” she says.
It was a fitting break in a day otherwise filled with dramatic styling and centuries-old architecture. Even with an entire hacienda to themselves, they didn’t turn the wedding into something overly formal.
Working With the Hacienda’s Weathered Walls Instead of Covering Them Up
Rather than covering up the age of Hacienda Uayamón, the design worked with it. Crumbling archways, terracotta and weathered red walls, and jungle greenery already supplied much of the palette. The team added deep red flowers, trailing amaranth, white orchids, and plenty of candlelight.
Katie describes their aesthetic simply as “romantic glam goth.” Against the Mexican ruins, her sheer lace gown by GL Couture by Galia Lahav played into that idea without requiring much else. The lace across the back allowed her tattoos to remain visible rather than covering them. Nick wore a custom black tuxedo from Stitched Life, and both finished their looks with Christian Louboutin shoes.
Turning Their Favorite EDM Songs Into Ceremony Music
For their Mexico ceremony, Katie and Nick saved their actual rings from Trice Jewelers and wrote their own vows, mixing personal promises with more traditional wording.
Their music came from songs tied to their relationship, many of which happened to be EDM tracks. Katie wasn’t sure how well they would translate to a live piano arrangement, but their pianist found a way to make them work.
With no guests waiting on a schedule, the ceremony could remain focused on the two of them. The Mexican ruins, flowers, piano, and vows supplied everything the space needed without adding traditions simply because weddings are expected to have them.
Ending The Day With Dinner For Two In A Wine Cellar
After the ceremony and portraits among the Mexican ruins, Katie and Nick left Hacienda Uayamón for Chablé, where Más Que Ayer had continued the day’s floral and decor scheme inside the wine cellar.
There was no traditional reception waiting for them. Instead, they sat down to a locally inspired four-course meal, just the two of them. Their larger reception will happen later in Las Vegas.
The quiet ending also matched how they’d spent the days leading up to the ceremony. Rather than organizing formal pre-wedding events, they stayed at Hacienda Santa Rosa and Chablé and spent that time exploring the region together.
The Surprisingly Big Production Behind Their Intimate Elopement
Eloping didn’t necessarily make this wedding simple. Reopening a closed property in a remote location required around 30 people behind the scenes, even though Katie and Nick hadn’t invited any guests.
One particularly determined effort involved trying to get Katie’s friends onto FaceTime while she was getting ready. The couple had brought a Starlink Mini, and the team spent more than an hour climbing onto rooftops and moving through the jungle in 95-degree heat and 90 percent humidity trying to find a signal. It never worked. Instead, the failed WiFi mission became one of those very specific wedding-day stories they now get to keep for themselves.
Why Waiting For The Right Venue Was Worth It
Katie’s advice comes directly from the part of planning that required the most patience. Finding Hacienda Uayamón took more than a year, and putting the rest of the wedding together took another.
“Take your time. Hold out until you can have exactly what you envision,” she says. “And above all, make sure the day reflects your own style. Don’t let anyone else’s opinions or expectations change what you actually want.”
For Katie and Nick, waiting meant eventually getting access to a place that technically wasn’t available at all. The closed hacienda, its Mexican ruins, a 30-person production team, and an elopement built for two made the extra effort part of the story rather than something happening around it.
The Wedding Team:
Photography – Gabo Preciado
Event Planning – YUCATALOVE
Venue – Hacienda Uayamón
Floral Design – Mas Que Ayer Studio
Catering – Chef Patrick Cros
Officiant – Santiago Carranza
Live Music – Quo Vadis Clásico
Videography – Cinema Wedding Films
Makeup Artist – Ofelia Bridal Beauty
Wedding Dress – Gali Lahav
Bridal Accessories – Christian Louboutin
Bridesmaids’ Apparel – Maiden White Bride
Groom’s Apparel – Stitched Life
Groom’s Accessories – Louis Vuitton
Rings – Trice Jewelers
Transportation – MH Company
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