Every wedding is different – but some are more different than others! Kelsey and Adam’s Halloween wedding date + the fact that they were eloping = an opportunity to do something we’d never done before: a Day 0f the Dead wedding!
Kelsey and Adam’s elopement ceremony was part of their “weddingmoon” at the Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel set just outside Playa del Carmen. Blue Diamond is one of our favorite luxury all-inclusive resorts. The property is scattered throughout mangrove and jungle and has an intimate and romantic vibe. We knew their ceremony would be beautiful in that setting but we wanted to do something we never did before to page homage to the wedding date.
“We are very go with the flow people, so we more than welcome any recommendations YOU guys may have on how to make our wedding unique. You are, after all, the experts :-)”
Our couples telling us we have creative freedom is the definition of music to our ears. We proposed that, following their elopement ceremony Kelsey and Adam could make a quick change into Day of the Dead makeup.
See the full wedding slideshow:
Del Sol co-founder Sol Tamargo loves to work with Day of the Dead symbolism. She has an ongoing personal project: The Catrina Sirena, celebrating the Day of the Dead. She was excited that we found a real bride and groom to embrace the tradition and include it in their celebrations. We asked Kelsey to tell us more about their Day of the Dead wedding!
Del Sol: The first thing that made your wedding unique was that it was an elopement – just the 2 of you!
Kelsey: “Adam and I both come from broken families, and attempting to bring them together for even just a day would have taken all the fun and joy out of the ceremony. I think most weddings make it about what the guests want and not what the bride and groom themselves want.”
“By having just the two of us, we were able to focus completely on making memories and having fun, instead of coordinating countless vendors and sweating over seating charts!”
Del Sol: Of course the most unique part of your wedding is that the date coincided with Halloween and the Mexican Day of the Dead. You embraced it fully with your sugar skull makeup!
Kelsey: “I have wanted to get married on Halloween since I was a little girl. I have always been into “dark” themes; one of my nicknames growing up was Wednesday (as in the little girl from The Addams Family).”
“Halloween’s connotation is a little negative however; what drew us to Dia de Muertos instead is how it’s a celebration of life, not a morbid remembrance of death. As for the sugar skull makeup, that’s just something else I’ve also always wanted to do and I thought it would be a cool way to make our wedding photos truly unique!”
Del Sol: How was your experience with the del Sol team?
“Our experience with the Del Sol team was fantastic! Sol is one of the most beautiful souls I have ever met (no pun intended!) Her positivity and energy were so very infectious!”
“You guys really think outside of the box which, for people very uncreative about photo ideas, we really appreciate! You guys really put in the elbow grease to get great shots for your clients.” – Kelsey
“Everyone on the team seemed to share Sol’s positivity and upbeat personality. The team was also very professional and were very transparent and upfront about contract stipulations, payments, etc. It could not have gone smoother with you guys in charge.”
Del Sol: Why did you choose Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel?
“We chose Blue Diamond because it was small and intimate, and because of its commitment to nature. Getting to walk through mangroves, jungle, a lagoon and a beach all in one day—at ONE resort—was just breath-taking.” – Kelsey
“The staff was amazing. Jorge, our butler, was awesome; and the waiters Leo and Luis should be commended for their industry knowledge, and their exceptional humor and charisma. Many thanks go to Yadira, our wedding coordinator, for making this all possible.”
Del Sol: How was your experience in Mexico – bearing in mind the recent travel advisories against Mexico?
“It was my second time visiting Mexico and Adam’s first. We came to Mexico packing identical Dragon Ball Z shirts, not realizing how insanely popular the show is here. We made a lot of local friends just because of our t-shirts! So if you’re worried about breaking the ice here, just brush up on your DBZ knowledge! Also, one of the truest things our butler told us was to expect everything to run on “Mexican time,” or about 30 minutes late for everything!”
“We love Mexico! We really love exploring and appreciating local cultures while also being as respectful as possible.”
Principal Photographer: Sol Tamargo
Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal
Grooms Wear: Joseph Abboud
Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel Wedding: Temazcal Area by the spa
Day of the Dead Wedding Coordinator: Yadira Hernández – Blue Diamond
Florist: Dezibel Event Productions Cancun
Check out our archive of Playa del Carmen Weddings
To see more Day of the Dead awesomeness check out Sol Tamargo’s Catrina Sirena Project
Want to see mare incredible, unique events – you might like our Viral Event Archive
If you want to do something unique its easy: