Finest Playa Mujeres Wedding – Leah and Chris

“The photography is the thing you get to keep when you’re old and gray and your kids get to keep past that… So don’t settle for a photographer… Go all out as best you can afford.” This is why we chose Del Sol Photography for our Finest Playa Mujeres Wedding.

Family love has many forms! Practical jokes, pranks, ribbing each other  and – well – granny getting one over on you!! That’s a pretty awesome demonstration of how close you are as a family! We asked Leah to share her thoughts about about family love and her Finest Playa Mujeres Wedding.

“My Grandma is so funny. She is one of my best friends.

We spend a lot of time together and we talk about Everything. At the reception, my parents, two of our family friends, and my grandma decided it would funny to make it look like Grandma was taking tequila shots with us. Well, 3 pretend shots later… I started seriously worrying!”

“Grandma decided she was tired… But instead of just going to bed, she completely milked it and was swaying and acting drunk and dancing with us. After she went to bed, I went up to my parents and was like, “What the heck?! You’re gonna kill Grandma!”. And that’s when they told me it was all fake and they were water shots. We kept it a secret from everyone else until my mom blabbed about it haha! That just begins to describe my awesome Grandma.” – Leah

Del Sol: The first look with your father was really special to you, talk to us about that.

“My father means the world to me.

Although we are not related by birth, he raised me from just a month or two old. He is my Dad in every way, and he is an absolutely amazing one. He is the most kind man (besides my own husband) that I know. It’s making me tear up just thinking about it!”

“My father is my rock. Words can’t describe how much I appreciate him. I did the first look for myself and for him, because he is very sentimental and I wanted him to know how special he is to me. Words can’t describe. – Leah

Del Sol: Did someone say something that really stood out?

Leah: “Oh my goodness yes. I couldn’t believe some of the amazing speeches our family and friends gave. My sister, Savannah, was so sweet (which isn’t surprising because that’s her nature), but it was very touching and made me tear up.”

“I was completely shocked when my other sister, Amber, said “Leah’s always been a better person than me”… I mean that is a huge compliment because I think she’s amazing. She also apologized in her own way for not supporting Chris & my relationship from the get-go (long story)… But that meant a lot to both Chris and me.”

“My Dad was amazing and part of his speech was a story that really defines us about one time when we were fishing years ago… And why he doesn’t take me fishing anymore haha!”

“Derek, Chris’s best man, was really funny in describing why me and Chris are so alike… We both LOVE to “have discussions” I believe was how he put it (aka argue/debate). Chris’s mom was so sweet with her verse from the Bible, and the advise she gave us. Amazing speeches all around.”

Del Sol: Was there a part of each others’ vows that touched you?

“Chris’s entire vows blew me away! Hearing him say all the things he loves about me (well, not all… But quite a few! Lol), and listening to him promise so many things that I know he will keep… The way it made me feel you can’t even describe with words. I just hope my vows made him feel the same way!” – Leah

Del Sol: What was the most amazing moment of your day?

“That is impossible to answer with only one moment… The entire thing was absolutely amazing. The getting ready pictures, the first look, the wedding, the AMAZING photoshoot on the beach, and the reception was SO MUCH FUN. I just can’t even explain how amazing the entire thing was!”

Del Sol: How was your experience with the Del Sol team?

Leah: “Vanessa and Martina were amazing! Martina took pictures of Chris getting ready and he was telling me later that she was doing all kinds of cool stuff to get such detailed photos.”

“The Del Sol team isn’t afraid to walk through some rough terrain or try something you’ve never seen a photographer do to get a good picture. They will take pictures until well into the night, doing everything they can to catch all those amazing moments you’ll want to remember years down the road.” – Leah

“I CANNOT WAIT to see the rest of the photos. The sneak peak ones were amazing! Also, side note… They do everything they can to make this entire process as convenient as possible. I would recommend them a million times over and that’s only from receiving about 8 sneak peak photos… Imagine my recommendation when we get the rest of them!”

Del Sol: Why did you choose Finest Playa Mujeres? 

“After many many hours of searching, we decided on a Finest Playa Mujeres Wedding. We were trying to find a place where the venues for the wedding itself would stand out from the rest, and a resort with the best reviews.” – Leah

“Initially we picked Finest due to the glowing recommendations from previous brides all over Trip Advisor. We did a site inspection at two different resorts… I won’t name the other one… But let’s just say, when we stepped into Finest, it was Significantly better than the other comparably priced resort.”

“The Stone Gazebo and Sky Bar were ACTUALLY private.”

“Other resorts tell you they are “private venues for your event” even though you’re merely feet away from a public pool or beach area with people gawking and yelling things at you (literally witnessed that at the other resort). At finest, I was never worried about peeping tom’s distracting us, or interrupting an event that is so important and intimate.”

“In addition to all that, the Finest team (especially Elizabeth, the wedding coordinator), are absolutely amazing! I keep using the word amazing… But it’s true! She figured everything out that we were unsure of. I brought almost all my own decor and she set it up with such precision and detail.

“The waiters and bartenders at the reception were SO MUCH FUN. A few of them were dancing with us and they kept the drinks coming… Paying close attention to Chris and I, making sure we had everything we needed :) I just can’t say enough about Finest. It’s beautiful, and the wedding and reception were amazingly put together.”

Del Sol: Why did you Travel for Love?

“We did a destination wedding for 3 main reasons.
1. It’s can be the same price, or even cheaper, than a wedding in the states.
2. The environment is better in every way… It’s absolutely beautiful, relaxing, and much more original than every other venue in the states. You can’t beat the beach feel!

“3. We wanted it to not only be a wedding for us and our family, but a vacation as well. Weddings should be fun!”

“Destination weddings take all the stress out of having 20 different companies to coordinate… Instead you have your one resort you choose, your photographer… Del Sol Photography (which are amazing at communication), and maybe a decor vendor if your resort doesn’t supply decor themselves. Easy Peasy.”

Del Sol: What’s your top destination wedding advice?

“Be ready to pick your resort and put money down to reserve your big day At Least a year in advance… But not start actually planning with the coordinator until about 5 or 6 months in advance. There is a LONG waiting time between those two things. Take that time to figure out what colors you want, what decor, what dresses and suits, and absolutely do the research for a photographer.”

“Most importantly… HAVE FUN!!! Take deep breaths throughout the day and remind yourself to enjoy every second so you can remember it. It goes by in the blink of eye so take it all in!” – Leah

Principal Photographer: Vanessa 

Wedding Dress: Robert Bullock 

Finest Playa Mujeres Wedding Coordinador: Elizabeth

Destination Wedding Location: Finest Playa Mujeres Wedding