Now Sapphire Gazebo Wedding – Crystal and Ralph
“We chose to hold hands and walk down the aisle together in lieu of “tradition,”. It felt more symbolic of the fact that we are in this life together and there was no need for me to be ‘given away’ to someone I already share so much with.” – Crystal
Del Sol Photography is an approved vendor for Now Sapphire – there is no fee to hire us!
Contact us to plan your travel and book room blocks at Now Sapphire. Our sister company Del Sol Travels is a full-service travel agency that specializes in planning Destination Weddings, honeymoons and special events. Their services are complimentary, and their expertise is not limited to weddings.
“Choosing to do a ‘first look’ was that decision that allowed us to hold hands from the moment we began our walk until it was time to read our vows to one another. We learned about first look photos when the bride and groom did it at a wedding we attended a few years ago. We didn’t even know it was a thing, but I really liked the idea and I tucked it away in my memory bank. When we started talking about the flow of our wedding day I thought it was important that Ralph be one of the first people to see me since the day was in celebration of us and I was putting on a wedding gown for and because of him. It was nice to settle in with each other before being whisked around entertaining our guests.” – Crystal
“It was really special for me to be able to see her before everyone else. I liked that. I thought she looked amazing and it was something I had been anticipating for a while. It was nice to share a somewhat private moment before we had to entertain all night.” – Ralph
Del Sol: We love Crystal and Ralph’s wedding. They are a beautiful couple and there is a whole lot of love in their day. However what really stands out is the way that they personalized their wedding and had fun with tradition. They created a wedding that was really meaningful to them and represented their and their families awesome personalities! They shared so much great info with us but what really blew us away was the backstory on Crystal’s bouquet:
“My Mom really wanted to be involved in the wedding, but since we live 3,000 miles apart there wasn’t much she could do; especially since we were also having a destination wedding. She was insistent on making my bouquet and I didn’t argue with her. I told her what colors I wanted and the types of flowers and let her go for it.
“The only thing I was adamant about was that she include a photo charm with a picture of my Nana, who had raised me. She died 12 years earlier and wouldn’t be with me on my wedding day. I had only sent my Mom one photo to include and it’s my favorite.”
“While it doesn’t show exactly what my Nana is doing, we all know the story behind the picture. My Nana was a really fun lady and the laughter captured on her face is the result of a young male stripper that her niece hired for a Christmas party years ago who was dancing for my Nana while she put money in his man thong, LOL!”
“The additional charm photos were a surprise to me. My Nana absolutely loved Christmas time and my mom found a photo of the two of us with my Nana wearing a funny Christmas sweater and me as a kid, smiling behind her. My Mom also included photos of herself and my Nana in their wedding gowns.”
Del Sol: What a wonderful way to remember grandma on your wedding day!! Props to Crystal and her mom for including Nana in such a fun way! Having fun with wedding traditions didn’t stop there…
“I typically shy away from the norm so wearing matching robes wasn’t going to happen with me. I came across the “no pants are the best pants” T-shirts on Pinterest and I sent the link to my Maid of Honor, Cerissa. We often joke about not wanting to wear pants all the time. She and I share the same sense of humor and quirky class and she asked if we could wear those to getting ready and I said ‘Of course!’
“As for the underwear, I wanted something cute, but as a feminist, I refused to wear anything that said ‘Mrs.’ or ‘Property of’ and opted for ‘Wifey’. Cerissa’s on the other hand were inspired by a phone conversation we had while she was out of town. We started joking about personal grooming and then lines from the movie “Bridesmaids” started getting tossed back and forth. We ended the phone call with Cerissa jokingly yelling “I love my bleached asshole!” Although the line from Bridesmaids actually says “I love my *new* asshole” it stuck! I knew from that night that I was going to have her underwear made to read what she had said!”
Del Sol: We find it amazing that the power of LOVE brings so many couples to Mexico. Why did you #travelforlove ?
“We didn’t think it made a lot of sense to spend a ton of money for what is essentially a party!”
“We knew we would get the most for our money in Mexico. It was an added bonus that we were able to have a week-long vacation to relax and enjoy ourselves.We had looked at several hotels and ultimately it was our travel agent who sold us on the Now Sapphire. She insisted that they had the best wedding coordinators and she was right! Everything went the way we wanted it to and Ramon and his team were absolutely amazing!”
Del Sol: Which were the words that meant the most on your wedding day?
Crystal: “Ralph’s sister’s surprise speech was really touching and my Maid of Honor’s speech was really sweet. She made me tear up. I don’t know what I would do without her. She is my other rock in LA and she has been the most amazing friend.
Cerissa: “Crystal, you are such a beautiful person inside and out. I admire your drive passion for life and strong sense of self. You encourage and inspire me daily. Your friendship has helped me grow, kept me grounded, lifted my spirits and brightened my life. Ralph, boo, even though you technically knew Crystal first, thank you for understanding that I was a part of the package when you married her and accepting me into your life. And also for not thinking we were crazy when we plan our lives together. Your thoughtfulness and humor can brighten any day.”
Ralph: “Aside from Crystal’s vows, my younger sister, Sammi surprised me when she spoke at our reception. Sammi hates public speaking and she made a really nice speech, thanking me for being there for her when she was growing up and welcoming Crystal to the family. It was moving.”
Del Sol: Crystal and Ralph, what are your top tips for a great destination wedding?
“Spend some extra time there a few days before your wedding! Even if you’re planning on staying for your honeymoon, it’s so worth it to arrive a few days before your guests so you can get any last minute details out of the way and then relax with your partner before other people begin competing for your time. The first two days of our stay were completely ours and it was amazing.” – Crystal
“Definitely hire an outside photographer! As a photographer myself, I know it was totally worth it to hire outside the resort.” – Crystal
“We LOVED Del Sol Photography! The photographers were awesome on our wedding day and we wish we would have had a little more in our budget to do a post wedding photo shoot with them.”
Ceremony Location: Now Sapphire – Wedding Gazebo
Wedding Reception Location: Now Sapphire – Preferred Pool
Destination Wedding Coordinator: Ramón Vázquez
Gown Boutique: Oleg Cassini
DJ: DJ Mannia -“We hired DJ Mannia for our reception and they did an amazing job listening to our music preferences as well as respecting our wishes not to take requests from guests. Ralph and I had spent a lot of time choosing the music for our wedding and each song was part of a story. DJ Mannia listened to what we wanted and they kept us dancing all night. As a bride who hardly left the dance floor, I can say I was thoroughly pleased.” – Crystal
