Family Love Filled Wedding at Secrets Maroma – Felicia and Shawn
“My parents and step-parents have all played a part in raising me, and it was important to me to have their blessing in mine and Shawn’s marriage. What better way than to ask them to walk me down the aisle and give me away? I could not have imagined my wedding day without the four of them by my side.” – Felicia
Felicia walked to meet her groom first with her mom and stepmom then with her dad and stepdad – a demonstration of family love at its best. Every aspect of Felicia and Shawn’s wedding was full to bursting with family love. From super-sweet, sentimental gifts to cultural traditions and those quiet, sometimes most meaningful moments.
Del Sol Photography is an authorized at Secrets Maroma for luxury photo and video services – that means no vendor fee to hire us. For information about planning your travel and room blocks, our sister company Del Sol Travels can assist you – contact us today!
Sometimes the love’s in the details… Kudos to Shawn for wearing a hello kitty handkerchief – a surprise gift from Felica’s mom! Felicia’s sister and Matron of Honor Jacquee asked mom to bring the handkerchief, and they surprised Felicia by having Shawn wear it on the wedding day.
“I had forgotten all about the Hello Kitty handkerchief until my mom pulled it out on the day of the wedding. It was a Valentine’s Day gift from my parents when I was about 7 years old, and I used it for everything — a blanket for my dolls, a napkin for my lunch, anything else I could think of using it for. It was a great way to incorporate a piece of my history into our special day and to give it new life by sharing it with my new husband.” – Felicia
Felicia and Shawn’s families also chose to include some more classic Filipino wedding traditions and attire in their day.
“One tradition that I thought was cool was that my Dad and Felicia’s stepfather both wore barongs – traditional Filipino formal wear for men. For Felicia’s stepfather, who is not even Filipino, to wear one meant a lot to me.”
“The money leis were a gift from Felicia’s Father, and stepmother. Felicia’s sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles all helped to assemble the leis for us there on the resort. Since we did not have a traditional money dance that some people do at their weddings, these money leis some what took the place of that during our ceremony.” – Shawn
We always love to ask what are the words that mean the most on the wedding day. Often the wedding vows are the stars of the show but family love and advice for parents to their children embarking on their new life also mean the world.
“A moment that stood out to me was when my Dad told me he was proud of me and told me to take care of my wife and take care of my family now. He doesn’t say much so for him to give me some words of advice meant a lot to me.” – Shawn
As for the wedding vows themselves, Felicia and Shawn bucked tradition and chose to read them to each other in private. We say hats off to Felicia and Shawn for not feeling the need to follow convention and making the wedding day their own! In the end, it’s your wedding day and there are no rules, you can pick and choose the traditions you want to include. Aside from the grand gestures though, in the end, the little moments are the ones that mean the most.
“We chose to read our vows in private because we didn’t think that intimate moment needed to be shared with anyone except each other.”
“The most powerful moment I felt that day, though, was when Shawn snuck in the room early that morning to pick up his suit and leaned over to kiss me while I slept. I woke up and reached for him, and I instantly felt a moment of relief that our big day had finally arrived! I couldn’t wait to officially become his wife. I still feel that way whenever we are together or when I think of him; I feel so lucky to be able to spend the rest of my life with someone with whom I have such a strong connection.” – Felicia
We would like to say a special thank you to Felicia and Shawn for sharing their words and thoughts with us!
Principal Photographer: Sol
Location: Secrets Maroma Riviera Cancun
Wedding Ceremony: Secrets Maroma Beach
Wedding Reception: Secrets Maroma Gazebo Terrace
Coordinator: Cecilia Reyes
Gown Boutique: Watters
Florist: Flores Riviera Maya
