Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/171645
T here are two kinds of weddings, according to Tara Thorp, principal planner with Forever True Wedding Planning and Design. There are local weddings, which are about the couple, and then there are destination weddings, which are about the guests. "Destination weddings are more about the romance of the location, not necessarily about the location itself," says Tara. When Vancouver bride Amber Maivs was looking for a location for her destination wedding to Tyler Pratt, location wasn't the primary factor. "I wanted elegance and the high-end look of a Vancouver or LA-style wedding, but on a beach with crystal clear water," she says. Mexico was an easy choice, especially when she considered the cost and logistics of travel for her guests. "The most important thing was to be able to have my family there," Amber says. "Mexico gave us the opportunity to have more than just a simple Mexican wedding; we could have an elegant, gorgeous, upscale wedding in a beautiful setting. I really wanted that 'Wow' factor." From the outset, Amber and Tyler knew they would recruit the services of a planner to help organize their destination wedding. They'd met with a couple other planners, but things clicked on their first meeting with Tara. "I saw right away that we had the same sense of style, the same personality," Amber recalls. This was confirmed over the course of their meetings as Tara's ideas and suggestions complemented Amber's tastes and flair. Amber and Tyler confirmed Mexico as their general destination, and when Tara was in Mexico for another destination wedding, she scouted out The Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort. "Amber wanted an elegant and glamorous wedding with a Mexican backdrop," Tara says. "The Dreams Riviera Resort fit the bill perfectly." Next came the details. Amber loved the work of renowned wedding designer Preston Bailey. "I love the way he's so over-the-top and extravagant," she says. "We used his boldness as inspiration. We started with yellow, lavender and soft aqua as my colours, but Tara suggested we scratch the aqua since we were on the beach and had the blue of the ocean in the background. She suggested we go with mauve instead. This worked perfectly with the girls' dresses, their tanned skin, and it really complemented the lavender." One challenge with getting the elegance and glam that Amber wanted was the uncertainty of vendors in Mexico. To get around that, Tara brought everything she could from Vancouver. "I brought the paper and stationery, even the linens, because the linens they wanted were not available in Mexico. Basically, if I could get it in a tote-bag, it came with me," says Tara. RW21_part 1.indd 47 Right: Amber's jewellery, including a distinctive back-drape necklace, was custom made by Vancouver jewellery designer Elsa Corsi. Middle: The Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort offered the tropical setting Amber was looking for. Bottom left: The groomsmen wore Calvin Klein suits with pale yellow ties to complement the bridesmaids dresses. 9/19/11 3:23:35 PM