Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/171645
Mexico gave us the opportunity to have an elegant, gorgeous, upscale wedding in a beautiful setting. Above: To give the resort's existing wicker archway a more elegant feel, Amber and Tara had hooks put on the back of the banquet flowers so that they could serve double duty, and added white fabric. Left: Amber chose the linens from Upright Decor in Vancouver, and had Tara bring them to Mexico. The centrepieces included roses and calla lillies. Bottom: Amber's young son matched her in white and served as the ringbearer during the ceremony. 48 RW21_part 1.indd 48 "At customs I always try to be up-front and honest. They always stop me because I have all this stuff. I have to assure them that I'm not planning to sell it and that I'll be bringing it back," she says. "But last year, the customs agent at Puerto Vallarta was a bride-to-be planning her own wedding. She went through all my stuff asking questions about how to use it, getting ideas for her own wedding." Customs was one challenge for Tara. Other hurdles included the language barrier and the work ethic in Mexico. "I went through a lot with the resort explaining things several times to make sure everything was clear. It's a process of constant communication with the resort around specific details. This is very important," Tara says. "As a planner, you have to be ready to put out a few fires. With this wedding, I lost six pounds from running around in the heat in that first week." The heat was certainly a factor in this May wedding, where daily temperatures topped 37 degrees and humidity was high. To give guests a chance to acclimatize, Tara included a couple of low-key days in the itinerary before the wedding. "I made sure everyone took it easy and stayed hydrated," she says. The heat was especially an issue with the ceremony flowers, which had been flown in from Amsterdam. "We were putting them out at the last minute to keep them as fresh as we could. The florals were important to Amber; we had 12 different types of flowers in the arrangements. The Mexican florist I worked with did his best to ensure everything would be fine." Despite these challenges, the wedding day flowed with grace and elegance. "I loved being close to the beach for the ceremony," Amber recalls."Tara had used flowers to decorate the bamboo arch beneath which we were married. It was so Caribbean but had that elegant West Coast feel." After the ceremony, guests gathered in the resort's Jacuzzi area for cocktails and appetizers. Amber had wanted to make a grand entrance, so Tara suggested they use cold sparks—a type of fireworks that don't produce high heat. "Because of the fire hazard, regulations prohibit fireworks in the area unless it's recently rained," she explains. "Plus the local waters are a spawning ground for turtles so it's necessary to minimize the environmental impact." As Amber and Tyler entered the cocktail area, six fireworks went off, followed by a performance by fire dancers, giving guests a taste of excitement and entertainment before the reception. Amber recalls walking into the resort's El Patio restaurant for the reception. "I loved the feel and warmth of the room when I r ea l weddings 9/19/11 3:23:44 PM