Flora Farms‘s elegant— yet relaxed—vibe was the perfect location for Kate and Mike’s (destined) destination wedding in Cabo. They couple had known for years they’d be celebrating their nuptials in Cabo, and with the help of Ximena Perez Marentes of Amy Abbott Events, their day was a vision of vibrance and textural details perfectly fit for the locale they love. Sara Richardson captured all the sun-kissed joy and gorgeous details including flowers by Florenta and stationery by Bells & Whistles.
Tell us about your wedding:
We have been coming to Cabo as a family over the past 20 years and it has always been a second home to me. From birthdays to graduations, I’ve made countless memories in Mexico. When Mike and I had our first vacation here together back in 2012 we knew if we were ever to choose a destination wedding it would have to be Cabo. And we knew we wanted a one-of-a-kind venue that truly embraced both of our very different styles ad wanted to share it with the people we loved the most.
With its elegant, yet relaxed vibe there was no other place we could have imagined choosing other than Flora Farms.
Owning a food marketing agency, and being a foodie myself, my one & only priority was having the best food and Flora’s menu is unmatched. Over 100 people came from all over to celebrate with us.
We started the weekend with a welcome cruise around Cabo followed by a cocktail party at the rooftop at El Ciurelo at the Westin, our home away from home. Every year we see the same people (staff) and they are now like second family.
Our rehearsal dinner was an absolute dream. My vision for a casual chic beach party was beyond my expectations thanks to Ximena from Amy Abbott Events who had to bring multiple vendors together to make this night happen. As the rehearsal dinner was on the side of the Club Regina cliffs, it really took an army to pull off as each of them had to bring tables, chairs and a 3 story teepee down flights and flights of stairs into a beach alcove.
Mike and I live in Philadelphia and met at work in 2011 where he proposed on the steps of our office building 7 years later.
I know they say that there are always a few things that go wrong on your wedding day but we had quite a few stressful events. We had family delayed due to storms happening in the U.S, which lost some of our bags along the way including my brothers’ suits, and my rehearsal dinner and afterparty dress! On the day of our wedding, our photographer was sick and had to cancel. Sara and Ramon came to the rescue and we’re so happy they did. Immediately meeting them, there was a sense of ease about both of them that made the entire day flow so much more smooth. They captured everything about our day so perfectly and we are so grateful it was them behind the camera.
If it wasn’t for Ximena, we would have never pulled off the weekend of festivities that we did.
How did you meet, and how long did you date before getting engaged?
We met at work in 2011. We were working at my parents advertising agency at the time. We had to be very secretive about it as I was “the boss’s daughter” Eventually the secret came out and we were engaged 7 years later.
Favorite Moments:
When it came time for my dad’s speech, I knew he would command the attention of the entire room. Being so close, I remember getting extremely emotional. Our wedding guests are still hashtagging the speech #KateChangedMe
With an event this special, who needed a cake! So instead of a traditional cake cutting, we opted for a pinata shaped like wedding cake. Blindfolded and taking turns with Mike to break it open together, while the cameras rolled, and all of our friends and family watched was the most exhilarating part of the night. Once we finally broke it open, Mike scooped me up as guests dived after the treats that exploded around us. It was the highlight of the reception.
Mike and I were married in a private ceremony with close friends and family on the main line in the chapel of my alma mater, Villanova University a week earlier. So when it came time for our Cabo ceremony, we had Mike’s two sisters officiate making it much less nerve wracking, light-hearted, and fun since we were already official. I remember them totally messing up the “official” pronouncing of us as husband and wife and the entire crowd was dying with laughter.
Photography: Sara Richardson // Planning: Ximena Perez Marentes of Amy Abbott Events // Flowers: Florenta // Stationery: Bells & Whistles // Invitations: Momental Designs // Venue: Flora Farms // Videography: Arocapro // Hair and makeup: Blanc Bridal Salon // Wedding Dress: Naeem Kahn // Shoes: Stuart Weitzman & Chanel // Groom´s Attire: Armani // Logo Design: Think Traffic // Rentals: Let it Be; Baja Boutique Rental Company // DJ: Alex DJ Cabo Events // Live Band: The Shamans // Piñata: Serendipity