karahmia

Hi there,

I went with Juan at Salon Living. He did an excellent job on my hair and I had an old Hollywood vibe as well. Though, the humidity ended up making me have to pull my hair tighter and smoother than I wanted, I still loved it in the end.

Here's the link to my wedding review. Juan's info is at the bottom. I've also heard that Franc Gole is quite good as well.

I hope this helps!

Thanks! I wanted a dream wedding but knew that I wanted it to be just he and I. It was very intimate and more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.

I can hardly believe it! It has taken me way to long too post my wedding review. Unfortunately, there are no pictures included within the post but you can visit our photographers blog to view some of our images.

WEDDING PICTURES

*You need flash on your computer to view our slideshow

Okay, so let's see...

My husband and I were married in a civil ceremony on October 10, 2008 in Seattle, WA. On October 29, 2008 we held our symbolic ceremony in Puerto Vallarta, MX.

Engagement: December 25, 2007. After over 12 years together (high school sweethearts!) he totally surprised me by popping the question on Christmas day. When we married we had just passed the 13 year mark!

INSPIRATION

I'm a huge fan of Abby Jean's blog Style Me Pretty, so when I began planning I created an inspiration board to keep me on track and capture my overall look and feel and color ideas. Overall, I wanted everything to feel very soft and pretty. Lots of neutrals, mercury glass, gardenias, vintage fabrics...very romantic. See my boards here.

WEDDING DAY ATTIRE

Wedding Gown: I purchased my Monique Lhuillier gown from the The Bridal Garden in Kirkland, WA.

Wedding Day Jewelry: Jamie Wolf I had the opportunity to wear some amazing pieces from Jamie. Her jewelry is absolutely beautiful and complimented my dress perfectly.

Groom's Suit: J. Crew's The Liquor Store, NYC

Our Rings: My husband purchased my engagement ring at E.E. Robbins. While overseas we worked with our jeweler to design my wedding ring. We purchased my husband's band at e-weddingbands.com. This site is awesome and they have excellent customer service.

LOCATION, PLANNING, ETC

Wedding Location: Hacienda San Angel

Owned by Janice Chatterton, the hacienda is absolutely magical! Janice is very sweet and often of few words. As a guest you may or may not interact with her while there. She has an amazing staff that keep things running smoothly. The property is stunning and a great location for a wedding. We held our ceremony in the newly built chapel and our dinner was held in the private courtyard next to the chapel. The chapel is located in Casa Campana, which is directly across the street from the main hacienda. The service and attention to detail at the hacienda was amazing. There's an amazing restaurant on the property which is on the highest level of the property and overlooks PV and the bay. The food is delicious as well as affordable and as a guest you receive 15% off your meals. There's a nightly cocktail hour with a mariachi trio from 7-8pm. During this time dinner guests arrive early to take in the property prior to sitting down for dinner.

*Janice is a huge supporter of ASPCA and as such as adopted six little dogs. They have run of the main property but are super sweet and know where they can and can not go! They will be sure to welcome you when you arrive!

Wedding Planner: Oh! How Charming by Lisa Vorce

From the moment we spoke I knew she would be a friend for life but after getting into her immensely creative brain I crossed my fingers and hoped that she end up my planner! She made our day so beautiful; beyond our wildest expectations! Check out her site, it's absolutely beautiful!

Floral Design: Mindy Rice Floral Design

Talk about talented! Mindy is awesome. She and Lisa worked together seamlessly on the overall design of our day, which included everything from the altar covered in gardenias, Moroccan style tea lights hanging from the stair rails, to my bouquet which was filled with white roses, tulips, ranunculus all flown in from Holland for my big day. Check out are pics to see how Mindy's sketch came to fruition!

*Wedding table sketch from Mindy

Wedding Photography: Aaron Delesie Photography

We couldn't have asked for a better photographer. Aaron and his wife, Jen were amazing to work with! Not only are they great people, Aaron & Jen were so much help the day of and captured every detail without being obtrusive.

Hair & Makeup: Living

My planner, Lisa found the salon for my hair and makeup. Juan Ascencio is the owner of Living and in the last few years relocated back to PV after working in Toronto for sometime. Juan was the complete professional and did an amazing job on my hair. Being an African-American bride I was very hesitant getting my hair done in PV but Juan put all my concerns to rest. We sat together to review my inspiration photos and dress to come up with the perfect look for my big day. My makeup was done by Ruby, a makeup artist and close friend of Juan. Unfortunately, Ruby doesn't speak English but Juan is there to translate. Ruby is so talented that the language barrier was never and issue. When Ruby walked in with better lashes and brows than mine, I knew I was in good hands. Drag queens make the best make up artists and great new friends!

Living

Salon.Spa.Boutique

Morelos 882 Centro, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco

Citas 222 3350

Cel 322 779 6959

juanpordios@living-salon.com

Wedding Website: Blogger

Via my blog I've been able to keep my family, friends and readers abreast of my planning process. We planned on using it to share pictures and stories during our honeymoon, but wireless was a little hard to come by during our trip, ce la vie. Additionally, via my blog I've met a lot of great brides and have helped a few with wedding ideas. I chose to create a blog because I wasn't happy with the personal wedding websites available. I did all of the creative myself in Photoshop and used the tutorials on Blogger to get myself up and going. I had very little Photoshop experience prior to doing this and taught myself along the way, so it can definitely be done. Feel free to PM me for assistance with starting your own blog!

Transportation: Puerto Vallarta Tours

Great service with comfortable cars and affordable pricing.

Honeymoon: Verana Resort & Spa

Verana is a truly amazing place! Set into the side of a mountain overlooking the Bay of Banderas. Verana is located in Yelapa, MX, a 30-45 minute water taxi ride from PV. The resort consists of seven casitas, all of which are unique. It's a perfectly wonderful peace of paradise!

Love your boards!

I went with Juan at Living. I really liked him and he did an awesome job on my hair. I'll post a pic from my hair trial when I get home.

Living (Juan is the owner)

Salon.Spa.Boutique

Morelos 882 Centro, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco

Citas 222 3350

Cel 322 779 6959

juanpordios@living-salon.com

I so wish I lived in NYC! You all are going to have so much fun!

We are marrying at Hacienda San Angel so we'll be in PV for five days and then we'll spend a week in Yelapa. We're staying at Verana, a small boutique-y resort in the mountains of Yelapa (which is about an hour south of PV).

Here you go. I googled Puerto Vallarta sunset times and serveral sites came up. Good luck!

I think the color of #3 and 4 are best. Though I think your bridesmaids could pick which silhouette they prefer. I love the silhouette of #1 but I think the color will create too much of a contrast against your gown.

Hi Ladies,

I've been searching for a service where I could have my wedding photos turned into a coffee table book that I can give to our parents as a gift once we're married. During my search I came across this site called Blurb. They have some wonderful options and you can design it yourself with the software you download from their site. I think it's much cheaper than buying the books through the photographer. I'm going to do a test book to see how it goes. I'll share the results once I receive it.

Twelve Years In The Making!: It's Not Just A Blurb

Awesome post Mishka! I love them custom maraca idea.

I'm getting a sew in about a two weeks before departing, this way if I need to get any repairs or decide to add layers or color I have time. I've made an appointment with a salon in Mexico but I have to say it wasn't easy. First, finding a salon with a reliable email was difficult enough, but to then find a salon that had pictures just about wore me out. But a lot of patience and searching this forum and the web and I found a salon with images of former brides on their site. I contacted the owner who has a salon in Toronto and PV and he assured me both he and his makeup artist have experience with *chocolate brides*. This has been my biggest worry but with a weave and a trial two days prior, if they mess it up I can always wash it and figure something out. And...No, I will not be getting my hair wet prior to the big day, can't take the chance.

Thanks for the great suggestion. I'll have to try, since we're getting married in Mexico, this could be a true life saver!

So, I just picked out the my jewelry for the big day and it got me thinking...what are my fellow BDW ladies wearing or for you veterans, what did you wear?

Here's what I decided on. My dress is a sheath in a dark champagne color and very simple. There's no adornment whatsoever so for jewelry I wanted something more dramatic. I got my jewelry from Twist and the designer is Alexis Battar. I really like her work because it's beautiful and affordable!

Your location looks wonderful. I love SC! Are you from PA? Seeing your name made me think of home and the Mummers Day Parade!

My heart goes out to all of you who may be affected. I was on a cruise in the Gulf of Mexico when Katrina hit. Our port of call was New Orleans. It was probably the most terrifying experience in my life but pales in comparison to how the folks in Gulf Coast and Florida must be feeling right now.

Welcome to the forum! Congrats!

Thanks for sharing. Your pictures are wonderful. You all look wonderful!

Thanks Ladies for the feedback. Mishka is one of the reasons why I love BDW so much. Over the past months I've met so many wonderful people and made some great friends in the process.

Thanks for the feedback on my blog. I started it because I wasn't in love with the "wedsites" available and wanted something that fit my personality. Anywho...if anyone is interested in starting a blog or needs help let me know. It's been fun figuring it out!