Breathtaking intimate wedding of S&J in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico - photographer’s story
Here is a story of one gorgeous intimate celebration of love from a perspective of a wedding photographer in San Miguel de Allende, and some tips for the couples planning to get married in this destination in Mexico.
Sarah and Justin have always been big fans of Mexico and San Miguel de Allende in particular: Sarah herself started visiting this town 6 years ago, and has used every opportunity to come back. Needless to say, when the wedding planning started off, San Miguel de Allende was the #1 option for the destination:
“SMA is stunning from sidewalk to rooftop. We loved the hospitality and the pride that the residents take in their city - it’s incredibly clean. I love the interior design and decor in SMA; creativity flows behind every door. In the US creativity is stifled by regulations; the freedom to be artistic shines in SMA. ”
Another important detail: Sarah and Justin’s baby was born half a year before the wedding, so we as their wedding photographers immediately knew who was the very VIP guest we had to look for :)
Wedding day and Ceremony
The day started at the gorgeous villa Garita in the center of San Miguel de Allende. Of all the getting ready locations I’ve seen at weddings, this one will definitely get into the Top-5: beautiful architecture and design, spacious rooms and halls, spiral staircases, huge windows. Everything just screams “Hey, take a photo here!”.
After some groom & bride’s portraits, we headed out to the ceremony & reception spot: Hotel Feliciana. Beautiful spaces, a rooftop with a view of the center of San Miguel de Allende, and a perfect location (right across from Rosewood, another popular wedding venue).
The ceremony was held by Justin’s brother in law, and it was both moving, fun and very dynamic - everyone was enjoying their time there.
Couples session and callejoneada
The wedding couple’s session is what we the wedding photographers are always looking up to the most, especially in a location as San Miguel de Allende. We started off at the hotel that had some gorgeous terraces, with pillars and arches and a view of Parroquia. Heading outside after that, the street part was the cherry on the cake: every corner in San Miguel is beautiful for a photo session, and besides, we were just a block away from the best street spot with Parroquia in the background. Beautiful!
The part that followed was the famous wedding Callejoneada at the hotel that all the guests enjoyed to the fullest:
“One of the most exciting moments was watching our guests be surprised by the Mojigangas and Mariachi at the callejoneada. They are still talking about it weeks later. ”
Awesome reception
What a wedding without a reception? It was an intimate wedding with 40 guests of the closest friends and family, and this always makes the whole day very special, cozy and full of love, from getting ready to reception. Dinner was followed by speeches, first dances, and of course, the fiesta! The dance floor was exploded by the awesome dances, good vibes and even a karaoke by the groom’s sister and brother-in law!
4 Tips for planning your destination wedding in San Miguel de Allende and Mexico in general:
Look for help. Find a good wedding planner that can take stress out of the equation for you. Roxana from Santo Amor (the best wedding planner in San Miguel de Allende) did a perfect job on making sure everything was going smoothly for Sarah and Justin. Needless to say, a “no stress” wedding ensured that the photos also came out great!
Pick the best time to get married in San Miguel de Allende. Here the first filter is what is the best wedding season in Mexico in general: between November and March. So you can enjoy the beautiful tropical winter with lots of sun, little chance of rain and cooler nights. From there, the second filter is, what are the best months to get married in San Miguel de Allende: October and November (everything is still green after the rainy season, it’s not hot anymore and does not rain, but it is still warm), and then March and April (by April the summer heat is starting to step in, but it's still very comfortable).
Scouting always helps. Planning several months in advance? Nervous if it’s going to look as in the photos in real life? If possible, take at least a weekend trip to San Miguel before your wedding: meet your vendors, check out the venue and make sure you see/hear/touch everything and this way feel that this is right what you want.
Make it longer than just a weekend:
“Spend a full week there, and encourage your guests to do the same. There is so much to do! We travelled from California and every one of our guests had an incredible time enjoying delicious breakfasts and dinners out, doing lots of shopping, horseback riding and walking tours. Everyone is glad we dragged them to Mexico and most plan to return!”
Let’s capture your story!
Planning a destination wedding or elopement in Mexico and have questions, or would like to see more ideas and inspiration? Check out my portfolio or send me a note for more references and wedding packages:
S&J Wedding Gallery
Thanks to the team who made it happen:
Wedding planner: Santo Amor
MUAH: Josue Vazquez
Flowers: Lori Boe Floral Design
Dress: Moondance Bridal
