Destination Wedding in Antigua, Guatemala

We are venturing down to the ancient ruins of Antigua, Guatemala today for Ashley and Carlo’s luxurious destination wedding. This wedding, captured by DMPJ by Glen Cooper, is the definition of historic glamour, with a ceremony and reception that are so beautiful, they’ll leave you wanting more. (I know we do!) Not typical in size, over 400 guests got to enjoy the celebration, full of family history and tradition. From Ashley, “Carlo is originally from Guatemala City and we always spend time in Antigua when we travel to see his family and friends and it’s also where we got engaged in March 2009.  We love the history, culture, people and raw beauty of the city.  It’s a romantic little city filled with crumbling (and preserved) ancient architecture, cobblestone streets and quiet spots to enjoy the views of the volcanoes or the lush landscape crawling with brightly colored flowers and trees.” And in honor of her family, ” I wore my mother’s wedding veil from Priscilla of Boston circa 1976, which my Aunt Dorothy also wore at her wedding.”Ashley was also lucky enough to have a very talented friend, Nicola of Lettuce Paper, custom design her save the dates and invitations, which gave the perfect introductory nod to the feel of their wedding, while still leaving the vibrant colors to come a surprise!Now, when I said vibrant colors, I meant vibrant colors! In Ashley’s words, “The flowers were selected to reflect the colors of the local textiles and the landscape, deep jewels tone with pops of hot pink, fuchsia, and deep green. The theme was about romance and all things sacred, the setting gave us the foundation to build a beautiful event that exceeded our own expectations.” It exceeded our expectations too, and we are absolutely swooning over the old-meets-new look of the couple’s dramatic ceremony.Oh, don’t worry, the drama didn’t end with “I do.”  In the words of the bride, “We danced, drank and ate until the sun came up!” And in a grand reception space like this, lit primarily with custom crafted chandeliers and candles, who wouldn’t?  Hotel Casa Santo Domingo was an exquisite backdrop that any destination bride dreams of and, well, will let the pictures speak for the rest!Destination couples like Ashley and Carlo often forgo traditional weddings to celebrate what truly defines them. And if you’re concerned about the family tradition and travel hurtles you may have to face, as they were too, just listen to Ashley’s account of her dream destination wedding: “It reflected who we are as individuals and as a couple- adventurous, big thinkers, who love to entertain, who appreciate the spectacular, who can dance all night and cherish happy times with our friends and family. “ Now if that isn’t reason enough to jet away for your vows, I don’t know what is!

Congratulations Ashley and Carlo!

Destination Wedding Photographer: DMPJ by Glen Cooper

Wedding Vendors: Venue: Hotel Casa Santo Domingo, Invitation Designer: Lettuce Paper, Floral Designer: Patricia Bentacourt, Cake Designer: Cirro Bakery, Band: Karibbean Band, Wedding Dress Designer: Carolina Herrera, Jewelry: Beasley’s Baubles

Submitted via Two Bright Lights