Time to head back to paradise at the One&Only Palmilla in Mexico (if you missed part one, check it out here)! Recounting this epic trip is so much fun (clearly, as I’ve gotten a tad long-winded)! The property hosted a handful of some of my favorite wedding pros and press and we got to experience it all as brides and grooms. So fantastic!! So what else makes this place so special? (More photos from our incredible trip and the wedding inspiration they shared with us…)
4. A Truly Seamless Staff Network: Story…at lunch, the waiter recommended a cocktail I’d never heard of before. Well, back up, I saw him making a drink for someone else and I asked what it was out of curiosity. Before I knew it, he was sampling me with my own. He noted how much I enjoyed the drink (called a transfusion reloaded – you must try!). Flash forward to six hours later I arrive for dinner. A polite man approaches and says, “Ms. Walton, I believe you enjoyed this beverage earlier today by the beach. We took the liberty of making you one before dinner, if you’d like.” I must have shown my love for the cocktail a bit too much because there it was again! Amazing! (Note to self, when the staff knows what you drink and orders it before you ask, this may or may not be a good thing).
5. Wheels up to Wheels down Service: Literally. What does that mean? It means that One&Only Palmilla escorts guests from customs to their own personal hummer, complete with a mini tour of the region and in-flight amenities en route to the resort. Then of course heaven awaits behind the gates of the property, and when you’re forced to drag yourself off your lounge chair after your last few minutes in the sun, your final goodbye does not take place until you’re on the plane. The staff packs you up with a complimentary to-go meal for the long journey home and upon arrival to the airport your personal Palmilla concierge escorts you through all airport points, carrying your bags to a priority check-in and customs area. Then, they help you unpack your belongings as you go through security until you are delivered to their VIP Lounge within the airport where you continue to enjoy food and beverage until your attendant notifies you it’s time to say good bye because your plane is boarding. Only when you’re safely on the flight home is when your stay at Palmilla ends. Amazing! I’ve never seen anything like it!! (Side note: Forget something in your room like I did? By the time I boarded the plane, the hotel had sent a car and driver to deliver my iPod to me in the airport lounge. You might almost think I did that on purpose, just to test them. My iPod has never traveled in such style!)
Okay, so that’s just the tinniest peek into the ohhhmmmgeee that is the O&O Palmilla, but what about weddings in the region??
One of the challenges any destination wedding faces is in the service and skill level of the local professionals. How do you know you’ll get what you expect to find in the states when you’re on location far far away? Finding a locale that not only meets all your location needs, but has a network of talented and warm professionals to take care of you as if you had been there all year planning with them, is key. And it’s not always easy to find. But once found, they can outdo just about anything you’ve seen before. Luckily in Los Cabos, the One&Only Palmilla found it for us. Throughout our stay, we got peeks into what weddings on property would be like. From the divine pastries and the dessert-plated wedding cake to the fire dancers for rehearsal dinner entertainment and lovingly made floral décor, you really can have it all just a few hours south of the border. 
One of my local favorites was the fantastic duo of Carlos and Elena from Elena Damy Floral and Event Design. They created all the stunning florals for the week and the work rivaled anything you would find here in Southern California, yet each piece had it’s own culturally infused flare and loving detail to it. Love!
Such an incredible, wonderful, amazing, (how many other adjectives can I find to say special) trip! How will normal life ever be the same? It might not…
All Event Photos by Francisco Estrada.
