Cristina and Mike said “I do” to a tropical destination wedding in El Salvador. The couple – who met in their freshman year at the University of Illinois – were fortunate to have family and friends travel from all over the world to San Salvador to celebrate their special day. The wedding combined both Macedonian and Salvadoran traditions, and was a gorgeous mix of modern glamour and natural, organic textures. The bride and groom shared all the details of the day with us.
The wedding planning process was somewhat stressful, but ended up being totally worth it! We were planning overseas and also had special events before and after the wedding to plan for, so a lot of detail and effort went into planning the ‘wedding week’. San Salvador is a very interconnected city, so each vendor had a special connection to our family/friends, and some we had worked with seven years prior for Cristina’s sister’s wedding. They each understood our vision and were very professional.
The wedding was designed to be very earthy and classic, with lots of greenery, succulents and accents of white and gold. We started the day with a first look in Cristina’s grandmother’s garden. Our beautiful church ceremony was given by a family friend, Friar JP, and then after that we had cocktails and a reception at a hotel with LOTS of dancing, live music and karaoke! We also blended several Macedonian (Mike’s side) and Salvadoran (Cristina’s side) wedding traditions throughout the day, and everyone loved seeing the unique traditions from both sides!
The whole day was just indescribable for both of us, but there are definitely moments that stand out. For Mike, it was the surprise fireworks after making our grand exit from the church. Everyone was in awe! For Cristina, it was the Carnaval that came out after midnight. This is a Salvadoran wedding tradition where you surprise your guests with a theme and liven up the party with people dressed up in costumes and all kinds of fun favors! We decided on a Coachella theme and had people dressed up as giant caterpillars, butterflies and whimsical creatures. They also brought out a tequila cart, sunglasses, flower crowns and all kinds of ‘boho chic’ favors.
Cristina and Mike’s advice to other engaged couples? “Enjoy it!” (We couldn’t agree more!)
Congratulations to the newlyweds!
Destination Wedding Photographer: Emilia Jane Photography
Wedding Vendors: Shoes: Jimmy Choo, Dress Designer: Vera Wang, Second Shooter: Artistique Imagery Studios, Invitation Designer: Bliss and Bone, Floral Designer: Montse Floristeria, Event Planner: Ambito, Submitted via Two Bright Lights
