Manisha and Innes wed at Las Caletas, Jalisco, Mexico. The couple discovered this special place at the recommendation of a friend. But this was no ordinary beach destination wedding in Mexico – this couple incorporated cultures from around the globe! Innes is Scottish while Manisha’s family is from Sri Lanka and they donned some pretty stunning wardrobe to show for it!
Innes gave us the 411 on his fabulous attire. “First, my kilt is the McCallum family tartan, not exactly standard North American attire. All the McCallum’s around the world would wear this specific weave of tartan. Which is why the best man is wearing a totally different tartan…he’s sporting the Wilson family tartan. We pretty much wear this at weddings, and other black tie occasions including, in Scotland, a rugby match. The belt, sporan and shoes are traditional Scottish gear. My belt has the national flower of Scotland, the Thistle, on it; while my Sporan (Scottish man purse) is traditionally used to store porridge oats. Thankfully I didn’t need to bring that along to the wedding as dinner was provided! My shoes are called ghillie brogues, and are standard attire with kilts. The wool socks, which I must admit were a bit much for the Mexican heat, have a knife (sgian-dubh–pronounced: ski-en-doo) that is traditionally tucked in to the right sock (just in case the pirates came to the island). The sword broach is a kilt pin, which is essentially just a little Scottish “bling”… And I think that about covers the Scottish traditional garb!?!”
These guys clearly know how to have a good time!
Then it was time for the beach ceremony and get down to business. Manisha shared with us a bit about her family’s traditional wedding attire. “The sari worn by my mother is traditional wear for Sri Lankan women. The sari is pure silk and hand-embroidered with gold thread that doesn’t tarnish. On top of that, she wore bangles, a large pendant necklace, anklets and drop earrings, all of which are part of the traditional jewelry set worn with a sari on a celebratory occasion. Finally, she wore a “thali”, a gold chain, which she received as part of her wedding ceremony from my dad, 35 years ago!”
We love this ceremony arch – it looks as though it was part of the natural environment long before this happy couple arrived. Guests could still enjoy the view and nothing took away from the beautiful spot on which they chose to wed.
We asked the couple about some of their decision making and one of the best choices they made was to hire a pro when it came to the photos. “One of the first things we struggled with was: photographer or no photographer (which really meant disposable cameras on tables)..? After much searching, we found discussions about Nate Broshot on a destination wedding blog, and checked it out. We fell in love with his pictures, and after our first skype date, realized that not only did we love his pictures but he would bring exactly the right energy we wanted at our wedding! So although we had never dreamed of flying a random out to photograph our wedding, he changed that with just one meeting (an internet meeting at that). Seriously, people still talk about what a great photographer we had… so it’s kind of an understatement to say we are happy with that decision, and totally accurate to say that we would recommend him to anyone.”
Post ceremony, guests headed up to the reception under cover.
“In terms of themes of decor we kept everything pretty simple so that we could enhance and focus on the spectacular natural beauty of the location. Our colors were loosely based on our favorite hockey team… go canucks!… but we also really liked the colors. Ultimately we are both pretty chill and we wanted our decor to exude the same vibe.”
Then it was back to the sand for a lot of dancing and even a little fire!
“Who would have thought that meeting at a cheesy nightclub in Vancouver would lead to…forever! Thanks to our scheming friends (who we love), that’s our fairytale! We met one fateful night–actually Innes’ first weekend after he officially immigrated to Vancouver– where the Jagerbombs were flowing… and we haven’t looked back since! Our completely different cultural backgrounds seem to somehow fit perfectly, maybe it’s because Innes loves my mom’s cooking, or because I love visiting his parents who have made a home for themselves in the South of France… whatever the reasons…it works fantastically!”
The night ended with a special fire dancer performance – talk about going out with a bang!
Congratulations to the newlyweds!
Destination Wedding Photographer: License To Still
Wedding Vendors: Ceremony, Reception + Catering: Las Caletas, Wedding Planner + Florals: Denise Betancourt from Adventure Weddings, Wedding Dress: Vera Wang, Invitations: Paperless Post, DIY Elements: Welcome bags, DJ, Hair + Makeup: Organized by Adventure Weddings, Guestbook: Yapes Paints, Engagement Ring: JA3D Jewelers, Wedding Rings: Michael Hill Jewelers, Officiant: Jesus Andres Fernandez “Chuy,” Bridesmaid’s Jewelry: Sasha Eillena Jewelry, Groom: Shirt – LeChateau, Kilt from Ireland, Tie: Tommy Hilfiger, Groomsmen: Ties – Tommy Hilfiger
