By, Lauren Malamala
A well-planned Cancun wedding should be seamless from start to finish. From the time your guests receive their invitations to the time they leave with their party favors, you want them to enjoy a wedding that is the perfect reflection of the newly married couple. The goal of hosting a wedding, or any event, is to create the perfect ambiance – so it’s important that all of the elements involved, even the smallest details, are cohesive.
Although it’s wonderful to have an eclectic taste and a wide range of interests, trying to combine all of those factors into a Cancun wedding can just look chaotic or like a completely jumbled mess. We like to refer to these as “rainbow weddings”. You know the type – flowers that are a different color than the rest of the décor, red and green cocktail napkins that don’t match with anything, flowers on the cake that you don’t see anywhere else in the wedding, etc. This gives off the impression that you didn’t put any thought into your wedding, but rather threw things together at the last minute. Planning a Cancun wedding requires a great deal of effort, and you don’t want to cheat yourself (or your guests) by displaying anything that does not properly represent the work that was put in to your special day.
Themes and Colors
After figuring out the date and budget for your wedding, you need to narrow down a theme. That being said, a theme doesn’t have to mean something cheesy like “Wild West” or “Disco Fever”. A simple image, idea, or mood can be good enough. Even your chosen color palette or combination can be the theme of your wedding by keeping those colors consistent.
Oftentimes, people make the mistake of adding in a random color in order to break up the monotony of so much white and ivory; but unless that extra “pop” of color is also present somewhere else in the wedding, it can look completely random and out of place. This does not mean that two different ideas cannot be combined. In fact, some of the most beautiful weddings are a fusion between the couple’s two cultures. It is important, however, that those differences are melded together in a balanced way.
When in doubt, keep things simple. It is not necessary to incorporate every single theme or color that you like, as this will just create more work in making sure all of those elements fit together. You cannot go wrong with a neutral color (such as ivory or black), accented by one or two additional colors to make your wedding pop (such as coral or blue). You can also choose several colors from the same family, like various shades of purple ranging from deep violet to lavender.
In terms of deciding upon the theme and colors for your Cancun wedding, think of it as if you are creating a brand. Each individual detail should somehow tie into your overall vision for your destination wedding so that it is the perfect representative of who you are as a couple.
Invitations
Your wedding invitation is the first “teaser” of your destination wedding that the guests will see. Make sure they fit with the look and theme of your overall wedding décor as well. Aside from making sure that the colors match those that you will be using in the décor, you can also see that the font on your invitations also matches the font that will be used on your ceremony program, escort cards, and dinner menu. Even though the typeface you use seems like such an insignificant detail, it’s those little touches that make a huge difference in the consistency of your wedding.
Bridal Fashion
If you’ve ever watched David Tutera’s show, you should know by now that your wedding gown needs to match the theme of your wedding. If you’re having a rustic outdoor event, it doesn’t make sense to have an enormous, poufy dress with tons of bling. Save that for the ballroom. In addition, it doesn’t make sense if your wedding has a chic and modern look, only to show up wearing a vintage lace dress that looks like it’s from the 19th century.
The importance of your fashion picks also includes the bridal party. Your bridesmaid dresses should all be on the same level as your gown in terms of how formal they are, along with how well they match the look and feel of your Cancun wedding. The same rule should be applied to your groomsmen’s wardrobe as well. Make sure their suits are in line with the level of formality of your wedding and that their boutonnieres match the floral or color scheme of the rest of the décor.
Ceremony and Reception
When it comes to how you choose to have your destination wedding decorated, there needs to be a certain level of cohesion between the ceremony and reception. It doesn’t make sense to use one color palette or floral mix during the ceremony and another at the reception itself. One example is your bridal bouquet. Choose whatever flowers you prefer for your bouquet, but make sure that they are present elsewhere in your wedding, whether it is the bridesmaids’ bouquets, or the centerpieces at the reception. In addition, if you have flowers on your cake, then they should be in line with the flowers used elsewhere during the wedding. Some brides will make the mistake of choosing a certain type of cake simply because they like the aesthetic, without making sure it actually matches the rest of the event. Your cake plays into your reception’s overall look just as much as the rest of the décor.
In essence, the reception is when your event will come full-circle. The color scheme you used in your wedding invitations should be seen throughout the reception so that your guests will be able to have a well-executed and thoughtfully styled experience.