Nowadays wedding festivities are often so much more than a single one-day event. From faraway destination weddings to multicultural celebrations featuring several ceremonies, our series Save the Weekend highlights how (and why) couples have gone about dreaming up a multi-day wedding celebration—and how they made each event uniquely special.
After getting engaged in Anguilla, Jordanna and Sammy dreamt of tying the knot over the course of a weekend away, somewhere equally delightful. Two months after the proposal they flew to Cabo to look at venues, planning for a wedding the following year. While they considered rescheduling because of the pandemic, they ultimately moved forward with their initial wedding weekend in late November of 2020. Only 70 of the 150 guests they invited could come, making for a more intimate celebration, and allowing everyone to attend all of the weekend’s festivities.
Self-described as “obsessed with Mexico” (and especially Cabo), the Los Angeles-based bride and groom knew that was where they wanted to get married, having traveled there together many times before. When they visited Chileno Bay Resort & Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection, it encompassed everything they were looking for in a wedding venue—it was elegant yet fun. The contemporary and modern design of the property also suited Jordanna’s fashion-forward style, and provided a relatively blank canvas on which to create their dream wedding. It also allowed them to host three events over the span of the weekend and maximize their time with guests (and everyone’s time in paradise).
With the venue secured, Jordanna and her mother then set out to find a wedding planner to help bring the wedding weekend to life. Carena Trampe of Amy Abbott Weddings & Events took the reins, developing a master plan and design concept for the wedding first, and subsequently moving on to tackle the events leading up to it. As a whole, the weekend offered an array of experiences (all in different styles) for the guests, who all stayed at Chileno Bay Resort.
“On the first call we had, they were clear about the style and design they wanted. I could tell immediately that Jordanna was not a traditional bride. We always laugh together remembering when she said to me, ‘No flowers!’ and I asked, ‘Not even on the bouquet?’ Jordanna and Sammy were super clear on what they wanted. I was more the person that found for them the right vendors and the way to execute their vision. My suggestion always is that if you want to host various events, try to make each one different and put your effort on one special detail for each event that will make your guests remember it.” —Carena Trampe, wedding planner
Many of the vendors who were a part of the wedding were also involved in the welcome party, making for a streamlined experience for everyone. One such example was the photographer and videographer: Carena pitched a handful of local talent, and the couple loved Ana & Jerome Photography’s work from the start, so the husband-and-wife duo handled both photography and videography for the wedding weekend.
Premier local options were also presented when it came time to choose a hairstylist, makeup artist, and rentals, who were hired for both of the weekend’s celebrations at the resort. Four of the top glam squads were presented to Jordanna, who chose Los Cabos Makeup, with Glam by Kelsey Hyatt and Brittney Hodgins Hair helping on the wedding day. And several rental companies were considered, with trips to visit three different warehouses to check out assorted pieces before deciding on Del Cabo Event Design. Black silverware and plates gave the tables weight, while the candles and lighter elements (like the tables themselves, chairs, and napkins) balanced it all and highlighted the existing colors of the wedding venue.
While the wedding was at the center of the weekend and took front seat in the planning process, it really was all about the weekend as a whole for the couple. At the suggestion of their wedding planner, they made things easy for everyone and hosted two of the three events on-site.
“Once we have the idea of what the wedding vibe will be, I suggest what would fit best to complement it. Ideally, if you’re doing a destination wedding, you would like to offer your guests a weekend full of different experiences. If you can’t leave the hotel, you can still plan for different events with different vibes. Try to make each event different and put effort into one special detail for each event that will make your guests remember it.” —Carena Trampe, wedding planner
“Having events leading up to the wedding was a great way to say hello and socialize with the people who had traveled to the wedding. People get all crazy with weddings and I just wanted to have a great time in Mexico with my soon-to-be-husband, family, and friends. By the wedding day everyone knew everyone and we could truly enjoy ourselves on our big day! It was also so fun having all these different groups spend a weekend together and, by the wedding night, all dancing together on the dance floor.” —Jordanna, bride
The first night centered around a sunset boat ride around Cabo.
“I loved how it started with the whole group all in white on this luxurious boat cruising at sunset. Then we wanted to turn it up, so we went to a local spot for tacos and tequila! I also loved being out of the hotel for one of the events so our guests could get a taste of Cabo.” —Jordanna, bride
After a day at the pool came night two: a welcome fiesta on the beach, in a completely different area than where the wedding would take place.
“I knew I didn’t want a barefoot beach wedding, so the welcome fiesta was our chance for a barefoot beach party with custom coconuts with our wedding logo, a margarita station, fire pits, Palo Santo burning, and papel picado flags." —Jordanna, bride
The “coastal black tie” affair began on the minimal side, with the ocean being the focal point of the set-up, at Sammy’s request. At dinner (which took place at Comal, the property’s oceanfront restaurant), a sea of candles took center stage, with not one flower used to decorate the space. Cristina Gonzalez brought the non-floral floral and décor to life, and the only flowers used that day were in the bride’s and bridesmaids’ bouquets, which were predominantly white roses with some greenery.
After the meal, an area previously hidden by curtains revealed the dancing space, which had greenery and disco balls hanging overhead, and neon signs adding to the party vibe. DJ Alex spun during dinner and throughout the “disco jungle” themed dance party, which took place in the hotel’s gallerias.
Jordanna's a self-described "big fashion girl" and she also runs jewelry company Jordan Road with her mother, so of course there were dress codes for every event.
“Boat night was all white chic, the beach party was Mexican fiesta, and the wedding was coastal black tie. I always wanted to have a black tie wedding, but when we chose Mexico, black tie felt a little stuffy so we asked our guests to wear ‘coastal black tie’ and everyone really had fun with it! I changed for the ‘disco jungle,’ even though my dress was very light and airy. I put on a full sequined jumpsuit, which was so fun with all the disco balls and easy to dance in!” —Jordanna, bride
The couple branded their wedding from start to finish. First, they made it known that it would be a party—or a fiesta, rather. The invites were candles with margarita recipes printed on top, and when the candle was burned, the vessel became a margarita glass.
Plus, everyone knew they were attending “Los Boskos” wedding from the moment the invitations by Bells + Whistles went out, thanks to the all-caps text that branded the event all down to the custom hats and tequila bottles. Everything that could have their logo on it did. A palm tree was also incorporated, as it’s part of the Cabo scenery and was easy to put on things like the welcome bags and candles on the bars. Those elements served as a connecting thread that made the weekend’s events all cohesive, even when each event had its own style and setting.
