Destination Wedding Mexico | Elegance and Amor at Villa la Joya

Destination Wedding Mexico | A'ngelique & Michael Elegance and Amor at Villa la Joya

Destination wedding Mexico! Travel lovers A’ngelique and Michael shared their first vacation together in Playa del Carmen and returned to the Mexican Caribbean in 2021 to tie the knot and declare their love before their closest family and friends. We were delighted to welcome them to Villa la Joya and we simply LOVED the elegance and warmth of their gorgeous wedding day.

Each and every detail of this Villa la Joya wedding was STUNNING, the wedding vendors of Playa del Carmen came together through the coordination of Lucy Gallagher and Arlenis Ruiz to create a magical day. Breathtaking flowers from Cherry Blossom, delicious catering by Gourmet Soberanis, fireworks, great music and decor, this was a wedding we will always remember.

The Love Story and Happily Ever After of A’ngelique and Michael

Bride and groom A’ngelique and Michael have an electricity between them, every touch and glance full of love, it was a real pleasure to get to know this couple. We asked them to share their love story with us and A’ngelique’s words say it better than we ever could.

What is the story of how you two met?
Our worlds collided on May 14, 2016 when we met in NYC at an East African networking event at a restaurant bar in Harlem, New York. Michael's opening words to me were "Do you know who you look like? Gina from 'Martin'" (a character from a popular 90s sitcom). Although this was the thousandth time I'd received this "compliment," there was something about Michael's energy, smile, and presence that just captured my attention and I stayed around to entertain the moment. That moment turned into 4 years of an adventurous, inspiring, educational, travel-filled, and long-lasting relationship before Michael proposed to her in Aruba on August 1, 2020.

Why did you choose Mexico for your destination wedding?

We love to travel. In fact, within the first year of dating Michael won an incredible travel voucher to travel anywhere in the world from his job. When asked where he would plan on going he replied with "anywhere my girlfriend wants to go." Our friends often joke around that it was the voucher and traveling that really helped us build the first year of their relationship and beyond. The first trip we booked together was to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico in March 2017, which is why this location is symbolic for us.

What made you decide on a wedding at Villa La Joya Playa del Carmen?

I saw a picture of a friend of a friend's wedding at Villa La Joya on Instagram on Jan 1, 2014 and instantly fell in love with the venue. A screenshot of a dress hanging up in Villa La Joya has been saved in my phone ever since then so when it came time for us to find a venue, there was no doubt that Villa La Joya was the top choice. Although we eventually went back and forth on venue locations (and actually changed our venue three times), we ultimately could not resist the unique charm of Villa La Joya and everything it had to offer us as a couple and our guests—a beach, garden, and beautiful villa. There is literally no other place in the area like this venue, especially for brides looking for a beautiful beach backdrop—without the sand—and sophisticated feel & decor. I also appreciated the opportunity to get ready in the Villa La Joya condo.

What was your favorite/most emotional or funniest moment of your wedding day?

We really wanted their day to feel like an elegant, unique event with endless entertainment. From guests being greeted with a champagne wall prior to the ceremony to a floral swing set at cocktail hour to a 360-degree photo booth and live DJ during the reception to cold fireworks during our first dance. The entire day was a dream. The moment that stuck out the most was being able to bring our family and friends together to experience different cultures and wedding traditions. Since Michael has an East African background, we did a second entrance that was traditional to the Eritrean culture where the male guests would surround the bride and groom and wave swords while the female guests formed two lines for the couple to walk down as they wave palm trees and shout "Elelele " as a sound of celebration. Watching family and friends of different ethnic backgrounds participate in this century old tradition was extremely heartwarming and demonstrated a love and acceptance of both of our family and friends' backgrounds.

Did you have any pre or post-wedding events for your group? If so, which ones?

Yes! We held an amazing pre-welcome event on the Saturday before our wedding with H2Oh Sun Cruises where we hosted a sunset cruise yacht party with our friends and siblings. On the Sunday night before our wedding, we held an intimate welcome cocktail event at our host hotel — Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya — where all of our family and friends were able to meet for the first time over hor’d'oeuvres, music, and East African cultural dancing.

Anything you would have done differently?

Our wedding day and the weekend leading up to our wedding was a dream! The only thing Michael and I wish we would have done differently was to not second guess our original decision of choosing Villa La Joya as our wedding venue! This would have saved us a lot of money and stress.

Any advice you’d like to share with other brides?

I have three pieces of advice for any bride planning a wedding, especially a destination wedding. My first piece of advice is that your wedding day will be intense — with a timeline to follow, guests to greet, family and friends to please, and ensuring the day runs smoothly. In the midst of the chaos, take at least five minutes to step to the side with your partner and soak it all in. Right before Michael and my first entrance as a couple, we took 10 minutes to ourselves on the front stairs of Villa La Joya to reflect on officially being married and reflect on the culmination of our efforts, planning, and coordination on our wedding day.

This leads me to my second piece of advice: Go with the flow. It does not matter how many months of planning that goes into a wedding, not everything will go according to plan. Don't let the minor details distract you from enjoying your day—trust me, your guests won't even notice.

My last piece of advice is to budget for a wedding planner and/or day-of coordinator! It is imperative to take the stress of coordinating a wedding off of yourself and your guests in order for you to enjoy your day. There is no way our wedding would have been as successful without the help of our amazing wedding team - Lucy & Arlenis! They provided us with a wedding planning portal to update your wedding requests, decor & layouts, guests lists, amongst other items leading up to the wedding which kept us extremely organized.

Muchas gracias and big congratulations from Villa la Joya Weddings

We would like to say a very special “thank you” and “felicidades!” to A’ngelique and Michael for choosing to celebrate their destination wedding in Mexico at Villa la Joya. We wish you both all the best for the rest of your beautiful lives together. Be sure to check out all their gorgeous wedding photos for inspiration!