Love that!
Forgive me if I will be a little emotional in this post, i just watched A star is born twice…. Shallow is now my fav song! yes I know I am a bit late, but FOMO has never been a thing for me…
These 2 beautiful people below are not only clients. They are friends. I have been a part of their life for 11 years.
I met Denee’ and Jamie over 11 years ago, when they started planning their wedding at the superb Grand Coral Beach club in Playa del Carmen.
She is a vibrant, vivacious, open minded and supremely beautiful woman that wanted to have her Mayan wedding in the Riviera Maya. Her husband to be, Jaimie, is a clever, dynamic, committed man that had the same life purpose as her: to build a great life together.
When they married in May 2009 I was the lucky planner of a superb wedding for 115 people.
Every 2 years i saw them come back to Playa del Carmen and always had to visit with them.
Life has had its great moments and tragic turns but they went on with love and strength and I was not surprised when Denee’ contacted me in March to celebrate their 10th Anniversary renewal ceremony, the Mayan way, on the beautiful bay of Paamul that is super secluded for a legendary 2 people only Mayan Ceremony.
Now the ones who know me, know that i am a bit of a mystical, spiritual cynic. But in this case, tears of joy were shed by all.
Marriage is the promise of love, but coming back after 10 years to reinforce your vows is the promise kept.
That takes my job way beyond the ordinary.
I am the witness of the Eternity and Infinity of Love.
Love transforms and they are not the same people i met over 11 years ago but they have taken every step in their life and moved forward. They have undergone change and not only physical, but spiritual and mental . And yet they are always the same bright spirits ….
They shine a light and that light is the love and care they feel for one another. I am misty eyed talking about it, because love is what this world needs. And love is only a space of no judgement, HOME, a moment in time where you can be you in all of your full and whole imperfection.
Because Jaimie told it so beautifully: That is the place I’m from: You.
Denee’ and Jamie! I wish you both a happy and long amazing life, filled with new adventures and so much beauty. Words cannot describe the feelings. We are all so lucky to be alive, enjoy this moment as it is yours.
Now, listen, for the 20th anniversary….how about Venice?
Two
Incredible sunny day
A BRIEF story of us.
Hello everyone and welcome to our new blog!
This is Maria, we have reached this year 18 years of Life at weddingsinplaya.com. Finally we can vote ( or drink)!
Many clients ask us: what is your story?
how did you become wedding planners?
how did you land here in Playa del Carmen?
Today we will unveil the story of us, Erica and Maria.
We were born in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy, a region of great wines (Picolit, among all) and intense wind (bora winds can arrive to 160Km/h in winter through the Julian Alps).
I am the third of three and Erica is only child, but she grew up with her 3 cousins just next to her.
Here is me at one, in the middle, with my two Brothers. They are honorary bros. to Erica as well!
Growing up in a little village, even if Leonardo Da Vinci created the project, is boring ( I tried running away at 2 years old but I was found on the road, happily walking, by a neighbour). Erica, born 6 years later, was facing the same challenges.
Finally one day in 1990, one cold day in October, we met. It was Fun at first sight! We recognised a kindred spirit in one another and we decided to have a good time, whenever we could.
It was a great friendship and we planned a lot of trips and adventures together…. one summer we left with our motorbikes for Rimini, in the Italian Riviera, on board of our Vespa and Ciao, for a long haul of 390 Km… Needless to say it was a cool adventure and a fond memory!
Over the years we lived in different countries: Erica left for Shangai and I went to Australia. After 16 months around the world, after many countries and many beers, at the beginning of 1996, i first saw Playa Del Carmen: it was a simple paradise: 5th Ave. stopped at 8th street and Constituyentes was jungle! Can you believe it?
I fell in love!
This was Playa in 1996. All green…. Porto Real Hotel had not been built and neither the others. I found a job at Viva Maya and met the future husband i did not know I was going to marry.
Destiny is grand and after a year in Playa I went to live in Texas, happy new mother of a baby girl, born in 1998, Skylar. Erica came to visit me and my husband, Sharky, in Houston and assisted to the birth. Happy times! And life flies: we move back to Playa in 1999. Immediately Erica and I got together, just to find out that she was pregnant with Maia, who was born in the year 2000, another incredibly happy event! Here they are, all grown!
But back to business: in 2001, Erica was working at the famous Yaxche’ Mayan Restaurant and was getting a few inquires from American couples to organise a wedding in Mexico. I owned the Coffee Press, a cafe’ for expats that used to wake up at 7a or return from the beach at that time after the party….
One day we were chit chatting and she blurted out: What do you think, Maria, do you want to enter into business and do weddings together?
I said YES I do ( right in theme… ahaha), and that was 18 years ago.
There was only another wedding planner in town, Brenda, an American restaurant owner that organised weddings at her restaurant.
The first year we planned 3 weddings, asking very little money and making a lot of mistakes.
We knew a Mayan shaman and started organising Mayan weddings first at Yaxche’ and then in many other locations.
Then we started getting an education from the best, going to courses and meetings in Usa, like Weddings MBA and courses with Alan Berg.
Once we were on our 3rd years, we were making some sense. On our 10th year, about 30 more wedding planners started to work in town, now we have celebrated over 500 weddings! What i love about wedding planning is that for 1 year, you are the confidential sister of the couple. Then after the wedding has ended, you go back to being nobody: it’s healthy for the ego!
Life has been a wonderful gift, i still meet a lot of ex clients that 15 yrs later come to Playa with their kids and stop by to say hi: we love to see how our clients have kept the promise of Love of their wedding day and transformed into a lovely family!
Photo courtesy of A. E.
So, this is our Story,
we have been so lucky to arrive in Playa at a time when there was so much opportunity, so little people, so much to live. We know that.
We can only say:
Gracias, Playa. Gracias to all of our clients, past and future, that love us, support us and believe in us. We give the best to all of you!
