Real Weddings · Los Cabos, Mexico

Before anyone ever arrived in Cabo, the wedding invitation suite set the tone for what was to come. Designed as a keepsake experience rather than a traditional invitation, each guest received a linen box with sea green ribbon, a watercolor of Hacienda del Mar, 14 karat gold foil details, hand foiled tags, leather luggage tags and a miniature Don Julio 1942, a first glimpse into the destination, details and experience Gabriella and Michael were creating.

They wanted their 25 closest family and friends to come to Cabo for more than a destination wedding. They wanted them to come for a vacation, with a wedding in the middle of it.

For Gabriella, Hacienda del Mar Los Cabos was more than a beautiful setting. Her family had been owners at the resort since 2007, and at just 13 years old, she watched a wedding take place there and knew she wanted to one day have her own. Nineteen years later, at 32, that dream became reality.

Monday | Welcome to Cabo

The celebration began at Bar Santo al Revés, Hacienda del Mar’s tequila bar, with welcome cocktails, custom Cabo beach bags filled with personalized vacation essentials and Gabriella’s “Find the Guest” bingo. Three winners received resort spa gift cards, immediately putting everyone into vacation mode.

Tuesday | Fiesta Before Forever

Tuesday’s “Fiesta Before Forever” rehearsal dinner was hosted by Gabriella’s parents at Tortugas Beach Bar. Guests enjoyed a taco bar, live food stations, mariachi and a piñata, while a heartfelt speech from Gabriella’s father brought a sentimental moment to the evening. After sunset, a fire show closed out the celebration.

Wednesday | The Dream

On Wednesday, Gabriella walked down the aisle of Hacienda del Mar’s chapel with both of her parents, wearing her lace gown, tiara and mantilla veil, finally living the moment she had dreamed about since she was 13.

The celebration continued at DeCortez with cocktail hour and an intimate oceanfront four course dinner. Guests enjoyed caviar, followed by a Dom Pérignon toast, first dances, parent dances, live music and a live wedding painter.

As the celebration continued, sparklers surrounding a custom “G ♥ M” display created another unforgettable moment against the Cabo night.

For the finale, Michael raised a fire shooting Harry Potter wand and gave one final cue:

“Lumos.”

Fireworks illuminated the Cabo sky.

Monday was the welcome. Tuesday was the fiesta. Wednesday was the dream. And then the vacation continued.

It wasn’t simply a destination wedding. It was a wedding in the middle of a vacation, a celebration that began the moment the invitation arrived and the realization of a dream 19 years in the making.

What it added up to

Twenty five guests, three days, all in at $175,000, which comes to about $7,000 per guest. Here is the full team that brought the weekend to life.