As we were hightailing it down the dusty Mexican backroads, trying to keep up with the family in the speeding SUV crammed full of champagne and beach towels in front of us, I had one of those amusing moments where you wonder: How in the world did we end up here?
Several years ago Ben and I lived in an adorable cottage in San Francisco’s Noe Valley neighborhood. Our landlord was a very cool guy named Andy, a British expat and all-around good person who loves connecting people. We have stayed in touch with him (and his equally cool wife Kristen) over the years.
Two of their good friends are Stephanie and Joe, neighbors who have helped them out from time to time with babysitting and dog-sitting. When Stephanie and Joe became engaged and started planning their wedding, Andy and Kristen offered their Mexico vacation home Casa Golondrinas in the tiny, charming beach town of La Manzanilla, about three hours south of Puerto Vallarta. And when they began searching for a photographer, Andy suggested us.
So there we were behind our former landlord, on the three-hour adventure down the Mexico coast to meet Stephanie and Joe.
Stephanie is Brazilian, and a former dancer. Joe is sweet and polite with a heart of gold. We shot their rehearsal dinner, wedding day (Andy was the officiant), and then day-after pool party (where they were sweet enough to get me a birthday cake!). It was the perfect Mexico destination wedding weekend, and we’re so glad we got two new San Francisco friends out of it!
We are also thrilled that Stephanie and Joe’s wedding introduced us to a new Mexico wedding destination to recommend to our couples. If you’re looking for a quieter, casual, more remote beach town with great beachfront restaurants, we highly suggest checking out La Manzanilla. It’s still a well-kept secret, at least for now, and the perfect spot for a unique destination wedding!