Pattie and Joseph’s Wedding at Hotel Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas

The Couple

Pattie and Joseph met in school, they were college sweethearts and they met on their first-day on campus. They hit it off immediately and dated for 7 years. The proposal happened during a family vacation to Cancun. Joseph proposed as a mariachi band was playing, and while they were dancing he told her how important it was for him to be on this trip with her family and he got down on one knee to ask. Pattie said, “Having my family there was such a special part of it.”

The Planning

The couple had planned several trips with Destify, so using them for their destination wedding was a no-brainer. Their avid beachgoers and visit the ocean multiple times per year. Having a destination wedding also meant it could be much less stress-free. Pattie said, “We wanted the focus on us and our families, no extra decoration or stress.” With their Destify agent Jessica they chose the RIU Palace Cabo San Lucas resort. The guest list included over 50 guests of varying ages, and Jessica was able to help everyone book easily.

The Wedding

The couple stayed in Cabo San Lucas for 6 days. The wedding department was on top of it once they were there, finalizing last minute details. Every day the couple hosted an activity that guests could partake in. There was a daily lunch, a white party where all the guests dressed in theme, a pool day on Thursday, and a welcome party on Friday at the main bar with appetizers and drinks before the day of their wedding ceremony.

Pattie and her maid of honor got breakfast and then went to the salon to get their hair, makeup and nails prepared. That’s when it began feeling real, and emotional, according to Pattie. Before the ceremony, Pattie did a first look with her father and a first prayer with her soon-to-be husband. These proved to be some of her favorite memories, and Pattie said, “Having those moments before, I’ll never forget.”

There wasn’t a dry eye throughout the ceremony, which was at 4pm on the beach. After the ceremony, the couple hosted a champagne toast and took group photos with their bridal party on the beach while the rest of the guests attended a cocktail hour. At 6 they had their reception on the San Jose terrace at the resort, with ocean views. There were beautiful speeches, introductions for each member of the bridal party, a DJ and plated reception, and the first dances.

Looking Back

Pattie’s main advice is to not sweat the small stuff, as it felt silly once she was there and she saw how perfectly everything went. The wedding staff means it when they say they do this every day. They may not seem like their being hands-on, but truly it’s because it is second nature to them.