This Couple's Destination Wedding Embraced a Traditional Mexican Style with Modern Touches

Tracy, right, is a chef and the owner of a catering company, and when Alex applied for an account manager position at his company, he hired him right away. Their working relationship turned into something more at the end of 2016. "You couldn't say it was love at first sight, but our love and respect for one another has grown stronger and deeper every day," Tracy says.

In October 2019, the couple traveled to Las Vegas with some friends for a Lady Gaga concert (she is Alex's favorite performer). To add to the excitement, Tracy planned a surprise proposal before the show. He arranged to have the pool at their hotel closed down and convinced Alex to head back there by telling him there was a free open bar. Alex, worried about being late for the concert, reluctantly agreed to head down to the water for a sunset swim and a drink. In the shallow end of the pool, Tracy got down on one knee and proposed with a white gold Cartier love bracelet, a piece of jewelry Alex had been eyeing for some time. The couple's friends captured the moment on film and they all shared a bottle of vintage Champagne to celebrate—before heading to the Gaga concert, of course.

While planning their nuptials, the couple fell in love with the view at Casa Angelina in Playa La Ropa, Zihuatanejo, Mexico, and decided to invite 30 guests there for a week of wedding festivities. "Being in the events industry and seeing countless large, over-the-top weddings, we always imagined a more intimate reception," Tracy says. He worked closely with Vanessa Noel Events to plan a cocktail party, welcome dinner, rehearsal dinner, ceremony and reception, and post-wedding brunch, plus an afternoon of relay races. The theme of the February 6, 2020, event was masculine, modern Mexico, complete with a color palette of black, slate blue, walnut, camel, caramel, olive green, sand, and terra-cotta.

Watch Tracy and Alex's wedding video by I Heart Creative.

The couple tapped Fete and Quill to create a logo they displayed on their save-the-dates and day-of stationery. They chose black stock paper and bold white fonts to give their invitations a modern, formal feel. Olive colored booklets detailing the week's activities and RSVP information were finished with locally-sourced bark paper and black thread. "Working in the California wedding industry, we wanted to be sure our celebration wasn't just a one-day event, but spread out over multiple days so we could spend quality time with the people we love," Tracy says.

Tracy and Alex filled welcome bags for their guests with a variety of items, including hand sanitizer, sunscreen, and blankets. "We thought about practicality (referring to things we wished we'd brought with us on our scouting trip—like our own tumblers) and items that would get guests pumped for the week-long party to come," Alex says. The couple commissioned their friend, artist Joshua Smith, to create a watercolor painting of the venue, which was included on the save-the-dates and tied to the totes.

The couple's vision was to host a week of hand-selected experiences alongside their closest family and friends. The celebration kicked off with a tapas and cocktail reception at the Thompson, where many of the guests were staying. The following night, the couple hosted a welcome dinner on the beach with live music. For the rehearsal? They rented a catamaran for a sunset sail down the coast, and insisted guests dress to impress with a "yacht" theme. "Outfit themes were very important to Tracy," Alex notes. The couple's planner, Vanessa Noel Events, teamed up with a local coordinator, Jennifer Jaimes, to pull off all the details.

Tracy initially wanted to go the custom route for his suiting, but in the end, he and Alex decided to rent tuxedos from The Black Tux and use the residual budget toward pieces they hope to pass down to their children. Their rentals didn't disappoint: Tracy looked timeless in a black wool peak lapel tuxedo paired with a white button down shirt, black satin bow tie, and suspenders.

He completed his big-day look with a Tom Ford stainless steel watch with a black alligator strap, a yellow gold Cartier bracelet, and Hugo Boss Oxford shoes.

Alex donned a black velvet jacket paired with a white button down shirt, gingham pants, silver cuff links, and a black knitted bow tie.

He finished his ensemble with the white gold Cartier love bracelet Tracy proposed to him with, along with his wedding band—a yellow gold Cartier love ring to match Tracy's bracelet.

Tracy and Alex chose to host the main event at Casa Angelina in Playa La Ropa, Zihuatanejo, Mexico. "The view was breathtaking and made you feel like you were on the top of the world," Tracy says. The couple was able to host some of their guests in bungalows on-site. "As a thank you for making the trip, we really wanted to provide accommodations for as many of our guests as possible, while also providing five-star amenities," he adds.

Instead of a first look, Tracy and Alex decided to help each into their ensembles. "We get ready alongside each other every day and didn't want to fabricate a moment, so we chose to document it in the most authentic way possible!" Tracy says.

The ceremony took place in the garden, where modern wooden chairs were set up for guests. When the couple visited Mexico four months before the wedding to finalize some details, they stumbled across a musician named Parisa Shahmir and asked her to play on the big day. She strummed the guitar and sang during the ceremony and cocktail hour.

Two tall, textural floral arrangements framed Tracy and Alex at the altar. The couple's florist, Floweriize, used white spirea, greenery, and dried materials to help the broken arch blend naturally with the palms and tropical foliage in the garden.

As the service began, the grooms made their way down the aisle together. Alex's brother officiated the ceremony, during which Tracy and Alex exchanged promises they wrote themselves. "The vows were incredibly personal and resonated with every one of the 30 guests present," Alex says. "The size of the group really ensured that everyone understood the inside jokes and history of the stories told."

During the cocktail hour, Tracy and Alex served a collection of margaritas, mezcalinas (margaritas made with mezcal), local beers, and specialty cocktails, including the "Mal de Ojo," made with grapefruit, basil, and mezcal. Guests also snacked on appetizers including tiritas (a traditional ceviche of Zihuatanejo), mini cheese tomatillos with squash blossoms, and lettuce rolled carne asada tacos.

Although the couple took a few family photos after the ceremony, they planned to take the majority of their photos before the ceremony so that they wouldn't miss the interlude. "As a caterer, we see so many of our clients miss out on this part of the day, so it was very important for us to not make that mistake," Tracy says.

Table assignments were printed on scrolls with fringed edges; they were hung from driftwood and embellished with candles and textural flower arrangements.

The newlyweds' reception took place poolside, where guests took in stunning views of the surrounding landscape. All attendees sat at one long, black-topped table sectioned by numbers and surrounded with wooden chairs. Tracy and Alex hung metal star pendants overhead and floated florals and candles in the pool for a soft touch.

Alex and Tracy skipped linens—to show off the unique black tabletop—and culled settings with wooden chargers, black flatware, inky tapers, and a mix of wooden and charcoal candle holders. The couple used bark paper for numbered table sections and selected slate blue napkins as a nod to the invitation suite. Floral arrangements varied in size, height, and design, but each centerpiece featured flowers in blush, white, and shades of burgundy with dried elements for texture.

Food was a top priority to these grooms, who both work at Tracy's catering company. They hired Angustina to cater the elevated three-course meal that started with sesame crusted shrimp, followed by pork belly tacos with garlic confit and pickled relish, and finished with a lobster chili relleno and hibiscus and pepper crusted filet mignon. The couple also offered a churro station for late-night dessert.

Tracy and Alex shared their first dance to Taylor Swift's "Lover" at sunset.

The couple sealed the deal by jumping into the pool together!

The next morning, the newlyweds hosted a brunch at the wedding venue and asked their guests to dress in white. After breakfast, two of the couple's friends put together a day of "wedding games," where each groom led a team through relay races.

To couple's currently planning an international wedding, Tracy and Alex have some practical advice— notify your bank! Their account froze right before the big day. "Letting our bank know we were planning an international event in advance would have been great, as they will walk you through how to do it right the first time!" Tracy says. The couple's business picked up for wedding season when they returned to the States, but they're planning a one-year anniversary trip to Switzerland as a delayed honeymoon.

Photography, Anna Delores Photography
Videography, I Heart Creative
Venue, Casa Angelina
Wedding Planning and Event Design, Vanessa Noel Events
Event Coordination and Transportation, Jennifer Jaimes
Flowers, Floweriize
Invitations and Paper Products, Fete & Quill
Menswear, The Black Tux
Tracy's Accessories, Tom Ford; Hugo Boss; Cartier
Alex's Bracelet and Wedding Band, Cartier
Catering, Angustina
DJ and Lighting, Ibiza Audio Ixtapa
Rentals, Warehouse Rentals Guanajuato