Elegant and Intimate Destination Wedding in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

The most elegant and intimate destination wedding in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. #AnnaliseRealBride Mia and Derek tied the knot at the beautiful Rancho Shibumi, a stunning family owned ranch right where the desert meets the Pacific ocean. 

Finding a venue for a Wedding in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

“Looking for a venue was the hardest decision for me” said Mia. She wanted a place that felt unique, special and different from other weddings. When she saw this venue on Instagram she immediately fell in love. Then, when she heard their story she knew this was the place for them. “We booked sight unseen and it ended up being the best decision.” 

Trying on Made With Love wedding dresses

Similar to her venue searching experience, Mia also fell in love with her dress before seeing it on. She had planned a whole day of shopping in Washington DC with her mom, sister, mother-in-law and sister-in-law, right as Made With Love announced the ‘Hendrix’ dress. Though she had a wonderful experience dress shopping in DC, she left without a dress. She knew she couldn’t decide until trying the Hendrix. That’s when she called us to see if we had it and we said we would contact her when we got ours in! 

“When it arrived they were able to squeeze me into an appointment and when I put it on I immediately knew it was the one. Ironic that I drove all the way to DC to buy my dress at Annalise, which is 15 minutes from me!”

Planning a Cabo San Lucas Destination Wedding

The couple was originally very nervous to tell their parents that they were doing a destination wedding, but they were so excited and supportive! “It was originally hard to find out that some people wouldn’t be able to make it but being surrounded by the group that made the trip for us made us realize the amazing people we are lucky to have in our lives. Everyone that came truly embraced the vacation and were happy to be there.” They had 3 long tables for dinner which made the night feel so intimate just like they wanted. “I think we were most drawn to a destination wedding because we truly wanted to spend quality time with all our favorite people over a weekend instead of just a day or hours and that’s exactly what we got to do, it was a plus that it was in a beautiful place!”

The Most Elegant and Intimate Welcome Party

To make the wedding weekend even more special, they had their welcome party on a sunset  yacht cruise. I mean these pictures look straight out of Vogue Wedding Magazine! They had a nice dinner and drinks to kick off the wedding. “We didn’t want the night to end but it made us all so excited for the wedding!”

Mia’s Favorite Memories from the Big Day

We asked Mia about some of her best memories from the big day. She said “this is so hard because truly everything felt perfect. All the little details to the big details and everything in between.” The whole day felt so peaceful and intimate. She is so happy for the quality time she got to spend with her mom, mother-in-law and best friends the morning of the wedding. It was “the most magical day marrying my best friend. Derek and I have been together since senior year of high school, 10 years, so each guest had an influence on us individually and more importantly as a couple. We also read our personal vows in front of everyone at the ceremony. It made it feel so intimate and I am so glad we did.”

Her one regret from the big day was not hiring a videographer. She had the amazing idea of bringing a camcorder to have their friends take turns filming the whole weekend and special moments at the wedding! “We wanted something that felt warm like a home video. The camcorder has amazing footage but there is nothing like a wedding video made by a professional.” Although they haven’t had a chance to make something with the camcorder videos yet, so “maybe my mind will change.” 

Advice for Future Brides

Mia’s advice for anyone thinking about planning a destination wedding is to “DO IT!” The people who do make the trip for you just make the day feel that much more special. Obviously it is a bit stressful planning a destination wedding. Everything is out of your control, but hiring a planner is worth it! “Find a planner you trust and at the end of the day make decisions that are going to make you and your partner happy.”

As always, remember to “Soak in all the moments and make sure to enjoy the party!”

By: Kennedy Williams

Couple: Mia & Derek Linder / Dress Designer: Made With Love Bridal / Photography: Erica Serrano Photography / Venue: Rancho Shibumi/ Planning: Pau Smith Events / Florals: Emporio Arte Floral  / Makeup: Enrique MUA / DJ: Andres Chazaro  / Rentals: Rancho Shibumi / Bridesmaids Dresses: Show me your mu mu / Alterations: AG Alterations