Destination Wedding Planner Andrea Eppolito. Image by The Times We Have.

On Halloween 2009, a seer told Ali Megan Murray, a hotel executive, that she would meet a man who would be her partner for life.  Months later, Ali met Nate while they were both working at the Treasure Island Las Vegas.  Ali, a wedding specialist at the time, was drawn to Chef Nate’s love of food, travel, and adventure.  Together, they built a life as they grew their careers side by side while traveling the world.  

After almost 10 years together, Nate proposed to Ali in the garden of a French Chateau while traveling through Europe with her family.  He presented her with a stunning 6 carat black diamond set in rose gold that he had painstakingly designed himself.  Having lost track of time while on vacation, they only realized later that they had become engaged on Halloween.

With the stars aligned and in honor of the history attached to Halloween, they began planning their destination wedding in one of their most beloved locations - Bruma Vineyards in Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico.  Given that Ali and Nate both work in hospitality (Ali is the Director of Sales for the Waldorf Astoria, and Nate is the Executive Chef at ARIA Las Vegas) they knew that they wanted something cozy and intimate.  They bought out the villas and the rooms to ensure absolute privacy, and created a once in a lifetime getaway for their immediate family.  

Having their location firmly set, Ali set off on her dress search.  She knew she wanted something sophisticated and timeless, with a boho-chic feel that would compliment the natural aesthetic of the venue.  She traveled across the country, visiting numerous bridal salons, until she put on a stunning Naeem dress at Saks 5th Avenue in New York.  With a soft nude liner, open back, and intricate bead work, the dress spoke to her desire to be both timely and timeless as she walked down the aisle.  She selected jewel-encrusted shoes from Caovilla that wrapped up her ankles, and asked that he guests wore colors of blues, burnt orange, and browns to compliment the desert landscape and stunning skyline.

Towering at well over 6 feet tall, dressing our dashing groom was truly a tall order. His deep blue suit was hand-crafted at STITCHED, and the men in the family complimented him in shades of greys and blue.

After years of watching the behind-the-scenes productions of other couples, Ali and Nate knew that they wanted to keep the design of their wedding incredibly clean and streamlined.  Having dealt with numerous Covid-19 restrictions at home, and in an effort to minimize interactions with those outside of their immediate family, we decided to work with the beautiful details that the resort made available to us.  The existing foliage and desert landscaping - complete with a trellis wrapped in wildflowers and twine - provided a lush aisle for Ali to walk down.  The ceremony was set against the expansive sky that hovered just above the water.  To personalize the experience, Ali and Nate took great care to include heirloom items that have been passed down from generation to generation. The ring pillow had been handmade by the bride’s great grandmother, and the groom’s mother wore a beautiful suit that her own mother had previously worn. The bride's brother wore their maternal grandmother's lapel pin, and photos of great grandparents and a gold cross were pinned inside the Bride's dress.  But perhaps the most meaningful touch were the couples two nieces and nephews who officiated the wedding with vows that a couple of themselves.

Given that the landscape and the natural beauty of Bruma were what attracted Ali and Nate to Villa de Guadalupe, they wanted to take full advantage of the ground for their couple’s portraits.

For dinner, the newlyweds and their guests retreated to Chef David Castro Hussong’s restaurant, Fauna.  They entered through massive doors or reclaimed wood that were simply accented with bowls of bright orange flowers.  Inside, they set one long chef’s table beneath a string of black teardrop lights installed to look like floating candles.  Chairs finished in dark espresso leather-lined each side of the table.  Round, rattan placemats topped with hand-forged brown bowls and raw-edged coffee-colored napkins awaited the first course, which buckets of local wines and champagnes waited on the side.  Outside, the petrified tree was uplit in a dramatic shade of red - adding romance to the view and reflecting in the pool of water that sat before it. 

The dinner and revelry lasted for hours, as course after course was presented with unique wines and cocktails.  Grandparents joined virtually and by phone, and the couple was afforded the unique opportunity to spend dedicated time relaxing with and talking to each one of their treasured guests. 

There's been a lot of talk this year about whether or not weddings are going to be a thing of the past. While our gatherings and our celebrations certainly look different than they did in 2019, this wedding is proof that love always wins, and that you can create beautiful moments and memories with those you love as you celebrate the next stage of your life.

I cannot thank Ali and Nate enough for allowing me to go on this journey with them.  And to the creatives domestic and abroad that came together to help Ali and Nate celebrate their wedding in style, our never-ending appreciation. 

Always…a