In July 2023, we decided to splurge on a destination elopement on a chateau in the wine region of Quebec. It was a magical fairytale experience. However, when we arrived back in Puerto Vallarta, we felt as if something was missing… that something was celebrating this huge step with all of our friends and family. On the same token, we didn’t want to plan or finance another wedding. We knew we wanted to celebrate and spend quality time with our loved ones, and that was the most important thing (not opulent decor or lighting effects). So, we chose to plan an intimate dinner party in Puerto Vallarta as a way to celebrate our marriage with our closest friends.
When searching for venues, our top three choices were Tierra Tropical Beach Club, Tonati Beach Club, and Terra Noble. Tierra Tropical Beach Club quoted us $245 USD per person for a 3-course meal and 6 hours of open bar plus a fee of $11,000 USD for privatizing the place if there were 30 to 49 people. With an expected guest list of 40 people, this would run us $9,800 for food and drinks plus $11,000 to rent the entire space for a total of $20,800 USD. Next, Tonati Beach Club quoted us $4,000 USD which included the venue, a buffet-style dinner and open bar for 40 people, and waiters and bartenders. Finally, Terra Noble quoted us $4,907 USD for the venue, furniture, and food for 40 people.
In the end, we chose Terra Noble because of its unique appeal. We wanted a space in the middle of nature, surrounded by the jungle, which also had an airy, open feel. Terra Noble offered the best of both worlds. However, we opted to arrange everything ourselves since we already have relationships with many wedding vendors. We paid $1,725 USD (a steal) for the beautiful Terra Noble terrace and began building our dream team.
We hired our team from Chas Studios for photography. Minerva, one of our company’s photographers, arrived in the afternoon to capture some shots of my friends and me getting ready in the bridal suite and the reception setup. She stayed until around midnight after photographing the bouquet toss and dancing. In total, she was there for six hours. I love Minerva. She is sweet, quiet, and blended into the party seamlessly. I only realized she was there twice when she needed to jump in and orchestrate a phenomenal photo opportunity, which I loved because it showed initiative when needed.
We wanted a spiritual ceremony so we chose Tonatiuh Garcia Mendez from Native Ceremonies. Diego had worked with him at one of the very first weddings he photographed in Puerto Vallarta years ago. A Native Wedding Ceremony is a spiritual event based on Native American traditions and symbolizes the union of day and night, sun and moon, earth and sun, male and female, the duality of the universe coming together as one and a true reflection of a couple’s inner spirituality and beliefs. With friends and family at Terra Noble’s terrace overlooking Banderas Bay, Tonatiuh guided us through a beautiful 30-minute ceremony. It was one of my favorite moments of the whole night.
We hired Massi from Cosmica Cocina to create a custom menu for our wedding, which he did perfectly. He crafted appetizers (dips and pita bread) followed by the main course (vegetarian lasagne and meat and potato casserole) and dessert (chocolate mouse). He also made tacos for the guests around 11 pm so everyone wouldn’t get too sauced with the open bar. Speaking of the bar, Massi brought two of his bartenders who crafted some of the most delicious tequila cocktails I’ve ever had.
Terra Noble suggested DJ Mau Remus for our wedding. We sent him a Cumbia and Samba-inspired playlist that played for most of the night. The remaining time was filled with songs requested by our friends. In hindsight, I wish we had also hired a live band. I found Roda De Samba, an 8-person group from San Pancho, and their lively samba could have added incredible energy to the party.
CONCLUSIONS
The highlights? Terra Noble was such a beautiful and special place and the fact that they charged $1,725 USD to rent the entire space was a steal. I was also really happy with our officiant. I didn’t realize how large a role he or she plays in the wedding. He set the tone for the entire ceremony as he guided Diego, me, and our guests through a beautiful 30-minute spiritual ceremony overlooking the Banderas Bay. He was kind, gentle, funny (but didn’t try too hard to be!), and friendly with everyone.
The regrets? I’m not one to regret many things, but I wish we would have done two things differently: 1) Hired a live band. Music is such an essential part of the wedding as it keeps the energy alive, and having a live band would have added an energetic element. 2) Bought more flowers. Terra Noble is naturally beautiful, however, there were some bare areas that I wish we would have decorated better to add a beautiful aesthetic (for the guests and the photos).
In the end, I feel very grateful to our wedding team who put in a phenomenal amount of effort, and it felt special to work with people who had been in our social and professional circles for some time, such as Massi from our favorite local restaurant and Minerva from our photography team. But I was the most grateful for my husband Diego, who had taken the entire planning process into his own hands and pulled off such a stunning event. Thank you, my love!
To see photos of our wedding, head over to my personal Instagram @taylormarci and don’t forget to say hi!
