This Colombian destination wedding was full of glamorous elements. For Maria Paula and Andres, Cartagena was their choice for a magical wedding.  There is so much romance in the city of Cartagena– cobblestone streets, twinkling lights, horse-drawn carriages, interesting architecture, vibrant culture – making for a stunning backdrop for the perfect big day. From the get-go, their vision was very clear.  The couple wanted the guest list to be small and make sure the wedding felt intimate and romantic. They wanted their wedding to be the embodiment of Glamour but wanted their day to be a whirlwind of love that allowed their nearest and dearest a glimpse into their view of decadent beauty. To do so we brought on board the help of Designer Gilma de Santos, a designer from Barranquilla, Colombia who we had the opportunity to work with in the past. Her design style is elegant in every sense. We knew that with her help we could transform the Regency Hyatt ballroom to a new level. The couple chose to decorate their venues with crystals, and light tones of white and touches of light peach to reflect their love of nature, yet weren’t afraid to glam it up with luxe tablescapes.

The celebration started the night before where he couple invited all their get to drinks at a welcome party on the terrace of the Movich Hotel, which offers one of the best views the city of Cartagena has to offer.

The couple chose to exchange vows with a catholic wedding ceremony at Santo Toribio Church within the old city walls of the Historic destination.  The bride walked down the aisle to the sound of violins. The massive colonial gilded alter was the perfect backdrop for the couple to give their “I Do’s.” After the ceremony, their guests were escorted to buses by dancers that took them to the venue and were treated with liquor spiked pop sickles, which was a fun way to give a start to the celebrations.  

Once at the hotel, the festivities started with a cocktail hour.  Afterward, guests were escorted to the main Ballroom that had been completely transformed by the crystals hanging ceiling and the stunning florals tapestries on the walls and tall centerpieces. We love how the couple integrated touches of glam, vintage decor that Designer Gilma de Santos was able to produce with the help of the use of mirror overlays on the tables. In order to bring a surprise element to the design, the printed menus had tropical details as a reminder of the tropical context of the city they choose to marry. 

Once the party started, Javier Barrera Band made sure to entertain their guest to an unforgettable party.  One set was dedicated to the local popular  rhythm of “Champeta.” Guests were given neon baseball caps that invited them to play the part of “Champeta Dancers.” 

Photographer Matt Fotografia captured every stunning moment of Maia Paula and Andres’s wedding!

The Wedding Team:

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Photographer and Videographer: Matt Photography @mattfotografi

Event Planning – Team Bride Destination Wedding Planners @teambridedwp

Ceremony Venue – Sanyo Toribio Church (https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/1023930950/santo-toribio/)

Reception Venue – Hyatt Regency Cartagena @hyattcartagena

Floral Design – Gilma de Santos @gilmadesantos

Church Florals: Vivaflor Eventos @vivaflor_eventos

Lighting and Sound Production: Playa Producciones @playaproducciones

DJ- DJ Camilo Hernandez @camilohdez

Church Music: Nelson Gomez Production @nelsongomezmusic

Band: Javier Barrera Producciones @javierbarreraproducciones

Procession Band: Soneros de Cartagena @jhovannys_gusman

Rentals: Alcira de Guevara Rentals @alciradeguevara, Adriana Santos Mora Rentals @adrianasantoseventos

Wedding Cake: Ideas Dulces de Elsy Salgado de Figueroa @elsydefigueroa

Pop Sickles:  Chocolato Pop Bar @alacartabaq

Makeup & Hair Artist – Portada Peluqueria @portadapeluqueeria

Sitter Service: Cartagennany @cartagennany

Hotel Movich Cartagena @movichhotels