A Vibrant Mexican-Themed Wedding at the Belmont Hotel in Dallas, Texas

Using a colorful Mexican blanket for inspiration, Viviana Belmares (24 and a textile designer) and Dustin McKay (25 and a fire systems inspector) blended her Hispanic heritage and the couple’s love of Texas for a vibrant “Texican” theme. The outdoor celebration at the Belmont Hotel in Dallas, Texas, included a number of details, including custom-designed wedding bands (Viviana's was a pairing of their birthstones; Dustin's combined bronze with Osage orange), the bride in a custom gown that she helped create, the groomsmen walking down the aisle to the “Imperial March” from "Star Wars," bridesmaids walking down to “Concerning Hobbits” from "The Lord of the Rings," an altar bench handcrafted by the bride's father (used during Communion), terra-cotta pots filled with flowers, custom papel picado flags, bride and groom figurine favors made by the bride’s aunt, Mexican blanket table runners and personalized wooden Texas-shaped magnets. Rather than a unity candle, the couple invited their families to the altar to pray over them. “Our families have always been important to us and play a strong role in our lives,” Viviana says. “This allowed us to incorporate more of our family and share this special moment together.” After a heartfelt ceremony, guests moved to the cocktail hour for strawberry-basil and lavender-blueberry lemonades with croquettes before dining on a brunch catered by Smoke Dallas. “It was to die for,” Viviana says. “Everyone talked to us about it after the wedding—and they still do.” The brunch lineup included pancakes, frittatas, thick-cut bacon and smoked ham. For dessert? Wedding cake and ice pops. “What’s better than ice pops in summer,” Viviana says. The celebration was a true reflection of the couple's love for Mexico, Texas and each other. Even their first-dance song, “El Paso” by Marty Robbins, reflected their theme. “We have always loved this song,” Viviana says. “It tells a tale about a cowboy falling in love with a Mexican maiden. It seemed to fit us well.” —Chrissy Sorenson