A Colorful, Talavera-Inspired Vow Renewal at a Beach in Playa del Carmen, Mexico
When planning their vow renewal ceremony, Maura and Brandon quickly knew Mexico would be the perfect spot. They spent their first vacation together in the beautiful country, and have traveled there every year, especially loving the Riviera Maya area. The two first met over two decades ago at a restaurant in Santa Fe. After five years together, Brandon proposed, and their wedding was even featured in The Knot. Maura says, “We chose to renew our vows to celebrate what we have overcome together. It was so amazing having our sweet 3-year-old with us as well as our closest family and friends to witness our recommitment to each other.”
Inspired by Mexican talavera tiles for their vow renewal theme, the design could be seen throughout the decor, accents and even attire. They chose the Five Beaches Hotel in Playa del Carmen for their venue, a romantic beachfront venue with the tropical vibes they wanted. Shades of pink, blue, green and a sprinkle of vibrant hues like bright yellow and orange rounded out the decor, set against bamboo chairs and a unique wooden arbor for their vows. The blues matched the talavera design, but also were a fitting choice for the crystal blue waters of the nearby sea and the wedding day attire.
“For my dress, since it was a vow renewal, I wanted to wear something unique. I found the most beautiful embroidered floral dress that matched the tropical vibe and had the pretty blue in it that matched the invitations, flower girl dress and my shoes,” Maura says of her look. Her and Brandon’s daughter wore a blue tulle embroidered dress with flowers, matching the bride. And Brandon had a touch of blue with his tan linen suit and a light blue undershirt. Maura paired her gown with earrings from her mom, a cluster of opals and aquamarines, her husband's and daughter’s birthstones, respectively.
The bride also carried a tropical bouquet to match the blooms throughout the space, with a giant monstera leaf, pink anthuriums, garden roses and clusters of small orange flowers. This display, along with yellow roses, was part of their aisle decor, arbor and reception arrangements. Maura says, “Large hanging lobster claws hung at the ceremony space of the large wooden arbor and decorated the end of the aisles as well as pink ginger and tropical palm leaves.” The space, with views of the sea and hanging palm trees as its canopy, had bamboo chairs for the guests to match the arbor. “Nothing was DIY as the venue was beautiful enough,” Maura adds of their simple decor.
Before the ceremony, the couple made a change from their wedding day by incorporating a first look, with a twist. “I really loved doing a first look with our daughter,” Maura says. “It seriously was such a special moment.” Taking photos together before the ceremony and spending time as a family helped to quell her regrets of not doing a first look all those years ago. “It took away so many jitters and made the day just that much more enjoyable and meaningful,” she adds. Reading their handwritten vows while their daughter stood beside them made for a touching memory as they celebrated their love for each other and the life they’ve built.
After their vow renewal, guests were treated to an intimate reception under string lights with a rooftop view of the beach. The rooftop venue was decorated with blue glassware, a table runner of even more vibrant flowers and plenty of candles. Atop the rattan chargers was a special surprise for their loved ones. “We had little alebrije wooden figures at each seat for our guests as favors, along with their name cards done by our invitation designer with a beautiful hand-drawn talavera watercolor,” says the bride.
This sunset dinner was one of the couple’s favorite parts of the day, and the menu had many local favorites. Maura says, “We had fun signature drinks such as a pink margarita as well as delicious appetizers reflecting Mexico, empanadas, tacos and for dessert, a churro cart!” The intimate celebration was reminiscent of the couple’s weekly date night, which they say has strengthened their marriage over the years. “It also is a wonderful time to discuss the highs of our week and celebrate [our] wins together,” Maura says. “Life moves so fast, and taking the time to spend together just talking and not doing anything else is the best thing we could do for our marriage.”
Because of this constant communication and building a connection after over a decade together, Brandon and Maura felt like their vow renewal fixed some of the issues of their initial wedding day. They say, “I wish we did [our weekly talks] during the planning of our wedding. I think it really would have helped with the stress of planning such a massive event! Planning our vow renewal was completely stress-free for this reason.” So for any to-be-weds in the throes of wedding planning or couples looking to renew their vows, Maura and Brandon highly recommend taking moments to check in with one another, make space for romance and not get caught up in the everyday hustle and bustle. After all, your wedding day will go just as quickly, so enjoy every minute.