This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Debbie Ramirez always imagined getting married at Santa Clara Mission in California where she and her husband attended college; but after visiting the colorful town of Sayulita, she changed her mind.
“We fell in love with its vibe, food, and people,” Ramirez said.
Jodey, her now-husband, proposed during a sunset walk on the beach.
“Sayulita sunsets are magical! We walked on a quiet beach and he got on one knee to pop the question. I cried. It was beautiful. And obviously, I said YES,” Ramirez said.
Unlike the bride, the groom is not Mexican-American, but his family was completely on board with having a wedding south of the border.
“It was the first time his family visited Mexico. They all loved it and plan to visit again,” Ramirez said.
The bride and groom had a Catholic ceremony at a small church in the town’s plaza, Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.
“I have a huge family and invited between 400 to 500 people,” Ramirez said.
By the time the ceremony came around, 115 guests witnessed the couple exchange vows in the quaint and magical church.
shop glassware
“My favorite memory was seeing my fiancé at the altar waiting for me. The priest only spoke Spanish so Jodey said all his vows in Spanish,” Ramirez said.
There were pops of color in every single detail. The bride chose mustard yellow dresses for her bridesmaids and pink flowers for their bouquets.
“I chose that color with the help of my maid of honor. We were both considering the beautiful natural beach and jungle backdrops so we knew we had to choose a bright color to pop! I let my bridesmaids pick whatever style they wanted, although a lot of them struggled to find dresses,” Ramirez said.
The reception was held at Don Pedro’s Palapa where the bride incorporated more details to celebrate her Mexican heritage.
shop jewelry
Even the table numbers were inspired by her Mexican heritage.
“I struggled to find them, but I knew it would tie all the colors together and they would be the perfect touch to accomplish the look I wanted. I ordered them online and plan to use them for our address number at our house,“ Ramirez said.
shop candles
While the town is known for their colorful papel picado flags, they happened to be white on the day of their wedding.
“We got so lucky! We actually took a picture in that same spot when we got engaged,” Ramirez said.
Wedding Video
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Don Pedro’s Palapa
Catering: Don Pedro’s
Maracas: Vintage Baby Doll
Talavera Tiles: Tierra y Fuego
DJ: Rodolfo Palafox
Music: Mariachi Tierra Jalisciense
Videography: George Castro
Photography: Ave Sol Photography and Evgenia Kostiaeva Puerto Vallarta Photographers
Flowers: Flor Mimo
About the Author
Luisa Navarro
Mexican-American journalist, former national news producer, and graduate of Boston College and Columbia University School of Journalism. Her mission is to shed more light on the beauty and traditions of Mexican culture. This website is dedicated to her grandmothers, Tita Susana and Tita Lupita, who taught her to be proud of her heritage and to always remember where her ancestors came from.
Book a Free Travel Consultation
Mexico in My Pocket has just launched a new consultation service for anyone looking for some help planning their next Mexico vacation. Our goal is to create a custom itinerary that will give you incredible memories!
schedule your call today!
Leave a comment