One thing about me is that I absolutely love to travel. When Amy and Jamie reached out about having me fly down to Mexico to create live guest sketches at their destination wedding, I was 100% on board! It was such a fun weekend filled with love and laughter in paradise! I’m so glad to share their incredible day with you. 

Amy and Jamie’s Mexico Destination Wedding 

Amy and Jamie knew from the start that they wanted a destination wedding in Mexico. Their blended family includes six kids (three from each side), and they’ve visited this resort on their family vacations. Between their love of the beach and the sentimental value the area holds, it was a no-brainer that they should say their vows here! They decided on Finest Playa Mujeres thanks to an amazing past visit, and I think they made a fantastic choice.  I absolutely LOVED this resort, and it would be amazing to go back one day.

The entire weekend was so beautiful. The resort itself was incredible, with delicious drinks, friendly staff, and gorgeous beach views. I truly felt like I was in paradise! Amy and Jamie started the weekend with an all-white welcome party, which was so much fun. I attended as a guest, and since they wanted to keep my illustrations a surprise until the wedding, I spent the evening chatting with guests who began taking guesses at my role! Many guessed dancing or singing, but they were pleasantly surprised to find out my real contribution to the wedding!

Personal Touches 

When planning their intimate destination wedding, Amy and Jamie knew they wanted to really personalize their wedding day. Even the smallest details were customized and well thought-out. Guests were welcomed to the resort with custom luggage tags, and custom shotglasses filled with tequila served as the escort cards! One of my favorite details was the cocktail napkins with their text conversations printed on them. And of course, I created a sketch of each guests’ outfit which served as both a fun activity and a wedding favor. 

Live Illustration with SamiaLynn Designs 

Jamie and Amy hired me for four hours of custom sketching, which was the perfect amount of time for their intimate wedding. They opted for hand-drawn sketches over digital illustrations, which always adds a fun personal flair. It was such a great day at Finest Playa Mujeres, and I’m so glad I got to enjoy it with them!

If you’re planning a destination wedding and want a unique, custom experience for your guests, let’s chat! I absolutely love visiting new places with my couples, and I would thrilled to be a part of your big day.

I’m probably one of the few people who look forward to destination weddings. I love to travel and usually just see it as an opportunity to go somewhere new and appreciate that I have friends who think the same way.

For the couple though, planning a wedding IN town can already be overwhelming so many don’t even want to consider elsewhere. Well, friends, it doesn’t have to be that way as long as you’re organized. First of all, you should be hiring a planner (we talked about that in a previous post) but I’ve also recruited destination planner Gabby Pinkerton from ‘Cause We Can Events to give ya’ll a few things to consider when you’re starting to plan your destination wedding:

1. Marriage licenses

Getting a marriage license in another country can be really hard! I always recommend having a legal ceremony back home and doing a fun ceremony abroad. If you don't want to tell your friends and family that it's not actually the "real ceremony" have your officiant bring their own made up marriage certificate. No one needs to know!

2. Plan for wrinkled clothing

I like to bring a portable steamer to help steam the wrinkles out of your dress, tux, jumpsuit, you name it!

3. Tipping protocol

Not every country tips (and some even consider it an insult)! Read up on local and cultural best practices when it comes to tipping your vendors. This also applies in the general sense that your country of choice should match your personal preferences

4. Sim cards and cell phone plans

Your current cell phone plan may not work abroad. Be sure to call your provider before leaving to choose a plan that works best for you for contacting your vendors and keeping guests in the loop. I also like to download WhatsApp so that I can "text" vendors over wifi instead of through my phone provider. It's free!

Gabby and her team are based in Nashville and are a full service wedding planning company. But they’re more than that, they’re here to make your adventurous wedding dreams come true. They keep it personal and unique to you and your S.O. (there’s a reason I like them so much!) so check them out at www.causewecanevents.com and view all the gorgeous photos on Instagram @causewecanevents.

Happy Planning!

Samantha Shammas, Author and Owner of SamiaLynn