A Three-Day Destination Wedding at Viñedo San Francisco, San Miguel de Allende | Kelly & Marlon
Kelly is Mexican, Marlon is German, and they both live in New York. For their wedding they brought both families together in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and put together three full days: a Thursday welcome with tacos and mezcal, a Friday of golf with alebrije trophies, and a Saturday with a ceremony wrapped in the traditional lazo and a party that did not stop until late. Here is how the three days went.
Thursday: the welcome at Zumo and a session in town
The two families met each other over tacos al pastor and cocktails at Zumo, with the generations mixing at every table. Later Kelly and Marlon slipped away to the cobblestone alleys of San Miguel at blue hour for a quiet session: an orange wall that wrapped around them completely, a kiss in an alley, the domes of the town lit up pink behind them.
Friday: golf, alebrijes and golden hour at the vineyard
Friday was for Barranca de Fuego: a long table lunch under a mesquite tree, a golf tournament for the wedding party and an award ceremony where Marlon got his own hand-carved alebrije trophy to a round of applause. When the light dropped, the couple walked through the vineyard.
Saturday: getting ready and the moment with her dad
Saturday started slow: the dress hanging at the end of the pergola walkway in the morning light, the amaranth installation coming together over the reception tables, Marlon adjusting his bow tie on the edge of the bed while his groomsmen toasted with beer nearby. Then came the quietest and biggest moment of the day: Kelly’s dad saw her in her dress for the first time, and his face broke before hers did.
The ceremony
The ceremony was at Viñedo San Francisco, under a big tree. Her dad, the bride and the flower girl walked down the pergola walkway together, and there he gave Kelly’s hand to Marlon. The ceremony included the traditional Mexican lazo placed over the two of them. At the end they kissed as husband and wife, with confetti falling through the trees.
Portraits and golden hour
After the ceremony we did the couple photos in the pergola walkway and in the vineyard at golden hour. That is where Kelly’s veil lifted in the wind.
The reception
Dinner was under a hanging ceiling of amaranth, lights and blush curtains, with the tent glowing against the dark while the guests walked the lit path in. A first dance that lifted Kelly off the floor, and a father-daughter dance that ended with her dad, eyes closed, mid-hug.
The party
That is when the party opened up: sparklers at the entrance, the whole room singing with their arms up, Kelly carried above the crowd by the wedding party. Late in the night, Marlon poured shots straight from the bottle for the line of guests waiting for him, and Kelly closed the night tossing the bouquet under the amaranth chandelier.
Kelly and Marlon, thank you for letting me be part of these three days.
I’m Fernando Ruiz, a destination wedding photographer in Guanajuato, Mexico. If you are planning your wedding, here or anywhere else, I’d be happy to talk.
Credits. Photography and video: Fernando Ruiz Photography · Venues: Zumo (Thursday) · Barranca de Fuego (Friday) · Viñedo San Francisco (Saturday), San Miguel de Allende · Planning: Solei · Flowers: Paulina López (@quimerapl)
