Kathryn and Van met at a summer camp in Idaho where Kathryn spent a number of summers working when she was in school. Van's church in Minnesota happened to bring their group there for three summers in a row, and it took him all three to work up the courage to ask for Kathryn's phone number! Once he did, the rest was history for what would become a happy, long-distance relationship. Six months after Kathryn moved to Minnesota, they took a trip out to that same camp, and Van proposed on the same dock where they first met, followed by a surprise engagement party planned by friends and family.
Keep scrolling to see so many of the photos by Mycah Bain Photography of this special day at one of the prettiest all-inclusive resorts in Cancun, Mexico, featuring destination wedding planning assistance courtesy of Paradise Weddings. We promise you won't want to miss checking out more in the full gallery here!
Kathryn spent 8 years of her childhood in Oaxaca, Mexico, so when she and Van couldn't agree on a wedding location in the United States, Cancun was a natural fit! They reached out to destination wedding planners, Paradise Weddings, for help finding the perfect all-inclusive resort, which turned out to be Iberostar Paraiso Lindo. On their wedding day, both the bride and groom got ready in their rooms and took advantage of the room service beforehand. It was so easy to find gorgeous locations for photos because the hotel had such lovely courtyards and a wooden bridge enveloped with trees leading to the beach. The included shuttle service was also incredibly convenient for their guests and bridal party!
Throughout the entire event, the wedding coordinator and security team were so impressive that even the guests took note! They did an incredible job keeping people from walking through the event space both during and after the wedding, and even handed out champagne at the end of the ceremony. The reception was held inside at Iberostar with a beautiful water fountain as the backdrop. The music was so huge of a hit that some of the guests even forgot to leave the dance floor to get some of the delicious cake! Each seat included a little party favor shaped like a suitcase that held two Thai fortune cookies in a nod to Van's heritage. We'd be remiss not to mention the buffet, also, made of the most incredible Mexican food that appealed to every palette - even vegetarian and gluten-free!
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"My mother, Vici, was a huge part of the success of our wedding day, helping with planning and creating all of the floral arrangements. Our wedding coordinator at Iberostar (Yamileth), the whole wedding team (DJ & caterer) at Iberostar, Lucie from Paradise Weddings, and my incredible photographer Mycah Bain all helped make this day perfect! The photos turned out gorgeous, the food was spectacular, and the music was lively - our friends still talk about how amazing the day was!"
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