I have nothing but admiration for the Real Housewives of Toronto star and the founder of the #MySizeRoxy movement, Roxy Earle and I’m fortunate to say we are now good friends. Roxy and Raghu are one of the most hard-working, professional and kind-hearted people I’ve met. When they invited the team at Mango Studios to photograph their destination wedding in Mexico, I was all in! I was especially excited to learn the fabulous Melissa Andre was going to plan and design their wedding at the Belmond Maroma Resort & Spa in Mexico. Needless to say, this Mexican wedding is one of my all-time favorites.
When it comes to destination weddings, there’s one thing I keep in mind. Destination wedding photography is not only about photographing the special moments but to also capture the beauty of time and place. So when it came to Roxy and Raghu’s wedding photos, I chose to use the locations that emphasize texture and atmosphere. It’s not just sand or palm trees that make Mexico so beautiful for destination weddings.
Although it rained the whole day on Roxy and Raghu’s wedding, I believe it only added a certain charm to their photos. Notice how the textures and colors of the greenery appear so rich and deep, you can almost feel the fresh breezy air of Cancun. The photos turned out so crisp because of the rain.
The couple took over the Belmond Maroma Resort & Spa in Playa del Carmen for four days allowing Melissa Andre and her team to transform the already lush and exotic hotel into a glamorous celebration, not typical of a destination wedding. “People think casual when you say your getting married in Mexico, but we love glamorous entertaining and travel, so our wedding reflected that,” said Roxy.
The ceremony took place outside in the courtyard, perfectly tucked away in a peaceful and tranquil rotunda of trees. The couple exchanged their vows under the soft fluttering of palm leaves, with a subtle tapping of the rain upon the covered aisle and hanging white flowers. Special details included the custom-made glass aisle floating above the fountain, chandeliers hanging from palm trees and buckets of cascading white roses lining the length of the aisle. Roxy was absolutely breathtaking in her Vera Wang dress and a jewel-worthy fresh orchid headpiece.
The fairy-tale like evening was filled with heartwarming stories, laughter and cheering for the newlyweds. The reception featured more than 50,000 roses that filled every inch of the reception room, flown in especially for the location. “I was speechless when I took in the smell and sight of all those roses, I was speechless and I just began to cry,” said Roxy.
The wedding focused on giving guests the most romantic night the couple could dream up. “As travel is such a huge part of our lives, we wanted guests to experience the refined Mexican luxury that made Belmond Maroma one of our favorite hotels in the world. We wanted guests to experience a place so special to us” said the groom. Melissa Andre and her team worked their magic and transformed the space into a glamorous affair, a perfect fit for a stylish Real Housewives of Toronto star. The décor celebrated the lush and romantic setting of the hotel, the entire property lit by candles the night of the wedding and roses were everywhere. The reception room was open to the ocean so the breeze and floral scents mixed with candlelight made for an incredible ambiance. No detail was overlooked, even the morning of the wedding all guest received a ‘message in a bottle’ within seashells that informed them of their table number. The table settings featured personalized monogrammed napkins with the guests’ initials to indicate their seat.
A five-course gourmet Mexican meal featured lobsters caught that morning and a beautiful dessert tray inspired by old world elegance. Grammy-winning artist, Skylar Gray was brought in to serenade the couple with her rendition of Thank You by Led Zeppelin. Guests danced the night away to tunes from hometown celebrity producer DJ Boi1da. This rose-infused wedding capped off with guests sipping rosé and dancing long into the hours of the morning.
Roxy and Raghu, thank you for taking care of us. I hope you are having a time of your life as husband and wife!
As seen in Style Me Pretty
Photography: Mango Studios
Planner & decor: Melissa Andre Events
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