Valentin Imperial Rivera Maya Wedding // Quintana Roo, Mexico

Be sure to read their story after the images.

Rachel and Vincent left The University of Scranton with far more than an education. They were lucky enough to find love in their freshman year dormitory, Casey Hall. After being introduced by Rachel’s roommate, she admits, “we very quickly became inseparable.”

From the day she said “yes!” these two were set on a destination wedding. Their shared passion for travel had taken them to Riviera Maya, Mexico in the past on a short vacation with family. When wedding planning began, they knew the Valentin Imperial Maya resort would make a perfect venue for the big day. Rachel had always imagined having an outdoor wedding reception and the Valentin Imperial Maya resort made those dreams come true.

Much of the preparation for their destination wedding took place back home in the States. Rachel’s stunning Maggie Sottero wedding gown was purchased at Formalities by Tracina Fisher in Bellefonte, PA with her mom and bridesmaids by her side. “They have so many beautiful dresses there and are so kind & helpful,” Rachel recalls, “I had such a fun day finding my dress there.”

The sweet bride that she is, Rachel wanted everyone in her wedding party to feel special on the big day. She bought slippers for her mother and mother-in-law to wear while getting ready and palm leaf robes for her bridesmaids.

“I chose to have my bridesmaids wear palm leaf robes to get ready in because I thought they were so cute & perfect for a tropical wedding location!”

Vincent’s groomsmen may not have had matching robes, but they also spent quality time together before the ceremony hanging by the pool and sharing a celebratory drink.

The ceremony was held in a gorgeous gazebo, surrounded by tropical greenery. In the moments just before the ceremony, Rachel was feeling a little nervous, but as she started down the aisle she looked up and made eye contact with Vincent.

“I kept my eyes on him as I walked down the aisle and felt immediately more calm and relaxed.”

Rachel’s favorite memory from her wedding day was when she and Vincent exchanged vows. The minister told them to “continue to inspire one another”.

The incredible outdoor reception was held at Las Fuentes, which looked absolutely magical at night with the bulb lights overhead and the dance floor all lit up. The happy couple walked in to “Marry You” by Bruno Mars and as they were walking down the path to the reception venue, they were met with the first surprise of the night: The fountains shooting up for a grand entrance! It was Rachel and Vincent’s first time seeing the reception area and it look so beautiful, everyone was cheering for them.

Vincent’s favorite part of the wedding day was his first dance with his new wife. As the romantic moment was coming to an end, fireworks suddenly shot up from the sides of the dance floor, catching everyone in awe again. Vincent said, “it was totally unexpected and made for a really neat memory.”

“At the end of the night, I remember feeling so happy” Rachel shared. As the DJ played “Closing Time” Rachel, Vincent, and almost every guest at the wedding were still tearing up the dance floor! Everyone looked like they were having such a fun time. People traveled from Pennsylvania, Arizona, California, Ohio, and more to be with Rachel and Vincent on their wedding day.

“It meant so much to us that so many people traveled all the way to Mexico for our wedding!”

Advice from Rachel to future brides:

The only advice I would share is to enjoy the wedding planning process, it goes by so quickly! I had so much fun planning our wedding. Other advice I would give is to try to just relax and enjoy your wedding day. During our wedding, a few things didn’t go quite as planned (the flowers were running late, my mom’s hair/makeup ran late etc.), but even though things didn’t go exactly as planned, we worked around it and still had so much fun! I wouldn’t change a single thing about our day and everyone had so much fun! The things that did go wrong are a good memory to look back on now.

CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE OTHER BRIDES PLANNING THEIR SPECIAL DAY! IT WILL BE WONDERFUL.

Venue: Valentin Imperial Rivera Maya

Travel Agent: L&S Travel

See Weddings from Central PA