WEDDING IDEAS

The beachside ceremony, which began at sunset, uniquely blended the couple‘s different religious backgrounds. They incorporated a huppah, ketubah, and the breaking of the glass in honor of Preston‘s Jewish heritage, while a processional to "Ave Maria" was used to tribute Teresa’s Hispanic/Catholic roots. Teresa‘s godparents also encircled the couple with a lasso as a symbol of their union and Preston presented Teresa with 13 gold coins, or arras, as a symbol of trust. "Our families were very impressed by how well we intertwined out respective faiths into the ceremony," Teresa laughs. "It was unique, personal, and very emotional!"

Teresa wore a cathedral-length, embroidered veil.

Teresa‘s six bridesmaids wore cocktail length, pale pink Vera Wang dresses purchased at The Bridal Salon at Marshall Fields in Chicago.

Teresa‘s silk charmeuse, trumpet-shaped gown was designed by Eva Forsyth and purchased from The Bridal Salon at Marshall Fields in Minneapolis.

After the sunset ceremony, guests moved to a warmly lit terrace overlooking the ocean where they enjoyed Margaritas and Sangria and danced to the sounds of a mariachi band. "The mariachi started the fiesta off right," Teresa says. "They entertained us all through cocktails and dinner." The real party commenced once the newlyweds and their guests moved into the ballroom, where a live salsa band played. After changing into a dress more suitable for salsa dancing, Teresa was ready to show off her new dancing skills with her new husband -- she and Preston performed a rumba to Diana Krall‘s "The Look of Love."

Inspired by her Mexican heritage and taking cues from the vibrant Baja sunsets, Teresa, a self-proclaimed "planner by nature," wanted to let her exotic wedding location speak for itself. She wove soft pink, melon, gold and fuchsia throughout the celebration and used elegant details -- such as hundreds of glowing luminaries and gold lightbulbs -- to highlight the natural beauty of the setting. "We didn‘t want anything too ornate or busy that would detract from the environment," Teresa explains.

Though much of the couple‘s celebration sailed smoothly along as planned, the wedding cake turned out to be a bit of a disaster. Teresa designed and ordered a very simple cake -- three tiers with white buttercream frosting and flowers between the layers. The cake she received, unfortunately, was not what she’d asked for. "It was hideous and it didn’t even taste good," she says. Always the planner, Teresa remained open-minded and was able to laugh it off.

Tables were covered in shimmering gold linens and topped with rich red and fuchsia floral arrangements of gladiolas, daisies, roses, and astromeria. Teresa also made small luminaries, another Hispanic tradition, that doubled as escort cards. "I loved the idea of adding handmade touches," Teresa laughs.

Teresa wanted flowers that were less traditional and more whimsical. Despite her request for "no roses," Teresa got roses. She was "pleasantly surprised" by her bouquet of pink, orange, and fuchsia roses and tulips.

Preston wore an Armani suit purchased at Neiman Marcus in Atlanta. His groomsmen wore suits of their own with shirts from Brooks Brothers in Atlanta.

Teresa & Preston in Los Cabos, Mexico

Photos By: Jessica Claire Photography
Event Planning: Mary Jones of MJ Weddings, Atlanta, GA
Location: Marquis Los Cabos

Teresa Fortuna and Preston Meyers always knew they wanted a wedding by the ocean. After considering locales from New England to the Caribbean, the couple finally decided on the perfect site for their intimate, interfaith ceremony -- the shores of ultra-romantic Los Cabos, Mexico.

The Bride Teresa Fortuna, 27, Event Planner
The Groom Preston Meyer, 26, Engineer
The Date November 27

Just six months after Teresa and Preston met at a Halloween party in Chicago, Preston was forced to relocate to North Carolina for a job offer he couldn't refuse. Like Preston, Teresa was also unwilling to pass on something good -- she decided to leave her home in the Midwest and move south with Preston. One year after their first meeting, the couple closed on a new home, but there was still one thing Preston needed to finalize -- he decorated their empty home with one hundred candles, scattered rose petals on the floor, arranged bouquets of flowers on a candlelit table for two, and asked Teresa to be his wife. "I said, 'Yes, of course!'" laughs Teresa.

-- Jeanine Edwards