WEDDING IDEAS

Andrea & Andres in Cartagena, Colombia, South America

Andrea wore a silk, ivory dress accented with cascading rosettes along the left shoulder by Monique Lhuillier.

Andrea and Andres chose one of Cartagena’s oldest churches, the Santo Domingo Church, for its tall ceilings, large altar, and long aisle. Each pew was decorated with a bouquet of white roses. The couple hired 60 children from the city’s philharmonic orchestra to accompany a choir during the ceremony.

The spacious altar was filled with tea lights.

The flower girls carried small bouquets made up of pink roses. They wore ivory, full-length dresses from J.Crew. Silver beading was added to ivory sashes for a vintage look.

The cocktail hour was held in the plaza outside the theater. A tower of champagne-filled glasses was set up for guests to enjoy.

The theater was completely transformed for the reception: The theater seats were removed, and floors were built so that the entire room was level. Antique silver vases filled with white hydrangeas added height to the tables.

The smaller reception tables were topped with low, lush, white hydrangea centerpieces.

The menu cards were printed with gold ink onto pale pink paper. As favors, Andrea and Andres gave out small silver boxes, each containing four macaroons. Andrea’s grandmother spent a week making 300 pink rosettes for each box!

Andrea and Andres shared their first dance as a married couple to a traditional waltz. Afterward, a 12-person Latin band got the party started.

The couple’s six-tiered wedding cake was covered with a thin layer of white fondant and decorated with rosettes to match Andrea’s wedding dress. Inside was a dark cake filled with fruit and nuts -- the traditional wedding cake of Colombia.

Andrea & Andres in Cartagena, Colombia, South America

Andrea and Andres planned a destination wedding in Cartagena, Colombia, South America.

Photos By: Andrena Photography, Los Angeles, CA

Event Planning: Ileana Rodriguez, Cartagena, Colombia and Juan Pablo Estrada, Hotel Santa Clara, Cartagena, Colombia
Location: Heredia Theater, Cartagena, Colombia, South America

Andrea and Andres met through a mutual friend one Sunday morning at a subway stop in New York City. Later that summer, the two ran into each other again and started dating right away.

The Bride Andrea Tovar, 28, merchandise planner
The Groom Andres Villamizar, 29, managing director
The Date April 19

Four years after they first met, Andres asked Andrea to marry him. He had planned to propose after a nice dinner but couldn’t wait and proposed as soon as he got home from picking up the engagement ring. The two decided to plan a wedding in Colombia -- their native country.

-- Jaimie Dalessio