I didn’t know what to title this because I want to include more than just how I prepped for my wedding! I want to talk about how I felt in the days leading up, what cycle phase I was in and how I handled being in Mexico with tequila and friends for 3 days before my actual wedding… lol.
Everything worked out flawlessly and turned out even better than I could have imagined, truly. My wedding week was truly magical!! I didn’t know what to expect for a destination wedding and felt a lot of pressure/guilt for all these amazing people in our lives that traveled so far to celebrate with us. But everyone who genuinely wanted to be there was there and I keep looking at our pictures to re-live the whole experience!
How I Felt in the Days Leading Up:
We got to Puerto Vallarta on Tuesday afternoon and our wedding was on Friday so we had a few days to decompress beforehand. We chose the Hyatt Ziva and were blown away by them! The resort sits between the mountains with a private beach so no random people could walk by and watch us get married. We wanted it to be personal and private. It was beyond special! The staff went out of their way to make our stay (and wedding) incredible. We stayed in the Club Tower so we could get the premium booze and updated rooms (highly recommend).
On Wednesday we walked around, relaxed and got our lay of the land. Many of our guests arrived on Wednesday so we all met up at the beach for sunset pictures and cocktails, and to watch the daily release of baby sea turtles which was adorable and made me miss Taz (lol).
On Thursday, I had a relaxing morning doing yoga and getting my nails done at the spa and then we had a perfect beach day. Later in the afternoon I had a trial run for my wedding hair and makeup, and then we had our rehearsal dinner in downtown Puerto Vallarta that night. All of the remaining guests arrived on this day and I was starting to feel overwhelmed. Of course I was so happy everyone was there but I was not feeling like myself. I don’t think it helped that Terry was ready to go ALL OUT the night before our wedding which was giving me MAJOR ANXIETY. He wanted to party! I had to look pretty the next day! I didn’t want to be hungover! I wanted a good night’s rest! I was NOT wanting to stay out late to socialize! But he was so excited… LOL so that was a struggle because I wanted him to be happy but also like why was he being like this the night before our wedding day?! Eventually I convinced him to head back to the resort and all was well haha.
P.S. My drink of choice the whole week was tequila soda with fresh lime! Sometimes champagne but mostly tequila because it’s an upper and doesn’t give me a headache like most other alcohol. I highly recommend! It’s not sugary so you won’t feel bloated either.
Wedding Day:
I woke up in a total funk. Terry had gone fishing early so I woke up alone, out of it and felt semi-hungover even though I didn’t drink much at the rehearsal. I did an hour of yoga to clear my head, ordered some room service (papaya with shredded coconut and toast), took lots of CBD, drank lots of water and spent the morning by myself trying to get of my annoying funk before the makeup artists arrived. I was like WTF why am I feeling like this! I’m so excited and ready and have been waiting for this day for forever! So I told myself to snap out of it. I wasn’t nervous, just so anxious and then once my mom arrived I felt better immediately. I think that time alone in the morning was too much for some reason.. but then I turned on music, had a cup of coffee (I needed it) and calmed down.
Getting my hair and makeup done was so relaxing and nice and exactly what I needed. At home, I keep my makeup minimal and natural (and usually wear nothing at all) so when I first saw my makeup I hated it because I didn’t recognize myself. It worried me because Terry doesn’t like a lot of makeup. I just felt gothic even though it SO wasn’t. It was beautiful, beachy and glowy, and exactly what I asked for. For pictures, you have to wear a little more makeup than you normally would so I just wasn’t used to it but it grew on me. Also my hair turned out differently than my trial run but I decided I wouldn’t let it bother me because there was no changing it. I had to put my dress on! Everyone was looking so beautiful. My bouquet arrived and then our photographer shortly after. Things were getting real!! We took pictures in my room with my sister in law, my parents and then some of me alone in my dress. And then it was time to go!
We trekked to our waiting spot before the ceremony and took lots of deep breaths. I could hear the violin playing and started to get emotional. My dad said it was time and then I felt the urge to cry but held it in. When I finally turned the corner and saw Terry everything else went blurry. It was such a moment. He looked so handsome and I remember just looking at him while also trying not to trip, ha. The whole ceremony was pure bliss and I felt like I was floating. And just like that it was over! The reception was also magical because the sun was starting to set, the cocktails were flowing and I felt so much relief that all went well at the ceremony, I could finally breathe and enjoy myself. But not quite yet because we had to take lots of sunset pictures with our photographer! Good thing I had my angel of a sister in law there to fix my hair and dress and literally everything (also my makeup was melting off because it was so hot and I felt like a mess lol). Finally we were done and sat down for dinner, toasts and speeches. And then dancing!! I had the perfect amount of tequila shots haha and only had the chance for one bite of vegan cake which I so regret because everyone said it was EPIC but the rest of the night we were on the dance floor. The DJ ended earlier than I expected but I think this is the case for many resorts so that is something to keep in mind. We ended the night at the tequila bar! Unforgettable just about sums it up.
Day After:
Surreal! We were married! And Terry’s best friend rented a yacht for the day for all the young people which was the icing on the cake. I mean WOW. To be on a beautiful yacht in Mexico with cocktails, your new husband and your favorite people. Is there anything better?! Yes, it got even better because then we saw whales and dolphins, snorkled at Los Arcos and got to swim off the yacht to a secluded beach with the biggest waves you’ve ever seen. It was not real life. I will never forget it.
By the end of it all we were totally wiped out. And the next few days were all about relaxing, eating and soaking it all in 🙂
What Cycle Phase I was In:
Shocking news! During my wedding week I was in the menstrual phase. I survived just fine (given my periods are much easier than they used to be) but this could also be the reason for why I was in my head so much and why I had lots of feelings of overwhelm. I’m used to hibernating during this phase, not having my wedding! I didn’t feel as social as I wanted to be but the beauty of the menstrual phase is how grounded and in tune you are with feelings and emotions. I had ALL the feels the whole week and was able to soak it all in that much more. I truly made the most of it and didn’t let my period get in the way. I too wanted to plan my wedding around my cycle but it was near impossible to plan when my wedding day was over a year away… even just a couple days of your cycle being thrown off can shift where you will end up during your wedding. I won’t lie, I dreaded being in a teeny bikini all week (although the Saalt menstrual cup was life-changing). I wanted to share this because there’s absolutely no need to try and plan your wedding around your cycle unless you are getting married within a couple months of your engagement. Each phase has its own pros and cons so just go with the flow (literally) and everything will fall into place as it always does. It will be the best day no matter what and you won’t be thinking about where you are in your cycle, promise. P.S. If you want to learn more about optimizing each cycle phase using a plant based diet, check out my book, The Happy Hormone Guide!
What I Brought:
- CBD oil was very necessary and helpful during the entire week. I took a dropper full most mornings. It just took the edge off and helped my nerves. (use code glowingfridge20 for 20% OFF!!)
- Stevia drops (for decaf coffee and tea)
- CALM tea powder (to help me fall asleep)
- Saalt Menstrual Cup (LOVED it and will be sharing a review soon)
- Barefoot Blonde Classic Hair Extensions (loved these but probably won’t use them again unless someone helps me clip them in. might consider selling them so message me if you want them for cheaper!)
- Ice Roller (to help with puffiness from traveling and drinking tequila! plus it feels SO good)
- chia and flax seed baggies (I made a mix of chia seeds, ground flax, protein powder, cinnamon and shredded coconut for a fiber-filled breakfast or snack. All you need to do is add it to a cup and stir in nut milk or water. I find in Mexico they always have soy milk on hand so I request it)
- Supplements (B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, digestive enzymes, luna sleep capsules (in case I needed help), intestinal mover to keep things moving… !
- homemade trail mix (a mix of cashews, pepitas, sunflower seeds, shredded coconut, cacao nibs, raisins)
- Yeti cups (our resort was a yet-friendly resort to save on plastic!)
So that’s it! I hope you enjoyed! Did you have a destination wedding?! How did you feel on your big day?! Do you have any questions?! Leave me a comment below 🙂
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