Hacienda Siesta Alegre | Puerto Rico Wedding Venue | Destination Wedding Photographer
Hacienda Siesta Alegre | Puerto Rico Wedding Venue | Boho Wedding | Destination Wedding Photographer
Elena and Wesley had the most stunning
tropical destination wedding,
in the heart of Puerto Rico!
Their wedding took place this past December and it was my first time visiting Puerto Rico. I actually flew into Old San Juan on Christmas day. After spending the morning opening gifts and eating a delicious brunch with my family, I set off for a country I’ve been wanting to visit for many years. I took a few days to relax, explore and eat my way through the historic neighborhood of Old San Juan. I really love history, so one of the first places I explored was Castillo San Cristobal — one of the oldest Spanish forts in the New World.
The fact that Puerto Rico’s main airport is so close to Old San Juan makes the country a perfect destination for overseas weddings, offering your guests a chance to take in the city’s many sights, sounds and flavors before celebrating your special day with you.
For destination wedding days, I’m always with you from start to finish to tell your whole story. So, I started the day by capturing Elena getting ready with her girls. There was a gorgeous bridal suite surrounded by greenery at their boho wedding venue, Hacienda Siesta Alegre. The surroundings made you feel like you were on top of the world, with stunning views of the El Yunque rainforest mountain range in the distance. There were so many beautiful corners on the historic hacienda, including arched doorways and French window panes. It made choosing a corner spot for them to read their vows to each other before their ceremony incredibly easy and beautiful.
They had so many unique details, like a cigar bar where handmade cigars were made and given to the guests as favors. Of course, the hacienda had endless places for the bride and groom to take images together with their loved ones. The outdoor reception consisted of beautifully decorated farm tables that surrounded an incredible courtyard with a lovely fountain in the center. The courtyard was lit by string lights that really set the mood for both the reception, and later, an epic dance floor! Their chef, Enrique Piniero, is one of the best chefs in all of Puerto Rico! His food was phenomenal and I highly recommend him if you are going to do a destination wedding in Puerto Rico. I only wish you could taste his food in an image, but you’ll just have to visit and try it for yourself. You won’t be disappointed!
The reception dancing was orchestrated by the top DJ in Puerto Rico, Big J Music, playing the best tunes! He is also another solid wedding vendor choice for your Puerto Rican destination wedding! It’s always great to see a DJ who can read the crowd and keep the guests excited for what song is coming next, and to see everyone’s faces light up and rush to the dance floor!
Elena and Wes also surprised the guests by having Plena music played by an amazing local group, Yuvi Plena! The music was perfect for the setting and every single guest absolutely loved it! They had the crowd doing a dance train around the entire venue and the dancers and instruments were all so entertaining — a perfect complement to the evening, tying in a bit of Puerto Rican tradition for the guests with an exciting twist!
They ended the night surrounded by sparklers and their loved ones! The smiles on their faces said it all. It was truly a beautiful wedding day!
If you’re looking for a venue for your tropical, boho destination wedding, Hacienda Siesta Alegre is one of the best wedding venues in all of Puerto Rico, seriously, just google “wedding venue in puerto rico”, I’m not making that up. Beautifully situated within a national forest, the historic villa and unique architecture of the property make for not only a stunning wedding day, but a truly memorable one.
Ceremony + Reception Venue - Hacienda Siesta Alegre / Wedding Planning - Rosalina Torres / Florist Company - Jat Lozano / Make-up + Hair Artist - Javier Moreno / Brides Dress - Gali Karten / Jewelry - Cassouto Jewels / Shoes - Bella Belle Shoes / Garter - La Gartier Wedding Garters / Bridesmaid Dresses - Show Me Your Mumu / Groom Suit - Suit Supply / Groomsman Suits - The Groomsman Suit / Engagement Ring - Majestic Jewelers / Wedding Band Instagram - Creative Design Jewelers / Caterer - Chef Enrique Piniero / Cake - Gabriel Diaz / DJ - Big J Music / Wedding Filmmaker - The Film Writer / Photo Booth - Flipeate / Pleneros - Yuvi Plena
If you’d like me to capture your wedding day or see if your wedding date is available for 2020 or 2021?
Fill out the form below and I would love to create something beautiful with you!
Here is the amazing film by The Film Writer below!
Beautiful Barn Wedding Venue | The Farm at Dover
Their love is a thing of beauty, storybooks + lots of laughter.
Gabe + Karla. Two of the most beautiful individuals I know, inside and out (and who I also get to call my family). When Gabe introduced her to the family I instantly knew I loved her. She plays and teaches music to little kiddos for a living (at Little Parade in Chicago), so I guess that bubbliness is needed! But even for adults, her smile is vibrant enough to make the whole room happy!
They were both born + raised Chicago and are the epitome of city people. But for their wedding, they wanted to get away from it all, as we all do sometimes. They ventured north just over the Wisconsin border and found the most lovely little barn wedding venue called The Farm at Dover. Karla got ready in the pink house on the property, their ceremony was in the woods and their coffee hour and stunning reception was in the two-story renovated barn. The day was just perfect. The weather was overcast and the colors were perfectly romantic. Darker tones always tend to make me feel something from each image, more than vibrant colors. The tone of the day was somber and sweet and I'm so grateful I was able to capture the moments from the start of their new season together as Mr. + Mrs Lopez.
Cheers to new beginnings!
HIS / HERS DETAILS
Shoes: bryr clogs / aldo
dress/suit: BHLDN weddings / zara
watch: komono
handkerchief: Una Mae's
caterer: Chef David's
car: vintage VW
donuts: krispy kreme
flower crown: pistil + vine
table decorator: Sasha Kisiel, Mylene Raspado, Yolypix
coordinator planner: Divine delgado
coffee roasters: Ipsento
barista: Jeremy Mercado
If you’re looking for a beautiful barn wedding venue and live in the midwest, the Farm at Dover is such a lovely choice! And if you’d like me to capture your wedding day, whether in a barn or farm or elsewhere, I would absolutely love to create something beautiful with you! Reach out below!