Deana & Reggie: A Modern Elegant Destination Wedding at Sunset Monalisa

Love Story

"When most friends play matchmaker, you'd look at them with a bit of skepticism but it definitely worked out," Deana laughs, recalling how she and Reggie met through a mutual friend who went to high school with Reggie and worked with Deana. That introduction blossomed into a beautiful six-year relationship.

The proposal was equally magical, taking place on the rooftop of Chicago's Royal Sonesta. After traveling up many floors through the elevator she came out and saw flowers and pictures of the couple. The violinist was playing and she actually was confused if this was for her or not. As she continued down the pathway she saw Reggie standing on the rooftop in the middle of a huge heart of red rose petals. At that moment, when she saw Reggie's smile, she knew what was happening.

After 18 months of careful planning, Deana and Reggie created not just a wedding day, but an unforgettable destination weekend in Cabo San Lucas. "We wanted to be sure this felt like an escape into the best celebratory weekend of 2023," the couple shares. The festivities began with a rooftop welcome party at Garza Blanca on Thursday, followed by a rehearsal dinner at Chambao on Friday, culminating in their stunning Saturday wedding at Sunset Monalisa, and closing with a yacht party to El Arco on Sunday.

The wedding style was "very modern and elegant - we could not have imagined a better way to celebrate our union," the couple reflects. The concept was "classy beach vibes with a twist," featuring 70 guests in attendance.

"We were inspired by the love of both sets of parents," they continue. "We are thankful that we had such great role models of love and never-ending happiness."

Morning details

The couple's attention to detail was evident in every aspect of their celebration. Perfect Press designed their invitations with a neutral theme featuring the Cabo Arch on the envelope liner. Their wedding rings were carefully chosen together. “We spent time to make sure they matched perfectly with what we would want to wear on our hands as a symbol of our love,” they add.

Special jewelry played a significant role in their day. Deana received a Van Cleef Vintage Alhambra bracelet with 5 motifs, while Reggie was gifted a Datejust Two Tone Rolex with Diamonds. A particularly touching detail was Deana's special anklet, symbolizing the strong women in her life - her mom, aunt, and grandmother.

Their wedding stationery included custom menus and drink signs, as well as a Polaroid camera station for guests to capture memories throughout the celebration.

Bride getting ready

Deana chose a show-stopping Berta gown as her main dress, with an Ines Di Santo Evita gown for the reception. "As soon as I tried on the Berta dress, I fell in love," she shares. Her mom and maid of honor traveled from Ohio and New York, respectively, to join Deana for her dress shopping in Dallas. After finding the dress on Friday, Deana made a special appointment on Sunday to officially purchase it.

The bride's getting ready photos were captured in a stunning suite at Garza Blanca Resort & Spa Los Cabos, with a balcony overlooking the water and beach. Deana's look was completed with a custom pearl-lined veil with crystals, matching the pearls in her dress, and Jimmy Choo Sacaria 120 embellished satin platform heels. She was surrounded by her maid of honor, bridesmaid, mother, aunt, and mother of the groom.

The couple's florist decorated the Sunset Monalisa arch with a variety of white and blush flowers.

Groom getting ready

Reggie looked dashing in a custom Don Morphy suit from Dallas, TX. "Reggie wore a white textured blazer with black trim around the neck and pockets, white shirt, black tie, and black pants," the bride shares. He prepared for the day in the penthouse at Garza Blanca, accompanied by his groomsmen and both fathers.

First Look

The first look took place on the penthouse balcony at Garza Blanca Resort & Spa Los Cabos. The groom's first thought when he saw the bride was “that she was gorgeous and the dress fit her personality well with the accents of crystals and pearls. It even had sleeves which made it even more of a statement dress.”

The bride was very emotional, unable to stop smiling with a few tears in her eyes. She was so happy to be marrying the man of her dreams in front of all their closest friends and family. The bride also did a first look with her father, which made both of them tear up.

“We exchanged our wedding gifts there and had a private reading of our vows," the couple shares. "This moment was so incredibly special and the perfect way for us to have an intimate moment just for the two of us."

Photoshoot before the ceremony

Ceremony

"We did the unity sand ceremony to symbolize of families uniting," the couple shares. The groom has blue sand and the bride had purple and in front of their families they poured the colors together into one jar. It was the perfect symbol as they tied the knot perched on the beach.

The ceremony took place at the iconic Sunset Monalisa. "We had an R&B violinist fly in for the wedding ceremony," the couple explains. "He played all our songs for walking down the aisle. The Groom walked down to Love Sosa - Chief Keef and the Bride walked down to All of Me - John Legend."

The officiant, a close friend of the couple, delivered a particularly memorable introduction. "Our officiant was one of our close friends, so his introduction was very memorable since he knows both the bride and groom well," they reflect.

Photoshoot after the ceremony

"We timed the post ceremony time with sunset," the couple explains. The stunning backdrop of Sunset Monalisa, with its views of the sandy beaches and the iconic Cabo Arch, provided countless perfect photo opportunities. "Even our guest could get beautiful pictures with the Cabo Arch and the water in the background. The pictures were absolutely stunning.”

Wedding Venue & Decor

The color palette of the wedding was “white, blush, neutrals with accents of gold," the couple shares. "We wanted something timeless that was still striking and beautiful against the backdrop of the water, crashing waves, and Cabo arch."

The couple incorporated several personalized touches, including the groom having Nike Dunks customized for himself, the bride, their parents, and groomsmen. "We also had fun fact cocktail napkins with interesting facts about the bride and groom," they add. "We also had a drink wall with a special welcome drink for all the guests and instead of a champagne toast after our thank you, we had a "one two three" placemat with lime, salt, and a shot of tequila to get the party started."

The bride always knew she wanted a destination wedding - a long weekend that allowed the bride and groom to spend time with those friends and family they loved the most. She had heard of Sunset Monalisa for the picture-perfect views. It had been recognized as a winner of the “Top Picture-Perfect Restaurants in the World”. Its backdrop is the Sea of Cortes which includes the breathtaking view of El Arco, the Arch of Cabo San Lucas. “We knew this venue would make for the perfect setting for a beautiful celebration of love,” they share.

Reception

The couple's first dance was to Daniel Caesar's "Best Part" featuring H.E.R. The reception featured a unique array of entertainment, including fire dancers, a performer on stilts, and a champagne skirt server.

"We had a drink wall with special cocktails named after the bride and groom. We also had fire dancers perform and fireworks. We also had a girl on stilts and a drink girl that had champagne glasses in her skirt," the couple shares. "One big things for us was having delicious food at our wedding, so we made sure at the tasting to pick the most delicious items that we knew our guests would love. We also had late-night snacks with our favorite - pizza!" To represent their Texas roots, they provided light-up cowboy hats for everyone to wear.

The highlight of the reception came during the cake cutting. "When we cut our cake, we had the song "Sparks Will Fly" by J. Cole and Jhené Aiko playing and had fireworks going off behind us," the couple recalls. "Our wedding planner helped us time this perfectly with our cake cutting and lyrics of the song. Our guests were stunned and this made for such incredible pictures."

The couple was thrilled with the work of their vendors, especially their wedding planner Fatima. "She was an expert at helping us select the right vendors to make our day so special. She helped us curate our exact vision for our wedding weekend," they share. "It wasn't just a one-day event, but a weekend of celebrations."