Nuevo Mexico, Part 1

The Pacific Coast of Mexico is looking better than ever, and becoming an increasingly popular destination for weddings and honeymoons. Although it's Mexico's newest resort region, Riviera Nayarit remains as old-world as ever, adding significantly to its charm. Over the next few days, I will be featuring a different destination in the area each day, starting with the beautiful Nuevo Vallarta!

Nuevo Vallarta

The most visited and developed town in the area, Nuevo Vallarta offers a wealth of luxurious and spectacular sights, beginning at the shimmering waters off the crescent-shaped Banderas Bay. This residential-resort community is home to luxury villas and estates, and lush tropical gardens that line the winding canals.

If you're looking for a hotel, the luxe all-inclusive Vallarta Palace Resort offers some great touches. In addition to the complimentary mini bar featuring top-shelf liquors. Unheard of! Furthermore, all rooms have a double Jacuzzi which is perfect for a couple on their honeymoon or at their wedding hotel. Four restaurants offer a choice of Brazilian, Asian, Mexican or Italian cuisine, and you can catch a different show in the seaside amphitheater nearly every night.

Real Wedding Spotlight: Emily and Antonio

Style Me Pretty recently featured a gorgeous Puerto Vallarta wedding, with creative and unique touches galore! Emily and Antonio’s wedding hand-made invitations centered around a papel picado theme, and they really wanted to incorporate subtle touches of that same design into the wedding.

The cocktail hour took place beneath a large palapa where lounging areas allowed guests to escape the intense sunshine, relax and mingle with a margarita! Customized pillows on the couches spelled out words in both English and Spanish, and hand-painted maracas featured a papel picado detail! 

Candles danced along the perimeter of the palapa. Touches of bright color were incorporated into the area in the form of chiffon sheers and beautiful design pillows and were used alongside more neutral and rustic elements including tin stars, wooden tables and organic fabrics. Make sure to check out the full article and pictures from Style Me Pretty!

Real Wedding Spotlight: Andreea and Chad

I love these pictures of this couple's wonderful wedding day in Puerto Penasco, Mexico! The photos were taken by destination weddings photographer Caroline Ghetes. The photography is stunning, I love the contrast with the black and white photos, and the pictures on the sand dunes. Take a look!

And Finally...Riviera Nayarit Wedding Planners!

If you're seriously considering planning your dream destination wedding to Puerto Vallarta, Prisar Vallarta focuses on destination weddings and event coordinating and come highly recommended. They discuss their services and what sets them apart as planners in this video:

Top Things To Do In Riviera Nayarit

Continuing with today's topic of Riviera Nayarit--or Puerto Vallarta--as a wedding destination, I wanted to really focus in on the city's impressive list of activities and events. Because there is so much to do in this city, I thought it was only appropriate to highlight a few of the "must sees." 

I came across this list of top four things to do in Puerta Vallarta, which highlights some great ideas for your guests, as well as the wedding party!

Take a tour. I cant say it enough; this city is gorgeous. Because there is so overwhelmingly much to see, taking a guided tour with someone that knows the area and what to point out can be a huge benefit. For more information on excursions in Puerto Vallarta and some general tips see TripAdvisor's page: Puerto Vallarta Tours and Excursions.

Enjoy the local cuisine. Despite what you may think of Mexico, you are not limited to Hispanic cuisine. Puerto Vallarta is known for its varieties of ethnic cuisine, and its known for doing it right! Visit Puerto Vallarta Restaurants or TripAdvisor's Puerto Vallarta restaurant pages for more information. 

See a show. The city has a fun and vibrant night life; the evenings include street performers, entertaining clubs and bars, and great music. There's something for everyone--check out Puerto Vallarta Concerts and Shows to find out more about booking. 

Immerse yourself in the city's history. The rhythm in Puerto Vallarta largely centers around its rich cultural history. I mentioned in my last post the Colonial Era ruins as a spot to check out, but there is so much more. Take a tour showing how tequila is made, or visit Guadalajara. You'll have no problem getting into this city's history!

Riviera Nayarit Wedding

Today I want to focus a few posts on one of the most popular destination wedding locations in Mexico, Riviera Nayarit, and to provide some general information on the area and its many draws. 

Riviera Nayarit--or Puerto Vallarta--is a municipality and touristic city in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. It is currently one of Mexico's most visited areas, and for good reason. Located in the Banderas Bay on the Pacific Ocean, Puerto Vallarta is known for its beaches, history, and impressive natural beauty. 

One thing that really sets Puerto Vallarta apart from other popular tourist destinations such as Cancun is that it was a traditional village before it became a tourist hotspot--meaning that it maintained a very authentic look and feel, greatly adding to its charm. 

Puerto Vallarta will not only make an excellent location for your destination wedding because of its beauty and culture, but also because of the multitude of activities your guests can participate in while they are there. For those who like snorkeling and swimming, the Islet of Arcos provides a picturesque setting to do so, and is just a boat-ride away. From horseback riding to exploring the Colonial Era ruins, your wedding guests will be thanking you for bringing them to Puerto Vallarta for years to come.