Wedding | Ilana & Alejandro

Tell us a little about yourselves!

Ilana: The Invisible String Theory suggests that two people are connected by a metaphorical string, only brought together when the timing is right. That was our experience. Alé and I were both raised in Marin County, California. Even though our lives overlapped in so many ways over 20 years, we always seemed to just miss each other.

Then, in January 2023, I was on a girls’ trip to Dallas visiting my best friend from college, Kelsey, and her boyfriend Nick. He joined us for dinner the first night and mentioned, “I’ve got a college buddy who lives in Marin. I think you two would get along.” He left the next day for a boys’ trip in LA, and I thought nothing of it. A day later, I got a DM. “Hey there Marin girl. Nick’s been talking you up, you sound fun. Want to grab a drink when we’re back?” It was a little cringey. But after a few drinks and a push from Kelsey, I answered anyway. We clicked immediately. It wasn’t until later, when we unpacked Kelsey and Nick’s matchmaking scheme, that they admitted they were worried it might go up in flames, given our similarly larger-than-life personalities. But the two of us just worked.

Things moved quickly from there. I was drawn to his spontaneous, living-in-the-moment energy, and we bonded over a shared love of travel. Our first international trip together was to Bali, and during those three weeks, strangers assumed we’d been together for seven years, not seven months. By the end of the trip, we realized we wanted to spend our lives together.

Not much has changed since. Alé is still the artistic one, currently touring Europe with his band, The Happys, and spending the rest of his time building Breeze Studios, a custom hat company. And me? I’m still grinding away in my corporate job. We recently bought a home in none other than Marin County, and are ready for life to slow down a little after a year of wedding planning and buying a house.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

Ilana: Travel has always been at the center of our relationship. From Argentina to the Dominican Republic to Bali, we built our life around experiencing the world together. We wanted our wedding to reflect that. Not a resort or anything overly produced, just something that felt true to how we travel. We held our welcome party at Caleta del Vino, a small wine bar we stumbled upon on an earlier trip and ended up befriending the owner. The ceremony took place in the gardens of Museo de Casa Blanca, the first governor’s estate built in the 1500s. And the reception was at Hotel El Convento, originally constructed as a convent in the 1600s.

How many guests did you have?

Ilana: 52. We wanted it to feel intimate. Our rule was: would you actually want to talk to this person for more than five minutes on your wedding day? Ruthless, maybe, but I’ve never envied brides who spend the entire night greeting people they barely know.

What was your budget?

Ilana: Let’s just say the budget was blown. Thank you, dad.

Tell us about your outfits.

Ilana: I was drawn to something structured but still romantic, an A-line silhouette with a corset, drop waist, and off-the-shoulder sleeves. I went on a few dress shopping trips in San Francisco and kept coming back to Lihi Hod. Her designs felt like the right balance of classic and modern, and it felt especially meaningful to wear a designer from Tel Aviv, where my dad is from.

I ended up following one of her trunk shows to Alice in Ivory in Dallas and staying with Kelsey, a full-circle moment given that’s where our story started. The team there worked with me to bring a custom version of the dress I had imagined to life, ultimately choosing raw silk for the final piece. I’m really particular about natural fabrics and wanted something breathable for the Puerto Rico heat and humidity.

For my second look, I found the Everly Rosie Etienne dress through Little White Looks after stalking her Thursday drops for weeks. It felt like the perfect contrast to my wedding dress.

Alejandro: I wanted something timeless with a bit of a vintage feel, so the whole outfit was kind of pieced together naturally. I went with a cream Italian double-breasted dinner jacket from Suitsupply. They had some great seasonal fabrics. It was actually the last one available, so I had a tailor adjust it to fit right. The shirt was an Eton pleated tuxedo shirt from Nordstrom, with black tux pants from Bonobos. For the shoes, I liked the look of horsebit loafers, so I ordered a handmade pair off Etsy from a shop in Istanbul.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

Ilana: Every decision came back to one question: will this be fun for our guests? Destination weddings ask a lot of people, financially and logistically. We didn’t want it to feel like an obligation. We wanted it to feel like a trip they were genuinely excited to be on, that just happened to coincide with our wedding.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

Ilana: Music. My husband is a musician, so it was non-negotiable. We had a string trio for the ceremony, planeros for the parade, an eight-piece band, and a DJ. Alé also planned a special surprise performance for our guests and me. He jumped on stage with the band and performed ‘Are you Gonna be my Girl’ by Jet.

Any tips for couples getting married?

Ilana: The advice everyone gives, and the advice I wish I had actually taken: let go. Something will inevitably go wrong, but odds are you’ll be the only person who notices. After spending a year planning every detail, it’s hard not to fixate on what’s not going according to plan. But you spent a year planning it, so you should actually get to enjoy it.

Alejandro: The day flies by in the blink of an eye, so try to slow down and enjoy the moments while they’re happening. Everything will work itself out in the end. And anything that doesn’t, usually ends up as a story to laugh at.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

Ilana: Our photographer, Hannah Wermich, was everything. I found her after weeks of searching Instagram and was immediately drawn to her unique style. After our first call, I was just as sold on her as a person.

She became such a steady presence throughout the process, and not just for photography. I leaned on her more than I expected. She even helped me choose a morning-of gift for Alé (we landed on antique cufflinks).

On the day itself, she brought a sense of calm that I didn’t realize I needed. Nothing felt forced or stressful, she made everything feel easy and fun. And then there are the photos, which really speak for themselves.

Photographer: Hannah Wermich @ladyhanners | Planning: Rosalina Torres @rosalina_torres | Flora: Tempus Events @tempuseventspr | Ceremony Location: Museo Casa Blanca | Reception Location: Hotel El Convento @oldsanjuanweddings | HMUA: Christopher Feliciano @christopher_feliciano_ | Stationery: Paper Crafts Stationary Boutique @papercraftspr | Parade Band: Yuvi Plena @yuviplena | Live Band: La Super Banda @lasuperbanda | Dress: Lihi Hod @lihihod via Alice in Ivory @aliceinivory

dallas | Reception Dress: Rosie Etienne Bridal @rosieetiennebridal | Veil: Le Caprice @lecapricebridal | Groom's Outfit: The Tie Bar @thetiebar Tie, Bonobos @bonobos Pants, Eton @etonshirts Shorts & Suit Supply @suitsupply Jacket | Cuff Links: The Missing Link @missinglinknyc | Wedding Rings(Alé): Market Square Jewelers @marketsquarejewelers | Shoes: Badgley Mischka @badgleymischka (Ilana) & (Alé) Barismil @barismil_leather_products | Bride's Jewellery: Vice Versa @viceversajewelry