Wedding | Stephania & Joey

Tell us a little about yourselves!

I first spotted Joey out of a sea of fraternity men at my sorority function back in 2018. He stood out in the crowd then just as he does today. Always the life of the party type-of-guy. I took one look at him and said, "That crazy one over there, I want him." From there, I relentlessly tried to bump into him at events, make eye-contact at college bars and make friends with those around him. By 2020, it worked and thanks in part to a global pandemic, we began dating and quickly became inseparable. (As I knew we would)

Since then, we've built a life full of adventure. And this really is what defines us and our relationship, our sense of wonder of what's out there with no hesitancy to jump in and find out, always hand in hand.

We've watched a volcano erupt through the night, floated over Aztec ruins in a hot air balloon, and spent long afternoons jumping off cliffs into the Mediterranean Sea. Through every delayed (and sometimes canceled) flight, every hike, and every cozy Sunday morning eating Trader Joe's cinnamon rolls (the best in our professional opinions), we've grown together, and our love has only deepened.

In August of 2024, in the quiet of the French countryside at Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay (underneath a beautiful ruin of the abbaye, very foreshadowing of our wedding venue), Joey proposed with an antique emerald ring, his birthstone, and Lola's too. (Lola being our very spoiled dog-child, obviously.)

At home you'll find dad jokes, yacht rock, and at least two or three dogs at any given time. Joey and I actually run a dog sitting side business together, and we're pretty well known in our friend group for always having a full house of pups. So it should come as no surprise that one of our favorite details of the wedding day was who married us. Our officiant, Donna, came into our lives through Rover when we dog sat her Shiba Inu, Deuce. What started as a simple job turned into something far more meaningful when Donna's father passed away and we ended up caring for Deuce much longer than planned. That time forged a real friendship, and honestly, given how central dogs are to our lives, it felt like the most perfectly us way to meet someone who would one day marry us.

Now, we live in Tampa, Florida in our very bright yellow house we call Casa Limon, and have many plans as to where we will find ourselves next.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

With my Hispanic background, my mom is Venezuelan, my dad is El Salvadoran, I always knew I wanted my culture woven into our wedding day somehow. When Joey and I attended my cousin's wedding in El Salvador in 2022, we both agreed it was the most incredible, most fun wedding we had ever been to. The way she let her culture shine through the food, the music, and the smallest details set a bar we never forgot. From that trip on, we knew a destination wedding in a Latin or Spanish speaking country was right for us.

Travel is something that genuinely defines us as a couple, so the idea felt completely natural and honestly, even our guests knew before we told them.

The seed for Guatemala was planted years earlier when another cousin of mine got married in Antigua. I was young and don't remember much, but the beauty of it stuck with me. So in April 2024, before we were even engaged, I planned a trip for Joey and I to explore it properly: food, adventure, and a quiet sprinkle of venue visits. On that trip we hiked Acatenango, slept on the side of a volcano, and watched another volcano erupt through the night. It was without a doubt the hardest and most breathtaking thing either of us had ever done.

We were still torn between Guatemala and Spain (where we took our first big international trip together and where my grandfather is from). But ultimately Guatemala won. The beauty and culture were comparable, but it was more accessible for our guests, and most importantly, we thought, if we don't bring people to Guatemala now, they may never come. Spain is somewhere most travelers will find their way to eventually. Antigua, Guatemala is an underrated gem, and we wanted to make sure the people we love didn't miss it in this lifetime.

And that is when planning began. And if we're talking why we chose the specific venue that we did in Antigua, well Convento Santa Clara really speaks for itself on that one.

How many guests did you have?

We had a total of 60 guests. We wanted to be very intentional with our guest list.

We can confidently say all of our guests were family and friends that we would have over for dinner, grill out with on a hot summer day or happily call for fun catch up chats. They are all our people and they were there for us. Joey and I both have small families, and are very lucky to have so many friends willing to celebrate with us far away. Our 60 guests were probably 80% friends and 20% family/family friends.

What was your budget?

One of the unexpected joys of a destination wedding in Guatemala was how far our budget stretched. Compared to what the same wedding would cost in the States, it felt like everything was on sale — and if you know me, you know I can't resist a good deal. We ended up with more than we ever would have at home, and it made it so worth it.

Tell us about your outfits.

Oh boy, my outfits were definitely one of the more time consuming elements of the wedding. I love fashion, I love vintage designer fashion and I love hunting for it. I knew I wanted my bridal wardrobe to be very specially curated to include special vintage pieces as well as some iconic bridal moments (hello Danielle Frankel). I spent maybe 2 years collecting pieces of all kinds and then putting them into buckets of where I wanted to include them within my bridal journey.

My dress for the welcome party I purchased back in October of 2024, when my mom and I were celebrating her 60th birthday in Italy. I had just gotten engaged in August and knew purchasing something so far in advance was a gamble but when I saw and tried on the YSL dress, we both KNEW it had to have its moment at a bridal event.

My wedding dress in itself, I will say was a journey. I felt a lot of pressure to have such a special, out of the box dress that people were all expecting me to have (my friends describe me as having an introvert personality with an extrovert sense of fashion). And that pressure had me trying on nearly any and every dress at multiple bridal locations - Miami, Tampa, Chicago, LA, NYC. You name it, I probably tried it on.

Finally I decided I was going to be true to myself, what I genuinely liked and found beautiful (not just because of a name or someone else wearing it and regardless of trends, if I liked it, it didn't matter) and what I felt would go well and compliment the venue. I heavily leaned on Victorian inspiration, dramatic hips, intricate beading, over the top cape and train. One night, three months before our wedding, I saw a dress pop up on my explorer page on Instagram that matched everything i was envisioning. Brooke Tyson Ritual, she was reselling a dress from her brand that another bride had worn previously but it was still in such good condition the bride was reselling it. Well that was it. I messaged her about the possibility of making minor changes and additions to which she so kindly agreed to work on with me and that is how my dream dress popped into my life. Out of the 100 dresses I tried on, I pick this one over and over again. Brooke made me a custom cape out of the same delicious silk of the dress, added beautiful details to the rounded bust and a custom hand beaded mantilla veil. I owe her so much for making my vision come true only a few months before my wedding.

For my reception, I did in fact wear a Danielle Frankel dress. I had to. I knew somewhere in my wedding week I would want to include her work, and the Anika dress flows so beautifully, I thought it would be a perfect dress to start out the night dancing in!

For the end of the night, yes I did three dresses in one day, when you're a fashion girl and only get married once, you squeeze in as many dresses as you possibly can! So for the end of the night, I wore a vintage Dolce and Gabbana silk midi dress that I paired with a silk scarf around my neck. I knew I needed that vintage element as one of my dresses and this was it. I spent months and months scavenging ebay, poshmark, the real real for something special to come up and although there were lots of maybes, this one was it!

And all of my shoes, now that I think about it, were vintage. My ceremony heels, probably, being the most special. They were vintage dyeables white beaded silk heels. Within the box they shipped in, the seller slipped in a sweet note telling me she had worn these shoes 30 years ago at her own wedding in Hawaii with her husband of today. I love some good ju-ju and these shoes clearly had it.

For the welcome party, I also wore a purse, and not just any purse but a vintage Gucci by Tom Ford era purse with serpentine hardware and a green stone, very fitting with my emerald engagement ring.

Jewelry-wise, on the wedding day, my mom had been saving my great grandmother's diamond necklace for my wedding and that was so special for me to finally wear it paired with my dress. I remember being a little girl and her always telling me I would wear it, and the day finally came. I switched out my emerald engagement ring for my second ring, that of which was Joey's mothers engagement ring. A beautiful gold cathedral set princess cut diamond ring with so much meaning behind it. And would later be paired with the band his mother also wore. Lastly, Joey gifted me a pair of emerald earrings to substitute for not wearing my emerald ring that day, Dainty and not too large so I could still wear them on my day-to-day back home.

And for Joey, after seeing how much thought and effort I was putting into my wedding week outfits, he decided he couldn't be the odd man out wearing just any regular tux. This had him googling things like “what tuxedo does James Bond wear?” If you didn't know, it's Tom Ford. Ultimately, however, we went with a classic tux from Ralph Lauren Purple Label. The closest location to us being in Naples, so we drove down from Tampa 3 times for his fittings and had the most enjoyable experience with them and their master tailors.Joey paired his tux with two gifts from me, a handkerchief that I had embroidered in his moms handwriting that said “it's okay to cry” straight from the letter read at the ceremony. And a Cartier Tank watch to tie the entire outfit together.

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

At the core of it, we wanted our guests to have the time of their lives. Many of them had never been to Central America, and we felt a real responsibility to make sure the trip was worth every flight, every layover, and every packed bag.

And we meant that beyond just the wedding day itself. About 20 of our guests took on the Acatenango volcano hike that Joey and I had done two years earlier, the same hike that made us fall in love with Guatemala in the first place. Watching friends from completely different parts of our lives tackle that hike together as strangers, sleep on the side of a volcano, and wake up best friends watching Fuego erupt was something truly special. It brought people together in a way a cocktail hour simply never could, and we know it is an experience that will be talked about for the rest of their lives.

On the wedding day itself, Joey had exactly two non-negotiables: a shot cart rolled onto the dance floor, and Hand Grenades straight from the iconic Tropical Isle bar in New Orleans passed out during the hora loca. Both happened. The crowd was appropriately chaotic. No regrets.

But equally as important to us were the quiet, weighted moments. Having Joey's uncle stand up during our ceremony and read aloud a letter Joey's mother had written for him before she passed brought the entire room to tears. And then there were our vows. Standing in front of our most important and beloved family and friends turned family, a theme that rang true all week long, in a place that will forever hold the memory of where we became husband and wife, and speaking our most heartfelt and true words to each other. And to seal it all with the very rings Joey's father had saved from his own wedding, those moments mattered just as much as the big, loud, joyful ones.

We wanted it all. And somehow, we got it.

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

1.Cultural element. Culture was everything. With my Venezuelan and Salvadoran roots, and Joey fully embracing that part of our story, we wanted guests to feel Guatemala, not just see it. That meant maracas in hand as guests walked into our reception, a full mariachi band leading the way, handmade pupusas passed around as our late night "drunk food," and ending the night with an hora loca featuring brightly colored dancers on stilts. We wanted every part of the evening to feel alive with culture, not just aesthetically but in the moments guests were actually living.

2. Tampa element. We also wanted to bring a piece of our Tampa life to Guatemala with us. We flew in our now friend Morgan from Nada Wines, a natural wine distributor who supplies all of our favorite natural wines to all of our favorite restaurants back home. The night before the wedding at our welcome party, Morgan led a wine tasting of all of our go-to bottles with our guests. It was such a personal touch and a way of saying, this is us, this is how we spend our weekends together, and we wanted you to experience that too.None of it would have been possible without some truly incredible friends. Five dozen bottles of wine do not move from Tampa to Guatemala on their own, and we are so deeply grateful to the many friends who packed their suitcases a little heavier and carried a piece of our Tampa life all the way there with us. It meant more than they know.

3. Emotional element/ode to Joey's mother, Lynn. And perhaps the most emotional element of our ceremony was having Joey's uncle read aloud a note that Joey's mother had written for him before she passed. There was not a dry eye in the room. Having her words spoken by her own brother made it feel like she was truly present with us. It was one of those moments that stopped time and reminded every single person in that room what the day was really about.

Any tips for couples getting married?

Trust your own taste. I spent a long time feeling pressure to find something extraordinary that would meet everyone's expectations of me, and it wasn't until I let that go that everything fell into place perfectly. The same goes for every decision, when something is right for you, you'll know.

The day goes by so quickly, I had already been told this by my own friends who had gotten married prior to me, and their advice to try to take it in, enjoy the day as much as possible and let it go rang in my ears all night. And I'm glad it did. Take time alone with your partner to have real conversations about how you're feeling, how your day is going, tell each other how good they look. Dance with your mom, hug your friends, cry a little and keep reuniting with your partner throughout the night so you can make memories together. But it's okay to also make little memories separately. One of my favorite memories at our reception was me and my 5 girlfriends squeezing into the photobooth, tripping all over each other, laughing and having the quintessential girlhood moment.

And finally, maybe most importantly, if a destination wedding is something you're even half-considering, do it. Your people will show up (and not to mention become best friends with each other). Ours did, from far away, and it became a trip they'll talk about forever.

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

Parker's Pictures: Even before diving into planning, Joey and I aligned on photography being one of our biggest investments for the wedding. We always knew we would likely be flying our photographer in, and with that came the freedom to really find the perfect person for us rather than limiting ourselves geographically. Film photography is something I personally love and it has become a hobby of mine since Joey gifted me my first film camera for our third anniversary. So a photographer who shot film was a non-negotiable. Enter Parker.She had it all. Incredibly talented, so genuinely kind, and with a true passion for the art that came through in every single image. Her enthusiasm from our very first conversation made us feel so seen and so excited, and we just knew she was it.

On the day itself, Parker was everything we hoped she would be and so much more. She had this incredible ability to find beauty in the most quiet, in between moments and turn them into something that will genuinely take your breath away. She kept us calm, comfortable and laughing the entire day, which if you know how much is happening on a wedding day, is truly a gift. And her dedication? Unmatched. When Joey and I took a spin around the block in our vintage car, Parker was right there running alongside us, cameras flying, determined to get the shot. That image alone tells you everything you need to know about her. Speaking of cameras, our guests have not stopped talking about her since the wedding, and a big part of that was the sight of her with what felt like ten cameras (I think it was actually 10) dangling around her neck at all times. She was impossible to miss and impossible not to love. Her second shooter was equally wonderful and became a fast favorite among the guests from the moment they arrived.

Not a day has gone by since receiving our previews that I have not scrolled through them with the biggest smile on my face, still finding a new favorite every single time. Photography was our biggest investment and Parker made it the easiest decision we made. We are so endlessly grateful for her talent, her heart, and the way she showed up for us. She gave us something we will treasure for the rest of our lives. Now we have a new friend in NYC!

American Rose Film: From the very first Zoom call with Justin, I knew we had found our people. He showed up to that initial conversation already genuinely excited about our wedding and eager to tell the story of it. That enthusiasm alone made stretching our budget for them feel not just necessary but SO worth it. Justin and his wife Stephanie are two of the nicest, most warm and easy going people we have ever met, and that made working with them not just easy but genuinely fun. They are deeply talented and clearly so passionate about their craft, but what sets them apart is how human they are. Every shoot throughout the week, from capturing the behind the scenes moments around Guatemala's color and architecture to our welcome party and wedding day, was filled with laughter and great conversations. It never once felt difficult but quite the opposite, we felt so comfortable and giggly.

What also spoke volumes was how fully they leaned into being in Guatemala. They took every food recommendation, every sightseeing suggestion, and embraced the culture and story of our wedding week with open arms. After the wedding, they even did the Acatenango hike themselves. That says everything about the kind of people they are and how invested they become in the couples they work with.

We have not received our footage yet and the anticipation is very real. But regardless of what arrives in our inbox, we are so grateful to have met them and to walk away from our wedding week with what already feels like a friendship. And there is no doubt in my mind that their work will show the love, care and effort that went into it!

Tamborine Press: Stationery is one of those details that sets the tone before guests even arrive, and Sarah at Tamborine Press went so far beyond that. From the very beginning she took the time to listen to every part of our story, and then turned it into something visual in a way that felt so intentional and so us. She hid little easter eggs throughout our invitation suite that only someone who truly paid attention to who we are could have thought to include, and that level of thoughtfulness is rare.

Sarah has such a beautiful eye for color, symbolism and detail, and she never once made us feel like we were asking for too much. She worked through countless drafts with us, across time zones no less since she is based in Australia, and very graciously put up with my many WhatsApp messages along the way. Every single time she came back with something that brought our vision to paper in a way we could not have imagined ourselves. We are so grateful for her and the care she put into every piece, from our invitations to our day of stationery. It all made such a difference.

All that is left now is for me to frame her work and display it in our home!

Nada Wines: We met Morgan about 2 months before our wedding at one of our favorite restaurants that was celebrating their 5th anniversary. At this celebration, there was a wine tasting sponsored by Nada Wines, that Morgan was heading up. Well, Joey and I stayed talking to her so long about wine and life that our server had to check on us if we still wanted to put food in because the kitchen was closing. It was then that we joked with her and said “well if you would like to do this at our wedding in Guatemala, we would love to have you there!” and to that she said she would! I emailed her a couple days later with a formal proposal and two months later we had Morgan serving up our favorite natural wines, straight from Nada Wines, at our welcome party. Our guests still talk about not just the experience itself, but how fantastic Morgan was too! She was such an amazing addition to our wedding week. We now can't wait to keep attending her wine tastings in Tampa!

Vivianne Brichaux: And lastly, and most importantly, our wedding planner Vivianne. It would not be right to not give her the proper recognition she deserves. She took our vision, even as crazy and impossible as it seemed at times, and made it possible! She listened to every suggestion, out-of-the-box idea, and looked through thousands of inspo screenshots I would send her and respond every time. There was not ever a time I felt like I was planning this alone, because she was always at my side. She was there bidding our wedding dates in the government offices in Antigua a year before our wedding. She was there on every monthly zoom call going over the allocated time frame with me without a complaint. She was there the day of the wedding handing me an aperol spritz whenever my hands were empty. She worked hand-in-hand with the La Magnolia team to make sure my vision was executed perfectly. One of those being the last minute decision I made weeks prior to the wedding that I wanted the DJ booth to be hidden behind beautiful drapery for our first dance to have a pretty backdrop and then have the drapery fall to the floor accompanied by a booming song to initiate the start of the party. She made that happen! She made it all happen and seamlessly at that. We are grateful beyond words for her sacrifice, countless hours worked and friendship. Thank you, Vivianne!

Photographer: Parkers Pictures @parkers.pictures | Second Shooter: J Coltrane @jcoltranephoto | Planning: Vivianne Brichaux Weddings @VivianneBrichauxWeddings | Flora: La Magnolia @lamagnolia

gt | Videographer: American Rose Films @AmericanRoseFilms | Ceremony Location: Convento Santa Clara | Reception Location: Jardin Real de Santiago | Hire: La Magnolia @lamagnoliagt | Ceremony Space: El Clois | MUA: Jessie Harrison @jessieharrisonmakeup | Hair: Vilma Coy@vilmacoy_bridalbeauty

pro | Catering & Beverages: (Welcome Party) Hotel Pensativo @pensativohouse; (Wedding Day) Camino Real Antigua @caminorealantigua; (Mixologist) 2onzas mixology @2onzas_mixology | Cake: Sofia Cobian @sofiacobian | Stationery: Tamborine Press Sarah Smythe @TamborinePress | Jazz Band: Jasmine Leonardo @jassmusicgt | Saxophonist: Obese Rucal @obedrucal_sax | DJ: David Gee @davidgeedj | Hora Loca: Circus Contemporaneum @circuscontemporaneum | Laser Light Show: Circus Events @eventocircus | Mariachi: Los Caporales @los_caporales | Welcome Party Dress: YSL @ysl | Ceremony Dress & Veil: Brooke Tyson Ritual | Reception Dress: Danielle Frankel @danielle

frankel | Suit: Ralph Lauren Purple Label & Mango Men |Engagement Ring: Antique & Heirloom | Wedding Rings: Heirlooms | Shoes: (Bride) Vintage Dyeables & Vintage Manolos (Groom) | Necklace: Great Grandmother's | Wedding Party Attire: Bridemaids own choice