Destination Weddings in Baja California Sur Mexico
Destination Wedding at El Mirador, Todos Santos, Mexico.
A stones throw away from Cabo, the magical town of Todos Santos is the perfect place for a destination wedding!
I’m writing this blog from Todos Santos, Mexico! Todos Santos is a town on the pacific coast of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, backed by the Sierra de la Laguna mountain range. I’ve been here for the last week visiting with Slow Weddings founder Aimée Newlander of Weddings by Aimée. We’ve been seeing the sites, exploring some local wedding venues (including Paradero, Flora Farms, and El Mirador,) and talking about all things weddings!
We spent yesterday evening at El Mirador, a secluded, oceanfront wedding venue, just minutes from downtown. We drank jamaica margaritas and took in the panoramic vista: saguaro (100+ year old cacti,) Punta Lobos, a breathtaking view of the pacific ocean – with more whale sightings than I could count, and a stunning sunset. (The whales and the weather make February an excellent time to visit Todos Santos, Mexico!)
Aimée recently planned a wedding at El Mirador. She raved about how beautiful the destination wedding venue was, and boy was she right! El Mirador is a breathtaking destination wedding venue with a wildly diverse landscape and ocean views that rival the best wedding venues in Big Sur, CA. As an upscale destination wedding venue, El Mirador boasts incredible natural scenery, a unique atmosphere, and a sophisticated ambiance. While we were at El Mirador, the manager, Yolanda, graciously gifted us with day passes to their sister site, El Faro, a restaurant, beach club and spa.. (Their tamarind mezcal is definitely worth a try!)
Todos Santos is a pueblo mágico – a title given to various towns in Mexico to honor and preserve their historical and cultural significance. Todos Santos has always drawn chefs, artists, surfers and expats from around the globe. Todos Santos’ proximity to Los Cabos — an hour drive on a well paved road — makes it a great day trip from Cabo, and a well located wedding destination.
When I first arrived in Todos Santos, I spent a few days visiting with my dear friend and business partner, Jen Garone of Small Circle Ceremonies. Jen was in the area for a few days before heading to San Jose del Cabo to officiate a wedding ceremony at Acre Resort. She was hired by a Colorado couple (where she is based) to fly to San Jose del Cabo to officiate their destination wedding.
From Acre Resort’s website:
“Tucked in the foothills of San Jose del Cabo is ACRE, a lush sanctuary set on 25 acres of abundant greenery. Featuring elegant tree houses, organic farms, private event spaces, and an award-winning bar and restaurant, connection and celebration are at the heart of what we do.”
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In an unplanned but perfectly-timed reunion of sorts, Aimée and I also got to spend some time with Amy Rawlings of Blue Moon Blooms, who was visiting Todos Santos with her husband. Amy and I both held the role of board secretary for the Slow Weddings Network at different points during the organization's inception. Amy Rawlings is a florist and “slow flower grower” who prioritizes working with local farmers and locally sourced flowers whenever possible.
Aimée has been a wonderful hostess, showing me the sites and sharing her incredible knowledge of slow weddings. Aimée started envisioning a slow weddings movement a decade ago, and officially started the Slow Weddings Network 8 years ago – a worldwide initiative to bring a collaborative spirit and values like local, sustainable, and mindful to a wildly wasteful, trillion dollar global wedding industry. Her vision for slow weddings is grand and global, and I really do hope that it’s the future of weddings!
Weddings by Aimée is based in Santa Cruz, CA and Todos Santos, Mexico. Aimée has been cultivating relationships with local, sustainably-minded wedding vendors and venues (including Bell Valley Retreat and Green Oaks Creek Farm) in California for a long time, and now she is doing the same in Todos Santos, Mexico. Building collaborative relationships and advocating for #slowweddings is what she does best!
I’m hoping to be back in the Los Cabos area of Mexico in the future to officiate destination wedding ceremonies. As a world traveler I have spent a lot of time in Spanish-speaking countries, including Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Peru. I love Latin America – the slower pace, the rich cultural history, the friendly people, and of course, the food!