Anything But Ordinary

Jennifer and Karim outdid themselves in making their wedding very special, uniquely them and a whole lot of fun. I desperately want to remember every detail in vivid color and be able to recall my time away whenever my real life is making me feel a little overwhelmed. Be transported back to the weekend when time stood still, the drinks poured freely, and the good times never stopped with a wonderful group of friends and loved ones.

You couldn’t help but fall in love with the location. Puerto Morelos, Mexico is where the festivities took place. Jennifer and Karim picked a resort called “Ceiba Del Mar” and it was a great mix of luxury and hospitality. The staff (mainly my new best friend, Johanna) was incredibly accommodating and really took interest in you; getting to know your preferences. They seemed to work around the clock with very little downtime, but it was nice for the guests to see the same friendly faces each day, always with a smile. The ocean was steps away from the pool and the view was pretty spectacular. The hotel only had 80 or so rooms, so having 60 of us be there for the wedding meant we really took over the place.

I think seeing friends and family wherever you ventured (whether it be the pool, beach, spa, gym, restaurants, pool bar, swim-up pool bar :)) was part of the charm. It was never-ending good times and like one big party the whole weekend. Everyone was in a great mood and ready to have fun.



The wedding was unbelievable. Spectacular is the word that comes to mind. The day started at 1:30pm when we were to gather at the lobby for shuttles to take us to the church, which was less than a 10 minute drive away. It was a Mexican, open-air church that was quaint and had local people watching from the windows and doors. The service was Coptic Orthodox, and while normally an hour long service would prove difficult to hold my attention, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Jennifer and Karim flew their Priest in from NoVa, and he was a young, hip and funny man – not what you would expect from such a strict, ancient branch of Christianity. He explained the traditional service we were witnessing and it was filled with a lot of action.

Once we got back to the resort, there was a little downtime to refresh and gather back in the lobby to officially start the reception. A Mariachi band led the walk for the wedding guests to this pier where the cocktail hour took place. During this hour, the sun is starting to set and the candles lining the pier were getting brighter and brighter. At this point I’ve lost all track of time and I am not sure how long until we were told it was time to go to the reception. Not wearing a watch for the majority of the weekend was an easy way for me to live in the moment and go with the flow.









The reception was outdoors just off the beach. The area with the tables and dance floor was breathtaking. Everything was done in a white with teal blue accent. The tables had this illumination, being lit from underneath and the dance floor lit up as well. The chairs were white with the blue and white ribbon tied on the back. It was truly one of the most beautiful settings I’ve ever seen.
The DJ started playing music and Karim and Jennifer made their entrance. Jennifer did her father/daughter dance first, then Karim did his mother/son dance next. Following directly after was the bride and groom’s first dance. It started with a traditional waltz (which was so not them!) and then a few minutes later, the music got interrupted and the couple broke into a fast dance, dancing to Chris Brown’s “Forever”. Jennifer surprised everyone and did a dress change; going from the beautiful more-appropriate wedding gown to wear to a formal church service to a sexy, low back, very slinky dress to move and dance in at the reception. Throughout the entire day she looked gorgeous. The men in the bridal party wore light beige suits with the same shade of teal blue for a button down shirt. The Maid of Honor had a dress on in the same exact shade.
The wedding went until 11:00pm and then an after-party followed.

It was a long day, but so incredibly awesome. I am rereading what I’ve written above and I am just not doing it justice. The whole day blew me away. Karim and Jennifer did an amazing job planning this event and from start to finish, no detail was left unturned. I can’t even begin to explain how much fun I had. Besides the paradise setting and being beyond excited to see one of my best friends get married, I believe the people who attended had a big part in making this wedding such a success. This crowd LOVED to dance. Karim’s parents and Jennifer’s parents got down on the dance floor with the rest of us. And Karim’s side of the wedding pulled out all their best dance moves. It is rare to see such a big group of men who really enjoyed dancing and could tear up the dance floor better than most of us.

This wedding will always be one to compare to anything I ever attend from this day forward. It was top-notch all the way. The day was incredibly special and I am grateful I was able to be a part of it. I wish them both all the happiness and love in the world. One of the guests commented that when the time comes, they should have a destination baptism. :) I personally think we should get together each year for their anniversary.


Oh yeah, a little shout-out to Heather who doesn’t think I mention her enough in my blogs. She was a great traveling buddy. :)

And a BIG shout-out to Jeff who was the main man in charge for 72 hours. You helped make this weekend possible for me.