Viva Villa! – The Case for Luxury Villas as the Ideal Venue for Your Destination Wedding in Cabo San Lucas
There are reasons galore for planning a destination wedding in Cabo San Lucas, so it shouldn’t come as any surprise that the Land’s End city has emerged as one of the world’s great romance capitals, or that the popularity of romance-oriented celebrations like engagements, weddings, honeymoons and renewal of vows ceremonies is at an all-time high locally.
What’s surprising, really, is that so many people are just catching on to how magical a place it really is.
There’s the year-round sunshine, of course, and the miles of fabulous beaches, the five-star amenities and the spectacular views. Those are all captivating reasons to visit. From our perspective as wedding planners, however, the best reason to choose the area as a site for destination weddings is its magnificent diversity of picturesque venues.
Few places in the world can offer weddings set on golden sand beaches, in the ballrooms of grand hotels, at boutique surfing resorts, in mountain foothills and in desert oases surrounded by 50-foot high cardón cacti, and at cliffside luxury villas perched high above crashing ocean waves. In fact, the cape cities of Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo may stand alone in terms of their stunningly varied terrains and topography.
Still not convinced? Here’s an example that might change your mind.
Life on Top
Our featured destination wedding in Cabo took place this summer at an exquisitely appointed luxury villa in Pedregal, the region’s wealthiest and most exclusive enclave.
The story of Pedregal is the sort of fairy tale parents might tell to children who want to grow up to be real estate agents. In the early 1970s, a Mexico City born architect named Manuel Diaz Rivera bought 330 acres of barren hillside land, a purchase scoffed at during a time when Cabo San Lucas was barely known outside Baja, and had not yet even built a marina. Flash forward forty plus years, and Pedregal is a name so revered it’s uttered in hushed whispers, its hill and cliff-hugging luxury villas the province of A-list movie stars and powerful captains of industry.
It’s the neighborhood on top, literally and figuratively.
Destination Celebration
Not all of Pedregal’s majestic villas, with their infinity pools and horizon-stretching ocean views, are owned by Hollywood royalty. A select few are still available as rentals for vacations and special events…like this extraordinary property, which recently played host to an intimate and elegant same sex wedding.
The muy moderno manse provided an eye-catching backdrop for both ceremony and reception, and lent its upscale allure to an intimate guest list of approximately 40 close friends and family. As you can see from the photos, the color scheme for the day was a fashionable blend of grays, whites and greens. Attire for the wedding party incorporated the first two, while the latter was evident in an enormous circular floral wreath which helped to frame the ceremony, and in the lush tropical foliage which surrounds the villa itself.
But stunning shades of blues also made an appearance, thanks to the villa’s unique vantages. Not only is the Pacific Ocean a striking presence in virtually every photograph, so too is Land’s End, the half-mile headland of gorgeous beaches and natural granite monuments that marks the southernmost point of the Baja California peninsula.
Simply put, these sort of elevated ocean and Land’s End views are unimaginable from any hotel or resort property in the area. It’s an “only in Pedregal”, “only in a luxury villa” amenity made even more spectacular by the infinity pool and jacuzzi, whose tranquil waters seem to take on the same hues as the boundless ocean beyond.
Glorious backdrops are an integral part of the villa’s appeal, but it’s also notable for its clean, contemporary lines, its simplicity and sophistication. The spacious upper terrace works perfectly as a ceremony space, as well as an airy al fresco setting for dinner and dancing.
Look at the way the table settings echo the color motifs from the ceremony, with white tables, chairs and candles, green and white floral accents. Notice the way a mirror is repurposed as a boutique seating chart. Observe how lighting and music, too, are seamlessly integrated, and contribute to the overall aesthetic.
The style is unmistakably elegant, the experience unforgettable.
The Case for Luxury Villas
The accompanying photos alone make a compelling case for villas as the ideal venue for a destination wedding in Cabo. The views are jaw-dropping, but beyond the scenic advantages are some rather practical ones. All of the appliances and amenities are state-of-the-art, for example, which makes life easier for guests, as well as service and support staff.
But perhaps the best thing about luxury villas is that you can not only host a wedding at one, but stay there as well, as most can accommodate 10 – 20 guests. That’s room enough for entire wedding parties, or for close friends and family.
If you think the endless ocean vistas seem unreal during a wedding ceremony, wait till you wake up to them from your bedroom window.
Choosing Your Ideal Venue
Luxury villas are hard to beat–and often surprisingly affordable in comparison with other potential sites–but ultimately any venue choice for a “destination wedding in Cabo” comes down to a variety of factors: size, thematic compatibility, and the like.
Villas may be a perfect option if your guest list is under 50 people, but if you’re expecting 100 or more, a hotel or resort is almost certainly better equipped for your needs (from event spaces to accommodations).
Similarly, villas seem custom made for intimate upscale weddings, but for those who dream of barefoot nuptials on the beach, or farm, desert or mountain based celebrations, they may not be appropriate or conveniently proximate…even for a cocktail reception.
But when they are appropriate…there’s simply nothing like them. They’re the gold standard, the ideal venue for a destination wedding in Cabo.
