A Wedding in Paradise

“Tulum? Where’s Tulum?” Ha! That was me, the first time I ever heard of Tulum, Mexico. It was the day our oldest daughter, Michelle and her fiancé Marty, told us that they wanted to get married in Tulum!

Let me back up a bit. Michelle and Marty met in 2017 and began dating. The first time I met Marty he reminded me a little bit of Harold. He’s tall, outgoing, and has huge sense of humor. So it was no surprise approximately a year and a half later when he asked for Harold’s blessing on his proposal of marriage to Michelle. Actually, I believe he first asked our grandsons, Colby and Gabriel, then Harold. What was the surprise, was Tulum!

I soon learned that Tulum, in the last 10 years or so, has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in Mexico. It’s located in what’s known as heart the Rivera Maya region on the Caribbean Sea. More precisely, it’s on the eastern side of the Yucatan Peninsula, in the state of Quintana Roo.

This is where Michelle and Marty chose the beautiful Dreams Tulum Resort and Spa, complete with a wedding package and an all inclusive hotel package for the guests. Together, they planned every detail of their June 2019 wedding:

Thursday, June 27th  – Welcome Party and Tequila Tasting 

Friday, June 28th – Wedding & Reception (best day of our lives!)

Saturday, June 29th  – Free day and/or Group Catamaran Cruise

Sunday, June 30th – Farewell Breakfast & Goodbyes XO 

Actually, a few days prior to the big day, they had a private wedding ceremony at Marty’s hometown church, so that his elderly grandparents who couldn’t come to Mexico, could witness them marry. It was also an official wedding ceremony, as legally binding Mexican weddings require quite a bit of paperwork.

The Wednesday before the schedule of events were to begin, we flew into Cancun and took a shuttle to the hotel. We enjoyed the extra time in Tulum getting familiar with the resort and all of the amenities.

The Tulum wedding ceremony was simply beautiful. Set on the beach with a gentle breeze, Marty’s dad, Steve, officiated the ceremony.

The reception was also beautiful. Set inside a cleared outdoor area surrounded by tropical trees and greenery, we ate, laughed, and danced in the moonlight. We chose “Michelle” by The Beatles for Harold and Michelle’s Father/Daughter dance, as I used to sing it to her when she was a baby!

The following day we enjoyed a catamaran cruise on the ocean.

It was a such a memorable and wonderful time with family and friends.

It was a wedding in paradise!

And now these three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But, the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13