Love, Laughter, and Tropical Calm: Taylor and Tyler’s Dream Wedding at Secrets Riviera Cancun
It all started in the heart of New York City - two athletes, Tyler and Taylor, a basketball player and a track star, connected by their love of athletics, finding each other at the gym.
With sparks flying, this chance encounter led these two varsity athletes to form the ultimate team - one that would have them getting to know each other both on their home courts, and, eventually, abroad as they tied the knot at Secrets Riviera Cancun.
Canadian Bride Guide sat down with Taylor and Tyler on the Caribbean Coastline of the Mayan Riviera to chat Wild Wings, romance, and the joys of international wedding planning.
CBG: First off the biggest thank you for taking the time to chat with us while on your actual destination wedding! We’re so excited to hear more about you, your story, and how you found yourselves here at the stunning Secrets Riviera Cancun! To begin with, let’s get started with how you two started dating. We know you met at the gym, but when did it really become more?
Taylor: It was around Christmas time - it happened late November - we had a break coming up - and he had a gift card from his aunt to go to Buffalo Wild Wings. He invited me, and we hit it off. I told my parents about him and they suggested I invite him to New Years. We basically talked ever since.
CBG: Aw, that’s so sweet! Christmas to New Years isn’t a long time at all, sounds like you really just knew! What was it that made it so clear? What did you really love about each other?
Taylor: I am a very anxious person - I overthink a lot, while he’s very calm, so he helps me sort things out, you need a little calm, a lot of calm, and he was and is my calm.
Tyler: She’s constantly trying to do something for everyone else, always. I don’t really have as much of that- I have a laissez faire attitude, let things be. That’s what I appreciate about her. It’s her selflessness that makes her the way she is and it helps me be a better person. I like that about her. Oh, and she cooks very, very well.
CBG: Sounds like a winning combination to us! We can see how things escalated so quickly! Now tell us about the proposal, what was that like?
Tyler: I work at a real estate company, and I was speaking with our VP, who was a developer; about it. While I was originally planning on doing it in Miami while we were on vacation, he suggested that I just do it in this beautiful suite he had. I figured it would be too much, that it would cost too much to rent, but he gifted me the space so all I had to do was source the food for our friends and family that I wanted to join us. When my parents found out they immediately offered to cover that portion of it too, so it all worked out well.
CBG: Wow - what a gift! Sounds like you had a lot of people rooting for you and willing to pitch in to help out. So now tell us Tyler, how did you manage to convince the alway-on Taylor to come along with you to this magical suite without her becoming suspicious?
Tyler: I go to a lot of happy hours, so I invited her to come to one and meet my coworkers - she got all dressed up and came over. Now I knew she gets anxious and wouldn’t want everyone around for the actual proposal, so I had the whole place decorated for the short and sweet private proposal, and then, after she said yes, all our friends and colleagues came down from where they were to celebrate with us and we had a little engagement party.
CBG: That’s so thoughtful! We love how you got to have that intimate moment while also celebrating with all your loved ones. Taylor did you have any idea this was coming?
Taylor: Not in the slightest. Right before he had torn his ACL - so I didn’t think he was going to propose any time soon since he couldn’t actually get down on one knee. Little did I know he had been going to physical therapy and managed to work it out so he could get down on one knee just for me. He really surprised me!
CBG: That must have been a surprise then! Once the proposal happened, did you go right into wedding planning mode? What was most important to you when it came to planning your wedding?
Taylor: We wanted something easy, beautiful and fun for all our guests. That’s why we chose Breathless Riviera Cancun. They made everything so incredibly easy and there was something for everyone.
CBG: Amazing. Sounds like you found the perfect spot! Did you have any must haves when it came to wedding style?
Taylor: I knew I wanted everything really clean. I like the a white, clean look with candles - I love candles.
CBG: So a clean and classic motif, perfect! And how was the planning process for you?
Taylor: The planning was fun - I like decorating - and so picking the stuff, sending pictures to the team here - that was really fun.
CBG: What about planning a destination wedding for so many guests?
Taylor: Personally I don’t like attention, so I didn’t want to do all of this, but Tyler, he’s a party guy, so we had all our friends and family to come out and this way we could make it as much about them as it was about us. We invited 120 people out to meet us in Cancun, and ultimately 70 people came down.
CBG: Now that everyone is all here together what are you most looking forward to on your wedding day?
Taylor: Now that I’m here, I’m very excited to see everyone in the same space having fun. It’s going to be great.
CBG: It definitely will be. And what are your plans after the wedding? What’s next?
Tyler: We’re going to be here until Thursday. We’re gonna honeymoon in June - so we’re gonna party some more. It’s like two honeymoons, because we get this and then that.
CBG: That’s fabulous! Definitely sounds like the ultimate wedding experience! Now that you’ve basically done all the hard stuff, what's one piece of advice you'd give to other couples looking to plan a destination wedding?
Taylor: Definitely know what you’re looking for - have an idea of what you want so when you explain it it’s to fidelity, and everything is met to your expectations. Have inspiration, have photos, be very detailed.
Tyler: Plan for the unexpected - and over invite - because if we invited 80 people we would have had 40.
CBG: Ha, that’s great advice! Any last thoughts on it?
Taylor: Just go with the flow - enjoy it!
Overall, their wedding was a perfect blend of Taylor and Tyler’s personalities: elegant, classic, and filled with love. As Taylor anticipated, seeing everyone together in one place, celebrating their union, was the highlight of the day. The couple continued their celebration with a honeymoon in June, making their post-wedding experience feel like two honeymoons in one.
Credits and Thanks
Wedding Dress: MaxBridal in Long Island
Photographer: Adventure Photos
Hair Artist/Stylist: StylezByPecola
Florist: From the resort
Wedding Planner: Michelle Orea
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