As I reflect on our epic excursion for Wendy and Dylan’s wedding in Cuernavaca, Mexico — I thought wow… “love” is universal in both languages. Then it dawned on me. No, in Spanish the word for love is not love, but amor. What? The ability to speak a different language is something that has alluded me, but fascinates me as well. As I did not know a lot of Spanish; I knew even less about a traditional Mexican wedding. What I learned… I need a lot more practice to hang!
Our dear friends, Wendy and Dylan, were getting married about 1.5 hours south of Mexico City. Our other dear friends, Holly and Chris, also invited, took the same flights that we did on this Mexico adventure. Our flight changed probably about five times from when we booked it and even then it was an additional hour late. This caused us to get into Mexico City Friday morning at 3 am, which is the day of the wedding. Grant was smart and booked a hotel at the airport. The problem was that at 3 am the bus/trolley/whatever it was… did not run that early and so we had to take a taxi from Terminal 1, where we landed, to Terminal 2, which is where the hotel was. The terminals were spread apart too far and were not accessible by walking.
We made it into the hotel. The front desk agent took forever, but by 4 am the lights were out. Fast-forward a few hours and the van that Wendy had arranged to pick us up and bring us to the wedding was here. Wendy's sister Terry or Pickles (as she calls her) arrived that morning and joined us for the ride out. Terry did the heavy lifting with the van coordination and we were off!
The drive was uneventful until we were about 10 minutes out. The driver decided to pull over at a gas station and…eat his hamburger. Not sure why he couldn’t wait the additional 10 minutes until we got there, but I guess when you are hungry you are hungry! Chris and I grabbed a few snacks for the road. The chips in Mexico are all a tad spicier than in the US so that was a nice surprise.
Eventually, we made it to Hotel & Spa Hacienda de Cortes. Founded by Hernan Cortes in 1530, this sugar hacienda with its dry-stone walls and clear running water was a gorgeous backdrop for the Wedding of the Year! When we got there we dropped off our bags and began wandering the property. Trees growing out of rocks, statues, beautiful lush vegetation, and stonework that had survived hundreds of years stood before us. We also snuck into where the reception was and saw them setting up.
Before the wedding started we grabbed a quick bite to eat at their restaurant named La Hacienda, which also happens to be the name of my favorite Mexican restaurant in Houston. As Grant and I began to order, Chris popped his head in and joined us for lunch. Chris ordered the suckling pig, which was delicious. I ordered a chilled avocado soup, which tasted just like my favorite green salsa. Grant ordered the Ceasar salad and they made it right in front of us. Everything was delicious.
Afterward, we got dressed and rushed down for the ceremony. This was not a traditional ceremony with a priest, but rather a “sha-women.” Standing in a snake flower ring, Wendy and Dylan exchanged vows. I truthfully tuned part of the ceremony out because I needed subtitles. I did tune back in when she mentioned that she hoped Wendy and Dylan’s relationship burned like fire. Being from California, fire is a no-no so I hope they keep their burning love in Texas. JK! She lit a lot of incense and I The ceremony was a device-free event, but that just means you have to sneak a photo TMZ-style. I may have snapped a few photos from under my jacket and through the chairs.
When the ceremony ended, we took a few photos of the bride and groom. Then we were ushered off to the cocktail hour where drinks, candy, and hors d'oeuvres were flowing. This is when the drinking started for everyone. They had a delicious mango margarita and I somehow downed three before I even realized what I was doing. After the cocktail hour, we made our way to the reception area where we were greeted with massive arches laced with floating candles and really tastefully done flowers. Kudos to Wendy or whoever chose the flowers. I usually find them a tad gaudy, but these were nicely done. Subtle and added to the atmosphere instead of a distraction.
We had seen the work in progress and now we're seeing the final product. Each plate had an alebrije wood carving on it with our names. After finding out seats and chatting with our tablemates, the bride and groom made their entrance. It wasn’t long after their entrance that a Mariachi band and dancers began to serenade everyone. I have no idea what they said, but there was one that was talking directly to Wendy so I am assuming that song was about “amor.”
The food began flowing in courses and each one was better than the next. Mango ceviche and goat cheese sope starter. Chile en Nogado, which was my favorite. A poblano chile stuffed with picadillo topped with a walnut cream sauce and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds. Some people were confused because it was cold, but like my soup…I was good with the cold. Next, was a stuffed chicken and beef. What I thought was fun was that each couple received the other item. So I got chicken and Grant got steak. Since we share everything it was perfect although we both preferred what was delivered. After that smorgasbord of food, we finished it with a dessert. I actually, do not remember what the dessert was as I write this. I am sure it was great, but the drinks that were being poured were clearly greater!
After all the food came the first dance. A normal dance in front of everyone until all of a sudden sparks started shooting from the sky. I know I was caught off guard, but it seemed that Grant was triggered enough to start looking for a fire extinguisher. Once the fireworks ended, we all began to dance the night away. Wendy, Janna, Grant, Chris, Holly, and I danced the night away with 60+ of Wendy’s family on the dance floor. Whenever we got tired and needed a break we would leave for the table to be greeted with shots of tequila. I do not think there was a point in the evening when the drinks stopped flowing.
As the day grew darker the candles flooded the space illuminating the space with light. Once we were all good and toasty with getting our dance and drink on — we hit the photo booth. There we dressed up and took silly photos. I have no doubt some of those photos will come back and haunt us. People were fading with all of the booze, but the best way to get intoxicated people pumped again is with lights. Someone from the hotel came out with flashing glasses, wands, hats, rings, bow ties, etc. and the normal dance floor turned into a rave. When the rave started slowing down, Wendy and Dylan got on chairs and started pouring tequila into the mouths of the conga line that formed. All I know was that at 12-1 am, Grant and I called it quits and the party was still raging. Janna stayed until the end at 3 am and enjoyed the sparkler sendoff. I was sad that I missed it, but my body was glad when I hit that pillow.
The next morning, those brave enough to be awake by 10 am were greeted with a glowing bride and groom who were all "lovely-dovey." Somehow they were up until 3am+ and seemed fine. The rest of us were dragging a bit.
Our first stop was Xochicalco - Zona De Monumentos Arqueologicos. This UNESCO site housed the archaeological ruins of a Mexican civilization during 650-900 AD. It was fun to climb the ruins and explore this cultural relic. It was clear that this site was chosen because of the sweeping views of the surrounding areas, which had given them a tactical advantage over others. This was a fun opportunity for all of us to snap a few photos as a group together.
We also had a tour guide, Janna, who was extremely knowledgable about the area. She knew that the orange flowers were a combination of some sort of red and yellow flowers. She also knew that these pyramids were created in the 1700’s…give or take 1000 years. She was quite informative although we did not fact-check anything that she commented on. :)
A quick bathroom break and a congested van ride lead us to our next stop: Tepoztlan or Pueblo Magico. Have you ever heard of this place? If not, you are not alone. But, you should! This place was AMAZING. It reminded us of Antiqua, but better.
Tepoztlán is known for its beautiful mountain views, narrow cobblestone streets, craft markets, and traditional celebrations. I loved it! I am a huge shopper so shopping plus unique items made this a dream location. The problem was that everywhere we went was “cash only.” This limited my ability to shop and caused everyone to pull cash out to pay. I ended up finding a mask, a stuffed fox, and Grant found a few items as well.
Once everyone had their cash pulled out, we somehow separated into two groups and went to two separate restaurants. The group that I went with ended up going to Los Colorines. A large, traditional Mexican restaurant with local cuisine. Everyone was starving at this point so anything that came out would have been amazing. Unfortunately, when we separated, the group I was in did not have a native Spanish speaker. This caused us to stumble through the menu with the waiter who did not speak any English. Fortunately, Dylan’s mom spoke some Spanish and was able to answer some of the waiter's questions. Most of the food came out as ordered and were just grateful to have something edible!
It was time to go and you had to drag me from that place. I may have been the last one on the bus and there may have been a few mean/deserved glares that I went rouge. The ride back was much quicker and we were back at the hotel in no time. At the hotel, we relaxed for about 15 minutes and then met everyone at the hotel’s pool. The pool closed soon after we got there, but the hotel let us stay a bit longer. Once we were finally kicked out, we all got redressed and sat down for our last supper at La Hacienda. It was nice having everyone sit together calmly and enjoy a meal together. The loving couple at the head of the table was surrounded by friends.
The restaurant closed at 11 pm and we were still laughing. The waiter quickly brought the remaining items and the check. Fortunately, Wendy was there to tell him to separate it by the couple as the waiter would not have done this for anyone else there! We said our goodbyes as everyone’s departure times on Sunday varied.
Exhausted, I popped an Ambien and was out as I hit the pillow. Unbeknownst to sleeping me, Grant’s stomach began turning, twisting, and blowing up. He was supposedly running to the bathroom every 15 minutes. When 10 am rolled around, he had gotten minimal sleep. I volunteered to go and get him some Pepto Bismol since I was fine. When we boarded the van, we cracked open the pink stuff and passed it around. Everyone transitioned from tequila shots to Pepto shots!
Once at the airport, everyone cashed in their remaining pesos for little trinkets. We had a nice lunch at Sala 21 at the Mexico City Airport. It is easy to find as it is right next to gate 21. The food was fine, but to me, the standout was their queso with chorizo. You cannot go wrong with melted cheese. Even though we got to the airport early, time escaped us and we had to run to the gate to avoid missing our plane. Everyone made it, we had a smooth flight, and landed right on time. The CBX was hopping on a Sunday night, but it was nothing compared to the line of cars trying to cross. After waiting in a few lines, we made it across the border in less than 45 minutes. We all let out a sigh of relief that we were back in the states.
It was a wonderful experience and I truly wish Wendy and Dylan nothing but happiness in their life. They clearly amor one another and are great together. I know they will be together forever or until Wendy tires of Dylan…which hopefully won’t be anytime soon! :)
