Twenty guests, one private villa, a mariachi band, and plenty of tequila were all Lauren and Mason needed for their destination wedding in Puerto Vallarta.
The couple gathered their closest family and friends at Casa Valerie for an intimate celebration planned with Prisar Weddings and photographed by Jorge Kick that felt relaxed from the very beginning. Rather than filling the day with an elaborate schedule, Lauren and Mason made the most of the villa, its terraces, and the ocean views surrounding them.
The result was a wedding that moved easily from quiet moments with family to a private first look, a meaningful ceremony above the pool, and eventually a mariachi-fueled celebration in the streets.
A relaxed morning at Casa Valerie
The wedding day began quietly inside the villa.
Lauren got ready alongside Mason’s sister and her mom, keeping the morning relaxed and intimate. Mason prepared separately, with his father joining him to help with the final touches.
With such a small guest list, there was no need for the morning to feel rushed or overly orchestrated. Instead, both could spend those final hours before the ceremony surrounded by the family members closest to them.
A private first look on the villa’s rooftop terrace
Before joining their guests, Lauren and Mason met privately on the villa’s upper terrace for their first look.
The elevated setting gave them a quiet moment together before the ceremony while taking advantage of the views surrounding Casa Valerie. From there, they explored different areas of the property for portraits, allowing the architecture and setting of the villa to become part of their wedding photographs.
For a celebration centered almost entirely in one place, the variety of spaces throughout the property made the villa feel like its own destination.
They exchanged rings above the swimming pool
The ceremony took place above Casa Valerie’s swimming pool, creating an unexpected setting for Lauren and Mason’s vows.
Mason’s older brother officiated, adding a personal connection to the intimate ceremony. The couple kept the service short and meaningful. Rather than reading personal vows, they exchanged rings before going straight to their first kiss as newlyweds.
With only 20 guests watching, the ceremony reflected the understated approach they had taken to the entire day.
A mariachi band took the celebration into the streets
Cocktail hour brought an immediate change in energy when a mariachi band began to play.
Lauren and Mason ventured outside the villa with the musicians, walking through the surrounding streets as the band accompanied them. The newlyweds then made their entrance back into Casa Valerie with the mariachi leading the way.
Their guests were ready for them.
Music quickly turned cocktail hour into its own party, complete with dancing, tequila shots, and plenty of laughter. What could have simply been the transition between ceremony and dinner became one of the most energetic moments of the celebration.
Dinner under the lights overlooked the ocean
After the excitement of cocktail hour, everyone gathered on the villa’s main terrace for dinner.
Overhead lights illuminated the intimate table as guests dined with the ocean stretching out beyond them. With only 20 people gathered together, dinner retained the feeling of a relaxed evening among family and friends rather than a traditional large-scale reception.
The setting did much of the decorating on its own, with the terrace, evening light, and ocean views creating the atmosphere and florist Vodax y Flores elegantly accenting the space.
You may also like
Pink and blue pastel wedding on the beach at a Puerto Vallarta resort
A tropical Puerto Vallarta wedding that was one “monstera” of a party
This colorful San Miguel de Allende wedding turned into an all-out fiesta
An intimate dinner turned into a villa dance party
Once dinner ended, Lauren and Mason shared their first dance and officially opened the dance floor.
The same group that had danced to mariachi music and taken tequila shots earlier in the evening was soon celebrating together again, this time with the villa transformed into their private party.
There was no need for a crowd of hundreds to create the energy Lauren and Mason wanted. With 20 of their favorite people gathered in Puerto Vallarta, the celebration felt both intimate and completely uninhibited.
From a private rooftop first look to exchanging rings above the swimming pool, walking through the streets with a mariachi band, and dining beneath the lights overlooking the ocean, their wedding made a strong case for keeping a destination celebration small.
Lauren and Mason did not need a packed itinerary or an enormous guest list. A beautiful villa, their closest people, mariachi music, tequila, and a night overlooking the Pacific were more than enough.
Continue to next story
