A NI man has shared an insight into his intimate 'elopement-style' Mayan wedding in Antigua, Guatemala.
34-year-olds Michael McLaughlin, a plumber from Co Tyrone, and wife Sandra Kazancevaite, a research analyst from Vilnius, Lithuania, who both live in Omagh, got married on November 14, 2022.
In our weekly feature Inside My Wedding, couples are delving into their special day to give bride and grooms-to-be some top tips.
Read more: Inside My Wedding: Co Tyrone couple's beautiful day at Manor House Hotel
Michael told Be: "We met in Antigua, Guatemala in 2016 while both travelling through Central America. We had a long distance relationship in Europe while meeting up over various city breaks then lived together in New Zealand in 2018/19.
"We got engaged in Vilnius, Lithuania in August 2020."
Michael has told all about their beautiful day.
Tell us all about your wedding day!
Our wedding was on November 14, 2022 in Antigua, Guatemala where we originally met back in 2016 while we were both backpacking through Central America. It was an elopement-style wedding with just the two of us. We had a Mayan-style wedding as it is unique to Guatemala and it interested us both as it was different yet significant.
How did you begin planning?
We had the idea of eloping in Guatemala since we got engaged but only started seriously planning in August 2022 as we were almost certain that there would be no more further Covid-19 restrictions which would interrupt our plans.
Instagram and Facebook were the main base for our planning as we got to view the venues and photographers' portfolios.
Tell us about your venue.
We decided to host the ceremony at Casa Troccoli restaurant as they had a beautiful rooftop terrace which overlooked the old town in the city which is a UNESCO world heritage site. It had 3 volcanos in the background.
Tell us about your suit and Sandra's wedding dress!
We didn't put much emphasis into our wedding wear as I wore a suit I had from doing groomsman at my friend's wedding last year and Sandra found her wedding dress online which fitted perfectly.
What was the best part in the build up to your day?
As our wedding was abroad it was exciting just to get away and have some time off work to be honest. We arrived in Guatemala a week before the wedding and did a little travelling before arriving in Antigua two days before the wedding to talk with the photographer, videographer, florists and restaurant manager.
Just to make sure everything was as planned because we'd only ever talked via WhatsApp and video call previously.
What was the best moment of your day and your other favourite parts?
The ceremony itself was definitely our favourite part of the day because we'd never been to or experienced a Mayan wedding ceremony before and our shaman, Tz’ules kept us at ease so everything went smoothly.
The photoshoot walking in the cobbled streets of the old town was also great as there were so many friendly locals passing by and wishing us congratulations and random cars beeping horns.
What would you tell other bride and grooms to plan first & what are your top tips?
Most couples today are probably under a lot of pressure to have a big wedding but despite ours being only us, our families and friends backed our decision - and a lot of people saying it was a great idea. Which I think it is as there is less stress and it's more adventurous.
If you plan to elope, then do your research into your chosen destination and use Instagram and Facebook to find local vendors and get some inspiration - or you could even book a local wedding planner over there to make it easier.
What were the hardest parts to plan?
It actually wasn't too bad to arrange but it was a little difficult to decide on a venue as we couldn't be there to get a feel for it.
Did you have a theme?
We wanted an alternative theme as we're both from different cultures but love to explore other countries and cultures. The vibe was relaxed and easy-going.
Would you do anything different or wish there was anything you didn't worry about?
No, we wouldn't change anything and we're very happy with the way things turned out and how everything just fitted into place easier than we thought.
We followed up our two week Guatemala trip with a two week honeymoon in Colombia which was brilliant!
All photos by Jorge Ortiz Jarquin - www.jorgejarquin.com.
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Do you want to tell us all about your wedding day? Email be@belfastlive.co.uk for your chance to be featured.
