Sometimes a destination wedding doesn’t always mean an all-inclusive resort. Triana and Tal decided to go a different route with Villa Del Oso, which provide private, stunningly beautiful villas. Everything about this wedding, from the beautiful town of Sayulita to the gorgeous decor and design, was so well done that we couldn’t help but reach out to Triana to found out more. We’re excited to share this destination wedding review with you.
About the Villa
“Located at the edge of a pristine stretch of beach at the peaceful north end of town, Villa del Oso offers breathtaking views overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The property is set on a massive 105,000 square feet block with the villa covering 20,000 square feet. The property has been built with meticulous attention to detail. With its exquisite French interior design, immaculate lush gardens, modern décor, sun-filled rooms and expansive entertaining areas, Villa del Oso is a palatial oasis offering amazing ocean front living.
In addition to the main house, Villa del Oso also offers a private, self-contained, two-story, two-bedroom guesthouse with its own spectacular ocean views.”
A private villa to host all of your family and friends for your wedding trip? Sign me up!
Bridal Q&A
Q: Why did you choose a destination wedding?
A: We chose a destination wedding because we wanted to be able to enjoy more time with our friends and family. Many of our guests arrived early, so we had activities planned throughout the week which allowed us to spend more quality time with people instead of rushing to see everyone on the wedding day. Some guests used our wedding for an extended vacation, or they traveled around the nearby area. We also wanted to be able to have a beach wedding, but knew it would be more affordable to do a destination wedding in Mexico than to get married in the United States. We were able to enjoy a beautiful week on the beach with all of our closest family and friends and spend quality time with everyone.
More time with family and friends is one of our pros of a destination wedding in our post, “Pros and Cons of a Destination Wedding.” Instead of having to cram all of your time with family and friends into one day, a destination wedding offers multiple days to enjoy everyone’s company.
The Resort
Q: Why did you choose this resort?
A: We chose this villa because of it’s stunning location and views overlooking the beach. It was on a private part of the Sayulita beach, making it intimate so there were no tourists walking by. The villa had several private rooms, so our wedding party was able to stay on the property with us the week of the wedding. The master suite for the bride and groom overlooked the ocean, so we were able to fall asleep and wake up to the sound of the waves every day.
That sounds like a dream come true. Check more of Villa del Oso out here.
Q; What was your favorite part of the resort?
A: The villa staff was incredible! They were very organized and experienced in working with vendors for the wedding day. Also, they provided us with breakfast and lunch daily, then helped with planning activities throughout our stay. They rented a golf cart for us that we used to drive into the town of Sayulita. During the day we were able to relax by the pool, do yoga on the lawn, and walk along the beach. We were happy that our villa allowed us to have a beachfront wedding in an intimate setting, without having to be at one of the bigger resorts that are usually filled with tourists.
A lot of brides love the idea of a destination wedding for the climate and vacation aspect, but find it hard to find a resort that’s secluded and feels private. A villa like this may be a great option to consider.
Q: What was your least favorite part of the resort?
A: Since Villa Del Oso is a private venue without the services or wedding packages that bigger resorts offer, we had to plan and book all of the vendors separately. This made the wedding planning process much more complicated, since we were not just choosing from a menu of wedding packages. However, we were really happy with this decision because it allowed us to make sure that the wedding style was truly customized to our preferences, and we were not forced to work with any specific vendors. Our wedding planner helped a lot throughout this process since she has planned weddings in the area for years, so she was able to present us with many options for each vendor along with insights from working with them before.
Of course, there are pros and cons to every wedding decision you make. There is something to say about the ease of a destination wedding at an all-inclusive resort. Most of them have packages to choose from and handle most wedding planning for you. On the other hand, many brides like to have more control like you would get at Villa del Oso by booking your own vendors. This is something you may want to think over when determining how much control you’d like in your wedding planning.
On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the following resort amenities?
- Service: 10/10
- Pool: 8/10
- Beach: 10/10
- Food: 9/10
- Spa: 9/10
Q: Anything else you would like to add regarding the resort that you would like brides to know?
A: For a relaxing and beautiful beachfront wedding, this is the ideal villa to rent in Sayulita, Mexico. The town of Sayulita is about a 45 minutes drive from Puerto Vallarta and does not have many big hotels or resorts. We organized transportation from the Puerto Vallarta airport for guests and found it easy to book shuttles. Since the town is small, many businesses do not accept credit cards, so we advised guests to bring cash or pesos with them ahead of time. All of our guests were very happy with the location and enjoyed the laid-back, bohemian feel to the town of Sayulita.
The Wedding Planning
Q: Did you have an on-site wedding coordinator? If so, would you recommend them?
A: Yes, we worked with Eventives Destination Weddings who is based in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We would highly recommend her!
Q: Where did you have your ceremony and reception? (i.e. pergola, beach, etc.)
A: We had our wedding ceremony on the upper lawn, which had a stunning view of the beach. The cocktail hour and reception were on the lower lawn, which we tented since there was a little rain that day.
Q: Did you pay for any add on’s that were not included in your original wedding plans?
A: We did end up purchasing tents at the last minute because the weather forecast showed it would rain, which was very rare for that time of year. While we were initially bummed, it ended up making the reception even more beautiful and intimate to have the tents. There was some rain during the reception dinner, so we were happy that we made the decision to purchase them since it meant our guests were all very comfortable.
Q: What was your biggest challenge in planning a destination wedding?
A: The biggest challenge was not being able to see the venue or meet with any vendors ahead of time. Our wedding planner helped throughout the process by sending us photos along with very detailed information for each vendor.
We go over this part of destination wedding planning in our post “Should You Visit the Venue Before your Destination Wedding?” If you have a hard time with planning from afar, or not visiting the resort ahead of time, check out our 4 tips in that post about what you can do to manage your expectations.
Q: Anything else regarding your wedding planning and services that you would like brides to know?
A: Since we worked with vendors that were based in Puerto Vallarta, many of them had to travel into Sayulita, Mexico, which was a 45 minute drive. There were transportation charges for bringing in these vendors, but we were really happy with all of the vendors we worked with. We recommend working with a wedding planner local to the area who is well versed in local regulations and logistics, with experience working with vendors in the area.
What did you think of this bridal review? As always, our goal at Breezy Brides is to offer as much advice, insight, and knowledge to destination wedding brides as possible. Click here for more destination wedding reviews!
Vendors
Photographer: Bohemia Photography
Villa Manager: Luisa Viteri
Wedding Planner: Eventives Destination Weddings / Eve Chávez
HMU: Makeup Vallarta
Wedding dress: Gala by Galia Lahav
Bride’s shoes: Miu Miu
Bride’s jewelry: Derco Diamonds
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Cloud Hunter
Groom’s suit: Suit Supply