A Wedding Weekend in Mexico City
I think it says a lot about my best friend Gina that for both her bachelorette party and her wedding weekend, the thing she wanted most wasn’t something for her but for everyone she invited to have an amazing time. And have an amazing time we did… Mexico City is a gorgeous place that has a vibrancy I’ve missed since moving to dusty rural Arizona 5 years ago. I had a great time and would love to go back to do and see more!
We spent the day on Thursday on a walking tour through Condesa, Roma, and Juarez - you can take the exact tour we took, and I highly recommend our tour guide, Jack. (https://shopstyle.it/l/cbuBu) Gina specifically booked the tour so that her guests could see as much of the city as possible before we decided what to do with our free time during the wedding weekend - isn’t that a super cool thing to do?
As someone who lives in a corner of the country where having a car is a necessity, it felt amazing to be in a place where it is expected and encouraged to catch the heel-toe express and walk most places. This tour was also when I decided that Pinterest is correct - photos of artistic doors and breezeways in faraway places are pretty damn cool. One day I’ll make a coffee table book of all the pictures of doors I’ve taken on my travels.
Mexico City was SO gluten—free-friendly - multiple people in our group had a gluten allergy or celiac disease plus other intolerances and allergies, it was quite the spiel when we went to dinner and had to explain 6 different people’s issues to the server. When I say gluten-free friendly, I mean it - the groom’s brother Connor and I made it a point to take trips to two different awesome gluten free bakeries, I had the time of my life eating gluten-free pan dulce when I haven’t had a pan dulce of any kind since 2005. Oh, and most importantly - GLUTEN-FREE CHURROS are available at Churros El Moro. They aren’t even a special kind, they are just gluten-free as is and they are delicious. I ate 3 in one sitting and my stomach hurt in the best way. I haven’t had a churro in over a decade okay!
Mexico City is also crazy about dogs, and these dogs take well-behaved to a new level. I was so impressed by how well taken care of and well-trained dogs were, an interesting contrast to how we allow our fur children to behave here stateside. I wish that I was been able to ask someone about their dog training culture so that I could understand how this level of great dog ownership came to be so common.
On Friday, we spent part of our day on a boat tour in Xochimilco and the ancient chinampas (floating gardens). We landed at Arca Tierra, a sustainable farm in Xochimilco that combines traditional agricultural methods with modern eco-friendly practices to promote environmental stewardship and local organic produce. On our tour of the Arca Tierra chinampa, we were able to see and understand the unique sustainability practices that once fed thousands in ancient Mexico City - one thing I enjoyed on this trip was how much I learned about Mexican history and culture.
The Girlies at Xochimilco
captured by Eager Hearts Photography
Saturday morning I got up early and joined some of the groom’s family and friends to see Chapultapec Castle. Chapultapec Castle is one of two of the only royal palaces in North America to have ever been inhabited by monarchs, and it was absolutely beautiful. I really liked how much attention to detail had been paid to the recreations of the different rooms in their past lives - and yes I got more cool old door pictures.
Rooftop garden at Chapultapec Castle
Saturday afternoon was a beautiful series of memories. Gina and Kellen held their wedding in one of the most gorgeous, unexpected venues I have ever heard of for a wedding - a cooking school! Sobremesa, in the Colonia Roma neighborhood of Mexico City, is also a beautifully restored old house that was absolutely perfect for our group of 17. This home must have been absolutely stunning when it was originally built, because its vintage elegance was incredible.
I haven’t been to many weddings, but this one was one of my favorites, and not just because it was the best day of one of my favorite people’s lives. Everyone there was a truly cherished loved one, and I enjoyed getting to know my homie-in-law better through getting to know his family and friends. I would also like to congratulate myself and the other female guests for how well we showed out with Gina’s request for bright satin. We looked incredible!
