Mitchell and Craig: A Luxe Tropical Wedding in Mexico

Mitchell and Craig exchanged vows at Rosewood Mayakoba, Mexico, surrounded by close friends and family. The celebration was refined yet relaxed, with bold tones, thoughtful design, and a setting that spoke for itself. Every element was considered, creating a day that felt both personal and effortlessly stylish.

Photographer Luxart Wedding Studio | Location Mexico

“For us [Marriage] is the public declaration of your love and commitment to one another and making those statements in front of friends and family feels even more important. It means committing to the good and the bad and being there for each other for everything in between. ...”

Tell us a little about that first time you met, what was the first thing you noticed about each other? 

Technically we met in medical school but we were in different classes so our first glance was only that, a glance. Our real meeting happened when we were in the same residency program. The first things you notice are obviously that each other were good looking but quickly we realized the more important and deeper character traits that we loved about each other: passion for work and life and a kindness we had never encountered before. 

Would you please share your proposal story with us? We’d love to hear the details behind that engagement ring! Who proposed to who? 

Craig proposed to Mitchell and it was a COMPLETE surprise. It was a day of small things I (Mitchell) should have noticed: my work colleague offered to take my call shift that night, my barber said he'd open the shop early to do that haircut I missed earlier in the week. The plan was that Craig's family were driving to Connecticut for dinner at our favorite beach front restaurant to celebrate Craig's sister's birthday. When we arrived, they were "late" (very on brand, sorry if you're reading this!) Craig offered to take me down to the beach to wait for them. His plan was foiled by a beach front wedding happening in the exact spot he planned to propose! He quickly redirected us to the other side of the beach and I turned around to find him on one knee. When we returned home, he had organized the most thoughtful and glamorous engagement party full of friends of family both local and from around the world. 

We'd love to know about the standout moments in your relationship! There were some highs and lows for sure. We did long distance for 3 years between CT and Toronto Canada as I was doing my fellowship training at the University of Toronto and Craig stayed at Yale to work. Covid shut down the border so our relationship was limited to FaceTime. We made the most of it and our reunion was that much sweeter. The highlight has to be getting our dog, aka son, Charlie. A mini-golden doodle who rules our lives but has stolen our hearts.

What does marriage mean to you? 

For us it is the public declaration of your love and commitment to one another and making those statements in front of friends and family feels even more important. It means committing to the good and the bad and being there for each other for everything in between. 

Have you ever faced any issues of non-acceptance? 

We are fortunate to be loved by our family and friends for who we are. Sadly many same-sex couples aren't afforded that privilege but we are grateful to our community and family for their unwavering love and support. 

How would you describe the style and decor of your wedding day? We’d love to know more about the overall atmosphere you went for. What kind of feeling did you aim for with the decor? What was the main influence behind your big day?

Neither of us are particularly creative so it was critical to select a team that could help us create a vision. Like many couples choosing a tropical wedding destination you imagine green palm leaves and white flowers which are beautiful! Don't get me wrong... But our incredible wedding designer and his team helped us fulfill a vision we didn't know we had. Our priority was to create an atmosphere that was warm and inviting to our guests so they would engage with one another and have a great time, but to also have an elegance and class mimicking many of the great restaurants and hotels we are fortunate to enjoy living in the NYC area. 

Did you have a specific colour palette that tied everything together? If so, which colours were the main focus of your decor? 

We quickly transitioned away from the classic white and green as we learned that the property and space is naturally lush and beautiful so we pivoted to warm oranges, reds and pinks for the rehearsal dinner hosted in the stunning garden of the hotel. For the reception we went with more rich fabrics like velvet table clothes, rich purples, rose gold and a stunning marble-esque dance floor. 

Where did you find the bulk of your inspiration? How did you choose your suppliers? 

Our inspiration was truly from our design team. We cannot thank them enough for taking the time to spend hours getting to know us, our personal aesthetic at home and scouring our social media to help inform their plans. We were thankful to have a team well connected with the local community to source products and artists from the area with whom they have a relationship and reputation for excellence.

What was the most difficult thing about planning your wedding? Planning a wedding thousands of miles away is never an easy task but our wedding team was outstanding in keeping us informed, regular meetings and mock ups and countless meetings on Zoom. It was important for us to visit to check on progress and to sample some of the materials and products that would be featured. 

What was the most important aspect of your wedding day for you? You can include your favorite moment or anything that stood out! 

What stood out to us was how nervous we were! We had already spent several lovely days with our family and friends but when we woke up, it felt different. All day we paced and couldn't kick the feeling so as photographers, planners and family and friends poured into our villa late morning to get set up, we snuck away to the gym on property to work out. There wasn't a soul there and we were to blow off some steam, spend some quiet moments together and realized there was nothing to be worried about. We went back to the villa, popped the champagne and the rest is history. 

Tell us about your honeymoon plans! Where are you going or where did you go? We are planning to go to Thailand and Vietnam a year from now to enjoy that beautiful part of the world. Hopefully White Lotus Season 3 gives us a sneak peak to what is in store! 

Do you have any advice for other couples planning their day and finding it difficult to navigate the journey? 

Neither Craig nor I wanted to have a wedding in the traditional sense and originally planned to have a lovely dinner in Manhattan at a favorite restaurant with our closest family and friends, but I began to read wedding blogs and heard from couples who felt similar until they chose a destination wedding. We had 60 guests which means that is your closest friends and family and we wanted this beautiful week to be as much a 'thank you' to them for supporting our relationship as it was a celebration of us. When you focus on the reasons for choosing your wedding, the venue and the guests, the other stuff is just details.

About Luxart Wedding Studio

Led by Abi & Gon, the husband-and-wife duo behind Luxart Wedding Studio, this creative team blends high-end artistry with genuine connection. Based in the stunning Riviera Maya — and serving couples worldwide — Luxart is known for its signature mix of timeless elegance and emotionally honest storytelling. Their work goes beyond photography — it’s about curating an experience, building a real bond with each couple, and capturing every moment with intention and soul. By focusing on what makes every wedding truly unique, they document it all in a way that not only looks beautiful — but brings you right back to how it felt, for years to come.

Mitchell and Craig’s Team

Photography @luxartweddingstudio
Planning @canteiroweddings
Venue @rwmayakoba
Floral Design @erickraidesign
Suits @brunellocucinelli_brand 
Shoes @boss
Rings @cartier
Rentals @planner1events
AV @musikentertainmentmx
Couple @mitchell.clark.2013 & @craigsteven825
Glam @stylingtrio
Sax @arielsaxophonist
Content Creator @weddingcontentcreatorap

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