TIM AND GEOFF: A Destination Wedding In Mexico
Tim and Geoff’s nuptial celebrations were nothing short of spectacular as they embarked on a breathtaking five-day celebration in Mexico with their dearest loved ones. This destination wedding was a true showcase of their unwavering commitment to each other and an unforgettable experience for all those in attendance.
Photographer Moises Díaz | Location Zihuatanejo, Mexico
“…Our families have supported our relationship from the very beginning. We’ve also been really fortunate living in Southern California to be comfortable in our true selves and express our relationship for the genuine love that it is.”
How and when did you meet?
We met in Mammoth, California, during Gay Ski Week at an apres ski event on March 18th, 2017.
Tell us a little about that first time you met…
Tim: This took place at a mid-mountain lodge after a long day enjoying the slopes. We caught eyes a few times during the event, and before Geoff left the apres ski, he told his friends that he just had to meet me. Geoff went over and asked for my number. We decided to meet up the next day for a couple of runs on the slope with just the two of us, and we got to know each other better. It was immediate chemistry and great conversation. We kept the texts going for the next few months before we got the chance to see each other again.
What was the first thing you noticed about each other?
We both noticed each other’s eyes. Our first interactions were passing glances that led to flirtatiously locking eyes across the room.
Tim: Geoff’s eyes are kind.
Geoff: Tim’s eyes sparkle.
Tell us about the standout moments in your relationship…
Geoff: We started off our relationship meeting on a ski mountain, and since then, we’ve travelled the world together. From snowboarding in Niseko, Japan, to diving with sharks in North Shore, Hawaii, to exploring hidden coves in Mallorca to road-tripping across Costa Rica, we’ve been on a never-ending adventure. We have a true passion for travelling, and we make it our priority to live life in the now. Tim is a flight attendant, so our trips are often spontaneous. We travel mostly on standby travel benefits, which comes with the territory of being ready for anything. Over the course of our relationship, we realised we must have good luck on our side because everything ends up working out for the best. We still have many destinations we’d love to see. For our honeymoon, we plan to explore Cape Town and do a safari in Kruger National Park.
Have you ever faced any issues of non-acceptance?
Tim: Our families have supported our relationship from the very beginning. We’ve also been really fortunate living in Southern California to be comfortable in our true selves and express our relationship for the genuine love that it is.
What does marriage mean to you?
We believe marriage is a commitment to each other to grow together for the rest of our lives.
Tim: I have always believed in marriage and the romance of a loving relationship.
Geoff: I didn’t originally think I would get married but wasn’t opposed to it either. I lived the majority of My life single or in short-term relationships. It wasn’t until I met Tim that I truly connected, and I realised that I could really see myself getting married. Tim gave me a reason to believe in a forever future together.
Who proposed and how?
Tim: Geoff proposed in Mexico City on November 19th, which was also my birthday, with a few friends in Mexico City celebrating my 32nd birthday. We started off the morning waking up before the sun rose to go on a hot air balloon ride over the Teotihuacan ruins. It was incredible to see the ruins from that vantage point and to experience a new adventure with our closest friends. In the afternoon, Geoff asked me to go on a walk in the park, just the two of us. We explored Chapultepec Park and ended up on a bridge looking over Mexico City. That’s where Geoff got down on one knee and proposed with a heartfelt message and a bit of his signature humour. He presented a custom-designed ring. We had a special moment in that park and walked back to the house where we were staying. We didn’t tell anyone right away because we had to get ready for a dinner that my friends had planned for the evening. At dinner, my best friend noticed the new bling on my finger, and that’s when we told everyone the big news. After a few weeks of being engaged, Geoff asked when he would get his ring. Because our rings were going to serve as our engagement and wedding bands, I didn’t see a reason to wait to get Geoff a ring too. I had my jeweller make another ring that matched the same design as the one Geoff had created for me. That Christmas, Geoff joined me on my work trip to Cancun, Mexico. I planned a nice dinner at a restaurant overlooking the lagoon. That’s when I proposed to Geoff and presented him with a ring. I wanted Geoff to feel the same excitement that he felt getting proposed to.
When did you get married?
Geoff: We got married on February 3rd, 2023. The wedding took place in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, over five days of festivities.
Tim and Geoff’s story continues below ↓
What was the main influence behind your wedding day?
Tim: Adventure. That sums up what we wanted our guests to experience when coming to Mexico. None of our guests has been to Zihuatanejo before. We wanted to share how we travel with our family and friends. The itinerary was kept informative but also left room for a bit of surprise. We loved seeing the reaction of everyone as they came to each event. With 45 guests attending the wedding, we were able to do more and really spend time with each person over the five days. Zihuatanejo was also the perfect backdrop to our wedding. It’s a small fishing village that hasn’t been tainted by tourism, so you can still really enjoy the beautiful culture of the local people.
What was the most important thing to you surrounding your wedding?
Geoff: We wanted everyone to really enjoy themselves and walk away from this wedding feeling like they just came back from a fabulous vacation. When deciding to do a destination wedding, we realised that it’s asking a lot more from our guests both financially and physically and could be seen as a burden. That was the main motivation to curate a vacation that our guests just had to show up for. We wanted this trip to be a memory for a lifetime. Based on the reviews, it sounds like we knocked it out of the park.
Did you incorporate any family sentiments or traditions?
Tim: The exciting yet daunting task for us was to decide how we wanted the ceremony to play out. There’s nothing traditional about a gay wedding, so we really got to decide to incorporate anything we wanted. We took bits and pieces of a traditional ceremony and mixed them with some new elements. We both walked down the aisle with our mom and dad by our side. It was important for us to include both parents. We had our immediate families sit on the opposite side of where we were standing so they could see our faces during the ceremony. Geoff’s older sister Angie passed away a year before the wedding. When we first visited Casa Angelina, the view from the villa reminded Geoff of Charlotte Amalie Bay in St. Thomas Virgin Islands, where his sister lived. It was right after her passing that we first came to Zihuatanejo. Casa Angelina, the name itself also had a connection to his sister Angie. She was a huge supporter of our relationship and was so excited to see us get married. It made the villa an even more special place for us. During the ceremony, we had a moment of silence for Angie to acknowledge her presence in such a beautiful milestone in life. We also shared our own written vows that coincidently mirrored each other. Our guests laughed, cried and cheered and were asked to help us stay accountable to always stay true to our vows.
Where did you find the bulk of your inspiration?
Geoff: A lot of our inspiration came from our travels. Because we wanted this to not only be our wedding but a vacation for our guests, we knew the activities we loved and wanted to share them. For design, our inspiration came from a variety of social media outlets and previous work that our wedding planner had produced. We love a classic wedding but wanted to incorporate the Mexican and tropical flare of the destination. We got excited about incorporating some of the dramatic elements that we came across. Some of those include a U-shaped table that overlooked the bay, an elevated dance floor at the infinity pool’s edge, fresh fruit and local florals on the table, and mixed textures and masculine colours.
What was the most difficult thing about planning your wedding?
Tim: We started our planning journey with a pretty strict budget that we wanted to stay within as much as possible. It was important for us to pay for our entire wedding by ourselves. We spent the year saving up for the big day. When planning a destination wedding, it became increasingly more difficult to decide what was important to us and whether it was worth the price tag or not. Things added up very quickly. We ended up a little above our budget, but that wasn’t without a lot of deliberation. When it was all said and done, we were so pleased with the decision we made.
Any advice for other couples planning their day and finding it difficult to navigate the journey?
Tim: When we imagined what our wedding would look like, we knew we wanted to be able to enjoy every moment of it with our family and friends. Too many times, you hear about couples who barely got the chance to even eat or have a moment for themselves. With the help of our wedding planner, the preparation really set us up to enjoy the whole experience. We structured the timeline to allow us to be present.
Tim and Geoff’s Team
Photographer and Videographer Moises Díaz (Zihuatanejo)
Wedding Planner Jennifer Jaimes (based out of Zihuatanejo)
Venue Casa Angelina (Zihuatanejo)
Florals Carlota Flower Lab (Mexico City)
DJ and Lighting Ibiza Audio Ixtapa
Rentals Eventi Warehouse (Zihuatanejo)
Suits Suitsupply
Rings Custom (designed by the Geoff, the groom)
Officiant Thomas Hayes
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