Hi all, I recently wrote this Valentine's Day article about our Mexican wedding for Hala Paddle Boards. As you may know that I'm a Hala athlete. So they asked me to write a little article about our recent wedding in Mexico. So in the spirit of Valentine's Day, I thought I would share.

Our Mexican Wedding

Valentine's Day has never had much meaning for me. But since this is the first one since my wedding, this year feels pretty special. My now husband and I got married in Mexico this last November. It was a beach wedding filled with Día de Muertos celebrations, paddle boarding in the Pacific and way too much fun. So in honor of the upcoming Hala-day, I wanted to share a little bit about our wedding.

We held our Mexican wedding in an awesome surf town called Sayulita. If you've never heard of it, it's just north of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and it's known for its small-town feel, awesome culture, and gentle and consistent surf break. It's also a bit of a gringo paradise, without any of the large resorts or hotels of the surrounding cities. We first travelled there two years ago during the ISA SUP World Championships. By the end of the trip we adopted a stray dog – a beautiful black lab named Pancho. We fell in love with the town after only a few days. It's a place that's really special to us, so we knew it would be perfect for our wedding.

We have the best group of friends that came to Mexico. There were almost a dozen yoga teachers. We held a yoga class every morning at a palapa at our beach villa. Since we were staying right on the beach, I also brought my Hala boards (as I do most places I travel). Inflating them was pretty much the first thing we did when we arrived. During the day someone was on a board almost every minute. Even beginners were paddling out around to the different beaches and coves, and catching some waves.

We timed the wedding over Dia de Muertos, one of the best decisions I've ever made. The whole week was festive, but from Oct 31 - Nov 2, it was seriously a constant party in town. There were beautiful parades and processions. The town set up a big stage in the main square where at night dancers would perform incredible shows in the most elaborate costumes.

And of course, the wedding was perfect. Everything went off without a hitch (except for us getting hitched of course!). Barefoot on the beach, we exchanged vows in front of all the most important people in our lives. Truly, I don't know how it could have been more memorable and special. The ceremony was the culmination of the most spectacular weeks of my life. Not to mention we adopted yet another stray dog that we met during the stay.

It's crazy to think that my husband and I had one of our first dates at a Rachel Brathen SUP yoga class. And now, paddle boarding and paddle yoga are still so much apart of our lives. It makes me very happy to share this story with the whole Hala community! Happy Valentine's Day everyone!











P.S. Photo credit goes to the wonderful and talented Sayulita resident Spencer Harris.