Rancho Pescadero Wedding

Andrew and I had the best weekend in Mexico celebrating our good friends wedding! We stayed at the most amazing resort about an hour outside of Cabo called Rancho Pescadero. It's a smaller resort that can accommodate up to 64 guests and is known for their amazing food. They even bring coffee and a fresh baked pastry to your room every morning! Guys, this place was awesome!! 

After hurricane Olide, Nikki and Jason were concerned they might have to change their wedding plans due to the damage from the hurricane at the resort and airport. But Rancho Pescadero worked non-stop and the resort was impeccable when we arrived. 

I was a little late to book our room earlier this year, so we ended up with a deluxe room (since the other rooms were already reserved) I wouldn't have usually splurged on . So we made sure to soak it up and enjoy it while we were there! Plus, it was the closest room to the bar and pool area which was quite convenient! 

One of my favorite things about the weekend was that the entire resort was filled with friends and family there to celebrate with Nikki and Jason. Everywhere you turned was a familiar face, and after the first day it was like we had all been friends for years. Andrew couldn't have been more excited for all the people who wanted to do activities with him like surf, stand up paddle board, beach volleyball, body surfing, and more! So many activities.

Nikki and Jason (and their families) were SO generous. They had arranged everything, it felt like an all inclusive resort because almost every day they would set up a buffet for lunch or breakfast with beer or a signature cocktail. They even arranged shuttles to get us to and from the airport, as well as to Todos Santos for a party Friday night. Let me tell you, they know how to throw an amazing party! 

A little advanced warning, this post is going to be super long winded, but part of the reason I blog is to keep a journal of our life and this was an amazing weekend with friends that I want to remember! It was such an awesome weekend, I'll give you a little recap of all our activities.... 

We arrived Thursday afternoon and got settled in our room before heading to the pool and beach to get a lay of the land. That night, they hosted an amazing dinner right on the beach. After dinner we all headed back to the pool and fire pit area to continue the party. 

Friday morning Andrew and I were up early for a walk on the beach. We had heard baby sea turtles were hatching and making their way into the ocean so we had hoped to see some, but no luck. After our walk we went to ask about using the surf boards provided by the resort and realized Jason's cousin was about to leave for Cerritos Beach nearby for a surf session, so we hopped in the car with him! While the boys surfed I took a few pictures then relaxed with a magazine and got some sun. It was such a nice morning. After a few hours at Cerritos, we headed back to the resort for lunch with everyone. Then it was time for some pool fun and beach volleyball before heading up to Todos Santos for dinner. Nikki and Jason were having a family dinner that night, so the rest of us took a shuttle into town so we could explore a bit before having dinner at a local restaurant. After dinner we met up with the rest of the group at the Hotel California for a party outside in their courtyard area. We visited over cocktails and even played flip cup! 

Saturday was the BIG day! And the day of activities for Andrew, I think he wishes every day of his life was like this :) As soon as we woke up Andrew and Corrie went down to the beach for a little fishing with the poles provided by Rancho. I took a few pictures but then went back to the pool area with Erica and we ordered the best breakfast burritos ever! Next activity on deck, stand up paddle boarding! Erica and I went down to the beach to watch them fight their way past the shore break. It looked like a lot of work, but entertaining for us! Some of the other guys body surfed so Erica and I just relaxed on the beach for a while and relaxed. And we were lucky enough to see a bunch of whales! It looked liked they were playing and they even came totally out of the water a couple times! I am a total nerd and got so excited about this, I was so glad Andrew packed binoculars (told you we're nerds)! We took a quick intermission and went back up to the pool for a bit to grab some lunch, then headed back to the beach for volleyball! I'd been watching everyone play for the past two days and it looked so fun so I joined in for a game on Saturday. Man, playing in the sand is work! But it was so fun. I think it was even better sitting under the umbrella with a beer watching. These guys have all been friends with Jason since they were in high school, and they're hilariously competitive! 

In the early afternoon Erica and I headed up to the bridal suite to hang out with Nikki while she was getting ready. It was the most incredible room, they call it the "Mathew McConaughey Suite!" Our other good friend, Laura did Nikki's hair for the wedding. Since we're all so close, it was so fun visiting and sipping champagne while Nikki got ready. Nikki is the most classy and elegant person I know, and she looked incredible on her wedding day! Her dress was so beautiful, I'd say her look was old Hollywood glamour with a touch of bohemian. Once she was ready, we headed down to the beach for the ceremony. It was a beautiful sunset ceremony officiated by Jason's cousin with readings by both Nikki's twin brother and Jason's sister. 

After the ceremony they had a beautiful dinner. It was in an outdoor dining room by the garden with chandeliers and rustic tables and chairs. The dinner was served family style and we had the best time toasting Nikki and Jason and hearing about their childhood from family members and stories about how their relationship has grown. Once we finished dinner, we headed over to the pool area for dancing and cocktails tequila. We had the best time dancing, I never wanted it to end! At one point, we all serenaded Nikki and Jason with Journey as they were up on a balcony. Such a great memory. Once the music ended, everyone jumped in the pool (bride and groom included)! The night ended with a big bonfire and roasting marshmallows on the beach. The absolute perfect day celebrating two of our closet friends. 

It was such an amazing weekend, I wish we could re-live it all over again! My only regret is not taking enough pictures. I got some great photos walking around the resort in the morning, but rarely had my camera out and my phone stayed in our room the entire weekend. I can't wait to see the pictures from the photographer, the few he's already posted on Facebook are awesome! 

I'm so thankful we were able to celebrate with Nikki and Jason. They're two of the kindest people I've ever met, always fun to be around and the type of people you hope to be like. I know they have a long an happy marriage ahead. And hopefully there are more group trips for us in the future, Mexico is definitely best enjoyed with a group of friends! 

Oh, and we get to do it all over again this Saturday at their San Francisco reception!! 

brotherly love

This couple was so cute! They were at least 80 and holding hands and splashing in the waves together!

party pitted

WHALES!! - it was so fun watching them

View from the bridal suite

One more thing that I wanted to share with you. As you may know, Sunday was Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos. Traditionally you create an altar piece to pray for and celebrate family and friends that have died. Nikki and Jason wanted to remember those that couldn't be with them on their wedding day, and invite them to be a part of the celebration. They created a beautiful altar in memory of Nikki's sister Carrie, as well as Jason's Aunt, and both of their grandparents. It was such a moving detail and gave a special and personal touch to the reception.

This was the 2nd time Andrew and I had visited Cabo, you can see the posts from our last trip here! 

There are a few more pictures on Instagram with hashtag #VivaElliotts 

October Instagram Round-Up

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Here we are again, another month gone by! The holidays are right around the corner and I'm getting more and more excited for all the time spent with family. As always, October was an amazing month! With both Andrew and my birthday, Halloween, friends' birthday celebrations, and weddings, we've been busy! 

We got home from Cabo last night after celebrating our good friends' wedding! It was an amazing weekend, I was so sad we had to come back to reality! I'll be sharing more about our trip later this week after I have a chance to upload and organize pictures. In the mean time, I wanted to look back at the highlights from October via my Instagram, this might be a record in posts for me in one month. A good indication that we've been having a lot of fun!

// October starts in the best way possible, celebrating Andrew's birthday :) The photo is from a camping trip last year, but this year we went camping on the beach in Santa Cruz with friends to celebrate! //

// These were our neighbors at the campground in Santa Cruz, and I was obsessed with this old VW van! As you might remember, I grew up camping in an old VW Westy and have always loved them. Andrew and I think it would be so fun to own one someday //

// One of my favorite summer projects was working with Tillamook, FarmBox SF, and Soda Pop PR on the Ice Cream Craving campaign creating recipes. I was a little tardy in sharing this one, but these Ice Cream pops were so delicious! Thankfully we have amazing Indian Summers here in SF, and I was able to enjoy them into October! //

// Cest La Vie! I created a few outfits for a collaboration with Andrea Rowe Photography! She is such a great photographer and I had so much fun putting outfits together for our shoot. This was the first look we did. Casual with the graphic tee and distressed denim, but the heels make it a bit more fun for a date night! //

// Pumpkins! Nothing says fall like a heap of beautifully colored pumpkins and gourds. I absolutely love fall, it always brightens my day seeing storefronts with pumpkins and festive fall decor. //

// Another one from my shoot with Andrea! Hopefully I'll get my act together and have more outfit posts for you in the coming weeks :) What do you think about looks for a Fall Wedding? Or favorite Fall trends? //

// Fleet Week is one of my favorite events here in San Francisco! Thankfully, this year the Blue Angels were back to put on a show for the city. We went to a roof top party that one of Andrew's co-workers hosted and it was the perfect spot to watch the air show overhead. There really is no better place to be than a rooftop during Fleet Week! //

// One of my favorite pictures from our visit to Dillon Beach with my sister and her family! I can't get enough of Phillip! He is just the cutest and we had so much fun playing on the beach together. I can't believe how fast he grows. I'm already counting down the days to Thanksgiving when I'll see him again. //

// Another one from Fleet Week, a re-gram from my friend Kenzie! //

// Probably my favorite post from the moth of October! Interviewing my Dad for the post I did about the movie Valley Uprising and his experiences climbing in Yosemite Valley at the time climbing history was being made. I loved sitting down to listen to his climbing stories and I learned so much about him and his various experiences rock climbing over the years. He should write a book! //

// One of the highlights of October was of course watching the Giants in the post season, and eventually becoming World Series Champions on my birthday! This was a #tbt post from a game in 2012 (another World Series year) that I went to with one of my best friends from home and her family! Re-posting this picture of me and her son Ryan must have been good luck! //

// One of the best dinners we had all month! This stuffed sweet potato recipe is a new favorite. I modified the recipe slightly, and posted the changes I made on my Facebook here. I've said it before and I'll say it again, everything I've made from Half Baked Harvest has been amazing! You should definitely give one of her recipes a try! Especially this one! //

// I posted this after we won the NLCS Championship! One of my best memories as a Giants fan was spending the afternoon on the field for Season Ticket Holder Appreciation Day! It was the day Hunter Pence arrived to SF to play for the Giants, and after hearing him during the Q&A I knew he was my favorite! Loved him from day 1, literally! //

// Another highlight from October was spending the day with our friends and celebrating their baby shower! I always love spending time with my college friends, I just wish it was more often. It was the cutest shower, I should have taken more pictures! Only a few more weeks before baby Chinn arrives!! //

// Better late than never! I finally got around to putting up my fall decorations! Nothing makes the house feel more cozy than a few seasonal and holiday decorations! //

// The second look from my shoot with Andrea Rowe Photography! This was in collaboration with House of Alva scarves. You can read more about why I love this company so much in my post, their scarves are beautiful and support the artisans and villages where they're made, a purchase you can feel good about! And you still have time to get $10 off  + free shipping on your purchase of $50 or more with the code FOOT2FOG10 through November 24th! //

// My Golden Birthday Party was one of the highlights of the month for me. I felt so loved and special that all my friends came out to celebrate and made such a huge effort dressing up and sticking with the theme for the night! Before we went out to Bourbon & Branch, we met at our house to watch the Giants game. I love this picture of Andrew's sister, Nina and I. She looked amazing and I loved her fur (which was handed down from her Aunt, making me like it even more)! //

// It was so fun celebrating with so many friends from different points in my life! It's so fun that most of my college friends are so close and we're able to see them more often now. PS - I was so impressed Shannon made her 20's headpiece and did all the beading by hand! //

// Love this picture of Andrew and I in our costumes for the night! We both had such a great time, and loved the room we rented at Bourbon & Branch. For his costume, he bought suspenders on Amazon and then we found an old bow tie that was his grandpa's, and paired it with black pants and a white dress shirt. So easy but all the guys looked so great! //

// One of my favorite little shops in Marin, Proof Lab station, is all set for fall with cozy Pendleton Blankets. I seriously want all of them! Somehow I made it out of the store with only buying a Patagonia hat I've had my eye on. //

// Another one from my birthday party! Seriously, how amazing did all my friends look?! I still can't believe how much everyone got into the theme and dressed up, I'm lucky to have such awesome friends. And since I knew we'd be at our house watching the game before heading to the bar, I bought some gold foil fridge to hang as a little step and repeat for our photos, which was really fun and festive! //

// I think the icing on the cake for the month of October was the Giants winning the World Series on my birthday! We met our friends out in the Marina to watch the game and had the best time! It was so intense for a while there, we were worried. What a close game! Thank goodness for Mad Bum, he came in and saved us - MVP! //

// As soon as Panda made the game-ending catch, the bar emptied out and everyone was on the streets. As you can see, I got soaked from all the champagne being sprayed! It was such a blast being out and celebrating with our city, I just love how everyone LOVES the Giants! It's such a fun thing to be a part of, it will always be one of the highlights of my time living in San Francisco! //

// And what is the best way to end an amazing month? Flying to Cabo for the wedding of two of our closest friends, of course! Still on the high from winning the world series the night before, Andrew and I were off to Cabo Thursday morning. It was an amazing weekend, I can't wait to share more! //

It's kind of amazing looking back and seeing everything we squeezed in to one month. So many activities and memories with our favorite people!! 

Be sure to follow along on Instagram and keep up with me in real time :) I hope your October was filled with as many wonderful memories as mine was. It's hard to believe we're only a few weeks away from Thanksgiving!! Looking ahead at our calendar, Andrew and I won't be slowing down until 2015! 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin