We may earn a commission if you buy something from any affiliate links on our site.
The Bride Wore Vera Wang To Marry Surrounded By Marigolds At A 400-Year-Old Monastery Outside Mexico City
The third time was a charm for Krista Jackson and Alex Zahn’s love story. The two first met virtually, on Hinge, while living on opposite coasts. “I remember Alex quoting one of my favorite Lupe Fiasco lyrics on his profile, ‘Let’s go to sleep in Paris, wake up in Tokyo.’ We messaged about wanting to live life by this mantra,” says Krista. “Nevertheless, our ‘Paris, Tokyo’ lifestyles had us constantly on the move, and we were not able to connect in person and lost touch.”
A year later, Krista, who was working as a marketing manager at HBO, was hosting an event for Euphoria and Alex was introduced to her. “Of all of the premiere parties in all of the towns in all of the world, I had a few colleagues involved in the soon-to-be-hit show and decided to give this party a shot,” explains Alex, who is a film executive at Netflix. “That evening, we connected and spent the night in deep conversation, sharing hopes and dreams, and discussed the complexities of identity.” The pair finally had their first date in May 2020 once Krista moved back to Los Angeles. “We spent time talking under a giant tree in Krista’s favourite childhood park – a place that held her roots and, now, the first chapter of our love story,” they share.
After three years together, Alex began to work with jewellery designer Maggi Simpkins to create the perfect ring to propose to Krista. The custom emerald-cut diamond ring had a special touch inside the band – an inlaid sapphire and emerald representing the couple’s individual birthstones. “I wanted Krista’s ring to have a special surprise that only the two of us knew about,” says Alex. On Christmas day, the pair went on a hike in the mountains of Angeles National Forest, where Alex got down on one knee. “On the way down, we decided to try and guess where we thought the other wanted to get married,” shares the couple. “In perfect unison, we both said, ‘Mexico City.’”
Another decision that was easy for the bride and groom was choosing their photographer, Ana Hinojosa. “Ana is so celebrated amongst those who get to work with her, and she had shot two of our closest friends’ weddings in Mexico, whose photos looked stunning,” explain the bride and groom. “She’s also just the best person.” Ana was able to connect the pair with their Mexico City-based wedding planners Angela Yanez and Samantha Ibarra of Auttora. “We immediately clicked with their positive energy and knew we had to work together,” the couple share.
The planners lead them to their dream venue, Desierto De Los Leones, a 400-year-old convent in a forest of old-growth trees just outside of the city. “It brought back memories of our first date under Krista’s favourite tree in her childhood park, and our first trip to Big Sur, where we hiked many beautiful forests,” says the pair. “As we left, we both remarked that despite having previously visited CDMX, we’d never heard of Desierto – it felt like Mexico City’s best-kept secret.” The bride and groom even decided to keep the secret from their guests, providing Sprinter vans from the city to take guests to the venue with only clues of the location hinted at within their invitations.
With only one date available, Krista and Alex sped up their timeline to plan their 5 October wedding in 10 months. The duo were all in with the wedding planning process, meeting weekly with their planners and taking four trips to Mexico City to solidify plans. “Our WhatsApp group piled up more than 590 docs, links, photos, PDFs, and hundreds of messages,” they share. A favourite visit included a trip to the flower market in the middle of the city. “I have a deep passion for floral arrangements and knew marigolds had to be a centrepiece of the wedding,” says Krista. “Luckily, cempasúchil (marigolds) would be in season for Día De Muertos around October and were in high supply. I was in heaven amongst the rows and rows of flower vendors as she hand-selected flowers to be arranged by our incredible florist, Amato.”
Krista and Alex told guests to follow a “creative black tie” dress code that inspired a fun use of pattern, colour and accessories to step up traditional gowns and tuxedos. “Our guests took the wedding dress code seriously and everyone looked exactly as we’d envisioned,” they say. As for their own attire, the bride and groom each put plenty of thought into their ensembles. Krista began her search immediately after booking the venue, hoping to find a dress that would fit the space and “complement the mysticism of Desierto de los Leones”. After visiting eight bridal salons in Los Angeles, she found her dream dress. “The moment I put on the Vera Wang Haute Henrietta dress, I felt butterflies,” says Krista. “The cherry on top was that the dress was from the 2019 Fall collection – the same year I met Alex in person at the Euphoria premiere party.” The bride also wanted to find the perfect after-party dress to help her “sparkle all night”. After six months of searching, she found a beaded fringe mini by Rachel Gilbert that was the perfect fit. Well aware that a dress is only a base for an outfit, Krista took advantage of two work trips to Paris to find Prada and Gucci accessories for her looks on Avenue Montaigne.
Alex looked at practically every fine menswear store in Los Angeles to find the perfect tuxedo for his wedding day. “I envisioned a classic double-breasted tux for the ceremony and a black shawl jacket for later in the evening,” he says. A friend advised him to work with Serj Custom Suits and Tailoring, which does tailoring for movies and TV shows. Over the course of five fittings, they were able to perfectly craft the groom’s desired looks.
The wedding weekend began with an intimate rehearsal dinner that transitioned into a large welcome party for guests who arrived into Mexico City the night before the wedding day. “The moody, candlelit, indoor-outdoor aesthetic of Taverna paired with their delicious food and cocktails was the perfect pre-wedding event.” There was also another addition to the schedule: “In classic fashion, Alex, who loves last-minute plans, worked with Auttora to organize a fiesta bus just 24 hours before guests arrived,” says Krista. “The bus took our friends to four of the best taco spots in the city, with mezcal stops in between.”
The morning of the wedding arrived – and so did a downpour of rain. “The entrance planned for our guests was completely washed out, and we immediately knew our original plans for the day would have to change. I arrived at the venue about 15 minutes before Krista and, upon seeing the downpour, called the planners over to have the staff move the ceremony into the church where the afterparty would be held,” says Alex. “I was concerned that Krista’s dress and glam would get ruined and figured this was the best solution to keep everyone dry and happy.”
The bride learned of this change of plans ahead of the first look and immediately asked for a walkie-talkie to chat with Alex. “I couldn’t imagine not getting married beneath the towering pines we fell in love with when they first saw the venue,” says Krista. The original plan was reset quickly and, luckily, the rain faded away for the first look and the ceremony. One slight shift in the setup? To avoid guests sitting in damp chairs, the planners removed the seats and had guests stand to line the aisle. “Though unplanned, the standing ceremony created a fun and lively vibe for us and the guests as a row of our most loved family and friends saw us to the altar,” the bride says. “The cheers from the guests throughout the ceremony made it feel like the party had already started.”
The soundtrack to the ceremony was an important part of planning for the couple, who “wanted each song that played during the ceremony to feel meaningful, reflective of our love, and non-traditional”. After months of listening to hundreds of songs, they picked “I Choose You” by Willie Hutch for Alex’s processional, “Dreams” by the Cranberries to accompany the couple’s siblings and cousin walking down the aisle, and “Ceremony” by New Order for the bride’s processional with her father. “The songs kept the crowd energised, excited, and ready to celebrate,” they say. Alex’s childhood best friend Keane officiated, beginning the ceremony in both English and Spanish to weave the history of their venue with the couple’s love story. Krista and Alex recited their own personal vows, then had each guest join them in saying “I do” as a pledge to support their marriage with love and joy. After their first kiss as husband and wife, the newlyweds recessed to “Tenderness” by General Public as their guests showered them in marigolds.
The return of rain brought cocktail hour from a floral-filled courtyard into the reception tent, but guests were entertained by a 16-piece mariachi band as they mixed and mingled. The couple made their grand entrance to “Int’l Players Anthem” by UGK as dinner and speeches began for the night. The evening quickly progressed into a major dance party as the couple’s favourite DJ from LA, Especial, played “banger after banger”. At 11pm, the party moved into a centuries-old church decorated with traditional Mexican papel picado, disco balls, and a custom DJ booth with lights and bookshelves filled with vinyls. Surprises arrived on the hour to bump up the party, like life-sized mojiganga puppets of the couple, disco-ball dancers on stilts and late-night snacks of tacos and chilaquiles.
The night continued with classic 2000s hip-hop that kept the party going until 4.30am. The newlyweds reflect: “It was truly one for the ages and we’re still on a wedding high!”
Photo: AH Lovestories1/62The first time we visited Desierto de Los Leones, we immediately knew this monastery hidden in a forest 40 minutes outside of Mexico City would be the perfect venue. We’d travelled to Mexico City many times before but had no idea this magical place existed.
Photo: AH Lovestories2/62
Photo: AH Lovestories3/62Alex had our initials and wedding date forever etched into his shirt and suits by shirtmaker Anto and suit-maker Serj, who created two custom looks for the wedding.
Photo: AH Lovestories4/62Before heading to the venue, Alex’s closest friends came over to share a drink and some words of love and wisdom.
Photo: AH Lovestories5/62Alex before the first look. He was definitely wondering how I would react to our rainy wedding day in this shot!
Photo: AH Lovestories6/62I hid my Vera Wang dress in the upstairs closet of the house where we stayed, Casa Wynwood. She’s from the 2019 collection, which is coincidentally the year Alex and I met in person for the first time.
Photo: AH Lovestories7/62I had so many jitters while getting ready that it took me forever to get my earrings on. I called my dad right after this and he said all the right things to ground me.
Photo: AH Lovestories8/62Ana captured exactly how I felt after getting off the phone with my dad and before heading to the venue.
