How I Hosted a Tulum Inspired Boho Engagement Party at Home
Photo from my stay at Casa Malca in Tulum
One of my favorite places in the world is Tulum, Mexico. The first time I visited, I immediately connected with the magical ambiance that beckoned spiritual exploration unlike its tourist packed Cancun counterpart. Nestled within Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Tulum is brimming with delicious cuisine, rich art and culture — if the psychedelic sixties were to have a millennial resurgence, it would take place in Tulum. The natural beauty, profound spiritual depth and vibrations, channeled from ancient Mayan ruins nearby, have created a discreet tropical oasis unlike any other.
Tulum has inspired an eclectic and ethereal aesthetic that many try to recreate around the world. After getting engaged in December, Mike and I knew we wanted to incorporate this vibe that we loved so much into one of our nuptial festivities. We felt so much love, freedom and inspiration while in Tulum, why not try to transport that feeling to a place where we can share it with our families?!
We decided to host our engagement gathering at my parents home in Miami, where I knew we would have the greenery needed for a jungle backdrop and tons of backyard space to spread out and create varied “moments” for photos and conversation. My mom truly spearheaded all of the decor and we focused on cultivating all of the boho beach vibes possible on a palatable budget, with a focus on varied textures and different layers that would draw guests in.
I knew that I wanted to emphasize three focal points that would work as the main areas of the gathering as well as photo backdrops. Cultivating different atmospheres for photos and not just one area that would be repeated in photographs was key. The first main focal point was the golden arch, which was a rental piece from the incredible Paspalum Designs, that we elevated with a stunning oversized woven dream catcher that was found on a whim for under $50. We further accentuated the rental with faux peonies (my favorite flower) as well as tons of dried pampas grass that we fixated to the arch with wire. A few golden lanterns, candles, a wooden bench and some layers of rugs were fixated in front of the arch to create the primary photo backdrop that was an absolute showstopper and a central piece for the party for under $300.
The second focal point on my list was a boho picnic setup. I wanted this to be a place for party goers to be able to relax and mix and mingle while dining and capturing a unique backdrop. For this, we also rented a picnic bench set-up with some rattan cushions from Paspalum Designs that were handmade and absolutely gorgeous and well priced. We added in color and additional seating with textured rugs, tapestries and lots of Moroccan kilim poufs, ottomans, pillows and floor cushions. While we stuck to pops of blue and green, we were open with the color scheme to provide whimsy and dimension. Thoughtful details layered throughout from flower and succulent arrangements, candles and brass candelabras, statues of animals and photographs of us exuded a personalized and intimate ambiance. Oh and disco balls were a non-negotiable, which we found on etsy and hung into the trees for a very studio-54 meets the jungle feel.
Many of these pieces were either thrifted finds, like the powder blue vintage armchairs passed down by my late grandmother or the art deco inspired accent tables spotted at Goodwill, new pieces like tapestries and statues from Homegoods, or stunning arrangements hand-crafted by my amazing mom, Lourdes. I’m telling you, so much love went into creating this set-up, it was palpable on party day. Having us piece together the set-up instead of renting all of it from a vendor allowed for so much personalization helped us remain in budget as well. Fresh flowers were also key throughout the event space. We were able to get a great deal on bundles of flowers a few days prior to from Trader Joes.
Once we curated the perfect party vibes, catering was key and we knew wanted some coastal Mexican cuisine with lots of fresh produce, proteins, veggies and delicious cocktails with a kick. The incredible team at Mena Catering crafted a culinary experience beyond my expectations, providing incomparable customer service, quality of food and just overall amazingness from the first quesadilla to the last pork taco. They took in the theme and our preferences and made every sip and morsel taste (and look) incredible and just how we envisioned. A huge shoutout to Leo and Alex for treating me like a queen that day and making sure I always had a full glass and or taco in hand. :)
Our signature drink was the Paloma, perfectly refreshing with a taste of tequila. A lover of mezcal, I made sure to have some shots of the spirit passed around with sliced oranges. We rented a beautiful wooden bar from Christina’s Party Rentals which we added some surrounding seating and decor which really made the space feel like a lounge. This worked out perfectly for family members who were more inclined to being seated while having a view of all of the party action.
The taco bar was the star of the show, featuring steak, chicken, pork and veggies, paired with fresh made tortillas, cilantro rice, beans, chipotle mac & cheese, and elote (corn) salad. For dessert, we opted for fresh churros, made on-site by the churro lady who typically sets up her cart on my grandma’s block, fresh churros + dulce de leche were the perfect way to finish our already incredible meal. Of course, we made sure the food set-up was just as aesthetically pleasing as the rest of the decor, with Tulum inspired hints weaved in the main serving table and bar area. We also purchased some customized goodies from esty.com like our customized cups and churro bags.
I loved having my parents pool as a central part of the party as it was my happy place as a child and turned into a super fun way to make a splash at the end of the night (spoiler alert, we all jumped in!). Instead of splurging on a DJ we set-up my dad’s outdoor speakers and made a playlist on my laptop, using those funds to hire the amazing Miami-based Yiri Power to capture the day with her photography, a move which I’m so happy about as these pictures are truly the best!
It was an inexplicably perfect day full of love, laughter and so many beautiful moments set in the lavish boho backdrop of my dreams — as if Tulum merged with my childhood home in Miami and our loved ones came to vacation with us. While some were missing as we didn’t want to push people to travel, we look forward to creating an even more spectacular dream day with an even bigger group for our upcoming wedding in 2023.
On top of celebrating our engagement, we got to celebrate my mom’s birthday, surprising her with a cake during our champagne toast. It was one of my favorite moments of all time and so deserved for my mama as she poured so much love and time into creating the most magical day for Mike and I. Thank you mom for all that you do I love you beyond words and can’t wait to start wedding planning with you!
Party set-up: My wonderful momma, Mike, myself and future in-laws (thank you Ellen and Emily!)
Catering by: Mena Catering
Party rentals: Paspalum Designs + Christina’s Party Rentals
Photography by: Yiri Power
Hair and beauty: David and me