The International Blind Date That Changed My Life
First picture ever take of Mike and I on our international blind date!
Yesterday, Mike and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary. As I settle back into routine today, I felt called to share something more personal—because over the next few days, I’ll be sharing my journey planning my own destination wedding.
And I can’t do that without first telling you where the fairy tale began.
Before the venues, the contracts, and the logistics… there was a blind date.
A Little Context About Me
I grew up in Guadalajara, Mexico—a large, cosmopolitan city rich in culture, art, food, and global influence. I attended bilingual private schools from pre-K through high school, and even my college education was bilingual. English and Spanish were learned side by side, from the very beginning.
When I was 12, I was also an exchange student in Minnesota, which deepened my connection to American culture early on. Every job I had before becoming an event planner required bilingual fluency, so English has always been part of my life—not something I learned later.
But the real story—the one that matters most—is how Mike and I met.
The Blind Date
Many years ago, while I was still living in Guadalajara, I was introduced to Alissa—an American who had moved to Mexico to teach English at a private high school. We clicked instantly and became best friends. Alissa, and I still joke about this to this day:
She was the most Mexican American, and I was the most American Mexican.
When she eventually moved back to the U.S., she met her now-husband. And shortly after, she texted me a message that said:
“Jen, I just met the guy you’re going to marry.”
Attached was a photo of Mike.
For months, I heard about him. His travels. His love for music. His curiosity about the world. His beautiful house and successful career, etc.
Soon after, Alissa and Michael got engaged and asked me to plan their wedding. They nudged me into starting my own business and they wanted to be my first clients!
A few months later, Alissa and I were invited to our friend’s wedding in Guadalajara. I planned to go alone—I knew everyone and didn’t need a date. But I did have an extra ticket.
Alissa casually suggested, “What if Mike goes with you?”
A blind date? In Mexico.? It seemed extreme, but she had been pleading her case for so long that I said: why not! Go ahead and ask him. I have a ticket, if he wants to be my date, I would be happy to have him
And he said yes. Because he loves adventure, he loves travel and culture. Because that’s who he is.
He flew into Guadalajara a day before Alissa and Michael arrived, and I picked him up at the airport on a Thursday afternoon.
That moment—meeting a stranger in an international airport for a blind date—is where everything changed.
Following the Call
That same summer, I already had plans to spend several months in Chicago I was planning Alissa’s wedding and also my other clients Sarah and Matt’s wedding; both local.
Mike and I dated long distance for a couple years Our dates were as international as our first one: Cancun, fell in love with Playa, Tulum, Vallarta, Puerto Rico and even Denver and LA. We would meet wherever I had a wedding or wherever our hearts desired.
In summer of 2012 we got engaged and decided to take our time planning the wedding. And on January 18th, 2014, twelve years ago, we got married in Playa del Carmen.
Looking back, it all makes sense.
When you follow adventure, curiosity, and the quiet pull of what feels right, you don’t just find new places—you find your person.
Us now, aging like fine wine, in Croatia last summer 2025!
Over the next few days, I’ll be sharing what I learned planning my own destination wedding—and how that experience shapes the way I guide my couples today.
I would love for you to follow along!
Cheers!
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