Maureen & Doug – All the Changes We Had to Adapt To

Episode 3

Hello everyone, and happy Friday.

Welcome to episode three of Maureen and Doug’s mini series. This is the part where we talk about what really happens… the curveballs, the little mini heart attacks, the things that don’t go exactly as planned, and how it all still somehow comes together.

When I left you in the last episode, we had just selected this gorgeous boutique hotel in Tulum and officially kicked off planning. Now, at that point in my career, this was actually my first time planning a wedding in Riviera Maya, and definitely my first time working in Tulum. And very quickly, I realized that Tulum is not the easiest place to plan a wedding… even though it’s one of the most beautiful.

Because Tulum is remote, it adds another layer of complexity to event planning

Tulum is about two to two and a half hours from Cancun, and unlike Cancun, it doesn’t really have an “industry”. It’s a small village really. It feels very boutique, very organic. Which is exactly why people love it… but also exactly why it’s more complex.

Everything comes from Cancun.

Image courtesy of Mexico Destinos.

And Cancun, in itself, is already somewhat remote compared to the rest of Mexico, so most things are flown in, brought there, and then distributed. So, when you’re planning a wedding in Tulum, what you’re really doing is asking every vendor to travel, to invest more time, to take on more risk. Flowers need to be temperature controlled, rentals need to be transported long distances, teams need to be paid for those extra hours, etc.

So yes, vendors will absolutely work in Tulum… but there’s always a cost attached to it. Sometimes it’s transportation, sometimes it’s a percentage, but either way, it adds up.

That was one of my first real lessons with this wedding.

As planning took off, my relationship with Maureen and Doug felt easy in the best way. We were getting to know each other, building their vision, putting all the pieces together, and really enjoying the process.

But behind the scenes, there was something happening in their personal life. They were missing Australia.

They had only been back in the U.S. for a few months. They originally  thought being near Lake Michigan would give them a similar feeling to what they had experienced in Sydney… but it just didn’t.

So one day, out of nowhere, they sat me down and said, “Okay Jen, from here on out, we’re planning this wedding from Australia.” They had both reached out to their companies and asked if they could move back.

And I just remember thinking… alright, we’ll figure it out. And somehow… it worked. It just looked a little different.

There were days where I had a glass of wine on a Friday night and they were having coffee on a Saturday morning before heading to a workout. Or I was starting my day and they were getting ready to go out.

Emails took longer, timing required patience, but honestly… it all flowed. The planning never broke. It just adapted.

Now fast forward to me arriving in Mexico for the wedding. This is where I learned another lesson.

At that point in my career, I didn’t yet require staying at the same hotel as my clients. So I booked myself a small hotel in Tulum town, about 15 minutes away from their hotel, because I was covering that cost myself and I wanted to save a little money.

I never made that decision again, because when you’re on-site coordinating a wedding, you are carrying your laptop, your timelines, your backup plans, your notes, your everything. And then on top of that, when the wedding day comes, you also need to look presentable. You can’t show up looking like you’ve been running logistics all day, even if you have.

So I found myself in this situation where I couldn’t go back to my hotel to get ready, and I had to figure it out on-site. And the only option I had was this very “Tulum-style” bathroom — low lighting, no AC, very beautiful in theory… not very helpful in practice for what I needed it for.

I remember trying to do my makeup thinking, okay, this is not ideal.  And that was the moment I decided: from now on, I stay where my clients stay.

Now let’s talk about the wedding day, this is where my expertise really got tested.

One thing I always tell my couples is that just because something looks behind schedule, it doesn’t mean it won’t come together. Weddings have this way of catching up, just like a delayed flight somehow still landing on time.

And in this case… I really had to trust my own advice. At one point, we realized we were missing two tables for the reception. My clients had rented these beautiful teak tables, and somehow, we were two short. And when the rental company called their warehouse, the reality hit… we were two hours away.

So yes, I was internally panicking a little bit. But I just kept moving. The ceremony started, cocktail hour flowed, and during that window… the tables arrived. They were set, styled, and ready just in time for dinner.

No one noticed. I don’t even think Maureen and Doug know this, LOL.

The next test was relating to the hanging candles we had contracted to be placed over the dining area. They were supposed to be lit at sunset, creating this beautiful ambiance… and they just never got turned on.

Which, of course, is frustrating because it’s something you invested in, something you envisioned. But this is where experience comes in. After the wedding, I was able to go back to the vendor and advocate for my clients, and we were able to recover part of that cost. So even when something doesn’t go perfectly in the moment, I always take my time to try and make it right for my clients.

The wedding itself was just beautiful. Maureen had such a clear vision — light, bright, authentic. Yellows, whites, succulents… her bouquet was stunning, she had flowers in her hair, and she just looked effortless.

Doug looked incredibly handsome, very sharp.

And then… the wind. The kind of wind that picks up sand and makes everything just a little more complicated.

At the last minute, I had Doug switch sides at the altar so Maureen’s veil wouldn’t be hitting her face the entire ceremony. He looked confused for a second, but it made all the difference.

That little decision, which no one really noticed, allowed for some amazing photos where Maureen’s veil looked like a dramatic moment flying with the wind instead of an uncomfortable one where the bride’s makeup may even get ruined by the veil hitting her face.

I want to share an image of Doug in place, ready for the ceremony to begin, and a frame later he is on the other side of the aisle. It was subtle, but it worked.

I am also sharing photos of Maureen’s veil having a protagonist moment, followed by MOH having to tame it down!

The rest of the night unfolded exactly as you’d want it to. The food was amazing, the dance floor was full, the energy was there. And because they had a boutique hotel, the space was completely theirs. No curfew. No interruptions.

The party went late, and it ended with everyone jumping into the pool, which honestly felt like the perfect ending.

This wedding was not just beautiful. It stretched me. It taught me. It gave me lessons that I still carry with me today.

And on top of that, I got to work with two incredibly kind, warm humans who trusted me through all of it. So Maureen and Doug, I’m still so grateful I got to be part of this chapter with you.