Karen & Leo

Perched just past Mismaloya on Puerto Vallarta's south shore, facing the granite arches of Los Arcos, Villa Mandarinas is one of the largest private estates on the bay — a 20,000-square-foot vision by architect Alberto Álvarez, featured in Architectural Digest. Ceremonies are held on the Ocean Terrace above the waves, dinners on the sky-lit Bonfire Lawn, and more than one groom has arrived by boat at the villa's private pier. This is where Karen & Leo gathered their people, between three pools, manicured gardens and the green wall of the Sierra Madre.

Karen and Leo's love story

There's no need to rush in love. Sometimes it takes seconds, sometimes it takes a lifetime, but if it's meant to be it will happen. For Karen and Leo, it took 13 years. They met for the very first time during a national science competition at elementary school back in 1997, and only reconnected 13 years later, in 2010. Leo came to the US for graduate study in 2009, and Karen came to the US for work in 2013.

They were lucky enough to find themselves in the same city — Atlanta, Georgia — where they first started their journeys in the US. Later, in 2016, Karen moved to Houston, Texas, and Leo decided to follow her steps. They got engaged in April 2017, and while looking for the best place for their dream wedding, they found Puerto Vallarta and instantly fell in love with it.

Wedding at Villa Mandarinas, Puerto Vallarta

In Leo & Karen's own words: "We loved and enjoyed our wedding day at Villa Mandarinas so much! The weather was fantastic (though very hot and humid as usual), and the entire program ran very smoothly with the big help from Eve's team. It feels like a dream came true as all our effort gradually presented itself to our guests, and everything was just so perfect. We are so glad to see our guests enjoyed our wedding and had fun with us. We especially appreciate Julien's dedication to capturing the best moments during our wedding."

Wedding season starts beautifully with this lovely couple. Our best wishes and a long, happy life from Julien Leveau's team.

Wedding coordinator: Eva Chávez, Eventives · Venue: Villa Mandarinas.