When mutual friends introduced Nicole and Matias in New York in January of 2016, it wasn't an immediate love connection; instead, the two forged a close bond as friends. Nearly two years later, in September of 2017, everything changed: That friendship shifted into something romantic, and in May of 2021 Matias asked Nicole to be his wife while on vacation in Florida. She excitedly agreed, and the two immediately knew they wanted to plan a destination wedding. “We wanted to pick a country that we both had ties to and was significant in our lives,” Nicole says, and the duo landed on the Sacred Valley area of Peru. “We felt the Sacred Valley was absolutely magical and the natural aspect drew us to it,” the bride remembers. “It is a naturally beautiful place, surrounded by valleys, fields, mountains, rivers, and a beautiful culture, all of which we wanted to highlight throughout the wedding and share with our guests.” They invited 200 of their nearest and dearest to a ceremony at San Francisco de Asis and a reception at Tambo del Inka in Urubamba, Peru.

The couple envisioned a family-oriented affair full of nods to their cultural backgrounds. Matias’s family is from Peru and Cuba, and Nicole’s family is from Venezuela, Lebanon, and Spain. “With this mix of cultures, we tried to make sure they were incorporated [and] represented throughout the wedding,” the bride says. To that end, the bride and groom hired a Spanish priest to officiate the ceremony, served Venezuelan hors d’oeuvres at the cocktail hour, and tapped a Cuban band to entertain guests at the reception.

To pull off every flawless detail, they leaned on Felipe Ossio Guiulfo (along with Veronica Daza and Roger Valenci) to create an unforgettable experience for guests over the course of their wedding weekend. Read on to see all the details of their multi-day celebration—include their June 18, 2022 vow exchange—in photos by Caroline Lima.

The couple's invitation suite outlined the multiple days of events guests would enjoy upon arrival in Peru, which included a welcome dinner, a picnic in the mountains, the wedding day, a sporting match, and a trip to Machu Picchu. The suite featured custom illustrations of each location along with a unique monogram made from the bride and groom's initials.

At the couple’s welcome party, guests joined them for dinner, drinks, and lots of socialization—something that was a major priority for the duo. “This was very important to us because as wedding guests we noticed that the weekend was always very chaotic and it was difficult to spend much, if any, time with the bride and groom,” Nicole says. “Feeling this way at other weddings, we were intentional in creating spaces to spend that quality time with guests as we feel these are very rare moments where you have so many close friends and loved ones in the same place.”

The bride-to-be donned a long-sleeved Zimmermann dress with sequin details, which she loved for its pop of color, while Matias wore a classic suit with a teal tie.

The next day, guests joined Nicole and Matias for a picnic among the apus, or mountain spirits. The group hiked to two sailcloth tents where benches and tables were set up for cocktails and casual conversation. “We wanted the tents to feel part of the space and grounds,” the bride says.

To make the experience even more fun and unique, everyone visited llamas and alpacas along the way to the lunch spot.

Though Nicole remembers trying on so many different wedding dresses that she loved, she's thrilled she walked down the aisle in a lace number from Reem Acra, a Lebanese designer that helped to honor her family's roots. The stunning bridal gown featured blouson sleeves, a scoop back, and a long, dramatic train. Ultimately, though, choosing it was a pragmatic choice: “I felt that so many dresses were beautiful. It wasn’t an ‘aha’ moment for me,” she remembers. “I had it shipped to the store I was working with and it just ticked all my boxes.”

She accessorized with her mother-in-law’s own wedding headpiece, a 150-year-old family heirloom. “It meant so much to me that she offered for me to wear it,” the bride recalls.

Nicole’s bridesmaids wore matching off-the-shoulder dresses made specifically for the wedding. “We purchased the fabric in New York,” the bride says. Each of the lovely women, include the bride, held a petite bouquet of white flowers and greenery.

Matias wore a black tuxedo with peak lapels from Kashiyama. His groomsmen looked classic in matching black tuxedos finished with simple white boutonnières.

The couple wed in a local church, so ceremony decorations were relatively simple—they brought in flowers that were in keeping with their white, green, and pink color scheme. “Something we didn’t expect to be challenging was picking local florists,” Nicole says, acknowledging the limited selection of local blooms. “This made it difficult to stick to the color scheme.”

Musicians performed a classic rendition of Pachabel's Canon in D as Nicole’s dad walked her down the aisle. “I love classical music so I had a lot of fun putting it together,” she says. “We chose four stations of Vivaldi (spring) to exit.” Before exiting, guests grabbed cones of flower petals to toss as the bride and groom made their way out.

After the ceremony, the newlyweds took off in a vintage car adorned with fresh flowers for a little alone time. While out and about, they took portraits with the Andes as the stunning backdrop.

The festivities then moved to Tambo del Inka for cocktail hour and the reception. Guests gathered at round tables on the lawn to enjoy passed Venezuelan appetizers and Pisco Sours, a Peruvian drink that Nicole and Matias selected as their signature cocktail. A Cuban band, chosen a nod to Matias's family, kept guests entertained as they waited to enter the main reception space.

Once cocktail hour concluded, guests were welcomed into the unique arched wooden structure that served as the backdrop for the reception. There, tables were topped with crisp white linens and paired with gold chiavari chairs that matched the heaters that were set up throughout the space to keep everyone comfortable.

Tables were finished with centerpieces that consisted of low white and pink florals. On the head table, a dramatic floral runner was arranged; it pooled onto the ground for extra wow-factor. When they saw the reception space for the first time, Nicole and Matias made sure to take a minute to soak in the memory. “It was such an emotional day for everyone,” Nicole recalls. 

After enjoying a dinner menu packed with Peruvian favorites, guests were moved once more—this time, they transitioned into to a modern A-frame on the property for dancing. The space included lounge furniture, a bar, and a dance floor to kick off the rest of the festivities. The couple added uplighting to the space for a fun, party-like touch.

For dessert, Nicole and Matias served a three-tiered wedding cake with ruffle details and floral embellishments. To ensure everyone got their fill of sweet treats, the dessert table also included a full selection of candies, cookies, tartlets, and more.

Nicole shared a dance with her dad to Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child Of Mine." “He is an avid rock fan (even though I’m not),” she says. “I wanted to honor him by choosing a rock song and he just had a blast.” Matias danced with his mom to “My Wish” by the Rascal Flatts.

For their first dance, Nicole and Matias chose a slow Ben Platt song that then transitioned into a Juan Luis Guerra tune so they could end with an upbeat merengue. “Our first dance was so untraditional,” Nicole says. “Guests had already started dancing before we got to the dance floor so for our first dance, everyone was surrounding us just cheering us on.”

Late night, the party continued with colorful streamers and fun accessories and props for the dance floor. Nicole added a colorful feather hairpiece and face jewels to her look for the latest part of the evening.

The day after the wedding, Nicole and Matias hosted a riverside brunch, where guests could unwind and catch up after the late night. Loose white canopies and umbrellas gave some guests a break from the sun, while others enjoyed sitting in the grass and playing foosball. For brunch, long wooden tables were decorated with vibrant floral centerpieces in red, yellow, and purple hues. Rope runners in various colors ran the length of each table and place settings featured wood slice chargers.

“Having had quality time with our guests prior to the wedding was key,” Nicole says. “Everyone got along so well and this created such a unique atmosphere for the wedding day, we were all on cloud nine.” The couple spent their honeymoon in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Paris, and London. To couples planning a destination wedding, they recommend over-communicating with guests for a smooth experience.