"We wanted the wedding to be an elegant spectacle from start to finish."
Actress and beauty TikTok star Mireya Rios first met her husband-to-be Ari Menase right before Valentine's Day on February 13, 2016. Almost six years later, the two agreed to be each other's Valentine forever. When it came to the couple's vision for their nuptials, they turned to their favorite movie The Greatest Showman for inspiration. "We wanted the wedding to be an elegant spectacle from start to finish with never a dull moment filled with surprises and shows, all within the magical environment of the beach and nature surrounding us," explains Mireya. "We also wanted to blend in both Turkish and Mexican aspects to the wedding to combine both cultures."
The couple decided upon Saasil Kantenah, a beachfront venue in Playa del Carmen, to tie the knot. Choosing the location was one of the easiest parts of planning for the pair. The area was one of the first places they traveled to as a couple together, and it would be easy for friends around the word to get there. "We thought it would be nice for all our friends and family to experience my Mexican heritage and culture, and would make for a nice long weekend vacation for everyone to enjoy the beach and nice weather during fall," Mireya adds.
While the pair hired Mexico-based planning team Conceptúa to help orchestrate the celebration, they admit wedding planning was stressful. "It’s like putting together a business plan—allocating budget and making sure everyone is happy," reflects Mireya. "It started off easy and fun when coming up with ideas and the bigger picture, but as the date got closer, we had to get very detail-oriented and then realized the complexity of planning a wedding. It didn’t stop until the day-of, at which point you just need to let go and flow with the production."
Luckily, the October 29th wedding turned out to be a beautiful and joyous celebration. On October 29, 2022, 140 guests joined the couple for a day full of love, elegant design, and magical performances. See all the details ahead, planned by Conceptúa and photographed by
The night before they said "I do," the bride and groom had guests join for a welcome event at their venue. Mireya donned a pretty little white dress with a bow on the back, while Ari wore a chic tan suit. The couple DIY-ed welcome bags for all guests, which included Turkish towels and bags, beauty products, and personalized notes from the couple.
As a beauty TikTok star, Mireya put lots of intention into her wedding day beauty. "I wanted the look to be something special, but not over the top," she says. "I wanted to make sure I still looked like myself." She had her makeup artist Mayela Vazquez focus on her eyes to make them pop. Of course, she made sure to properly prepare her skin ahead of application. "Skincare is a must to prep my skin always," she says. "I used the Tatcha sheet mask, Clarins double serum, and double serum eye."
Mireya crowned her wedding day style with a beautiful headpiece and simply chic hairstyle. "I wanted half-up half-down to make sure my hair wasn’t going to be very frizzy since the weather in Tulum is humid," she adds. The gems Mireya wore for the day held extra sentimental value. "I wore jewelry my mom designed for me," she shares. "She is a jeweler so that was a very significant part of my outfit."
The groom wore an elegant tuxedo with a white jacket to walk down the aisle, along with some meaningful accessories like his grandfather's vintage Rolex and a gold leaf lapel pin. "I had my best friends and father join me in the room to help me dress and put on key parts of my clothes," says the groom. "Each friend picked an item such as the jacket, bowtie, and watch, so each had a role in my special day."
Mireya donned a stunning Galia Lahav gown with an embroidered bodice and soft tulle skirt for the day. With a six-month planning timeline, dress shopping was a bit difficult for the bride. "It was a bit stressful because a lot of designers wouldn’t accommodate me," she shares. " When I tried on the dress, I literally cried—something that had not happened with any of the other dresses I had tried on."
Mireya and Ari came together for a first look before arriving at their beachfront venue. "We wanted to make sure we captured the moment we first saw each other," the bride shares. "We kept it just between us—no family members or friends. It was a very special and intimate moment."
Guests arrived to the beaches of Tulum to find the sands beautifully decorated for the couple's interfaith ceremony. Tropical greenery and white flowers like roses and lisianthus decorated the chuppah. "Our color palette was based on neutral and earthy colors, giving a white balanced space contrasting with the blue Caribbean ocean," explains the bride. "The idea was to make a chuppah as organic as the venue."
A live violinist played as Ari walked down the aisle between both of his parents to "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" by Elton John. Then, the guests all stood as Mireya glided in on the arm of her father with a cascading bouquet to "Falling Like the Stars" by James Arthur. The groom met the bride halfway down the aisle, and they finished the processional together.
"Our interfaith wedding ceremony was definitely an unforgettable memory," reflects Mireya. "We blended both religions in a modern unique way people say they had never seen before and that it was so original." The smiling couple walked back up the aisle as husband and wife to the tune of "The Best Day of My Life."
It wasn't a far trip to the reception. The beach pathway lined with Persian rugs and beautiful greenery above led guests to the next phase of the night.
"Décor was inspired by a chic and elegant ambience with the paradise in the backdrop. We created a elegant set up in the middle of palm trees," shares Rios. "The ceiling was composed of thousands of white ribbons, creating a living art piece that plays with the wind. The main backdrop of big crystal chandeliers for the bride and groom was the elegant cherry on the top."
Serpentine tables created a beautiful border to the dance floor. "Centerpieces were all mirrored and we played with reflections," says Mireya. Tulips, lisianthus, and orchids filled bud vases atop the arrangement.
The couple had a magical first dance to “Never Tear Us Apart” by The Inxs and “I Like Me Better” by Lauv. "It was like we were in a movie," reflects Mireya. The climax of the song set off the sparklers and a saxophone player—Ari surprised me—stepped into our circle and played the sax solo live along with the song which made it surreal."
After their first turn around the dance floor, the couple sat down for a meal of lobster bisque, filet mignon, and caramelized vegetables at their glamorous sweetheart table. The pair also had two signature co*cktails served: an Old Fashioned and a Blackberry Hibiscus Sour.
The live saxophonist and a violinist stayed through the night to bring extra energy to the dance floor. Later in the evening after Mireya changed into a slinky gown with cutouts, the crowd raised the bride and groom overhead for the traditional hora dance.
Not only did the couple have a blast dancing, but they also made sure their guests enjoyed a true spectacle at their celebration with belly dancers, a sword show, an aerialist, and even a fire show. "The finale was the Greatest Showman dance that brought all 20 performers together for a magnificent finish," says Mireya.
Her final advice to couples? "Do everything in advance and don't wait for the last minute because time flies and before you know it the date has come," she shares. "Let go the day of the wedding and trust the people you hired to execute everything as planned."
WEDDING TEAM
VENUE Saasil KantenahPLANNER Conceptúa
OFFICIANT Rabbi Stephen SpiegelBRIDAL DESIGNER Galia Lahav
SHOES Gianvito RossiHAIR Doranna Hairstylist
MAKEUP Mayela Vazquez BeautyINVITATIONS Love & Paper Inc.
