Emma Brooks Lewis and James Andrew Seidel first met at the age of four while attending All Saints School in Tyler, Texas, where they remained close friends from Pre-K through their senior year of high school. “We were always close friends, but it was never romantic,” Emma says. That changed during college when James—then at the University of Arkansas—visited Dallas for his birthday to see his sister, who happened to be in the same sorority as Emma at SMU. “We all went out to celebrate, and something shifted . . I suddenly saw him in a different light. James always jokes that he had a crush on me when we were younger and that I was just late to the party.”
“There was never really a traditional ‘dating’ phase,” Emma explains. “After that night, we were inseparable.” Over the next several years, the couple visited each other’s college towns before eventually settling in Dallas alongside many of the same friends they had grown up with.
Six years later, James proposed on Cape Cod, where his family spends every summer. “While we were walking on the beach near his house, James got down on one knee,” Emma recalls. “Afterward we celebrated at my favorite restaurant in the world tucked away in a cottage in Truro. It couldn’t have been a more perfect night.”
When it came time to plan their wedding, Emma and James knew they wanted a destination celebration that felt immersive for their guests. After visiting San Miguel de Allende the year prior, the decision felt easy. “What really drew us in was how walkable and close-knit it felt,” Emma says. “Whether it was a rooftop bar, a coffee shop, or walking the cobblestone streets, you were constantly running into someone you know. It felt like we had our own little city for the weekend.”
The couple married on March 1, 2025, with Over The Moon Directory Planner Penzi Weddings organizing the celebration. Nearly all of their guests were visiting San Miguel for the first time. “It made the experience feel even more personal that we were sharing a place we love,” Emma says.
Emma leaned into color throughout the weekend’s events. For the rehearsal dinner at Trinitate, with music by DJ Esli Cano, she wore a turquoise, green, and gold Alémais dress paired with vintage pumps from Dallas boutique To Be Continued. Her bridal luncheon at the Quince rooftop featured a vibrant Rosie Assoulin set, while the welcome party embraced a “Tejas Chic” theme. Emma wore a Leo Lin mini dress with Petite Paloma boots, while James purchased guayaberas for his groomsmen from a shop on the town square.
Once the destination was set, Emma knew she wanted to incorporate a traditional mantilla veil. During a trunk show at Warren Barrón in Dallas, she found her Reem Acra dress and paired it with Monvieve’s Elisabetta Veil. “The floral details in both the dress and veil felt meant to be—so romantic and perfectly in sync with the weekend’s theme,” the bride says. Hair and makeup by Team DaniPal kept her look soft and effortless.
The ceremony took place in the courtyard of Casa Cariño, where Emma and her bridesmaids stayed for the weekend. Florals by Florklore Studio transformed the space into a vibrant garden, inspired by San Miguel’s bougainvillea. As guests entered through the courtyard doors, Emma surprised James by walking down the home’s grand staircase.
“The music, the flowers, the intimacy of the space—it all felt like something out of a dream,” Emma says. Ceremony music was performed by Cuarteto Sonus, and the day was beautifully captured by Over The Moon Directory Photographer Anne Rhett, along with Daylight Wedding Films on video.
Afterward, guests walked to Casa Cien for cocktails by the lawn and pool, where margaritas—classic, spicy, cucumber, and frozen mango—set the tone for the evening. Dinner unfolded beneath a canopy of glowing stars, with long tables overflowing with flowers and candlelight, enhanced by architectural lighting.
Music from Benedictus MX filled the air, and saxophonists wove through the crowd. The couple shared their first dance to “I Was Born to Love You” by Ray LaMontagne, though Emma says one moment of the reception stands out above the rest. “Dinner,” she says. “Looking down the long table and seeing our friends singing along with the sax duo—I’ll never forget that feeling.”
After a toast from Emma’s father—and a round of carajillos accompanied by the traditional chanting: “Arriba, abajo, al centro, adentro”—the dance floor opened with The Manhattan Band with Jordan Kahn. At one point, the entire room broke into a spontaneous singalong of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida.” “The energy was unforgettable,” Emma says.
The bride slipped away to change into a gold Emilia Wickstead dress, paired with a vintage necklace and earrings James had gifted her for Christmas and a floral bracelet from Le Touquet in Spain. And at the end of the night, Emma and James departed in a getaway car before coming back to the Rosewood, where they were surprised with a two-story honeymoon suite.
Soon after, they traveled to St. Barths for their honeymoon. Emma reveals, “We loved it so much that I’m currently negotiating with James to go back next year.”
