Maria Tricio and Gerardo Aboumrad met at a high school graduation—not their own; they were both there to see other people graduate. “Neither of us wanted to go,” Maria laughs. “But it turned out to be the best decision to show up!” Best decision indeed—a relationship blossomed, and four years later, Gerardo proposed in a twinkling twilit greenhouse.
The Mexico City-based couple wanted an outdoor venue that felt like a garden, and their search didn’t take long. “Through friends, we found a house a few minutes out of town that gets rented out for weddings sometimes,” Maria says. “When we got there, I knew it was the right place. It felt homey and like an escape from the city.”
The bride wasn’t as certain when it came to fashion, though. “I didn’t have an image of what I wanted; I thought maybe long sleeves and lace, since it was going to be cold,” she remembers. “I tried on so many dresses, didn’t say no to anything—it was just exciting to try every style on.” At the Carolina Herrera boutique in Dallas, her parents insisted she try a strapless style with subtle floral detailing. “Once I put the dress and the veil on and saw it in the mirror, it made me want to cry. I decided since it was the only dress that got that reaction out of me, it was the right dress! I still love it so much.” She paired it with emerald earrings, a bracelet gifted from her father, and natural, glowy beauty by Ana G de V and Juan Carlos Arriola.
There was not a dress code for the wedding party. “I wanted everyone to wear whatever they liked best and not have to stick to a style or code,” Maria says. (That said, a gaggle of ring bearers and flower girls looked adorable in matching dresses and flower crowns and shorts suits.)
On November 30, 2019, Maria and Gerardo said, “I do,” in a noontime church ceremony, surrounded by bursts of baby’s breath above and lining the aisle. An orchestra played Spanish hymns and hand-selected songs by Ennio Morricone and Les Choristes. “I didn’t want Gerardo to see me until I walked down the aisle, which was really emotional,” Maria says. “I felt so happy. I was so excited I forgot a lot of what was said in the ceremony, it went by so fast!”
After photos and a cocktail hour—complete with band Bonner & Paloma playing some of the couple’s favorite songs—the newlyweds made their grand entrance to The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven,” then everyone sat down for a late lunch: artichoke hearts with smoked salmon and caviar creme fraiche, foie grass ravioli, chops with mashed potatoes, whipped cream mango meringue, and hazelnut cake. “We normally don’t have toasts in Mexico, but we did get to sit at a huge table with both our families and celebrate and eat together before the party started, which I thought was a very special moment,” Maria says.
Finally, the party got going—and it didn’t stop until four in the morning. “It had been a pretty long day, considering the ceremony started at 12:30,” Maria says. “We said goodbye to our families, stopped to pick up some Aspirin, and spent the night in what was going to be our new home.” Looking back, she wouldn’t change a thing. “There was so much love and happiness that day coming from everyone, and being surrounded by it was the greatest feeling ever. I would do it over every Saturday if I could.”
