Once engaged, Naimah Jennings and Keith Murray chose Hacienda Tekik de Regil in Mérida, Mexico, for their December wedding. “As soon as we arrived at Tekik de Regil, we knew it was the place. We immediately fell in love with the painted walls, the incredible high ceilings, and the beautiful arches of the machine room. The amazing food in the city of Merida was just the cherry on top,” the groom shares. They enlisted Geraldine Martinez of The Eventeur to plan the event and Mo Davis to photograph.
The pair set out to highlight the lush flora and fauna of the Yucatán and ensure that its rich history was reflected throughout the weekend. “Merida is such an interesting mix of old and new world and we really leaned into that. We also wanted to make sure our wedding reflected the beautiful color that is all around the Yucatán,” Naimah explains. “We always knew we wanted our wedding to feel like a really fun dinner party that was bookmarked by a wedding ceremony and a dance party.”
As soon as wedding designer Daniela Parra showed the bride and groom Alejandro of Dia Uno’s exquisite floral displays, they knew he would be the perfect addition to their team of artisans. “His work is so incredibly organic and truly feels like art,” the bride notes. “He captured exactly what we wanted. The florals had a perfect sense of place, since he used a lot of native plants and they felt so formal while still feeling so organic and like they’d been growing there forever.” Caitlin O’Bryant Design created a custom invitation suite wrapped in vellum based on Florentine marbled bookbinding paper—a nod to Tekik de Regil’s Italian architect.
The weekend kicked off in style with a rehearsal lunch followed by a lively salsa lesson for the bridal party. The bride-to-be stunned in a vibrant Mara Hoffman set. “Color is such a part of my personality, so it felt more true to me than wearing white for the whole weekend,” she explains. On Friday, Naimah and Keith hosted a welcome party on the terrace of Picheta overlooking the main Parque de Santa Ana. She wore a chartreuse plisse set by Cult Gaia.
On December 10, 2022, Naimah put on her Oscar de la Renta’s Fern dress that she and her bridal stylist, Gabrielle Hurwitz, paired with Amina Muaddi Gilda sandals in kiwi—a fitting pop of color. “[It] was my dream dress from the moment that I saw the campaign images. It’s a dream juxtaposed against modern Casa Sisal!” the bride exclaims. She completed the look with emerald and baroque pearl earrings gifted to her by Keith and a delicate gold bracelet given by her grandmother.
Nicole Meadows applied Naimah’s minimal makeup look, as Christina of Nola Beauty styled her hair. I didn’t want to fight with my texture, and I knew the humidity was something to contend with,” the bride explains. “It ended up aging gracefully as the evening went on, and I got the big fun hair that I was looking for by the end of the night!” Bridesmaids complemented in ivory dresses of different styles, as groomsmen looked dapper in black tuxedos.
Naimah and Keith wed in front of a tropical oasis. The bride walked arm-in-arm with her mother and grandmother down an aisle decorated with ferns and pineapples, as Montell Fish’s “Fall in Love With You” played. Her grandfather officiated the ceremony, and close friends of the couple read poems. “It felt so incredibly moving to see the faces of everyone who had traveled so far to see us get married,” the groom notes. The two shared their first kiss as husband and wife and walked back down the aisle to Marvin Gaye’s “Come Get To This.” “It was such a happy song to mark the beginning of our married life.”
Following the ceremony, guests sampled shrimp tempura and sipped margaritas garnished with smoking rosemary. Then everyone gathered for an al fresco dinner party. “We just remember sitting and looking around us and seeing everyone talking, laughing, and admiring the tables,” Naimah recalls. “We felt so grateful to be able to enjoy that moment after years of planning. It felt like being encased in such a warm and loving bubble.”
Apoala catered a delectable selection of local fare. The first course featured scallops, octopus ceviche, tuna tartare, and beef short rib. Then, Flores in mole Amarillo and Oaxacan cheese-stuffed squash blossoms were served before a main course of beef tenderloin with black mole, chicken with adobo, fish with hoja Santa beurre blanc sauce, and quinoa-stuffed enmoladas.
Afterward, the newlyweds danced to Marvin Gaye’s “I’d Give My Life For You” and cut their wedding cake. String lights hung above a crowd of spirited guests, as everyone danced and sang in the open-air center. “We knew from the start that we are DJ people, and we saw music as one of our top priorities,” Naimah explains. “We flew in our DJ from the Bay Area; Christie James is a part of Heart of Gold DJs, an all-women DJ collective.” Then the bride featured a second look— a minidress by Sau Lee
There was a moment in the night—Naimah and Keith’s favorite—when the crowd began cheering. The couple turned around to see what all the fuss was about and found Naimah’s grandparents were in the middle of the dance floor! “Seeing them enjoying themselves was amazing. We had gone up to them during the reception to let them know that the 10:00 p.m. shuttle back to the hotel was leaving, and they both looked at us and said, ‘Oh no, we’re staying until this ends at midnight!’” The next day, everyone said their goodbyes at a farewell brunch, and the newlyweds escaped to Oaxaca for a minimoon.
