Stephanie Hill, the influencer-tastemaker behind The Style Bungalow and former ballerina turned PR professional, was exhausted by the West Palm Beach dating scene. She downloaded Bumble, switched her match preference outside of her city, and connected with Pedro Obregón in Miami. She met him at Panther Coffee for what she assumed would be a quick 20-minute date. The duo spent hours together instead, and as soon as it was over, Pedro texted her. He wanted to know when they could see each other next.
A few years later, Pedro took Stephanie on a trip to Le Sirenuse in Italy. The day began with a comedy of errors but ended with an imperfectly perfect proposal on the Positano beach—upside-down ring box included.
The couple launched themselves into planning a wedding in Mérida, Mexico. “It was the first city we traveled to as a couple. Mexico also holds a special place for us separately: Pedro’s family lived in Mexico for over ten years after they left Cuba, and I visited often while growing up in Texas,” Stephanie shares. “Searching high and lo, we picked Hacienda Tekik de Regil, which was formerly a sisal factory, from 1908.” Taking inspiration from the hacienda’s murals, Ashley D Studio illustrated similar motifs into the invitation suite and signage.
But eventually, they realized Pedro’s 94-year-old grandmother would be unable to make the journey. She was integral in his life, so they changed their carefully laid plans. They began crafting an additional but more intimate ceremony at the same Miami church Stephanie’s parents—and coincidentally enough, her brother-in-law—married in.
By 2020, their guests’ health and safety were of utmost concern, and it became clear that they would have to postpone their Mexico wedding. “As we put aside our dream wedding in Mexico, we began to prioritize our religious ceremony in Miami and treat it as an ‘appetizer’ to our wedding,” Stephanie explains. While working remotely and dealing with temperamental venues, their newly acquired first home together—a historic 1920s abode in Miami with little furniture—appeared to be the ultimate reception venue.
On November 27, 2020, the bride and groom got dressed in their bedroom together. “I think it made us feel more at ease having each other by our sides,” Stephanie confides. Jenah applied her elegant makeup, and Lutz Karpf styled her hair. She wore a Funny Face-inspired dress that was appropriate for the day’s small ceremony. “Nothing too fancy or trendy,” she notes.
With permission from Carolina Herrera’s atelier, Ever After Miami remade her midi dress with different material. Stephanie paired it with a petite custom veil by Anita Aguirre. They modeled the piece after Pedro’s grandmother’s heirloom mantilla, which had become yellowed with age. Later in the evening, Stephanie would switch into Tabitha Simmons mules and a Jennifer Behr headband. Pedro donned a tuxedo from Suitsupply.
Heather Lowenthal of Posh Parties planned the day, and KT Merry photographed all of the special moments. At the church, Renny & Reed designed a major floral statement in the space instead of dispersing thin arrangements throughout.
Instead of a traditional ring bearer, the couple asked Pedro’s beloved grandmother to hold the rings. She regularly wore her late husband’s wedding band but bequeathed it to Pedro two weeks before the civil ceremony. They added Pedro and Stephanie’s 2020 wedding date to the ring’s engravings of his grandparent’s wedding date and 50th anniversary. The soon-to-be-weds also wore her old mantilla during the ceremony. Pedro’s great-grandmother brought this from Spain nearly 100 years earlier. While godmothers normally pin the mantilla, the couple decided to rewrite the rules and ask their mothers to do the honor. Stephanie beams with gratitude while recalling the ceremony, adding, “I will never forget how happy his grandmother looked when we exchanged rings and were pronounced ‘husband and wife.'”
The at-home reception was intimate and special with a first dance to Henry Mancini’s “Moon River.” Stephanie’s grandfather was a salsa composer, and the Breakfast at Tiffany’s composer was his personal hero. He played Mancini’s soundtrack every Sunday for her mother growing up, thus making this a tenderly sentimental song selection. They toasted their nuptials with vintage Dom Perignon and celebrated with bites from Suzanne Michael, Earth & Sugar cake, and a sparkler exit.
Nearly one year later, the couple hosted their bigger wedding in Mexico. Baku Events planned the weekend, incorporating as many local vendors as possible. “Mérida may be small, but there’s a lot of talent!” Stephanie comments. Juan Pablo Cámara designed the floral arrangements and even sent Stephanie a list of flowers to include for the smaller Miami ceremony. The 100-year-old restored home-turned-hotel Casa Lecanda served as the weekend’s de facto home base. She describes it vividly, “The moment you step in Casa Lecanda, you’re immediately greeted with fresh perfume from local Coqui Coqui Perfumeria, and the most hospitable staff that welcomes you with a warm smile, a cool washcloth, a hibiscus cocktail and knows you by name.”
The welcome cocktail party took place at Casa T’hō, a renovated mansion with ten boutique shops featuring emerging Latin designers. “Being an influencer, I take great pride in sharing my platform with new and upcoming Latin designers, so this venue felt like a natural choice for us,” Stephanie tells. While dressed in Oscar de la Renta, she joined guests as they savored mojitos, live mariachi music, and the architecture along Paseo Montejo Avenue.
While getting ready, Stephanie paired a vintage nightgown from Dina C’s Consignment Boutique with a custom robe by her dear seamstress, Maria Kaplan.
On November 6, 2021, Stephanie entered the church to marry Pedro in Mexico after two-and-a-half years of planning. They even incorporated the treasured lasso tradition into the ceremony. The bride wore another Carolina Herrera dress, but this one featured three looks in one and could be restyled throughout the evening. The Ever After Miami team designed a custom veil and bolero jacket from an older Carolina Herrera collection’s lace. Her pearl clutch was a gift from her mother but once belonged to her grandmother. Stephanie’s mother and sister dazzled in custom Alexia María gowns. The groom looked dapper in his customized Suitsupply tuxedo and Manolo Blahnik accessories.
After Stephanie and Pedro said their vows, traditional Yucatán cuisine and cocktails were then served with vintage tableware from Margarita Zoreda‘s grandmother. This was followed by live salsa music by Siboney Orchestra, a 12-piece local Cuban band, as an homage to Stephanie’s grandfather. For the after-party, the bride removed her detachable skirt, switched bows, and added thrifted accessories from D. Brett Benson and Church Mouse Thrift Store.
The day after, Stephanie tried on her upcycled vintage dress from A Current Affair. The incredible weekend concluded with an informal brunch at Casa Lecanda before the newlyweds absconded to the Hotel Esencia in Tulum. “Despite the postponements, changes, mishaps, hoops, and endless hurdles thrown at us in the age of the pandemic, we’ve been shown again and again what truly matters…our love,” Stephanie reflects. “We learned how to keep each other grounded during difficult times, like losing Pedro’s grandmother this year, and how to make the best out of every situation. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
