Tara Brook Lyons and Franck-Daniel Beaulieu, who both work in fashion, met in full costume at a Halloween party in 2015. Tara went as Beetlejuice and Franck was a frozen mountain hiker. He told her that night that he wanted to take her on a proper date to the L.A. zoo. Five years later at the zoo’s Christmas light show, he proposed on the carousel. “There were champagne, hot chocolate, and Christmas dancers waiting to celebrate, after I said YES!” the bride says.
The two wanted a “Tropical Fabulous” destination wedding and chose Puerto Vallarta to host their friends and family. They held the ceremony and reception at private villa Villa La Mansion, and to help bring this vision to life, they hired Talbot Ross.
On Friday, the night before the wedding, they hosted a welcome cocktail party on the rooftop of the condo building that the bride’s parents live in. Tara wore a bright pink Cushnie dress and strappy white mule sandals, and fireworks ended the evening.
When searching for her wedding dress, Tara had to keep the destination and its weather in mind. After striking out at several bridal boutiques, her friend, who works at Vivienne Westwood, suggested trying on a few of the label’s red carpet gowns. “I used to work at Vivienne Westwood for many years and, of course, knew her styles well. Most of her bridal is very avant-garde, and I wasn’t sure it would work with the venue,” the bride explains. She tried on a couture gown that was being optioned for a celebrity to wear to the Oscars, and it was offered in a custom, off-white silk fabric for her big day. “They made me a one of a kind couture Vivienne Westwood wedding dress!”
The groom knew he wanted a sharp, navy suit with larger lapels and no tie. Inspired by a Tom Ford look, Franck had a tailor make a bespoke suit with elements from the runway. He completed the outfit with Hugo Boss oxfords. On the night of, he changed into a retro, tropical print shirt with pleated trousers for a more relaxed, resort feel.
On March 16th, 2019, guests took their seats on a landing overlooking the ocean and waited for the service to begin. The ceremony was short and sweet, and after they shared their first kiss as a married couple, the cocktail hour began with a Spanish guitar serenading guests.
For dinner, everyone went back to the transformed ceremony landing, where tropical flowers were cascading down the center of each table. Over the pool, a dance floor had text that read “Iguana Love You Forever,” and the newlyweds stepped on to have their first dance to “I Only Have Eyes for You” by The Flamingos. “We took some dance lessons and planned a dramatic dip at the end of the song to be timed with some surprise fireworks!” Taray says.
Once the literal sparks flew, the party kicked off with “Best Of My Love” by The Emotions. The DJ played funk, soul, and classic songs all night, and later in the night, a taco bar and churro stand kept everyone satisfied and well fueled.
