Maddie and Clayton's 'Calla Lilies and Kitch' Fun Filled Mexican Wedding by Ricardo Arellano

I am taking you to sunny Mexico today for the fun filled wedding of Maddie and Clayton who were were married on 15th February 2025 at Casa Nella in San Miguel. This wedding is a celebration of all the things the couple loves, from their flowers to their fun loving sense of humour. The black and red colour scheme works perfectly with the gold star shaped hanging lanterns, and their love of calla lilies can be seen from the bridal bouquets right through to their table decoration. This couple are full of love and smiles, all captured perfectly by Ricardo Arellano.

Proposal Story:
Maddie had work in NYC, where we had started dating. I joined her for the trip, but she didn’t know that her mom, sisters, brother, and one-year-old nephew had secretly come into town as well. We spent the day walking through the West Village, stopping by the East Village dog park, then having dim sum in Chinatown. Just before sunset, we made it to the Brooklyn Promenade, where I got down on one knee. Her sister, dressed undercover, captured the moment—and thankfully, Maddie said yes! We celebrated with a big family dinner at Inga’s Bar in Brooklyn Heights

The Outfits
Wedding Gown: Rachel Gilbert textured crepe tea length dress.
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Different styled dresses in a range of reds.
Groomsmen / Groom Attire: Groomsmen wore blue suits and white shirts, each paired with an animal-themed bolo tie that captured their personality.

Food & Drink:
Cocktails included different variations of margaritas and mezcalitas—the grapefruit mezcalita and guava margarita were big hits. For food, we loved getting to have stations featuring stuffed relleno peppers, carnitas, pastor, and mole tacos. A close friend, who is an NYC chef, said it was the best wedding food she had ever had!

Wedding Colours
Guadalupe’s son Pato & his wife Isa had used beautiful, strong, vibrant reds with black earthenware at their wedding. We wanted the same fiery and fun reds and black, paired with beautifully detailed wax-flowered candles. We kept the flowers simple and local, letting Penzi Bodas’ incredible lighting team work their magic with their stunning inventory of glass and metal star chandeliers.

Design Vision
On our first date, I brought Maddie my two favourite things—a cannoli and a calla lily (kind of a test!). Since then, calla lilies have been our flower. We also love how Diego Rivera incorporates them in his paintings. Maddie insisted that I be the “groomzilla,” which was a fun creative license, but really, we just wanted to incorporate kitschy things we love and make it the best party possible! For example was we used AI to create an image of our dog, Godfrey, and our cat, Pork, dressed as a bride and groom. The image was then printed as an edible photo on top of a huge tres leches cake—definitely one of the most memorable (and delicious) details of the night!

.Florals & Decor
Calla lilies all the way! The bridesmaids carried white calla lily bouquets, while Maddie had a stunning bouquet of deep purple calla lilies. The table arrangements were simple yet elegant, with different-sized glass vases holding a single flower in each. The red runners and black earthenware chargers created a striking contrast, and the Otomí-style menus with each guest’s seating arrangement added a fun, personal touch.

Special moments

Special Detail or Memory #1: Recessing together as a newly married couple, surrounded by everyone we love, was pure magic.
Special Detail or Memory #2: Being serenaded by Lady Zen during dinner—she was phenomenal! And she’s performing at Lincoln Center in October (don’t miss it!).
Special Detail or Memory #3: Seeing everyone’s faces when the incredible Tequila Robot made his grand entrance—this was Maddie’s one bride demand, and it did not disappoint!