Cartagena, Bolivar, Colombia < change city >

"Mi Boda en Cartagena was the BEST decision we made for planning our wedding! I am originally from Colombia and my now husband is from Mexico, but we both live in Miami, FL! So by default, we did not know anything about planning a wedding in Cartagena! I, of course, did my full research on wedding planners in Cartagena and actually spoke to 3 of them, but out of all of them, Itala was the most personable and dedicated one from the first call. I felt I could trust her from the very beginning! She treated us with respect, professionalism, and care with everything that we needed or asked for. Itala was always available, wrote down every single detail, and was super organized with every deadline that we had. She was the one who always kept me in track! I can say that Itala went above and beyond to plan the wedding of our DREAMS! and I was a very demanding bride!!! I would highly recommend any couple to plan their wedding with Itala, you will not be disappointed! Thank you, Itala, for planning the most important day of our lives and making it the best day ever. We will NEVER forget it!!!!!"

"Once we decided we would like to have our wedding in Cartagena, I started to search the web for pictures and reviews for wedding planners. I always end up looking at Mi boda en Cartagena weddings! .. Choosing a wedding planner is a huge decision.. especially if you don’t live in the same country. I was lucky to find one of my friends on the pictures and when I asked her, she said “ Itala was great, I recommend her 100% !!.. from that point on, we have zero doubts and knew everything was going to be perfect.. As a wedding planner Itala is great, very well organized and methodical. She writes down every single detail, so in your wedding day everything is how you wanted it to be. She would help you find options to control your budget. As a person, she is very sweet and special with the whole family. We cannot thank her enough for all the hard work of all her team during all the process. All our events were executed to perfection (beach day, welcoming cocktail, ceremony and reception). Itala and her team support made us feel so relaxed during the whole time, that there was no room for stress during those days..we just enjoyed the whole time with our guests. We had people traveling from all over the world to share with us our special day. Everybody had the same comment, “it is the best wedding I have ever attended”. My now husband asked me the day after “ Is there anything you would have wanted to change?”, our answer was a huge “NO”. We had the best day of our life!!.."

"Mi Boda Cartagena was the absolute BEST decision I made for my wedding. We live in the US and decided to get married in Colombia (where my husband's family is from). Planning a wedding overseas can be overwhelming, but Itala (wedding planner for Mi Boda Cartagena) made it an enjoyable process. Itala is not only an amazing wedding planner but she is also an amazing person that makes your feel right at home. Itala is extremely organized and determined to make your special day perfect for you. She is in constant communication throughout the whole process and provides useful suggestions based on her experience. Her team made everything simple and straightforward and on the day of the wedding her and her staff handled everything so I did not have to worry about a single thing. It was truly a blessing to have found Mi Boda Cartagena. If I had to give any advice to future brides in Cartagena it would be that I 100000% recommend you use Mi Boda Cartagena Itala Vasquez as your wedding planner we LOVED our special day it came out exactly as we wanted and we LOVED Itala and her staff!! We cannot thank Mi Boda Cartagena Team enough for all their patience, caring and kindness throughout this process, you guys will all truly always hold a special place in our hearts for helping celebrate one of our most special days! Truly a dream come true!! Mil gracias!! - The Escobears"

"If we were to pick one decision during the wedding process as "the best", it would be the decision of us choosing Itala Vasquez (Mi Boda En Cartagena) as our wedding planner. Itala is truly amazing at what she does and the fact that she treats every wedding like her own makes her unique and far above everybody else. Itala and her staff made our night as beautiful as one can imagine. Our parents, family and friends were amazed at what they saw. The church and Persian ceremony was stunning and the decorations looked beautiful. The way Itala executed the ceremonies, cocktail, reception and everything else was flawless. Her and the staff made Wendy and I feel so comfortable and so relaxed before and during the wedding and in the entire process. We would like to Thank Mi Boda En Cartagena for being there for us in every step of the way and supporting us throughout. We not only picked an amazing wedding planner but also made a very good friend in the process."

"We just wanted to take this opportunity to say how blessed and fortunate we are to have Itala in our life. WE LOVE YOU for planning the BEST LOVE celebration we have ever been a part of. All of our family and friends keep reminding us how much fun they had and how wonderful the whole day was! Our main goal was to share our Cartagena experience with our family and friends, but your work and perfect planning has left them astonished (todos quedaron boca abiertos). Some of them want to move to Cartagena now. Even Catherine's parents are looking for real estate online to buy and retire down there jajaja (we would love that - so we can go more often). All the pictures came out spectacular! To be honest, Cat and I are still dreaming on how beautiful everything came out. You and your team has surpassed our wildest expectations on our love celebration! From the little details like the stickers on the cool napkins to the attention to everything around the tables. We can't thank you enough. You will hold a very special place in our hearts forever. We want you know you will always have friends in New York/New Jersey. Please let us know whenever you visit this area. We will make sure to show around the city. Please keep in touch and let us know if you ever need anything... Huge hugs and kisses to you, Cecilia and Valentina! Mi Boda En Cartagena has truly delivered the best experience of our lives! Love Forever, Cat&Yom"

"We are both Colombians who live in the USA. Neither one of us is from Cartagena but we always knew that is where we wanted to get married the problem was finding the right person to make our dreams come true of a fun, enjoyable and streamlined wedding planning process and we found all of that and more with Itala. No words to describe how pleased and happy we are to have been able to work with Itala. From the first conversation that we had with Itala over a year ago, where she wanted to get to know us and share with us how she worked, to after our magical wedding, our experience was flawless, could not have been better. Let's just start with the fact that our wedding was a dream come true, Itala exceeded our expectations and more. She worked with our ideas and created a fairy tail. Our guest described the wedding ceremony and reception as MAGICAL. The wedding planning experience was great, Itala is so knowledgeable, organized, full of ideas, accommodating and very detailed oriented (FYI her spreadsheets are like none you have every seen!). We had interviewed other wedding planner but knew Itala was the one from the moment we first spoke. We really liked the fact that Itala spent time getting to know us and getting to understand what we wanted, even though it was via Skype or email, it always felt very personal. Itala is also very responsive, she always replied to our messages, even if it was just to acknowledge that she received the message and let us know that she would get back to us shortly. She also great list with prices of all the venues and vendors in Cartagena so that you can get pick and choose exactly what you want with ease. When I (the bride) and my mother went to Cartagena to finalize some of the details, Itala had all the appointments planned out, took my mother and I to each meeting, took notes of everything I had requested to confirmed with all the vendors, was able to help me make choices when I felt overwhelmed with so many choices, and even organized an additional appointment on the spot when my mom and I were not please with the first cake tasting. More than anything thought, Itala gave my mom the piece of mind that she need to know that everything would be taken care and all she had to do was enjoy. My mom, who tends to want to control everything, was perfectly at ease and able to actually enjoy the wedding planning process after she met Itala and that to me was priceless. The week of the wedding we met with Itala in Cartagena, she was so on point, had everything ready to go, appointments, meetings, etc... We met with our priest, distributors, musicians, and she was always with us. Itala had notes of everything we had requested even the things we had forgotten and we felt a complete ease and were able to enjoy time with our family and friends instead of having to worry about the wedding. For the rehearsal, we were so impressed with her coolness and how she was able to organize and direct our crazy group of family and friends. On the big DAY, things could not have gone better, the ceremony was beautiful, the church was decorated beautifully, and Itala made sure that the little details that we had asked for were there. The reception was unreal, when we walked into the house we thought we were in the wrong place. Itala took our ideas and suggestions and created a piece of art. The decorations were beautiful, the food was delicious, the live band, the DJ and the hora loca group were just terrific. We and our guest had the time of our lives. To sum up, we highly recommend Itala, hiring her was the best investment we could have made for our wedding. Itala not only made out day surpass anything we could have ever wanted she made the entire process fun for us. From the moment we spoke to her until the days after the wedding, she was always attentive, always making sure that we had what we needed, and conscious of our budget and wishes. Many guest both already married and single said they wanted to come back and get married in Cartagena with Itala so if you are wonder if you should reach out don't give it a second thought she is worth it! We not only feel like we found an amazing wedding planner but also a friend for life. Mil gracias Itala y un abrazo muy grande, Luisa y Cesar"

"La preparación de una boda implica mucho trabajo, aunque lo haces con toda la ilusión y amor, existen mil detalles por tener en cuenta y más si decides hacer una boda de destino, mi ahora esposo fué el que encontro a Itala navegando por la web, desde el primer contacto tuvimos una conexión extraordinaria, Itala es una mujer increible, es trabajadora , super organizada, apasionada en lo que hace y eso se noto en nuestra boda, ya que fué mejor de lo que un día soñamos, nos guío en todo momento y nos facilito muchísimo el proceso, disfrutamos en la preparación de nuestra boda y eso fue posible gracias a la implicación,conocimiento,calidez humana y etica de trabajo de Itala. Que afortunados hemos sido al haber tenido una boda preciosa y ademas tener el gran privilegio de conocer personas tan especiales. El valor de las cosas no esta en el tiempo que duren sino en la intensidad con la que suceden por eso existen momentos inolvidables, cosas inexplicables y personas incomparables. MIL Gracias Itala!!! Te queremos, Lina e Ignasi"

"We had a wonderful experience with Mi Boda En Cartagena. Itala is Amazing. Her excellent communication , organizational skills and attention to every little detail made it easy to plan our wedding in Cartagena from afar. She understood our vision and what she produced on our wedding day far exceeded our expectations! Our wedding day was absolutely AMAZING....it was such a beautiful night. All the vendors were top notch from the food, flowers, production, photographers, and all the assistants that made sure everything went smoothly- it was a first class overall experience! If you are getting married in Cartagena we highly recommend Mi Boda En Cartagena. I guarantee your wedding will be an unforgettable experience! Itala is the BEST!"

From the vendor:

This was a wedding planned with so much love and I truly had a wonderful experience with you too! but oh, the friendship we established, is so great and outstanding! I really love when my couples -as Bernadette and Luis- let me be more than their wedding planner cause I get to know them better… B&L, that is one of the reasons why I understood perfectly what you wanted, how you wanted and of course how you imagined. Thank you for your words and expressions about Mi Boda En Cartagena and me!! I always want the best for my couples and that day became a blast for you and all your guests, since I got to cherish them as you do… if they came to witness your big day it's because they are important in your lives! and that’s why it was so essential how everyone felt and that everyone enjoyed the amazing party you had!! B and Lou, I send you my best wishes and happiness forever and after!!! LOVE. See their wedding pics and video: http://mbcartagena.blogspot.com.co/2017/04/getting-married-in-cartagena-bernadette.html

"We couldn't have asked for a better wedding planner. From the very first time we spoke to Itala she was very excited, energized, encouraging, and accommodating to everything that we requested. I traveled to Colombia six months before the wedding with my mom to meet with Itala and with the vendors. Itala made sure that everything was planned out perfectly and we accomplished everything that we set out to do. She's very organized. My husband and I arrived in Colombia a week before the wedding, and just like the first trip, Itala was very organized and let us know where we needed to be and when, to make sure we took care of last minute details. She made sure to let us know in advance and planned around the activities and time that we wanted to spend with our guests. We had a pretty "hyper" and crazy wedding party (10 groomsmen, 5 bridesmaids) and Itala was very patient and friendly with everyone, they all loved her! Itala was also very great with my mom. I'm very close with my mother and she was very much involved with the planning. In the months leading up to the wedding, I must admit, I was not very responsive to all of the emails, but Itala and my mom were in constant communication so I did not stress at all. At the end of the day EVERY SINGLE detail was taken care of and everything was more beautiful than I ever imagined. The day of the wedding, Itala and her assistants (Cecilia & Cecilia) were amazing. They were patient, and super helpful. (Specially when the clasp on my dress broke minutes before I was to leave the hotel! Gasp! - I survived :) ) Itala has great relationships with all of the vendors and the staff at the hotels and churches. Every time we met with someone they were very happy to see her, I thought that was important because with any request that we made, she seemed very comfortable going to them to make changes. During the wedding, immediately after the wedding, and for weeks after the wedding we had people continue to talk about how great the wedding was and that it was the best wedding they have ever been to! None of it would have been possible without Itala. I felt very comfortable working Itala and highly recommend her to anyone looking for a wedding planner in Cartagena. She's the best!"

From the vendor:

You say you couldn´t have asked for a better wedding planner, and OMG I couldn´t have asked for a better Lovely couple and a better MOM!!!! I have no words to express how grateful I am with you and Elmer, and of course with your mom MariaE!! so nice, so responsible, so committed and so easy going and helpful with the planning process. I can´t even imagine the whole event organizing without her and I was very lucky to had her when you were busy and counting on her great taste. I am truly pretty to hear in your own words how you liked my work! I commit a lot with every of my couples and theirs needs, and off course to organized everything as they imagine… My main goal was that you didn´t have to worry about anything, and even "enjoy" the minimum detail when your wedding dress clasp broke hahaha… I trained my staff and vendors to called me immediately and to be ready for any mishap could happened, that’s why we always do our best to keep the bride calm and make a quick, fast and effective solution for this kind of things!! I hope to see you soon guys, and I send you a BIG HUG, "Angels" ;o) See V&E wedding and video at: http://mbcartagena.blogspot.com.co/2017/04/vivian-elmer-24k-magic-in-air.html

"We had a fantastic experience working with Itala to plan our wedding. Living in San Francisco, we didn't know where to start, but she was able to guide us through the process in a very thoughtful and professional manner. Itala ensured every important detail was captured and ultimately brought to life during our wedding day. Although there were many moving parts, we never felt completely overwhelmed because Itala organized and managed the process using a very clear timeline a list of tasks to hit the various milestones. We really appreciated her effort to get to know us, and her ability to recognize and understand our vision for the wedding. Her personable approach made it very easy to collaborate and to share thoughts and ideas. We truly valued her ability to connect with and host our families and friends during the ceremony and festivities. A few months before the wedding, and after a brief visit to Cartagena to work through final details, we felt completely confident and comfortable with the various vendors introduced by Itala and how it would all come together. We are certainly going to miss interacting with Itala on a regular basis, and feel lucky to have found her to help us put together such a fantastic wedding. We've received numerous compliments from family and friends regarding Itala's work and how pleasant she is as a person. If we had the opportunity to do it all over again, we would without a doubt choose Itala as our wedding planner!"

From the vendor:

Wow!!! I am speechless every time I see your pictures and video all over again! I am so happy with the result and seeing how amazing was your decoration and flowers at the ceremony and reception, how fun we had during the food tasting, how we laughed tons and how we made a great team planning your big day!!! Dear Diana and Michael, I will never forget your style and how it matched perfectly with mine when analyzing each detail to make it even more fancy and beautiful. I absolutely LOVED working with you since you were always committed to make sure that everything was just exactly as you have dreamed it one day. I know that for my couples is pretty hard to plan a wedding in a different city, even more in a different country, that’s why I always gave my best to guide you and supported you in everything needed for your wedding day. Your words to us are really appreciated and I'd like to thank you for writing great things about my staff, my hard-working-vendors, and me as your wedding planner. I am glad that you value all the result and it's soooo special to hear from you and to know that I worked as you wanted, but mostly how you deserved. Cheers to you D&M and cheers to one of the best planned weddings I had this year! XOXO!! Don't miss their pics by Vicki Grafton at: https://www.oncewed.com/real-weddings/romantic-cultural-wedding-columbia/ An their wedding video: https://vimeo.com/181693037

"Itala was our Colombian Fairy Godmother! We found Itala via Facebook and after our initial skype consultation, we immediately fell in love with her charisma, charm and go-getter attitude. Since we are American and live in Boston, we wanted to find someone who we could trust whole-heartedly and who knew the best vendors and venues in Cartagena. Also, we were on a very tight timeline. 5 months before our wedding date, we decided to switch from a wedding in Florida to a destination wedding in Cartagena. We needed to find someone who was detail-oriented and was well connected in Cartagena. Itala did not disappoint! From selecting the venue all the way through the food, music, and flowers, Itala would provide us various options and really worked to make our vision fit our budget. We would continuously bounce back ideas via email, which she always responded in a timely manner. Itala made us feel like we were her only couple (even though I'm sure she was extremely busy)! She even answered ALL of my questions ( and I had tons). Another great thing about Itala is that she speaks fluent English! This was very important for my husband and his family since they don't speak Spanish. Unlike most of her couples, we couldn't find the time to visit Cartagena prior to the wedding. We had to trust Itala to make the decisions on our behalf. On our wedding weekend, we met Itala for the first time in person and it was magical! She exudes confidence and calmness, which is something you need when your emotions are all over the place leading up to the big day. The day of our wedding, we were amazed at how wonderful it all turned out! She and her staff were so attentive and accommodating. Not once did we have to worry about anything. Although there were some hiccups ( like me forgetting the garter at the hotel), she was always ready with a plan B. We were not at all stressed during our wedding and we got to enjoy every last second of our big day! Everything from the ceremony, margarita bar during cocktail hour, the buffet dinner, the reception decoration, the crazy hour, etc. was well thought out and organized. Our guests danced, ate, and drank the whole night and left saying it was the best wedding they have ever been to. We wish we could relive this day over and over again. It felt surreal. Itala made our fairytale wedding come to life. I cannot recommend her enough. Although we were sad to leave Colombia, we now know we have a dear friend that we can visit. If you are planning a wedding in Cartagena, you won't be disappointed with Itala as your Fairy Godmother! She truly does have superpowers!"

From the vendor:

Oh dear Pam and Reegy what an emotional review! I can't express how much I care for you and how thankful I am with your beautiful words to me and my work. I guess you know that if "I am your Fairy Godmother" is because you two were the great prince charming and the lovely princess of your story! Thank you so much for always trusting me… Few days prior to the wedding you told me you didn't need to see the venue “Museo Naval” cause you wanted to know it the second you entered the reception for the first time! OMG!!! I have to confess I was a little nervous, yet more excited, and me plus the rest of vendors felt anxious about you "receiving" the wedding of your dreams and making your vision come to live to really "waow" you and Reegy. And ohhh, when you saw everything! You were so effusively surprised, so happy and thankful so I felt this great feeling of "a job well done", and your smiles the best reward - that's why I work for… Only to make all my couples happy and stress-free, so I have all my staff ready and willing to fix every "hiccup" promptly (like when you came to the museum an the stylist was there to fixed your wet hair before your big entrance as a couple). What you didn't see was the faces of everyone when they got to the museum and saw the decoration with those beautiful centerpieces in fuchsia wild flowers as you wanted, the crystal lamps, the lounges and the bar, the buffet setting with French, Peruvian and Italian food stations…, they were amazed!. I will remember you always as great dancers! your first dance, the mixed music, etc. I mean, Reegy was a real dancing prince! and you Pam, were outstanding, smiling, dancing with the lights and silver confetti papers like in a fairytale. You were stars on the stage!!!. As you said, everybody danced until the Dj turned off the music, they danced and danced to leave everything on the dance floor and made all the greatest choreographies! you even made the one with Michael Jackson songs and Reegy's performance was incredible and hilarious. The most funny thing was everyone asking for whisky, vodka, rum and every liquor with “passion fruit”; thank God the catering had a lot of backup fruits because they were the "hit of the night"! We please everybody at weddings, therefore everyone in the staff and I knew that providing them all the fruit they wanted was the minimum thing we could do for guests and of course both families. Please always feel welcome to come to Colombia and visit me in Cartagena, true friends are always in my heart! I guess my “SUPERPOWER” this time was doing my best to see you so happy and amused, and I wouldn't change anything of your "dream day" (not even the garter left at the hotel hahaha). P&R: I really loved planning your wedding, being your Godmother and made your fairytale came true!!

"When we decided we were going to have a destination wedding in Cartagena, Colombia, we knew we were going to need someone we could trust when it came to making critical decisions about the wedding. Before meeting Itala, we had already fallen in love with a wedding venue - Casa del Conde de Pestagua - so when we had our interview with Itala and found out that she already had experience working with that venue, we immediately had a good feeling about her, but I think what really sold us was how genuine she seemed about helping us realize the wedding of our dreams. Here are the reasons we were so glad we went with Itala: - She is organized and detail-oriented. If you're as busy as we are, you can rest assured that she will follow up with you (in the nicest way possible) to obtain the information she needs in the appropriate timeframe. - She has a strong reputation with the top vendors in Cartagena. I never once felt like any vendor was trying to take advantage, and I think that was because Itala knows how to expectations with them and with her couples. - Itala will be on your side when it comes to the budget. She even identified several opportunities for us to save money when we were not expecting it. - She is quick on her feet. Your wedding probably won't go 100% as planned, but Itala was always prepared - no one noticed, for example, when we ran out of beer because she was two steps ahead. Best of all, we gained a wonderful friend who we plan on staying in touch with and visiting when we return to Cartagena!! We highly recommend Itala to be your wedding planner. She will not let you down. Xo, Andrea & Johann"

From the vendor:

Wow!!! it is truly great when I read words like these from my couples, they just remind me how I keep knowing brides and grooms all over the world that will keep coming to visit and that I can go to. I knew since the first time I met virtually with Andrea and Johann that our good vibes were mutual, and that good feeling remained when we first met in Cartagena to start their wedding preparations. They travelled here and it was so great they wanted Casa del Conde de Pestagua not only for the experience I have there, but also because I really love this venue inside the walled city…. and oooh, having the opportunity to "transform" it based on their idea of "MAGICAL REALISM" was priceless!!! A majestic palette with bright colors was chosen to make it real: fuchsia, aqua, yellow, orange,… and among many other details, the most colorful linens and flowers! many yellow calla lilies with fuchsia and coral big roses and orchids, plus centerpieces with Oncidium orchids as if hundreds of yellow butterflies were flying on top! A variety of coral paradise flowers hanging from the trees, the special design of lighting that included reflex of lots of "yellow butterflies" in the water, paths created with candles and for the large head table, and the most lovely arch for the ceremony! so many colors and yet we achieve AN EXQUISITE EVENT that resembled Cartagena in "her most splendorous look". As Andrea and Johann mention, I always tried to be as fast as I can cause I love planning every wedding as if was mine, and I like "things to flow swift" hahaha, so “I have to be quick on my feet”. I also love when couples have new ideas allowing me to be creative, and it's their vision therefore the only goal I think about is to "make it real". A&J: I always want each of my couples to have their "dreamed wedding" and I am convinced you two had it, and additionally had the great party you wanted!!! right? I've never seen a wedding where no one sat on the tables after the DJ start playing!… (Astounding!) You and your friends never stopped dancing, laughing and of course they didn´t want the party to end!... What a great night. You'll always have a friend in me, and every time you need you just have to call. XO.

"It's true what they say, planning a destination wedding is like a marathon, so be sure to pace yourself and have a wedding planner you can trust. Itala is one of the most professional planners in the business truly who understands her clients. The amount of attention, detail, and organization that she will give to your wedding is incomparable to anyone else. It is the best investment that sets every other aspect of your wedding in motion. She has strong relationships with the top vendors in Cartagena, and it truly shows as they work their magic and convert your ideas into the most amazing production of your life. She always has your best interest in mind, no matter what, without any pressure and allows you time to process your decisions, change your mind, but she keeps you on a schedule, so there is no unnecessary stress. She will entertain any and all of your crazy ideas. Even when you have doubts and want to consider going back to a previous idea, she will give you all the options, so ultimately you and your fiance/husband to be can do what you truly want. She's open to feedback and is willing to keep giving additional options so your vision truly comes to life. At times, we weren't sure what we wanted, but the collaboration truly paid off. So, get ready to have the best coach, cheerleader, and voice of reason throughout the process. We were amazed how efficient she could be. We were honest up front that living in NYC, we both had crazy work schedules and wanted to do as much prep up front. Seven months prior to the wedding, we made one trip to Cartagena where we visited all the venues, vendors, had our taste testing and Itala even arranged the bride makeup and hair trial so I would not have to worry about that the week leading up to the wedding. Prior to this trip, my husband whose Dominican/New Yorker, had never been to Colombia and he never felt happier and more confident in Itala leading up to, during our trip, and for the rest of the wedding planning process. Then came the week leading up to the wedding where Itala and her team (including the Cecilias) took great care of us, our family and friends. All the hiccups were resolved with a smile and without anyone noticing it wasn't a part of the original plan. Because let's be honest, things will happen, and you have to trust and stay calm that it will all work out. From recommending an urgent care early in the week for family members that got sick, to helping us with the menu for certain guests that had dietary restrictions, to getting one of her assistants to run back to the ceremony to pick up one of the bridal parties diaper bags, and always reassuring us via whatsapp that everything was on schedule 24/7. (BTW everyone that attends your wedding needs to have whatsapp. It's a lifesaver for communication in Colombia.) So when the ceremony and reception were in full force, it was a fairy tale come true where we felt like we were in a movie. We just did not want it to end. Every single person danced, ate and drank all night long! And our friends and family said they had so much fun, and it was the best wedding they had ever attended. This is hard to do when you have Colombianos, Dominicanos, and lots of Americanos from all the big cities in the US and Spain attending. I remember towards the end of the night, I told Itala that I did not want to break up with her because we had built such a strong relationship! Let's just say we made a lifetime friendship and couldn't have been happier with the leap of faith we took after interviewing with Itala on Skype."

From the vendor:

A leap of faith, that's all it takes when you make friends for life!!! I LOVE MARI & IRV! and love never felt so fine!!! I deeply cherish spending all those hours planning their wedding! M&I: If I have to get back in time I will probably repeat all the process with you two since you were so nice and special; I have no words to explain only that you are AMAZING BEINGS. I still remember that day, the breeze cool sunset, Irving' smile, your tears of joy and your parents sentiment. Your wedding is a keeper! is one of those ceremonies and parties that will stick in my heart forever, and the memories will come back to remind me how fortunate I am to have a job like this! I feel proud of us three by accomplishing to had ALL the LITTLE and BIG details you wanted to have during your dreamed day… like all the decorations, the 1000 cranes and DIYs that Irv never want to do again in his life hahaha; the programs, printed menus and all the personalized stationery, frames, signs and signatures book; the blending of the sands ceremony and of course, the exchanging of liquors ceremony with Colombian aguardiente and Dominican rum. OMG the first dance, unforgettable!!!... and the most adorable idea to have Gerberas everywhere! when I see the pictures with those BIG MARGARITAS I can only image your mom smiling in heaven for you the whole day and night! I see the photos and video and I get chills, and I see them a lot hahaha: what a great movie that day! you were the main characters of “Marisol and Irving´s movie” and every time I enjoy watching your entrance with "A pedir su mano", so happy, so natural making memories and having the time of your lives… That's why your video was a hit! After all the moments we spent together I feel a strong bond of lifetime friends too, and I'M SO GLAD YOU TOOK THAT LEAP OF FAITH! Living that kind of experience by your side fill my heart with happiness, and now I can say you amazed me and made me the happiest wedding planner in Cartagena. See M&I's "chilling" video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWuvpKUFAfU

"My husband and I had almost two years to plan our wedding and we knew we wanted to have it in Cartagena, Colombia. We had no idea how to plan or where to start. We received a referral to Itala & Mi Boda en Cartagena from a friend of a friend who had also planned a wedding in Cartagena. We were NOT disappointed. We worked with Itala over the course of a year and a half and every step of the way was easy and exciting. Itala was there for us every step of the way with helpful suggestions and knowledgeable advice. Neither my husband nor I was able to visit Cartagena until right before the wedding so we placed a lot of trust in Itala to meet with vendors and make decisions on our behalf. She always did so with our desires and style in mind. The wedding was beyond what we could have expected and much more than we could have ever accomplished ourselves. Words cannot describe how gorgeous it was!!! Everything ran smoothly and PERFECTLY from the morning until the last guest left. I have always heard that the wedding and reception go so fast and there is so much to do that you end up missing most of the reception and don't even get a chance to enjoy it. I can honestly say that was NOT the case for us. We enjoyed every moment and never had to worry. Itala and her assistants (Cecila & Cecila) had everything covered!! Thank you for allowing us not to worry and to just have fun! Our family and friends cannot stop talking about how amazing everything was. They have been comparing it to a “celebrity wedding from a magazine.” We even felt like celebrities!! Itala, you are so amazing at what you do!!!!!! We will never ever forget that night for the rest of our lives and each time I see photos, I fall in love with the decor and everything all over again!!! I wish I could give 10 stars!!!"

From the vendor:

Kara and Carlos, you were celebrities in Cartagena! The attractive, elegant, sexy, beautiful main characters from a big day show! I have no words to thank you for your fantastic and heartening words. As a member of the US Marine Corps, Carlos has to be very fearless/intrepid/valiant/heroic, but Kara, trust me when I say YOU ARE MY HERO! You were brave the whole time and I admire how calm you were while planning with me a wedding so far away, reading the vendors' contracts in Spanish with an e-translator because Carlos couldn't be with you all the time, and trusting someone you didn´t know that well to be your eyes and voice from the other side of the world at Okinawa!!! Kara you really taught me that everything is possible with love, a big smile and willpower… Carlos is so lucky to have you - you really complete him! I am glad that both of you felt so secure and enjoyed your terrace-ceremony and chic-reception. Altogether was so perfectly naturally white and romantic as you dreamed. The chandeliers were so stylish and stunning making the tables and the variety of white flowers "to be alive". Also the favors' table with the mini champagne bottles, the string lights all over the wall, the amber lights all over the place, and the outstanding view at the ceremony. I'll always remember your first dance and definitely would never forget your first kiss when Carlos surprised you and everyone with that awesome maneuver -he just said "get ready!" and then that super-incredible kiss!. K&C, the Cecilia´s are as well thankful because you really let them have everything covered as you mentioned, allowing you not to worry and have fun. I wish I could plan your wedding and accomplish your desires again, just to have you once again as "my bride". It's impossible to see your wedding´s pictures and not fall in love again. K&C, I'll always "Got Your Back" for everything you need in the future!. Love and admire you, Itala. Watch their spectacular kiss at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io5_FWkFmH8

"Since we got engaged we always thought about having our wedding in Colombia which is where both of us are from. We live in New York. We went to Cartagena a few years ago and we fell in love with this city. it's truly magical. Planning a destination wedding is not an easy task so we started researching online for wedding planners, that's when when we found a youtube video of "Mi Boda en Cartagena" when I watched that video I said OMG I want my wedding like this, so we immediately contacted Itala Vasquez. The first time I talked to Itala I felt so comfortable with her, she was so organized and asked us the right questions. I told my fiancé at the time she is the one, she is perfect she is going to be our wedding planner. I did not need to look for anyone else. Itala was AMAZING!!!!!!!! I don't even know where to start...she made our dream wedding come true. She has the best team (Las Cecilias, Valentina etc) and works with the best vendors in Cartagena. My wedding day was perfect!!! Every email from the beginning to the end was very helpful. I will miss talking to her and asking her questions all the time that she would answer so quickly by the way :). Itala I want to Thank you for being a 100% with us during this whole process. Thank you for making SPIKE (our little baby) part of our Special day!!! I couldn't done it without you!!! Gracias infinitas Itala por hacer de nuestra boda algo tan especial. sin ti esto no hubiera side posible. eres una gran persona y esperamos verte muy pronto! Thank you! I wouldn't change a THING about our Wedding it was PERFECT!!! :) Love, Diana, Kabir and Spike!!!"

From the vendor:

I wouldn´t change a thing about the wedding either! Specially that first time when we talked about the big day and I felt a truly connection with Diana and off course with Kabir, -great listener and one of the most open-to-suggestions-grooms I've known. What an amazing journey!!! One of the essentials was having your little baby Spike walking down the aisle; he was so cute, gorgeous and perfectly dress for mom&dad's big day. I have to confess I expected the best from him but yet never thought Spike could be so sensibly, he was a real "gentleman". This experience with you make me realize how much I love my job because the entire wedding setting was perfect: the big sparkling and beautiful centerpieces, the chess-like dance floor, the beautiful lighting specially designed for that romantic feeling on the walls and the sentry box, plus most of all, the amazing view of the bay, the sea and the old city, everything Cartagena has to offer in one amazing place! The best way to celebrate was by having a spectacular fireworks show, right before the crazy-hour dancers entered to gathered everybody on the dance floor. Your last words about my team and me make me happy and proud, but we are the ones grateful with you and we feel satisfied to have fulfilled every part of your wedding week. Valentina sends a "Big Hello" to little Spike and says to remember anytime you need it she can take care of him, THE LITTLE GUARDIAN OF THE DAY! I want you to know you were also AMAZING! Gracias de nuevo por haberme permitido ser parte de ese gran día y por supuesto de todo el proceso, espero verlos muy pronto. Love, Itala. See Diana & Kabir's wedding video clip: https://vimeo.com/142065616

"We selected Itala and Mi Boda en Cartagena to plan our wedding after reviewing several wedding planers. Living in the United States, we felt like we really needed to trust the vendor we selected as we would not be present in Cartagena until the week before the wedding! We really liked Itala and her transparency with the process of paying vendors. We always felt like we had good visibility to how the financials were handled, which was important to us being so far away. Plus, Itala's reviews were excellent and a review of the wedding that she had done on facebook and instagram showed us that she could really put together a beautiful ceremony and great party. A week and a half after our wedding, I can honestly say she did an incredible job and we have ZERO regrets. Itala was terrific. The decorations were perfect for both the ceremony and the reception. We actually sent her a picture of a alter from instangram that involved overarching birch trees that we liked and she replicated it exactly! I don't know how. I don't even think they have birch trees in colombia. The flowers, tablesettings, and lights were incredible during the reception. The caterors she selected were phenomenal. And the music was out of this world. I'm 34 and most of my friends are married and many of them came up to me after the wedding and told me it was the best wedding they had ever seen by far. Needless to say, we recommend Itala fully!"

From the vendor:

My most organized-self seeks to perfection all the time hahaha, so I absolutely enjoyed the entire planning process with Nathalia and Keith! Everything was so detailed, clear and complete, and off course great for me to accomplish your expectations. I have to say the "guardian angel" of their wedding was Natha's mom, Elvia; I liked so much to work with someone like I did with her: It was great to have her during all the process; she knew everything they'd want and she made sure everything was spoken to me so I could assure everything was in the perfect place at the perfect time, JUST HOW I LOVE TO WORK!! I loved that Nathalia and Keith were so nice, so committed and trusting since day one till the wedding day. I'll never forget their faces when they looked all the decorations in place, plus how I smiled every time I saw them dancing… the entire night they wanted to be on the dance floor! What a fun night with the music carefully chosen by the DJ and with the top chill out live-band they wanted since the begging -a band N&K knew WAS A MUST HAVE. I have no words to describe my inner happiness as seeing you so happy. I am very glad that you love the birch trees alter, the ceremony, the candles and the flowers. Details were carefully thought: how great was for all the attendants to be able to change into practical dancing flip-flops, plus having the hand-fans and hats; that couldn´t be better! And OMG, the extraordinary "chilling out crazy hour", jumping, dancing and laughing with the live music and those cool-crazy-self-lighted accessorizes!!! You are unforgettable! Itala. Don't miss Nathalia & Keith's wedding video clip "A sky full of stars": https://vimeo.com/140912071

"Our wedding planner was Itala Vasquez. We don't know where to start. Our wedding was so perfect that it's still hard to put into words. Itala surpassed all of our hopes in all she did for us. She won our confidence from day one with her enthusiasm and her lovely demeanour over Skype video chat. She understood us. She just 'got it'. That understanding and patience of hers soon became such standout, crucial traits that we were/are so thankful for. We didn't have the chance to go to Cartagena before the wedding trip but her correspondence through emails and Skype was such that we never felt this was an issue for us. We put our trust 100% in her about how everything would look and she certainly didn't let us down. We were blown away. Itala had a way of making sure we felt very minimal stress leading up to the big day. Our three or four meetings during the lead-up week were actually very relaxing and pleasant. We enjoyed them. Especially meeting her for the first time, meeting our priest,our rehearsal and, of course, the degustation catering session with Adriana. The day itself was perfect. Itala was always there for us, guiding us all so seamlessly, even when we decided to make last minute changes. We have been and are still being told by guests that this has been the best wedding they have been to which is absolutely humbling but we certainly feel that way. Everything was just magical. We feel like we have gained a friend in Itala and we'll be forever grateful for having her guide us through this amazing journey."

From the vendor:

What a magic wedding!! Qué mágica boda!... Still today I feel so glad because the first time Lyssa wrote to me from Sydney, she did it separately and not knowing Joshua was also writing me from his office, SO THEY PICKED ME TWICE hehehe! L&J, for me was such a pleasant surprise when I noticed your interest about having me as your Wedding Planner. Joshua: fuiste un novio ESPECTACULAR!!! con tu dulzura al hablar de Lyssa y sobre todo, tu compromiso en todo el proceso, durante el día de la boda y hasta en el blog que escribiste sobre tu experiencia con Mi Boda En Cartagena y tu boda en Casa Conde de Pestagua. Me encantó la forma en que los dos leyeron sus votos tanto en español como en inglés. Por eso, me siento feliz de escribirte en español y recordarte que lo haces muy bien. Lyssa: I have no words to say how happy I feel about your honest words in Wedding Mapper; all I wanted for your big day is that you and Joshua felt secure, stress-free and confident, so thank you for always trusting me, my team and all the great vendors I work with. I only have words of happiness and memories of you enjoying a truly magical wedding. It's great that you followed my ideas and let me transformed the scene with the string lights hanging like a waterfall behind you. Everything looked fairylike and complete with the beautiful centerpieces, the candles and the romantic cake you wanted, the catering with a carefully designed and personalized menu, and off course the original and delicious hot dogs cart. I also have to tell you, ED WAS AMAZING!, I really do want to hire him as an emcee and have that thrilled dancing-battle of “Ras Tas Tás” between Foreigners and Colombians. What an amazing and blast-of-a-wedding!! Remember you will always have a friend in me. Love, Always! Itala. Watch this romantic couple at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V9MNRexKVU

"Ricardo did an amazing job - He transformed an already amazing place into a dream! The DJ, Danny, and Miro Pablo, our guitarrist, were fantastic!"

"Itala, since our first contact, we knew that you were the one for the organization of one the best days of our life. It was a very good decision working with you so, today, we would like to express you our most sincere thanks for transforming our dreams into reality. We only have positive memories, emotions and comments of our wedding. Your responsibility, professionalism and the quality of the persons and providers your works with, allowed us to fully enjoy this moment. Our guests were surprised by each detail but what they don’t know is that we were even more surprised!! Our expectations have been exceeded at every step! Mille fois Merci a la MEJOR WEDDING PLANNER :D"

From the vendor:

"SOMOS PAOLA Y MICKAEL, HEMOS VISTO QUE TIENES EXPERIENCIA EN LA ORGANIZACIÓN DE UN MATRIMONIO FRANCO-COLOMBIANO LO CUAL ES NUESTRO CASO!! ESTAMOS ABSOLUTAMENTE CONVENCIDOS QUE QUEREMOS TRABAJAR CONTIGO PARA LOGRAR NUESTRO MATRIMONIO SOÑADO! ESTAMOS MUY EMOCIONADOS POR PODER CONTAR CONTIGO COMO LA ORGANIZADORA DE NUESTRA BODA EN CARTAGENA! SABEMOS QUE TODO VA A SALIR MUY BIEN Y PODREMOS DISFRUTAR COMPLETAMENTE DE ESTA MARAVILLOSA EXPERIENCIA!"… Así fueron los mensajes de P&M cuando me escribieron al iniciar la aventura de casarse en Colombia! Una pareja fabulosa, absolutamente amorosa conmigo y con plena confianza y pasión en el proceso que iniciábamos juntos! Una vez más, sabíamos que estábamos "hechos el uno para el otro", qué bendición! Paola y Mickael estuvieron geniales, siempre prestos a recibir sugerencias, atentos a todos los mensajes y pormenores, buscando cuáles eran las tendencias del momento para involucrarlas en la boda sin perder la esencia del ambiente "encantador + romántico + colombo-francés" que queríamos mantener en la Iglesia San Pedro Claver y el Palacio de la Inquisición. La decoración escogida fue tan perfecta para este fin, con flores blancas, gypsophila, orquídeas dendrobium, acento con perlas y tonos dorados en detalles como los servilleteros, los marcadores de sitio con chocolates, las delicadas piezas impresas "tipo encaje" hechas por ellos mismos, un romántico backing de cintas para fotos, y más… todo combinada perfectamente con la sutil mantelería escogida y las sillas forradas con elegante organza. Paola y Mickael sonrieron y bailaron toda la noche con DJ, gaita y vallenato, y ver a sus amigos y a sus familias -fueran franceses o colombianos- a la par disfrutando cada sorpresa de la noche fue estupendo! Iniciamos su aventura con plena confianza en que su boda sería inolvidable y todo "iba a brillar" esa noche; lo logramos! MIRA LA BODA EN CARTAGENA DE P&M EN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pas8qtAqCH4

"We are extremely lucky to have chosen Itala as our wedding planer. In fact, she is far more than that. She truly becomes your closest friend during your wedding preparation, she always dedicates time to your questions, doubts, confusions, etc in a very kind and professional way, every email is replied incredibly quick, so that made me feel more relaxed, knowing that I had such a great and capable person in charge of everything, therefore, we could focus more on spending time with our guests and enjoy the lovely Cartagena. We had guests from various countries such as the US, UK, Australia, Japan, China and of course Colombia and there was no one person that didn't compliment Itala and her team's job. They kept on and on saying that this was the best wedding they had ever been to!! Honestly! and they still do! They were absolutely amazed for the excellent vendors Itala helped us choose and how fantastically well they do their job. Itala also has this particularly resourceful side to her, that she will have a plan B for everything, so if something goes wrong she would already have a solution for it, or if you happen to change your mind at the last minute she would make the effort to make it possible for you to feel truly happy...she did that with us and we feel blessed for having "Mi Boda en Cartagena" made our day the most special one."

From the vendor:

Johana has the most tender smile and Paul is madly in love with it! This I knew the moment I met them: many times we were entering a meeting, grabbing a taxi, talking about flowers, listening to a vendor, etc., and Paul keep staring his sweet bride asked me "isn't she sweet? I love her". My heart melted. They definitely are one of those couples who stays in my memories forever, one of those that I remember during "the lows" and one that keep me going with the hope to meet my next bride&groom and start a wedding-planning-adventure with them. This December celebration was carefully planned with many details to show Paul's London+Australia+Japan+China+USA guests, the Johana's Valledupar+Colombian culture and to enjoy Cartagena to the fullest. Many details for all the senses: from the food, to the Colombian orchids, the DJ for cross over, electronic and american music combined with the tropical music-band and music shows with "Piloneras" and typical dancers, even a Vallenato band that travelled especially from Valledupar. This was a wedding to never forget, and I am the one that feels truly happy!!!

"Itala is more than a wedding planner, she is a magician. We were amazed at how she was able to transform ordinary people and places into a fairy tale setting. Most of our wedding guests now use the words 'magical experience' to describe our wedding to others. Another good characteristic about Itala is how she will go out of her way to accommodate unique ideas and requests. My wife had a few unique ideas for our wedding, and Itala gladly put in extra effort to help my wife make arrangements for these ideas. My mother wanted to include these words for other parents who might be helping out with the wedding planning: If you are planning a wedding in Cartagena, Colombia, we highly recommend the services of Itala Vasguez and her company Mi Boda En Cartagena. Itala planned the wedding of my son and daughter-in-law, Matt and Angela in October 2014. She did an excellent job and as a result, we were able to enjoy every minute of the wedding and reception, knowing she and her staff were taking care of all the details. We arrived in Cartagena five days before the wedding and Itala met with us that afternoon with a color coded chart of the rehearsal plan and answered all questions we had about the events of the weekend. Itala is personable, competent and detail oriented. She is a master coordinator of catering, lighting, flowers, musicians, photographers, transportation, church and reception site reservations and contracts, etc. All persons involved in the preparation tasks performed their duties competently and in a timely fashion. Itala took care of all our needs both in English and Spanish. She took care of all fees and service charges. It was a delightful wedding! Thank you Itala and staff!!"

From the vendor:

Un sueño fucsia. Angela, Matthew y yo nos divertimos mucho planeando un "sueño de boda rosa y fucsia." Qué divertido dar rienda suelta a la imaginación y poder usar mi paleta de colores favoritos: blanco, rosa, fucsia y plata -los colores de Mi Boda En Cartagena!!! Nos dedicamos a crearla y poco a poco fuimos incorporando tanto detalles lindos y especiales! Interpretar un sueño con una lluvia de mariposas fucsia fue un gran reto, y eso tuvimos! Y en toda la boda estuvo presente el rosa, hasta en la música cuando se escuchó "La Vida es Rosa" a cargo de violines que dulcemente la hicieron sonar durante la ceremonia; talentosos músicos también la montaron a ritmo de jazz durante la cena, y un majestuoso dúo de guitarras así volvía a tocar "La Vie en Rose" durante el coctel. Sobre el blanco y plata, una lluvia de flores rosadas y fucsia por doquier! en la iglesia, en el más hermoso bouquet, en los arreglos florales, en cada rincón de la recepción, en el buffet, en los postres y la torta, en las tarjetas, en las sillas de los novios, en románticos rincones tiernamente iluminados en blanco/rosa, y en todos los detalles hechos a mano muy especialmente por Angela... Absolutamente todo diseñado para coordinar y combinar con el sueño de la novia... Así es cómo nos divertimos planeando la visión detrás de un sueño! Pero luego, no hay palabras para describir el sentimiento de ver el extraordinario resultado, la increíble transformación que logramos; eso sí que fue MÁGICO!!! y esa es la magia verdaderamente perfecta y real! Gracias Angela y Matthew por compartir ese dulce sueño conmigo, fue un honor haber sido parte de él y ayudarles a hacerlo realidad. Ese sueño hoy está más vivo y es más real que nunca, y ustedes dos saben a lo que me refiero :) "... and life will always be la vie en rose... you both are like that dream: so vivid, so inspiring, so lovely! Mira las fotos de su boda en: http://goo.gl/OHN8wn

"Itala’s attention to detail is amazing and always seems to anticipate questions and situations that might come up during the wedding. The wedding was a day to remember and you never realize all that goes into the ‘big day’ until you see it live. Itala and her team made our vision a reality and it was a seamless process from start to finish. I would recommend her to anyone planning a wedding in Cartagena."

From the vendor:

Cuando Ellen y Juan Camilo me llamaron para organizar su boda en Cartagena, sentí una alegría inmensa! Un hombre tierno, cariñoso, alegre como Juan había encontrado en Ellen al amor de su vida! De eso estaba segura y era una gran noticia porque conocí a Juan en la boda de su hermana mayor que también organicé. Qué conmovedor resultaba tener la oportunidad de verlo casarse y dar el primer paso para formar una familia con Ellen -risueña, dulce, inteligente, creativa- perfecta para él. Pero resultó ser aún más emocionante, ver-abrazar-atender- de nuevo a toda la familia! Es una satisfacción grandísima cuando mis parejas me demuestran su cariño y se mantienen en contacto tantos años -eso hicieron su hermana Paula y David- así que volver a verlos junto a su hija Emilia, ver a Pilar, a Juan Manuel, a las tías, a la joven hermosa que era hoy en día quien antes fuera la damita de flores, etc. causó una gran dicha en mi corazón. Una vez, uno de mis más queridos proveedores me dijo "cuando ya a uno le comienzan a llegar los/las hermanos/as menores de novias y novios anteriores, es porque uno ya lleva Varios Buenos Años en esto y lo está Haciendo Muy Bien." Es muy cierto! A la fecha son ya casi 10 años rodeada del cariño de parejas y familias enteras que han dejado su imborrable huella en mi vida, así que le agregaría que si uno lo hace rodeada de amor, es mejor aún, y eso me hace querer cada día mas mi trabajo y sentirme agradecida por la maravillosa oportunidad de presenciar el amor que se profesan mis parejas. Así es el amor de Ellen y Juan Camilo, y el cariño que recibo de sus familiares y amigos, es simplemente DICHA!!! y eso me hace FELIZ!!! y me hace SEGUIR ADELANTE. E&JC: YOUR ARE THE ONES I REMEMBER IN THE HIGHS, BUT DURING THE LOWS I JUST THINK OF YOU AND YOUR SWEET MEMORIES KEEP ME GOING ON!!! Gracias, gracias, gracias por existir, los quiero!!! VEAN La boda de Ellen y Juan Camilo en Cartagena: "Home is wherever I’m with you" - por MAT fotografía, en: http://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2014/10/la-boda-de-ellen-y-juan-camilo-en.html

"Words cannot even explain how incredible our wedding was and it is all because of Itala and her team. Our wedding was a little tricky since we live in Boston and we wanted to incorporate Cameroonian, Colombian, and American traditions into our wedding. Itala made the planning process so easy and enjoyable. When we hear copules talk about how stressful the planning process was we cannot even remember any moment where planning was stressful. Itala was able to take ideas we had and make our wedding a complete dream come true. She had the incredible gift to understand us so well even if we didn't quite see our visión. She took our ideas and created this masterpiece!!! Our guests and families were absolutely amazed by how seamless the entire wedding was and comment of how it was so clear the amount of meetings and coordinating Itala had in order for all the vendors and everyone to be on the same page.What was most spectacular was that everyone seemed excited to be working our wedding and it didn't just seem like they were just doing another one. Itala created this excitement in her team and with all the vendors. We cannot say enough good things about Itala….what we can say is that she made our wedding the most incredible of our lives and we left Cartagena with a friend. THANKYOU for your generosity, your professionalism, and for creating this amazing evening for us!!!!"

From the vendor:

When I was reading these words from Camila and Robert, I smiled when they mentioned how "spectacular was that everyone seemed excited to be working" their wedding. IT TRULY WAS SOOO EXCITING!!! For all of us the "real" adventure started when C&R contacted me with their extraordinary-magical-challenging-idea of planning an African wedding in Cartagena without leaving behind their Colombian and American traditions. WE ALL TOTALLY GOT INTO IT, and I am sure during our meetings they noticed how our eyes shinned +our voices and our body language changed and revealed the genuine PASSION we felt when our imaginations flew toward to design their vision and make their dreams come true. This amazingly tender couple knew from those 1st moments, that THEY WERE NOT ONLY HIRING A WEDDING PLANNER, BUT A WHOLE TEAM. You readers can't miss to see their pictures and their video clip @ http://goo.gl/kw6158 , as you readers have to witness every single detail that made this wedding night an even more special one at the Adolfo Mejia Theater (Teatro Adolfo Mejia, "Teatro Heredia Cartagena"). …Did you see the links? Did you notice the smiles everywhere? On everyone? The families, the all-time friends, and of course, Camila&Robert always smiling!!! I will never forget their countless great smiles and laughs, their trust, their "letting go" and "LIVE IT UP" attitude ALL THE TIME. You guys are the ones that made possible the NEVER-SEEING-BEFORE: A Cameroonian + Colombian + American wedding in Cartagena! And I feel the luckiest woman on earth getting to know you and planned it all!! THANK YOU because you brought a whole new world into my life! An entire whole new universe into all our lives!

"After we decided we wanted to have a destination wedding in Cartagena, one of our friends who lives in the US, recommended that we contact Itala Vasquez about being our wedding planner. Our friend told us she had a dream wedding, in large part due to Itala. Fortunately for us, we contacted here, and we definitely had a very similar experience! From the very first consultation, we enjoyed working with Itala. She guided us through the whole wedding process, and was very good at working with us on things we were not quite sure about. Throughout the entire process, Itala was calm, organized, able to provide us with the information we needed to make the best decisions possible, and took care of every detail. Everything for our wedding was gorgeous, and thanks to Itala and her team, everything went smoothly. This despite an unplanned major national event (World Cup) happening on the same day, almost at the same time, as our wedding. In the end, our friends and family were impressed with how gorgeous everything was, and we know that we couldn’t have done it without Itala. We truly had an amazing wedding, one we believe others dream about. Having Itala plan it was one of the best decisions we could have made."

From the vendor:

They are showing their satisfaction and they are "spraying LOVE", that's why I am so thankful with my couples when they refer their friends or acquaintances getting married in Cartagena, and they make us "connect". Luisa and Leonard were one of those referred couples and they were fantastic and amazing since "day one". Lenny and Luisa couldn't be tenderer between each other and that was beautiful to see! LOVE was all over the place and LOVE kept me, my coordinators and my vendors all "glued" and harmonized during the planning process and then the wedding day… I think they were truly blessed with having Colombia's soccer team playing that day for the World Cup –yes, I had to make last-minute-crazy-changes so the guests could see the match and won't skip the ceremony– but Magic was in the air!!! Having the bride&groom, guests, vendors staff, waiters, and all the people around feeling happy, cheering, with their best energy, was ABSOLUTELY GREAT!!! and having James Rodriguez doing that Golden Boot goal, was soooooo inspiring that day to have even more excuses to celebrate during the party!!! How much more lucky Luisa and Lenny could be? SEE THEIR TRULY AMAZING CELEBRATION AT: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/15973773654320623/

"I can't put into words how thankful I am that my husband and I found Itala to help us plan our wedding. I am originally from Colombia and wanted to get married in Cartagena partly because a lot of my family would be able to attend, but mainly because of the charm that this colonial city radiates. The problem was that we live in Chicago, and didn't actually know anyone in Cartagena. That's where Itala comes in. My mom read reviews about her and her team (mibodaencartagena) and recommended that we have a Skype meeting with her. So we did. We immediately signed up. Best decision we ever made. Itala was super organized from day 1. This was very important because both my husband and I are attorneys and work 80+ hour weeks. She made the entire process not only easy, but FUN! Emails were our best friend. She would promptly respond to all of my questions, even when they were silly. At no point did I ever feel like I was far away. Itala assumed the role of my eyes and ears, and I couldn't have asked for anyone better. In no time, she knew our taste and sought out the vendors that could help us achieve the "look" and "feel" we were going for. In fact, there were moments when I would just tell her to make the final decision because I trusted her THAT much. In addition to the planning process, I have to say that our actual stay on Cartagena was more than we could have ever asked for. She took us around to run errands and always made sure we felt like we were on vacation! Even more importantly, Itala made our guests feel welcome and safe! Everybody loved her! I can honestly say that this woman will always have a special place in out hearts and we will always have very fond memories of our wedding week because of her. A life-long friendship is what we developed. If you are even considering a wedding in Cartagena, I would HIGHLY recommend mibodaencartagena and Itala Vasquez. You won't be sorry, I promise!"

From the vendor:

Have you ever heard Zac Brown Band's "Chicken Fried" song? You have to!!! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4ujS1er1r0) I knew this hit song thanks to Lily and Jimmy: they asked me to coordinate and play it to have a special dance during their wedding… Ohhh, what a wonderful moment, but most of all, WHAT TRULY A CAPTIVATING LOVING COUPLE! So, to put things in perspective, "Chicken Fried" initiates with "You know I like my chicken fried, A cold beer on a Friday night, A pair of jeans that fit just right, And the radio on... I like to see the sunrise, See the love in my woman's eyes, Feel the touch of my precious child, And know a mothers love"… I have to agree that's REAL love! That's a perfect reflection of when a couple have reached that stage of loving, and comprehend each other that much to KNOW how "I like my chicken Fried", right? As a music lover myself, this wedding will 4-Ever be close to my heart with special songs that accompanied the couple throughout every moment of their night: "Chelsea Dagger" (The Fratellis), Call of Magic (Jeremy Soule), I hope you dance (Lee Ann Womack), Marry me (Train), Let's stay together (Al Green), and more! Finally, the reply to Lily and Jimmy's review wouldn't be complete with the same song lyrics "It's funny how its the little things in life, That mean the most, Not where you live or what you drive, Or the price tag on your clothes, There's no dollar sign on peace of mind, This I've come to know, So if you agree, have a drink with me, Raise your glasses for a toast" Cheers to Liliana and James!!! "Thank God for my/YOUR life, "And for the stars and stripes, May freedom forever fly, Let it ring". YOU ARE THE ONES who will always have a special place in our hearts! See L&J's wedding at https://vimeo.com/103071206 and https://vimeo.com/103077212

"Absolutely wonderful!!! Thanks Itala for this amazing, outstanding, and MAGICAL night we had. To tell you the truth, it was far beyond our expectations. Everything happened so naturally, synchronized, and spectacular like a movie. Of course, Itala was behind the scenes like an orchestra director, managing and supervising every single detail with her impressive agenda to make the wedding of our daughter a true fairy tale. We somehow knew this, because of the impressive reviews we read about mibodaencartagena and Itala Vasquez one year ago. They convinced us that she was the right person to MAKE our daughter's dreams come true. It was confirmed with the overwhelming messages we received from our American and Colombian guests. The planning process was also totally smooth and enjoyable, even though we never physically went to Cartagena during this time. Working for about 12 months with Itala, we realized how incredible, lovely, dedicated, incredibly organized and honest she is. We have no words to express our gratitude not only for her but also for the team and her wonderful vendors that fulfilled all of our desires. Thanks so much!"

From the vendor:

The first time Patricia and Otoniel contacted me to plan their daughter's wedding -Lily- we instantly had that special "chemistry" and sparkle sooo required between the parts planning such an important day! I remember that day specially since I went to rest, turned on the TV and found a classic I have seen a dozen times, but a favorite: "The Father of the Bride". I recall that now, since as the main character in the movie -George-, "Oto and Patry" make me have that remembrance of what a wedding really is, and THAT makes me LOVE WHAT I DO. These are some lines from George: "I used to think a wedding was a simple affair. Boy and girl meet, they fall in love, he buys a ring, she buys a dress, they say I do. I was wrong. That's getting married. A wedding is an entirely different proposition. I know. I've just been through one… Well, that's the thing about life... is, the surprises. The little things that sneak up on you and grab hold of you. Still happens to me." So I've been around planning weddings since 2005 and THESE little things still happens to me!!! Therefore I LOVE what I do; I love knowing great, adorable, trusting, unforgettable parents like Oto and Patricia. Folks, you are the ones I remember when having-hard-moments-at-work; you are the ones I embrace and keep in my heart forever. And putting together the final song from the movie, when the house is empty, and the wedding finished while George finds solace with Nina and dances with her, I sing: "Just thinking' of you... There is nothing' for me but to love you, Just the way you are". See their daughter's wedding at https://vimeo.com/103071206 and https://vimeo.com/103077212

"When planning a destination wedding, you need someone who knows the local vendors and all the tips and tricks that you have no hope of knowing as a foreigner and as someone who does not work in the event planning area. Itala had all the connections we needed in Cartagena and gave us advice on how to deal with vendors and a few complex challenges we ran into along the way. She was also full of ideas and ready to accommodate our ideas as well. There was nothing that was off the table when it came to what we could do for our wedding and she immediately knew who to contact and how to proceed to vet our ideas if needed. She and her team were very instrumental the day of the wedding in making sure everything went according to plan and even our guests let us know how attentive and cordial her team were. She was also very patient and helped us through some stressful situations before, during, and after the wedding. Itala was exactly who we needed to pull off our wedding and it wouldn't have been as amazing as it was without her help."

From the vendor:

As Julie and Alvaro wrote, their wedding was absolutely amazing, captivating and full of so many details everyone enjoyed all day and all night long! Their wedding was merely a reflection of how fascinating they are as a couple: from the first day they came to me, later when we met and walked "all Cartagena", when we dedicate ourselves to realize every idea, all the process was full of adventures, culminating in the most beautiful wedding in March. The ceremony was most cute by the tender vows of love they professed with family and friends as witnesses. Musicians and dancers put a cheerful note when accompanied Alvaro & Julie dancing through the streets of the walled city, while his friends also followed their steps to a reception venue full of flowers in planters and topiaries of white and purple roses and orchids. Mmmmm, the food definitely was featured star of the wedding: we were dedicated to accompany each special moment with appetizers, seafood station, Cartagena food station, live grill, paella station, Colombian soup station, hog dogs cart, and variety of snacks such as french fries and egg rolls, not counting the delicious cakes of godiva/chocolate and vanilla/passion fruit, plus a cart loaded with gelatos of intriguing flavors for the guests as "zapote, níspero, coco, maracuyá y corozo". Flowers, food, ice cream, musicians, live bands, dancers, mulatas, fireworks and more, were protagonists of this wedding, but none could stand out more than the happiness we all saw in Julie and Alvaro's eyes during their wedding. SEE THIS GREAT COUPLE & SMILES AT: http://vimeo.com/65307990

"Five stars is not enough to rate Itala! We never thought that we could literally have our dream wedding until we hired Itala! She took all our ideas and our dreams and turned them into reality! Everything that we wanted she offered us, not only that but she also gave us choices according to our budget and was very honest with EVERYTHING. Her main interest was also our vision and our wedding. We never went to Cartagena prior to our wedding, everything was done through pictures and email. Itala captured our vision and our wedding party style perfectly! You can tell she has the experience because she knew exactly what we wanted and made it come true. We live in Miami so having that email contact was crucial, Itala was great about answering my 10000 emails on a daily basis. She made us feel comfortable about all our decisions. When we got to Cartagena the week before our wedding is when our love for Itala and her work really flourished. She had EVERYTHING and I mean everything planned. She is so organized that nothing slipped by her. She had everything ready and planned for us to see and do. Once we saw everything in person we had no doubt in our minds that our wedding would be perfect and...IT WAS! It has been a little over a month since Alfonso and I got married and every day we want to go back to that magical day. Itala made all our wishes come true and if it wasnt for her vision, her organization, and all her AMAZING AMAZING vendors (especially the catering) our wedding would have not been the same. We had the time of our lives and we partied until the literally I was put in a cab. I think of our wedding day every day and I would not change anything about it. It was perfect. it was beautiful. it was filled with love. We wish we could go back. We want to thank Itala from the bottom of our hearts for all she did for us. For making our day SOOOOO special. We will forever remember her with a smile on our face and warmth in our hearts!"

From the vendor:

It is when I meet couples like Brenda and Alfonso when I smile, smile and smile more when doing my job. "Brenso" -as they lovingly taught me to say- were absolutely special and tender throughout the planning process. A year before the wedding, Brenda wrote me "we live in Miami and the process seems to be very overwhelming from so far away... We need to hire a wedding planner ASAP... It seems that you have done beautiful weddings and come highly recommended". I love my job and like to help my couples achieve their dreams for such a special moment they decide to share with me, so those 10,000 emails were the most productive ones between Brenso and I that whole year, for absolutely everything to be ready and waiting them to celebrate. The romantic ceremony took place among vivid peach roses, with a "canvas" of old Cartagena as upstage. The food as we plan it, had to do remembrance not only of the wedding destination, also the country of origin of the bride, so there was Peruvian and Colombian food stations and desserts, which were chosen by Brenso in addition to the typical fries and a hot dogs cart. Guests were dazzled when they entered the room and saw a wonderful decoration in coral and gold tones with hints of white, pink and fuchsia, star colors of this wedding. The flowers, arrangements, topiaries, wreaths, tablecloths, chairs, bridal bouquets, cake, everything was meticulously planned to reflect the palette of colors Brenso dreamed. To quote the bride, I can also say about Brenda and Alfonso's wedding that " I would not change anything about it. It was perfect. It was beautiful. It was filled with love". I FEEL SO CLOSE TO YOU RIGHT NOW GUYS! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuD8g-B4_zI&list=UU9eUxQaTvuQvZRtbI_lRjGA&feature=c4-overview

"he one word that can best describe Itala and her team is EXCELLENT; everything that was done was done to perfection. I can describe every step of what she did but she did so much to make that day the most special and the best day of my life that is hard to put one thing into play. I can say that her words, her professionalism and her charisma made me feel at ease the whole time and her team was wonderful at keeping time and the whole bridal party in order. I would recommend her to everyone willing to be served in the best way possible. Before starting to plan anything about your wedding you would need to be in contact with her; it will save you money, time, headaches and you will enjoy he process how its supposed to be... with a smile in your face the whole time."

From the vendor:

... And with a smile on their faces the whole time I wanted to see Brenda, Ivan and Julian, in one of the most special days of their lives. One random day I received a call from Brenda to discuss the details of her wedding, she was a charm! This bride has an overwhelming energy, an absolutely captivating personality and, of course, we had so much chemistry that I could not refuse to stay and accompany her on her wedding during the Christmas holidays. This same should be the feeling of Ivan every day and from day one when he met Brenda; this is an absolutely loving and caring couple, and he, a gentleman that shows love for his beloved and child in each new day they spend together. They dreamed to have their beautiful wedding reception in a historic bastion inside the walled city, and had a non-stopping party with DJ, tropical band, reggaeton group, typical gaita, dancers, clowns, and could not miss a mariachi to tune in families. Torches and candles everywhere! The most stunning-magnificent "dusty pink" Vera Wang wedding dress! So intense deep-purple calla lilies in the centerpieces stood out beautifully in "dusty pink" tablecloths, which made perfect game with "dusty pink" ruffled-saches in the white chiavari chairs. The sweetest note of the night: a superb table of American and Mexican treats, together with a "raspao" cart handing ice-shaved cones to every guest. Brenda and Ivan, thanks for sharing your friendship and love with me; your kid, your families, your 12 friends in the bridal party, your guests, and you, were perfect to keep pumping my heart and passion for what I do as a wedding planner! And as a note says in your wedding invitation: this is just the beginning, "the beginning of our new life together." DON'T MISS THEIR VIDEO "ERES MI SUEÑO" at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjn_ek_GeQg

"Itala was simply amazing and diligent from the moment we met her. Itala is the kind of professional that anticipates the couple's needs and throw different options for you to evaluate so you don't have to start from scratch. Itala is also very good at the details that you think are not so important during the planning process but when you see them on the wedding day you understand she added them for a reason and just demonstrates she is the best at what she does. The vendors and the staff the she works with are simply the best. If you want your guests to tell you they had the best food ever, the best service ever and that your wedding was truly above standards then i will highly recommend that you choose Itala."

From the vendor:

Ivan and Kristina met in NYC and are the main characters of a beautiful love story. After dating and falling in love, he proposed to her at the beach and that day they decided to have 2 weddings, one in New York City's Central Park and one in Colombia. They both had the same expectation and dreams for the wedding so Cartagena would be the chosen city: Kristina travelled there and loved the romantic, fairy-tale feeling of the walled city. As they tell it, she thought it would be an amazing place to get married: "Cartagena has history, the beach and amazing food! It was also really important that my family experience Ivan’s culture and country". Likewise, Ivan wanted to get married in a historic, beautiful city and wanted it to be the setting to bring both worlds together. --So one day I also met Ivan and Kristina... and I also fell in love with them, and immediately wanted to be part of their love story! When we met in Cartagena to start preparing the wedding, we had fun looking at each venue, knowing each vendor, planning every detail... we even had fun in the rain in one of those days! --They picked a beautiful XVII century colonial house to have their wedding ceremony and reception, and desired to embellish it with flowers and decorations. In this wedding the stars were the gerberas! Beautiful white gerberas and candles for the ceremony, and beautiful colored gerberas in fuchsia, purple, yellow and orange for cocktail, dinner and party areas... Colorful gerberas and candles everywhere! in the entrance arrangements, in the food-stations arrangements, in the centerpieces, in the cocktail tables, in the pool floats like flowers islands... Gerberas accompanied by beautiful lanterns in the same colors of the flowers... Gerberas colors in the dramatic lighting reflected in the dance floor and the chiffon veils hanging from the balconies. Everything was shining thanks to the colorful Ivan and Kristina dreamed in this house for their wedding... I will never forget the look on their faces when they entered the reception area and saw the assembly of all! Kristina cried for joy, kissed Ivan and hugged me with deep emotion. --Another star of the night at this wedding was the music: the guests were treated with something special planned for every moment: pianist at the ceremony, cuban quartet during cocktail, bossa nova at dinner, and to liven up the party a crossover DJ and a 10-piece band playing genres such as salsa, reggae, calypso, merengue, rock and pop... --Everything was set to party all night! And indeed they had fun and enjoyed every moment until the end! But weddings like this will never end: one is talking about them forever! And with couples like Ivan and Kristina there's never an end: one remembers and loves them forever! KNOW WHAT IVAN AND KRISTINA did after "found love in a hopeless place" at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pYCPEk5Sgk

"To hire Itala was the smartest decision we have ever made. She is much more of what you can expect from. She is professional and highly organised, what gave us peace during this amazing process. We don’t live in Cartagena, but it was our dream to get married in such amazing city, that's why we did our research and thankfully we found Itala. Since day 1 (more than a year before the wedding) we knew that everything was going to be ok even though we couldn't be there to do everything. She was there all the time, with a great reactivity and solutions to every question mark that we had. She is known for working with the best vendors, so we knew we were going to have the best quality, what we confirmed when we met them. She has an answer to everything and she is full of great ideas. The wedding day, we were able to have a great time and not worry about anything, with her beautiful smile and energy we felt assured and we had the best day ever, thanks to her. We would highly recommend her!"

From the vendor:

Lina and François live in Lille, France ... so far from Colombia but so close to my heart! We started working together in their wedding and there was chemistry all along the process, the emails, the phone calls, and the visit to Cartagena, everything ran smoothly all the way. --One of the most beautiful details that we developed with the caterer for this couple, was the assembly of two food stations to join the culinary culture of two countries: Colombian Station and French Station: guests found in their tables the printed menu with Colombian treats to taste in the station called "Lina" as "Posta negra a la criolla, Mero con mantequilla de limón, Arroz de Ají Dulce, Plátano en tentación, Cazuelita de fríjoles con Chicharroncitos, Criollitas y Arepitas de queso con Hogao, Costillitas de credo agridulces, etc"... and things to taste in the station called "François" with french delicacies as "Ensalada con queso roquefort y nueces, Lomo en mostaza francesa, Pollo en vino rosé, Magret de Pato, Definoise de papas, Quiches, pan francés, mini croissants, y más." --Their wedding décor was very trendy: in shades of blue and brown with white accents, we were dedicated to plan every element to keep that desired color palette: the white emphasis was in the fine gypsophilia (baby's breath), the blue tone was given by the blue belladonna, and brown was in many decorative details including props, calligraphy and linens. We designed with the florist low centerpieces in belladonna and gypsophilia surrounding a candle that provided light and warmth. The tables wore beautiful runners in turquoise and chocolate, tied turquoise and brown napkins; chocolate-brown chivary chairs contrasted with their pads and twisted bands, both in turquoise blue. ¡Not to mention the beautiful bouquet and its perfect match boutonnier: both designed with plenty gypsophilia evoking a romantic rain of stars in Lille! --Every detail of this wedding was designed for each occasion entirely; we thought them with love, with joy, with anticipation for the wedding day to arrive... and how wonderful was to coordinate each of them for Lina, François, Tobita, their families and friends to noticed... to enjoy every moment, to remember the event as unique and magical. Personally I love it when we have so many beautiful details in a wedding, so I enjoyed every moment of this planning... and I will always remember Lina's wide laughters and smiles to François, and the tender and loving glances with which François looked her back! --LINA AND FRANCOIS FOUND LOVE AND HAVE THIS TO SAY TO YOU: http://vimeo.com/65310288

"Itala y el equipo de mi boda en Cartagena es todo lo que uno necesita para poder hacer un matrimonio espectacular sin vivir en Colombia y sin vivir en Cartagena. Itala nos hizo sentir como unos principes y el dia de nuestro matrimonio no nos tuvimos que preocupara absolutamente por nada, para todos nuestros invitados fue una de las mejores fiestas en las que han estado y nosotros estuvimos muy pero muy felices, creo que sera un dia que nunca olvidaremos!"

From the vendor:

Así como lo fue para Natalia y Chris, también para mí será un día y una pareja que nunca olvidaré. Comencé a organizar esta boda junto a ellos precisamente un año antes y ¡qué gran año tuvimos!, el tiempo justo para lograr construir una linda relación que más de trabajo era de absoluto compromiso para lograr un resultado hermoso. Ellos desde Australia y yo desde Colombia, emprendimos una travesía llena de detalles y en completa armonía, que resultó en un cálido, romántico y exitoso evento que tuvo lugar en una señorial e imponente casa de la ciudad amurallada con más de 4 siglos de historia. De lo más increíble para los invitados fue tener el cocktail en plena Plaza de La Proclamación y que disfrutaran las deliciosas bebidas y canapés al son de un show típico de danzas folclóricas en pleno atardecer cartagenero. La decoración fue extraordinaria: el salón parecía un colorido jardín colmado de variadas flores como hortensias, gérberas, lirios, mini rosas, ghypsofilia, solidago, mini delfinios... todas daban forma a los coloridos centros de mesa al estilo "campestre natural" que fascinó a los novios. Manteniendo la tendencia de utilizar fibras naturales, la mantelería de lino crudo blanco se destacaba con caminos de yute/fique especialmente confeccionados para la ocasión. Tiernas grullas en técnica origami fueron un regalo personal del papá de la novia: coloridas para la recepción, blancas colgadas para la ceremonia, como queriendo ser testigos y cómplices de la pareja en su día soñado. Estos y más accesorios fueron especialmente diseñados para esta boda llena de detalles hermosos y especiales! Desde que los conocí Natalia, Chris, sus familiares y amigos fueron muy cálidos, afectuosos, simpáticos y claro, alegres y fiesteros durante toda la noche... Estarán en mi corazón: siempre! --TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS WEDDING IN CARTAGENA GO TO: http://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2012/04/alquimia-una-boda-en-cartagena-que.html

"Itala y el equipo de mi boda en cartagena son lo mejor que nos ha podido pasar. Planear un matrimonio desde Australia y Chicago no es facil, pero gracias a ella fue posible y recibimos los mejore comentarios de todos nuestros invitados. Todo fue como un sueño y lo mejor de todo es que nosotros ese dia no nos tuvimos que preocupar absolutamente de nada porque ella y su equipo estuvieron ahi hasta el final. definitivamente es lo mejor!"

From the vendor:

Así como lo fue para Natalia y Chris, también para mí será un día y una pareja que nunca olvidaré. Comencé a organizar esta boda junto a ellos precisamente un año antes y ¡qué gran año tuvimos!, el tiempo justo para lograr construir una linda relación que más de trabajo era de absoluto compromiso para lograr un resultado hermoso. Ellos desde Australia y yo desde Colombia, emprendimos una travesía llena de detalles y en completa armonía, que resultó en un cálido, romántico y exitoso evento que tuvo lugar en una señorial e imponente casa de la ciudad amurallada con más de 4 siglos de historia. De lo más increíble para los invitados fue tener el cocktail en plena Plaza de La Proclamación y que disfrutaran las deliciosas bebidas y canapés al son de un show típico de danzas folclóricas en pleno atardecer cartagenero. La decoración fue extraordinaria: el salón parecía un colorido jardín colmado de variadas flores como hortensias, gérberas, lirios, mini rosas, ghypsofilia, solidago, mini delfinios... todas daban forma a los coloridos centros de mesa al estilo "campestre natural" que fascinó a los novios. Manteniendo la tendencia de utilizar fibras naturales, la mantelería de lino crudo blanco se destacaba con caminos de yute/fique especialmente confeccionados para la ocasión. Tiernas grullas en técnica origami fueron un regalo personal del papá de la novia: coloridas para la recepción, blancas colgadas para la ceremonia, como queriendo ser testigos y cómplices de la pareja en su día soñado. Estos y más accesorios fueron especialmente diseñados para esta boda llena de detalles hermosos y especiales! Desde que los conocí Natalia, Chris, sus familiares y amigos fueron muy cálidos, afectuosos, simpáticos y claro, alegres y fiesteros durante toda la noche... Estarán en mi corazón: siempre! --TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS WEDDING IN CARTAGENA GO TO: http://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2012/04/alquimia-una-boda-en-cartagena-que.html

"Words cannot simply describe how happy and blessed we were to have Itala Vasquez from “MiBodaenCartagena.com” as our Wedding Planner. You always dream of a prefect wedding, the perfect decoration, catering, music, and, having absolutely no detail overlooked; with MiBodaenCartagena, we accomplished all of that and more, however the most important thing of all was how our wedding planner Itala Vasquez made us feel. We didn’t simply feel like just another client, but the “red carpet” was rolled out every step of the way to make us truly feel like superstars! Itala is a true perfectionist and her attention to detail, and passion for wedding planning comes across in every little detail. The finished product of all of her effort allowed us to have the most magical day of our lives."

From the vendor:

Once again I have the luck to meet a perfect match! Thanks and more thanks because I'm always surrounded by fabulous brides and grooms! I also feel blessed! Glenda and Mitch are no exception; they were fantastic, always receptive to my advice and suggestions, always attentive to our communications, always listening to innovations and trends that may apply to their wedding to make it a day even more special. The wedding decoration was absolutely beautiful, full of details in fuchsia, purple, ice blue and silver, the fashionable color palette chosen by the couple that one could even see in the design of the 5 layer delicious cake. Linens: fabulous! Exclusive black tablecloths were used to delicately highlight the shimmering silver organza. They combined perfectly with the silver paper lanterns made especially for this occasion. The majestic view from the bastion was even more adorned by beautiful centerpieces with mirrors, water, votive candles, elegant orchids and callas. The nicest thing: the same floral arrangements in 2 colors! Exactly the same pattern but in some tables in white with fuchsia lights, in others purple with blue lights, simply chic! Glenda and Mitch were happy and dancing until dawn; they shined! And since we started planning their wedding, they inspire even more my passion for weddings mentioned. They won my heart and my admiration eternally! --SEE GLENDA AND MITCHELL'S WEDDING VIDEOCLIP AT: http://vimeo.com/27136334

"I truly don't even know where to begin with this review. Itala and her staff will never be forgotten! I know people say that there are no perfect weddings but my wedding was truly perfect and it is all do to Itala and her hard work. I first visited this website as a confused and overwhelmed bride. I had no idea what to do or who to choose as my wedding planner. After doing some research I kept hearing "Mi boda en Cartagena". Well my choice could not have been more fitting and perfect for Jason and I. We are both very detailed and organized people and I never thought I'd meet someone more organized than my husband! But I did in Itala. Her style, dedication to details and relationships with every vendor involved with our wedding was impeccable. Her company runs like a well oiled machine:) But on top of her reliability, she is also a sweet, caring and passionate woman who loves what she does... and it shows! We have so many incredible memories from our trip to Cartagena and our wedding and none of them would have been possible with out her! She will always hold a place in our heart! If you are planning a wedding in Cartagena and you are lucky enough to have her as your wedding planner... you are in good hands! Trust her with everything as I did and you will not be disappointed!"

From the vendor:

With Jessica and Jason I experienced what it means to feel total empathy… what a beautiful couple, so real, so organized… since we met they were very sweet and open when saying they loved my method and organizational style… my perfect match! All the details in the reception were carefully chosen of the couple's hand, and they were the perfect reflection of the dedication that they put in their wedding. Majestic Cattleya Trianae Orchids in white and fuchsia, recently flourished Dendrobium Orchids and romantic votive candles stole all the looks in the centerpieces and in the floating arrangements that adorned the whole place. All the details were special, from the beautiful and modern illumination that fell on the lounge furniture and the central patio, until the delicious j+j signature cocktails, created with tropical mixers, the exquisite Chambord Flavored Vodka and the unique Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur. In my pleasant job as a Wedding Planner I feel fortunate knowing such adorable couples, and thanks to them there are many histories of success I can tell; thanks to them and to Jessica & Jason I realize that these words are certain: “There are some things success is not: is not fame, is not money or power. Success is waking up in the morning so excited about what you have to do, that you literally fly out the door. Is getting to work with people you love. Success is connecting with the world and making people feel. Is finding a way to bind together people who have nothing in common but a dream. Is falling sleep at night knowing you did the best job you could. Success is Joy, and Freedom and Friendship, and Success is Love”… And it is Love the main character of this wedding, the one that joined Jessica and Jason, and the one that we were attracted by to work together… from that first call and that first "click", we knew at once that we were made for each other!!! --SEE JESSICA AND JASON AS CINDERELLA AND HIS PRINCE AT: http://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2011/07/cinderella-esta-la-moda.html

"I have to say MiBodaEnCartagena has been the best thing ever happened to us when we decided to get married in Cartagena. Since the beginning, Itala was the most proactive and amazingly organized person I could ever find. She is very very well known by all the vendors and all of them give excellent references of her, and that gives a lot of peace of mind! The first time I e-mailed her I was really impressed by all her accurate answers that showed experience in her work. Once we decided to go with her, we met twice in Cartagena: first meeting, check and reserve venues, second one, all the other arrangements. For the first meeting she had all the venues arranged and everything was set in order for us tom choose. For the second meeting she had a three full day agenda ready, including appointment for hair and make up for me and two girl friends for another wedding I had to attend in Cartagena! That was amazing; she did not only take car of all the things for my wedding but also, other things I had to get done there during those days. Those days were great since I got to meet every single person who was going to be working on my wedding, including stylist! Another great thing about her is that she really keeps you up to speed on everything. My husband and I were making all the decisions together and, since we both travel a lot for work it was hard to coordinate and give quick responses, but she was patient and responsive in every single detail, and always sending very nice reminders of the things we needed to get done. And the best part is she ALWAYS has a plan B!! If there is something you want but cannot do or get for whatever reason, she will always give you another alternative that will leave you as happy as your first idea. There is no question left un answered and there is no way she will leave you hesitating about anything! In a nutshell, she really knows her business and whereabouts! I could spend the rest of the day writing all the anecdotes and great experiences with Itala. Do not have pictures yet because we just got married less than two weeks ago but will post them as soon as I get them It was MAGICAL. Elegant, informal, romantic and fun. All at the same time. I wish I was back there every day! All our friends left saying that it has been THE best party they have ever been in a long time (and Spaniards know how to party!) and if they ever got married, it would have to be in Cartagena! One of the most beautiful comments: “everything was so perfect, and impressive, that no picture could capture the beauty of it” . We both know all this was possible thanks to Itala and her team, who were there 2000%!"

From the vendor:

… and 2000% was the affection that we all received from Maria Paula and Ignacio at their wedding! I had the great luck to receive the call from one of my dearest childhood friends to speak to me about them and what a formidable couple she put in my hands. They are absolutely brilliant, affectionate, courteous, friendly and confident of what they like. This was a really beautiful and romantic wedding where the coloring of fuchsia, orange and yellow gerberas prevailed next to the contrasting warmth of the violet and fashion fuchsia lighting. During the crazy hour the love for soccer showed up, specially for Spaniards who enjoyed one to one the video with their team’s goals, a sweet promise that his adorable girlfriend made to Ignacio if they won the 2010 World Cup at South Africa…. And they did!, and what a crazy/grrreat/unique time we had on their champions behalf singing with Shakira and David Visbal “…in the streets are exalted people, as we lose our inhibitions, celebration is around us, every nation all around us… en las calles muchas manos levantadas celebrando, una fiesta sin descanso, los países como hermanos”… an ode to the fraternity everybody lived in this wedding!!! Maria Paula & Ignacio wrote me: “…nunca imaginamos que nuestra boda fuera a ser tan espectacular como fue. No solamente pudimos disfrutar de cada momento, sino también de cada detalle!… nunca habíamos estado en una boda tan linda como la nuestra jajaja!… fue espectacular todo!… Tenemos que decirte que sin tu asesoría y experiencia probablemente nada de esto habría pasado!” And I should say that without their friendliness and trust neither! -- SEE MARIA PAULA & IGNACIO HONORING "VIVA LA VIDA" BY COLDPLAY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96wTA1qPkhU&list=PL3109E3366ED5C24C&feature=c4-overview-vl

"We had the chance of meeting Itala Vasquez on February, 2010, when we started planning our wedding. She suggested several alternatives and took us one place after another looking for the right church, priest, ornaments, flowers, music, party site, catering, DJ, photographer, driver, hairdresser et al. Her professionalism is guaranteed, as she has the ability of organizing an executive agenda involving the best of the best for that special day. On our wedding day, not a single detail was missing. She coordinated the whole team; the bride had one advisor and the groom another. They had an agenda in which we did not have to worry about NOTHING, and we mean NOTHING. Itala and her team handled absolutely everything. We just had to enjoy the mass, taste the extraordinary food and beverages and go wild with the party. Two-thumbs up for Itala and her team. Definitivelly, you get what you pay."

From the vendor:

I can use many special words to describe Maria Clara and Diego, “La Pulga y El Rey”... come to my mind some I quote in Spanish: alucinantes, fascinantes, asombran al mundo, dan esperanza y ganas nuevas… all these from a melody sung by their friend Mariana during their wedding! This was an adorable ceremony, where the white lilies and roses stood out with subtle touches of red gerberas, matching with the Thai style bouquet the bride offered to the Monstserrat Black Virgin. The reception décor and centerpieces on the contrary had emphasis in the red gerberas with few white details given by lilies, and the splendid of unique/attractive tablecloth in black and silver organza… the most chic detail was the elegant red silk lanterns brought specially for this night, so intensely illuminated that seemed like fire! All guests enjoyed five stations of exquisite food: Spanish, Peruvian, Mexican, Colombian delights and the sweetness of typical desserts from Cartagena. The best in the night was the 3 Crazy Hours! Yes, 3 spectacular different hours with Spanish/Mexican/Colombian music and accessories. Maria Clara & Diego wrote to me: “Queremos agradecerte por haber hecho que nuestra boda fuera simplemente perfecta! Qué profesionalismo, qué organización, qué tranquilidad la que nos diste desde que te conocimos y por supuesto en los meses venideros, culminando con la boda más maravillosa del mundo… en serio lograste con tu equipo que ese 20 de agosto sea para siempre!!!!!”. I feel very fortunate of having shared so rich moments with El Rey, La Pulga, Nico, Bibi, Maria Lucia, Clau, with ALL! They gratifyingly touched our hearts, and when I say ours I refer to all the people who worked next to me in the wedding; I promise this family they will always be in our hearts… and like the previous mentioned song says: es éste un amor para la historia, cada memoria nos marcará la vida entera! Ellos saben a qué me refiero al decirles que TODOS estuvimos in the arms of two angels! -- MIRA COMO LLUEVE EL AMOR PARA LA PULGA Y EL REY EN: http://vimeo.com/19216174

"Itala was absolutely wonderful! SHe took care of every single detail...was perfection! We really appreciate her hard work!"

From the vendor:

I'm glad I met Margarita & Kevin, they're just a wonderful, adoring and tender couple! She was always laughing, he was always smiling back to her! What a nice gesture of love! Margarita and Kevin chose gorgeous white hydrangeas for the bench-bouquets and arrangements that beautified much more the magnificent church where they had their ceremony. At the reception the nice white hydrangeas were combined with royal purple calla lilies and dendrobium orchids that stood out even more with the dramatic lavender illumination. How sweet a wedding can be? Well, the couple go beyond with the trend of the night: a fantastic Candy Bar where delicious purple colored sweets delighted all guests, working double time as both reception décor and wedding favor!!! They wrote me: “Itala, Kevin y yo te queremos agradecer porque todo salió suuuuper lindo, sin problema alguno! … Gracias por organizar todo lo que había en mi cabeza, y hacer que todo fuera un sueño! Nos encantó conocerte, Mil y mil gracias... un abrazo enorme de los dos!” I’m really the one who thank them for having me as their wedding planner! They can count on me always! (see more reviews on www.mibodaencartagena.com) -- SEE WHAT MARGARITA DOES WHILE KEVIN TAKES IT EASY AT: http://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2011/08/ding-dong-weddings-here-and-boys-take.html

"The best of the best. MBC was a delight to work with. She made all our dreams come true!"

From the vendor:

Yvonne & William had a fantastic, magic wedding! From the begging till the end they had unique surprises for their guests; they picked beautiful settings, fuchsia roses decorations, delicious gourmet food, a great band, etc. etc… I loved their cake! The most romantic one so far, with pink cymbidium orchids as the bride's bouquet! We met in Cartagena months prior to the wedding and had a great time! We established a nice friendship and had an incredible time planning their wedding day! They wrote me: “Itala, todo fue un sueño y todo salió perfecto. Nuestros amigos y familiares están súper, pero súper contentos con nuestra boda, se divirtieron mucho y quedaron encantados… Te damos mil gracias por todo! … Hiciste un maravilloso trabajo”. William was involved in every detail -the best groom ever since the bride had his support and concern- Yvonne was always so sweet and trusting! It was a pleasure working for them; I’m glad to say they can count on me, since I know I can count on them also – 4ever, 4 all time ;) --SEE MORE REVIEWS CLICKING COUPLES AT www.mibodaencartagena.com

"Itala is the most wonderful wedding planner!! I would highly recommend her to anyone who is planning a wedding in Cartagena. Our wedding was truly magical thanks to her. She knows the best vendors in Cartagena and because she has been working with them for a while and is friends with them, when you are with her, you will only get the best. Itala is not only an extremely nice and friendly person, she is also very professional and makes sure that everything, down to the last detail, is exactly what the bride and groom asked for. My husband and I had so much fun and we were able to enjoy our wedding because we knew Itala would take care of everything and do an excellent job. All of our guests had a wonderful time as well and a lot of them said it was the best wedding they had ever been to. Itala is wonderful and we are truly thankful to her for making our wedding the best day in our lives!"

From the vendor:

Not only Pamela & Leandro are an extraordinary couple, their families are also great! Moms, Dads, siblings, everyone where nice, caring, and willing to have a great time at their wedding. As the bride & groom were always relaxed and glad to be together in Cartagena, their pictures result to be amazing; I love the way Leandro kissed Pamela’s hand once they met to be married, what a nice picture, so romantic, so amorous, so tender… The civil marriage of Pamela & Leandro took place at an historical house inside the walled city and under a beautiful arch of lilac roses and veils; a dreamy path with candles marked the road toward the place of the reception, where the floral arrangements were a gorgeous combination of lilac roses, pink lilies, pink dendrobium and yellow oncidium orchids, among others. They wrote me: “Itala, te queremos dar las gracias por hacer nuestra boda tan especial. Todo estuvo absolutamente perfecto!... Nos encantó que pudimos disfrutar al máximo nuestra propia boda porque sabíamos que tu ibas a encargarte de todo y hacer un excelente trabajo!! Muchísimas gracias mil veces más, verdaderamente fue una boda para recordar” And I’ll always remember them! They’ll be in my heart, always! -- SEE PAMELA & LEANDRO'S AMAZING SUNSET PIC IN: http://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2012/02/amazing-sunsets-for-perfect-weddings-in.html

"We recommend 100% Itala as a wedding planning. She is absolutely fabulous and this is because she loves what she does! Our wedding was just AMAZING it overcome all our excpectations and the best of all was that we could enjoyed every second of it without worring about anything because Itala had everything under control, even the most simple detail. I never had to chase her before the wedding because she always kept me update with all the preparation details... And the best... She always listened and pay attention (very pattiently :)) to all our crazy ideas for the wedding!!!! As you could read, we aré completely grateful :)"

From the vendor:

Lina & Richard had the most romantic wedding in the beach, with a beautiful sunset, dreamy music, tropical heliconias and ginger flowers, and the best detail of all: their son as witness: an only 3 months blue-eyed baby as ring carrier!!! … This is another couple who is soooo in love; Richard is just crazy about Lina and Samuel, and they both adore him!!! They had an astounding reception décor with pink stargazer lilies and orchids, delicious food, amazing music with boleros, tango and more… and this is unforgettable: the craziest Hora Loca no matter the rain, no matter who gets into the pool!!! They wrote me: “Itala, mil gracias!!! Todo nos salió tal como lo habíamos soñado gracias a tu planeación, profesionalismo y organización… Fue una boda espectacular en todos los sentidos y no le cambiaríamos nada…”. And I wouldn’t change anything from them and from their wedding day… I had the most fun-tastic night! --SEE HOW RICHARD LOVES LINA IN: http://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2011/08/when-man-loves-colombian-woman.html

"Itala was fantastic to work with. She made our wedding planning a breeze, was responsive to our questions and emails, was patient with our changes and requests and made our event more beautiful than we dreamed of. It was a pleasure working with her and I would recommend her to anyone planning a wedding in Cartagena."

From the vendor:

Paula and David was also a fantastic couple to work for! As a bride Paula was great from the begging, and David is the tenderest, affectionate groom… Oh but both their families: absolutely extraordinary! What a beautiful couples their parents are, both long-lasting marriages, over 40 years together, nice example of what truly love is! I’m sure Paula and David are going to be same, they are soooo in love, they are sooo kind to each other! Graceful white calla lilies and romantic candles lit in the ceremony turned even more magic the colonial church where Paula and David received God’s blessing, while at the reception the romantic trio-bouquets in orange roses and gerberas harmonized the color of the icing ribbons and lilies from the cake, a distinctive asymmetric model made of passion fruit flavor. They wrote me: “Itala, no hay suficientes maneras para expresar nuestra gratitud por todo lo que hiciste por nosotros y para nuestro matrimonio... La verdad que fue inolvidable, mejor de lo que lo esperábamos… Todo, todo salió perfecto y fue gracias a tu organización y atención a todo detalle… No lo hubiéramos logrado sin ti” What a great wedding, what an amazing couple! XOXOXO 4E -- SEE PAULA & DAVID'S AMAZING PICTURES OF THEIR WEDDING IN CARTAGENA AT: http://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2011/08/ding-dong-weddings-here-and-boys-take.html

"Itala was the best! Our wedding was unforgettable. She knows the best vendors in Cartagena, all the details made our wedding "the best wedding ever" according all of our guests."

From the vendor:

Maria Fernanda & Jeff are not only one of the many couples I assisted, they remain in my heart as friends and in my vendors minds as one of the best couples ever: Maria was always affectionate and trusting, Jeff was always easy going with everyone… they had a great party and dance till the end of it! Their wedding reception took place at a magic/very unique venue in Cartagena, with view to the ocean and the whole modern and old city, having as witness a beautiful and warm sunset, with romantic centerpieces in a bed of white roses and orchids and the subtle contrast of orange colored candles. They wrote me: “Itala, queremos darte las gracias por habernos ayudado a convertir nuestro sueño de hacer nuestra boda en Cartagena. Todo salió lindísimo, mejor no pudo estar. Como un cuento de hadas! Tu trabajo fue impecable… It was a blast!”… I have to say their wedding really Was a Blast but knowing and working for them was better than that! --SEE HOW JEFF LOVES MARIA FERNANDA IN: http://mbcartagena.blogspot.com/2011/08/when-man-loves-colombian-woman.html

"Since we got engaged we always thought about having our wedding in Colombia which is where both of us are from. We live in New York. We went to Cartagena a few years ago and we fell in love with this city. it's truly magical. Planning a destination wedding is not an easy task so we started researching online for wedding planners, that's when when we found a youtube video of "Mi Boda en Cartagena" when I watched that video I said OMG I want my wedding like this, so we immediately contacted Itala Vasquez. The first time I talked to Itala I felt so comfortable with her, she was so organized and asked us the right questions. I told my fiancé at the time she is the one, she is perfect she is going to be our wedding planner. I did not need to look for anyone else. Itala was AMAZING!!!!!!!! I don't even know where to start...she made our dream wedding come true. She has the best team (Las Cecilias, Valentina etc) and works with the best vendors in Cartagena. My wedding day was perfect!!! Every email from the beginning to the end was very helpful. I will miss talking to her and asking her questions all the time that she would answer so quickly by the way :). Itala I want to Thank you for being a 100% with us during this whole process. Thank you for making SPIKE (our little baby) part of our Special day!!! I couldn't done it without you!!! Gracias infinitas Itala por hacer de nuestra boda algo tan especial. sin ti esto no hubiera side posible. eres una gran persona y esperamos verte muy pronto! Thank you! I wouldn't change a THING about our Wedding it was PERFECT!!! :) Love, Diana, Kabir and Spike!!!"

"We had a fantastic experience working with Itala to plan our wedding. Living in San Francisco, we didn't know where to start, but she was able to guide us through the process in a very thoughtful and professional manner. Itala ensured every important detail was captured and ultimately brought to life during our wedding day. Although there were many moving parts, we never felt completely overwhelmed because Itala organized and managed the process using a very clear timeline a list of tasks to hit the various milestones. We really appreciated her effort to get to know us, and her ability to recognize and understand our vision for the wedding. Her personable approach made it very easy to collaborate and to share thoughts and ideas. We truly valued her ability to connect with and host our families and friends during the ceremony and festivities. A few months before the wedding, and after a brief visit to Cartagena to work through final details, we felt completely confident and comfortable with the various vendors introduced by Itala and how it would all come together. We are certainly going to miss interacting with Itala on a regular basis, and feel lucky to have found her to help us put together such a fantastic wedding. We've received numerous compliments from family and friends regarding Itala's work and how pleasant she is as a person. If we had the opportunity to do it all over again, we would without a doubt choose Itala as our wedding planner!"

"Mi Boda en Cartagena was phenomenal! Itala was patient with us throughout the planning process and kept a good cadence of checking in to make sure we were keeping to our planning schedule and not missing any opportunities. She quickly understood our aesthetic and theme, and she recommended ideas for us to consider. On the day of the wedding Itala and her team were super hands on making sure every detail was perfect and making sure our families were also happy. We can 100% say that there is no way our wedding would have turned out as perfect as it did without Mi Boda en Cartagena and we highly recommend them for anyone considering a wedding in Cartagena."