Fashion Designer Carly Cushnie's Gorgeous Mexico City Wedding

Not many weddings include an actual parade, but fashion designer Carly Cushnie’s (of label Cushnie et Ochs) nuptials to Oscar Cantú was far from typical. (Not that their engagement, by Luc d’Annecy near the French Alps, was even remotely basic either.) The fabulous celebration was held in Mexico City, a place where weddings generally include 600 to 800 people and go all night. It included the chic party of 160 parading with Mexican and Jamaican flags and a 32-piece band from the ceremony at Temple de la Enseñanza to the secret garden-esque reception venue, Club de Banqueros. “It was one of the most magical parts,” says Carly of the event that stopped traffic in the city on a busy Friday afternoon.

Indeed, there was a palpable energy throughout the day, which the pair arranged with the help of Oaxaca-based planner Marcela Gonzalez over the course of six months. (The wedding was originally planned to take place in Oaxaca, but they moved it because of Zika outbreaks and ultimately it was so perfect the pair felt it was meant to be.) “All the flowers were white and green,” says Carly, “I wanted the whole place to feel very enchanted, romantic, and lush.” Other top priorities were excellent food and music—two must-haves for all destination weddings!

And in true Mexico City form, the excitement lasted hours—the ceremony began at 3 p.m., and the dancing wrapped up around 3 a.m. And the fun wasn’t constrained to the wedding day: The night before the pair had a rooftop cocktail party—at which Oscar serenaded his bride-to-be from the street with his father and a mariachi band—and ended with a boat cruise party through Mexico City. See more of their fun and fashion-forward wedding weekend here.

Naturally, the bride wore a custom-made gown—of lace, tulle, and chiffon—from her own label, Cushnie et Ochs, for her big moment. “I wanted the dress to feel romantic and feminine, with Mexican influence,” which came through in the dramatic ruffled neckline. She accessorized with her "something old" and "something borrowed" (a diamond bracelet), her "something blue" (an evil eye pin), and wore earrings by Ryan Storer.

The bridal party included Carly’s sister and best friend, who both wore pale pink Cushnie et Ochs adaptations, and three flower girls in white frocks by Drenna Luna.

Oscar’s family priest from Arizona, Father David San Fillipo, made the trip to Mexico City to officiate the Catholic ceremony, which was preceded by the couple’s NYC civil service two weeks prior, where they exchanged their personal vows. After their traditional vows during the church ceremony, Carly and Oscar exited to the bolero classic "Besame Mucho" as a nod to their location.

And as a nod to their original wedding location, the couple took part in an Oaxacan parade through the city's streets, carrying Mexican and Jamaican flags representing their heritages. The journey—which stopped the busy city's Friday afternoon traffic—ended at Club de Banqueros, where guests nibbled Mexican hors d’oeuvres and Mezcalini cocktails as DJ Huggy Bear played tunes.

The arches and sky-high ceilings of Club de Banqueros originally sold the couple on Club de Banqueros, which they turned into a lush wonderland. The wedding venue was founded when Mexico was under colonial rule in 1548. Its colonial origins are evident in the building design; however, contemporary additions have been made in recent years.

For the evening, tea candles hung from the ceiling (creating a starry sky effect!) and varied green and white floral arrangements with candles decorated tables beneath it.

Delicious food and great music were important to the couple, and set to a classical Oaxacan band led by Gil Sanchez, guests ate a three-course dinner that included ceviche, duck confit tostadas, ricotta-stuffed zucchini flowers, and suckling pig or red snapper, followed by coconut flan for dessert.

The newlyweds danced their first dance to “Good Times” (by The Persuasions), which was remixed into the version by Jamie XX. Another memorable musical moment came courtesy of Carly’s sister, who surprised the bride with a personalized version of “She’s Royal” that singer Tarrus Riley made for the couple. Music by DJ Huggy Bear kept guests dancing until the wee hours as did the midnight snacks of tortas and tacos.

But the party didn't stop there! The day after the wedding, the couple invited everyone to another celebration.

The day party took place on colorful gondolas down Xochimilco, where guests snacked on local dishes and danced to local musicians. "We wanted the wedding to feel very Mexican to have the energy of the city and to have the food and the music reflect that," says the bride.