When Amy Abbott Events Lead Planner Paola Franssen saw Guillermo Nieto at a bar in Mexico City, she had to say hello. They're both from Mazatlán, Mexico, and were Facebook friends but had never met in person. She already knew they shared a birthday—thanks to Meta—but their conversation revealed they'd been born in the same hospital, too.
Six months of dating later, Guillermo surprised Paola by getting down on one knee for a sunrise proposal in Santorini. After saying yes, the OTM Directory planner began getting things in order for a celebration in Baja, Mexico, with her co-worker Grace.
The venue came first, of course. "When we booked AMARA, it was actually a brand-new venue and there was nothing built yet. However, the location was incredible, and I immediately fell in love with the potential of the space," Paola shares. "Our aesthetic was timeless but different, with lush greens, wood tones, and textures inspired by Baja." Photographer Laura Bruzual and videographer McNeill Films were enlisted to capture every detail of the weekend.
The evening before the ceremony, the couple brought together their closest family and friends aboard a yacht on the Sea of Cortez for an intimate sunset civil ceremony.
The next day, Paola slipped into her elegant Vivienne Westwood dress, paired with her grandmother's earrings and a ring from her closest friends. "For beauty, I wanted to feel like the best version of myself, and Piel Canela helped me do just that!" the bride exclaims. Her sisters made up her bridal party and doubled as her "something blue." The groom looked his best in a custom suit by Mexican designer Juan Pablo Garibi in Guadalajara.
On November 29, 2025, the two wed in a Catholic ceremony overlooking the ocean in Cabo, officiated by Guillermo's priest. The bride held a bouquet with a photo of her late father wrapped around the stems. "Carrying his photograph down the aisle allowed him to remain part of a day I had long imagined sharing with him," Paola shares.
After the couple were announced as married once more, the reception unfolded as a true celebration—incredible food, drinks, music, and dancing, all surrounded by lush greenery from Pina Cate. "During cocktail hour, Francisco Alatorre played guitar, and I LOVE flamenco!" Paola exclaims. "
For their first dance, the newlyweds swayed to "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" from Dirty Dancing. Then, the dance floor remained packed until the early hours of the next morning.
The fun continued long after the wedding, as the two set off for a honeymoon in Japan filled with sushi and cultural immersion. Two strangers from the same town, born in the same hospital on the same day—it seems Paola and Guillermo were always going to find their way to each other.
