The Bride Wore Vera Wang for Her Wedding at a 400-Year-Old Monastery in the Forest Outside Mexico City
The third time was the charm for Krista Jackson and Alex Zahn’s love story. The two first met virtually on Hinge while living on opposite coasts. “I remember Alex quoting one of my favorite Lupe Fiasco lyrics on his profile, ‘Let’s go to sleep in Paris, wake up in Tokyo.’ We messaged about wanting to live life by this mantra,” says Krista. “Nevertheless, our ‘Paris, Tokyo’ lifestyles had us constantly on the move, and we were not able to connect in person and lost touch.”
A year later, Krista, who was working as a marketing manager at HBO, was hosting an event for Euphoria and Alex was introduced to her. “Of all of the premiere parties in all of the towns in all of the world, I had a few colleagues involved in the soon-to-be-hit show and decided to give this party a shot,” explains Alex, who is a film executive at Netflix. “That evening, we connected and spent the night in deep conversation, sharing hopes and dreams, and discussed the complexities of identity.” The pair finally had their first date in May 2020 once Krista moved back to Los Angeles. “We spent time talking under a giant tree in Krista’s favorite childhood park—a place that held her roots and, now, the first chapter of our love story,” they share.
After three years together, Alex began to work with jewelry designer Maggi Simpkins to create the perfect ring to propose to Krista. The custom emerald-cut diamond ring had a special touch inside the band—an inlaid sapphire and emerald representing the couple’s birthstones. “I wanted Krista’s ring to have a special surprise that only the two of us knew about,” says Alex. On Christmas day, the pair went on a hike in the mountains of Angeles National Forest, where Alex got down on one knee. “On the way down, we decided to try and guess where we thought the other wanted to get married,” shares the couple. “In perfect unison, we both said, ‘Mexico City.’”
Another decision that was easy for the bride and groom was choosing their photographer, Ana Hinojosa. “Ana is so celebrated amongst those who get to work with her, and she had shot two of our closest friends’ weddings in Mexico, whose photos looked stunning,” explain the bride and groom. “She’s also just the best person.” Ana was able to connect the pair with their Mexico City-based wedding planners Angela Yanez and Samantha Ibarra of AUTTORA. “We immediately clicked with their positive energy and knew we had to work together,” the couple share.
The planners lead them to their dream venue Desierto De Los Leones, a 400-year-old convent in a forest of old-growth trees just outside of the city. “It brought back memories of our first date under Krista’s favorite tree in her childhood park, and our first trip to Big Sur, where we hiked many beautiful forests,” says the pair. “As we left, we both remarked that despite having previously visited CDMX, we’d never heard of Desierto—it felt like Mexico City’s best-kept secret.” The bride and groom even decided to keep the secret from their guests, providing sprinter vans from the city to take guests to the venue with only clues of the location hinted at within their invitations.
With only one date available, Krista and Alex sped up their timeline to plan their October 5 wedding in 10 months. The duo were all in with the wedding planning process, meeting weekly with their planners and taking four trips to Mexico City to solidify plans. “Our WhatsApp group piled up more than 590 docs, links, photos, PDFs, and hundreds of messages,” they share. A favorite visit included a trip to the flower market in the middle of the city. “I have a deep passion for floral arrangements and knew marigolds had to be a centerpiece of the wedding,” says Krista. “Luckily, cempasúchil (marigolds) would be in season for Día De Muertos around October and were in high supply. I was in heaven amongst the rows and rows of flower vendors as she hand-selected flowers to be arranged by our incredible florist, Amato.”
Krista and Alex told guests to follow a “creative black tie” dress code that inspired a fun use of pattern, color, and accessories to step up traditional gowns and tuxedos. “Our guests took the wedding dress code seriously and everyone looked exactly as we’d envisioned,” they say. As for their own attire, the bride and groom each put plenty of thought into their ensembles. Krista began her search immediately after booking the venue, hoping to find a dress that would fit the space and “complement the mysticism of Desierto de los Leones.” After visiting eight bridal salons in Los Angeles, she found her dream dress. “The moment I put on the Vera Wang Haute Henrietta dress, I felt butterflies,” says Krista. “The cherry on top was that the dress was from the 2019 Fall collection—the same year I met Alex in person at the Euphoria premiere party.” The bride also wanted to find the perfect after-party dress to help her “sparkle all night.” After six months of searching, she found a beaded fringe mini by Rachel Gilbert that was the perfect fit. Well aware that a dress is only a base for an outfit, Krista took advantage of two work trips to Paris to find Prada and Gucci accessories for her looks on Avenue Montaigne.
Alex looked at practically every fine menswear store in Los Angeles to find the perfect tuxedo for his wedding day. “I envisioned a classic double-breasted tux for the ceremony and a black shawl jacket for later in the evening,” he says. A friend advised him to work with Serj Custom Suits and Tailoring, which does tailoring for movies and TV shows. Over the course of five fittings, they were able to perfectly craft the groom’s desired looks.
The wedding weekend began with an intimate rehearsal dinner that transitioned into a large welcome party for guests who arrived into Mexico City the night before the wedding day. “The moody, candlelit, indoor-outdoor aesthetic of Taverna paired with their delicious food and cocktails was the perfect pre-wedding event,” reflects the couple. There was also another addition to the schedule of events. “In classic fashion, Alex, who loves last-minute plans, worked with Auttora to organize a fiesta bus just 24 hours before guests arrived,” says Krista. "The bus took our friends to four of the best taco spots in the city with mezcal stops in between.”
