Tags
Cayambe Ecuador, Ecuador Expat Journeys, Hacienda Guachala, jonathan hall wedding, Mitad del Mundo, wedding in ecuador
Several months ago, my friend, Jonathan Hall, invited me to attend his wedding and said that it would be at the Mitad del Mundo and Hacienda Guachala.
“Are you serious?” I replied, “That’s one of my favorite places in the country! I love Guachala!”
This past weekend, friends and I basked in the beauty of a unique wedding that we’ll never forget. Equally memorable was the outpouring of love as we witnessed this beautiful event. Because Jonathan has a travel agency and often works with tours, he provided a special bus for out-of-town guests. Our tour-director groom gave us several chuckles as we traveled from Quito to Cayambe.
This post will show the prelude to the actual wedding. Climb aboard and join us as we await the arrival of the bride!
Flowers, flowers and more flowers… Why not, since this area of Ecuador produces a large percentage of the world s flowers! (See: Ecuador Trivia)
Details, details!
Northern Hemisphere to the left; southern to the right!
The musicians arrived….
Smiles and more smiles at the entrance to Quitsato’s Mitad del Mundo…
Roger and Sarah, friends and partners in the Expat Tours, enjoy a quiet visit.
This little guy deserves a post of his own!
What a backdrop!
Vlady, often the driver for the Expat Journey Tour bus, arrives with his stunning wife.
Susana, friend and Spanish instructor/partner on the tours, brings smiles and sunshine wherever she goes! (Susana is wearing the sombrero.)
As the magic hour approached, the mood turned a bit more serious as participants confirmed details of the ceremony.
When in responsible mode, Jonathan can be very serious. Surely he’s thinking of all the details for the upcoming hours.
That smirk suggests that he received confirmation that she’s on her way…
Ah-ha! The photographers arrived!
Are you ready to see a wedding at the middle of the world?
Here’s one last shot of Jonathan as a single man! Stay tuned for the bride!
What a wonderful celebration!!!
Thanks! It was spectacular!
Glad I could join you!
Great photos Lisa — It was indeed a spectacular day. Even though I was there, so much was happening it was difficult to take it all in. I was working hard to keep the rain away — lol. hugs.
hey amiga!
si; i was with you on the rain/lightning that added drama in the distance!
am presently on a bus on the way home.. last night’s ‘3 -hour’ ride stretched into over 7 thanks to the detour! that’s ok.. it gave me time to finish this post!
gracias for your comment!
This looks so beautiful! And yes. Just look at that backdrop! Why aren’t we seeing any photos of you? Don’t tell me you were the one taking the pix. I know you’re not shy about talking to people. LOL
😉
ha! i’ll see if i can scrape up an image for you! yes, it was very beautiful!
Such a lovely site for a wedding…but all I can think of is “ouchy-ouch” high heels on those cobblestones!
you are right; i didn’t wear heels, but i certainly missed my running shoes when walking fast from point to point!
What a fantastic setting for a wedding! Isn’t it cool that many of the buses now have Wi-Fi available?!
hmmm. i’ve seen ‘wifi’ signs at times and always assumed the internet worked only when near the terminal/offices. thankfully my claro usb modem works really well in larger towns and cities, and it’s usuallly faster than hotel internet…. and then i return home, and the device is a dud.
and yes, the wedding was lovely… i hope to get the wedding part ready by tomorrow before i reach home and slow internet.
z
That is one amazing wedding. On the equator is like a dream wedding. Lovely images, Z.
you definitely should plan to visit ecuador at some point. the flowers are amazing, and the birds equally amazing!
I would love to one day. I would need to brush up on my Spanish, which is almost completely gone now.
This is really an impressive event, and great shots. Hope to get down there soon..
thanks, fletcher! so glad that you’re tuning in from mississippi! i suspect that you’ll love ecuador, especially the andes, but then you’ll probably enjoy seeing the farming areas on the coast as well.
Yea for wi-fi on the bus! This is a very unique setting for a wedding. I think it’s very symbolic that they are walking the line…marriage is a balancing act. Lovely photos.
they’ll love your comment! thanks!
i’ve never tried the wifi on a bus – always assumed that it wouldn’t work.. duh, i need to try next time!
I guess we’ll have to wait to find out whether the bride and groom each straddle the Equator or if they’re on opposite sides of the line.
ha.. you earned an insider’s info.. she was on the northern side, and he on the southern.. it was a very sweet ceremony.
Since they were on opposite sides, we can call this a mixed marriage. That’s another magical mezcla for you.
ha! that’s a good one!
Wow! Fantastic photos, z. This has to have been the most special wedding. Can’t wait to see the bride.
thanks! yes, it was very special, and it seemed to get better with each hour. it started at 2, and the reception ended about twelve or more hours later..
Can’t wait to see the bride.
Beautiful Z – it looked like a perfect day for a wedding. As usual you capture the intimate moments of people with people and they tell a very happy story.
Even a Scrooge would have been smiling on that day! Thanks, Mary! Your coreopsis were beautiful in today’s post.
Thank you my friend – can’t wait to see the bride!!
Beautiful backdrop, Lisa, and when I saw those clouds I winced. So great that you could attend. 👰
The lightning sizzled, and the thunder rumbled in the distance, which injected drama at perfect moments during the ceremony!
What beautiful photos!
The wedding was lovely, and the reception stunning. I’m still wading through photos from “Holy Friday/poder del jesus’ and from the wedding/reception!
Looking forward to seeing them!
Amazing and what a perfect place to marry … In the middle of the world… How about Greenwich… Could be a next spotight maybe!… Best wishes. Aquileana ⭐
That’s a great suggestion! I’ll pitch that idea to the next set of friends that announces an engagement!
What a tease, Lisa! Though you did warn us 🙂 Love the ‘little people’, and what an amazing place, balanced there on the meridian! 🙂
hey! there are so many images, there was no way to include them all in one post..
post two was ready, all except for the video which was almost finished ‘converting to mp4’ when we lost power at the house. ughhhhhhh.
hopefully tomorrow i’ll be able to upload it, if we have power by then!
How wonderful! What a splendid place for a wedding. Did they have to section it off so tourists wouldn’t crash the party? And what did they need a “photographer” for when they had YOU! Of course, the kids steal the show, don’t they? Love those clouds.
Yes, there were people who stopped to learn more about that particular ‘mitad del mundo’ site, and they got a bonus of seeing the wedding!
I am looking forward to the bride photos! What an amazing idea to get married at the equator! She stands in the northern hemisphere and he is in the southern! 🙂 Be well and hugs to you Z! ^..^
thanks! just published it, and now it’s time to scram home before it gets too dark! enjoy the wedding!
Will be viewing it shortly!
Hi Lisa – I am so enjoying your ‘coverage’ of the wedding! fabulous fotos – really captured special moments! You may not remember me but I came to your house once last year with Jody & Pat from El Matal. I live in Banos but work at Mandala in Pto Lopez part of each year – hope to be up your way in early June and would love to connect with you again! Jill
hi jill! of course i remember you, and it will be great to have you bck in this area. I will be going to CR at some point, but right now the airfares are really high – twice what they were last june when i visited. hope to see you in jama!