This Tulum Wedding Was a Disco in the Jungle—Complete with a Tea Ceremony and Crystal Meditation

Laily Mesbah and Adam Fogel shared dozens of mutual friends and had heard about one another over the years. The two were bound to meet at some point, even though they were living worlds apart. Laily, who runs Laily Mesbah Digital, manages social media and marketing for top beauty and fashion brands, and was based in New York City. Adam, a serial entrepreneur currently running ABL Partners, which makes custom furniture and millwork for high-end real estate projects, was living in Tel Aviv, Israel.

In late 2015, before one of his trips to the States, Adam sent Laily a message out of the blue. They ended up meeting on his second day in town and spent the next 10 nights going on dates and getting to know one another. On their final date, they rung in the New Year together. Though they both knew their connection was something special, Laily didn’t think they’d meet again. After all, they weren’t based in the same country. But she spoke (or thought) too soon: A few weeks later, they reunited in Milan.

“Friends and family would say that we went to the moon and back to make this work. That our relationship was written in the stars. That we were lucky to have found each other,” Laily tells BAZAAR Bride. It seemed that their romance was fated, and the two seized the moment, committing to long-distance for the next six months.

Heartbreakingly, their international romance came with logistical issues, like deciding where to live. Without a solution, they broke up—the thoughts of one other lingering nonstop, however. So, of course, their split lasted only about 16 months before they reconnected. In short: They couldn’t live without one another. “Nothing could keep us apart,” she says. “Feeling this spiritual connection and having something greater than ourselves bonding us makes us feel like we can get through anything.”

She continues, “It sounds cliché, but we really believe that we’re soul mates. We feel lucky to have found each other. We’re different when it comes to our personalities, the way we think, the way we see the world … but those differences are actually complementary and result in growth for both [of us]. We’re also similar in many ways, which allows us to have fun and enjoy the day-to-day.”

Another 16 months after resuming their relationship, while on a trip to Israel (where Adam was still living), Adam booked a suite at the Beresheet Resort in Mitzpe Ramon, a town on the cusp of the Ramon Crater in the Negev Desert. The couple explored the landform one day in a Jeep, and when they pulled over to take photos at the golden hour by a small lake near a hill, Laily noticed a private dinner setup on the horizon.

Adam proposed just as the sun was setting and the full moon was rising. “The location was significant, because it was in Israel, where Adam is from, but also in a remote desert, which was neutral ground for both of us—where neither of us had any history. It was like a blank canvas from which we could start our life together,” Laily says.

Adam proposed with a diamond ring that he had created with his mother, Rachel, and sister, Niva, who own the jewelry label Maison Cepher.

Just as much thought went into where they’d get married. Early in their courtship, the couple’s wanderlust took them on a trip to Tulum with some of their best friends. “The trip was so memorable for us. When it came time to plan our wedding, there wasn’t a doubt in our minds that we wanted to bring the magic of Tulum to our guests,” Laily says.

And though Tulum conjures images of surf and sand, the couple were adamant that they wouldn’t have a beach wedding. No barefoot ceremony; no seashells dotting the tablescapes; no sea glass, coral, or marine life motifs. Laily and Adam envisioned a celebration in the heart of the jungle, where people drive out to the middle of nowhere and discover an oasis waiting for them. The bride researched to the end of the Internet and found a rural villa that a French couple had just opened called Kima Tulum. The property was hidden in the middle of hundreds of acres of jungle and totally off the grid. No prior events had been hosted at the tropical retreat, and the couple knew it would be the perfect spot for their three-day celebration.

It all kicked off on Thursday with a reception on the beach. The couple designed a mood board for the dress code and shared it with guests, who then dressed the part. For the rustic-chic event at the water’s edge, Laily wore a LoveShackFancy minidress with The Attico white cowboy boots. Adam wore a loose-fitting pair of pants purchased in Tulum and an oversize Costume National white T-shirt paired with a Burberry jacket.

The following morning, guests were treated to a surprise excursion to a cenote, rented out by the couple. The water was filled with huge flamingo and unicorn pool floats, local musicians provided the soundtrack, and there were plenty of burritos on hand from their favorite local spot.

That night, everyone reconvened at the couple’s go-to restaurant, Hartwood, for the rehearsal dinner. “The food there speaks for itself,” says Laily, who wore a silk, ostrich feather-trimmed minidress by then almost-unknown designer Magda Butrym. She paired the look with matching pearl- and crystal-embellished heels. Adam wore a Gucci cropped tuxedo jacket, white shirt (no tie), and black jeans.

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When it came time for the main event—which was designed by the couple and planned and coordinated by Jessica Sloane, photographed by BAZAAR Bride top wedding photographer Sarah Falugo, and further documented by videographer Andrew James Abajan—the dress code was just as festive and far from traditional. “We really wanted to be different. We wanted bold, sparkles, embellishments, color, sequins, feather boas … a disco vibe in the middle of the jungle. We were really excited about our guests having the opportunity to express themselves and wear things they couldn’t wear to traditional weddings,” Laily says.

The bride began her morning in a silk robe with ostrich feathers by Monde Noble before putting on her first outfit of the day: a flowing kaftan by Mexic0-based designer Kasia Kulenty for a tea ceremony with her groom. Adam sported a linen outfit by another local designer from the boutique at the Azulik hotel, an eco-resort in Tulum. The tea ceremony was a ritual the bride had participated in in Los Angeles a few weeks prior, conducted by Baelyn Elspeth at AYˆAM. She told Adam about the moving experience, and he suggested bringing Baelyn down to Mexico for their wedding. The couple held their own tea ceremony meditation with the ceremonialist the morning of their vow exchange to set the tone and their intentions for their life together; it also created a moment for them to acknowledge and commit to staying present ahead of the events to come.

For the ceremony, the couple’s 100 guests ventured to a side of the property that had never been used, arriving by bus after driving through hundreds of acres of jungle and approaching a secret gate that opened to the remarkable setup. In the weeks prior to the wedding, the land was prepped with truckloads of pebbles to cover the forest floor, with electric equipment brought in for the otherwise unplugged, solar-powered estate. Unable to find chairs they loved enough to rent, Laily and Adam designed their own in collaboration with World by Hand, a company that sources handmade products by artisans around the globe. Set around the custom chuppah—inspired by an Alexander McQueen runway show, built with fallen trees from the area and dressed in fabric from India that Laily designed with her mother-in-law—the setting was suited for the couple’s unconventional, thoughtful, and meaningful ceremony.

Upon arrival, guests were greeted by a grounding crystal sound meditation led by Cynthia Kendall. Baelyn opened the ceremony (which took place at sunset) with moving, spiritual words. And throughout it all, the couple honored and celebrated their rich histories in Judaism and the Bahá’í faith. Mystical musician Mark Eliyahu, who plays the kamancheh (a string instrument used in Persian music), was flown in from Tel Aviv to perform at the ceremony. “His music had been the soundtrack of our relationship, so we couldn’t imagine not sharing it on our special day with our family and friends,” says Adam.

Laily chose a silk, draped, mock-neck, open-back Alessandra Rich gown for the ceremony, which she paired with white Jimmy Choo pumps. Adam wore a black velvet brocade Saint Laurent jacket and eel-skin boots. For the reception, the new Mrs. Fogel changed into a custom Inbal Dror pant-and-embellished-corset combination. Always set on wearing pants for the party, Laily was elated to work alongside the Israeli designer to bring her vision (a bit ’80s in style with exaggerated pleats and a tapered hem) to life. She paired the look with Giuseppe Zanotti crystal-encrusted heels and diamond jewelry on loan from Maison Cepher, including reverse black diamond earrings that sparkled from under her hair, done by Jean Carlos Santana.

She wasn’t the only one to change it up; Adam swapped his first ensemble for a Saint Laurent embellished bomber jacket, black jeans, and boots. As for glam and grooming, the two worked with Sandra Bensoussan and Laila Hayani.

Guests were led down a narrow, winding, tree-lined path—lit solely by candles—to the reception in another tucked-away spot. Thousands of hanging lights resembled stars in the night sky, and assorted candlesticks holding ivory tapers and freestanding pillar candles covered the flower-free, mirrored tables, which gave the space a disco-meets-Art Deco vibe while reflecting the lights and the palm trees above. The full moon (just as it was when Adam proposed to Laily) shone through the jungle foliage, further lighting the space, adding energy and symbolizing completion and the realization of dreams for the couple.

Each of the tables was named after different moons (Pink Moon, Wolf Moon) and labeled with light-up orbs crafted by Lacy Geary, who also created a circular seating chart to help guide guests to their seats, which were high-backed black chairs sourced through World by Hand and made in Mexico.

Because the couple had attended Burning Man festivals in the States and Israel, they wanted the entire wedding to be filled with different experiences and allow guests to feel like they were not just observers but participants as well. Cue the tarot card readers, face painters, fire dancers, Cirque du Soleil acrobats, contortionists, and an illuminated pyramid featuring a meaningful Rumi poem, with each side showcasing the sentiment, “To us belongs the internal heaven, the endless delight of you and I,” in one of the three languages spoken by the couple: Farsi, Hebrew, and English.

Dinner and dancing took place poolside, the body of water featuring a floating, colorful floral mandala, with fire pits scattered about the setting. Laily didn’t want a bouquet, and instead opted for a large, multicolor floral piece created by Moni Junco to hover above the celebration. “It was a bouquet that everyone could share,” she says of the showstopper installed over the dance floor. The floral creation served as the centerpiece of the event and incorporated the couple’s favorite flowers, plus some tropical varieties native to the area.

Michelin-starred chef and food shaman Joshua Yaquin Gil was flown in from Los Angeles to prepare a meal that combined traditional medicine practices with his more than 20 years of experience in the world of fine dining, resulting in a feast that lifted the mind, body, and soul of those in attendance. Enchanting music by Israel-based Captain Dust, a.k.a. Shlomi Lavi, played while several ballerinas twirled around the newlyweds as they entered the reception. The soundtrack was a mix of “I’ll Take Care of You” by Bobby “Blue” Bland and classical music by Chopin.

The night was filled with nonstop dancing and experiential performances. In the wee hours, fresh churros made the rounds instead of slices of wedding cake, and the bride slipped on an Alexandre Vauthier cocktail jacket as a final outfit change. Though the late-night dancing concluded the official program of the destination wedding weekend in late December, a handful of family and friends stayed in Tulum with the newlyweds for the 10 days that followed to keep the celebration going. And just as they experienced the same full moon illuminating Laily and Adam’s proposal, their nearest and dearest rang in the New Year with the newlyweds, as the pair had done that first time they finally met.