Careyes, the sprawling private luxury resort town on the Pacific coast of Jalisco, Mexico, is—quite literally—the stuff of dreams. In 2006, inspired by a mid-slumber vision of a man and woman united by the universe under a setting sun, Italian-born founder Gian Franco Brignone commissioned two on-site art installations: La Copa del Sol, a huge cliff-side concrete basin (the “woman”) and, a mile inland, the Piramidion, a stone pyramid (the “man”). At sunset, rays from the basin’s perforated windows illuminate the pyramid, uniting the two structures in a harmony of light.

In August, Gian Franco’s dream played out anew when his son, Filippo, joined hands with fiancee Luisa González for a wedding ceremony inside La Copa del Sol at sunset. “It had never been done before,” says Filippo of the use of the dramatic venue, which is accessible by a treehouse ladder and features pristine acoustics.

Filippo, who serves as president of community nonprofit Careyes Foundation, met Luisa, a Mexico City interior designer, when she was a guest at Careyes. “We have a deep love and gratitude toward this place,” he says. The couple invited 350 of their nearest and dearest for a three-day celebration spread across the resort, including Friday night cocktails at Sol De Oriente Villa, a magnificent
marigold-colored estate which features Careyes’ signature blend of Mediterranean and Mexican design influences, not to mention a 360-degree infinity pool overlooking the Pacific.

In attendance throughout the weekend was Gian Franco, who, at 93 years old, still holds court over his sun-drenched paradise. “My father was there for every event,” says Filippo. careyes.com.

Written by EVELYN CROWLEY.
Photography by VALERIA BROSS PHOTOGRAPHY.