Jasmine Tookes and Juan David Borrero: A ‘royal’ wedding in Ecuador

A celebrity wedding in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, is something truly unheard of, and this stellar event will be spoken of for years to come, not only for its grandness but also for the impact it will have on the country.

Jasmine Tookes and Juan David Borrero, by Mariuxi Pogo.

For those who need a rundown on who these people are and why we are talking about them, Jasmine Tookes is a former Victoria’s Secret Angel model, and now has her own wellness company; and Juan David Borrero is the Director of International Markets at Snap, a Stanford grad and the 23rd employee of the social media giant… (so, yes, go ahead and do the numbers)!

Not only is this power couple gorgeous, smart and hard-working, Borrero also happens to be the son of Ecuador’s current Vice President. YUP! You heard it, Jasmine is now involved in a pretty elite local family, and all eyes are on them.

Why is this important to the conversation before we get into the wedding deets? Ecuador is in the midst of a major economical crisis and one of the most heavily contested presidential elections was held just a few months ago (Feb-Apr 2021). The tension between right-wing & left-wing parties has been brewing for quite some time and many feared a big socioeconomic disruption. As if it were not enough, the country has been dealing with increased poverty as a consequence of the crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic was particularly harsh on Ecuador (some may remember that the highest per-capita death tolls reported at the start of the pandemic came from the city of Guayaquil). It is only recently that the country has breathed a sigh of relief since Guillermo Lasso, the new president has sped up the vaccine rollout significantly.

Jasmine Tookes walking across the San Francisco Plaza, by Mariuxi Pogo.

What does a wedding have to do with all of this?

Well, we must not underestimate the Hollywood-ish power that these celebrities have on small countries like Ecuador. Even though the wedding was supposed to be super private, it only took a few gossip girls to make it viral in a matter of seconds. Locals can't stop talking and arguing about the wedding, the couple's supposed entitlement and privilege, the boost that the event could have on the tourism sector, or even questioning who paid for all of this in the first place (was it them or did daddy foot the bill?) Let's remember, this happened in a time of crisis and people tend to speculate. 

People can speak and criticize all they want… but the truth is that they can’t take their eyes *and phones* off VIP guests like Sara Sampaio, Lais Ribeiro, DJ Alesso, or Miranda Kerr (whom even the priest made sure to snatch a photo with — oh, and he was even caught filming a part of the wedding *yikes*). So much for privacy!

This clearly reveals one thing, locals are very much in tune with the celebrity world, its stars and its trends. In one way or another, however, people also love staying in touch with the beautiful things that happened in the city as a result of this spectacle — and, let me tell you, this event, in particular, was WOW. The setting was in Quito's colonial old town, which is a first-ever UNESCO world heritage site, and the mass was held in the stunning church of San Francisco, which boasts an impressive sixteenth-century design and an all-gold altar (see photo below for a jaw dropping moment).

Jasmine Tookes at San Francisco church, by Mariuxi Pogo.

On top of having this one-of-a-kind setting for the ceremony, Jasmine’s dress was straight out of royalty. With Grace Kelly as inspiration, Jasmine worked with Lebanese designer, Zuhair Murad to make her fairy tale wedding come true. STEP ASIDE MEGHAN!!! 

The train of the dress was 4.5 meters in length, which could then be removed for the reception to show off the handmade lace in a tight mermaid cut under it. For the party, she changed into a Galvan mini dress, because, well, DJ Alesso and Juan Magan were playing, you can't really party in a tight lace dress. Altogether, three dresses mean three times the show. 

Jasmine Tookes and Juan David Borrero al the altar, by Mariuxi Pogo.

Ok, now back to the local DRAMA. The couple decided to work with local providers to support the country the right way. The wedding planner, Carolina Muzo is local, all the flowers were sourced from local provides (Ecuador is the rose capital of the world FYI!), and their official photographers, Daniel Maldonado & Mariuxi Pogo, as well as their Chef, Alejandro Chamorro, are also Ecuadorian. What's more, guests were hosted in beautiful local hotels, and their wedding rehearsal was held at the historic Hotel Casa Gangotena, right in front of the church, where they also hosted the ‘hora loca’ with traditional dances.

Jasmine Tookes and Juan David Borrero celebrating their wedding, by Mariuxi Pogo for Vogue.

To be fair, with all their power they could’ve had this wedding anywhere in the world, or brought top NYC producers to make this monumental event happen, but they knew that Ecuador has great people, beautiful venues and extremely talented artists that are just as good as any other international name. Tookes recently shared in Vogue, that all her vision had come to life, and we should all feel proud that this country was able to show off its most dazzling features.

Sara Sampaio, Lais Ribeiro, Shanina Shaik, Josephine Skriver, and the rest of the bridesmaid party at the wedding reception, by Mariuxi Pogo

Also, with the help of these bombshell guests, the media couldn’t keep the cameras off their every move and the places they visited. Their social media posts, which surely reached a massive audience, made the world aware of Ecuador’s most notorious tourist attractions, outdoor activities and the succulent local delights they discovered, like Pacari, a local fine chocolate brand that was given as a welcome gift to guests.

All these little things make a huge impact on how the world perceives Ecuador's potential as a top tourist destination. It’s amazing to know that high-profile people like these VIPs felt safe, welcomed and had an awesome time, cause guess where they will recommend their friends and family to travel next?!

I believe this event has put Ecuador within sight of the world's biggest elites and celebrities for the right kind of reasons: fashion, culture, colonial architecture, artistry, gastronomy, worldly events and tourism.

Congratulations to this beautiful 10/10 couple!

x

M

Jasmine Tookes and Juan David Borrero exiting the church, by Mariuxi Pogo.

All photos were officially for Vogue, by Mariuxi Pogo and Daniel Maldonado.