Before a close childhood friend introduced tech entrepreneur Dan Haddad to Inward founder Sofia Alva, she declared the two were just “too similar not to meet.” Dan decided to finally reach out and joined one of Sofia’s online courses on manifestation, healing, and the sacred feminine during the 2020 pandemic. Automatically, she felt a fated connection that Dan describes as “magnetic, familiar, something ancient.” When the pair were finally able to meet in person months later, “what had begun as a friendship naturally turned into love,” describes Sofia.
The couple’s lives transformed together over the next few years as their relationship grew. The pair moved in together, and Dan left her job in tech to create a meditation membership space and an adaptogenic drink company Riise. Their next major life transformation would take place in April 2024. Dan joined Sofia at the end of a spiritual retreat in Bali to spend a few days at a villa in the middle of rice fields. “It was so peaceful that time seemed to slow down,” remembers Sofia. On their first evening as the sun set, Dan proposed. Sofia describes, “She was shaking with nerves and joy.” She said yes, and the newly engaged couple spent the rest of the evening celebrating on the beaches of Uluwatu. “It felt like a dream,” she recalls.
While the couple decided to first hold a union ceremony at Burning Man in September 2025, Sofia and Dan also wanted to celebrate their marriage with their friends and family in Mexico. “We knew it would not be a traditional wedding,” shares Sofia. Rather than host multiple events, the pair planned the entire schedule over one day. “Every moment was designed intentionally, from morning to night,” says the bride. “The focus was depth, not quantity.”
The couple hosted their October 25, 2025, nuptials at El Nido de Quetzalcóatl, an architectural park and Airbnb in the hills of Naucalpan outside of Mexico City. “The space was designed by Mexican architect Javier Senosiain, a visionary who believes that architecture should flow like nature and free us from the idea of living in boxes,” explains Sofia. “The space itself feels like a living sculpture, inspired by the serpent god Quetzalcóatl, symbol of creation and transformation. It felt like the perfect reflection of our relationship.”
Since the property is not designed for events, the couple had to take extra steps to execute their vision. “My project manager became our in-house planner, and we worked with Zeremonia—an incredible production team and close friends—who helped us bring everything to life,” says Sofia. “When the day arrived, it felt like walking inside our imagination.” Since the two both have backgrounds in design, they placed a keen emphasis on aesthetics. “Every color, sound, and scent had intention,” says Sofia. “We created a name for our celebration, The Haddalvas—combining our last names—and we built an entire visual identity inspired by lucid dreaming and self-expression.”
This vision also translated to the dress code for the day. “We sent everyone a mood board filled with color, feathers, shimmer, and movement. Everyone interpreted the theme in their own way, and it turned into the most incredible visual symphony,” says Sofia. “It felt like a living art installation.”