Kevina nd Sara were a wonderful couple to work with. Kevin had been my point of contact during the planning stages so I knew he was very enthusiastic about having great wedding photographs. He and Sarah were so patient, they really collaborated to go the extra mile for their photographs, both on the wedding day and by waking up the morning after the wedding for a sunrise trash the dress session at 6 AM on the beach in Playa del Carmen. They had some great surprises for their guests on the wedding day. Every one seemed so happy for the bride and groom, and I have absolutely never seen a happier mother of the groom as Sarah was welcomed into the family! Here are some images form the weddign day and the fabulous trash the dress session the next morning…I think it was worth the 5 am alarm clock, which is saying a lot!

A couple of images from the trash the dress photo session…the name of this fishing boat was ¨corazón¨, or ¨heart¨in Spanish.

One thing about portrait photography is knowing how to connect with subject and knowing how to pace the session for the most variety and expressions possible. During the wedding day and the trash he dress session Sarah and Kevin were such good sports and we got all kinds of photographs of the two of them but I still felt like there was something a little below the surface yet and that it would make a special photograph. When I saw the image below in my camera´s viewfinder I think I actually said ¨That´s it!¨ Just what I had been after!

The rings…

Sarah´s beautiful dress.

A few shots from the ceremony in the Gazebo at the Royal in Playa del Carmen. Happy, happy bride…

The gazebo and sand ceremony…

This one is kind of a funny moment…Only at a resort wedding would you see something like this!

One of the surprises for the wedding guests was the mariachi group.

6 AM, time to trash the dress! Sunrise in the Maya Rivera happens over the ocean.

I loved the textures in this image.

Time to trash the dress (or wash the dress) in the ocean.

Elizabeth Medina, es fotógrafa profesional de bodas. Ofrece fotografia de bodas en Mexico, en la Riviera Maya, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, isla Mujeres, Cozumel, Tulum, Yucatan, Merida, Puerto Vallarta, San Miguel de Allende, Y Los Cabos. Se especializa en bodas de destino en haciendas y playas.

I get a surprising number of emails every week from destination brides and grooms asking for suggestions of locations for their weddings. I know the choices must be overwhelming, especially since there is not always the opportunity for a site visit before actually making the trip to Mexico for the wedding. When asked about Dreams Tulum I am always happy to give an enthusiastic thumbs up, especially if the crowd is a bit laid back and may be bringing children. Everyone just seems to have a great time at Dreams Tulum! This wedding certainly is a case in point, I was struck over and over as I edited all the photographs by the smiles on everyone’s face. Audra and Joe are a very active and fun couple, great to hang out with and to photograph! The ceremony was held on the beach and the dinner and dancing afterward also overlooked the ocean, in the Seaside Grill restaurant. Thank you Audra and Joe for letting us photograph your day. Best wishes to the two of you,may you continue to be blessed!

Bride and groom getting ready…

I thought this tee shirt was the best!

Audra and her team before they helped her with her final preparations.

So beautiful! I love it when there is enough time to do bridal portraits before the ceremony, they are always some of my favorites of the day.

The ceremony set up on the beach.

This is one of my favorites from the day.

In the warm weather sometimes the ring just doesn’t want to go on! iI loved Audra’s reaction!

Married!

The black and red color scheme is a bit different for a beach wedding, I thought the punchy color looked just fantastic.

Bridal party formals..

The first dance…

Not quite sure what was going on here…

Wedding photography in Mexico by professional wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina. Elizabeth Medina is a Wedding Photojournalist based in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. She photographs weddings throughout Mexico at locations including the Maya Riviera, Yucatan haciendas, Cancun, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos y San Miguel de Allende.

Erin and Justin were absolutely one of the nicest couples ever! I think that Erin must have a skill for choosing people to surround herself with…not only did she find her special “one and only” very early on (they have been together amazingly long for such a young couple!) They also have wonderful families and the most upbeat fun to be around bridesmaids of all time! What a pleasure to spend the day with such a beautiful coupleand in the company of a fun group like this, relaxed, having a good time and fully enjoying the gazebo wedding and beach reception at the fabulous Royal Resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Erin, I love thinking that as a graphic designer you will find a million ways to enjoy your photographs, thank you to you both for choosing me as the photographer for your destination wedding in Mexico!

Thanks to Lindsey for spotting the girls on their way out…they were so excited for Erin!

I thought this was a fun shot!

The walk down Playa’s 5th Avenue on the way to the wedding….

Portraits of Erin right before the ceremony…

The Gazebo at the Royal overlooks the ocean. it was such a clear day you could see Cozumel perfectly.

The groom waiting at the altar for his bride.

Erin was fortunate enough to have two arms to walk in on!

These next two images have so much of Erin and Justin’s personality, they were having such a good time, even during the ceremony.

The bright and colorful bouquet.

The beach reception site right after sunset.

Let the party start…

First dance..

The Mother son and father daughter dance

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Elizabeth Medina is a creative wedding photographer based in Mexico. She photographs weddings at the Royal Porto Real in Playa del Carmen, in the Riviera Maya and throughout Mexico. She is a member of the Wedding Photojournalist Association, WPJA.

What could be more beautiful than a ceremony at ocean side on a sunny summer day in Cancun? Emily and Mathew were married surrounded by family and friends. There was so much happiness and all around good vibes or “buena vibra” as we say here in Mexico! The water could not have been more turquoise, which really set off the bright red and orange flowers, what a delicious combination. I think I may have said it before but there is NOTHING like experiencing a wedding with a fresh breeze and your toes in the sand! Destination weddings are the most intimate, fun celebrations imaginable and I was happy to witness such a nice couple as Emily and Mathew at the center of such a special occasion. Gracias!

I would have to say that the JW Marriott and Casa Magna Marriott in Cancun is one of my favorite wedding locations. Josefina Luna and the whole crew just seem to do a very professional job of planning and making the events run smoothly, that makes them especially fun to photograph!

Getting ready time…I have noticed that these blue boxes seem to make for happy people.

Emily was so happy all day, but I really liked the serious photographs as well.

Time for the ceremony…I love the beautiful flower details on the white Tiffany chairs.

Seriously, destination weddings are the best

Emily’s sister as Emily entered on her father’s arm.

For those not familiar, the sand ceremony is the beach equivalent of the unity candle.

Mathew and his groomsmen…

Emily, with her adorable flower girl and bridesmaids…

I love it when the bridal party is introduced and enters the reception with “style”, these two made a great entrance.

Panoramic view of the reception at the JW Marriott in Cancun.

Emily goofing around!

Cancun wedding photography by destination wedding photojournalist Elizabeth Medina. Elizabeth photographs weddings throughout Mexico. JW Marriott, Marriott Casa Magna, Cancun, Mexico.

This was a beautiful wedding to photograph! Eric and Stacey make a beautiful couple! They were married on the beach at the Maroma Paradise Marina which is operated by Karisma Resorts. The getting ready portion of the day happened at another Karisma property, Azul Beach. From there the group was transported to the Secrets Maroma Marina by bus except for Stacey and her girls who made the trip in a limo. The ceremony and reception were held on the beach at the marina. A large and really fun group of family and friends had made the trip to the Riviera Maya to share in the celebration.

A few getting ready and bridal shots taken at Azul Beach before leaving for the ceremony.

Somehow I liked the juxtaposition of the limo and the palapa…and I love Stacey’s excited face! What a happy day!

Stacey was hiding so the guests wouldn’t see her when the limo arrived…

I loved the orange colors that were chosen for the wedding, they really popped next to the bright blue water! This is Eric’s boutonnière.

I have no idea why I thought this sign at the entrance to the marina was funny!

The ceremony site and program…

Lindsey captured this expressive shot of Stacey’s mom as Stacey entered with her father.

Stacey’s flower girl did an excellent job! She even helped out with the photography!

There were so many nice details at this wedding. Each guest had a personalized hand paineted sand dollar as a place card.

Elizabeth Medina is a professional wedding photographer based in Yucatan, Mexico. She specializes in wedding photojournalism and photographs weddings in the Mayan Riviera, Cancun, Yucatan, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and throughout Mexico.

This photo session was so enjoyable! Jill Higgins is a professional photographer based in Georgia and would be in the Maya Rivera area photographing a wedding at the Fairmont Mayakoba. She wanted some photographs with her husband Brian, they have been married for 12 years but apparently had spent very little time on the “other side” of the lens and had few photographs of them as a couple. I was so happy the way things worked out to make the session a reality. As it turned out we would also be in the Playa del Carmen area for a wedding the next day, so timing was perfect. It is a little intimidating being commissioned by another photographer but it was great fun getting to meet Jill and Brian. Aside from being a great looking couple they are very sweet and laid back, we even had a chance to hang out and talk shop afterward!

T+L Magazine, which faithful readers of this blog may remember is one of my favorite publications, (along with Elle Decor, but that is totally off the subject of this post!) describes it as Maya goes Zen, I don’t know about that, but the way the mangrove swamps are integrated into the architecture is fantastic. Great place for a photo session with a great couple!

Elizabeth Medina specializes in wedding photojournalism. She photographs weddings in the Maya Riviera, Tulum, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, San Miguel de Allende, Los Cabos and throughout Mexico.