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.

Ryan and Lauren were married in a beautiful, intimate beach ceremony at the El Dorado Royal, a Karisma Resort in the Maya Rivera. It was a beautiful day in every respect. Although I had photographed a few times at the EDR previously, I had not photographed a ceremony at the Presidential Gazebo location. I just loved the spot, it was totally private, surrounded by lush vegetation and palm trees and overlooking the bluest sky and water. It was such a serene and natural setting which was perfect for the very emotional moments between bride, groom and the family and friends that witnessed the event.

Lauren wore flip flops since her cermony was on the sand…but for dancing at the reception she switched to these great party shoes!

The flowers were really different than the tropical blooms we usually see in Mexico.

Lauren was a bride that I think would have looked good in just about any dress…but the one she chose was PERFECT on her!

The bridesmaids on their way to the ceremony in a golf cart…

I couldn´t decide which of thes two detail shots to include…I loved them both!

How amazing and peaceful to have a wedding in such a natural setting.

The hand off from Lauren´s dad to Ryan, both totally choked up.

The El Dorado Royal Presidential Gazebo.

Mother of the bride…

The reception was held in Tucanes Bar, this is a very open outdoor location.

Rather than relying on setting up off camera artificial flash units which I feel can alter the mood a bit, I LOVE to use the true ambient light in my photography whenever possible, Although it is a challenge to make it work I find it often leads to beautiful and evocative images. Often future brides ask me about reception lighting and I always tell them that candle light, under-lit tables and tiki torches are beautiful accents but when used alone actually provide very little light…However, since art is full of contradictions this photograph of Ryan and Lauren’s first dance is lit completely by tiki torches and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

The tearful father daughter dance…

I think this may not be the first time that this amigo has showed up on my blog! I can’t believe he can carry a whole round of drinks on his head!

Lauren’s bridesmaids decorated the get away golf cart!

Specializing in wedding photojournalism, Elizabeth Medina photographs weddings in Cancun, the Riviera Maya, Tulum, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, San Miguel de Allende and throughout Mexico. The El Dorado Royale is a karisma Resort located in Puerto Morelos Mexico.

Wedding planning can be so complicated, especially at a distance. Jennifer wrote me an email before the wedding that said basically that the only thing she was sure of was that it was going to be a beautiful day. And it truly was! And so much fun as I think you should be able tell from the photographs! Lindsey and I had said just the night before that we thought it would be nice to photograph a bride with a cute short haircut…how astonishing to arrive at Azul Beach the next day and meet a gorgeous bride who fit that description perfectly! Jen and Fred make such a great pair, and were so nice to work with, it was a pleasure to photograph the moments that made up their high spirited, once in a lifetime Mexico wedding! Come to think of it, I think we also hoped for sunshine….and there was definitely plenty of that! Not to mention unforgettable tropical color! Thank you Jen and Fred!

The very colorful ceremony location. The ocean and sky could not have been more beautiful than on this summer day.

A light moment during the vows, Jen’s maid of honor was a big help when the wind picked up!

Once one bridesmaid teared up it was over for all of them!

Ok, this is a bit random….I would love to know what was said!

The decisive moment, bridal party edition…Lindsey (first shot) and I (the following shot) clicked the shutter at just the same time!

A few details from the cocktail hour and wedding reception.

Working on the playlist…

There were many emotional special dances, here is the mother-daughter dance.

This has never happened to me before…I was photographing a quick party picture of Fred hugging his mom and aunt…I was not expecting this to happen!

Elizabeth Medina, is a destination wedding photographer, based in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and photographing weddings in the Maya Riviera, Cancun, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres and Tulum areas as well as Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, San Miguel de Allende and throughout Mexico. Azul Beach is a Karisma Resort located in the Riviera Maya.

This was such an amazing couple to photograph! I so often hear the comment that I get to photograph in all the most beautiful locations. Whenever I hear that I can’t thinking #1 Yes, that is true! And I certainly hope my eye does justice to it all! and #2 (since I am a wedding photojournalist and not a landscape photographer) It is my privilege to photograph the most wonderful PEOPLE on one of the happiest days of their lives, in a lovely setting….now there is something worth documenting!

I am sure that Galit and Steve would have had a wonderful wedding anywhere, their happiness and admiration for one another set the tone for a very special day of celebration with family and friends. That they were able to travel to the Maya Riviera for a Mexico wedding just made it all the more special.

Thank you Galit and Steve it was such a joy for us to spend time with the two of you! Congratulations to you both!

Its great for the photography when the couple decides to be photographed together before the ceremony. Galit met Steve in a location we had scouted earlier. He had plenty of time standing in the hot sun to think about things….I loved his expression when she walked down the path and he turned around for the “first look” at his bride.

There were 9 bridesmaids and 9 groomsmen! Here are the girls…

I am happy to have captured this photograph, there is nothing like the moment when the beautiful  bride makes her entrance.

The chuppah was very unique and beautiful.

The ceremony was set up in the round with guests on sides of the chuppah. I love the tradition of the bride and groom entering with their parents and standing with their immediate families through out the wedding.

Another look at the ceremony site…

A few quite moments between the bride and groom after the ceremony, the photographs from that private time were some of my favorites if the day.

Reception details…

First dance…

I love the dancing of the Horah!

The toasts…

We had planned a “trash the dress session” the next morning, we started at 6 am to catch the sunrise. I think it was worth it!

The resort has a little pyramid which seems to be defended by millions of tiny bugs… my hat is off to the bride for not totally freaking out when her dress was filled with them.

Time to cool off! The best part of a trash the dress session!

Elizabeth Medina is a wedding photographer located in Yucatan, Mexico, photographing weddings in the Maya Riviera and throughout Mexico. her specialty is wedding photojournalism and she is a member of the Wedding Photojournalism Association, WPJA.

I met Jen and Royce a full year ago when they came to the Riviera Maya to plan the wedding and scout locations. Hearing Jen and Royce talk about their plans I could tell they had a clear vision of the wedding day, planning a chic beach ceremony incorporating elements of the local Mayan culture to be celebrated with family and friends. Once I made it past the interview process (just kidding, Royce!), I felt like a valued member of the Royce-Jen team and was thrilled to see how vision became a reality on the day of the wedding.

The wedding was held at the very pampering and upscale Eurostars Blue Resort which I am predicting will be one of THE locations for next year’s destination weddings.

Wow! She looked amazing.

I love it when people point out little details that they notice, Jen’s maid of honor showed me that Jen’s face was being reflected in a small mirror on the wall, this image is a photograph of the reflection.

Jen included her grandmother’s pearls in her bouquet.

Jen and Royce had a chance to meet privately before the ceremony.

This was probably the most emotional wedding I have ever photographed. Destination weddings are probably a little more emotional than most, because they tend to be more intimate. It is common to see a bride or shed a few tears, or maybe a bridesmaid or family member. At this wedding just about everyone cried including the guests in the very last row (not to mention the photographers)! How could anyone not be touched when the groom went forward to play the guitar and sing to his bride….especially since he had learned to play the guitar in secret as a surprise for Jen! The bride and groom aslo gave a white Callah lily and hug to each family member, that was a gesture I have not seen at a ceremony and was another overwhelmingly emotional moment. I won’t go into the handwritten vows or the letter…or I will flood my keyboard right now! What a reminder of what it really is all about!

The Eursotars Blue is a little different from other resorts in the area in that it does not have a true sandy beach. I thought the pool area and this rocky overlook were just fantastic.

As a very special and unique gift Royce hand made magnets with the symbol of each guest’s birth year from the Mayan calendar.

Jen and Royce’s first dance as husband and wife, the open air dance floor was spectacular and a lounge area was set up right next to it.

The father daughter dance…

Mexico wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina specializes in wedding photojournalism. She photogrpahs weddings in tulum, the Maya Riviera, Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Merida, yucatan and throughout Mexico, includieng Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and San Miguel de Allende Mexico.

Sunamita and I had been looking forward to doing a “Trash the Dress” photo session for almost a year. (I’m not really sure if Rob was looking forward to it or not but if not he never let on!) For those who don’t know about the trash the dress concept, the idea (as I interpret it anyway) is to be able to do a photos session that is a little more free than it would be on the wedding day, since there are no time pressures or waiting wedding guests and no need to worry about maintaining a pristine dress, hair, etc. And if the bride and groom just happen to end up in the ocean in the name of art, all the better!

When Lindsey and I met Sunamita and Rob at 6 am (yes, it was early!) in time for sunrise the morning after the wedding, the weather was not encouraging. It was very dark damp and grey, I knew the sun had to be rising but it was well hidden behind the clouds. We did some photographs around the hotel (of course we had the place to ourselves the sane people were sleeping!)

Sunamita and Rob have such a special bond between them, it is obvious right away and I think the camera could not help but capture that! Thank you Sunamita and Rob for waking up so early and for being so absolutely fabulous!

Thank goodness the sun came peeking out of the clouds…and it was a beautiful morning! The storm had washed the beach completely clean, it was an amazing. The waves were still strong and we ended the session just as soaked as Sunamita and Rob!

Elizabeth Medina is a professional photographer located in Yucatan, Mexico. She specializes in wedding photojournalistic wedding photography and is a member of the WPJA, Wedding Photojournalist Association.

Photographing Sunamita and Rob’s intimate wedding ceremony on a private beach in Tulum Mexico was a true privilege. The weather was touch and go all day because of a storm front, there was quite a bit of wind and waves and it looked like rain was a real possibility. Fortunately the weather held. Tt did not rain and we had the beach all to ourselves. Even if it had rained I think Sunamita and Rob may have never even noticed, they were completely living their own moment all through the marriage ceremony. Here are a few wedding day images…stay tuned for the fabulous TRASH THE DRESS session the next morning….

Destination wedding photography in Tulum, Mexico by Mexico wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina. Elizabeth Medina specializes in wedding photojournalism and covers weddings throughout Mexico.

This was just the typical story of Chicago boy meets Venezuelan girl who lives in Puerto Rico who fall in love and get married on a beautiful beach in Mexico. How incredibly small the world has become! What a perfect day!

All during the day we felt right at home in the midst of the very international Midwestern/Latin crowd. Massiel had planned all the details of the day very carefully, I don’t think I have ever seen a more organized, prepared bride, but she was also ready to enjoy the day and have a great time wihth the guests. Everyone seemed to be having such a great time and especially enjoying the mariachi band, the fire dancers who performed during the cocktail hour and celebrating wearing the amazing party accessories that Massiel and john had hidden under everyone’s seats at the reception. (what a fantastic idea!) Muchas felicidaes John y Massiel, les deso muchos años de felicidad.

A few quiet moments with the bride before the ceremony.

Massiel and her flower girl.

A special moment between the bride and her siter/maid of honor.

The girls walking to the ceremony.

The entire ceremony was conducted in English and Spanish and parts were in English and Spanish and then English again! There were both funny and emotional moments.

The kiss!

Portraits at sunset.

The ccktail hour was held on the main terrace, here one of the fire dancers makes a dramatic entranct down the Dreams, Tulum staircase.

Massiela nd John had choreographed a really fun first dance.

What fun! The hats represent their countries!

Everyone got into the act!

Elizabeth Medina is a wedding photojournalist based in Merida, Yucatan. She photographs beach weddings throughout Mexico including the Maya Riviera, Cacnun, Tulum, Cozumel and Isla Mujeres.

This was such a splendid day! Ever since I had emailed back and forth with Megan I could tell she was a lot of fun. Her excitement about the destination wedding she was planning in Tulum, Mexico was contagious. I knew that she and David had planned a beach wedding because of their love for the ocean and I could tell that Megan was enjoying the wedding before even leaving for Mexico. The weather was perfect, the Dreams Tulum beach gorgeous, and the bride and groom very laid back and happy celebrating with family and friends (and of course very beautiful and handsome), I really don’t know what else a wedding photojournalist could ask for. Thank you Megan and David, it was a great day and Lindsey and I loved being part of it!

I love doing pre-ceremony bridal portraits. Even though Megan is usually smiling I wanted to capture a few more dramatic, serious portraits as well.

The flower girl before the ceermony, she kept the sand pail that was used for the petals close at hand.

The ceremony site, the lime green accents were so pretty!

Bright rose petals in the sand.

The beach ceremony.

Megan and her girls…

The full bridal party…

I loved this image.

Contrary to popular opinion there are sunsets in the Maya Rivera, you just have to look for them!

The outdoor patio reception…

Megan and David’s first dance as husband and wife.

The mother son dance…

The cake cutting followed family tradition, those are Megan’s parents in the photograph on the table.

The girls having fun on the dance floor.

The tequila shot procedure seems to get more and more elaborate at each wedding…how funny!

Elizabeth Medina is a wedding photogrpaher based in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. She photographs weddings in Yucatan, The Rivera Maya, tulum, Cancun, and throughout Mexico.

What a beautiful day! It was so enjoyable to photograph this adorable (I don’t use that word very often…but they really are an adorable couple!) having such a splendid time with the very diverse group of family and friends that had traveled so far to be part of the day. A much as I enjoyed capturing and putting together the collection of images to tell the story of the day I am also really looking forward to designing the wedding album, it is so wonderful to compile the images of such an important event into a tangible piece of family history.

Darlene and Manoj’ wedding was the third I have photographed at the JW Marriott and I have to say it has become one of my favorite wedding locations. There are several different spaces that can be used throughout the hotel grounds, including the gazebo which is authorized to hold a Catholic mass, so each event seems to be different. The coordinator, Francisco Roman, seems to do such a nice job of keeping everything flowing. I think the gazebo with its ocean view is really special…and of course that amazing turquoise Cancun water, WOW!

The only thing that was a little sad for me is knowing that this was the final wedding that my photographer friend Grace Kim from Seattle accompanied me to as a “second shooter”, I loved having her help and knew I would really miss her when I looked over at one point and saw her carrying, in additional to her own gear almost all of mine! Grace is not a very large person so it just looked like a mountain of equipment walking along! I guess I had been so intent on the photographs I was taking that I just left everything behind! Thank you so much Grace it was amazing to have you here! I hope some day for the chance to repay the favor!

I thought the bridesmaid’s dresses were really special, it turned out that a very talented bride’s maid had actually made them herself!

Darelene’s mother placed the finishing touches on the veil.

I think this “grab” shot looks almost posed, I think that they were all standing in a strip of shade about 6 inches wide waiting for the ceremony to begin.

A few images from the Catholic ceremony in the gazebo.

The ring bearer was very serious and did an excellent job.

Grace caught this great moment right after the kiss.

This one is for Darlene…

After the ceremony we were able to do some photography on the beach.

The reception was set up poolside right in front of the ocean, this is just a little detail from the table decoration.

Darlene “escaped” from the reception for a couple of pictures.

The toasts had everyone laughing and crying and then laughing again!

Father daughter dance.

Ok…this crowd know how to dance!

Wedding photojournalist Elizabeth Medina photographs destination weddings in Cancun, the Riviera Maya and throughout Mexico.

I am sure that some people probably think that photographing weddings pretty much every week could get to be boring and repetitive. In my experience nothing could be farther than the truth. It seems that each wedding has its own unique style and vibe, as well as its own set of challenges. Clay and Sarah’s wedding at the rustic Al Cielo Hotel on Xpu Ha Beach in the Maya Rivera of Mexico was perfectly beautiful and I loved being able to photograph it!

As some of my blog readers already know I have a thing for Travel + Leisure Magazine. When I was newer to photography and working on developing my own “style” of photogrpahy I would analyze the images in the magazine and try to figure out how each was done and what made them have that look. Nowadays I think that the weddings I photograph are way better than anything on T+L’s pages, they have the fabulous locations and cool details but also feature emotion, true love, beautiful people and wild celebrating. Sarah and Clay’s wedding certainly possessed a wealth of all of those elements!

I was very happy to have wedding photojournalist Grace Kim from Seattle lending Lindsey and I a helping hand as a guest photographer. Thank you Lindsey and Grace for your hard work! And of course many thanks to Clay and Sarah for being so much fun and absolutely amazing to photograph! Sarah, I am going to miss your emails!

Sarah’s dress was very unique, I really thought it was incredible.

Golf carts can be hard on hairstyles…

Th ceremony location at Al Cielo.

The Ketubah singing was carried out here…

These Mexican musicians greeted the guests as they arrived for the ceremony.

Los novios before the ceremony…

The ceremony was held right on the beach, the color of the water was a spectacular dark turquoise.

Sarah walked into the ceremony with both of her parents, I really like that tradition.

Clay met her at the end of the aisle and they walked in together. Grace is responsible for the following photograph.

The guests toasted the bride and groom with Kir Royals, how perfect for the color scheme! This is another one of Grace’s photos.

In additional to dancing the Hora at sunset these high energy women did some amazing Greek dancing later in the night, how fun is that?

Grace captured the funny shot of Sarah feeding Clay, while I captured the one below of Clay “feeding” cake to Sarah.

Wedding photographer Elizabeth medina, photographing destination weddings throughout Mexico. Xpu Ha, Maya Rivera wedding photography at Al Cielo hotel.