I have never been one to put much faith in first impressions, but I guess I may rethink that after this wedding. As I walked into the salon Brigette flew out of the chair to hug the stylist who had just finished her hair. My first impression was, “this bride moves really fast!” Totally true all day! I especially enjoyed photographing Corey and Brigette’s wedding because they were such fun people be around and it was such a high energy, joyous occasion.

Corey and Brigette were able to use different areas of the Cancun JW Marriott for their destination wedding, the ocean-front gazebo for the pre-ceremony Ketubah signing, the wedding ceremony was held on the beach just a few feet from the incredible Cancun water, the cocktail hour in an area overlooking the ocean and the reception itself was a really fun poolside party. Amazing! Thank you Brigette and Corey for choosing me to photograph such an unforgettable day!

Could they be any cuter? I thought the shoes and the sand pails full of petals were perfect!

That turquoise blue Cancun water made a stunning backdrop for the chuppah decorated with white roses.

The reception…

The father daughter dance.

Cancun destination wedding photography by Mexico wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina at the JW Marriott Resort and Spa.

One thing I hear over and over at the weddings I photograph in Mexico is that rain on the wedding day is “buena suerte”, but of course no one wishes for that lucky wedding day rain! Cari and Nick had planned to meet me on the morning of the wedding to do a bit of more casual portrait photography and everything went as planned, but the minute I started photographing it began to rain and we had to run for cover! Fortunately the rain stopped, and not only did the sun came out but the day could not have been more perfect for the wedding! Mucha suerte! I really appreciated Cari and Nick’s decision to do the photographs of the to of them as a couple pre-ceremony, although bright sun was a bit of a challenge it worked out great because they were able to completely go with the flow of the party after the ceremony and not leave their guests at all. The Moon Palace was a great setting for this gazebo wedding which was simply beautiful and full of happiness.

In the morning…this was taken on the restaurant balcony where we took cover from the rain much to the enjoyment of the women at the next table!

Fortunately in a few minutes we were able to head for the beach.

Getting ready…

Bride and groom before the ceremony, the “first look”.

Nick waiting in the gazebo…

Cari and her father arrived in a horse drawn carriage, it was really a spectacular entrance.

The ceremony was held in Moon Palace Tucanes wedding gazebo.

The reception site overlooked the ocean.

The first dance.

Some of my favorite images were from the father daughter dance.

The toasts were so funny, I was laughing too!

Moon Palace destination wedding photography, Cancun Mexico, by Elizabeth Medina, wedding photojournalist.

Amy and Brian were great to photograph because together with a great group of family and close friends they enjoyed every minute of their wedding celebration. They were married in a very special beach wedding ceremony at the El Dorado Royale in the beautiful Riviera Maya. Amy warned me that the wedding would be an emotional one, and there were quite a few happy tears! Although the resort is fairly large, their ceremony site overlooking the ocean was very private, peaceful and natural. The reception afterwards took place in a poolside palapa and was a lot of fun! Gracias Amy and Brian for including us in your wedding celebration, best wishes to both of you for a long and happy marriage! Felicidades!

A few portraits of the bride and groom from before the rehearsal dinner, this was the night before the wedding at the El Dorado Royale.

Amy’s mom helping with the veil…Amy got ready on the Casitas side of the resort which I loved because of its casual feel.

Amy and Brian did not want to see each other prior to the ceremony, but we were able to do some bridal photography with Amy, I loved being able to create these images.

The ceremony was held at the very edge of the El Dorado Royale, the view of the Maya Rivera coast was breath taking.

Brian and his guys waiting…

For Amy and her dad…

A few photographs from the beach ceremony.

The sand ceremony, so pretty with black and white sand…

I thought this shot of the whole bridal party on the beach was a lot of fun, I had never seen black bridesmaid’s dresses before and thought that they looked great with the colorful flowers.

Amy’s flowers were very bright and tropical.

Amy and Brian made a great entrance into the reception, they were ready to PARTY!

Yummy colors…

The maracas on the tables were a huge hit with the guests.

Amy’s dad gave a funny speech…

Amy and Brian, the first dance.

Mexico photographer Elizabeth Medina, wedding photography at the El Dorado Royale, Maya Rivera, Mexico. Elizabeth Medina specializes in wedding photojournalism throughout Mexico.

What a wonderful day! Because of scheduling conflicts Evonne and Forrest were unable to fit in a trash the dress session that had been contemplated for the morning after the Thanksgiving day (US Thanksgiving day that is) wedding. Instead, I arrived early in Playacar the day of the wedding in time for a photo session with just the bride and groom at noon. Looking over the images I am astounded by how many special images came from that session, held at a time of day notorious as bad for photography!…Forrest and Evonne make such a spectacular looking couple and interact in a beautiful way, and while they were initially a little unsure about what to do in front of the camera they loosened up very quickly! They also turned out to be really good at the kissing pictures, actually I think they may have even forgot about the camera completely for a while!

The resort is gorgeous and the weather was a photographer’s dream. I thought the ceremony was absolutely lovely, and I appreciated very much being able to talk to the officiant prior to the ceremony. He was very open to finding out what I thought would be the best positioning for himself relative to the bride and groom, that can make such a difference, in this case the camera (and the congregation!) could see Evonne and Forrest’s faces and expressions throughout the ceremony which makes the ceremony especially meaningful for the congregation. The icing on the cake was that after the family photo session and in the last minutes of daylight Forrest and Evonne decided to go for it and do a spontaneous mini trash the dress session before the reception! Of course Evonne had it all under control and walked into the reception an hour later looking fabulous in a second beautiful gown!

Gracias Evonne and Forrest, it was such a joy to met you both.

The groom….

I usually never see this sight because I don’t usually shoot in the sun at midday…which just goes to show sometimes its good to break the rules!

This image really makes me smile, it is just the kind of relaxed, beautiful moment that I hope to capture.

Forrest and Evonne each had a longtime friend to stand up with them. I thought it would be fun to photograph the bridal party in the “palatial” lobby of the Rui Palace Rivera Maya Resort.

Final prep…

The Riu Palcace gazebo ceremony…

After “the kiss” Forrest and Evonne jumped the broom, this was the first time one of my weddings had included this African American wedding tradition that marks the bride and groom starting their life together as man and wife.

Los mariachis….

The unexpected trash the dress session! How many couples go for a swim between the ceremony and reception?

The dinner was held in a private room, which had been decorated beautifully. Evonne used shells, candles and framed pictures of her and Forrest together as a couple to decorate the tables. My assistant and I felt so honored to see that she had even included our place cards and favors with personal notes to each of us.

OK, I won’t go into it all, I will just say that Evonne’s siblings had some VERY FUNNY surprises to welcome Forrest into their Asian family, I don’t think wedding photojournalists are supposed to laugh as they photograph, but I seriously could not help it!

Rui Palace Playacar, Mexico photography by Elizabeth Medina, Mexico destination wedding photojournalist.

I have been visiting some photographers blogs lately, and realizing that I am doing this all wrong! It seems like the idea is to talk about how amazing my new images are, but if you have been reading my blog you will know that that I have been way too busy going on and on about how wonderful the couples are that I photograph and about the incredible weddings that I am so privileged to document, oops! This entry is no different, but I really can’t help it. Marlena and Tom were so great to work with and Cabo was simply breathtaking.

When I spoke with Marlena on the phone several months ago she described her impression of my photographic style better than I have ever been able to. I really wish I had written that down! I could tell that she had put quite a bit of thought into her photography and it was so fun to spend time with her and her very kind and patient groom Tom before the ceremony creating photographs of the two of them around the grounds of the spectacular Esperanza resort. And of course what can I say about Cabo! I loved photographing there and want to return as soon as possible. It was all just perfectly gorgeous.

The welcome dinner was held at the Marquis de Cabo, overlooking the ocean, wow! We had time for a few photographs before the guests arrived.

The beautiful future bride…

Los novios…

The party set up harmonized perfectly with the setting.

The salsa band was excellent!

Preparations for the big day at Esperanza.

This one is from my assistant’s camera…I loved it!

A few images captured during the ceremony.

Wedding photography by WPJA member Elizabeth Medina in los Cabos, Mexico. Marquis de Cabo and Esperanza resort wedding photography.

Courtney and Mark were married in a beautiful beach wedding in Tulum, Mexico. Courtney had been planning the wedding for many months and her attention to detail was incredible. It was fun to continually discover new details as the day went on, like a stunningly beautiful beaded Reem Acra gown, the date written in rhinestones on the bottom of Courtney’s Manolos, feathers in her bouquet or the little frog sparkling on Mark’s lapel to mention just a few. Color was everywhere, the amazing pinks of the flowers and bridesmaid’s dresses contrasted wonderfully with the ocean blues. The bride and groom and their guests met with some unexpected challenges, the first and most minor of which was the rain that started right about the time Courtney was slipping into her dress. They took the weather in stride and were able to have a very special beach ceremony.

Courtney and Mark, I truly hope the photographs will help bring back happy memories of the day to the two of you as well as your friends and families.

Courtney’s “girls”

The beautiful bride…

The little frog on Mark’s lapel.

More details, the ceremony program was a fan in Courtney´s colors, what a great idea.

The happy mother of the groon during the vows.

The reception…

The moon was beautiful over the ocean.

Paul and Luzma were married in an outdoor ceremony at the Royal Resort’s gazebo. The Royal is located in the heart of Playa del Carmen and is a great location for a wedding. I had photographed at the Royal a few times before and it never ceases to amaze me how each couple’s different style makes each wedding unique, even in a familiar location. Paul and Luzma were one of the most enjoyable couples I have photographed, and their fiesta on the beach was an absolute blast. I hope a little bit of the romance and good times of their day shows in these photographs. Felicidades y muchas gracias Luzma y Paul!

A few shots as I arrived on the grounds of the Royal.

Luzma was such a beautiful bride.

A few photographs taken during the ceremony in the oceanfront wedding gazebo.

This image was a happy surprise, it was shot THROUGH one of the bubbles!

I just loved every one of these photographs of the bride and groom after the ceremony, I think they are all my favorite.

What trust…walking in slippery, slippery algae in a white wedding gown before the reception!

Some extra ice for the tropical drinks?

Las amigas…

A Maya Riviera sunset…

Paul and Luzma had a great Salsa band, the Balance Band. They are local to Playa and really know how to get the party dancing on the beach.

Maya Riviera wedding photojournalism by Mexico wedding photojournalist Elizabeth Medina. Located in Mérida, Yucatán, México Elizabeth is available for wedding photography in the Yucatan Penninsula, throughout Mexico and internationally.

I had been looking forward to photographing at the JW Marriott in CanCun, this was my first wedding there and I had seen pictures of the resort’s wedding gazebo, I was curious about how it would look in real life, and how it would photograph. The day was full of surprises. Things started out unbelievably hot and humid, and just about an hour before the ceremony we were hit by a huge tropical thunderstorm that had people running to take cover. The show went on though and Magda and Jaime were able to have the gazebo wedding they had planned, although we all got rained on a bit for good luck. The third surprise was that after the ceremony the weather cleared and we were able to have the photo session on the beach as planned. I was delighted with the images of the “novios” from that surprise session! Magda and Jaime were an absolutely wonderful couple to work with, I could not have enjoyed the day more.

Magdas’s first photographs in her wedding dress…

The JW Marriott gazebo, looked amazing decked out in Callah lilies.

The wedding vows…

All the guests wore white.

Relaxed portraits on the Cancun beach.

Wedding photojournalist Elizabeth Medina, wedding photography at JW Marriott, CanCun, Mexico. Elizabeth Medina is a destination wedding photographer located in Yucatan, Mexico and available for commission throughout Mexico and internationally.

July 7, 2007 was a big day for weddings, and it really was a lucky date for me, because I was able to work with a fabulous couple on a gorgeous sunny day in the Maya Riviera. Catherine and John planned their wedding on a private beach in Playacar, with the reception to follow at the Riu Palace Resort. Here are a few images form that special day…

The ceremony site in Playacar.

Catherine asked her friends to dress in the colors of the ocean..I love it!

The first dance…

Another first dance…this photograph really spoke to me.

Elizabeth Medina Photography, wedding photojournalism in the Riviera Maya and throughout Mexico. Rui Palace, Playacar, Mexico destination wedding photography.

Karaline was one of the brides that I look forward to meeting for months, because her emails were so full of personality and details about the wedding. It was fun knowing that she was excited about having creative photographs of her wedding day! She and Paul were in great spirits, enjoying every minute of the day, a delight to be around! Congratulations!

The wedding day was gorgeous, with an incredibly blue sky and turquoise ocean…but even those surroundings couldn’t compete with the bride’s eyes, wow!

Karaline’s sandals were so pretty.

The beach ceremony.

A post ceremony surprise from Paul’s father, the banner read “Felicidades Karaline and Paul 05-05-07″

Karaline and her “girls” on the beach.

My assistant captured this image, one of my favorites!

The poolside reception was one of the most lively I have seen, the guests really danced!

Splash!

Elizabeth Medina wedding photojournalist, Maya Rivera, Mexico. Secrets Capri Resort.

Alejandra and Jorge came to see me about photographing their sunset ceremony on the Gulf coast of Yucatan more than a year ago, and we walked the beach where the ceremony was to be held. While I envisioned a beautiful beach ceremony in this very special place the actual event was beyond my wildest dreams. What could be better than photographing such a happy couple, in the midst of so much beauty, love and good times?

Paradise…

I loved the contrast in texture between the rough palm bark and the very clean design of the rings.

This was one of the most beautiful ceremonies I have witnessed.

The bride and groom make their grand entrance into the reception.

This has to be my favorite dessert photograph ever…ice cream in a coconut shell, I love it!

The first dance was spectacular.

Parent dance, what a moment to capture.

I hope I am not overloading my blog with images, it is so hard to edit all the photographs from a full day’s wedding coverage into a reasonable number! Sara and Neil were married a the Shangri La Caribe in Playa del Carmen, I felt very honored to have been chosen to document the wedding, especially when I saw the care that Sara had put into choosing each and every detail. The Shangri La Caribe had been on my short list of venues where I would like to photograph and it did not disappoint, I really enjoyed the vibe there…relaxed but beautiful. Sara and Neil, thank you for letting me be a part of your day, and congratulations to you both.

I have to mention the flowers…the color was incredible, absolutely perfect for the theme of the wedding.

Getting into a wedding dress can be a little tricky!

Sara dn her girls looking gorgeous.

I love the little bungalows on the beach at the Shangri La Caribe, this one had a little spot that was perfect for the “novios”.

Sara and Neil had a few moments alone before the ceremony.

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A few moments from the the beach wedding ceremony.

Drinks by the pool, so tropical…

It rained for just a few minutes and when it stopped the sky and ocean were amazing.

A few photographs from the reception.

Wedding photojournalism by Mexico wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina at Playa del Carmen, Mexico in the Maya Riviera.

One of the first things that impressed me about this wedding was the distance that so many of the guests had travelled to attend…most of the guests flew in from the other side of the world to share in Chris and Nichole’s day. The beach front ceremony went off perfectly and Nichole and Chris were wonderful sports about being photographed all over the grounds of the Dreams Tulum resort, despite the very warm weather. Thank you both for letting me share your day with you! Here are just a few of the images from that amazing day…

The ceremony on the beach…

Tulum has so much scenic beauty and the beach right next to the ceremony site was an incredible location for a post ceremony photo session with this wonderful couple, I thought it looked like a desert island from a movie! And Nichole…wow!

Like most of the couples I photograph, Nichole and Chris started off a tiny bit camera shy and then really relaxed during the photo session (I think I wore them down, they were so patient!) and the result is many special photos of the two of them together.

Maya Riviera wedding photography by international destination wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina.