What a fantastic day!  With its beautiful architecture and grounds the Fairmont Mayakoba is hands down one of our favorite Playa del Carmen wedding photography locations. Corey and Jillayne were marriedon the golf course this Playa del Carmen wedding venue on a bright day in May. I love seeing the beautiful day and the sunny disposition of this very happy bride and groom captured in the wedding photographs.  The clock seems to flow in very unusual and mysterious ways when a wedding is in process and we sometimes feel that the biggest luxury we encounter at a wedding is time during the day to create relaxed and memorable photographs. Little by little I have come to appreciate as one of the most important skills an experienced wedding photographer can possess the ability to wrestle that ticking clock into submission and make every minute count!  Jillayne and Corey’s wedding stands out as one in which a relaxed schedule (and couple) allowed for a great variety of images and lighting conditions, not to mention that  starting the day somewhat early allowed for photographs not only of bride and groom candidly with their respective teams but also alone together before the ceremony (first look photographs = priceless!). Now if we could just figure out how to manage time to have enough days on the calendar to both shoot and edit our summer weddings!

Hola blog readers! Things are going to be moving pretty quickly around here if all goes as planned, I am excited to have such a variety of uniquely beautiful weddings to share. Isla Mujeres has always been one of my favorite locations in Mexico and Jack and Linda’s destination wedding was a great example of what an absolutely perfect destination it is for a wedding! This wonderful pair of New Yorkers was married in private villa on Isla Mujeres called Vista de La Luz Not the rustic cabin that comes to my mind when thinking of Isla Mujeres, but one amazing home and perfect for the wedding ceremony with an intimate group of friends and family. The dinner reception was held at a very beautiful “toes in the sand” venue on the Island’s North Beach, Buho’s restaurant located at the Hotel Maria del Carmen.  This beautiful but very relaxed event was coordinated by  Weddings Isla Mujeres we look forward to working with this very professional and fun to be around sister team again in the future and would recommend their services to anyone considering a wedding on the Isla. Some of the days photos, beginning with getting ready photos at the villa…

love.this.image

Between the ceremony at the villa and the sunset reception there was not time planned for photos around the island… passing this building Linda and Jack and I stopped the car, and ran to this cool home for a very quick photo…

And made it to the beach reception lication just in time for an amazing sunset.

A really tough thing about being a destination wedding photographer can be meeting a really fun bride and groom like Nikki and Larry and having a great time with them and their families and friends, not to mention seeing firsthand the kind of party they can throw, but knowing that distance totally rules out dropping by their place just to say hello or a casual hint for an invite to their future celebrations. Sad for us but probably a really good thing for Larry and Nikki since being stalked by the wedding photographers sounds a little awkward! At least we have our memories… not to mention a whole lot of photographs from the wedding and the amazing TTD session at sunrise the next morning! Larry and Nikki, it was so great to spend time with the two of you, thank you so much for your trust and for going the extra mile for your photographs!

Larry and Nikki chose to see each other prior to the ceremony for a first look and bride and groom photos. This worked out perfectly, the first look was awesome, we got to shoot in different areas than time would have permitted after the ceremony and also Nikki and Larry were able to spend quite a bit of cocktail hour time with their guests! I have often heard that some people do not wish to see each other beforehand because they think it will take away from the impact of seeing each other as bride and groom for the first time in the ceremony… this has really not been what I have witnessed, the ceremony meeting seems to be a whole new experience possibly even more emotional for couples who have already started to share the day together a bit earlier, scroll down and I think you will agree this was the case for Larry and Nikki!  Lauren rocked the next image from the first look.

I have come to realize that our editing process is basically the opposite of the norm (like quite a few things around here, now that I think of it!)…. rather than sensibly choosing “teasers” for the blog and slide show and editing this smaller group of images our custom has always been to first edit the entire set of images to taste and then when at last all of the photographs are ready finally go back and pick out some favorites to share on the blog. This “backwards” process is probably not the most expedient but we feel it results in a full set of images that we can be consistently proud of.  Unfortunately It also makes choosing images for the blog very, very difficult because once they are ready I can’t help but want to share them all! As much as I promise to keep the blog selections at a minimum I know I am fighting a losing battle. In the case of Sarah and Ed’s Catholic destination wedding Mayan Riviera’s Maroma Paradise Marina despite the best of intentions the first pass yielded 140 blog images! Even this photographer knows that is way to many for a blog post!

Sarah and Ed are a delightful couple, and their group of friends and family were very obviously loving the destination wedding experience. The wedding was every bit as joyful as it was beautiful! I hope this narrowed down (but still too numerous, sorry!) collection of images will give a little glimpse of the photography from this memorable and beautiful destination wedding.

Pre wedding photographs from Dreams Riviera Cancun…

A big shout out to Adrian Guerra who helped the beautiful Sarah with her amazing wedding look….

I am pretty sure I have mentioned here on the blog (possibly more than a few times!) how happy it makes me to hear couples say that they found their Mexico wedding venue through this blog. Makes me smile because I know for a fact that there can be no better place to be married than Mexico! One thing I don’t think I have ever talked about though is how cool it is to know that so many couples of the future check the blog for wedding inspiration!  (I am not a big one for the self promotion hype thing but I hope you will bear with me just this once as I say that it blows my mind to know the number of visits that this little wedding photography blog receives on any given day!)  Showing up at a wedding and hearing from the bride that she has been inspired by one of my past bride’s photographs almost makes me envision a world where my past and present brides would get together over coffee to flip through wedding albums, I guess I just wish such amazing people could all know each other! Fortunately for us, some of our past wedding photos actually helped Tiffany discover us (along with her “inspiration wedding”) when a relative sent her the sideshow another of our beautiful brides from the same northern state (Puerto Vallarta Kate, that would be you!)

Fast forward to almost two years later, Lauren and I were delighted to travel to Cabo to photograph Tiffany and Scott’s lovely wedding. This very special destination wedding was coordinated by the delightful Leslie Bost and Adriana Dupinet, principal wedding planners of One Happenings in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The ceremony was held at Sunset da Mona Lisa and reception at Casa Dorada…. I know I am posting way too many images for one blog post but I can’t help but guess that this beautiful wedding may also prove inspirational!

Tiffany and Scott, we loved the time we spent with you and your group, thank you all for making us feel right at home!  How about starting with a little deserted beach trash the dress magic…. All photographs Lauren and Elizabeth Medina.

The wedding day…

How fun is this? Tiffany had first contacted long before the wedding when 2011 seemed SOOOO far in the future. It was fun to hear about all of the wedding plans and to look forward to this Pacific coast wedding for so many months. When the time finally came for Lauren and I to meet Tiffany and Scott the day before the wedding it seemed like we had known them forever! We explored the streets of San Jose del Cabo for some bride and groom photographs  and then joined the couple and their guests on a boat cruise for a view of the famous Arch. Coming soon… the beautiful wedding day and Tiffany and Scott’s day after TTD session.

One final blog post for Alexis and Alain’s wedding, of course you know I could not resist sharing photographs from the hacienda trash the dress session! Lindsey and I great time wandering around Yucatan with Alexis and Alain! I know that from the time I first met Alexis months before the wedding she had a vision of a hacienda TTD session, it was such a pleasure to be able to see the result come to life so many months later. Alexis and Alain, congratulations and we hope to see you in back Merida in the future!

All photographs (c)2011 Lindsey and Elizabeth Medina.

As promised here is another installment from Alexis and Alain and their totally action packed wedding week! First just a little visual taste of the very high energy, tradition-filled Moroccan Henna party in Cancun (fantastic fun, such amazing music and dancing!)  followed by a few images from the Spanish themed welcome party (think Flamenco, Spanish guitar and paella) which met the guests on their arrival to Merida, Yucatan. Fabuloso! Coming soon, this beautiful couple’s hacienda TTD session followed by Tfifan wonderful Pacific wedding in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Alexis and Alain’s guests traveled from Cancun to Merida by tour bus and they were welecomed by a Spanish themed evening. Alexis and Alain are a remarkably kind and considerate couple and it truly was a pleasure to photograph the two of them as they celebrated with their families and friends.

Elizabeth Medina is Mexico’s premier wedding photographer, photographing events in Cancun, Merida, the Riviera Maya and throughout Mexico.

This was one unforgettable wedding! Canadians Alexis and Alain were married at the Hacienda Chichi Suarez in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, this destination wedding had a marvelous turnout with a very cosmopolitan group of guests, it was so cool to hear many different languages being spoken at one wedding. I may be a little biased but with its uber charm and unique culture I am truly convinced that there could not be a more perfect wedding location than  Merida. Alexis and Alan’s wedding was almost certainly the most multifaceted we have photographed, making wonderful use of the different areas that this hacienda has to offer. This blog post of images captured on the activity filled wedding day will be followed up with a “part two” featuring festivities held on other days (and even another city!) as well as a very special day after ‘”trash the dress” session with this great couple! Alexis and Alain, thank you very much for your kindness and hospitality, I hope these photographs take you and your families back to this great day, more to follow very soon! This amazing event was coordinated by Baku Events All photographs Elizabeth and Lindsey Medina.

Bride and groom and their families and wedding parties gathered for photographs prior to the ceremony… it was a very warm day to put it mildly and their efforts were greatly appreciated.

I think Alexis and Alain’s “first look” could have been a blog post all by itself, it was fun to photograph them when they first saw each other as bride and groom!

Wedding party and family photographs taken before the ceremony…

Alexis receives a private blessing from her father and soon to be husband immediately before the ceremony.

OK, I will confess… despite being there and the many hours spent editing, seeing the photographs of Alexis’ beautiful ceremony entrance here on the blog just gave me a fresh set of goosebumps!

The haceienda “casa de maquinas” was a beautiful stage for a ballet performance during the post ceremony cocktail hour.

Reception entrance and dancing…

After the dinner reception guests moved to the pool area for an after party and fireworks to finish off the night.

Alejandro and June’s hacienda wedding in Merida, Yucatan… where to begin?  We were fortunate to spend a great deal of time with this very sweet couple, starting off the day prior to the wedding with a bride and groom photo session at the Hacienda Teya and finishing up with a visit to the happy couple on their honeymoon in Tulum! (they invited us, honest!)  The wedding day was full of photo opportunities, the bridal “getting ready” took place at the historic Gran Hotel in Merida’s “centro”, and it was so awesome that June and her party were able to literally cross the street to arrive at the Catholic ceremony at the very lovely Iglesia de la Tercera Orden. For those that are not familiar with Merida, this colonial city is home to many very special Catholic churches and June and Alejandro chose a beauty for their Catholic marriage celebration. I hope you will scroll all the way down for a little taste of the Hacienda wedding reception and the “eco chic” Tulum TTD session which was a fun adventure! June and Alex thank you so much, it has been wonderful to get to know the two of you and we appreciate all your collaboration along the way!

OK, this next image of June’s dashing groom is not going to do anything to dispel the idea that we are a little old fashioned here in Merida.  :-)

You guessed right, there is a back story for the next photograph! It seems that back in the day before June and Alex started dated Alex commented that when he met the girl who would push/jump start his old Falcon he would marry her… and you know who that beautiful girl was!

Getting ready on the wedding day, El Gran Hotel.

The next image is one of my favorites, it just says Merida to me.

Just a few images from the reception at Teya…

And finally the trash the dress session in Tulum at an eco chic hotel called Azulick…muy rustico but a great spot for June and Alex’s final photo session!

Could someone please tell me how to sign up for blogger’s anonymous? I just popped in with the idea of adding five or six images from Amber and Jero’s engagement photo session and somehow I have uploaded more than twenty photos! Amber and Jero, it was so much fun hanging out with the two of you at the amazing Hacienda, Temozon . These engagement photos were just the beginning and we can’t wait for your wedding weekend!

Mexico Wedding Photographer Elizabeth Medina, hacienda wedding photography, engagement photo sessions, wedding photography in Merida, Yucatan and throughout Mexico.

I know, I know, things have been moving slower than usual here on the blog… fortunately not for lack of photos but because there are so many! Being so busy shooting and editing the images from weddings on both coasts (and points in between!) has meant a portfolio bursting wide with photographs but very little time to blog! Here’s a little taste of spring from John and Ashley’s late March wedding at the Mayan Riviera’s beautiful Azul Sensatori Resort. I felt so blessed to photograph such a truly lovely couple on their very special day!

A few ceremony moments on the beach at Azul Sensatori.

After the ceremony Ashely and John did their ‘first dance’ on  the beach accompanied in song by one of their family members, beautiful!

The next two are from Lauren’s camera, so lovely!

The day’s schedule and relaxed vibe allowed for plenty of daylight for photos of the bride and groom, this part was so much fun!

Wow, Ashley!

Nancy and Rodolfo’s destination wedding at the Fairmont Mayakoba was the first March 2011 wedding for Lauren and I, not to mention being our very first Brazilian/Chinese/Mexico fusion wedding.  Let’s just say it was unforgettable! Nancy and Rodolfo were blessed to be surrounded by a very large group of family and friends who had all traveled from the couple’s native Brazil and other points of the globe. The couple did not miss any opportunity throughout the weekend to show their honored guests a great time! Here is a small sample of images from the wedding day (well OK, not small at all, actually way too many images for one blog post but if you scroll all the way down you will see that it really can’t be helped!).

A huge shout out to some amazing wedding pros: Fairmont Mayakoba wedding planner Belen Vivanco as well as Gabi Lavor and Fernanda Parra of Planner 1 Events. All photographs Elizabeth and Lauren Medina.

The planned beach ceremony was moved to a covered location due to rain but the yellow flowers provided a touch of sunshine.

The Fairmont Mayakoba has lovely natural vegetation and rivers run through the entire resort. Nancy and Rodolfo traveled by gondola to join their guests for the cocktail hour and reception.

The reception area was lit with red and gold Chinese lanterns, so beautiful and in keeping with the wedding’s theme.

Gold reception decor and Chinese inspired detailsso pretty and special way of celebrating the bride and groom’s ancestry.

One amazing thing about this wedding was that the bride and groom had different “looks” for the different parts of the celebration, first the traditional western wedding attire, then Chinese dress and finally a fusion of the two that was perfect for the Brazilian dance party!

Next up: getting ready part two. Nancy’s red gown was so beautiful and this look was amazing!

Back to the reception for speeches and toasts.

Time to party Brazilian style! First Balance the Band get everyone dancing, then when the Brazilian drums started this Brazilian crown took it up a whole other level!

Mexico’s premier destination wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina photographs weddings in Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Yucatan, Tulum, Puerto Vallarta, San Miguel de Allende, Los Cabos and throughout Mexico.