This was an all around a beautiful destination wedding at the Royal Resort in Playa del Carmen! I hope this small sample of the day’s photographs gives a little glimpse into the day that Roza and Gerard spent with family and friends who traveled to celebrate their marriage in the Royal’s beautiful gazebo overlooking the ocean in Playa del Carmen. (some from all the way around the world!). Roza and Gerard we are so happy for the two of you and thank you for letting us share in your day!

The bride and wedding party (bridesmaids and groom’s ladies!) made a very dramatic and beautiful entrance to the ceremony.

Pretty ceremony details! There is nothing like a turquoise ocean as a backdrop of course!

Some photographs on the beach during the cocktail hour…

Bride and groom, this photo was taken in the gazebo where they said “I do”.

All photographs 9c) 2011 Elizabeth Medina and Lindsey Medina. Elizabeth Medina Photography, Wedding Photographer Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Mexico… what can I say I am a little biased since this is my home. But there are no two ways about it…  I am firmly convinced that there can be no more perfect place to be married! Kim and Thomas’  wedding at the Royal Resort in Playa del Carmen is a case in point. The couple shared a very intimate and relaxed  gazebo ceremony with a very happy and spirited group of family and friends, followed by an exhilarating toes in the sand beach side fiesta. In  between we somehow managed to steal time for images of the couple enjoying each other and the moment. Kim and Thomas, we had such a wonderful time with the two of you. We hope the photographs bring back some great memories!

The first photographs are from the morning after the wedding when Lauren and I met up with Kim and Thomas for a brief “morning after” shoot.

The big day! A few detail and getting ready photos…

Not only was she amazing to start with Kim had Adrian Guerra performing his makeup art!

When the veil goes on the whole bride thing somehow seems to becomes real.

The gazebo ceremony site, lovely and the wedding colors really popped against the blue sky, turquoise ocean and palm trees!

All photographs (c) 2011 Elizabeth and Lauren Medina. Elizabeth Medina Photography, photographing weddings throughout the Yucatan Peninsula, the Mayan Riviera, Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Cozumel and Tulum, Mexico.

While the decision to travel so far for a wedding celebration might be a big one the weddings themselves are so special and enjoyable I would be willing to bet that everyone who is fortunate enough to travel to Mexico to attend a destination wedding is glad they made the trip! Jenn and Scott’s group of family and friends traveled all the way from Canada for this February wedding in the Mayan Riviera a the Gran Palladium White Sands Resort. It seemed to be such a sunny group, not only totally happy and excited for the couple but content to kick back and enjoy. Lindsey and I could not help but have a wonderful time capturing a bit of the magic not only  the wedding day with it s smiles and tears but also early the next morning when we joined Jenn and Scott for a sunrise trash the dress session.

A couple of bridal portraits (you know I love it when there is time for these!) and Jenn’s proud mom seeing her daughter as a bride…

We were able to photograph Jenn on the grounds of the resort prior to the ceremony…

Time to head for the ceremony in the ocean side gazebo…

Jenn’s ring did not want to go on but Scott gave it his best try! Photos by both Lindsey and Elizabeth…

Next shot is Lindsey’s….

Taking wedding crashing to a whole new level…

Photographs on the beach as the sun set and then it was off to enjoy the reception….

The next morning we were up bright and early for the day after session… thank you Jenn and Scott for being such total great sports! We loved photographing your wedding!

It is great to be back from a little blog haitus just in time to share some pure amazingness! Missy and Brian were married in February at the beautiful Le Blanc Spa Resort in Cancun. As impossible as it is to not love the Mayan Riviera (not to mention Tulum, Puerto Vallarta, Costa Careyes and of course Cabo where we will be shooting soon!) there is just something totally unique about Cancun! Missy and Brian’s wedding day was gorgeous, Le Blanc was a very intimate and elegant setting for the wedding with the most incredible white sand and turquoise water imaginable This such a fun and laid back group of friends and family, Lindsey and I truly enjoyed everything about the day!

First some bride and groom photos around the grounds of the resort prior to the ceremony, so glad we were able to have this time with the bride and groom because after the ceremony they were done with the photos and able to spend all their time with their guests!

Next shot is Lindsey’s…

We were joined by the family members and wedding party friends for some very relaxed portraits on the beach, I really loved these!

The ceremony site at Le Blanc overlooks the water and is very intimate and private.

Married!

The reception was held on a rooftop deck overlooking the laguna. Again very private and scenic. I would even say the location would be tranquil and peaceful but that would have to be when this very high energy group is not in the house! Pretty purple reception decor…

Missy’s brother and his fiancee serenaded the bride and groom, such a lovely gift.

The toasts… first the FOB…

A few words for the groom…

And the bride…

Thank you Missy and Brian, Lindsey and I miss you all and wish you the very best!

Ember and Jon Paul tied the knot in a gazebo ceremony at the Royal Resort near Playa del Carmen’s Quinta Avenida. It was a great day and Lindsey and I were delighted to be their wedding photographers! Destination weddings can be so much fun for everyone, especially in the case of a thoughtful (and really fun!) couple like Ember and Jon who seem to want nothing more than to make sure that their friends and family are well taken care of and having an amazing time. Congratulations to you both, we wish you all the best!

The beautiful bride, a few pre-ceremony getting ready photographs.

I love to find out that my current brides get inspiration from brides whose weddings I have already photographed! Yes, Britni if you are still reading this blog, that shout out would be for you! And in this case the inspiration is especially fantastic… Toms Shoes are super special because for each pair purchased a new pair is given to a child in need. Ember’s comfy but sparkly Toms seemed like the perfect wedding shoe for this fast moving and very energetic bride!

Bridal portraits, I love it when there is time for these!

Jon Paul and some pre-ceremony photos with his entourage….

Ember and John Paul discovered a wonderful young singer named Tiger Darrow and were able to bring her to Mexico to provide the music for their wedding… she did a fantastic job and her performance added a special dimension to the wedding… certainly an artist to watch!

Jon Paul at the altar as Ember makes her entrance on her father’s arm…

The ceremony was held at the Royal’s gazebo overlooking the ocean.

A photo of the whole group, then a few bride and groom photos on the Playa del Carmen beach.

Time to party… the cocktail hour and dinner reception were held in the Royal’s ballroom, it was a great party.

After the reception the bride and groom where serenaded by a mariachi band as they lead their guests to continue the party on the Quinta Avenida….

Remember the old question about being trapped on a desert island and who you would want to be trapped with? Jean and Walt’s amazing wedding and next day trash the dress session at the Moon Palace in Cancun brought a similar question to mind.  Lauren and I now know without a doubt the answer to the question “If you were trapped in pouring cats and dogs rain at 6 AM (usually known as “sunrise” but that implies being able to see the sun) on a one hour march around an enormous resort hoping for a chance to trash the dress who would you want to be marching with?”  Jean and Walt were such a fun, patient and laid back couple I can’t think of anyone I would rather spend an hour of pre daylight limbo with. Thank goodness our faith was rewarded and the sun made its appearance! First the photographs from the relaxed and beautiful wedding day (I know Jean worked hard on the decorations and it all looked fantastic!) and finally the TTD photos that I think were worth the trouble. Congratulations Jean and Walt!

A few bridal photos from before the ceremony…

The ceremony was held in a gazebo overlooking the ocean…

Bride and groom beach photos after the ceremony….so much fun to photograph these two…

Jean had a really funny surprise for Walt… an xbox wedding garter!

Photos from the next day TTD session,

It was absolutely lovely. Carla and Angelo’s wedding took place at Dreams Riviera Cancun, super fantastic “second shooter” Lauren and I very much enjoyed spending time with this very kind couple and their Latin and Greek group. You know that when those two groups come together its going to be a great party!

Carla and Angelo exchanged handwritten notes before the ceremony and they were surprised to have chosen the EXACT SAME CARD for each other!

The “first look”….the next shot is Lauren’s…

The ceremony was held in the gazebo overlooking the ocean…it was so pretty and of course you know I do love yellow!

A few relaxed wedding party photos…

Then a very short bride and groom photo session on the beach before heading off the the cocktail hour. I always love it when timelines permit the bride and groom to experience at least part of the cocktail hour with their guests!

The next image is Lauren’s.

Yellow signature cocktails! Perfecto!

The first dance, father daughter dance and reception…

Photos from the trash the dress session the next morning…it was so peaceful to be have the beach all to ourselves.

Mexico’s premier destination wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina, photographs weddings in the Mayan Riviera and other amazing wedding locations throughout Mexico.

It was hard to narrow down the photos from Karina and Richie’s wedding and trash the dress session to a reasonable number! Karina and Richie are the sweetest couple ever and their wedding was beautiful and very emotional. After going through and tagging images to include I realized that I had chosen 99 images! I wanted to share them all but if blogs were boats I know this one would surely sink, so I will confess to using the eeny meeny mini mo method to reach a somewhat reasonable number. Karina and Richie, Lauren and I appreciate the opportunity to photograph your big day, not to mention the very “memorable” trash the dress session. Gracias por ser como son y muchas felicidades a los dos!

We loved Karina’s shoes…

Headed to the ceremony, karina had not only two bridemaids but also the cutest little attendant ever helping with her train. As tiny as he was he took it very seriously and did a wonderful job, thank you Lauren for photographing him!

The vows were very emotional!

Wedding party and bride and groom photos on the beach.

Karina and Richie used traditional handcrafted Mexican toys and musical instruments as centerpieces and the reception. It looked very colorful and the guests had a great time playing with them!

Toasts and the bride and groom’s first dance…

The next morning bride and groom woke up early for a day after trash the dress session in the ocean.

I am so happy to finally be able to share the photographs from this very sweet wedding. Milette and David and their loved ones had a very special destination celebration at the Casa Magna Marriott in Cancun Mexico. The ceremony was held in the gazebo overlooking the ocean, then cocktails beachside and the reception craziness in the banquet hall. I loved how the pop of orange of the wedding decor combined with the amazing turquoise Cancun water but nothing could be better to photograph than the happiness and excitement on everyone’s face! Milette and David, Lauren and I loved being your photographers! Congratulations and best wishes!

Cancun wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina, wedding photography at the Marriott Casa Magna resort in Cancun Mexico.

This wedding was a lot of fun to photograph! Britni and Joshua’s wedding and trash the dress session at the Royal in Playa del Carmen, Mexico had liberal doses of both bright bright sunshine and pouring rain that seemed to alternate all day long! Britni and Joshua really went the extra mile and never lost cheer despite the changing weather. These two are so great together, it made for fun day of shooting and lots of photographs!

This has to be one of my all time favorite wedding details ever! Britni chose to wear a pair of blinged out Toms shoes for her wedding day! (at least for the portions of the day that she wasn’t a barefoot bride!) These shoes are really special because for each pair that is purchased an pair is given to a needy child. So fantastic.

I had to include this next one so you could see what great sports Josh and Britni were! We were like the mail service, and a little rain was not going to stop us!

I have always enjoyed the weddings I have photographed at the El Dorado Royale resort, in part because of the incredibly lush natural beauty of the resort and also because everyone seems so happy there! I was especially looking forward to this wedding since I had not photographed at this location for almost a year. It was such a pleasure to return with such a wonderful bride and groom. I loved the decor and colors chosen for this wedding, it probably would have never occurred to me to choose red for a beach wedding but wow, it certainly worked! Caitlyn and Ryan, thank you for being such a happy couple, and for your patience as we slowly edit our way through this busy season, slideshow and gallery to follow tomorrow!

This wedding was special because we had a ¨guest photographer¨, fellow wedding photographer Hiram Trillo came down from Texas to give us a hand with a couple of weddings. The following shot of the groom prior to the ceremony is from Hiram´s camera. Gracias por todo Hiram!

The next image is from Hiram´s camera, such a peaceful moment.

The following image is mine, I loved seeing that our interpretations of the same moment were so dissimilar.

The reception site, just a few feet from the ocean.

Elizabeth Medina specializes in destination wedding photography in the Riviera Maya, Tulum, Cancun, Yucatan and throughout Mexico.

In the months leading up to the wedding I got to know the groom, JP, pretty well, we chatted several times on the phone as the plans for the wedding at one of my very favorite venues, the JW Marriot Cancun came together. Up until a few days prior to the wedding I had not really had any contact with Carolina. I assumed that JP was doing most of the wedding legwork, and that Carolina was either too busy with work to do much wedding planning or maybe she just wasn’t that in to the photography aspect. As one who often needs to do a fair bit of delegating on a daily basis this hypothesis seemed logical, but actually it could not have been more wrong! Carolina turned out to be a star wedding planner and all about doing whatever it takes for great photos, it was a lot of fun to see how the details came together and photograph in some off the path locations that she had scouted. Lauren and I were very happy to get to know Carolina and JP and their group and are very excited about the photos both of the event at the JW Marriott as well as the TTD session at Secrets Maroma beach.

The ceremony was held at the gazebo, it was a little windy that day, but so pretty!

The reception decor and some of the action,the wedding guests had front row seats to a spectacular view of Cancun’s tuquoise water.

Just a few images from the TTD session, this session was done at Secrets Maroma Beach, what a gorgeous resort!

If ‘wedding’ and ‘rain’ are two words that really don’t belong in the same sentence then I think ‘Mexico beach wedding’ and ‘hurricane’ don’t even belong in the same dictionary! Donna and Patrick’s wedding had an unexpected guest in the form of Hurricane Ida as it passed by Playa del Camen, Mexico on its way through the Atlantic. Despite some wind and rain the wedding went off as planned in the gazebo. Destination weddings are so much fun and such relaxed affairs, I had the distinct impression at times that the guests were to busy enjoying themselves to even notice the weather! Despite the very unusual weather  it was a very beautiful wedding and such a treat to be able to document it all and I was thrilled to be able to photograph Donna and Patrick on the beach the next morning.

It stopped raining just long enough for Patrick and Donna’s “first look” before the ceremony. Lindsey photographed the moment from a balcony.

The bride and groom photos were moved indoors due to the weather, Donna and Patrick are such a beautiful couple and such troopers!

The first dance…

The next morning we were able to hit the beach for a morning after session. It was so peaceful and quiet, the only other people out were a few surfers taking advantage of the rare occurance of surfable waves in Playa del Carmen.

Wedding photojournalist Elizabeth Medina, wedding photography at the Royal in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.