Or should I say a hot day with a hot couple?  :-)  Also true! It had to be one of the hottest days of the year, hopefully of the century! But with the clear blue sky and the gorgeous turquoise blue Playa de Camen water just perfect for a wedding, especially with Megan and Michael, a lovely couple who didn’t need much encouragement to go for it and fit in a mini trash the dress session before the reception. (Did I mention it was a hot day?). These two have so much fun together, it was fun to see all the laughter in the photographs!  Congratulations to you both! Lindsey and I wish you all the best in your life together!

Megan and her girls on the way to the ceremony…

My new favorite hammock photo…

Speeches…

First dance…

“I THINK I MADE THE WRONG DECISION!”  Words no wedding photographer ever wants to hear from a beautiful bride waiting ocean side for her groom to arrive for the pre ceremony “first look”  Time seemed to stand still,  but of course it was only an instant before I realized that Katherine was referring to the choice to risk setting up the reception outdoors despite the predicted rain showers.  Despite a few random sprinkles it turns out that all choices were right on target! The weather held and the wedding at the new Azul Sensatori was perfect in every way! Lauren and I loved being a part of this once in a lifetime day! Gracias Katherine and Jim, you are a beautiful couple! Congratulations!

Just because its my blog and I get to do whatever I want I thought I would start with the trash the dress session at sunrise the morning after the wedding.

The big day…

Love that bling!

I love a bride with a plan…Katherine planned more time than the usual for pre ceremony photographs, and had actually scouted some amazing locations ahead of time!

Mexico wedding photography Elizabeth Medina, at the Azul Sensatori a Karisma resort, Mayan Riviera, Mexico.

I loved photographing Alex and Drew´s Playa del Carmen Wedding! The wedding was held at the Royal in PDC. We have photographed several weddings at that location and honestly I ahve to say that no two have been alike and that I have loved them all! One thing I love about this resort, which is located right in the heart of Playa del Carmen, Mexico is that everyone present seems to be having such a good time. I think that Alex and Drew´s wedding more than proves the point! And as if a gorgeous beach location, happy guests and a beautiful (and ultra laid back) bride and handsome groom were not enough how about a zippy blue, green and yellow color scheme to melt a photographer´s heart? Simplemente perfecto!

The beautiful bride before the ceremony…

Bride and groom details…I LOVED the use of yellow and blue!

Alex and Drew had a dry erase board for guests to write messages, this was SUCH a hit, the messages were SO  funny and a great way to get wedding guests to actually use the disposible cameras!

Playa del Cament photographer Elizabeth Medina, destination wedding photography in Playa del Carmen Mexico.

Shana and Jeff, what can I say? Sometimes you meet a couple who seem so perfect for each other it just seems to prove that destiny is hard at work! Or as they say in Spanish that each person has a “media naranja” or “half orange” waiting to be found! In other words a dream team, two of a kind or “tal para cual”…know what I mean? It was an honor to be able to capture a bit of the magic of the day these two were married in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Jeff is an amazing graphic designer and the couple was able to put a personal creative touch into many of the wedding details like the very unique invitation which featured their story and the favorite flower of both, the daisy.

The beautiful bride before the ceremony. I love doing bridal portraits prior to the ceremony whenever there is time, and the photographs are always some of my favorites. I think there are probably about 5 women in the universe that could pull of a dress like this one, it looked absolutely perfect on Shana!

Jeff and Shana put a special twist on the sand ceremony or unity by incorporating their families and wedding party.

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When we met up with Mulu in the salon at the Dreams Resort in Cancun there was tension floating in the air along with the hairspray. Her relatives, including her father who was to walk her down the aisle had been scheduled to arrive the day before but instead had been stranded in a far off airport, unable to reach Cancun in time for the afternoon wedding ceremony. Fortunately the wedding story turned out happily, the resort graciously allowed for the ceremony time to be moved back and Mulu´s family arrived just in the nick of time for this once in a lifetime celebration.

I have to admit that I love all my clients. Something about spending their happiest day ever focusing on capturing all the joy they are experiencing seems to have that effect! Mulu and Sean were an extra extra special pair! After having such a fabulous time spending their wedding day and trash the dress session with this beautiful couple at Dreams resort in Cancun it makes me sad to think they live so far away! Mulu and Sean, thank you for all your kindness in sharing your day with us!

Mulu was such a beautiful bride as I am sure Sean would agree!

Bride and groom with the whole wedding party

This next one is just silly! Can´t have a destination wedding without speedo man, right?.

Mulu and Sean did a ¨first look¨ and some portraits before the wedding, such a great idea to have a private moment before the wedding day craziness begins.

The next two shots were taken when Mulu walked up the to the ocean front gazebo.

Sean´s wrote his own vows and they were very moving.

The beach reception…

The sunrise trash the dress session at, gulp, 6 am the moring after the wedding. It was actually dark when we started!

The Dreams Cancun lighthouse is one of the reasons Mulu and Sean chose the resort so it was fun to incorporate it into the trash the dress photos.

Cancun wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina, wedding photojournalism in Cancun Mexico-

I am so happy to be able to share Tricia and Antonio’s wedding photos. Due to a busy shooting season and weddings in different parts of Mexico (shoots in 5 states in 21 days anyone?) there are so many images to share! Travel time cuts into editing time though, there’s just no way around it, so while turnaround has not been late it has been a bit slower than I like. I think I have been just as eager as any of my brides for the photographs from the recent weddings to be ready to see the light of day, maybe even more! I absolutely can’t wait to share them all on this blog, but then patience has never been my principal virtue!

I really appreciate having brides like Tricia, who from day one was a just a pleasure to work with. The day she and Antonio tied the knot in paradise at Dreams, Cancun  was bright and cheerful, the ceremony was lovely in the gazebo and the fiesta on the beach….Wow, what a party! Tricia and Antonio, Lindsey and I loved spending your day with the two of you and your group and wish you all the best.

Tricia has incredible eyes! I loved the close up, it doesn’t show up in this blog sized version, but in the full sized image you can see the blue Cancun water reflected in them.

A few details…the traditional Mexican lazo was included in the ceremony.

Portraits with Antonio and Tricia prior to the ceremony.

Tricia entered the gazebo with her mother, the image on the left was captured by Lindsey from the tower.

El beso!

Y uno mas!

Trica and her bridesmaids, what a fun group!

Time to party on the beach!

Mexico wedding photography Elizabeth Medina, wedding photojournalism in Cancun, Yucatan, the Yucatan Penninsula, Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Jalisco, Puerto Vallarta, Guanajuato and throughout Mexico.

I feel a little silly going on and on in every blog post about my wonderful wedding photography clients…maybe it is just something about destination weddings in Mexico that brings out the best in people! I can’t help but feel fortunate to photograph people as lovely and as excited about photography as Sarah and Trevor! The wedding was held at the Royal in Playa del Carmen, this is such a super popular wedding destination, and for good reason. The gazebo is a perfect location for those who want to get married overlooking the ocean but not actually right on the beach. Sarah and Trevor used the different areas of the hotel…gazebo ceremony, garden cocktail hour and banquet hall reception. We were even able to go offsite before the reception to photograph in another location that the bride and groom had scouted. Thank you so much Sarah and Trevor, we loved being a part of your big day!

The bride getting ready, so beautiful!

The groom during the “getting ready” time, I liked his tropical tie, it had little pink pineapples!

I few photographs from the wedding ceremony. Here Sarah enters the gazebo with both parents.

Group photo in the gazebo at the Royal in PDC.

Trevor and Sarah didn’t want to do their portraits in a crowded location and were able to find this location in Playacar that worked great for the photo session.

Mexico wedding photojournalist Elizabeth Medina, wedding photography in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Sometimes I think that the hardest part of the whole wedding for me as a wedding photojournalist is choosing out of the hundreds of images from the wedding a few favorites to represent the day. That is especially true for a wedding like Michelle and Steve´s destination wedding in Cancun. Such a fun couple to photograph and a very emotion and action packed day! The day after the wedding we got to spend more time together doing a ¨trash the session at different locations around the resort. It was s much fun to document Michelle and Steve enjoying each other in that beautiful location. Michelle and Steve, we loved spending time with you and your families, we couldn´t be happier for you! Mazal tov!

Steve´s ¨first look¨ at his bride…

We ran (literally!) across Dreams Cancun for a photo session/rock climbing adventure before the ceremony.

The Ketubah signing prior to the ceremony.

The ceremony location was the Dreams, Cancun gazebo, so pretty.

The reception in the Dreams ballroom.

The wedding band came all the way from the states, when I saw how they had everyone dancing I could understand why.

The trash the dress session the next day, also at Dreams, Cancun. Michelle and Steve were up for anything which made it so much fun!

Elizabeth Medina is a wedding photojournalist based in Mexico. She photographs destination weddings throughout Mexico including Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, the Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos.

One question I get asked often is whether I encounter many “bridezillas”. Sometimes I wish I had a few juicy horror stories to make my response more interesting….but the real answer is that I meet no bridezillas at all, or groomzillas for that matter! Erin and Josh were such a good example of the brides and grooms I am fortunate to be able to photograph. Happy to enjoy celebrating the day to the fullest and not into sweating the ¨small stuff¨ (a very helpful trait for destination brides since things do not always go as expected! It was one of those rainy days that suddenly turn beautiful, I was so glad that Erin and Josh decided on a ¨first look¨and bride and groom photographs on the grounds of the Aventura Spa Palace…well worth it!I

The rings…

A relaxed portrait of the beautiful and very happy bride…I thought her elegant but natural style was perfect for a destination wedding!

The ¨first look¨

It can be a bit of a challenge to photograph such a tall groom…step stools are just not practical on the beach! I had to dig into my photographer’s bag of tricks for these portraits…I can take no credit for the smiles though, that was Erin’s doing.

Bright tropical colors in Erins’ bouquet…

Photographs around the grounds of the Aventura Spa Palace, it was great to have plenty of alone time and not be rushed.

One of my favorites…

The resort is a bit differnt from others in the Mayan Riviera in that it has baysrather than a sandy beach, it makes for interesting photographs I think.

I loved the next two images…

Ceremony time. Erin arrived with her father in a horse drawn carriage, very dramatic!

The ceremony was held in a gazebo overlooking the ocean, so peaceful. Here are a few ceremony moments.

After the ceremony there was a champagne toast, afterwards we had time for family photos and a few very spontaneous shots of the bride and groom in the changing light.

Erin and Josh’s reception was great. They had the first dance, cake cutting and speeches near the ocean right around dusk. Then the sit down dinner portion of the reception was held in a the fantastic Mexican restaurant at the resort. (Totally off topic but I have to give a shout out here to the staff of the Palace resorts…I really think their attitude and level of service is second to none.)

Elizabeth Medina Mayan Riviera wedding photographer at the Aventura Spa Palace Resort. Elizabeth is a wedding photojournalist specializing  in destination wedding and photographing in Yucatan, Cancun, and throughout Mexico.

What a day! Although a storm was brewing at sea this was one of the brightest, sunniest days ever. A “little” on the warm side but very, very beautiful and so lucky to have a fun, fun couple like Betty and Chris to photograph. It struck us that Betty and Chris seemed to be such a case of opposites attract, they had such very different styles but seemed absolutely PERFECT together. What could be more fun than to capture the moments for such a magical couple?

The bride had a great time with her girls…not bridesmaids this time but the best flower girls ever! The girls were so excited to get all dressed up and accessorized and then travel to the wedding gazebo with the bride in a horse drawn carriage.

When Betty and her girls arrived at the gazebo they entered the ceremony accompanied by a full mariachi band.

The bride’s entrance, a great capture by Lindsey.

The ring bearer did a great job. he was so serious about it all, barely cracking a smile before the wedding, I love both of the guy’s expressions as the bride made her entrance.

Since Betty speaks both English and Spanish Chris had learned enough Spanish to read his vows in her language, how sweet is that?

Quiet moments after the ceremony…

Bride and groom had a private carriage ride after the ceremony.

And we were able to do some photography on the beach at dusk, fantastic.

Cancun wedding photography at the Moon Palace Resort, Cancun, Mexico by Ddestination wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina,. Elizabeth Medina is available for commission throughout the Maya Rivera, Yucatan, and Mexico.

Bobbie and Frank had a beautiful wedding! The Dream Cancun is located right in the heart of the Cancun hotel zone, in an incredible spot, the wedding gazebo actually sits on a little peninsula, surrounded by the bluest water ever. It was a very warm but beautiful clear day, perfect for the marriage of such a sweet couple.Thank you Bobbie and Frank, you are a delightful couple! I hope you enjoy your photographs as much as I have!

I loved Bobbie’s starfish theme.

A few getting ready and detail photos…

The view of the wedding gazebo set up from the tower.

I love how Lindsey composed this next one.

Bobbie, here’s palm tree…I told you it was a little “untraditional!

A relaxed portrait of the groom.

And one of the bride.

The flower girl took over the veil after the ceremony! She was so much fun the whole day!

Fortunately it cooled off after the sun went down. At this wedding absolutely everyone had a great time dancing!

Cancun photographer Elizabeth Medina specializes in wedding photojournalism in Mexico. She photographs a limited number of destination weddings in Cancun, Maya Riviera, Yucatan, Tulum, San Miguel de Allende, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and throughout Mexico.  Visit www.elizabethmedina.com to view more of her wedding photography portfolio.

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.

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.