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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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.

This was such a fun session. Tommy and Erica contacting me while planning their vacation at the Aventura Spa Palace Resort in Mexico’s Riviera Maya. They were thinking about a photo session of the two of them together. Not wedding or engagement photographs because they ahve been married for quite a while, but photographs of the two of them in that fabulous location. The session was really enjoyable, it is always fun to photograph a nice couple with good “chemistry” and Tommy and Erica  and it was fun to explore the different little corners of the resort. Gracias Tommy and Erica, I hope you enjoy the photographs!

Elizabeth Medina Photography, Rivera Maya Mexico.