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.

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.

One aspect of destination wedding photography that I really enjoy is being able to meet people from literally all over the world who have come to Mexico to be married. What a wonderful thing! Kora and Arek’s group was very international,  with the bride and groom being of Polish descent, and it was fun to observe the warmth and spontaneity of the group! And how much kissing and dancing took place! The wedding was held on a terrace near the ocean at the Alegro Playacar in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It was actually raining at the time the ceremony was supposed to begin, but everyone optimistically waited a bit and it cleared up and turned out to be a beautiful afternoon and evening. Congratulations Arek and Kora! It was a great honor to be your wedding photographer!

The ceremony site:

What a beautiful bride! And very calm, if you consider it was minutes from ceremony time and those are raindrops in the background!

After the rain the sky and ocean were very pretty!

We were able to do take some photographs on the grounds of the hotel before the reception began.

So pretty and peaceful!

kora’s maid of honor was so happy to catch the bouquet!

We were able to do a “day after” session the early next morning. Here are just a few images from that photo session.

Elizabeth Medina is a wedding photojournalist in Mexico, she photographs events in Cancun, Playa de Carmen, Tulum, Merida, Yucatan, Puerto Vallarta, San Miguel de Allende and throughout Mexico.

One thing tha I LOVE about photographing destination weddings is the multicultural aspect. Being part of a multicultural family myself it makes me happy to see so many couples of different backgrounds travel to an exotic location to start their lives together! The world is getting smaller all the time! Nicole and Alfredo are North American and Nicaraguan and got married in Mexico, what a great combination. It was fantastic that so many people were able to make the trip from both countries! They are both bilingual and amazing salsa dancers…see more on that below, but most of all I enjoyed their sparkle throughout the day and Nicole’s kindness when the photographs from my last 2008 wedding took a little longer than expected. Gracias y un abrazo!

Nicole and her girls got ready at La Tortuga en Playa del Carmen, I was happy to be able to catch a few relaxed portraits on the way out the door.

We met at The Royal for photographs before the ceremony.

I had a backup photographer for the family photos….she was not kidding around, I am sure she got a lot of great shots! And I could tell she was a true photographer because she didn’t care to be in front of the camera at all!

We were able to photograph on the beach before the ceremony, nice!

The next image is a little crazy but I loved it.

Teh ceremony was held at Nuestra Señora del Carmen. After never having photographed there this was my third wedding in 2 months at that chapel! It is very pretty but a little challenging to photograph in because of its very small size.

When Nicole reached the altar and saw Alfedo it was such an emotional moment.

Nicole and Alredo used the traditional Mexican lazo during their Catholic ceremony.

The reception begain with an outdoor cocktail hour in the garden area of The Royal resort, the dinner and dancing were held in a ballroom.

The first dance started out slowly…

and suddenly turned into an amazing salsa performance!

The next photograph of the musician is from Lauren’s camera.

Wedding cake…

And the whole group hit the dance floor, fue una muy buena fiesta.

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

As fun as it is to photograph a gorgeous wedding like that of Jalé and Ken at La Reve near Playa del Carmen, I have to think it must also be one of the most amazing things in the world to be a guest at a destination wedding and spend a whole weekend in Paradise kicking back and celebrating the marriage of a wonderful couple. What a fantastic experience. I think everyone should have a destination wedding if at all possible and rejoice if they are invited to one and able to make the journey!

Jale and Ken made us feel like special guests at their Mexico wedding. I will confess that I have a slightly immature love of “out of town bags”,  those wonderful goodie filled bags that destination couples often prepare for their guests. Something about those little trial size tubes of sunscreen and personalized playing cards just appeals to my inner child!  Jale and Ken graciously surprised us by having one of their OT bags waiting for us, it was lovely and truly did make us feel like honored participants at this very special event. Thank you Jale and Ken, it was such an honor to document your wedding!

Before the welcome dinner we did a few casual photographs near the Quinta Avenida and I was happy to have a chance to get the know the bride and groom before all the action started.

The wedding was held at le Reve, a very intimate “boutique” hotel. The whole hotel was reserved for the wedding guests…wow!

A few details.

Bridal prep.

Just beautiful.

The gorgeous ceremony site.

A memorable moment between the bride and her father.

We were able to do photographs on the beach after the ceremony.

The cocktail hour.

Reception details.

The girl friends were so much fun!

First dance.

I guess I was’t the only one having fun with my camera!

Early teh next moring we met to trash the dress. I admire people who not only get up so early on the morning afte the wedding but look so good!

Trashing the dress!

Riviera Maya destination wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina is a wedding photojournalist who photographs destination weddings throughout Mexico.

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.

This wedding had so many fun elements! What a joy it is to tell the story of a day like this! A traditional Mexican Catholic mass, a mariachi serenaded stroll down the streets of Playa del Carmen, a dinner dance reception in the garden of the Royal Resort (one of my favorite locations), a romantic bride and groom photo session on the beach and of course a bride and groom who were obviously crazy about each other and happy to be celebrating in Mexico with a close group of family and friends! ¡Fue un dia inolvidable! Thank you so much Rocio and Eliazar, I loved photographing your happiness and love on your wedding day in Playa del Carmen!

A getting ready shot…when I see the bridesmaids pitching in to get the bride ready I always remember the saying “it takes a village”.

Details….

Is this little guy cute or what?

The Catholic church in Playa del Carmen where the wedding ceremony was held.

I always have an eye out for both the “big picture” and the small elements that quietly illustrate the day’s story.

Los novios, joined by the lazo en the Mexican tradition.

Los mariachis started playing when the bride and groom made their exit from the the church.

Everyone walked from the church to the reception at the Royal, a beach front resort. I think that is so much fun!

Arriving at the Royal…

The mariachis must have been a bit tired after that walk…but they never missed a beat! I wish I could remember what song they were playing here…I think it may have been “Somos novios”

Bride and groom pictures…what a great couple!

I confess, as much as I LOVE wedding photojournalism I am very proud of my skills as a portrait artist, and envisioning and creating expressive images like the next one makes me very happy.

First dance in the garden area of the Royal Resort.

I don’t know if this groom toss looks like fun to me or jsut plain scary…but Eliazar actually seemed to be enjoying it!

Great way to end a reception on a hot, hot, hot day!

Elizabeth Medina is a wedding photojournalist located in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. She specializes in destination weddings and photographs weddings in the Riviera Maya, Cancun, Cozumel, Tulum, and Isla Mujeres, San Miguel de Allende, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and throughout Mexico.

One thing that I really love about destination wedding photography in Mexico is that it gives me a chance to spend time with so many great people. Lysiane and Francisco had a wonderful turnout of family and friends for their gazebo wedding at the Royal in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Photographing the ceremony really kept me on my toes, it was filled with emotional moments and I didn’t want to miss a single tear or laugh! After the midday ceremony there was a little break and my assistant Lauren and I shared sandwiches with two of the nicest “consuegras” (I guess the closest translation for that is co-mothers-in-law) we had ever met. We felt like we had made so many new friends by the time the night was over.

I have made a vow to add fewer images to my blog from each wedding, it takes quite a while to upload them and I don’t want to bore anyone who is kind enough to follow my blog…I think it will have to be gradual transition though, it is so hard to narrow down the images!

The beautful bride..

I don’t know what is going on but the shoes lately have been amazing! I cannot believe that Lysiane could walk in these!

Bride and groom with their mothers, the minute I pressed the shutter button I knew this one was a winner!

Lysiane and I seemed to be on the same page as far as the portrait session went…but Francisco had a few ideas of his own! I have no idea what he was up to but it got a laugh from the bride!

First dance in the ballroom at the Royal.

Wedding photojournalism by Mexico destination wedding photographer Eizabeth Medina in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Elizabeth Medina is a menber of the WPJA, Wedding Photojournalism Association.

This was one of those fabulously international affairs. Mariana is of Argentine descent and had many family members make the trip from Argentina, Alex is from Switzerland and also had many people on hand for the event. It was pointed out that those two places are just about on opposite ends of the earth! They were also accompanied by a large group of friends from Mexico City! So as out of the way as Yucatan can seem to some it was really a common ground for this far flung group of family and friends and I think a special one since Mariana and Alex were able to incorporate so many regional details to really give the wedding the flavor of the Yucatan.

Mariana and Alex had both a civil wedding and a Mayan ceremony which were held on separate dates, both at the Hacienda Xcanatun in Merida, Yucatan. Xcanatun is an exceptionally beautiful hacienda, it has been restored spectacularly and the grounds are very lush and green. It was a very unique, once in a lifetime event and I was honored to be able to photograph it!

A few details for Xcanatun the night of the civil wedding (boda civil).
La boda civil.Los novios…

The grounds of the hacienda are so beautiful, it is like an oasis.

Xcanatun at twilight.

Mariana chose the perfect dress for the hacienda setting, it was just gorgeous and looked perfect on her.

Her shoes definitely made my all time favorite bridal shoe list!

I really thought that this photograph of Mariana before the ceremony captured a bit of her wedding day spirit.

The tables for the reception dinner were set up under the most amazing palm trees in the hacienda gardens, it was spectacular.

The Mayan ceremony was held in the garden of the hacienda at night.

An important part of the Mayan wedding ceremonies that I have witnessed is giving some type of offering back to the land, here the flower girl helped offer seeds and vegetables to the earth.

Another part of the ceremony is the “limpia” or ritual cleansing. The officiant was very thorough, not easy with such a tall groom!

A la fiesta!

The reception set up.

I was happy to have caught this moment! I love thinking that she will see this and the other photographs when she is all grown up and remember playing such an important role and how it felt.

Mariana assured me there would be no “first dance”, I guess it pays to be prepared for anything…

This detail shot is my fab assistant Lindsey’s!

Hacienda Xcanatun wedding photography by Merida, Yucatan, wedding photojournalist Elizabeth Medina.

I have been so fortunate to photograph in many different and wonderful locations throughout Mexico. The Royal in Playa del Carmen is a particularly great venue. I love going into a familiar location like the Royal and discovering a whole new couple’s story and coming away with a completely different set of images! Becky and Brian were an amazing couple to photograph, and very expressive, not to mention patient. I didn’t know what to think about Becky’s Spanish style dress when I saw it on the hanger…but once she had it on..wow! I loved it and the complete look she put together. The morning after the wedding we met at 6 am (yes! you read tht correctly 6 am the morning after the wedding!) for a trash the dress photo session on the beach. Becky was prepared for the occasion with a second wedding dress. In the Maya Rivera the sun rises over the ocean so we were able to get some wonderful color, making the early alarm clock well worth it! Thank you Brian and Becky I am so happy to know that these photographs will be part of you family history!

Becky and Brian did not see each other before the ceremony, I did a few window light portraits of each in the rooms where they were preparing for the ceremony.

Bright flowers, so nice for the beach wedding.

I love witnessing the range of emotions on the wedding day, Becky started out all smiles down the aisle and lost it when she looked at Brian!

Some past ceremony pictures…Here Becky and Brian and in the garden where the coctail hour was held.

The reception was held in the same location as the ceremony, right on the beach. Such a special atmosphere for the first dance together as husbanc and wife.

Becky and her sister having fun on the dance floor…

Sunrise and time to TTD!

Becky started out with her hair styled straight, that only lasted a few minutes because she got hit by a huge wave! I think the wet hari looks totally amazing and proof that it is not the hair makeup etc. taht makes brides look fabulous, the most important ingredient is happiness!

It always amazes me how each wedding that I photograph is different from all the others, but that each has its own special magic! Lisa and Brian were married in a very unique and extremely beautiful destination wedding on a private beach in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The event was planned by wedding coodinators Maria and Erica at Weddings in Playa. and I thought the timing (or the day itself) could not have been more perfect. The fiesta was held at the Casa del Agua restaurant on Playa del Carmen’s Quinta Avenida. Lisa and Brian, I felt so fortunate to have been chosen to photograph your unforgettable wedding in Mexico! Felicidades a los dos!

I had never seen a dress quite like Lisa’s dress from Pronovias in Spain, it was absolutely perfect for this wedding.

We did a few pictures at the Shangri La Caribe before leaving for the ceremony site, I loved this one of the groom.

These Mayan ruins were located very near the ceremony site. It was so much fun to photograph Lisa and Brian and their families in that setting.

Those conch shells really put out a lot of sound! The Mayan wedding ceremony was very heartfelt and lovely,

The walk to Casa del Agua, everyone yelling out congratulations to the novios…

The Casa del Agua, an amazing place for the fiesta.

Playa del Carmen wedding photography by wedding photojournalist Elizabeth Medina, Riviera Maya, 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.