Alejandra and Jorge came to see me about photographing their sunset ceremony on the Gulf coast of Yucatan more than a year ago, and we walked the beach where the ceremony was to be held. While I envisioned a beautiful beach ceremony in this very special place the actual event was beyond my wildest dreams. What could be better than photographing such a happy couple, in the midst of so much beauty, love and good times?

Paradise…

I loved the contrast in texture between the rough palm bark and the very clean design of the rings.

This was one of the most beautiful ceremonies I have witnessed.

The bride and groom make their grand entrance into the reception.

This has to be my favorite dessert photograph ever…ice cream in a coconut shell, I love it!

The first dance was spectacular.

Parent dance, what a moment to capture.

I am fortunate to have known Lauren since she was young and so was very happy to be able to meet her fiancée, Byron, and to photograph first an engagement session on the beach at Uaymitun last summer and then a year later the wedding in Mérida. I hope their photographs will be a real legacy for their new family, telling the story of the life that they are starting together, and bringing back happy memories for a long, long time. Congratulations, Byron and Lauren, and may you continue to be blessed in your life together.

Beach photo session, summer 2006.

Last minute wedding day preparations, the weather got very, very dark and windy about this time, I was sure it would rain, but amazingly the sky completely cleared and it was a beautiful evening!

The ¨novios¨decided to see each other before the ceremony and I was able to “hide” and photograph from a distance the moment when they first greeted each other before the ceremony.

A few moments during the ceremony.

Lauren and Byron’s first dance as husband and wife. I love the way both of their rings are together in this photograph.

Reception fun…

It almost wouldn’t be a wedding in Mexico without Mariachis. They even serenaded Lauren and Byron as they made their exit from the ballroom.

I hope I am not overloading my blog with images, it is so hard to edit all the photographs from a full day’s wedding coverage into a reasonable number! Sara and Neil were married a the Shangri La Caribe in Playa del Carmen, I felt very honored to have been chosen to document the wedding, especially when I saw the care that Sara had put into choosing each and every detail. The Shangri La Caribe had been on my short list of venues where I would like to photograph and it did not disappoint, I really enjoyed the vibe there…relaxed but beautiful. Sara and Neil, thank you for letting me be a part of your day, and congratulations to you both.

I have to mention the flowers…the color was incredible, absolutely perfect for the theme of the wedding.

Getting into a wedding dress can be a little tricky!

Sara dn her girls looking gorgeous.

I love the little bungalows on the beach at the Shangri La Caribe, this one had a little spot that was perfect for the “novios”.

Sara and Neil had a few moments alone before the ceremony.

-

A few moments from the the beach wedding ceremony.

Drinks by the pool, so tropical…

It rained for just a few minutes and when it stopped the sky and ocean were amazing.

A few photographs from the reception.

Wedding photojournalism by Mexico wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina at Playa del Carmen, Mexico in the Maya Riviera.

One of the first things that impressed me about this wedding was the distance that so many of the guests had travelled to attend…most of the guests flew in from the other side of the world to share in Chris and Nichole’s day. The beach front ceremony went off perfectly and Nichole and Chris were wonderful sports about being photographed all over the grounds of the Dreams Tulum resort, despite the very warm weather. Thank you both for letting me share your day with you! Here are just a few of the images from that amazing day…

The ceremony on the beach…

Tulum has so much scenic beauty and the beach right next to the ceremony site was an incredible location for a post ceremony photo session with this wonderful couple, I thought it looked like a desert island from a movie! And Nichole…wow!

Like most of the couples I photograph, Nichole and Chris started off a tiny bit camera shy and then really relaxed during the photo session (I think I wore them down, they were so patient!) and the result is many special photos of the two of them together.

Maya Riviera wedding photography by international destination wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina.

Russell and Brit were a fabulous couple to work with…I could tell Russ was a sweetheart when I saw the note he had left for Brit before the wedding made out of bracelets and necklaces! Brit was very beautiful and sweet and I could tell immediately that they are crazy about each other! It was so much fun to catch the spontaneous, joyous moments between the two of them. What more could a wedding photographer hope for? Muchas felicidades Brit and Russell!

It looked like rain right up until the time of the ceremony, so the ceremony was held in an alternate location, fortunatley the weather cleared up and we were able to photograph outdoors afterwards.

Brit wore a mermaid style dress, the train bustled in the coolest way!

The reception location was one of the loveliest I have seen, the palapa was very open and had a breathtaking view of the ocean. The sky cleared completely to reveal an amazing full moon.

Playa del Carmen wedding photography by international wedding photojournalist Elizabeth Medina.

During the planning stages for her marriage to Mark at the Excellence Resort Denise’s emails never failed to brighten my day, they were always cheerful and full of funny little comments. It was great to meet Mark and see that he had such a similar sense of humor and fun, they are a great couple to spend time with! Unfortunately, about an hour before the ceremony the weather took a turn for the worse and the beach ceremony that had been planned all along was not possible, it was pouring rain! Everyone took it in stride and fortunately the weather improved just in time for our planned day after or “trash the dress” session the next morning. Denise was my first “two dress” bride, I loved that! I think both dresses probably got wet…one in the rain on the wedding day and one when Mark threw her in the water. Thank you for everything Denise and Mark!

The day after session..

I lvoed this wall, the black an white photographs there are spectacular with all that texture.

I thought this image was so peaceful…

Denise and Mark wanted some photographs in the spot where the ceremony was originally planned.

Finally it was time to throw the bride in the water!