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.

Starting the year off right… Mattie and Julian’s lovely destination wedding in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico was our first of 2011 and photographing this couple’s big day got the new year off to a great start! Mattie and Julian and their group of family and friends home base in Mexico was the Dreams Puerto Vallarta Resort. On the day of the wedding the group traveled by boat to Las Caletas, a beautiful secluded inlet where Mattie and Julian would be married on the beach and later dance the night away. I would love to include this wonderful couple’s entire destination wedding on the blog but since that is impossible here is a glimpse…

The scenery on the boat ride to Las Caletas was breathtaking.

Arriving at Las Caletas…

Mattie and her girls arrived early and had time not only to prepare for the wedding but also to relax and enjoy the beauty of the island and the bridal “casita”.

No bridezilla here!

Las tres hermanas….

Mattie and her girls….

Meanwhile Lauren captured this image before departing Puerto Vallarta with the groom’s party and wedding guests.

Mattie and Julian did not see each other before the ceremony, I was very happy to be able to capture these bridal images of Mattie in the  jungle as the groom and guests arrived at the island.

The birght ceremony details were very lovingly planned including hand painted maracas to shake at the kiss, Mexican papel picado banners, and bright and colorful pashminas, all in the weddings starfish theme.

Bride and groom’s first glimpse of each other at the altar and ceremony moments….

The reception atmosphere was so pretty with many, many candles.

Las Caletas has the very best fire dancers I have seen and Mattie and Julian were very brave!

Lauren and I met up with Mattie and Julian the next afternoon for some day after photos starting on location in Puerto Vallarta and finishing up on a nearby beach at sunset.

Elizabeth Medina is Mexico’s premier destination wedding photographer, photographing weddings throughout Mexico in locations including Puerto Vallarta, the Riviera Maya, Cancun, San Miguel de Allende and Los Cabos.

As a wedding photographer I think I can tend to have one foot firmly planted in the future. Going over details with couples who have reserved dates for our upcoming weddings or chatting about availability with prospective brides and grooms means that at any given time my agenda is more likely to be flipped open to a date months away than the actual week in progress. Maybe this futuristic reality is one reason I look forward the chance to hit pause and thankfully reflect on the previous year’s weddings. Revisiting moments from our 2010 weddings (as I hope my amazing 2010 brides and grooms will continue to do for years and years with their own images!) brings back especially vivid memories, each chapter of 2010 was unique and special and each couple oh so very  inspirational!

Warning, this sideshow goes by quickly, but then of course so did 2010! All slide show images Elizabeth, Lindsey and Lauren Medina. Music by the very talented Tiger Darrow is featured with our gratitude. (Regular blog readers will remember Tiger from Ember and Jon Paul’s Mexico wedding). If you love Tiger’s song as much as I do be sure to check out Tiger’s new albums!

Elizabeth Medina is Mexico’s premier wedding photographer, photographing weddings in the Yucatan, Mayan Riviera, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Costa Careyes, San Miguel de Allende and Los Cabos.

I see it over and over…one thing I have always suspected about destination wedding is that one reason everyone seems to have such a good time is that the ho-hum guests probably are most likely to be the ones to stay home… Katie and John’s wedding at Dreams Tulum seemed to prove my point, this group was anything but boring! It was great to see this very high energy crowd having such an amazing time celebrating Katie and John’s marriage!

We spent quite a bit of time with Katie, the girls and her family prior to the ceremony… they were a wonderful group and having a really good time helping Katie prepare for the wedding, it was fun to document the details and general atmosphere of anticipation not to mention the beautiful bride and her friends and family.

Little did I know when I crossed the resort to meet up with John and the guys the shock that was waiting for me! I was rendered speechless! It was a huge relief to find out that cutoff jean shorts  were a joke and not the groomsmen’s ceremony attire! You would think by now I would have seen it all but apparently not!

The ceremony… beach ceremonies at Dreams Tulum are gorgeous!

The reception was so much fun, I have omitted several photos on the grounds of not imagining how to go about explaining what was going on! The wedding party made their entrance in fun sunglasses and Katie did a really cute choreographed dance with her dad and things went from there!

Best friends. Sunny day in paradise. Perfection. Jannae and Ryan, thank you so much for letting us be part of your very unforgettable day.

Jannae and her flower girls before the ceremony…so much excitement and anticipation during this part of the day! The time always seems to fly by.

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The girls were not the only one with colorful footwear!

The bride looked amazing! I just love it when there is enough time for a few bridal portraits before the action begins.

Time to go! Jannae and Ryan were so excited to see each other before the ceremony!

After the big reveal we were able to do some photography on the grounds of the Riu Palace, it was a very warm and bright day and I really appreciated the bride and groom being such good sports.

The bright maraca wedding favors were custom painted in Puerto Vallarta by Mishka Designs. I dare any Mexico wedding guest to try not to have a good time with these!

Kind of like parades or fireworks destination weddings are spectator sports!

A few post ceremony beach photographs of the new husband and wife….

La fiesta started off with a mariachi band…

I am such a fan of my couples. It is hard to explain but I can´t help but think that people like these brides and grooms are what makes the world go round! I always find myself in admiration that such beautiful people exist, happy that they have found and committed to each other and thrilled that they living the experience of a dream wedding in Mexico

A note to all of my very patient spring 2010 couples who are caught in the time warp known as wedding season. As someone who is terrible at waiting myself I an only imagine how hard it must be to wait for the photographs to be ready! Of course at the same time I know the photographs are memories that will last a lifetime so rushing the finishing touches is just not an option! I will continue to plug along but wanted to take a second to tell my clients I appreciate your confidence (and at this time of year your patience) more than you can begin to imagine. It will be worth the wait I promise!

Jamie getting ready…

The ceremony was held on the pier over the beautiful bright blue water.

After the ceremony we did some beach photographs and then onto the reception which was held on an open covered terrace area.

A few reception details…first dance and father and bride dance.

Lauren and I were able to sneak out of the reception with Jamie and Aaron to steal a few twilight photographs.

Something I really enjoy about photographing destination weddings is the chance to meet and spend time with such a diverse group of people from all over… and I have to say that it has been proven over that when you come right down to it no matter what nationality you have there is nothing that brings people together like the destination wedding experience. Also (and this is off the record) I have also noticed that there is no one like Canadians  to be totally crazy when the party gets going!  Tiffany and Colton came to Mexico with a very close knit group, I am actually pretty sure that all of their guests were family and that made for a really relaxed and emotional celebration. It was hard to narrow down the images for this blog post, here are some favorites from the wedding day and TTD session the next morning.

The weather was all over the place, pouring rain, crazy humidity, and later bright sunshine… fortunately everyone rolled with it and all in all it could not have been a more beautiful day! Details photos by Lindsey.

A few moments from the ceremony… so many different emotions. I love the first image that was captured by Lindsey.

Sand ceremony containers, this beach wedding tradition is similar to the unity candle, the two different containers of sand our joined into one.

Oops, almost made a big mistake on positioning here… as a symbol of their good wishes the guests all threw stones into the ocean that were engraved with meaningful words like “love” family” “balance”, etc. At the very last minute I realized that if I remained in my vantage point facing the guests in the shallow water I was about to be pelted with stones! Probably not too healthy for the camera lens, let along the photographer!

Such a sweet couple! Tiffany and Colton, I loved photographing the two of you!

The photos of the maraca player and the very energetic mini flower girl are Lindsey’s.

The flower girl listened to all the toasts and applause throughout dinner. When she was finally able to get her hands on the microphone she gave one of the most entertaining toasts ever!

The following photo was taken by Lindsey Medina.

Elizabeth Medina Photography, Mexico’s premier destination wedding photographers, photography throughout Mexico in areas including the Mayan Riviera, Cancun, Tulum, Merida, Yucatan, Campeche, Puerto Vallarta, Costa Careyes, Los Cabos and Guanajuato, Mexico.

I guess it probably goes without saying that participating in a destination wedding in the Mayan Riviera is a fantastic experience. Bringing together so many unbeatable elements…travel, love, happiness, fun people, sun, ocean, sand, and of course an amazing fiesta…I guess it would be hard to go wrong with that recipe! Oh and I almost forgot… if you are the bride and groom and so inclined you can top it all off by “trashing the dress” on a gorgeous beach the next day. Blog readers get ready because this little photo blog is going to be on fire in the coming weeks with photographs of some amazing destination weddings at the most incredible locations!

Jehda and Ken were married at the Paradisus Resort, one of my favorite locations, and in addition to the Paradisus’ team they had the assistance of ace professional wedding planner Yazmin de la Mora in making sure that every detail went smoothly on the big day. All in all it was a lovely day as I hope the day’s imagery will attest.

Jehda and Kenneth decided just a day or two prior to the ceremony that they would like to do a “first look”, and then do some photographs with their wedding party prior to the ceremony. Although it was a bit warm, (OK, that should read it was really, really hot!) this turned out to be a very good call because the ceremony ran a little longer than expected leaving a pretty tight window of daylight for after ceremony photos. It also freed up time for Jehda and Ken to enjoy part of the really fun cocktail hour with their guests.

The next two images are really two views of the exact same moment! Lauren and I seem to have each hit the shutter button of our cameras from slightly different perspectives at just the same very sweet second. The first is mine and the second Lauren’s.

The ceremony was held on the beach, such vibrant color!

Dreams Tulum…what can I say, I have never really learned too much about Feng Sui but having visited Dreams Tulum several times now I am pretty sure that this place has a special energy….maybe floating over from the Mayan ruins down the beach in nearby Tulum. Each wedding I have photographed at Dreams Tulum has truly been a dream. Kimberly and Farid’s, where to start? Such a beautiful couple and so happy together. I love it when couples choose to see each other prior to the ceremony for a “first look”, I think that somehow it can actually be even more emotional to have that moment separate from the first ceremony moments, very intimate and special. I was so happy that Lindsey and I were able to document the first moments when Kimberly and Farid saw each other as bride and groom. Time must have stood still, because there are so many photographs. I think we could make a whole sideshow of our photographs of just that sequence alone! (And in case anyone is wondering, there were still tears left for the ceremony.)   :-)  Kimberly and Farid, thank you for allowing Lidnsey and I to photograph your destination wedding, it was unforgettable!

Elizabeth Medina wedding photojournalist, specializing in destination wedding photography in Mexico. Elizabeth Medina photographs weddings throughout Mexico for the world’s best couples.

I had looked forward to this wedding for quite a while!  Having photographed Ana Paulina with her sisters (and of course Junior!) I already knew what a gorgeous a bride she would be and that the civil wedding (this was part 1 for this couple, the religious wedding is coming up in November) to be held during the “temporada”  in Uaymitun, Yucatan would be a very special event. Not to mention that it was coordinated by our amazing friends at BAKU Events! There really is no place like home and we are so excited about the upcoming weddings we have this fall here in Merida. It was really fun to see so many familiar faces and it was especially nice to see some of our past and future brides looking so totally fabulous and having such a great time celebrating with Ana Paulina and Gabriel. There is no doubt that Yucatan is an amazing place, in large part because of its wonderful people!  Felicidades Ana Paulina y Gabriel, estamos emocionadisimas por la boda en noviembre!

Paraiso de la Bonita is a very charming boutique hotel near Puerto Morelos in Mexico’s Mayan Riviera. It is a favorite travel destination for Crystal and Kevin and of course absolutely perfect for this fantastic couple’s destination wedding. I loved the colors and the resort’s unique vibe, which seemed to be Mexican with a kind of chic twist. Gracias Crystal and Kevin for sharing your day!  Muchas felicidades!

I really love to look for little details that communicate a sense of the feeling of a place.

The first look….so glad Kevin and Crystal planned this and a pre wedding photo session, it really made the day go smoothly.

The ceremony site at the beach of the Paraiso de la Bonita, very secluded and beautiful.

The beautiful guest below is one of the few peopel I have ever seen take more photographs than I do! I am sure she got some great shots thoughout the day!

A few reception details…

Having met Sue and Roan a few months back in Tulum I knew a bit about their relaxed and somewhat non-traditional plans for the wedding. It was really great to see how the plans became a beautiful reality on the wedding day. The El Dorado Maroma is a small and intimate resort, perfect for the wedding which was held on the wooden pier deck over the ocean. Lauren and I met with the bride and groom prior to the ceremony for a “first look” and then some portraits of bride and groom around the garden areas of the resort. I felt that we were able to capture some of the “spark” between Sue and Roan who seemed to light up in each other’s company.

Bride and groom before the ceremony…

A few images from the ceremony over the ocean.

The next two images are Lauren’s, I loved both moments!

I am not even going to try to explain what is going on here since I don’t know if I really understood!

Wedding photographer Elizabeth medina, Maya Riviera, Mexico. Wedding photojournalism in Cancun, playa del Carmen, Tulum, Isla Mujeres, yucatan and 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.