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!

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.

With 2010 here for a while and it is great to be able to share one last 2009 wedding! Thank you, thank you Angela and Chris for your patience and total lack of bride (and groom) zillaness as I slowly but surely edited the many photos from your Dreams, Tulum wedding! I will stop the chatter now and let the photos of this bright and happy destination wedding at one of my very favorite locations do the talking. Congratulations, Angela and Chris, thank you so much for letting Lauren and I photograph your beautiful and very special destination wedding!

A few details: the colors of the flower’s in Angela’s bouquet really “popped” and had to love her choice of spunky purple shoes!

Getting ready and a photograph of the beautiful bride. I can’t mention enough how much I appreciate it when the bride is able to dedicate a window of time to bridal photos before the action begins.

Angela and Chris planned to meet for a “first look”, those moments are some of my favorites from the day.

Anglela and her girls pre-ceremony.

Dreams Tulum has such serene and beautiful ceremony site!

The happy groom awaiting the ceremony…

Group hug!

During the ceremony some clouds rolled in, just enough to bring a very brief shower and an amazing rainbow!

Bride and groom, sunset beach photographs, I don’t know how it could get much better.

Luego la fiesta…con muy buen ambiente!

Destination wedding photographer Tulum Mexico. Elizabeth Medina, wedding photography in the Mayan Riviera, Yucatan, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, San Miguel de Allende and throughout Mexico.

I get a surprising number of emails every week from destination brides and grooms asking for suggestions of locations for their weddings. I know the choices must be overwhelming, especially since there is not always the opportunity for a site visit before actually making the trip to Mexico for the wedding. When asked about Dreams Tulum I am always happy to give an enthusiastic thumbs up, especially if the crowd is a bit laid back and may be bringing children. Everyone just seems to have a great time at Dreams Tulum! This wedding certainly is a case in point, I was struck over and over as I edited all the photographs by the smiles on everyone’s face. Audra and Joe are a very active and fun couple, great to hang out with and to photograph! The ceremony was held on the beach and the dinner and dancing afterward also overlooked the ocean, in the Seaside Grill restaurant. Thank you Audra and Joe for letting us photograph your day. Best wishes to the two of you,may you continue to be blessed!

Bride and groom getting ready…

I thought this tee shirt was the best!

Audra and her team before they helped her with her final preparations.

So beautiful! I love it when there is enough time to do bridal portraits before the ceremony, they are always some of my favorites of the day.

The ceremony set up on the beach.

This is one of my favorites from the day.

In the warm weather sometimes the ring just doesn’t want to go on! iI loved Audra’s reaction!

Married!

The black and red color scheme is a bit different for a beach wedding, I thought the punchy color looked just fantastic.

Bridal party formals..

The first dance…

Not quite sure what was going on here…

Wedding photography in Mexico by professional wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina. Elizabeth Medina is a Wedding Photojournalist based in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. She photographs weddings throughout Mexico at locations including the Maya Riviera, Yucatan haciendas, Cancun, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos y San Miguel de Allende.

As a wedding photographer I love going to a familiar location and finding new and different viewpoints. Having photographed at Dreams Tulum twice recently, reminded me once again that each couple and the dynamic of each wedding is totally unique. While I love finding new ways to incorporate a sense of place into my images (especially when the place is as gorgeous as Dreams Tulum), I think my most important task is to be aware of the unique moments and beauty that every event possesses. Amanda and Jay were so much fun to work with, and the way the two families blended so completely to have a great time together highlighted to me one of the very best aspects of a destination wedding. I hope that these few photographs along with the MANY that Jay and Amanda will receive will be a unique part of the fabulous history of a whole new family. Mil gracías Jay y Amanda, fue un placer conocerlos!

Amanda before the ceremony. Jay and the guys had no idea that she could see them from her balcony!

The ceeremony site. rain had been forecast, but it was a clear and very sunny day.

Annie was one of those brides who really love and appreciate the importance of photographs (something I can relate to!), it was so much fun to hear about all her photography ideas for the wedding day and also for the unique “trash the dress” photo shoot she had planned for the morning after the wedding. The “trash the dress” session to me is not really about the dress at all…basically it is just a relaxed opportunity to create special photographs of the bride and groom, without having to worry about all the guests, timetables and nerves of the wedding day. And if the bride and groom are adventurous like Annie and Marc, all the better!

Right before the ceremony at Dreams Tulum it started to RAIN! I couldn’t believe it since it had been nice all day… fortunately it stopped in time for the ceremony and everything was beautiful!

The wedding ceremony site at Dreams Tulum was so beautiful, I think it looks like a desert island.

Annie and Marc during the ceremony.

Marc and Annie celebrating with their beautiful flower girls.

A perfect destination bride…

Annie asked for pictures with flowers, since it was winter at home. I decided to try to frame them with flowers and think that I succeeded in both of these images.

The next morning early we headed out for the trash the dress session. Gorgeous!

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.