Amazing, amazing, amazing… possibly the most overused adjective in the English language! One bad habit I would like to put behind me in the new year is the overuse of this superlative. Unfortunately I will have to start tomorrow because here is no way I can avoid saying AMAZING  just a few more times in describing Karah and John’s big day! Karah and John chose a destination wedding and  the Hacienda San Jose Cholul as the wedding venue. This location is truly special, it has a very intimate scale, authentic rustic charm, and of course the incomparable local Mayan culture. Located very near my home base of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, this colorful venue has hosted some of my favorite weddings to date. The Hacienda San Jose somehow seems to attract the most amazing (oops) people and Karah and John and their whole group certainly were just that.

Karah and John’s choice of colors really complemented the location and the team from Baku Events did an amazing outstanding job with the wedding set up.

After finishing up with photos Karah and John joined their guests at the cocktail hour held near the pool, I loved being able to capture the quiet moment when they walked down the path to meet their friends and family.

One thing I love about this hacienda is the way the spaces visually separate. The walk from the pool area to the garden area area where dinner and dancing took place had a very dramatic and beautiful ambiance.

Fotografia de boda, Hacienda San Jose, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.

Familiar faces! It was so much fun to be able to do a post wedding photo session with Mariana and Eduardo. The session felt very relaxed and the colors and textures of the lovely Hacienda Petcanche made an incredible backdrop. Eduardo and Mariana thank you for putting up with all my creative craziness twice! Best wishes for the wonderful adventure you have ahead of you this coming year!

I think it has been firmly established by now that my couples are rockstars each and every one! I truly could not feel more fortunate than to be the photographer of such beautiful and amazing people on their happiest day! Maria Elena and David are a delightful couple, just as sweet as can be. The wedding was held at the Hacienda Chichi Suarez and the details were implemented beautifully by Yucatan’s star wedding planners at BAKU.  All I can say is wow, this wedding was amazing and Lindsey and I really enjoyed photographing it. As much as I LOVE LOVE LOVE photographing at new and different locations I also really find it incredibly energizing to return to favorite familiar locations because each wedding is always full of unique challenges, surprises and creative opportunities. Maria Elena y David, gracias por el honor de fotografiar tan bonita boda, les felicitamos y les deseamos lo mejor!

I love the next image. The wedding was held outdoors at night, the backdrop of the ceremony was the confessionary, which is a very unique small stone chapel.

A detail of the cross above the altar. The fireworks were timed for the bride and grooms exit from the ceremony.

I have to share some of the hacienda wedding details and decor, it was gorgeous.

Mexico wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina, hacienda wedding photography in Merida Yucatan Mexico at the Hacienda Chichi Suarez. Fotografia de boda de Elizabeth Medina, at the Hacienda Chichi Suarez, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.

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.

Having photographed a wedding at the Hacienda Las Trancas some months ago, I knew a little bit of what I was getting into when Ken contacted me about photographing his wedding to Julie at the Hacienda Las Trancas outside of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Basically, the hacienda is a historic site that has been restored in a very loving way. It has a warm and intimate Mexican atmosphere that is simply perfect for a destination wedding. How considerate, photogenic and fun Ken and Julie and their families and friends would prove to be was a complete surprise and icing on the cake! I loved the color images but also thought the black and white photographs had a timeless beauty. Thank you, Ken and Julie! I hope your travels bring you to the Yucatán sometime soon!

Getting ready photographs. I love to do these because of the anticipation and range of emotions. Everyone is too busy with the preparations to worry at all about the camera. I think just about every bride wonders at the last moment if the dress is really going to zip or button up…such a relief when it does!

The happy groom prepares…

Wow.

The grounds of the hacienda are so unique, Ken and Julie and sitting by the door to the secret garden.

Some of the relatives/friends were teasing Ken and Julie as they posed.

Empieza la ceremonia…

The reception was held near the fountain, this area had been floored since I last visited the hacienda. If you look carefully you may be able to see the horses in their stables.

Two of the guests were professional salsa dancers, they gave a wonderful demonstration and class to the guests, it was amazing how quickly (most) everyone learned!

Wedding photojournalism in San Miguel de Allende Mexico by professional photographer Elizabeth Medina, specializing in wedding and destination wedding photography. Elizabeth Medina is based in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico and photographs weddings throughout Mexico.

I dont even know where to start! Rachel is American and met Luis who is Mexican while in college and came to live in Mexico. Where have I heard this story before? It sounds really familiar! Rachel and Luis were married at the very historic Casa Grande Hacienda in the town of Zempoala, near Pachuca, Hidalgo. The location had special meaning because the hacienda was built by Luis´ancestors and had remained in the family all through the Mexican revolution until present. The village church where the ceremony was held was very charming and traditional. I loved the fact that Luis was my first groom to wear spurs and a pistol, dressing in traditional charro style, which is so different from the traditional dress in Yucatan where I live, and of course you can see that Rachel was a very beautiful bride.

All in all it was a very unique and happy celebration, combining Mexican and American cultures so seamlessly that by the time the dancing started I really couldn´t tell who was who, everyone was having a great time on the dance floor. As a photographer it is always a treat for me to be able to travel to other regions and tell the story of a wedding with different customs and traditions, mil gracías Rachel y Luis, les deseo lo mejor en su matrimonio!

Some guests outside the chapel.

The chapel was very traditional and special.

The bride and groom were walking down this hallway with the bridal party and families, to take pictures in the garden. When I saw this spot I knew I had to photograph Rachel there and I made the whole group wait for a minute in the hallway. I loved it that someone behind me actually gasped when they saw Rachel bathed in light and framed by the doorway.

Rachel y las amigas.

The family portrait.

The hacienda´s formal ¨sala¨was very elegant and old fashioned, I loved this picture and the wallpaper.