One of the best things about being a destination wedding photographer is the opportunity to travel to new and different places. Even better is how some of the very special places have a way of becoming tried and true familiar favorite locations! The Hacienda las Trancas in Guanajuato, Mexico is definitely one of these. Having returned several times this lovely location feels like home, yet I have to say that each wedding shot in this location has been very unique and special! Sarah and Oscar are a very special couple, as I edited the images from their wedding day I was struck by how everyone present seemed to not stop smiling ear to ear all day long! I am sure that this was the case for Lindsey and I as well! Oscar and Sarah…. gracias y muchas felicidades!

I think everyone, wedding photographer or not, will probably remember how they spent November 11, 2011. I really hope that everyone’s 11-11-11 was as “lucky” as ours! Trisha and Jeff were such a fun, happy couple, a joy to photograph, their wedding photography in Playa del Carmen included getting ready photographs at El Taj hotel, a Catholic mass at Nuestra Señora del Carmen Chapel on the Quinta Avenida and a reception at Las Palapas, also in Playa del Carmen. We could not help but especially appreciate the beautiful weather for our Playa del Carmen beach photographs after a near brush with rain. (I think that I actually felt 11 tiny raindrops before the weather blew over and the afternoon turned absolutely beautiful!) I would have liked to celebrate this special date by posting only 11 photographs to the blog… but of course it would be impossible to narrow down! Trisha and Jeff, congratulations, we wish you all the very best! All photographs Lindsey and Elizabeth Medina.

I guess I would have to say that other than the opportunity to make good use of my share of the creativity (something I am convinced we are all blessed with!) my favorite thing about photographing weddings would be the fabulous people met along the way, whether they be colleagues and clients. Shani and Steven,…WOW! Lindsey and I have loved getting to know the two of you very much, thanks for sharing your celebration at the Mayan Riviera’s Azul Sensatori Resort. The first photos I am posting are from the morning after trash the dress session, followed by the wedding day images.  All images Elizabeth and Lindsey Medina.

Wedding day at Azul Sensatori. It had looked like it might rain but turned out to be a fantastic day!

Hola blog readers! Things are going to be moving pretty quickly around here if all goes as planned, I am excited to have such a variety of uniquely beautiful weddings to share. Isla Mujeres has always been one of my favorite locations in Mexico and Jack and Linda’s destination wedding was a great example of what an absolutely perfect destination it is for a wedding! This wonderful pair of New Yorkers was married in private villa on Isla Mujeres called Vista de La Luz Not the rustic cabin that comes to my mind when thinking of Isla Mujeres, but one amazing home and perfect for the wedding ceremony with an intimate group of friends and family. The dinner reception was held at a very beautiful “toes in the sand” venue on the Island’s North Beach, Buho’s restaurant located at the Hotel Maria del Carmen.  This beautiful but very relaxed event was coordinated by  Weddings Isla Mujeres we look forward to working with this very professional and fun to be around sister team again in the future and would recommend their services to anyone considering a wedding on the Isla. Some of the days photos, beginning with getting ready photos at the villa…

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Between the ceremony at the villa and the sunset reception there was not time planned for photos around the island… passing this building Linda and Jack and I stopped the car, and ran to this cool home for a very quick photo…

And made it to the beach reception lication just in time for an amazing sunset.

Warm holiday wishes to all our very special couples and friends from team Medina! For all those who are feeling a little chilly about now (it is actually even a bit nippy here in the Yucatan) here comes a little bit of sunshine in the form of a blog post! Kate and Cam were married in November in a bright and colorful beach ceremony at the beautiful Secrets Maroma Resort in the Riviera Maya. The bride and groom seemed to be having a wonderful time at the beach ceremony and cocktail reception as well as the dinner reception which followed at the deck of the Dreams Riviera Cancun resort. I hope you enjoy the photographs from this bright and colorful wedding!  A few details from before the ceremony… the rings, invitation and the bride’s pretty aqua blue jewelry…

Bridal preparations… Kate and Cam’s nicknames for each other are Boo and Sparky and it was fun to see that Kate’s dress hanger even incorporated those pet names!

Bride and groom exchanged gifts and special notes before the ceremony…

Finally it all came together and it was time to go get married!

Time for the ceremony… the arch was so pretty with the bright hanging rose pomanders… the flowers and ceremony set up was provided by Cancun’s Planner 1 Events, beautiful! Kate chose to include custom painted maracas and printed details like the special signs for the reserved seats in the ceremony, these really special personalized touches were from Mishka Designs in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

The cocktail hour was held on the beach at Secrets Maroma, the mariachi band and bright maracas added to the fun Mexico ambience.

Bride and groom photos after the ceremony…

A few photos from the reception at Dreams Riviera Cancun. First dance…

Mexico´s premier wedding photojournalist Elizabeth Medina photographs weddings in the Mayan Riviera, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Yucatan, Puerto Vallarta, San Miguel de Allende, Costa Careyes and throughout Mexico.

After having spent time with Natalia and Raul at the hacienda portrait session prior to the wedding day, photographing the wedding could not have been more relaxed! Having the rare treat of photographing close to home, having both Lindsey and Lauren along as co-photographers, seeing so many familiar faces through out the evening and the fact the wedding was designed and coordinated by my good friends at the fabulous Baku Events made it especially fantastic. As fortunate as we are to photograph throughout Mexico there really is no place like home, especially when home is Merida, Yucatan! Natalia’s family has a beautiful hacienda just outside Merida, the Hacienda San Ignacio Tesip, and it could not have been a more fitting place for this joyful celebration among family and friends!

A few wedding day images, Natalia getting ready…

The bride and groom prior to the ceremony. natalia said she felt very relaxed knowing that the photo session had taken place a few weeks earlier, I guess I could say the same, but did capture quite a few relaxed and happy portraits!

I received an email recently asking if I photograph the family on the wedding day which I thought was a great question. But of course! I think the family photos can be one of the most important aspects of the day, images from family milestones have always been a key part of family history. Having specialized in studio family portraiture before catching the wedding bug I welcome the opportunity to document the families on such an important day. The photo below is of the bride and groom with both of their immediate families, what a beautiful group!

The “paje” was such a cutie!

The beautiful bridesmaids, I loved the bouquets!

Natalia and her father arriving at the Nuestra Señora de Libano church in Merida, Lindsey captured this image as well as the tears that followed!

The church was decorated beautifully with greenery, flowers and trees hung with candles, amazing!

As the guests entered the hacienda they walked across the garden area accompanied by th music of a pianist…it was almost surreal to see the grand piano in that setting and very beautiful.

The walkway was lined with hundreds (or maybe thousands!) of candles.

The reeption area, Wow! the canopy was supported by “trees” lit up by candles, just amazing.

The first dance…

And time to party…there´s no place like home for that either!

Yucatan Mexico hacienda wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina, wedding photojournalism in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.

Being a little bit allergic to perfume I guess I have never been able to get on board with the concept of aroma therapy…somehow it just doesn’t seem right that something that makes me sneeze could really be therapeutic. After photographing John and Jessica’s beautiful wedding in Careyes, Mexico I will say I am a true believer in color therapy. Actually Jessica is probably thinking about now that I want to keep her photographs all to myself…I guess they are so much fun and put me in such a good mood remembering this fantastic weekend in an amazing destination on Mexico’s Pacific coast that I have been working on them a little longer than strictly necessary! They are all yours now though John and Jessica! I hope they put a smile on your faces like they have mine! Thank you so much for allowing Lindsey and I to document such a special event, it could not have been more lovely.

The wedding ceremony and reception were held at a private villa overlooking the ocean, the next image was taken after the rehearsal at the villa.

The rehearsal dinner was held down the Costa Careyes beach at Playa Rosa, true to its name it was a celebration of pink.

The preparations and bridal party photos were done at the El Careyes Resort, a perfect location!

I love non matching bridesmaids dresses, Jessica’s color palette was brilliant!

The ‘first look’…then portraits of bride and groom and the wedding party around the resort grounds followed.

The wedding location was fantastic, it had several levels that were perfect for the cocktail hour, ceremony and dinner Julie Cambrell, a fab wedding coordinator from Colorado was on-site and made sure all ran flawlessly. The sunset ceremony…

A few details of the many details and a bit of reception action…

The next afternoon we travelled down the beach with John and Jessica to a secluded cove to “trash the dress” at sunset.

Elizabeth Medina, destination wedding photography at Costa Careyes, Jalisco, Mexico.