What a fantastic day!  With its beautiful architecture and grounds the Fairmont Mayakoba is hands down one of our favorite Playa del Carmen wedding photography locations. Corey and Jillayne were marriedon the golf course this Playa del Carmen wedding venue on a bright day in May. I love seeing the beautiful day and the sunny disposition of this very happy bride and groom captured in the wedding photographs.  The clock seems to flow in very unusual and mysterious ways when a wedding is in process and we sometimes feel that the biggest luxury we encounter at a wedding is time during the day to create relaxed and memorable photographs. Little by little I have come to appreciate as one of the most important skills an experienced wedding photographer can possess the ability to wrestle that ticking clock into submission and make every minute count!  Jillayne and Corey’s wedding stands out as one in which a relaxed schedule (and couple) allowed for a great variety of images and lighting conditions, not to mention that  starting the day somewhat early allowed for photographs not only of bride and groom candidly with their respective teams but also alone together before the ceremony (first look photographs = priceless!). Now if we could just figure out how to manage time to have enough days on the calendar to both shoot and edit our summer weddings!

The hardest part of blogging has got to be narrowing down which images to include! I hear over and over from my clients how hard it is to choose which images from the wedding to include in the wedding album and of course I can totally relate! Amy and Marco traveled to Playa del Carmen, Mexico for their destination wedding. The ceremony was held in the little Catholic chapel on 5th Avenue. The reception had to be moved indoors due to an unbelievable amount of rain (sound familiar, blog readers? I am pretty sure at this point that we are statistically protected from ever again seeing a drop of rain at the Royal!) but that didn’t seem to dampen everyone’s enjoyment of the celebration one bit. I was very happy that it let up in time for bride and groom photos on the beach and that Amy and Marco were up bright and early for a fantastic trash the dress session the next morning. Guess I better stop the chatter because I know Amy and Marco must be ready to finally see some photos!

First I’ll share a little morning after TTD beauty…

And the wedding day itself…

Everyone broke out in laughter when Marco pulled out “the ring” the ceremony was pretty solemn and it took everyone by surprise!

Breaking the blog rules by posting two ring shots!

La Fiesta…mariachis, tequila, and all around good times.  We were disappointed that the beach reception was not possible due to the weather, but the guests may not have even noticed the change of venue!

What a fun session this was! Michelle and Brian are a very sweet couple from Canada. They were married a year ago and traveled to Mexico’s Mayan Riviera to celebrate their anniversary. As much as we LOVE non wedding day portrait sessions (being used to the craziness of the wedding day it is very rare and inspiring for us to have the luxury of unhurried time alone with the couple). Because of our full schedule of weddings we are usually only able to reserve the day after, honeymoon or anniversary sessions along with complete wedding coverage but due to some persistence and planning on Michelle and Brian’s  part fortunately we were able to make it work. It was a treat to photograph such a charming couple in such a peaceful and very romantic setting. Michelle and Brian, I hope on those cold winter days in Canada the photographs bring back warm memories of your time in Mexico!

TTD Trash the dress photo session in Mexico. Elizabeth Medina specializes in wedding photojournalism and wedding photography. She photographs weddings throughout Mexico, in locations including Playa de Carmen, Yucatan and the Riviera Maya.

Wedding day energy…there is nothing like it! One thing I love about wedding photojournalism is that there are so many emotions being experienced though out the day, documenting the joyful, beautiful real emotions (and also of course the craziness of it all) is an absolute adventure and the only thing that you can know for sure is that no two weddings are ever alike! Michael and Kelly are a fantastic couple with absolutely amazing energy for being in the moment and enjoying each other and the group of family and friends that joined them in Mexico. The day seemed to fly by so fast! I think one of the most wonderful thing about photography is its ability to stop time, I was so amazed while editing the photos by how many once in a lifetime moments were to be found in the images that Lauren and I were fortunate to be able to capture on this incredible day.

Lauren spotted this ´still life´ I love how the little details can help tell the story.

Bride and groom before the ceremony…

The weather had been pretty much touch and go, but at the perfect moment the sky cleared and the sun lit up the bride and groom, wow!

Another great detail shot from Lauren´s camera!

Fiesta!

Wedding photojpurnalist Elizabeth Medina, wedding photography at Azul Sensatori a Karisma resort. Elizabeth Medina specializes in destination wedding photography throughout the Mayan Riviera, the Yucatan Penninsula and Mexico.

See, I wasn’t kidding about blogging up a storm! Brandy and Matt were married in a Catholic ceremony at the Our Lady of Carmen chapel on Playa del Carmen’s Fifth Avenue. The chapel is so pretty, and Brandy and Matt folloed up the ceremony with a stroll down the Quinta Avenida accompanied by a mariachi band. The reception was held at Lunata, a small “boutique” hotel, also located on the Quinta Avenida. The garden of the hotel was totally transformed through the vision of Brandy and her event designer Jennifer McCrackin with the aid of Playa del Carmen’s Ajua weddings.  Spectacular! Brandy and Matt could not be a nicer couple or seem more perfect for each other so it was an absolute pleasure to photograph their very special day.

Preparations….

Heading out to meet Matt for pre-ceremony photographs at the Royal Resort.

The beautiful bride before the ceremony.

A relaxed portrait of the groom…

The Catholic chapel, tiny but very pretty, it overlooks the ocean.

Bridal party photos at the altar don’t usually have palm trees in the background! Only in PDC!

A few detail shots of the table decoration, it was gorgeous and I know not easy to pull to in this part of Mexico.

Playa del Carmen wedding photography by Elizabeth Medina, destination wedding photojournalism in Playa del Carmen.

Tina and Garrett were married in a beach ceremony at the Sandos, Playacar in Playa de Carmen. i was very pleased to be their wedding photographer.The weather was very iffy that day, it actually rained right before the ceremony…but fortunately it stopped just in the nick of time and the afternoon was beautiful. The Sandos Playcar is located on a stretch of pristine beach and was a fantastic location for the next morning’s “trash the dress” session at sunrise. It was beautiful and such a pleasure to spend time with this delightful couple. Graicas Tina and Garrett, more photos are coming very soon!

If I had a little “photographer’s favorite” insignia for my blog posts I might put it on this photo, I think Tina’s beautiful spirit comes through.

Getting ready…

The flowers arrive…

The ceremony…

yes, There is a story here…the bestman had an unusual responsibility during the ceremony.

6 am, a beautiful new day and time to trash the dress…

This wedding had so many fun elements! What a joy it is to tell the story of a day like this! A traditional Mexican Catholic mass, a mariachi serenaded stroll down the streets of Playa del Carmen, a dinner dance reception in the garden of the Royal Resort (one of my favorite locations), a romantic bride and groom photo session on the beach and of course a bride and groom who were obviously crazy about each other and happy to be celebrating in Mexico with a close group of family and friends! ¡Fue un dia inolvidable! Thank you so much Rocio and Eliazar, I loved photographing your happiness and love on your wedding day in Playa del Carmen!

A getting ready shot…when I see the bridesmaids pitching in to get the bride ready I always remember the saying “it takes a village”.

Details….

Is this little guy cute or what?

The Catholic church in Playa del Carmen where the wedding ceremony was held.

I always have an eye out for both the “big picture” and the small elements that quietly illustrate the day’s story.

Los novios, joined by the lazo en the Mexican tradition.

Los mariachis started playing when the bride and groom made their exit from the the church.

Everyone walked from the church to the reception at the Royal, a beach front resort. I think that is so much fun!

Arriving at the Royal…

The mariachis must have been a bit tired after that walk…but they never missed a beat! I wish I could remember what song they were playing here…I think it may have been “Somos novios”

Bride and groom pictures…what a great couple!

I confess, as much as I LOVE wedding photojournalism I am very proud of my skills as a portrait artist, and envisioning and creating expressive images like the next one makes me very happy.

First dance in the garden area of the Royal Resort.

I don’t know if this groom toss looks like fun to me or jsut plain scary…but Eliazar actually seemed to be enjoying it!

Great way to end a reception on a hot, hot, hot day!

Elizabeth Medina is a wedding photojournalist located in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. She specializes in destination weddings and photographs weddings in the Riviera Maya, Cancun, Cozumel, Tulum, and Isla Mujeres, San Miguel de Allende, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and throughout Mexico.

Megan and Matt had a very intimate and beautiful beach wedding at the Paraiso Iberostar in the Maya Riviera. I loved the colors and details that were chosen, they harmonized perfectly with the setting. The ceremony was held just a few feet away from the ocean, it was the first beach ceremony I have photographed where there was no altar, podium, Chuppah or arch of any kind, nothing at all but the bride and groom, family and friends and sand, water and sky. It was simply perfect! I really do not think I have seen the water or sky more beautiful, and since I photogrpah so often in Cancun and the the Rivera Maya I think that is really saying something! The colors of the ocean and sky were glorious.

Thank you Megan and Matt for all your kindness, it was so wonderful to be treated as old friends throughout the day. We wish you both the best of everything! I am really looking forward to creating your wedding album to showcase and preserve the memories of the day. Here are a few of the photographs:

I coudn’t resist a beachy shot of the rings.

There is a tradition among destination wedding brides of preparing OOT (out of town) bags filled with little things to make their guests stay more comfortable. Instead of bags Megan used beach buckets in her theme color, pink. How cute is that? At the dinner reception there were little pink pails filled with M & Ms (which stands for Megan and Matt of course!)

Even the dress got to go outdoors for photos.

One last check on the mirror. As much as I love photographing veils I also really love the no veil look, especially with a hairstyle like Megan’s.

I think the only special request Megan made all day was a photograph of Matt tying his tie! Did I do OK?

Matt and Megan met in a really special garden area to take some pictures together before the ceremony.

While i was getting shots like the one above my assistant captured the one below, I loved it!

Bride and groom with maid of honor and best man.

Another amazing detail, little bags of flower petals tucked into the chair covers.

Here comes the bride…

Elizabeth Medina, Maya Rivera wedding photography. Artistic wedding photojournalism throughout the Yucatan penninsula and all of Mexico.Iberostar Paraiso Resort, Maya Rivera, Mexico.

Pretty much at every wedding I photograph someone notices me doing crazy things with my camera and comes up to me and tells me that I have the best job around. I have to agree! It is inspirational to be around so much happiness and beauty. Knowing that a couple as fabulous as Margaret and Eric had not only chosen me to record their once in a lifetime destination wedding at the Barceló Maya Palace in the Rivera Maya, but are enthusiastic about my work is an honor, but also as we say in Spanish a “compromiso”…a big responsibility that I don’t take the least bit lightly! My aim as I run around with the camera is to capture the beauty in the personal, unique moments that make up the day, and go beyond the superficial capturing in the images a sense of place and feeling. Feeling that we have been able to capture those memories really does make be love my job! Gracias, Margaret y Eric, me encantó fotografiar esta boda tan especial.

Elizabeth Medina, wedding photographer, Maya Rivera, Yucatan Penninsula. Wedding photography at the Barcelo hotel. Elizabeth Medina specializes in wedding photography throughout Mexico.

It always amazes me how each wedding that I photograph is different from all the others, but that each has its own special magic! Lisa and Brian were married in a very unique and extremely beautiful destination wedding on a private beach in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The event was planned by wedding coodinators Maria and Erica at Weddings in Playa. and I thought the timing (or the day itself) could not have been more perfect. The fiesta was held at the Casa del Agua restaurant on Playa del Carmen’s Quinta Avenida. Lisa and Brian, I felt so fortunate to have been chosen to photograph your unforgettable wedding in Mexico! Felicidades a los dos!

I had never seen a dress quite like Lisa’s dress from Pronovias in Spain, it was absolutely perfect for this wedding.

We did a few pictures at the Shangri La Caribe before leaving for the ceremony site, I loved this one of the groom.

These Mayan ruins were located very near the ceremony site. It was so much fun to photograph Lisa and Brian and their families in that setting.

Those conch shells really put out a lot of sound! The Mayan wedding ceremony was very heartfelt and lovely,

The walk to Casa del Agua, everyone yelling out congratulations to the novios…

The Casa del Agua, an amazing place for the fiesta.

Playa del Carmen wedding photography by wedding photojournalist Elizabeth Medina, Riviera Maya, Mexico.

Stacey and Charles chose an outstanding location for the wedding, the MK Blue at the Fairmont Mayakoba near Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Not only does the MK Blue have a very upscale, relaxed vibe, it is surrounded by incredible scenery and was the perfect setting for this very special celebration. I loved how the colors chosen for the wedding reflected so perfectly the colors of nature. Thank you Stacey and Charles for the honor of being your wedding photographer!

The gorgeous bride before leaving for the ceremony.

I lvoe photographing texture.

Stacey travelled to the ceremony in a private gondola, such a beautiful and peaceful time before the ceremony.

I loved this photograph with the Mexican flag!

The bride arriving at MK Blue…

The beach wedding ceremony, such special moments to photograph.

I loved the non-matching group of bridesmaids, this is one of my favorite “trends”.

Brida and groom at sunset.

I loved the shoe table! What a great idea for a beach party!

Just a detail shot…

MK Blue is made of bleached wood, the look is really different for the Maya Rivera.

A few candid images from the reception.

First dance and the party…

Amy and Brian were great to photograph because together with a great group of family and close friends they enjoyed every minute of their wedding celebration. They were married in a very special beach wedding ceremony at the El Dorado Royale in the beautiful Riviera Maya. Amy warned me that the wedding would be an emotional one, and there were quite a few happy tears! Although the resort is fairly large, their ceremony site overlooking the ocean was very private, peaceful and natural. The reception afterwards took place in a poolside palapa and was a lot of fun! Gracias Amy and Brian for including us in your wedding celebration, best wishes to both of you for a long and happy marriage! Felicidades!

A few portraits of the bride and groom from before the rehearsal dinner, this was the night before the wedding at the El Dorado Royale.

Amy’s mom helping with the veil…Amy got ready on the Casitas side of the resort which I loved because of its casual feel.

Amy and Brian did not want to see each other prior to the ceremony, but we were able to do some bridal photography with Amy, I loved being able to create these images.

The ceremony was held at the very edge of the El Dorado Royale, the view of the Maya Rivera coast was breath taking.

Brian and his guys waiting…

For Amy and her dad…

A few photographs from the beach ceremony.

The sand ceremony, so pretty with black and white sand…

I thought this shot of the whole bridal party on the beach was a lot of fun, I had never seen black bridesmaid’s dresses before and thought that they looked great with the colorful flowers.

Amy’s flowers were very bright and tropical.

Amy and Brian made a great entrance into the reception, they were ready to PARTY!

Yummy colors…

The maracas on the tables were a huge hit with the guests.

Amy’s dad gave a funny speech…

Amy and Brian, the first dance.

Mexico photographer Elizabeth Medina, wedding photography at the El Dorado Royale, Maya Rivera, Mexico. Elizabeth Medina specializes in wedding photojournalism throughout Mexico.

What a wonderful day! Because of scheduling conflicts Evonne and Forrest were unable to fit in a trash the dress session that had been contemplated for the morning after the Thanksgiving day (US Thanksgiving day that is) wedding. Instead, I arrived early in Playacar the day of the wedding in time for a photo session with just the bride and groom at noon. Looking over the images I am astounded by how many special images came from that session, held at a time of day notorious as bad for photography!…Forrest and Evonne make such a spectacular looking couple and interact in a beautiful way, and while they were initially a little unsure about what to do in front of the camera they loosened up very quickly! They also turned out to be really good at the kissing pictures, actually I think they may have even forgot about the camera completely for a while!

The resort is gorgeous and the weather was a photographer’s dream. I thought the ceremony was absolutely lovely, and I appreciated very much being able to talk to the officiant prior to the ceremony. He was very open to finding out what I thought would be the best positioning for himself relative to the bride and groom, that can make such a difference, in this case the camera (and the congregation!) could see Evonne and Forrest’s faces and expressions throughout the ceremony which makes the ceremony especially meaningful for the congregation. The icing on the cake was that after the family photo session and in the last minutes of daylight Forrest and Evonne decided to go for it and do a spontaneous mini trash the dress session before the reception! Of course Evonne had it all under control and walked into the reception an hour later looking fabulous in a second beautiful gown!

Gracias Evonne and Forrest, it was such a joy to met you both.

The groom….

I usually never see this sight because I don’t usually shoot in the sun at midday…which just goes to show sometimes its good to break the rules!

This image really makes me smile, it is just the kind of relaxed, beautiful moment that I hope to capture.

Forrest and Evonne each had a longtime friend to stand up with them. I thought it would be fun to photograph the bridal party in the “palatial” lobby of the Rui Palace Rivera Maya Resort.

Final prep…

The Riu Palcace gazebo ceremony…

After “the kiss” Forrest and Evonne jumped the broom, this was the first time one of my weddings had included this African American wedding tradition that marks the bride and groom starting their life together as man and wife.

Los mariachis….

The unexpected trash the dress session! How many couples go for a swim between the ceremony and reception?

The dinner was held in a private room, which had been decorated beautifully. Evonne used shells, candles and framed pictures of her and Forrest together as a couple to decorate the tables. My assistant and I felt so honored to see that she had even included our place cards and favors with personal notes to each of us.

OK, I won’t go into it all, I will just say that Evonne’s siblings had some VERY FUNNY surprises to welcome Forrest into their Asian family, I don’t think wedding photojournalists are supposed to laugh as they photograph, but I seriously could not help it!

Rui Palace Playacar, Mexico photography by Elizabeth Medina, Mexico destination wedding photojournalist.