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!

Hola! Slowly getting caught up with December weddings! Tt was a pleasure to finally be able to photograph Milena and Gerry´s wedding! Planned originally for a date in the very midst of the Swine Flu outbreak, Gerry and Milena´s much awaited May 2009 wedding had to be postponed at the very last minute. Fortunately they and their guests who traveled in from both North and South America were able to go with the flow and gather in Mexico for a very memorable December celebration. What a fun, fun group! Be forewarned I am including many detail photos in this blog post! Milena and Gerry, aside from being lots of fun to photograph, are a very creative couple and they incorporated many projects and a lot of style into their wedding plans, let me tell you Martha Stewart has nothing on these two!

The cermony was held on a rooftop “Sky Deck” overlooking the ocean. I was not sure what to expect of this location but was very favorably surprised, the ceremony was just lovely.

More details! The Capiz shells made the most beautiful sound all through the ceremony.

Lindsey’s photo…

The reception, more details…I had to share the children’s place settings because it was such a cute idea and something we had not seen before. I am sure it was a huge hit with the flower girls and ring bearers (and their parents!) because it kept the little ones entertained all through the reception.

A few images from the TTD session, also at the Azul Sensatori. This session was actually done the evening before the wedding and was a great chance for us to get to know the bride and groom before the big day. Non wedding day sessions are really special to me because they give an opportuntiy to really focus on the couple and their interaction with each other.

The next two images are from Lindsey’s camera… I may be a bit biased but I think they are just beautiful.

Azul Sensatori wedding photography by destination wedding photographer, Elizabeth Medina. Wedding photojournalism in the Mayan Riviera and throughout Mexico.

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.

If ‘wedding’ and ‘rain’ are two words that really don’t belong in the same sentence then I think ‘Mexico beach wedding’ and ‘hurricane’ don’t even belong in the same dictionary! Donna and Patrick’s wedding had an unexpected guest in the form of Hurricane Ida as it passed by Playa del Camen, Mexico on its way through the Atlantic. Despite some wind and rain the wedding went off as planned in the gazebo. Destination weddings are so much fun and such relaxed affairs, I had the distinct impression at times that the guests were to busy enjoying themselves to even notice the weather! Despite the very unusual weather  it was a very beautiful wedding and such a treat to be able to document it all and I was thrilled to be able to photograph Donna and Patrick on the beach the next morning.

It stopped raining just long enough for Patrick and Donna’s “first look” before the ceremony. Lindsey photographed the moment from a balcony.

The bride and groom photos were moved indoors due to the weather, Donna and Patrick are such a beautiful couple and such troopers!

The first dance…

The next morning we were able to hit the beach for a morning after session. It was so peaceful and quiet, the only other people out were a few surfers taking advantage of the rare occurance of surfable waves in Playa del Carmen.

Wedding photojournalist Elizabeth Medina, wedding photography at the Royal in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Unforgettable! Lauren and I had a wonderful time photographing Erica and Doug’s weekend at the beautiful Barcelo Mayan Palace in the Mayan Riviera. These two make an awesome couple and had a really fun group of family and friends make the trip to Mexico to celebrate their marriage.  Erica is a graphic designer (I have had quite a few graphic designers as brides and grooms and always expect that it will make for an eye catching event!) and had applied her artistic vision all through the wedding planning. It was fun to see all the details that she had prepared, here is a little peek a the many photographs from the welcome dinner white party that was held on the beach the night before the wedding and the wedding mass the next day at the Barcelo’s Catholic chapel. Thank you Erica and Doug, it was an amazing weekend! We loved spending it with all of you! Mucho amor para siempre!

The welcome dinner was held the evening prior to the wedding. We were able to do some more casual photos of the bride and groom before heading to the party on the beach.

All the guests dressed in white for this event, the photo below is of both immediate families together, its not every day a photo op like that comes along.

Jsut a few detsils from the beach party…

The wedding day… details from the getting ready portion of the day.

Erica looked awesome, we LOVED her dress especially because it was jsut perfect for her.

It was fun to see how happy Doug was on the wedding day!

A few ophotographs from the ceremony and some group portraits on the beach, it was another very hot day, the bridesmaids and groomsmen were such troopers!

The reception was held in a beautiful French restaurant at the Barcelo Maya Palace. It was perfect for Erica and Dougs elegant destination style. This crowd know how to party, they were dancing from the very start of the reception!

Elizabeth Medina, Mexico’s premier  wedding photgrapher. Elizabeth Medina photographs destination wedding photography throughout Mexico in locations including the Mayan Riviera, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Costa Careyes, Yucatan and San Miguel de Allende.

What a wonderful day it was! Linda and John are high school sweethearts who traveled to Mexico to be married an intimate ceremony on a breathtaking beach in the Mayan Riviera. Having photographed a few weddings at the El Dorado Royale and other Karisma resorts, and knowing that Linda had planned her details very carefully I knew that it would be a beautiful event and it certainly was that! It was so much fun for Lauren and I to get to know and spend time with John and Linda, there couldn’t be a nicer couple and we felt like old friends by the time we finished up the trash the dress session the next morning! Linda and John, I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I have! Congratulations to the two of you!

Some detail photos from the getting ready portion of the day…don’t let these tranquil images fool you, Linda was a blur of perpetual motion the whole time!

A relaxed portrait of John before the ceremony.

Time for the beach ceremony…so beautiful!

One of the best details I have seen to date…Linda and John used stones inscribed with meaningful words like love, family, dream as paperweights for the ceremony programs. After the ceremony each guest threw their stone into the ocean with good wishes for the bride and groom’s new marriage.

So much love!

The reception was held at the Tucanes palapa, I wish I had 2% of this group’s dancing ability!

A few images from the TTD session the next morning…

Mayan Rivera photographer Elizabeth Medina, wedding photojournalism at the El Dorado Royale Resort, a Karisma resort in Mexico.