I had been looking forward to photographing at the JW Marriott in CanCun, this was my first wedding there and I had seen pictures of the resort’s wedding gazebo, I was curious about how it would look in real life, and how it would photograph. The day was full of surprises. Things started out unbelievably hot and humid, and just about an hour before the ceremony we were hit by a huge tropical thunderstorm that had people running to take cover. The show went on though and Magda and Jaime were able to have the gazebo wedding they had planned, although we all got rained on a bit for good luck. The third surprise was that after the ceremony the weather cleared and we were able to have the photo session on the beach as planned. I was delighted with the images of the “novios” from that surprise session! Magda and Jaime were an absolutely wonderful couple to work with, I could not have enjoyed the day more.

Magdas’s first photographs in her wedding dress…

The JW Marriott gazebo, looked amazing decked out in Callah lilies.

The wedding vows…

All the guests wore white.

Relaxed portraits on the Cancun beach.

Wedding photojournalist Elizabeth Medina, wedding photography at JW Marriott, CanCun, Mexico. Elizabeth Medina is a destination wedding photographer located in Yucatan, Mexico and available for commission throughout Mexico and internationally.

For those unfamiliar with Mexico, San Miguel de Allende is located very far from the Yucatan Peninsula where I live. The landscape, architecture, history and even the light are very different in the two places. Erin and Jim chose to be married in the historic Hacienda Las Trancas in the countryside between Dolores Hidalgo and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. It was a beautiful, intimate celebration and I felt so fortunate to be able to document the wedding, as well as photograph Erin and Jim more informally in the colorful town of San Miguel de Allende. ¡Felicidades Erin y Jim!

I arrived from the airport just in time for this relaxed portrait session near the main square of San Miguel de Allende.

The people passing by thought that Erin and Jim were models, they were so surprised to hear that they would be getting married in a few days!

The wedding day…the weather could not have been more perfect.

Pre ceremony…

I have never really been into roses, but I think Erin made me a believer. They were AMAZING.

I loved this shot of the guys in the hacienda corridor.

Jim waiting for his first glimpse of Erin as a bride.

The ceremony was held in the hacienda’s courtyard, so beautiful.

A quiet moment before the fiesta.

July 7, 2007 was a big day for weddings, and it really was a lucky date for me, because I was able to work with a fabulous couple on a gorgeous sunny day in the Maya Riviera. Catherine and John planned their wedding on a private beach in Playacar, with the reception to follow at the Riu Palace Resort. Here are a few images form that special day…

The ceremony site in Playacar.

Catherine asked her friends to dress in the colors of the ocean..I love it!

The first dance…

Another first dance…this photograph really spoke to me.

Elizabeth Medina Photography, wedding photojournalism in the Riviera Maya and throughout Mexico. Rui Palace, Playacar, Mexico destination wedding photography.

Alejandra and Jorge came to see me about photographing their sunset ceremony on the Gulf coast of Yucatan more than a year ago, and we walked the beach where the ceremony was to be held. While I envisioned a beautiful beach ceremony in this very special place the actual event was beyond my wildest dreams. What could be better than photographing such a happy couple, in the midst of so much beauty, love and good times?

Paradise…

I loved the contrast in texture between the rough palm bark and the very clean design of the rings.

This was one of the most beautiful ceremonies I have witnessed.

The bride and groom make their grand entrance into the reception.

This has to be my favorite dessert photograph ever…ice cream in a coconut shell, I love it!

The first dance was spectacular.

Parent dance, what a moment to capture.

I am fortunate to have known Lauren since she was young and so was very happy to be able to meet her fiancée, Byron, and to photograph first an engagement session on the beach at Uaymitun last summer and then a year later the wedding in Mérida. I hope their photographs will be a real legacy for their new family, telling the story of the life that they are starting together, and bringing back happy memories for a long, long time. Congratulations, Byron and Lauren, and may you continue to be blessed in your life together.

Beach photo session, summer 2006.

Last minute wedding day preparations, the weather got very, very dark and windy about this time, I was sure it would rain, but amazingly the sky completely cleared and it was a beautiful evening!

The ¨novios¨decided to see each other before the ceremony and I was able to “hide” and photograph from a distance the moment when they first greeted each other before the ceremony.

A few moments during the ceremony.

Lauren and Byron’s first dance as husband and wife. I love the way both of their rings are together in this photograph.

Reception fun…

It almost wouldn’t be a wedding in Mexico without Mariachis. They even serenaded Lauren and Byron as they made their exit from the ballroom.

I hope I am not overloading my blog with images, it is so hard to edit all the photographs from a full day’s wedding coverage into a reasonable number! Sara and Neil were married a the Shangri La Caribe in Playa del Carmen, I felt very honored to have been chosen to document the wedding, especially when I saw the care that Sara had put into choosing each and every detail. The Shangri La Caribe had been on my short list of venues where I would like to photograph and it did not disappoint, I really enjoyed the vibe there…relaxed but beautiful. Sara and Neil, thank you for letting me be a part of your day, and congratulations to you both.

I have to mention the flowers…the color was incredible, absolutely perfect for the theme of the wedding.

Getting into a wedding dress can be a little tricky!

Sara dn her girls looking gorgeous.

I love the little bungalows on the beach at the Shangri La Caribe, this one had a little spot that was perfect for the “novios”.

Sara and Neil had a few moments alone before the ceremony.

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A few moments from the the beach wedding ceremony.

Drinks by the pool, so tropical…

It rained for just a few minutes and when it stopped the sky and ocean were amazing.

A few photographs from the reception.

Wedding photojournalism by Mexico wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina at Playa del Carmen, Mexico in the Maya Riviera.

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.

Russell and Brit were a fabulous couple to work with…I could tell Russ was a sweetheart when I saw the note he had left for Brit before the wedding made out of bracelets and necklaces! Brit was very beautiful and sweet and I could tell immediately that they are crazy about each other! It was so much fun to catch the spontaneous, joyous moments between the two of them. What more could a wedding photographer hope for? Muchas felicidades Brit and Russell!

It looked like rain right up until the time of the ceremony, so the ceremony was held in an alternate location, fortunatley the weather cleared up and we were able to photograph outdoors afterwards.

Brit wore a mermaid style dress, the train bustled in the coolest way!

The reception location was one of the loveliest I have seen, the palapa was very open and had a breathtaking view of the ocean. The sky cleared completely to reveal an amazing full moon.

Playa del Carmen wedding photography by international wedding photojournalist Elizabeth Medina.

During the planning stages for her marriage to Mark at the Excellence Resort Denise’s emails never failed to brighten my day, they were always cheerful and full of funny little comments. It was great to meet Mark and see that he had such a similar sense of humor and fun, they are a great couple to spend time with! Unfortunately, about an hour before the ceremony the weather took a turn for the worse and the beach ceremony that had been planned all along was not possible, it was pouring rain! Everyone took it in stride and fortunately the weather improved just in time for our planned day after or “trash the dress” session the next morning. Denise was my first “two dress” bride, I loved that! I think both dresses probably got wet…one in the rain on the wedding day and one when Mark threw her in the water. Thank you for everything Denise and Mark!

The day after session..

I lvoed this wall, the black an white photographs there are spectacular with all that texture.

I thought this image was so peaceful…

Denise and Mark wanted some photographs in the spot where the ceremony was originally planned.

Finally it was time to throw the bride in the water!

Having written back adn forth with Gladys for a few months before the wedding I knew a little about her, for example that she was in a visual, creative, profession, and that she was hoping for colorful, artistic photographs of the wedding she was planning in Playa del Carmen. It was great fun seeing how she put her creativity to use in planning a very special wedding to be enjoyed with the guests that had traveled to Playa del Carmen. ¡Muchas felicidades a una pareja lindísima!

A few pre ceremony getting ready shots…

Gladys and Carlton decided to see each other before the ceremony which allowed me to photograph these very special moments when they met.

I thought the groomsmen looked like something out of a movie as they walked up.

The ring bearer was a little shy, but his colors weren’t!

I loved the bridesmaid’s colors!

A moment during the ocean front ceremony at the Royal Porto Real Resort’s gazebo.

One of my favorite parts of the event was when the wedding party walked down Playa del Carmen’s 5th Avenue (la Quinta), while being serenaded by a trio. I later found out that Carlton used to play football and Gladys runs marathons..they seemed to move very quickly, but of course I was running backwards and photographing with two cameras most of the time!

The reception was as the Yaxche restaurant. Yaxche is very cool because the open air banquet area it looks just like a Mayan ruin. I loved it that Gladys used one of my photographs from Guatemala for her save the date and place cards.

It’s hard to know what to say about this wedding…other than the fact that it could not have been more beautiful and that there could not be a nicer and happier couple than Mallory and Matt, It was inspirational to be around them, and their joy and that of their families and friends was contagious. It was hard to stop smiling! Thank you so much for allowing me to photograph the wedding!

The festivities included a welcome dinner the night before the wedding, I was happy to be able to get some casual photographs of Mallory and Matt on the grounds of the El Dorado Royale.

Mallory before the ceremony.

The ceremony was held in the chapel, which was perfect for the size of the congregation.

After the ceremony a golf cart took us to a beautiful natural area to do some photography of the bride and groom.

In the months leading up to Jackie and Don’s Cozumel wedding I got to know Jackie quite well through her emails and I could tell that she and Don would be having a fun, informal beach wedding, surrounded by a large group of family and friends. They decided to see each other before the ceremony which was great, I was able to photograph the emotional moments when they first saw each other, and we were able to do the photographs around the grounds of the Meliá without Jackie and Don missing out on any of the reception.
Jackie and Don, thank you for making us feel so welcome and congratulations to the both of you!

This bridal photograph was taken on a balcony outside of the room where Jackie and her girls got ready…I love how all the bright yellow (which you may have guessed is one of my favorite colors) bounced of the walls and gave such a warm glow to the image.

Anyone who has been to the Yucatan Penninsula knows that hammocks are everywhere! This is one of my favorite hammock shots so far!

A few moments during the ceremony.

Mariachis of course!

I love how the sun sets over the water in in Cozumel.

The reception was held just a few steps from the site of the ceremony, it started indoors and ended with dancing on the beach.

Cozumel wedding photography by Mexico wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina, Meliá Resort, Cozumel, Mexico.

I was really excited when Jen contacted me about photographing their wedding, since it would be my first wedding in Puerto Vallarta. Finally April 20 rolled around, and I was even more thrilled, Puerto Vallarta is amazing, Playa Fiesta is a very high spirited venue devoted exclusively to destination weddings and Mike and Jen are as beautiful, and laid back a couple as a photographer could hope for. Here are just a few images from the day….

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To see a mini slideshow freom this colorful Vallarta wedding, click here.
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Jen on her balcony at Playa Fiesta, since the resort is built into the hillside the views are spectacular…and Jen is looking pretty spectacular too!

I just loved this photograph of Jen and her mom before the ceremony.

The wedding was held on a sun deck overlooking the ocean.

The ceremony was very moving and over very quickly, I was so happy to be able to be able to captue the panoramic view as well as the close ups.

Each guest had a set of maracas to celebrate the marriage. ¡qué buena idea!

Jen and Mike after the wedding ceremony.

Jen and her girls…

La cerveza…

Playa Fiesta is so pretty at night, the dance floor is actually a bridge.

Yes, there was a burro at the reception! I have photographed a lot of weddings in Mexico, but that was a first for me.

Puerto Vallarta wedding photography at the Playa Fiesta Resort, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, all photographs by Mexico wedding photojournalist Elizabeth Medina.