July 21st, 2008
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.
Tags: Catholic Weddings, Destination wedding photography, Elizabeth Medina, mariachis, Mexico Weddings, Playa del Carmen, Playa del Carmen wedding photography
Posted in Catholic Weddings, Destination Weddings, Locations, Playa del Carmen Weddings, Riviera maya wedding photography, The Royal Weddings |
July 11th, 2008
Wedding planning can be so complicated, especially at a distance. Jennifer wrote me an email before the wedding that said basically that the only thing she was sure of was that it was going to be a beautiful day. And it truly was! And so much fun as I think you should be able tell from the photographs! Lindsey and I had said just the night before that we thought it would be nice to photograph a bride with a cute short haircut…how astonishing to arrive at Azul Beach the next day and meet a gorgeous bride who fit that description perfectly! Jen and Fred make such a great pair, and were so nice to work with, it was a pleasure to photograph the moments that made up their high spirited, once in a lifetime Mexico wedding! Come to think of it, I think we also hoped for sunshine….and there was definitely plenty of that! Not to mention unforgettable tropical color! Thank you Jen and Fred!
The very colorful ceremony location. The ocean and sky could not have been more beautiful than on this summer day.
A light moment during the vows, Jen’s maid of honor was a big help when the wind picked up!
Once one bridesmaid teared up it was over for all of them!
Ok, this is a bit random….I would love to know what was said!
The decisive moment, bridal party edition…Lindsey (first shot) and I (the following shot) clicked the shutter at just the same time!
A few details from the cocktail hour and wedding reception.
Working on the playlist…
There were many emotional special dances, here is the mother-daughter dance.
This has never happened to me before…I was photographing a quick party picture of Fred hugging his mom and aunt…I was not expecting this to happen!
Elizabeth Medina, is a destination wedding photographer, based in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and photographing weddings in the Maya Riviera, Cancun, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres and Tulum areas as well as Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, San Miguel de Allende and throughout Mexico. Azul Beach is a Karisma Resort located in the Riviera Maya.
Posted in Azul Beach Weddings, Beach Weddings, Destination Weddings, Locations, Maya Riviera Weddings, Riviera maya wedding photography |
July 5th, 2008
This was such an amazing couple to photograph! I so often hear the comment that I get to photograph in all the most beautiful locations. Whenever I hear that I can’t thinking #1 Yes, that is true! And I certainly hope my eye does justice to it all! and #2 (since I am a wedding photojournalist and not a landscape photographer) It is my privilege to photograph the most wonderful PEOPLE on one of the happiest days of their lives, in a lovely setting….now there is something worth documenting!
I am sure that Galit and Steve would have had a wonderful wedding anywhere, their happiness and admiration for one another set the tone for a very special day of celebration with family and friends. That they were able to travel to the Maya Riviera for a Mexico wedding just made it all the more special.
Thank you Galit and Steve it was such a joy for us to spend time with the two of you! Congratulations to you both!
Its great for the photography when the couple decides to be photographed together before the ceremony. Galit met Steve in a location we had scouted earlier. He had plenty of time standing in the hot sun to think about things….I loved his expression when she walked down the path and he turned around for the “first look” at his bride.
There were 9 bridesmaids and 9 groomsmen! Here are the girls…
I am happy to have captured this photograph, there is nothing like the moment when the beautiful bride makes her entrance.
The chuppah was very unique and beautiful.
The ceremony was set up in the round with guests on sides of the chuppah. I love the tradition of the bride and groom entering with their parents and standing with their immediate families through out the wedding.
Another look at the ceremony site…
A few quite moments between the bride and groom after the ceremony, the photographs from that private time were some of my favorites if the day.
Reception details…
First dance…
I love the dancing of the Horah!
The toasts…
We had planned a “trash the dress session” the next morning, we started at 6 am to catch the sunrise. I think it was worth it!
The resort has a little pyramid which seems to be defended by millions of tiny bugs… my hat is off to the bride for not totally freaking out when her dress was filled with them.
Time to cool off! The best part of a trash the dress session!
Elizabeth Medina is a wedding photographer located in Yucatan, Mexico, photographing weddings in the Maya Riviera and throughout Mexico. her specialty is wedding photojournalism and she is a member of the Wedding Photojournalism Association, WPJA.
Posted in Beach Weddings, Destination Weddings, Grand Occidental Xcaret Weddings, Locations, Riviera maya wedding photography, Trash the Dress Photographs |
June 24th, 2008
I met Jen and Royce a full year ago when they came to the Riviera Maya to plan the wedding and scout locations. Hearing Jen and Royce talk about their plans I could tell they had a clear vision of the wedding day, planning a chic beach ceremony incorporating elements of the local Mayan culture to be celebrated with family and friends. Once I made it past the interview process (just kidding, Royce!), I felt like a valued member of the Royce-Jen team and was thrilled to see how vision became a reality on the day of the wedding.
The wedding was held at the very pampering and upscale Eurostars Blue Resort which I am predicting will be one of THE locations for next year’s destination weddings.
Wow! She looked amazing.
I love it when people point out little details that they notice, Jen’s maid of honor showed me that Jen’s face was being reflected in a small mirror on the wall, this image is a photograph of the reflection.
Jen included her grandmother’s pearls in her bouquet.
Jen and Royce had a chance to meet privately before the ceremony.
This was probably the most emotional wedding I have ever photographed. Destination weddings are probably a little more emotional than most, because they tend to be more intimate. It is common to see a bride or shed a few tears, or maybe a bridesmaid or family member. At this wedding just about everyone cried including the guests in the very last row (not to mention the photographers)! How could anyone not be touched when the groom went forward to play the guitar and sing to his bride….especially since he had learned to play the guitar in secret as a surprise for Jen! The bride and groom aslo gave a white Callah lily and hug to each family member, that was a gesture I have not seen at a ceremony and was another overwhelmingly emotional moment. I won’t go into the handwritten vows or the letter…or I will flood my keyboard right now! What a reminder of what it really is all about!
The Eursotars Blue is a little different from other resorts in the area in that it does not have a true sandy beach. I thought the pool area and this rocky overlook were just fantastic.
As a very special and unique gift Royce hand made magnets with the symbol of each guest’s birth year from the Mayan calendar.
Jen and Royce’s first dance as husband and wife, the open air dance floor was spectacular and a lounge area was set up right next to it.
The father daughter dance…
Mexico wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina specializes in wedding photojournalism. She photogrpahs weddings in tulum, the Maya Riviera, Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Merida, yucatan and throughout Mexico, includieng Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and San Miguel de Allende Mexico.
Posted in Beach Weddings, Destination Weddings, Eurostars Blue Weddings, Tulum Weddings |
June 18th, 2008
Sunamita and I had been looking forward to doing a “Trash the Dress” photo session for almost a year. (I’m not really sure if Rob was looking forward to it or not but if not he never let on!) For those who don’t know about the trash the dress concept, the idea (as I interpret it anyway) is to be able to do a photos session that is a little more free than it would be on the wedding day, since there are no time pressures or waiting wedding guests and no need to worry about maintaining a pristine dress, hair, etc. And if the bride and groom just happen to end up in the ocean in the name of art, all the better!
When Lindsey and I met Sunamita and Rob at 6 am (yes, it was early!) in time for sunrise the morning after the wedding, the weather was not encouraging. It was very dark damp and grey, I knew the sun had to be rising but it was well hidden behind the clouds. We did some photographs around the hotel (of course we had the place to ourselves the sane people were sleeping!)
Sunamita and Rob have such a special bond between them, it is obvious right away and I think the camera could not help but capture that! Thank you Sunamita and Rob for waking up so early and for being so absolutely fabulous!
Thank goodness the sun came peeking out of the clouds…and it was a beautiful morning! The storm had washed the beach completely clean, it was an amazing. The waves were still strong and we ended the session just as soaked as Sunamita and Rob!
Elizabeth Medina is a professional photographer located in Yucatan, Mexico. She specializes in wedding photojournalistic wedding photography and is a member of the WPJA, Wedding Photojournalist Association.
Tags: Beach Weddings, Elizabeth Medina, trash the dress, Trash the Dress Photographs, Tulum, Tulum Wedding Photography
Posted in Ana Y Jose Charming Hotel and Spa, Beach Weddings, Destination Weddings, Locations, Trash the Dress Photographs, Tulum Weddings |
June 18th, 2008
Photographing Sunamita and Rob’s intimate wedding ceremony on a private beach in Tulum Mexico was a true privilege. The weather was touch and go all day because of a storm front, there was quite a bit of wind and waves and it looked like rain was a real possibility. Fortunately the weather held. Tt did not rain and we had the beach all to ourselves. Even if it had rained I think Sunamita and Rob may have never even noticed, they were completely living their own moment all through the marriage ceremony. Here are a few wedding day images…stay tuned for the fabulous TRASH THE DRESS session the next morning….
Destination wedding photography in Tulum, Mexico by Mexico wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina. Elizabeth Medina specializes in wedding photojournalism and covers weddings throughout Mexico.
Posted in Ana Y Jose Charming Hotel and Spa, Beach Weddings, Locations, Tulum Weddings |
