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!

If there is one thing that this wedding photography blog has revealed to me of the years it might be just how delightful it is to be able to share a really good story. What a blessing it is to be able to communicate through imagery, especially considering how difficult it is (at least for me!) to describe with words a once in a life time experience like a wedding.  Alicia and Sean had a perfectly intimate wedding celebration, the bride and groom together in a breathtaking ancient chapel in the middle of the jungle, can it possibly get any more romantic? The days leading up to the wedding were a little bit suspenseful with Hurricane Rina off the coast of the peninsula. As it turned out the wedding day brought showers on and off, but Alicia and Sean did not let the weather dampen their spirits for one second, between the wonderful relaxed spirit of the couple and the peaceful atmosphere of the location it just could not have been more lovely. All images Lindsey and Elizabeth Medina.

Hacienda Uayamon photographer Elizabeth Medina.

Hola blog readers…  I know, I know! Long time no blog! Crazy but this month marks the five year anniversary of this little wedding photography blog! (and even more amazing the website itself has been going strong for over a decade!) Ironically we seem to have celebrated this blogging milestone by playing blog hooky, stealing extra time to work on images from some very special weddings as well as other very exciting creative projects. Jared and Wadia’s wedding is more than enough reason to pick things up. This lovely couple reside in the US but incorporated a great deal of Yucatecan charm in their wedding celebration, beginning with the welcome dinner at the Hacienda Chichi Suarez in Merida. An enormous amount of rain that fell over the weekend, however far from slowing anyone down it only seemed to add to the adventure! Wedding photography coming soon! All photographs Elizabeth and Lindsey Medina.

Here are few photographs from Wadia and Jared’s casual photo session and the hacienda welcome party that followed. Location: Hacienda Chichi Suarez, Event Coordination: Icela Cardenas, Celebra Events.

After being an extremely warm and humid afternoon the skies finally opened up and poured just as the party was to start!And no this did not stop anyone from having a fantastic time!

This is a fun share, Dany and Habib’s bride and groom photos were taken at one of our most favorite of all wedding locations, the Hacienda Uayamon in Campeche, Mexico. This historic hacienda has been restored and is operated as a boutique hotel by Starwood resorts. Quite a ways off the beaten path, the hacienda is tucked away in the lush jungle of Dany and Habib’s home state of Campeche, Mexico. Dany y Habib… de parte del equipo Medina nos encantó fotografiarlos, muchas gracias y les mandamos un enorme abrazo!

One final blog post for Alexis and Alain’s wedding, of course you know I could not resist sharing photographs from the hacienda trash the dress session! Lindsey and I great time wandering around Yucatan with Alexis and Alain! I know that from the time I first met Alexis months before the wedding she had a vision of a hacienda TTD session, it was such a pleasure to be able to see the result come to life so many months later. Alexis and Alain, congratulations and we hope to see you in back Merida in the future!

All photographs (c)2011 Lindsey and Elizabeth Medina.

Sergio and Caroline’s wedding was held at the very charming Hacienda San Jose near Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. Guests traveled from all over the world to be a part Sergio and Caroline’s hacienda celebration. Greek Orhodox ceremony was held at sunset and followed by a night of dancing under the stars on the hacienda grounds.

Here are a few of the photographs that Lauren and I captured at this Yucatan wedding.  Bridal preparation and portriats on the terrace of the hacienda prior to the ceremony:

Caroline’s father checking on the weather… Caroline and Sergio had a rainbow but fortunately no rain!

Last minute groom preparations and the happy couple’s “first look”…

Clear skies and time for the ceremony near the hacienda’s fountain with the lovely chapel as a background.

Amazing, amazing, amazing… possibly the most overused adjective in the English language! One bad habit I would like to put behind me in the new year is the overuse of this superlative. Unfortunately I will have to start tomorrow because here is no way I can avoid saying AMAZING  just a few more times in describing Karah and John’s big day! Karah and John chose a destination wedding and  the Hacienda San Jose Cholul as the wedding venue. This location is truly special, it has a very intimate scale, authentic rustic charm, and of course the incomparable local Mayan culture. Located very near my home base of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, this colorful venue has hosted some of my favorite weddings to date. The Hacienda San Jose somehow seems to attract the most amazing (oops) people and Karah and John and their whole group certainly were just that.

Karah and John’s choice of colors really complemented the location and the team from Baku Events did an amazing outstanding job with the wedding set up.

After finishing up with photos Karah and John joined their guests at the cocktail hour held near the pool, I loved being able to capture the quiet moment when they walked down the path to meet their friends and family.

One thing I love about this hacienda is the way the spaces visually separate. The walk from the pool area to the garden area area where dinner and dancing took place had a very dramatic and beautiful ambiance.

Fotografia de boda, Hacienda San Jose, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.

Walking on sunshine. Woa-o…  If wedding photo sessions had soundtracks I am pretty sure that’s what would have been playing during Ana Cristina and Rodrigo’s wedding day photo shoot at the Hacienda Chichi Suarez in Merida, Yucatan. Lindsey and I were blessed with an unbeatable trifecta… a delightfully happy, ultra low maintenance couple,  one of my favorite playgrounds, the hacienda Chichi Suarez and to top it off plenty of time on a fall day that could not have been more divine.

It didn’t surprise me for a minute that these two even had rainbows without a rain cloud in sight! Rodrigo y Ana Cristina, muchas felicidades!

The first look, bride and groom arrived at the same time in separate cars, it was so fun to see them so thrilled to meet up as bride and groom and get their day rolling.

Mexico photographer Elizabeth Medina is Mexico’s premier wedding photojournalist, covering weddings in the Merida, Campeche the Yucatan Peninsula and throughout Mexico.

Viva Mexico, viva Hacienda las Trancas and of most of all viva Tobias and Veronica!  Located in Hidalgo Mexico in a village between the charming and historic cities of San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato, this hacienda has an energy that I find entirely magical.  Tobias (who is also a wedding photographer!) and Veronica hail from the  US Midwest but seemed beautifully at home, I loved being able to add these photographs to their family history.

One of my very favorite wedding venues, a couple who could not have been more relaxed and happy, a fun, emotional group of family and friends…this wedding weekend seemed to flow. It was a real treat to get to know Amy and Matt. We started off with a very informal mini photo session before their rooftop welcome dinner at La Posadita restaurant in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato. The next day the action took place at the amazing Hacienda Las Trancas. I have photographed some fantastic weddings over the past years at Las Trancas and have to say that it never gets old! Well actually the hacienda is already really, really old, but somehow I am always surprised to discover something new each and every time I visit.  I can’t say enough about this very special piece of Mexico and the hacienda’s staff of local people who care so personally for each of its guests.

Feliz aniversario Amy y Matt! We hope the photographs bring back lots of happy memories!

The next one is Lindsey’s, it is one of my favorites because it really seems to me to capture Matt and Amy together.

Amy seems to pretty much be laughing and smiling all the time, but I was happy to be able to capture more serious portraits as well.

A few photographs from the welcome dinner festivities…

The sunset was amazing.

The wedding day… at the one and only Hacienda las Trancas, Hidalgo, Mexico.

The following image is one of my favorite photographs ever.

The next two images from the first look are from my camera and Lindsey’s respectively. If you take a good look at the left side of the first image you will see that we also had some very discreet back up by both of the moms!

Amy presented each of the mothers with the flowers they would carry down the aisle prior to the beginning of the ceremony, thank goodness for waterproof mascara!

Mexico Hacienda Wedding, San Miguel de Allende wedding photography by Mexico’s premier wedding photographer Elizabeth Medina.

Maybe it has to do with lunchtime being almost here, but I can’t help but thinking of Ky and Cody’s destination wedding in Mexico as just plain delicious. So much yummy color and texture and of course such a sweet, sweet couple! It is no secret by now that I am always delighted to have the Hacienda Uayamon as my photographic playground. What is a little hard for me to wrap my brain around is the idea that I have the privilege to be photographing amazing couples who have found, chosen and traveled long distances to such a remote location after falling in love with it through the photographs on this very blog. Ky and Cody, I appreciate so much all you did to make the hacienda wedding a reality, I loved spending the day with the two of you and your families, thank you so much for appreciating my vision and  letting me be part of your wedding.

Ky looked amazing…

The “first look” brought on a few tears.

We were able to do quite a bit of photography of the bride and groom around the grounds of the hacienda.

Gotta love all the color and how it “popped” against the backdrop of the rustic hacienda walls.

Cody spotted this little ‘tortulita” sitting quietly right above the spot where we were photographing.

Bride and groom taking a little break…

The ceremony was held in the ruins of the chapel, I think this site is simply magical.

The reception was set up in the hacienda grounds, and of course the use of color was again evident.

I love the next image of the intimate dinner served under the giant Ceiba tree, it really evokes to me of how it felt to be there.

Elizabeth Medina is Mexico´s premier wedding photographer. Specializing in destination weddings she covers events in Yucatan, Campeche, Mayan Riviera, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, San Miguel de Allende and throughout Mexico.

Vern and Andrea are an awesome couple who traveled from New York to be married in two unique and  beautiful ceremonies at the very lovely Hacienda Petac near Merida, Yucatan which were coordinated beautifully by our friend Colleen Casey-Leonard. The details and ambiance of this wedding were really quite special. I really think that the Hacienda Petac is a perfect spot for an adventurous couple planning a destination wedding a little bit off the beaten path. We were excited to discover this location!

This wedding was photographed by Lindsey, I was fortunate to be able to go along and help out as her bag carrying assistant/second shooter. After all the years we have been shooting together it was great to have the tables turned at this wedding, having never actually had the opportunity to assist or second shoot before I found the experience very freeing.

I loved Lindsey’s image of Andrea as she walked through the hacienda to meet up with Vern prior to the ceremony. Wow!

Photographs of bride and groom around the hacienda prior to the ceremony…this hacienda is truly one of the most beautiful in Yucatan. It is very intimate and has an extremely peaceful atmosphere. Vern and Adrea were able to reserve the entire hacienda for their group, how amazing is that?

The next shot is mine, since I knew the bride and groom were in good hands I was able to have some fun photographing around the hacienda. Yucatan and its people are so special, it is wonderful to live is such a unique location.

The first ceremony was an authentic Mayan ceremony performed by a  Mayan Xaman. It was held under an enormous Ceiba tree at sunset, very fitting because that tree figures prominently in the local Mayan culture.

The second ceremony was held by candle light in the hacienda’s chapel and was very beautiful as well.

Lindsey Medina, destination wedding photographer, hacienda wedding photography in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.

I hope to be forgiven for a blog post heavy in both wedding day detail photographs and superlatives. I met Zach and Lolita several months prior to the wedding when they came to Merida, Mexico for a site visit to their wedding venue, the Hacienda Xcanatun. I was delighted to be able to meet “my” bride and groom in person and very excited knowing their celebration would take place not only in Merida but at one of my very favorite destination wedding locations!

For those who might be unfamiliar, Yucatan’s haciendas are true hidden gems, as former plantations they are incredible historic sites, very unique to this part of the Peninsula and not found in the Mayan Riviera or Tulum, areas that have been developed recently. Xcanatun dates from the XVIII century and is now a wonderful boutique hotel, it is charming and intimate with an upscale feel, and was the perfect setting for this very lovely wedding. Zach and Lolita, Lindsey and I wish you all the very best! Felicidades a los dos!

Lolita on her way to meet her groom for a “first look” and bride and groom photgraphs on the grounds of Hacienda Xcanatun, these two are so great together!

The backdrop of the ceremony was the hacienda chapel, it was very peaceful and beautiful.

The dinner reception was held on the hacienda’s outdoor terrace. Zach and Lolita had music all throughout the evening, an orchestra accompanied the ceremony followed by a traditional Yucatecan trio (perfect for the location and ambience!) and finally after dinner a local salsa band had the guests on their feet!

Lindsey and I were able to “escape” the reception for a few minutes with Zach and Lolita for a few nigh time photos…

Wedding photographer based in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, Elizabeth Medina photographs weddings in Yucatan, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Cancun, the Maya Riviera, Tulum, San Miguel de Allende and throughout Mexico, with a relaxed, natural and expressive style.