I met Shana and Ryan through mutual friends.  We hung out one evening, and just casually talking, I found out that they were planning a wedding…in Mexico.  My brain went from “relax and have some wine” mode to “I’ve got to get this gorgeous girl to take me with her” mode. No joke. Lucky for me, that mutual friend, kept reminding Shana that I was an ‘amazing photographer’ and that she would be silly not to take me with her (THANK YOU Hillary!).  When I got the email from Shana that she wanted me to make the trip,  I was over the moon! We started planning, talking about details, and finalizing just what she wanted.  As it got closer and closer, I got more nervous about flying with camera gear, going through customs, and my first trip out of the US.  Shana set my nerves at ease, and reminded me that this was technically a vacation with friends, and there just happened to be a wedding on the beach while we were there.

After we landed, we got stopped and questioned in customs. Scary! But everything was ok, and we made it through in time for our cab ride to the resort. When we arrived at the resort, I was immediately struck by the beauty. Everywhere we looked were intricate details and bright colors.  But that wasn’t why we made the trip, as cool as it was.

The weather leading up to the weekend was a bit cloudy, and a little bit cooler than we thought Mexico would be.  However, the morning of the wedding dawned gorgeous! Lots of sun and that ocean breeze that everyone loves. Watching Shana get ready with her best girls, her mom, and her future mother in law was so sweet.  These ladies LOVE Shana and were there to make her day as amazing as it could be. My sweet hubby was hanging out with the boys in a super cool rooftop suite, enjoying the view.  As it got closer to time for the wedding, I got more and more excited. Seeing the final details come together and seeing the jaw dropping ceremony site was incredible. I could have photographed them on the beach ALL day long.

Ryan and Shana have the most incredible personalities.  Shana is stunningly beautiful, and you can obviously see that in the photos.  Her smile could light up a room, and her sweet demeanor wins everyone over! Ryan on the other hand…is a handful.  There’s no guessing how he feels about having his picture taken (and I couldn’t resist sharing some of those!), but he couldn’t help but smile when he looked at his beautiful bride. Don’t get me wrong. Ryan is one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met, and his laugh is infectious.  But I think it’s safe to say, you’ve got a limited amount of time to have a camera pointed at him! Ryan and Shana…THANK YOU for allowing me to travel with you guys, and to photograph the most important day of your lives.  I can’t imagine anyone else that I would have wanted my first international wedding to be with!

Take a look at some of Shana and Ryan’s wedding photos below…and start planning your Mexico wedding.  When you’re ready to pick a photographer…remember that I LOVE traveling!