Photographing a wedding for friends or family is a fun and unique experience. I get to capture the joy of people I truly care about sharing the biggest day of their lives together. Knowing the people in the wedding party gives me insight into ways to interact with them and to capture their personalities. Since we come from a photojournalistic angle at Blue Spruce Wedding Photography our goal is to document not only the key events of the day but to also see the little things that make the day so special. With friends or family you have a inside perspective into the things that mean so much to the couple. Of course, we work with every couple beforehand to learn about those special little things that mean so much to them, but with a loved one there are some things you just learn by being part of their lives.
I got the opportunity to photograph the wedding of two dear friends in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico this past August. The wedding took place at the beautiful and huge!!, Iberostar Resort on the shores of the Carribean ocean. I had also previously shot their engagement session, which was a lot of fun! I prefer shooting engagement sessions at places that have sentimental meaning to the couples involved. In this case, the bride had grown up in Golden, CO., and there were locations around Golden that provided us not only amazing backgrounds but also had a place in her heart. I like to shoot at the best light of the day, which is the hour after sunrise or hour before sunset. I always like to put the best location at the end because not only is the light the warmest and beautiful before sunset, but by that time the couple has found a groove with the camera and tends to be more comfortable in front of it…
Back to the wedding in Mexico. The couple had a large amount of friends and family come with them to celebrate on the beach. I approached this wedding as I would any wedding at a church, garden, or any venue in Colorado. Just because it had a laid back feel attributed to the beach and all inclusive adult drinks, this was a wedding with the same prep, first look, traditional ceremony and reception. So on this hot, humid, August day I spent 8 hours with the couple, my friends, and their family to be part of a truly gorgeous day for two wonderful people to join in marriage.
Following the wedding, my wife Tori and I took the ferry to the island of Cozumel to spend several days together enjoying the hospitality the great people of Mexico are known to provide. I definetely will jump at the next chance I get to shoot a wedding on the beautiful beaches of Mexico.
