Bianca and Lyle, a Mexico destination wedding at Mil Amores in Tulum
Bianca and Lyle brought their families to Mil Amores in Tulum for a true Mexico destination wedding. Open jungle, a beach ceremony, and a reception with Mayan dancers that turned into one of the loudest receptions I have shot. A short note on what a destination wedding actually means for the photography side, then the gallery.
What a destination wedding looks like on the photography side
Destination weddings are not just regular weddings in a prettier place. The timeline is different, the light is different, and the gallery skews more toward landscape and culture frames than a Philadelphia ballroom wedding ever would. For Bianca and Lyle, I traveled with the wedding party for several days, so the coverage starts earlier than a typical wedding day and the editing leans into the Tulum color palette, jungle greens, ocean blues, candle-lit reception warm tones. I run my destination weddings the same way I run my Philadelphia weddings, with a second photographer when the budget allows, and I cap at fifteen weddings a year so destinations actually fit on the calendar.
Bianca and Lyle had an amazing Mexico destination wedding in Tulum, Mexico and Mil Amores. Mil Amores used to be an old drug smuggling site with ties to Pablo Escobar. There are even hidden passageways throughout the site used for smuggling or quick getaways. Leanne Marie Weddings planned the event and organized everything for the day. They had a beautiful beach ceremony. I find it funny how people just run right behind them during the ceremony to finish their beach workouts. At least none of the topless beach goers walked behind Lyle and Bianca. The party that evening or shall we say the last party of the week was awesome. Lyle had two friends from NY that are professional DJs that were off the hook. The shots were flying and they did not stop dancing until 2:37am. We did a few excursions with them the next day that I will post on my site later the next week.
This was the view from the suite she got ready in.
Bianca’s necklace was handmade by one of her friends.
The mariachi band during the ceremony and cocktail hours were amazing.
Bianca’s mother as she let go of her daughter’s hand to begin the ceremony.
Yea dude, that is a wedding going on….
DJ Shane was working the turntables.
Bianca’s aunt serenaded her with a song and their friend played acoustic guitar.
The Mayan dancers were amazing. They did a thirty minute routine. I have to say what they did looked way harder than even P90X ;)
DJ Ralph did a little breaking later in the evening.
Planning a destination, Philadelphia, or Jersey Shore wedding?
If you are working through a destination wedding or you are still picking between a beach and a city venue, I keep a working list of the best Philadelphia wedding venues and the best Jersey Shore wedding venues. Real venues, real notes. Get in touch if you want to talk through your day. Twenty plus years in, five hundred plus weddings, fifteen on the books a year.