R + R - A Cozumel, Mexico Destination Wedding
Imagine having a destination wedding that’s a week long. And not only are you traveling by plane, but by ship to your beautiful destination wedding location. That’s exactly what Richard & Roma did. And lucky us, they chose us as their destination wedding photographers.
A Disney Proposal + Engagement Shoot
Their love for Disney once brought us on an all day scavenger hunt at Disneyland. Richard dropped hints at key locations. He started by enlisting the help of another Disneygoer, who was more than happy to participate. And it only made sense that they’d decide to have a Disneyland engagement session.
The Wedding Week
Yes, friend. A whole. Wedding. Week. And it all happened on a Carnival Cruise from Miami to Key West to Cozumel and back. With the people they love and treasure the most. Every evening is like it’s own mini party and every day is time to connect with family and friends you haven’t seen in longer than you care to admit. R + R chose a cruise so their whole family could enjoy a vacation together and be pampered.
Embarkment Day
Did you guys know that cruises are just 24 hour parties on the water?! I had no idea! Its crazy! The first day was all about boarding. We run into R + R ready to embark and we head in the direction of all the loud music. R + R packed up a few essentials for us and left them in our room along with an itinerary for the week. As soon as we hit the open sea, we meet up with R + R’s cousin who is also getting married soon and shoot a quick engagement shoot.
A Day in Key West
The streets of Key West are colorful and vibrant, just as I imagined it would be. Full of gorgeous, thriving plants whose cousins are barely surviving living with me. R + R grab a few drinks, set off on the town searching in nicks and crannies and finding historical gems everywhere.
Rehearsal Dinner + Night Out
Tonight we all gather in the great dining room together to enjoy a fancy night out dressed to the nines. All of us enjoy a dinner and a show and while there’s isn’t a technical rehearsal, it’s still rehearsal for all of us getting together the next day. Once we’ve all finished dinner, we take some time out to change and head off to the piano bar where we request songs all night long and sing old hits at the top of our lungs around the piano.
The Wedding Day
It’s their wedding day and while the ship is all quiet, the day begins early for R + R and their family who have first dibs on disembarkment to get to their Cozumel island wedding venue.
Getting Ready
The bride and groom gather with their respective parties to have a getting ready party that is simply fit for these two avid vacationers. R does her own make up. Her cousins, brother, and dad stop in with a little chaos and prep and in the in-between moments, she’s taking in the quiet of her room and balcony and taking her time getting ready. Meanwhile, down the hall, R takes shots with his twin brother, throw on their fits and get ready to disembark without seeing the bride.
The Journey
Disembarkment is a little crazy, but we get through the crowds quickly with the wedding parties. R + R are separated the groom’s side with Papi, the bride’s side with me. We have taken a 30 minute head start to get off the ship and head for a taxi to take us to the car rentals where we’ve rented Jeeps to do a little sightseeing for their first look.
First Look
On the way, Papi and I are keeping in touch to make sure they don’t catch up with us and accidentally run up on us. Papi takes this as, let’s stop at a road side bar for drinks and cool photos. While me and the ladies wait at the southern most point of the island in preparation for the first look.
Cozumel Ceremony
Their sandy venue welcomes R + R and their guests for their Catholic ceremony. R’s brother delivers their ceremony with the intimacy that only a brother could convey. Their families participate happily, sometimes at the point of tears in joining the two together for a life full of happiness. They bless them, pray over them, and dance with them on the shores of Cozumel, far away from home. Once their ceremony is complete they walk directly to their cocktail hour where the mariachi band serenades them and commences the party. Everyone grabs drinks, photos with the happy couple on the beach, and indulge in some quick apps before dinner officially begins.
Cocktail Hour
The couple makes their way to directly into their cocktail hour with all of their family, friends, and a mariachi ready to receive them with a drink in hand. We take some time to take some group photos, dance, and
Reception
R + R are ready for a party so they head off to the reception area and start with a quick shot before they head in for their first dance. R is an emotional groom and cries on his bride’s shoulder so happy to take in the moment. Their families toast to their love stories and lives together. The sun begins to set and the couple take a moment to walk on the beach with the bridal party missing waves by millimeters. And once it’s dark the real party starts and everyone gets down on the dance floor.
At the end of the night, R + R head back to the ship, look at each other and take a deep sigh knowing what a great time they’ve spent by getting their families together on a ship.
Final Thoughts
If you’re wondering if a destination wedding is for you, ask yourselves the following questions:
Do my family and friends like to travel?
If you’re considering bringing your folks with you, it’s a question worth asking, especially because you’re looking to bring them with you and that takes logistics for this task.
Can they hang?
This is important because not everybody can get on a ship or deal with the logistical parts of travel. If not, elope internationally (if that’s one of your goals) and throw a party at home later. Logistically, this will not work with people who don’t travel and can’t hang with the pace of an international destination wedding.
A cruise destination wedding is one of the easier ways to have a destination wedding. Everybody is in the same place which makes it easiest for everyone to be together, spend intentional time together and still be able to retreat to your own spaces and itineraries.
R + R made it special and brought everyone with them along for the ride. They enjoyed all the amenities of the ship with and without their families, spending extra alone time when needed.
Built for You Destination Wedding Packages
Full international elopement planning
Personalized international elopement guide
Questionnaires, vendor recommendations, permitting, and client portal access.
Unlimited planning and access to your elopement team.
We’ll be your defacto tour guides for all things PNW.
Ceremony Services
Officiant services by Pop Andrini.
Marriage license guidance.
Custom ceremony.
Photography
From 8-16 hours of professional photography coverage by Mari Andrini.
Drone footage (location and weather permitting).
Sneak peeks within 48 hours.
All Light Preserves on a secure online gallery.
