Jillian Mitchell Photography | Destination Wedding Photographer | Puerto Vallarta | Mexico | New England | Worldwide

It’s very rare that I get to do engagements sessions down here in my hood so when Christi contact me and not only wanted an engagement session, but also wanted it to be styled I was thrilled! She and Taylor came down to do scouting for their wedding in Puerto Vallarta this May and I convinced them to drive up the coast to do the shoot in Sayulita. They were a little hesitant at first, but agreed. It went amazing and I just have to include some of Christi’s thoughts on the shoot since they touched me oh so much.

Her words, “My fiancé and I began the arduous task of planning a destination wedding in January of this year.  Destination weddings are easy breezy, right?  Perhaps for the laissez-faire, hands-off bride.  For a bride that is hands on, like the let-me-do-it-myself me, finding the perfect dynamic was an anxiety-filled road.

Then I found Jillian Mitchell’s Web site, a wedding photographer based out of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  I knew photography was the most important piece of my wedding, so I had planned to interview photographers in the states and bring the best one with us – wherever we decided to get married.  Jill 180-ed that plan with a few page-clicks through her gallery.   I suddenly knew we were getting married in PV; I suddenly knew there’d be no need for interviewing state-side photographers.

So you have to assume.  When I realized we’d have an opportunity to meet Jill in Mexico prior to our wedding and actually do an engagement shoot with her, I was over the moon.  And she did not disappoint.  These photos were taken in Sayulita, a small town about 30 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta.  Sayulita is the kind of place where time really does slow down, where sipping in the air off the coastline really is medicine for your insides.  It’s a bohemian inspired surfer town in an all-things-vintage-Mexican-kinda-way.  It’s charming. It’s endearing.  And Jill captures it perfectly.

Jill stole my heart.  Sayulita stole my heart.   I think my fiancé would be jealous, except he’s too focused on channeling his inner surfer when we return for our wedding in May…..”

Design by Nierica of Sea of Dreams and all items are handmade by her except for the hearts and silk birds which were made by Vero Bruera.

Jerod proposed to Kristen on a sailboat in Vallarta Bay. He told her they had won the trip from the airline to keep it undercover and I was given an official t-shirt from the crew to blend in. It was a little odd at first only taking photos from a distance under the preface that I was taking photos for Charter Dreams, the group whose sailboat we were on. I totally thought Kristen knew what was going on, but then he popped the question and it was clear that she was completely unaware. After that I was free to take photos as I pleased, but you would not believe how hard it is to take photos on a moving sailboat. In choppy waters no less. I and Kristen both came incredibly close to falling over, but in her defense she did have a broken foot. I on the other hand was just an idiot. I was literally saved by the rope along the edge and all I could see for days was my d700 floating in the ocean.

Deni contacted me the second week of January with a slightly different request. He was going to propose to his girlfriend Kate on the beach in Sayulita and wanted me to document the event. And there had to be Mariachi. Needless to say I was excited. And nervous. Unfortunately the weekend before he proposed the swell was huge and ate away at the beach in Sayulita. They even closed the road to put all of the pangas (fishing boats) out of the waves’ reach. So we switched it up and moved things to Villa Amor where they were staying. I had to be incognito in an area where you can’t necessarily be so incognito with two huge cameras on your back. But it worked! Kate had no idea that I was snapping away while Deni popped the question and then I was finally able to come out of hiding to get some shots of the newly engaged couple!

the ring…

I love these next few…

Mariachi!!!

This is probably my favorite from the day. This kid was so cute he couldn’t have been older than fifteen tops.

Kate’s eyes are absolutely stunning. She was so easy to photograph.