Super Rad Wedding Photography in Mexico and Around the World!
Last week the banda and I got a chance to go see our friend Sergio and is band Zoé play in Vallarta. When I first found out that he was in a rock band four years ago I had no idea exactly how big this rock band was in Mexico.
Now it’s even bigger.
It’s crazy to see tens of thousands of fans screaming for them onstage. And those same screaming fans singing all of the lyrics to their songs.
Insane.
Here’s some point and shoot action before my night got hazy…
Paula and Mike got married ten years ago at the Grand Marival in Nuevo Vallarta. They came back with family and friends in early February to celebrate ten years of marriage.
Paula told me they were going to release butterflies in memory of their daughter. I had never seen butterflies released before and had no idea that they were kept cold before hand which inhibits them from flying. It also makes for lovely photos.
It was truly a special day.
wow. so magical. i’ve never seen that done before either.
Jillian, thank you so much. The pictures are beautiful and we had a blast working with you. The pictures of us with the butterflies are amazing and we will cherish them forever. Thank you again!
Brenda and Jonas are hilarious. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much editing a wedding before. They truly are two of the happiest people I have ever met and their love for each other seems to pull others in. I had so much fun with them on their wedding day and I know their friends did as well. The speeches were some of the best I’ve heard and equally emotional. The ceremony was held on the beach in San Pancho and the reception was at Mar Plata (pretty much one of the most beautiful restaurants in the world. hands down.)
Brenda’s aunt and uncle have a house in San Pancho so she got ready there while her cousins and aunt made the flower arrangements. Her headpiece was vintage from etsy.
There’s this gorgeous old ruin site in San Pancho and there had never been access until now… lucky for me!
Then it was time to head up to Mar Plata.
The speeches were some of the best I’ve ever heard and that’s saying a lot…
Jillian was the photographer for my daughters wedding in San Pancho in January of 2010. She was so accomodating and wonderful to work with. Her ideas and input were great and all of the photos turned out to be a outstanding collection of memories for all of us. Thank you, Jillian, for all of your time.
Jeanne & Bill
Jilian! You Rock! My heart is beaming revisiting these memories captured so beautifully by your artful eye and loving heart! Hope to see you again when we catch a break in San Pancho! Peace to you and all good things! ~kelley+ (Brenda’s cousin …and flower arranger~)
Jillian, I cannot even begin to tell you how thankful we are to have had to opportunity to work with you. You made two people who aren’t comfortable in front of the camera have a blast. All of these photos are amazing! If I didn’t know any better I would have said you knew every single guest there because you captured everyone’s personality in these photos. Now I just need 900+ frames for the house! You are so talented and a kick to hang out with! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Life is in the details. Or was it god is in the details. Either way details are so much a part of our daily lives that we tend not to notice them until an event such as a wedding come along. As a photographer I am drawn to the details. And being in Mexico, not a day goes by that I don’t notice all of the details around me. The colors, the flowers, the video games, the cobble stone streets… The one thing about weddings on the beach in Mexico is that the details tend to be the same over and over and over again. Not that they’re not beautiful, but I do find myself looking at weddings in the woods of North Carolina or Vermont and desperately wanting to shoot something other the bougainvilleas (the magenta flower you see everywhere here), mexican fans, or the little maracas with the bride and groom’s names painted on them. This is why when I went to a wedding with Naef Cuisine (fabulous food and even more fabulous gelato if that’s possible…) a few weeks ago I was so, so, so excited to see the design work of Mishka. The wedding planner was Kerry Moeller, the ceremony was held on the beach below Anne Menke’s (incredible photographer for Vogue, Glamour etc.) gorgeous house, Casa Teitiare, and the reception was at Don Pedro’s Palapa.
The house…
Naef did the cocktails before the ceremony too…
The ceremony set-up…
Mishka’s incredible flowers and handmade fans…
The bouquet and boutonnieres. The flowers were flown in from Holland. That’s how good Mishka is…
A little randomness… A Mariachi and Anne’s super cute son.
Don Pedro’s Palapa is right next to the cemetery in Sayulita and when we arrived the light was so amazing that I had to take a couple minutes to shoot a few photos…
More of Mishka’s amazing details and flowers…
The table names were all hand carved wood pieces done by Mishka’s brother-in-law…
And she and her family handmade all of the pillows…
I love how it’s a family affair with Mishka. Her husband carved all of the candle holders…
I can’t help myself with the Mariachi…
The Palapa, inside and out…
And finally, the cake. Made by Naef and decorated by Mishka.
I have a bunch more photos of the Naef food, but I’m going to save that for the next post because it’s sunset time and I need to go take a walk on the beach.
thanks for responding! i shoot with a d80 but want to upgrade to a d700 – love seeing pro photogs doing amazing work using it 
i also just started teaching myself to shoot film with a canon ae-1. have a few wants including the fm2 too! looking forward to seeing your film images.
thank you!! i wish i blogged more… also wish i was a better writer, but i’m glad the photos speak for themselves. all of the photos on my blog right now are digital and nikon. i shoot with a nikon d700, but also have just recently got back into film which will be showing up in the the next few weeks. a nikon fm2, contax 645, and the ever trusty holga are my film companions…
wow! absolutely stunning! i discovered your blog a few short weeks ago; find your work so inspiring. i love the colour; tones of your images; the way you compose your shots. really great work. may i ask what you shoot with? it reminds me of film in the best possible way.
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.
your work is beautiful! i’m dying for a sneak of brenda and jonas! i’m jealous you got to have them in front of your lens and got to capture their big party! ~ best.
