Heather and Joe | Destination Wedding @ Cancun, Mexico

Heather and Joe were our first and only destination wedding for the year and man was it an awesome time! We couldn’t have asked for a better couple, bridal party, or weather for the big day down in Cancun. Usually, when we have destination weddings we usually have a crazy story about the journey getting down there but this time our travels were hurricane and delay free as we headed down to Mexico to shoot the wedding of two of the best dances I’ve ever seen at a wedding, hands down (more on that later).

Heather and Joe hail from Illinois but they opted for a tropical destination for their marriage and we were honored for them to bring us along. We knew they were going to be laid back troopers when we shot their engagement session back in IL under a consistent mist of rain and they just went with it. That’s the kind of couple that does the best in a destination wedding setting! We headed down to Azul Fives Resort in the Cancun area of Mexico where their pristine grounds and beautiful water access made a perfect backdrop for Heather and Joe’s big day. We met up with the couple the day of their rehearsal at the pool and enjoyed getting to know their family and friends that had traveled down for the big day (while getting a tan). We enjoyed an intimate rehearsal dinner at one of the resorts gourmet restaurants and got to hear some great stories about Heather and Joe throughout the evening. The wedding day came and went so quickly but it was a beautiful day! We started in the morning with the girls getting ready in Heather’s room where the resort staff came to attend to every beauty need the girls had completing elegant hair and makeup looks for them. Heather chose to have a very beautiful beachy hairstyle with an incredible clip that matched her dress and I can’t stress enough how awesome I thought her dress choice was- it was perfect for a destination wedding! I enjoyed a relaxing morning shooting bridal photos of the girls while Doug hung with the groomsmen who luckily didn’t have as much prep as the girls and they got to spend some of the morning in the pool. We were able to complete some bridal party photos before the ceremony but in order for Joe to see Heather for the first time walking down the aisle, we kept them far apart!

The resort was beautiful place for a wedding, just hands down very clean and pristine, we had plenty of places to take photos and the weather thankfully was cloudy and not too hot. We headed to the rooftop wedding venue which offered panoramic views of the turquoise water. Everyone was in their places as Heather descended the stairs and her groom caught eye of her for the first time- she looked absolutely stunning. They had a personal touch to their ceremony with a close friend providing officiant services and offering touching vows to each other that were personal and meaningful. We wrapped up bridal party photos by the sunny beach and headed to the outdoor ceremony site where the intimate reception of their close family and friends began with a fun entrance by the bridal party. We were treated to another amazing meal by the resort staff and got to listen to the great speeches by Heather and Joe’s friends. Then the party got started! Joe and Heather are not only the best bride and groom dancers we have ever had they also are very talented rappers 😉 Don’t believe me? We’ve to the photos to prove it and I’m more than sure their bridal party has some video of this. The reception lasted late into the night and was an absolute blast. We couldn’t end the destination wedding without shooting some next day portraits and Heather opted to use her beautiful rehearsal dress for the shoot and we enjoyed getting a few more creative shots in before the end of the trip. We absolutely loved working with these two it was a great experience. We wish them many years of wedded bliss and we know they will have a very fun life together. Thanks for bringing us along on the journey, it was an honor!

-The Keys