Tiffany and Sean are a crazy cool couple from British Columbia, Canada. For those of you that contact us, you will know we always welcome the added pleasure of working a day with a slew of Canadians because it gives us the feeling that we are back home, if only for those precious hours that day. There is something to be said about the camaraderie that comes with working with laid-back Canadians. Meeting the couple for the first time always feels like more reacquainting with old friends than being in the process of making new ones. Sean took it upon himself to lead us through the paths at Sandos Caracol Eco Resort towards where the ladies were all lounging, chatting and relaxing before getting into their required dresses for the big event. We left Tiffany’s entourage to keep conversing while we took time to photograph her dress outside with the crystal clear blue sky soaring in the background. As well as hone in on the fabulously organized tropical floral bouquets, and other minor details to the ensemble. When I rejoined the crowd of bodies on the bed, Matt took the opportunity to revisit Sean and his crew for some creatively wacky photo opportunities whilst getting themselves together for the ceremony. Everyone was so engaged in conversation, that it seemed a scene begging to be documented. But, not before long, the mellow atmosphere dissolved for a more peppy and involved production of changing into dresses, adjusting bra straps, and piecing together jewelery to match the outfit. There were a total of 5 bridesmaids, plus a few other female friends visiting, so needless to say the zen state was out and the buzzing air of excitement was in. Tiff was absolutely breathtaking in her gown, complete with a handpicked, over-sized necklace that accented the her delicate frame in the ensemble perfectly. Once a miniature bouquet was fabricated for the flower girl, everyone was ready to throw on their shades and hop in their awaiting chariot golf cart, to ride to the ceremony of a lifetime!
Although we love the beach set up at Sandos Caracol Eco Resort, which we had the pleasure of photographing for Steph & Dee’s wedding one month prior, we were also equally familiar with the rooftop terrace as it was used for the reception portion of the ladies’ evening. And lo and behold, the entirety of Tiffany and Sean’s wedding, ceremony and reception, were to be held with a spectacular view of the Caribbean Sea in the background, tops of palm trees flailing gently with the breeze coming off the water, and best of all was having no unwanted observers lurking in the background of any of the shots! Of course, Tiffany looked absolutely stunning sandwiched between her two proud parents, and ready to say I do to the man of her dreams! Little did either of them know that this moment would be taking place less than 4 years after initially meeting each other on Plenty of Fish but by the smiles on their faces, and the apparent joy on the faces of attending guests, this is true love and truly meant to be. And the obvious wedding location choice was Mexico, considering these two love taking some time to kick back and relax in the sun of the Mayan Riviera an average of once a year. And don’t even get me started on the fact that the breed of dog they have happens to be a chihuahua, a breed named after the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. And so, despite the blazing heat and blinding light of the sun, Tiff and Sean exchanged their vows, shared their first kiss as newlyweds and enjoyed countless celebratory hugs, kisses and congratulations.
We eventually managed to wrangle the wedding party to the beach for some fun shots of everyone enjoying a little sand between their toes/in their sneakers. Sean may like to vacation on the beaches of Tulum in Mexico, but that didn’t stop him from deciding on white sneakers, funky knee high socks and pants for the gentlemen’s attire. All fun aside, though, time was of the essence and it didn’t take long before the wedding party was being sent back to the rooftop terrace while we whisked away the newlyweds to photograph more intimate moments shared between them. It could probably go without saying that Tiffany has one of the best smiles in the world, with beautiful pearly white teeth she is not shy to show off, and we were ecstatic at some of the candid moments we managed to snap. Sean is a pro at getting his lady to laugh, being the romantic comedic charmer that he is, so naturally we made this work in our favour. Never really ready to take any of the photos too seriously meant a lot of jokes and laughter interspersed between romantic and passionate kisses. As is always the case, the clock was working against us, and before we knew it, we were being beckoned back upstairs for the reception and festivities to follow.
Dinner, as always at Sandos Caracol Eco Resort, was delicious and the staff was fantastic. The day quickly turned into night, the speeches started to unfold, and many fun tales and stories of Tiffany and Sean were shared with the guests. This is always one of my favourite portions of the evening, being welcomed into private storytelling and shared memories, which really makes a photographer feel like part of the family. You get to watch as some laugh, some blush, some cry, and some outright deny the tales being told, but all of it is in good fun and it’s a time that the couple is most vulnerable, but also, the most raw, and seeing the interaction between everyone is always such a pleasure. Of course, even if speeches have a tendency to drag on, they will never fully account for the entirety of a night, and it wasn’t long before Sean was taking his lovely bride’s hand in his to dance a less than traditional first dance, complete with quirky grins, partnered swings and sidestepping fun. As the night progressed, we had a great time photographing their guests having a blast with the Photo Booth, having a wonderful turnout for the bouquet toss (note: a destination wedding has so few guests that calling out only the single ladies to catch results in a sparse crowd, so just for fun have all the ladies involved, makes for better photos and more fun, just don’t catch the bouquet if you’re taken!) and an erotic and sexily aggressive garter removal by Sean. The night progressed as we packed up, and although we were sad to leave, we were happy to have been a part of it all in the first place.
