Mary & Andreas – San Pedro, Belize – Destination Wedding Photographer

May 4, 2014

This by far has been one of my most favorite weddings to photograph, and it’s interesting because I have always thought beach weddings were so cliché. However, Mary, the bride, with the help of Rachael Roe from Signature Belize Weddings turned this everyday beach wedding into a gorgeous island soiree complete with many deep ocean treasures – driftwood, sea turtles, and starfish to name a few. Melody Sanchez of Belizean Melody crafted stunning driftwood pieces, taking them from their dead form and turning them into wedding pieces that were incredibly beautiful and awe-inspiring – an arch draped with the perfect flowers and signs painted with the perfect lettering. To take it even further, Andreas, the groom, had Melody make special pieces for him and Mary to hang in their new home together, completely etched with their wedding vows.

Mary and Andreas met when Mary set out to travel the world for a couple months. Her mom told me how she had made plans to come home, but soon she kept pushing the return flight later and later. Finally, her dad had a conversation with her trying to have her come home since they missed her so much, and that’s when she told him she had found the man she wanted to marry. Andreas was her dive instructor while she was traveling in Thailand, but she knew right away he was the one for her. So what’s more perfect than a Belize destination wedding to celebrate the love they found while diving.

The wedding celebration occurred over one week of amazing events – complete with a welcome party at a local San Pedro bar that had amazing rum cocktails, a Mayan ruins exploration and a deep sea diving excursion to the Blue Hole. It was a week in paradise for the bride and groom surrounded by loving family and friends. And from a more personal perspective, once Mary got down the aisle in her perfectly sequined gown and took Andreas’ hand, I had to take a moment, lower my camera, and catch my breath because it was not only one of the most beautiful weddings I’ve seen, but truly one of the most magical moments.