I have so many wonderful things to say about Sarah and Marc’s beautiful destination wedding in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  But my FAVORITE thing about their wedding is the fact that from the moment she walked down the aisle, they quite literally beamed at one another.  Their never-ending smiles were infectious- I challenge you to look at the two of them below and not beam right back at them.  For me, at least, it’s an impossible task.  I’m smiling right now as I write this blog post!

Sarah and Marc met at work– they are both teachers in California.  Sarah is a special education teacher, and Marc is a math and science teacher.  When they started working at the same school, their classrooms shared a wall, and Sarah said that she first noticed the sound of Marc’s voice from the other side of the wall.  They became friends first, though, and didn’t start dating until they had been friends for more than a year.  They started spending time together in a group during happy hour after work, and Sarah told me that they shared their first kiss after work in a dive bar!  They decided to get married while Marc was teaching in South Africa– Sarah visited him there, and he surprised her with the ring!

I asked Sarah and Marc to share their favorite moment from the wedding with me.  Sarah said: 

When I came around the corner to walk down the aisle- I remember hearing the ocean, which I love deeply- I had both my parents next to me and I felt like I locked eyes with almost all of my friends… and then I saw Marc and we both started laughing we were so excited. I was stunned by how much fun I had at our actual ceremony. I have never lived more fully in a single moment.  Marc said that his favorite moment was right after our ceremony, when we got to spend a few minutes in Yichud. In a Jewish wedding the bride and groom spend a few minutes in seclusion after the ceremony to let what has happened sink in. We got to taste all our great food- we toasted each other. It was so special to have those few minutes alone just us- at the same time we could hear our friends laughing outside which made us both realize how lucky we were to have each other and to be surrounded by these incredible friends and family.

Here are a few of my favorite images from their beautiful wedding at the Playa Fiesta Hotel:

I asked them why they decided to have a destination wedding, and Sarah said:

Since our best friends are scattered around the country we knew we wanted some real time with each one of them. A destination wedding allowed us to be on a vacation with them. We both felt we got to have meaningful extended time with each one of our 34 guests and we both commented on how we felt closer to every one of them after the experience. We also wanted our wedding to reflect who we are as a couple. Marc and I have both been profoundly changed by our time teaching in other countries and we bounded over our passion for this early on- so a wedding with a global theme seemed like the perfect fit.

Sarah and Marc had some wonderful details! They shared them with me:
 
*Dress- Anne Barge- Bliss Bridal in Del Mar, California (also where Sarah bought her earrings and her hair piece)
*Shoes- Badgley Mischka (Zappos)
*Invitation- Made by minted and then Sarah and Marc stamped and cut out the compass embellishments.
*Programs- The covers were designed on Esty by Robin Bellomy. Marc and Sarah designed and assembled the rest.
*Menus- designed by Marc, assembled by Sarah
*Favors- Since Marc and I met as teachers we wanted to pay tribute to that. We chose to donate school supplies through the United Nations Children’s Fund to Children in Internally Displaced Person’s Camps. I also spent time working for a school in an IDP camp- so this was a great opportunity for us to celebrate who we are while honoring the students who have enriched our lives. Marc designed and printed the cards.
*Table Cards- I purchased the international mailing stamps on Etsy, and then used rubber stamps to create the rest of the table card. This was another opportunity bring in our shared passion for teaching and learning around the world. Each table was named for a place we have taught or a place where we have worked on educational policy.
*Additional Table Décor- (Globe, suitcase,plane, etc)- Pottery Barn
*Escort Cards- Purchased on Etsy by SunshineandRavioli
*Chair signs, cake topper- Purchased on Etsy by Morgann Hill
*Straws- “Coconut Kiss Margarita, Love S & M.” – Classy with a touch of irreverence We had these made on Etsy and then cut them down ourselves to fit the margarita glasses.
*Chuppah- Handmade by Marc’s mom and completed with Marc’s grandmother’s lace table cloth
*Ring Box- It was a vintage cigar box that belonged to my grandfather. It used to hold his harmonicas. Hearing him play was a favorite childhood memory of mine.
*Yarmulkes- handmade by Sarah’s dear friend Mary Piper as well as Marc’s step mom.
*Welcome Bags- Marc designed and printed the tags to match our menus. He designed the perfect little vintage looking plane.
 
Thanks for reading!  Have a wonderful week!  Post by Puerto Vallarta Wedding Photographer Michelle Turner.
 

Jessica and Jimmy were married at the beautiful Playa Fiesta Hotel in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  They traveled with their closest friends and family from New Jersey to hold their destination wedding in Puerto Vallarta.  I really enjoyed working with them- I photographed their wedding on Friday and then we ventured into Old Town Puerto Vallarta for a True Romance shoot on Sunday (aka a Puerto Vallarta post shoot or trash the dress).  We had a wonderful time, and then Jess and Jimmy headed up to Punta Mita for a few days of quiet before returning to the States.  As you can imagine, I loved the details in this wedding (believe it or not, purple is my favorite color!), and the purple flowers turned out beautifully.  Jess and Jimmy also chose to have a Cuban band come and play for a few hours during the reception, and they also had fire jugglers.  And, of course, they had me set up the Photobooth- I love their wedding photobooth pics- they had such a fun group!  It was a beautiful wedding, and I had a wonderful time.  Congratulations, Jess and Jimmy!  Here are a few of my favorite photographs from the day:

Crystal and Bryan traveled from Canada with their friends and family to get married in beautiful Puerto Vallarta.  They were so much fun- not only did they have a “dance off” for a first dance (an amazingly choreographed dance complete with blow up guitars), but they also followed me around for a three hour True Romance shoot, a water shoot, and we even jumped into the water for an underwater session.  We also had a photobooth at their wedding- I love doing those because I get the craziest photographs to edit after the weddings!  Almost all of their guests visited the photobooth, although some got a bit crazier than others!    I had an incredible time at this destination wedding- here are a few of my faves:

Post by Michelle Turner, Maine Wedding Photographer and Puerto Vallarta Wedding Photographer
Tags: Puerto Vallarta Wedding Photographer, Puerto Vallarta Wedding Photography, Playa Fiesta Wedding Photography