Shannon and Jake’s destination wedding in Mexico was a dream. I could not be more thankful that they chose to bring me along to document such an epic day.

I met Shannon when I photographed her friend, Aspen’s, wedding back in September 2021. When Shannon asked if I would consider coming along for their destination wedding in Mexico I said, “Consider? There’s nothing to consider, I’m there!”

As far as destination weddings go, Shannon and Jake’s was relatively big. 40 guests, their closest friends and family, joined them at the all-inclusive resort, Dreams at Playa Mujeres.

Shannon is a very talented hair stylist, so she started the day by helping her bridesmaids and mom with their hair.

A trend I’ve seen gain traction lately is sharing a first look with the other partner’s party. It’s especially fun if each partner is close with members of both parties.

Beach weddings have a very relaxed atmosphere.

In lieu of a veil, Shannon had her sleeves custom made to match her dress. I’ve never seen anyone do something like this to personalize their wedding look. It was so unique and the sleeves were a lot of fun to play with during photos. Quickstitch in Wichita, Kansas helped bring Shannon’s vision to life.

As a treat to their guests, Shannon and Jake paid for a custom cigar maker. He helped people create their own cigar during the reception.

Destination weddings at all-inclusive resorts in Mexico mean free-flowing alcohol all day. Which means an epic dance party during the reception.

Towards the end of the reception, we were all surprised by a tropical rainstorm. Since it was dark, we couldn’t see the clouds coming. It just started down-pouring out of nowhere. I ran for cover once it really started coming down, but then I saw how the whole party stayed on the dance floor. No one had an umbrella near by, so I grabbed a bunch of towels to cover my equipment and ran back out to the dance floor. The rainstorm didn’t last very long, maybe 15 minutes total. But it made for some truly amazing photos, and gave the guests the most incredible experience.

Since everyone was already wet, they decided to end the reception by running into the ocean. Truly the most epic destination wedding in Mexico.

Looking for more destination inspiration? Check out this elopement in Colorado.