On a very dark and snowy morning in February, I packed all of my equipment and boarded a plane to escape Minnesota and meet Misty and Jamie in Riviera Maya, Mexico.
This wedding kicked off a year of traveling weddings for me and the crew and we couldn’t be more excited.
I met Misty in 2015 (holy moly Misty - it’s been 5 YEARS!) when we began working together in my corporate life. Misty and I have traveled some amazing places all around the globe together, so it was a no brainer when she asked me to travel with her again to capture her destination wedding in Mexico.
So I headed to the Hard Rock Resort where Misty and Jamie gathered their closest friends and family to celebrate the love they’ve found in each other.
Can you dream of a better way to marry your best friend than to spend a week in the sunshine and celebrating with your favorite people and doing your favorite things? I think not!
Misty got to spend some time following one of her more daring passions (scuba diving), while Jamie and his buds hit the golf course to enjoy the tropical views.
When the wedding day came around, the whole party had a healthy tan and had officially hit relaxation mode.
Misty took a couple hours of solitude before the preparations began to handwrite her vows to Jamie in the comfort of her room and a nice cup of coffee.
I spent much of the morning with the ladies as they popped open bottles of champagne and enjoyed each other’s company while getting pampered and prepared.
Not only were Jamie and Misty thrilled to be marrying each other, but they each brought two children into their newly formed family of 6, cleverly named the “Elliarsens” (Elliotts + Larsens).
So much thought and detail was put into every part of their wedding week, including a very special gift (and extremely sweet moment) that Misty gave Jamie’s daughter, Lauren.
The weather all week was phenomenal, but if you take a close look at these ceremony photos you may spot the “good luck shower “on the horizon that showed up just in time for Misty and Jamie’s ceremony.
It wasn’t long before everyone present was grabbing their chairs and scrambling inside to avoid getting soaked.
“A knot that becomes wet is extremely hard to untie – therefore, when you “tie the knot” on a rainy day, your marriage is just as impossible to unravel!”
After a quick interruption and change of scenery courtesy of Mother Nature, the ceremony was underway again. The service highlighted not only the union between Misty and Jamie, but also honored each of their beautiful children and the unique and priceless contributions each one brings to the family.
Seeing the love this family shares for one another truly makes my heart melt and I still tear up thinking back on some of these precious moments and words shared.
Before dinner began, the LC Photography crew spent some time exploring the beaches around the resort with the newlyweds. Thinking back now to how wonderful that sun felt in the middle of February makes me so anxious for the summer sun and all its glorious Vitamin D to come back to MN.
Misty and Jamie kicked off dinner and the dance party with their first dance. The two embraced while bubbles floated in the tropical air - it was an incredibly magical moment.
The celebration continued well into the night with dancing, singing, and a LOT more dancing.
It was such a blessing to have the opportunity to capture this special week for two incredible people and all of their wonderful family and friends.
Misty and Jamie - the amount of happiness and love you give one other is an inspiration. Congratulations to you and the entire family, I adore you all!
