Lauren and Daniel always wanted to get married on a beach, and they made it happen. They chose to tie the knot at the Gran Caribe Real Resort right in the heart of Cancun. I thought about everything I was going to say in this post and after a while I had the thought, “Why not just let my readers hear it straight from the clients mouth!?” So enough from me already. Please welcome my client, my friend, Lauren!

Our Destination Wedding in Cancun, Mexico

Hey there fellow James Brandon Photography fans

My name is Lauren Starnes and James asked me to write and share with you all what I loved about having a destination wedding and why we chose this route! So here we go…

Before Daniel and I got engaged, we always talked about how wonderful it would be if we could have a wedding on a beach somewhere. Ever since I could remember, I’ve always dreamed of having a beach wedding—barefoot with our toes in the sand and sealing our vows with a kiss at sunset in front of our closest family and friends. When we started doing some research and realized how it was actually cheaper to have a wedding in Mexico than having it here in Keller, our thoughts were, “Let’s do it!!” We chose the Gran Caribe Real, one of the four all-inclusive Real Resorts. I was so impressed with how easy everything was, and how stress free the entire process was. Not once did I have a bridezilla moment! That’s how simple they made everything for us!

We were assigned a wedding coordinator who kept in contact with me from October to May, answering any questions or concerns I had, and bent over backwards to make sure our wedding day was perfect. We were able to pick from several different wedding packages, which included: a decorated wedding ceremony, bouquet and boutonniere, flower petals for our flower girl, champagne for a toast after the ceremony, a semi-private wedding reception with a three course meal, a wedding cake to feed all 28 people, and a decorated suite the night of our honeymoon. WOW! And the best part was, all of that was less than $2,000. We were absolutely blown away! We originally wanted to have our ceremony right on the beach under a small tent right next to the ocean, until I started thinking of the “what ifs”. What if it rained? What if it was too hot? What if it was too windy? Like any bride, I played all sorts of different scenarios in my head and decided a beach front gazebo was the best idea. Everything turned out absolutely beautiful and better than I could have ever dreamed.

Seeing each other before the ceremony | The First Look

Daniel and I also chose to see each other before the wedding. Most people say it is bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the ceremony, but because we were only given so much time for our ceremony and reception at the resort, we wanted to make sure we had plenty of shots, before and after. James and Kristin wanted Daniel and I to be able to have time just the two of us before we took pictures with our family and friends, which made it that more intimate. They had me stand at the bottom of the stairs with my back to Daniel as he came down them to see me for the first time. When James counted to three and had me turn around to see my future husband, I’ll never forget that look in his eyes. I didn’t have to ask him what he thought of the dress, or if he thought I looked pretty. The smile on his face said it all. They were able to capture the intense, intimate moments between us before the ceremony, and the crazy, fun pictures with all of our family and friends as well. It took away all the nervous feelings I had been having for weeks and allowed me to enjoy every moment of our day, and I was able to soak it all in. I’d do it all again in a heart beat!

Our experience with James and Kristin

I wanted to tell you why we picked James Brandon Photography to do our engagement and wedding photos. As a couple and individually, James and his wife, Kristin, are two of the closest friends my husband and I have. We are so honored to know them both, and blessed to have them in our lives. They are full of energy and life and work so well together as a team. Not only did they captivate each little moment that was part of one of our most important days we’ll ever experience in our lifetime, they also captured how we are as a couple. We didn’t get the normal, traditional photos. We got memories of Daniel and I being us together- goofy, crazy, silly, and 100% madly in love with each other. -Lauren Starnes

Thanks Lauren! Destination weddings are a blast, and most of the time, they are cheaper than having a wedding in your home town! They are also more intimate, as you are usually going to invite just close friends and family (very close). And you get to tie the knot in some of the most beautiful places in the world. My wife and I are expert travelers, we’ve been to a lot of places both foreign and domestic and we know the travel regulations and how to make everything go smoothly. We are always more than happy to help answer any questions or concerns about destination weddings and the details that go with them. With that said, here are some of my favorite images from Lauren and Daniels wedding. Enjoy!

The Gran Caribe Real Resort and Spa
Blvd. Kukulcan Km. 11.5, Hotel Zone
Cancun, 77500, Q. Roo, México
USA & Canada: 1.800.760.0944