Mexico destination wedding

I can’t even begin to speak about how grateful I am to have had the opportunity to cover my long time friends wedding in my hometown. Adrian and I met in middle school, becoming close friends in college after many adventures together in Puerto Vallarta. I was beyond delighted to meet his fiance, Yessenia, and even more so when they asked me to be their wedding photographer. I knew it was going to be a heartfelt occasion full of old friends and two wonderful families coming together.

Yessenia and Adrian met in Navajoa, Sonora Mexico through mutual friends eight years ago. She is from Obregon which is an hour from Navojoa where Adrian and I grew up. They started dating on April 5, 2013 after being friends for a while. The date means so much that they had it engraved into the wedding rings. It was when Yessenia knew she had found her forever, and waited patiently for Adrian to pop the question. Adrian knew Yessenia was the one when he had to leave for work for over a year and she waited for him. During the time they dated, two of the six years were spent apart. I think many of us can appreciate the struggle that long distance can create in a relationship.

They persevered through those two years finding ways to get closer and appreciate each other even more from being apart. Adrian chose a beautiful night in August, 2018 to take Yessenia to the beach in San Carlos and ask her the question she already knew would come one day. On the beach with the help of all their closest friends, Adrian surprised Yessenia not only with a ring but also a fireworks show! She had no idea it was coming or that all their friends were in on the surprise. The next year would continue to be full of surprises from both sides as they planned their wedding. Yessenia met up with Adrian in Phoenix where they stayed with my wife and me before returning to Navajoa for the wedding. Adrian felt so loved that she would come to the states for the first time by herself to meet him. It made the trip back home the best one he’s ever made.

The day of the wedding Adrian sent Yessenia flowers with a message letting her know that he’d be waiting for her at the altar.

Adrian really tested Yessenia’s patience when he told her he forgot to book a band for their post wedding party. Then he surprised her with one of her favorite bands. Her face lit up when Repoquitos showed up with all 12 members and immediately got the crowd dancing.

Heather and I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect weekend to be home with my family and watch our dear friends get married. Keep scrolling to see some of our favorite moments from the wedding day. Special thanks to all the vendors that did such an amazing job to bring their dream wedding to life: Hotel El Rancho (getting ready/first look), First Class (venue), Hollman Band (mariachi, violin, and DJ), Andy Garcia (food), Manuel Quintero (flowers), and Pasteles de Luzma (cake).