I love small intimate weddings! Nothing against big weddings, but sometimes I feel that these huge events tend to lack a little bit of a magic. Destination weddings are usually smaller, due to the circumstance that everybody is flying in, but it can still be tough adding personality to it, since it's all planned remotely, and the couple often needs to rely on local vendors to organize the event.
Jacque and Dan nailed it with their cute little beach wedding in Rincon on Puerto Rico's west coast. I don't know how they managed to incorporate so much DIY in their destination wedding, from a DIY dress to the wedding cake made by the mother of the bride, and I have to say, and I've eaten a lot of wedding cake in my life, and it was by far the best!
The venue, Sunset Paradise Villas (https://www.sunsetparadisevillas.com) is conveniently located directly on the beach with an incredible view of the ocean and the sunset right in front of the terrace, where the ceremony and reception took place. When planning a destination wedding in Puerto Rico, timing is everything! People underestimate how hot and humid it can get here. The ceremony started right before sunset, and only lasted about 15 minutes, which was perfect, so we had the best light during the couples portraits afterwards. Of course the ceremony was officiated by a close family friend, who did an amazing job at marrying these two in a personal and hilarious way. Yes, she cracked everybody up, including me! The light was perfect for the first kiss, and right after the ceremony ended, we went to a nice beach location within walking distance of the venue. The wedding ended with a fun reception on the terrace with a beautiful ocean breeze. I'm so thankful I got to be part of this wonderful event, which didn't only get captured in photos, there is also an amazing wedding video! I'm so happy I got to collaborate with the badass ladies from Destination Event Videography. (https://www.destinationeventvideography.com) Scroll down to see their video!