We started a little earlier in the day to make sure we had time to document all the cool little details Amy brought down for her wedding. Many were purchased from the cool ‘sell your own product’ website Etsy. My favorite items were the super chic passport invitations complete with faux airline boarding pass. Really unique. And the Groom’s and Best Man’s personalized Black Converse were pretty damn cool.

Amy’s wedding gown was one of the coolest I’ve seen by designer Matthew Christopher.  The wedding ceremony was held on the resorts sky deck overlooking the ocean and it was just a beautiful day. I love it when a couple is just overwhelmed with emotion. Not that I like to see a grown man cry, but I guess it’s becasue I was exactly the same way when I saw my wife walk down the aisle. Now, almost 8 years later, tears are still shed. Tears of pain…I kid I kid! Love you honey!

So after the emotional ceremony, we flowed into portraits and tried to get as much as we could before the sun set. But either we were running really late or the sun set really early!  The wedding day flies by people! So take it all in and slow down.

The party got started at one of the restaurants on property. The decorations were out and it looked fantastic. We had a delicious dinner and the party was on. They hired a cigar roller which seemed to be a hit. Tom and I took them around the property at night for a few minutes because the place just looks so different and seems to come alive at night. I loved it! They ended the night by the wedding party jumping in the pool to “cool off” and it is forever captured on film.

The next day we did a really fun TTD and by the end, I got them rolling around in the surf and making out on the beach. I think the tourists liked the show!

A great time had by all.

I flew in to Cancun, took a shuttle to the resort, and had a few hours before my first meeting with A+A. I checked into my room, grabbed lunch and scouted out locations I wanted to photograph before our meeting. I was getting really inspired by all the great spots I was seeing around the resort and I made a list in my head of all the places I wanted to shoot. I felt as if I had my very own lush tropical set that I could do anything I wanted with. So I met up with Andrew and Aneliese from Wales and my first impression was that they were really sweet and a bit shy. They both said they were a little nervous about the whole photo process and being in front of the camera all day. I assured them that I’d take great care of them and it turned out to be pretty funny because they both ended up being so natural in front of the camera and that made it really fun!

The wedding went off without a hitch. There was a bit of concern regarding the weather since they were getting married up on the sky deck with no cover if it began to rain. Luckily, it was just beautiful and they had a short and sweet ceremony overlooking the Caribbean Sea. We went around the property and I tried out some ideas which I think came out pretty good. Later at the reception we enjoyed a delicious dinner and then the rest of the evening was sort of a blur….  ;   ) . Don’t worry I won’t show the conga line photos here! LOL.

The day after the wedding we started to do our trash the dress and about 10 minutes before we began, dark clouds rolled in and it began to rain so we postponed to the following morning. I enjoyed myself at the resort, had some much needed R&R and some great meals. My favorite meal was at a restaurant called Tapas where I had a delicious 6 course dinner. Best part about it? No bill.I love all-inclusive!

So the next morning before I had to leave to come back home, we met at the beach and the weather was perfect. I loved how some of their family followed us around during the shoot and then when it came time to roll around in the surf they all cheered them on. I think we were the hit of the resort after that performance!

I’ve posted a few of my favorites from the wedding below as well as a slideshow at the end of this post.  I loved this experience and I can’t wait to go back next week for more. I love my job!

Gorgeous Dress and my 16-35L lens broke after this first frame! I had an array of lenses with me so I was more than covered, but I love this picture the best.

Looking cool rocking the Windsor knots in paradise!

Ladies…So cute and I loved the pink bridesmaid dresses.

Makes taking a long walk on a short pier look rather desirable!

Thanks Guys!

Click on Slideshow below for more.

Contact me:

1.866.803.9585

To View More Mexico Destination Weddings Click Here

We had the pleasure of photographing Kylie and Mike’s wedding a few months ago in Cabo and had a wonderful time. We’re very excited for her new career as a VS supermodel. Congratulations Kylie!

As I was walking around Bacara I just kept getting inspired for picture ideas and I was looking for the right place to stage the “Reveal”. The Reveal , or First Look, has really become a popular addition to the wedding day and we love it when a couple decides to add this moment. It allows us to have more time with our clients for creative picture taking and we are able to photograph the majority of family pictures before the ceremony. This is great for both the couple and their families who wish to enjoy some of their cocktail hour with their guests.

I began taking pictures of Tiffany and her bridesmaids who were getting ready in the suite. They were such a fun group and it’s always funny to see the difference in 8 girls rushing to get ready vs. 8 guys getting ready. I sent Andrea over to take pictures of the guys and she found Ryan enjoying his gift of a fine bottle of Johnny Walker Green Label 15 year old scotch with his boys.

Next came the moment of them seeing one another for the first time that day and it was staged perfectly. That set the tone for the day as we enjoyed the ceremony on the bluff overlooking the ocean and the beautifully decorated reception that followed. Great tunes by DJ Matt Gudis kept the crowd dancing in a separate candlelit lounge room after dinner. This area was so cool with a dance floor, sofas to lounge in, and even an outdoor fire pit. I loved that setup.

Thanks Ryan and Tiffany. We had a blast!

Slideshow Below Click Play to begin.

Below are some of our favorite wedding pictures from the day

The gorgeous bride

The Cool Groomsmen

The Hot Bridemaids

Fun Wedding Party!

Bacara wedding ceremony location

Contact Me

BACARA RESORT & SPA
8301 Hollister Avenue

Santa Barbara, California 93117

weddings@bacararesort.com877.422.4245

]]> http://chrisschmittblog.com/2009/10/bacara-wedding-photography/feed/ 0 http://chrisschmittblog.com/2009/07/cabo-azul-wedding-photography-kylie-mike/ http://chrisschmittblog.com/2009/07/cabo-azul-wedding-photography-kylie-mike/#comments Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:13:51 +0000 admin http://chrisschmittblog.com/?p=561 Victoria Secret Model Kylie Bisutti and Mike Bisutti tied the knot at the beautiful Cabo Azul resort in Cabo San Lucas Mexico. These guys were supposed to get married here last month, but the Swine Flu scare postponed their wedding. But as it turned out, a few of their guest who weren’t going to be able to make it then were able to make it now. Tom and I flew down last week to scope out Cabo Azul and enjoy a couple days of R&R before the wedding. Always a treat.

Weddings at Cabo Azul take place in a unique open air chapel which overlooks the property’s enormous pool and the ocean beyond that. It was a really beautiful setting. We didn’t have a chance to meet these guys until just before the ceremony started, but everyone was so down to earth and casual that it didn’t matter one bit. I really love shooting destination weddings for two reasons. One is my love for travel. And the second is that most couples who opt for the destination wedding are super easy going, laid back and down to earth.  When the groom shows up in flip flops I know it’s going to be a great wedding!

When I first saw Kylie the day of the wedding, I thought to myself “I need way more time to photograph her.” 30 minutes of portraits after the ceremony just wasn’t going to be enough for me to get all that I wanted. I needed like a week to photograph her all over Cabo! I mean it’s not everyday I get a Victoria Secret model as a bride. But that didn’t happen. I took those 30 minutes and made the best of them. Making it all up as I went along getting inspired by some ropes hanging in the pool restaurant and some textured walls along the way. We then went out on the beach as the sun was setting and time ran out before I knew it.

The reception took place outside under the stars and it was a beautiful clear night. The resort arranged a fireworks show for them which they set off right on the beach in front of us. Really cool! At the end of the night I offered to come back the next morning for some more creative pictures, but they opted to sleep in and enjoy the next morning as newlyweds. Can you blame them? So Tom and I made sure the water temperature was ok for them in the pool (which it was)…and it was back to LA that afternoon.

When my wife Andrea saw this picture, she said, Are you serious? She’s gorgeous! I smiled and quickly said “Not compared to you honey! Whew…. Close one!”

This one above is my favorite from the wedding. These two really love one another and it shows here.

Danielle Bisutti workin’ it on the dancefloor!

Contact Me

Ahhh.. A Wedding in Yosemite! Home to some of the most beautiful wilderness in the country. What a perfect backdrop for a wedding! Melanie and Eric hosted a fantastic wedding here last weekend and we were thrilled to be there. We stayed in the rustic Yosemite Lodge which is in the heart of the valley and by no means roughing it like most of the campers you see in tents everywhere. I figured since we were in the lodge, it would be nice to sleep with the balcony door open at night to let the fresh air in. After all, we were on the second floor. Well around 2am we were greeted by a raccoon the size of  Sawyer our 2 year old! The raccoon wasn’t at the screen door trying to get in..he had already opened the screen door with his claws and was rummaging through the room when we heard him.  So here is this wild animal in our room who was obviously hungry and my wife wants me to go take it outside like it’s a trained dog or something! No honey, this is a WILD ANIMAL with 4 in” CLAWS and SHARP TEETH and I know I swore to protect and love you till our dying day and all, but you’re on your own! (And I rolled back over to go to sleep).

That didn’t go over too well ..LOL…so we finally got him out of the room and then locked the screen door. So anyway, back to the wedding!

Melanie and Eric are so in love it’s like cavity sweet! They couldn’t take their eyes off one another for a second and it was really special to see two people who fit so well together. They held the ceremony in the Yosemite Chapel in the valley which is the oldest structure in Yosemite and built in 1879. Our plan was to go in an open tram tour of the valley after the ceremony and jump out at all the various scenic points to take photos, but a thunderstorm quickly rolled in, so we switched to plan B which was a chartered bus. We still went on the tour, and saw many beautiful locations, but didn’t jump out and take as many pictures as I had hoped because of mother nature.

So it was back to the lodge for a nice reception filled with heartwarming toasts, good food and great DJing by a groomsman! Dre wanted me to mention how cute Melanie’s “reception dress” was too!

From a photography standpoint, this trip was just waaay too short for me. I need at least several days in Yosemite to scope out, setup and plan the right time of day for the scenic pictures I wanted to get. So I will be going back soon becasue it’s one of the most beautiful awe-inspiring places to ever see.

Here are a few portraits from the day.

Yosemite Wedding Info:

Tenaya Lodge

Yosemite Chapel

Contact ME:  805-222-5064

info@chrisschmittphotography.com

How many of you have heard of Zacatitos Mexico? Not many I’m sure. But if you travel North of San Jose del Cabo about 45 minutes down a series of rustic dirt roads through the Baja desert, you will eventually arrive upon a tiny community of solar powered homes off the beaten track better know as Zacatitios. It’s a private paradise with a gorgeous beach and the perfect place to get away from it all.

Tom and I flew down Friday and Amanda and Mike met us at the airport to escort us to the wedding site. About half way down the bumpy dirt road we noticed Federales (or private security) in towers guarding something. Turns out they just keep an eye on the land 24/7 and make sure no one drives on it. It’s rumored to be owned by the owner of Corona and he doesn’t want anyone on his land…(especially us gringos). Seemed strange and a bit discomforting since we were in the middle of the desert. A bit further down the road we passed a sign for cow crossing and sure enough we came across a few skinny cows who were in the middle of the road checking us out.

My advice is stick to the carnitas.

So upon arrival to Zacatitios we scoped out the location and loved what we saw. Three spanish homes on a lot where their guests were staying and gave us lots of options for pictures. And a gorgeous beach down below with a homemade hoopa that Amanda’s dad Chico made. So cool!

We stayed for rehearsal dinner at Zac’s, the only restaurant in town.

We had a good meal and then drove back towards Cabo to check into our hotel.

The wedding the next day was really special. Everyone was so warm and friendly towards us and it made our job really fun. It was really hot and humid and we were sweating our butts off, but there is nothing you can do about the humidity. Minutes before the ceremony a fog bank rolled in which not only cooled the temp a little, but produced a very ethereal look to the ceremony with Amanda walking down the beach path with her father.

The ceremony was beautiful, and the reception was filled with heart filled toasts and a bonfire beach party that rocked.

My favorite picture from the wedding is this moment where they kissed in front of the flames.

Destination weddings are always my favorite to shoot…you combine a great group of friends and family along with a great location, and you get the dream wedding. I think my own wedding was pretty amazing, but if I could do it over, I’d definitely do a destination wedding with my closest friends and family and just hang out on a killer beach somewhere with the people that mean the most to me.

The next day I had them come to our hotel for a quick trash the dress session before we went home which is always so fun to shoot. You are going to have to dry clean the dress anyway right? So before you do, why not go out and have some fun in it! I mean how often are you going to roll around in the surf in a wedding dress! It’s all about having fun and these guys were awesome hosts and made us feel so welcome.

We go back to Cabo in July and hope to do it all over again for that wedding too!

New Slideshow below just click play button.