Surrounded by the majestic mountains and serene ocean, Alex and Amanda shared an intimate first look and couples session on the beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Being a wedding planner herself and also placing a huge priority on photos of her destination wedding, Amanda knew that sharing her first look with her soon to be husband the night before their wedding day would help to make their wedding day timeline run more smoothly, provide plenty of time for bride and groom photos, as well as provide a special time that her and her new husband could share together on the beach surrounded by landscape that leaves you breathless.

When I arrived to Mexico a few days before the wedding, the first thing I did as a wedding photographer was scout for photo locations. The beach closest to us was Mismaloya beach, which is beautiful but a little bit crowded, and it doesn’t have as nice of a view of Puerto Vallarta’s mountains as I wanted for the backdrop of these wedding photos. I remembered that on the way to our airbnb from the airport, we had passed many, tiny, deserted beaches. So we drove back along the highway, keeping a lookout for the perfect spot. After driving for only about 5 minutes, I knew we had found our location. We parked by a turnout where local vendors sell crafts, walked for a few minutes along the side of the road, and then hiked down some large rocks. It was all worth it for what we found: a small private beach with the perfect view of the mountains. We hit the jackpot.

We brought Alex and Amanda to our little beach a few days later for these stunning wedding photos. I love that Alex and Amanda are so fun, laid back, and up for anything. We started out keeping them dry, but let them get completely soaked by the waves towards the end of the session. Enjoy a few of my favorite photos of this beautiful couple. I can’t wait to show your their amazing wedding day in the mountains next!

Are you looking for a destination wedding photographer? I would LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page to see if I have your wedding date available!