A Gay Wedding at the Now Jade Riviera Cancun
I have to admit it, the one bad thing about living in the Riviera Maya as a wedding photographer is the lack of gay people to hang out with. Working in the visual arts industry and having a best friend in university that was gay, I’ve always had more than a handful of wonderful gay men that I call close friends. Many of them I still stay in touch with, but here there are not a lot of gay men to hang out with and to help me keep up with the latest styles and trends.
Even if those trends are wearing pants that are far too tight (!!!), it’s still nice to have people around that can make sure you are looking good. Not to mention that, in general, my gay friends are just a lot of fun to hang out with back home. So, when I got the opportunity to photograph Mitch and Matt’s wedding, I was over the moon! Heck, they are even from Vancouver – a place I called home for ten years. Rather than my telling you Mitch and Matt’s story, I thought I would share the story of how they got engaged, as told by Mitch:
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“The proposal was a complete surprise. I had always thought a new home was first on the to-do list. However, Matt had other plans. Matt had the ring, had been planning for months (as he tends to do with everything) and was ready to take the leap on New Years Eve 2012 (aka my birthday). He was finalizing the details on a tour of Vancouver in a private plane with one of our friends who is a pilot, but disaster struck on the day and it had to be canceled due to fog and poor visibility.
“Matt then started to panic and pace around the house (all 476 sq/ft of it), trying to think of something else to do. He was so stressed out at one point, that he had to go sit in the bathroom Googling ‘romantic places in Vancouver.’ Unknowingly, I suggested we head up to Capilano Suspension Bridge for my birthday afternoon as I had never been there before and really wanted to go. Matt was so relieved – he thought it was perfect.
“It was a crisp West Coast afternoon with blue skies and a cool breeze. It was the perfect day to spend walking through the old growth forest high up on the bridges and platforms of the tree walk. We found ourselves alone on a secluded platform looking out over the Capilano River far below. Out of nowhere, Matt said he wanted to give me my birthday present and got down on one knee and proposed. I was completely stunned and said ‘yes’ – obviously!”
I just loved working with these guys and I am so happy to be a part of a world that accepts all relationships. Thank you for taking a look at the photos! Mitch and Matt asked me to keep images of their guests to a minimum on the website and, out of respect for them and their guests, I have selected images that show Mitch and Matt as the stars of the day!
Enjoy,
Dean Sanderson
