Pulling off a Mexico wedding is hard work but it’s worth it! We’ve seen every type of wedding, from the simple to the complex, and everywhere in between, and we know you’ve got a lot of questions. And we’re here to answer them…not just the ones about Mexico wedding photography! Browse through our most frequently asked questions about bridal wear, hair, flowers, photography, resorts, passports, and more to plan the perfect destination wedding for you. If you need more in-depth help, please choose a link to the right for recent features on our Cancun wedding blog.

And, as always, if you don’t find what you are looking for, please feel free to contact us for help.

Jump to Section

CHOOSING A CANCUN WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

  • How do I choose a Cancun wedding photographer?

Choosing a Cancun wedding photographer is not an easy task and it is much more complicated than a simply one line answer. The most important thing is you make the decision you are happy with. To read more about choosing a wedding photographer here.

Back to Top

  • When should I book my Mexico wedding photographer?Most couples book their Mexico wedding photographer right after they get confirmation from the resort for their wedding date. Others book their photographer first, then look for a resort with availability for the date their photographer is booked. We recommend booking as soon as possible and once you’re comfortable with the other details of your wedding.

Back to Top

  • Do I need two Cancun wedding photographers?

    It depends on your situation and on your personal preference. You can read our thoughts about having two photographers versus one by reading our article.

    Back to Top

  • What is the booking process?

    It’s really simple. We have a contract that we will send to you and you just sign online. After you agree to the contract, there’s easy-to-follow payment instructions for you to make your $500 deposit and your Mexico wedding photography package will be booked!

    Back to Top

THE BRIDE

  • Does it matter what kind of wedding dress I wear?

    You should wear a dress that makes you look your best! However, it is important to remember that you won’t be wearing high heels. Choose a dress that flatter your shape, but still looks good in flats and bare feet. Read our article, “Tips From Your Cancun Wedding Photographer” for more tips on choosing your dress.

    Back to Top

  • Do I have to wear flip flops or can I wear high heels?

    Whether you wear flip flops or high heels is totally up to you! If you decide that you want to wear high heels for your beach ceremony, your resort can provide mats for walking. But don’t forget, there will still be sand, and you’ll still be on your feet all day. There are even drawbacks to flip flops–they’ll throw sand at you under your dress all day long! As a long time Cancun wedding photographer, Dean recommends bare feet whenever possible.

    Back to Top

  • Will my makeup impact my wedding photos?Yes, Yes, YES! The type and style of makeup that you wear on your wedding day will most certainly impact your photographs and the way you look on the beach for your Mexico wedding. You can read all about the best beach makeup in our Beach Bridal Makeup tips.Back to Top
  • Should I get my makeup done at the resort spa?

    It depends on your needs and on your budget. Some resorts will offer wedding day makeup as a part of your package or offer discounts. But you should make sure that they always do a quality job by reading reviews, and you should make sure that their style and yours collide in a good way. Read our article about Beach Bridal Makeup for more info on keeping yourself and your photos beautiful.

    Back to Top

  • Where should I get my hair done locally for my Mexico wedding?

    We recommend that you get your hair done for your wedding in a spa. But before you rush out to any spa in the phone book, give us a call. We can recommend several people that will a beautiful job on your hair for your Cancun wedding. Don’t forget to check out our article on Beach Hair.

    Back to Top

  • Do I have to wear sunscreen?

    If you are fair-skinned, you should absolutely wear sunscreen on your wedding day to avoid serious sunburns and discomfort. Read our article, Sun Smart Tips for more information on beating the heat and keeping yourself and your wedding guests comfortable.

    Back to Top

THE WEDDING PARTY

  • What should my mother wear?

The mother of the bride really should wear a solid colored dress. Small patterns can look crazy on camera. Professional photo shoots typically always use large prints, block colors, or solid colors. Also, have your mother stay away from black and other very dark colors. She should also not match the bridesmaids, but be complementary in color.

Back to Top

THE WEDDING

  • How long in advance should I start planning my Cancun wedding?

    Some destination weddings companies recommend that you start planning between 9 to 15 months before your wedding date. This is because you may find that other brides, too, are getting married on your same wedding date and may need to contact and book several services, including your Mexico photographer, early on to ensure you get what you want and need.

    Back to Top

  • How many hours of Cancun wedding photography do I need?

Over the years, we’ve found that the majority of Cancun weddings require about 4-5 hours. Read our article on wedding timelines to help you determine whether that will work for you, or if you need a little more time.

Back to Top

  • Will my wedding colors impact my photos?

    The colors that you select for your Cancun wedding can have an impact on the quality of your photos. Magenta is one color that can cause problems for(digital cameras as for some reason, digital cameras hate magenta. Now if you have your heart set on magenta, make sure you hire a great photographer that can colour correct your images. It is more difficult and we can, but it never looks exactly right. Please let us know your wedding colors in advance as it is nice to have that in mind when shooting.

    Back to Top

  • Does it matter what time of day I have my Mexico wedding?

    It’s your wedding, so you should have your ceremony at a time that suits your needs and style. However, for the best Mexico wedding photography and most comfortable ceremony and reception, we recommend a timeline centered around sunset. Read our article on Wedding Timelines for more information.

    Back to Top

  • What is the best beach for a reception or ceremony in Cancun?

    All of the beaches in Cancun are perfect and beautiful for a Cancun wedding. They’re pretty consistent in that regard. However, we prefer terraces to beaches for receptions. This is partially because we’ve seen a lot of brides who want to wear high heels at their reception, and that’s not really recommended on the beach! But don’t let us stop you. If you really dream of a reception on the beach, go for it! All resorts offer beach receptions and it’s your opinion that really matters!

    Back to Top

  • Do chairs sink in sand?

    Chairs don’t sink in the sand as much as people think they do. But if you’re concerned about your elderly grandmother, choose a resort with a flooring structure or a patio where you can be married instead of on the sand.

    Back to Top

  • What about arches and canopies?

    Arches and canopies are excellent for beach weddings. They keep the sun off your guests and you, and make for a more comfortable experience all around. Try to stick with white so your canopy and arch do not diffuse colors onto you and your partner and impact your photography. White OR white is our suggestion and we love “both” of those colors. The shade they produce helps us get even skin tones in photos… just remember to stand in the shade. Remember, a blue canopy is liable to make you look like a Smurf in your photos.

    Back to Top

  • Where do I get flowers for my Mexico wedding?

    There are local flower shops where flowers can be ordered, or you can have them delivered from wherever you are coming from. Typically, your resort will also either have a florist on site or a preferred florist. Remember, some resorts require you to use their florist or to pay an outside vendor fee if you do not. If you aren’t using your resort and want some help choosing a florist, just let us know and we can make a recommendation.

    Back to Top

  • When should we do the wedding portraits and family portraits?

Dean’s favorite time to do wedding portraits and family photos is after the ceremony. We typically start with a big group photo, then move on to family photos, then the bridal party, and finally the bride and groom. That way, any elderly members of the family, and children that have a need to explore can be on their way without worrying about missing the photos.

Back to Top

  • Do you take dance shots?

Yes! Dean loves photographing the first dance and the father-daughter dance, especially now that he’s a Dad. Dance shots are some of the most fun at a Mexico wedding because people really come out of their shells.

Back to Top

  • How should I deal with wedding gifts at my Mexico wedding?

    Traditional wedding gifts can be bulky, take up space in your hotel room, not be allowed into the country (or worse, not allowed OUT of the country), and expensive to mail back home, which is exactly what you will have to do. Consider asking guests to put money into a special bank account, to mail gifts to your home, or to provide you with gift cards. Some couples opt not to receive gifts at all or to have a reception when they return home to accommodate those guests who could not make it to Mexico.

    Back to Top

YOUR CANCUN WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHS

  • How much experience do you have photographing Mexico weddings?

Dean has 10 years of experience as a wedding photographer.

Dean shot film before going to digital photography and has been working in the industry for a long time. He has a complete understanding of exposure, light, and will always ensure that things are done right, so your wedding photography is beautiful. Unlike some Mexico wedding photographers, Dean does not rely on PhotoShop to make photos beautiful. Dean also  photographed commercially for Gettty images, which is one of the largest stock photography sites in the world. Their quality standards are second to none and he brings those standards to what we do here for weddings.

Back to Top

  • How many images do I get with your package?

    The number of photos taken depends on a lot of factors. Typically, a six-hour wedding photography package results in 550-650 high resolution, ready to print images. The more hours the package, the more photos that are taken. And our commitment is that we want to make sure you get all the images you want, so please see our price list for how we achieve this.

    Back to Top

  • Why does it take so long to get photos back after my wedding?

    Average delivery of your Cancun wedding photos is 3 weeks, but sometimes can take up to 4 weeks. This is very excellent compared to other photographers and we do this for several reasons.

    • Quality production. We want to make sure every image is print perfect. This takes about 20-40 hours per wedding.

    • Process selection, focus check, photo selection, and color correcting of each image is part of our process, and is followed by color correction rechecks, uploading images to two web sites, and making sure you get your images.

    • Don’t forget…the internet is super slow in Mexico, so doing some of these things takes a very long time!

      Back to Top

  • Do I get to keep all of the photos you take at my Cancun wedding?

    Absolutely! That is, if you want to. If you bring an external hard drive with you to your Cancun wedding, we will include all of the RAW image files so that you have every moment from your day, even the awkward ones. To us, this is your wedding and we will never take away your right to have your images.

    Back to Top

  • Do I own the copyright to my photos?

    Yes and no. You will always be able to make as many high resolution prints of your Cancun wedding photographs as you want, without permission and without paying. However, we retain the commercial rights to the images. This means that you can do whatever you want with your Cancun weddings photos, except sell them. By retaining this copyright, we are also able to post your Cancun wedding photos to our web site without having to do tons of paperwork. Of course, if you don’t want your photos posted publicly, just let us know and we’ll write that right into your contract.

    Back to Top

  • I don’t need all the photos in the package. Will that reduce my costs?

    Our package costs are based on the number of hours Dean spends at your wedding and in the editing process afterward, not the number of photos that are in your package. A 3-hour wedding may take up to 40 working hours to complete. If you are concerned about budget, please talk to us and we will work with you to create a package that fits your needs and your budget.

    Back to Top

  • The local newspaper wants to publish my photos.

    We love to hear that local publications want to showcase Cancun weddings we have photographed. We do ask that the publication not only offers credit for the photo, but also prints a link to our web site so that other couples can find us.

    Back to Top

  • A magazine is doing a story about my wedding and wants to buy/use my photos.

If a magazine will be printing your Cancun wedding photos, have them contact us directly. We have dealt with many Wedding magazines and other publications and can help them get exactly the files they need for a great layout. Not to mention, we love this type of publicity!

Back to Top

  • I want all of the photos from my Cancun wedding edited and provided to me.

    While it’s understandable that you want all of the images from your Cancun wedding edited, please remember that that is A LOT of images. Your Cancun wedding photographer may take as many as 2000-3000 images at your wedding. Some will be blurry. Some just won’t look nice. We select a much smaller number, usually around 10-15% of your images for color correction. If you don’t like the images we select, you are more than welcome to ask us for more at no cost. Please see our price list for details or email us and we will explain in more detail as we also want to make sure you get all the images you love for this one price.

    Back to Top

  • What is the quality of the images?

    All of our images are high resolution and ready to print. Dean has used his camera to shoot billboard advertising and other very large ads and photos. We’ve printed photos up to 8 feet long without any pixelation, so you’ll never have to worry about quality! Just for good measure…our photos are shot in RAW format and can be up to 23 MP (megapixels).

    Back to Top

  • I am going to need a higher resolution of some of my photos.You shouldn’t, but talk to us and if needed we can get you something you can print a billboard with if needed. Or we can talk to the printer and see why they have this request.Back to Top
  • How do I get my images?

When your images are ready, you’ll receive a link in an email. All you have to do is click that link and your images will download automatically.

Back to Top

  • Will you post my Cancun wedding photographs online?

Certainly! We post many of our Cancun wedding photographs and Trash the Dress sessions online so that you, your family, and your friends can see all of the amazing photos from your day. We may also post your photos as a part of articles, or even in magazines and newspapers. We’ll always let you know about that, though!

Back to Top

MEXICO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY COSTS

  • Why is Cancun wedding photography so expensive?

The average Cancun wedding takes 40-60 hours of in studio time plus the time at the wedding.  You are paying for someone who has a very specific skill set. A photographer can only shoot so many weddings a year due to the timing of weddings. Not to mention, a wedding photographer can only shoot one wedding per day!

Back to Top

  • What if my wedding reception runs longer than the amount of time I booked? Can you stay longer?

Yes Dean’s rate is $250/hr and you can decide this on the day… now with that said, Dean is going to show up 10-15 minutes early and stay 10-15 late if needed and is never going to bail on you, but it is when he gets to the 30+ minutes over that we start looking at that extra hour.

Back to Top

RESORTS FOR MEXICO WEDDINGS

  • Which resort is the best resort for Cancun weddings?This is a personal choice and it is totally up to you. If you are in the stage of looking for a resort and want our opinion on food, service, etc… Dean will be happy to talk to you so that you make the choice that is right for you.Back to Top
  • Are there resort costs for photographers?

    Yes. When you hire an outside photographer for your beach resort wedding, there is often a cost associated with this, typically anywhere $200-$500. Your contract for your wedding ceremony will list this cost. It’s important to note that some resorts may charge up to $1,000 for an outside photographer. If the cost is important to you, negotiate this with the resort prior to signing your contract, or choose a resort that will allow you to have the wedding of your dreams!

    Back to Top

TRASH THE DRESS

  • What is a Trash the Dress session?

    Despite the name, Trash the Dress sessions rarely mark your wedding dress in any way. Most Trash the Dress sessions are photographed in cenotes (seh-no-tay), which are fresh water pools carved out into “caves” in the landscape by Mother Nature. Cenotes are unique to the Riviera Maya, so you won’t be able to have this experience anywhere else!

    Back to Top

  • Do “Trash the Dress” sessions really ruin the wedding dress?

Most Trash the dress sessions do nothing to your dress other than get it wet. All your dress will need is a little cleaning before you can wear it again. Wait… :-) The point is, your dress will not get ruined, but we hope you’ll never need it again.

Back to Top

OUR SERVICES/ABOUT US

  • Do you offer full day wedding photography packages?

    Yes we are here to make you happy and will shoot as long or as short as you like. However, we have found that most weddings need roughly 3-4 hours and that will be sufficient to cover getting ready, the ceremony, and the reception. You can read more about this in our article on Wedding Timelines. If you feel that you need more time, please contact us to discuss your needs so we can create a package that makes sense for you.

  • Back to Top

  • What is your refund Policy?

    We ask for a small deposit to hold the photographer for the day. If you have to cancel or change the date and we are able to book the photographer for the exact same day, then we will refund your money. Here is a link to our official refund policy.

    Back to Top

    Do you offer videography services?

    Not yet. But let us know what you’re looking for. By the time you read this, we might have started offering it ourselves, or we can refer you to some great people.

    Back to Top

  • Will you only take photos at weddings, or can we schedule a session like engagements, too?

Yes! Dean can do engagement, family, baby, and vow renewal photo sessions. Just let us know what you need and we’ll work out a package that is right for you!

Back to Top

  • Can you take photos at the rehearsal dinner?

    Unfortunately, we do not currently offer services for Cancun wedding rehearsal dinners. We rarely are able to capture excellent photos at these types of events.

    Back to Top

  • Do you shoot with an assistant?

    Dean typically shoots alone unless you specifically request a second shooter. Jonathan always shoots with a second photographer.

    Back to Top

  • Will you travel for my Mexico wedding? What is your travel area?

If you have your heart set on Dean for your Mexico wedding photographer and you’re not having your wedding in the Cancun area, don’t despair! Please contact us for travel rates to your location and we will do our best to make it work for you!

Back to Top

  • Where are you based?

Dean lives in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and regularly shoots Mexico wedding photography from Cancun to Tulum, and all through the Riviera Maya.

Back to Top

  • Do you shoot in black and white?

All of your Cancun wedding photographs will be shot in color. If you want your images changed to black and white, Dean can do this in post-production. However, as Dean is shooting your Cancun wedding, he may find that a specific moment will look best in black and white. If that’s the case, he’ll let you know, ask for your opinion, or process it out as black and
white.

Back to Top

  • What kind of equipment do you use?

Dean loves Canon! Right now, he’s shooting Cancun weddings with a 5D Mark III and a d5D Mark II. He also uses a wide variety of prime and sometimes zoom lenses.
Back to Top

  • Do you offer Cancun wedding albums?

    Yes, we have a service that offers wedding albums. Please contact us for more information, however, we also want to state that we give every couple everything they need to create their own images. Therefore, yes we offer this service and we are more than happy to help you buy one outside our studio.

  • Back to Top