Seven years ago, I thought we had a once in a lifetime opportunity. We were asked to fly to Jamaica to capture Megan & Chance’s wedding. It was something I would never forget. Little did I know that this year, we would have that same great honor to travel to Jamaica for another destination wedding. It is such a huge honor to have this family trust us to capture their special memories. And if I am being honest, it is a lot nerve wracking as well. But the minute we stepped onto the resort, I instantly felt welcomed by Derek, Katelyn and their family and friends. Since Derek is Megan’s brother, we already knew so many of the sweet faces that traveled along! It was like a big Jamaica reunion!

You can never fully describe the experience of a desitnation wedding. Derek and Katelyn were surrounded by 36 people who loved them enough to travel to another country to watch them become husband and wife. Traveling like this allows you to truly capture so much more than you ever can on the wedding day alone. One of the biggest perks to destination weddings is the relaxed nature of them. The days leading up to the wedding were spent lounging by the beach or in the pool. The group took a boat ride to snorkel and jump off the cliffs at Rick’s Cafe. We shared many meals together and spent a lot of time laughing along side these amazing people. It was truly a pleasure. We were able to capture the entire experience including the rehearsal dinner, wedding, and a bunch of moments throughout the week.

Even though the wedding was low key, Katelyn still put so much of her personal style into the day. And I have to say that I LOVE her style! From her Kendra Scott jewelry to the perfect shade of blue on the guy’s suits, she made this destination wedding a dream to photograph! Katelyn embraced the tropical feel for her wedding. I loved the pattern pocket square and bridesmaid dress too! It added such a fun pop of pattern! And I am pretty proud of Katelyn’s bouquet because the resort only provided a simple white orchid strand (like the bridesmaids had) and Travis and I turned it into a fun island bouquet using clippings from around the resort! Travis wants to start making bouquets now too! haha! We had so much fun making this one!

Katelyn & Derek, we will forever love you guys for trusting us to document this experience. We are forever grateful to you and your families for flying us to Jamaica, making us feel like one of the family and giving us the opportunity of a lifetime (again!). We wish you the best always!

It was raining (some liquid sunshine) during their portraits, but these two just rocked it anyway!

I will be sharing more of their trip soon! Stay tuned!

A special thanks to the following vendors:
Venue: Beaches Negril | Bride’s Jewelry: Kendra Scott | Groomsmen attire: vendor coming soon | Bride’s Gown: Kate McDonald Bridal | Bride’s Bouquet: Travis and Candi Leonard  | Coozies: vendor coming soon | Videography: Travis Leonard | Photography: Candi Leonard Photography